We all know the pandemic left Iunquantified damages to the global economy, leaving millions of people unemployed or earning less than they used to. If getting a job is becoming an issue to you, or you wish you could earn more than you’re doing now, you should consider freelancing as a way to build a profitable business or as a side job. Here are some tips for you to build a profitable business through freelancing:
1.- Make a list of what you are skilled at
Make a list of the most successful jobs you’ve ever had or those ones that were more profitable to you. Then make a list of the skills you used to accomplish those jobs, if they were entirely your accomplishments or if you needed help. Then make a list of the top 5 skills that allowed you to complete the jobs without any help. Those skills are going to be the skills upon which you will build your freelancing business.
2.- Creating your services
After you’ve chosen the skills that you consider are the strongest of you, you’ll need to craft them as a service. You’ll need to do some research to give you an idea of where to use those skills and if there’s a market for them. If there’s not a market for the services you are devising, try with a different one. Consider searching for jobs posted on freelance platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr, or on more general job platforms like Indeed and if the freelancers who provide them are making money from them. Consider creating a specialized service, since this will give you more chances to get jobs. For example, if you are planning to provide services related to digital marketing, you could consider providing more specific services such as selling Google ads, or content writing.
3.- Promote your services
I recommend you use a single platform/medium to promote your services as a specialized freelancer since this will make your efforts more focused and measurable. Promoting your services on multiple mediums/platforms will create chaos since if you start failing on one you’ll distract from the others while trying to figure out what went wrong. I highly recommend you to use a solid platform like Upwork where you can collect reviews and build a reputation as a freelancer.
4.- Create a portfolio
Depending on where you chose to promote your services, you’ll need to build a portfolio with your best work. The items you show depend on you, but I recommend you not to add more than 10 items since clients typically don’t have much time to analyze prospect portfolios. I recommend you hire a graphic designer if you have the budget. This will make you look more professional and your chances of winning projects will increase.
5.- Build a recurring client base
It’s better for you to get contracts from clients that can give you recurring jobs rather than a one-time service. Try to center your efforts on getting clients that can be recurring and that will get you enough money in the long term. or if you plan to go the other way around, try that short-term contracts are high budget.
6.- Get advice from expert freelancers
There are many successful freelancers eager to give beginners a hand by creating tutorials on youtube or on other websites on how to make a living through freelancing. Consider diving into some of them and see if they can help you develop or improve your freelance business.
