Here’s the step by step process on what you need to do before you begin freelancing.
Freelancing is one of those buzz words nowadays along with influencer and entrepreneur. Everyone wants to find a “work from home” job and you totally can! You may be wondering what type of freelancing jobs there are. If you have skills in writing, blogging, social media management, photography, editing, etc. freelancing is a great way to go. For some people this is either their full-time gig or they do it on the side to make some extra bucks. If you think freelancing is right for you, skip the next section but if you are unsure, here’s the pros and cons of freelancing from my point of view:
Pros
You get to make your own schedule which is HUGE! This gives a lot of people the opportunity to travel more often, spend more time with family and friends, etc. Also, if you are a working mom or dad, it can be so hard to balance work and life. This gives you a flexible schedule so you can work when the kids are in bed or at school.
You get to do what you love to do! Every single day you can help others by providing the skills you excel at. It’s very rewarding and I enjoy being able to help my clients in ways I didn’t think possible. I’m not going to lie and say I never get frustrated but my job satisfaction has definitely increased.
Cons
It’s easy to procrastinate since there’s a lack of structure. It’s been an uphill battle for me to tackle everything I need to do in a day. Some days I work much more than I should and others I do nothing. It is especially enticing to skip out on work when the beach is so close haha. It’s hard being your own boss sometimes and a lot of people don’t share that side of freelancing.
I find myself getting overwhelmed A LOT. Even when you love what you do, it’s hard to when it becomes “work.” It’s taken me a long time to figure out my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to freelancing. Also, I’m a total people pleaser and always want to go above and beyond, BUT sometimes I kill myself over it. For example, I’m really good at motivating myself to do things for my clients, but then I find myself waiting until the last minute for my own deadlines for kaylajsmith.com. “Balance” doesn’t exist but we can get close if we prioritize our time right and let ourselves take breaks as needed. We cannot fill others’ cups if our own is completely empty.
How Do I Start Freelancing?
Figure out what type of freelancing you are interested in
Whether you’re great at creating Facebook ads, writing content, editing videos, and the list goes on and on, find what you want to do. I mainly do copy writing (blog posts, articles, email campaigns, etc.) and content creation for small businesses. Once you figure it out, narrow down your specific strengths and “target” people looking for those services.
Sign up for freelancing apps and freelancing websites
I have yet to do this myself, but I know a lot of people who find success from websites like Fiverr. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of experience and knowledge when it comes to that, but it’s a great way to jumpstart your client base.
Find clients
You can go to freelancing websites and freelancing apps like I mentioned before. (You can pick and choose from a quick Google search.) Another underutilized method is Facebook Marketplace. There’s ALWAYS people looking for others to complete odd jobs and tasks they can’t do. Other Facebook groups work great too! That’s how I got all my clients actually and I’ve had a couple referred to me from word of mouth. Never underestimate the power of testimonials from others. Business owners are more likely to take the advice of someone they know so tell your friends to spread the word!
Negotiate Payment
Are you going to help this person or persons full-time or part time? Is it a singular project or on-going system? Pricing is the HARDEST thing for me to do. Like I mentioned before, I am a people pleaser and I desperately want to help everyone but that’s not physically possible because a girl’s gotta sleep and eat sometime in the day. My best piece of advice for this is to know your worth. Don’t rip people off but make sure to do what you can for a fair price that you are happy with and for those you work with.
Do good work
When you do good work, others notice. One of my clients EXPLODED on Pinterest and others began to notice. People will ask them how and then referrals come that way too. I know this is best when you are already working for someone else and want to gain more clientele. However, you can show others your skills by doing it yourself. If you want to build websites, create the best dang website you’ve ever seen. If you want to help others grow social media, grow your own first. If you want to write good articles for others, start writing articles on your own blog or Medium. Clients will trust you once they see the work you can do.
Repeat!
Things can evolve with time. You can add in different skills once you become established in what you are already doing and offer new services to the people you already work with and potential clients.
Whew! If you made it through all of that, give yourself a high five. I know freelancing can get really scary and it’s hard to know where to start, but I’ve found a lot of joy in what I’m doing. If you have any other questions regarding freelancing, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them in a future blog post.
XOXO Kayla
