For those confident in taking risks and walking towards their goals, the article will tell you how to become a freelancer from scratch and what stages you need to go through to start getting the first results.

Where does your journey begin? It is always the hardest thing to do to take the first step and target the beginning of some action. Therefore, you need to think first and catch the right wave. Having decided to become a freelancer, you should start with the simplest:

• Prepare computer and internet access. It is not only the main tool of the freelancer but also the workplace. It would help if you remembered that the computer is now your work. When you turn it on, you are at work; when you turn it off, you leave employment.
• Get electronic wallets where the payment will be made in the future. It is one of the motivations for work. Agreed, the idea that it will soon be credited a certain amount of money encourages action.

Preparation of instant messengers and social networks

For reference! For work, you will need various ways to communicate with the customer: Email, phone, Skype, social network pages, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The more of them, the better, so the client is comfortable.

When working remotely, you should follow the same rules as when interviewing offline. The names, profiles, and nicknames should be official and presentable—no need to be creative.

The name must be your real name. Next, take a quality photo where you look good and business-like. It also applies to pages on social networks. It would help if you were smart about placing pictures and other information.

If the employer visits this page, he must have a positive opinion of you. Therefore, every detail is important, creating a certain image for you.

Choosing a profession

Of course, knowing from the beginning what you will do as a freelancer is great. However, this question is often very difficult, and what to start from the beginning usually needs to be clarified. This list of popular and in-demand professions that can be understood without education will help.

 Self-study or online courses for a quick start

The hardest thing about freelancing is choosing an occupation. If the choice is made, then the next step is self-development. It would be best to learn as much as possible about the desired direction, read, listen, and watch various sources. This will be the beginning of your professional growth.

Often, such training is paid. However, it is worth noting that business always requires investment. You are a so-called business project where you must invest to develop and grow. In this case, the choice is always yours.

Self-study, although free, requires more effort, effort, and time. It is important to plan this effectively because your future earnings will depend on it.

We create a portfolio.

Always make sure before buying anything; most people read the reviews and then make a choice. Before we watch a movie in the cinema, we read other people’s opinions about it.

Before choosing a manicure master, the girl first looks at his work. First, check the florist’s catalog to order a bouquet for a gift. Reviews save time and money and make life easier.

This rule also applies to performers. The customer wants to find a professional and, therefore, looks at the completed work of a potential candidate. Thus, creating a portfolio showing your result and testimonials from satisfied employers is crucial for a successful career.

Remember! You must work for free or at least for a nominal fee to create it. It is worth notifying your friends and acquaintances about your lesson. Chances are, one of them will need your services.

You can also place an ad with a detailed description on your page from a social network, for example, the now-popular Instagram. So there is an opportunity to reach a larger audience.

Examples of quality work performed will only benefit and help to find more customers. It is easier to build relationships with them. With experience, self-confidence will grow. In addition, the ability will increase self-esteem and bring pleasant sensations. All initial fears will disappear. The main thing is to continue.

Where to find freelance work?

Aspiring flangers can find work on freelance marketplaces. You need to register and search for a suitable order to do this.

They usually cost little, so don’t expect to make much money immediately.

Opportunities will increase if you think of the exchange as a platform where you can find regular customers.

It is possible to start with small, inexpensive tasks for 100-200 rubles. Employers are often looking for responsible performers for more work.

Also, don’t be afraid of difficult tasks. This uncertainty often says they are difficult, but it is very doable. In any case, knowing if you don’t try is impossible. Obstacles must be overcome to fight yourself. Only then can you move to the next level?

Where else can a newbie find a job?

Exchanges are not the only source of remote earnings. You can earn money online from any website, blog, or project. The main thing is to prove yourself. Job search methods can also be the following:

Monitor your reputation

Important! Reputation should be your first rule. It is important to achieve its perfection. Many freelancers believe it is unnecessary to complete the task on time or that changing your mind about it is possible. However, this needs to be corrected. This behavior is unlikely to make you a successful freelancer.

