Being a freelancer can be very rewarding, and if you’ve been working on your side hustle for a while, it’s normal to start thinking about switching to full-time freelancing in the near future.
In order to make the transition, you will need a strategy. Chances are, you might not know exactly how to start, how to find freelance jobs, and when is the right time to switch to freelance work.
Here are 5 steps that will help you achieve your goal of being a full-time freelancer:
1 – Financial aspects
Before you quit your job, you should consider the financial implications and risks, and check whether the time is right.
Rates
As a freelancer, you need to establish your rates. These can be flexible, depending on your clients, but you should have an estimation of how much you can reasonably expect to make per hour/project, and check if you can sustain yourself with those rates.
It’s normal for your rates to be lower in the beginning and grow with experience, therefore start your calculations with a lower number.
Savings
Freelancing can be very uncertain. Especially in the beginning, before you’ve had time to build a name, your income might vary significantly month-to-month, and you might even have months with no income.
Therefore, it’s always recommended to have enough savings to get you through rough times. Calculate your average monthly expenses, and multiply that number by 6. Ideally, you would have enough savings to live for 6 months without an income. This way, you will give yourself the time to slowly get more clients and experience, without stressing out about money.
The amount of savings also depends on the rates you’ve established. The lower the initial rates, the higher the savings.
If you don’t have enough savings, consider working for a few extra months to save more before quitting your job.
2 – Building an online presence
In today’s digital age, it’s hard to find clients without having a robust online presence. Depending on your field, consider setting up a website showcasing your services. Create social media accounts as a freelancer and start promoting yourself.
For a content or copywriter, starting a blog on Medium can be an excellent way to showcase your writing skills when you don’t have a portfolio yet. For a photographer, all social media platforms (especially Instagram) offer an excellent opportunity to showcase your portfolio and build a following. If your services are not as easy to showcase, maybe start a podcast or YouTube channel to talk about the industry.
Take the time to find out the best way to gain exposure in your field, with your level of experience.
Even without a portfolio, if you worked in the same area as your freelancing gig, ask your manager for a recommendation on LinkedIn, which is a simple way to add more credibility.
3 – Being proactive
When starting out, many people aren’t sure how to find freelance jobs. They first work on their skills, build an online presence, and start promoting themselves on those platforms.
While these are great first steps, only doing this and waiting for the clients to show up is not enough. Being proactive is one of the most important aspects when it comes to finding your first clients.
You need to contact companies, pitch your services, ask for referrals, do everything in your power to reach potential clients. Job boards are still highly relevant for freelance work. There are many dedicated job boards for freelancers or remote workers. If you feel overwhelmed by all of the places to look for a gig, FlexJobs is a very reliable place to start!
When contacting businesses, focus on how you can help solve their issues, instead of listing your skills. If you’re having trouble in the beginning, start by accepting low-paid jobs (as a temporary measure), from which you can gradually build experience and get referrals.
If you’re already doing some part-time freelancing, you probably have at least one client. If you want to switch to full-time freelancing, you will still need to go through these steps.
4 – Networking
Meeting interesting people and building a network of relevant connections significantly increases your chances of acquiring clients. For any freelancer, especially at the beginning of their career, networking should be something to invest time in proactively.
Meet-ups, events & workshops
You can make real-life connections by regularly attending industry events and workshops. Also, you can learn of new job/project-opportunities through these events, and they are also great for keeping you up to date with the latest industry trends and developments.
When networking, make sure you don’t come across as too sales-y. Instead, mention what you do, but focus on getting to know other people. When relevant, you can exchange business cards, and later follow up with a proposal.
Online
You can also use social media sites for networking and searching for opportunities.
LinkedIn is especially well-suited for this purpose. Make sure you have an updated profile, and be active. Contributing with valuable content on relevant industry topics will help you build credibility and engage with more people in your field.
It is also a good idea to join Facebook groups. Whether you’re a writer, designer, web developer, etc., there are a variety of groups geared towards making connections and helping you advance in your specific career. You can make the most out of being a group member by highlighting your expertise, and asking for advice. You can also ask other members how they landed their first client.
5 – Mindset
Last but not least, your mindset will make a big difference in how well you’ll do in your freelancing career. Before you quit your job, consider what freelancing is really like, and the requirements for being successful.
As a freelancer, you will need patience, perseverance, motivation, self-discipline, great time-management… the list is long. In order to become a full-time freelancer, you have to be prepared to work on these skills. Otherwise it’s easy to give up before becoming successful.
You also have to be confident and believe in the value of your services, even when times are a bit rough. If your mindset is right, you can achieve it.
