Looking to chat to any freelancers to get a bit of advice on starting out as a freelancer myself. Any help appreciated :)
Replies11
- @Peter Wright Oh dont worry, I'll be back with plenty more questions!
- @Bethany Worth you’re welcome. Would be great to keep up to date with how you get on.
- Deon Christie Peter Wright Christiane Lange Danai Molocha I cant thank you enough for your detailed responses! It's so nice to hear from other creatives offering little gems of advice! Thank you i really appreciate it, it's all going in my little planner! - Beth x
- @Bethany Worth Hi Bethany, I think @Danai Molocha response below is great and there' a lot there that's helpful. This is my take, hope it's useful to you:- how did you make the jump to freelance? In a similar way to you it was necessity (different reasons and circumstances though). I wanted more control over my work and more financial independence - I think that's either something you prefer of dont. As a freelancer you get more control and but income flows can be less steady compared to a 'regular' job. But if it's something that fits better with you then the path and everything on it is worth it.- how do advertise yourself? Marketing. Learn about it. Seth Godin is the best in the business. He talks about finding the smallest viable audience. Lots of people aim for the mainstream ie. everyone and anyone (nothing wrong with that btw). What Seth does is tell you to focus on a niche. Once you do that then the content (marketing) you produce can be more specific to the audience you want to build. Think about the sort of work you ideally want to do. Think about the kind of person you want to work with. Think about their problems and then build your freelance identity around being able to solve those problems. The 'content' I keep talking about it can be blog posts, sm posts, etc etc that establish you as an authority in your field - even if you're just starting out - you still have perspective and insight which gives you authority! Most importantly, be consistent with your output. Dont burn yourself out but dont go quiet either, any audience you gain traction with will soon move on if they dont receive value.- how did you go about planning to be a freelancer? My website is the first example of my portfolio and what I can do. So getting that right was a priority. Selecting the right social media channels to distribute examples of my work was next (and is always evolving). And understanding my identity and what I can offer. The last one I still do through studying my 'herones' - Seth Godin and Chris Do from The Futr - check out their websites and YouTube channels - priceless!- how did you work out your pricing? Through experience. Started out doing freebies to build a portfolio (but you dont have to do that - the marketing of your content is essentially your freebie offering). But it was a good way to gauge time, effort and value. Thats the possibly the best way to work out pricing. Think of a graph - one axis is value to customer, the other is time and effort for you. You'd charge a small local business differently than you would say, of Apple came calling. It's the beauty of freelancing - your pricing can be fair based on your project and you can work with clients of different sizes. I agree with below though - a good staring point is obviously industry standards And valuing what you're worth. If a client thinks it's too much, be flexible and firm but sometimes you may not be a good fit for each other.- do you work at home in on a co/working space etc and how does that work for you? Home, sometimes coffee shops, but mainly from home and it's perfect. But it depends on what sort of person you are - do you get your energy from being around people or does your energy drain from being around other people!In terms of advice - don't underestimate your value. Patience and determination is key. Always remember the reasons you wanted to go freelance and do what you do. Everyone started at some point And everyone, no matter how experienced they are, needs to start gain with new clients so ignore any 'imposter' syndrome you might feel.Good luck and stay in touchOr just any general advice, what you wish you might have known when you started out? Again thank you so much! - Beth x
- Ditto advice already given, i.e. the importance of networking, word-of-mouth, and having something convincing to show potential clients.Also, be prepared that landing a client can take a while. My rule of thumb is that a quarter of my working hours will be spent maintaining, finding and pitching clients.Lastly, you may want to focus on your strongest suit and the one most likely to get traction.
- @Bethany Worth hi:) Hope some of this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions- how did you make the jump to freelance? I moved to London and in many ways I had to start from scratch, so I tried to network and build a strong portfolio. As you start out, it’s worth getting involved with companies/projects you believe in and that will take your work forward, even if some are for free/lower fee. But make sure that it’s in small doses and it serves a purpose. If you get stuck in low-paying projects for longer, it does you more harm than good. It takes time, and effort.- how do advertise yourself? I try to keep my website/digital portfolio in good shape and be active on social media, although they’re not my strong suit. I believe in word of mouth the most - if you’re good at your job and to people, they’ll be happy to recommend you.- how did you go about planning to be a freelancer? Some things just happened as I was testing the waters. Over time I really benefited from research and working constantly to improve myself. It was hard to find where the best jobs for what I do were posted, who to follow on social media, helpful newsletters, courses etc.Saving up and researching taxes for the self-employed also helps, as you can only build a safety net for yourself (freelancers pay for different things, but they also get perks - you need to know where). Saving up will allow you to learn new skills or pursue interesting projects in quiet periods, instead of having to take up work you don’t want. If hair and beauty is your choice, go full speed ahead. You might need to consider well-paying side hustles, but don’t let them take your eyes off the ball.- how did you work out your pricing? It’s very tricky. You can check out forums, compare job ads, official data for your field etc. But the better you get at your craft, it’s up to you to demand what you feel is right for your time and expertise. If you feel you’re putting in way more than you’re getting out, it’s not worth it.- do you work at home in on a co/working space etc and how does that work for you?I personally feed off the energy of a cool cafe, other creatives working in the table next to me, good music, momentary distractions too. But now I created a very inspiring corner at home, so I don’t have to worry about constantly ordering coffees and hogging the same table for too long:)
- @Danai Molocha Hi Danai, Thank you so much to getting back to my ask. I have been a graphic designer for a couple of years now and I have found myself leaning towards specialising in hair and beauty and working predominantly for companies within this sector. However, I recently lost my job due to COVID-19 and now I'm starting to re-evaluate how I want to work. I know freelancing can be challenging, especially at this time so I have a few questions- how did you make the jump to freelance?- how do advertise yourself?- how did you go about planning to be a freelancer?- how did you work out your pricing?- do you work at home in on a co/working space etc and how does that work for you?Or just any general advice, what you wish you might have known when you started out? Again thank you so much! - Beth x
- @Peter Wright Hi Peter, Thank you so much to getting back to my ask. I have been a graphic designer for a couple of years now and I have found myself leaning towards specialising in hair and beauty and working predominantly for companies within this sector. However, I recently lost my job due to COVID-19 and now I'm starting to re-evaluate how I want to work. I know freelancing can be challenging, especially at this time so I have a few questions- how did you make the jump to freelance?- how do advertise yourself?- how did you go about planning to be a freelancer?- how did you work out your pricing?- do you work at home in on a co/working space etc and how does that work for you?Or just any general advice, what you wish you might have known when you started out? Again thank you so much! - Beth x
- Hi Bethany. I'll be happy to help where I can:)
- Hi Bethany, feel free to message me, I'm more than happy to share my tips!
- Hi Bethany, is it advice on portfolio, opportunities etc you’re after?
You must sign up or log in before you
add a comment.