If a specific deadline is set, then it must be followed. This is very important. Not only the quality of the work itself but also its timely delivery plays a big role.

Based on this, a reputation is formed, thanks to which you will not have to look for customers in the future; they will contact you themselves. Responsible and competent professionals are highly valued.

Useful video

In the video, you will see a story about how to become a freelancer without experience in a particular profession:

To work remotely, freelancers do not need to have a special education. Anyone can be successful in this business. The main thing is to remember some important points:

• The desire to progress, develop, and be decisive is half the success. You have to believe in yourself, and everything will work out.
• First, you must learn and apply a little theory diligently and purposefully.

So, it would be best if you took risks to achieve results. There is no need to be afraid. And It is important to continue with success, try, and experiment. At the same time, it is necessary to remember formality when compiling profiles, responsibility, and discipline when performing tasks.

These are the components of reputation, which in the future will be your calling card and will allow you to attract more customers.

Freelancing has become a symbol of freedom in its most diverse sense – creativity, self-expression, movement, finance, lifestyle, and daily work. More professionals see freelancing as an attractive alternative to traditional office work, while companies eagerly move to outsource projects and functions.

Surprisingly, most go through similar stages of professional development, despite the diversity of industries and specializations open to freelancing. Understanding the details of these stages allows you to correctly prioritize and avoid dangerous traps, achieving success even without connections, experience, or formal education.

Let’s find out about these stages and how to overcome them.

Stage 1. Unrecognized genius (Become a freelancer)

No one knows you or trusts you. You apply for hundreds of projects and get all rejection emails. You need to be in the freelancing world.

The purpose of this step is to create a trustworthy profile.

What to do

Sign up for the leading freelancing platform in your field; one is enough to get you started. Next – fake it till you make it. Clearly and concisely describe your skills and relevant education or certifications, add a photo of yourself with a happy smile, and write a friendly letter with a desire to work together.

Don’t worry if you don’t have an education that matches your specialization, and it can easily be filled with the help of a portfolio and reviews.

The Portfolio is the most important element of your profile. If you don’t have a portfolio and hope to create one when you start working on the platform, this phase will be longer than necessary and likely end in depression.

A portfolio with examples of projects you look forward to should be ready in advance. These could be projects you’ve done or projects you’ve done for friends. The main thing is that they show the quality of your work. If relevant, include examples of before and after your intervention. This is one of the most effective ways of getting the potential client’s attention.

Once you’ve created your Portfolio, start writing reviews for yourself. Invite friends or family, do some projects, and hire yourself for those projects. As a rule, potential clients respond to letters after 5-7 reviews, and a good portfolio appears on the profile.

What not to do

Don’t leave your job. Creating and promoting a profile and Portfolio from scratch will take a lot of time, and you will need a parallel stable source of income.

Stage 2. Committing

Accepted in the first projects, you are often evaluated and thoroughly questioned in interviews. You will receive a response to 25% of emails sent.

The purpose of the stage is to confirm the declared reputation.

What to do

Work hard and build communication.

Fight hard for projects, recycle, communicate at any time of the day or night (thanks to the current exchange rate, the best projects come from abroad), listen to the client and fulfill his preferences, and be polite and correct.

When applying for a project, indicate some way to contact you (phone, Skype, email). Monitor the prices for the services of your nearest competitor and dump. At this stage, the cost and speed of communications are your best friends in the fight for the customer. Develop telephone and business communication skills, especially if your primary market speaks a different language.

If you need more than your foreign language, invite the client to conduct all discussions by email under the guise of saving all the details and wishes. As a rule, most people see such an approach positively and even distinguish you from others as the most responsible performer.

Plan

Since each new client seems like a miracle and a rare stroke of luck for you, it is tempting to agree to all proposed projects. The monitor is overgrown with files with unfinished tasks, and coffee cups multiply on the table, and email jingles with letters from clients with a confused “When will I see the new version?” .

You need to start timing and prioritizing projects, learn to say “no,” or at least adequately evaluate the work (“I can start in two weeks”).

Manage the client base.

Be sure to start compiling a file with the client base: include contact information, data on the work done, the details of communication with this client, and his personal or professional interests. Start building relationships with clients. The end of a project can mean more communication between you.

At this stage, you will remember lazy lunches at the corporate office and fun nights with friends over a glass of wine. The main thing is to realize that it is not forever. After 30, 80, or 150 projects (depending on your specialization), you will be recognized as a professional who deserves respect and a decent salary, of course, if the reviews about your profile are not mistaken and speak of high-quality work and budget, and, at least, of your pleasant personal qualities.

What not to do

Don’t give up on difficult clients.

They are often your most enthusiastic supporters and lead a steady stream of projects through friends and colleagues. You may lose time (= money) or some nerve cells initially, but in the long run, you will be in the black.

Stage 3. Top specialist (Become a freelancer)

Have you received dozens of invitations to new projects and have a flow of regular customers? You are recommended in professional circles as a specialist with a good reputation. You get paid enough and can choose which projects you sign up for.

The purpose of the stage is to follow the strategy.

What to do

Make sure to choose projects that will bring you the best results in the long run. For example, choose the former between a small project of a giant company and a high-paying one-time project. If successful, you have a high chance of becoming a permanent freelancer in the green field of corporate projects.

Also, try to build friendly relationships with talent managers on freelance platforms. They constantly seek reliable freelancers with good references for the platform’s enterprise clients. A carefully selected talent pool gets direct access to Fortune 500 companies and projects with unlimited budgets.

What not to do

Don’t think you are irreplaceable. 

Forgive yourself for a few missed calls or missed emails, maybe a few missed deadlines, before hiring a dedicated, rock-solid freelancer to replace you.

So freedom is freedom, but it’s not worth suddenly traveling for a month with unfinished projects.

Stage 4. What’s next

In principle, top specialists are free enough to live where they want, work in their style, and grow professionally and creatively. For some, this stage becomes the standard of a happy life for many years.

Someone gets tired and takes a job with one of their clients or partners (which is easier if you maintain a long-term relationship with your client file). Others will try to translate personal success into starting their own company and growing into a management position. There are many options, and the decision is yours.

The described stages give a rough idea of ​​what awaits a novice freelancer on the path to success, how best to prepare for it, and what mistakes to avoid.

Even though being a freelancer today is easy, only a few go to the level of leading specialists. Understanding the steps and following the basic tips diff help you achieve your goals quicker and with fewer losses. If you’ve already gone this way or are halfway through, share your impressions, experiences, and step-by-step tips in the article comments.

It is reading 12 min. Views 1.7k. Posted on August 26, 2019

Thanks to the Internet’s rapid development, many employees can work remotely. A freelance worker hired by employers to perform some one-time tasks or permanent orders may live in another city or country. Freelancers manage their time and control their level of work.

How to become a freelancer from scratch?

It is necessary to determine your skills, be ready to use them to the maximum, improve your knowledge and work in a competitive environment. If there are certain skills for the chosen specialty, you should invest effort and money in training. It is possible to become a freelancer without funds and education, going through a difficult path from the first, almost free, orders to highly paid jobs and the height of professional growth.

What do you need to start?

Where to start as a freelancer? For stable operation, you must have a sufficiently powerful computer or laptop, free access to the Internet, and preferably an uninterrupted power supply. It is important to always be in touch and online in case of force majeure.

It is always worth taking care of the Internet’s quality: choosing a tariff with sufficient speed is better. This would help if you equipped the workplace as convenient as possible for your needs.

Among technical equipment, bank cards and electronic wallets will also be required for successful cashing out of earned amounts.

What skills should a freelancer have?

• The main skill is the ability to plan your time and consider the deadline (deadline for order delivery), punctuality, and control over your work.
• The ability to find a common language with customers, negotiate favorable conditions for themselves, and make a reasonable compromise is also important.
• The next quality is that if you need to learn to do anything, you must constantly improve your knowledge and skills, promote your career ladder, and expand the market for their services.
• If the field of copywriting is chosen, you must have basic literacy and a willingness to improve your language knowledge.

Who shouldn’t try freelancing?

Self-employment will only suit you if you can ensure stable communication with customers or your presence on web resources due to a lack of time. This is not an option for those unwilling to work irregularly if necessary. Freelancing is not suitable for those who fear the concept of a deadline, who often have sick young children, or problematic relatives who may suddenly need a maximum of your attention and energy.

List of freelancing professions and vacancies

Many specialists can work remotely, starting as employees of copy centers and exchanges (rewriters, copywriters, SEO copywriters, translators from other languages, and designers capable of working with graphics programs) and ending with programmers, coders, and contextual advertising specialists.

Layout designers, employees to promote advertising on social networks, and various content managers are required. You can be a moderator or administrator of communities that provide income.

Teachers and tutors of various subjects are also needed.

A separate service is accountants and auditors who work on financial documentation remotely.

Online psychologists and lawyers can also be useful online.

How much does a newbie freelancer earn?

The earnings directly depend on the level of skills and volume of work. Every freelancer goes from minimal to solid income: it depends on how much time and effort you can devote to online orders. You can start with a few thousand rubles a month and complete your career as a successful self-employed specialist or entrepreneur with a high dollar income.

Decide on your specialty.

Assessment of own skills and abilities

You must first audit your abilities and skills to succeed at remote work. It is better to start with professional directions. If you work better with information, text posts, the specialization of a copywriter, or a poster on forums, a rewriter will suit you.

Are you good at photography? Photos can be put on stock exchanges and sold to site owners.

If the specialty concerns construction, engineering, repair, or interior decoration, look for clients using well-designed websites or stock exchange portfolios.

Network employees can be lawyers, psychologists, coaches, crisis therapists, teachers, and business consultants.

Ask for specialties in the year 2023.

A copywriter, SEO copywriter, and specialist in promoting network sites and filling them with content will always find work.

There is also a great demand for SMM specialists involved in advertising on social networks.

Online lawyers who provide various legal services are in demand.

Online psychologists, coaches, authors of exercises, and webinars are in demand.

It is becoming easier for photographers, interior designers, architects, engineers, and builders to find work through the Internet.

Freelancer training

• If there are no special skills, they can be easily acquired by watching the YouTube educational channel of your choice or by searching for relevant information on the net.
• It’s easy to download Photoshop lessons for free, mastering the basic skills of retouching and processing photos, making collages, and compiling product catalogs.
• Learning how to create one-page sites (landing pages) for companies, even beginners, is easy.
• A copywriter can explore dozens of resources dedicated to working with text.
• If there are no special skills, you can try yourself as a transcriber – this is an employee who translates the voice acting of the video into text format.
• Beginners, students, and early learners can participate in forums paying for posts and comments.
• It will be interesting to try yourself as a tester of computer games.

Where can you study online?

The Neurology Center provides a training service in specialties in demand on the Internet: this is an opportunity to study while living in any city. Here, upon completion of the course, a certificate confirming qualification is issued.

The iklife.ru site provides an opportunity to take courses for everyone who wants to work remotely.

There are a large number of forums where you can find like-minded people. For example, novice copywriters on the Etxt exchange forum can always chat with experienced colleagues and read their recommendations and advice. Every self-respecting exchange has a resource guide.

In special forums, remote workers exchange experiences and opinions about sites, customers, wages, and options for finding the sale of their skills.

Good courses in a specialty often cost money, but the costs will quickly pay off, taking you to a new professional level.

First steps in freelancing

How to make a portfolio from scratch

• It is important to fill in the accounts and correct your information on social networks so that a potential customer sees you as a serious employee ready to complete any task. Avatars should look solid, and nicknames should match and be memorable.
• A beginner’s Portfolio should indicate their strengths and list skills and abilities. When the first completed orders appear, you should place links to your work in the appropriate portfolio section.
• Alternatively, you can write an article on your blog for yourself or friends or use this link for a portfolio. They also post the processed video or slideshow with retouched images on the YouTube channel and provide a link. You must present everything you know in an accessible form.
• In the exchange of copywriters, simple test tasks are often given that increase the rating of a beginner. Sources of income provide a portfolio option with democratic conditions and transparent settings.
• The first orders can be taken for free, and a symbolic payment: starting with positive reviews and constantly growing ratings, is important.

Top exchanges to make money as a beginner freelancer

• Advego, text.ru, eTXT, and Textsale are the most convenient and intuitive businesses. Interesting projects can be found on Weblancer, Kwork, Freelancejob web resources, and the Freelance.ru website. Foreign resources freelancer.com and upwork.com will help you find income.
• Copywriters will like copylancer.ru, turbotext.ru, qcomment.ru, contentmonster.ru and textbroker.ru exchange.
• Programmers and 1C specialists will be interested in the resources of 1clancer.ru, devhuman.com, and modber.ru.
• Designers and illustrators should pay attention to logopod.ru, illustrators.ru, russiancreators.ru, dribbble.com, behance.net, and topcreator.org.

What to choose: self-employment or sole proprietorship?

Starting a career, being self-employed is enough to avoid legal trouble. This is an option for those who combine study and full-time work. Plus, to avoid conflict with the country’s tax authorities and legal system, get a guaranteed pension and have everything. Necessary documents, according to reporting, it is better to switch to individual entrepreneurship over time.

Choosing an e-wallet

Depending on which exchange or type of work the freelancer chooses, he must decide on cashing out the earned funds. It requires a bank card of the country where he lives and a maximum of electronic wallets – for example, WebMoney, Yandex-money, and QIWI are considered the main wallet options. The first wallet is convenient because you can create any wallet within the main account – dollar, ruble, euro, etc.

It would be best to deal with intermediary sites that withdraw and convert funds. Therefore, in addition to the intricacies of the specialty, it is necessary to study the features of Internet banking and maintain your accounting.

Many sources have referral programs that provide passive income. The meaning of referral projects is that the user will bring other newcomers to this site and will receive a small reward for each.

Work with clients

How to get your first order

Feel free to apply for the first orders. If the conditions are clear, and your knowledge will allow you to complete the task, the risk is worth it. In the application, in addition to the readiness to proceed, it is necessary to indicate why the customer should entrust this work to you. After the first experience, the performer confidently increases the position to distinguish between controversial nuances in technical buildings.

How to communicate with customers

Customer communication involves mutual respect and distance without familiarity and rudeness. The actor must be very polite and correct even when defending his interests.

If it is possible to be online around the clock, you can indicate that you are always online for immediate communication with you. If you want to be uninterrupted – show your work schedule and stick to the exchange.

When you go on vacation or offline for a long time, it’s worth setting a date when you’ll be back and able to work again. These rules will help you build relationships with people correctly and retain customers.

In the event of force majeure, it is also worth having the opportunity to go online to inform the customer about the problem or ask to move the deadline for the delivery of the work. Bad form – do not complete the task taken, disappear from the client’s field of vision. It threatens blocklisting and negative reviews.

How to turn customers into repeat customers

For customers to become permanent, they must be retained through good quality, consistent performance, and solid cooperation. Customers appreciate the safety, reliability of the contractor, and the absence of risks.

You can also periodically make pleasant discounts, allowing the client to save.

Quality of execution, online presence, a clear understanding of requirements, and meeting deadlines are the key to a steady influx of customers.

Financial cushion or how to protect yourself during periods of downtime

Having customers with different solvency is a guarantee of no downtime. Building a list of regular customers is necessary, paying special attention to those who can provide a good workload. It’s worth reaching out to clients who need help occasionally. It is unwise to lose some employers from the previous price segment while maintaining prior agreements with them regarding prices.

In case of downtime in one exchange, you can earn from another source. You should update the accounts in advance so that the skills and abilities can be presented as attractively as possible in 2-3 exchanges.

How to price your services. Competition issues.

The price must correspond to the level of professionalism of the performer and be sufficient for the customer.

• The pricing strategy is as follows: the cost of the service is taken as the basis, and a portion of the profit for the client is assigned. Beginners should look closely at users’ price categories on the exchange they have chosen as a source of income. Usually, they start at prices of 5, 8, and 10 dollars per listing.
• Also, the price is built based on competitive advantages. If you can speak another language and translate, it increases your weight in the eyes of the customer over ordinary copywriters. If you speak English and German, French, and Spanish, your chances of earning are higher than those who only translate from English.
• It is better to decide for yourself the tariffs, where a low price corresponds to a small amount of work with minimal requirements, and a high price corresponds to an order with a serious technical task and many conditions. The customer often chooses the third option – the “golden mean.”

When to raise your prices

You can gradually raise the price, get a higher rating and expand your range of services.

When a professional with the highest possible level works cheaply, he can confuse the customer. The high price and great group of skills in the specialty inspire respect and the desire to compromise to negotiate more favorable terms of cooperation for the contractor.

How much does a freelancer earn?

At first, earnings can be from a thousand rubles a month with little work, but with the growth of the career, the income can increase in proportion to the effort and time spent. It is realistic to reach the minimum wage level first, then increase the revenue to 4-5-6 thousand monthly and above.

Going to the professional level

To grow in the eyes of customers and competitors, you must constantly develop and stay abreast of innovations in your field. Copywriters must master new services for checking texts and SEO parameters and implement LSI copywriting. Designers must follow the updates of graphic programs, and programmers must follow the trends in the market development for their services.

Customer trust is caused by professionals with no negative reviews, deadline failures, and prices that match the level of services.

The Portfolio is also changing: you can show successful examples of texts, videos, photos, and drawings, focusing on the number of whitelisted clients and many positive reviews. In describing the services, you should be able to list your skills and regalia.

A copywriter starting from scratch can be the owner of a small team where beginners work with texts and complete their first orders under his guidance.

Pros and cons of freelancing

Among the advantages of freelancing, it is worth mentioning complete control over your working time, the ability to get a free-living and even travel to work. This is stable income growth, an opportunity to earn money, subject to a professional attitude to business. The advantage is cooperation with sufficient employers on completely acceptable conditions, and the contractor can change the latter.

Among the minuses is the possibility of time pressure, irregular working hours in case of force majeure, and instability of income without a keen interest in work. Remember that no one will pay you for sick and maternity leave, and you will go on vacation at your own expense. Many need to be added to the friendly team. But overall, freelancing has more pros than cons!

Often people ask how to become a freelancer from scratch without experience, money, and education. Since my freelancing practice is almost seven years, I will say something about it.

I admit I’m tired of answering the same questions about freelancing. So I decided to make step-by-step instructions like this so that every person without experience and money can become freelancer.

Each tip in this article is a step to go through. But you must complete these stages on the path of your development. For example, I do not recommend starting step 3 without completing the previous 2. Each of these points provides good practical advice from my very good experience.

Also, in some sections, advice is given on what do I do now if I’m starting. It is no secret that the market situation has changed during this period. Ultimately, some secrets in the store will make you stand out from other freelancers.

First, let’s find out what it takes to start freelancing for a beginner. What experience should it be? How much money might be needed?

How do you become a freelancer without experience, money, and education?

I’ll start with the main point: most people don’t quit their jobs and join the ranks for one simple reason. They always seem to need something added.

This is where the human mind uses all kinds of tricks to avoid starting a new life. Let’s look at the most common reasons.

No education

When faced with a similar problem, it is understood that more specific knowledge must be needed to perform the task. Some activities require special education.

If we consider this item from the point of view of the lack of certain skills, then the work can be developed differently. For example, to work as a freelance designer, you need to be able to work with color, know some technical standards, and understand technological processes.

But ask yourself: what is the client paying money for: for your education or the result of your work? This is clear for the completed order. Therefore, education to get the first money in freelancing is not the main thing.

No experience

Usually, when someone talks about lack of experience, he means he needs to do more work in some area. But if we are talking about the freelance environment, this also means a lack of experience finding orders.

Whenever I hear about lack of experience, I remember this image:

This vicious circle is broken. To get that valuable experience, you have to do something physical. In the case of freelancing, find orders and fulfill them. There is no other way to get renowned expertise in the market.

No skills

This item may be related to the experience, but I intended it separately. Filling the bumps is unnecessary to get a freelancer’s skills in some areas. You can attend some freelance school where you can learn everything you need from the beginning.

So, you can acquire the skill of “freelancing” in two ways: master it yourself or go to specialized sites where it is taught. In the first case, the advantage is that it is free but less fast and disciplined than in the second.

No money

This factor refers to the investments that may be required to get started. For example, to work as a programmer, you need a laptop. In a 3D visualizer, you need a powerful computer. For an illustrator, you need a graphics tablet, and so on.

Note that many modern freelance exchanges work on the principle of a PRO account. This paid service allows you to stand out from competitors on several sites. But there are separate exchanges where a statement with this status is the only way to respond to orders.

Depending on the specialization of the freelancer, the cost of such access may vary. From $10 to $50 per month just for the opportunity to receive an order. You have to be ready for it.

As you can see, it is only possible to become a freelancer from scratch with investment. But if you treat any expense as an investment that will pay for itself in the future, there will be money.

Now we go directly to the instructions for a novice freelancer.

Tip # 1: Determine the type of activity of a freelancer

This is a very important point. It depends on you which direction you go in the world of freelancing. Two ways can be distinguished when choosing the type of activity.

Freelance on small orders

Under small orders, you need to understand those where the total level of profits is at most $100. This freelancing category includes video editing, photo editing, logo creation, and more.

The main disadvantage of working with small orders is that the average check per order needs to be higher to cover at least one week’s demand. And since every freelancer has an income below which you cannot fall, you must take many orders.

And it is obligatory to allocate enough time to search for orders. Since each order requires attention even at the approval stage, consider the time spent negotiating with the customer. 30-40% of a freelancer’s time is spent delivering potential orders…

What is the advantage of this path? There are many small orders, and you will need work. And it’s also a steady flow of money: you get cash immediately after completing a small project.

The main advantage is that you can find regular customers with such orders. In some cases, such as filling the site with articles, you can take part in a large project that can load you with work for several months and even years.

Freelance on large orders

This type of freelancing includes orders from $500 and up. Main activities: 3D graphics, 2D design, interior design, website development, and web design.

Let’s move on to the weakness of freelancing on large projects. First, it isn’t easy to find a regular customer. Even if there is one, a steady flow of orders from such customers is ideal, on the edge of romantic dreams.

Second, the market for large projects could be more flexible. Sometimes you can get an advance for a real money project, but then you have to work for months without any financial income until the delivery of the order.

Hard. For example, in such cases, I need to take smaller orders in parallel to cover current costs and, at the same time, make sure to meet deadlines for larger projects. Be prepared that with long-term orders, customers are sometimes delayed by changes and feedback.

In the last years of my life as a freelancer, I achieved a balance in this regard since I led several large projects. At the same time, he understood when to start looking for new orders. If you are interested in how to plan your work schedule, then write in the comments, and I will be happy to share my experience.

And when you get your “wave” of orders, working on big projects will be a transitional phase to something else. You can read about it. This is the most important advantage of working with long-term orders.

Have you decided which projects you will work on? Then let’s continue.

Education, knowledge, and experience are meaningless compared to the Portfolio. Here’s what you need to work on from the first minutes after you decide to become a freelancer.

A portfolio of a freelancer’s activities is the key to getting new orders by 90%. A high-quality selection of works collected in a folder gives a potential employer an understanding of the level of skills in the early stages of acquaintance.

And there is only one way to create a portfolio: to develop and complete it yourself. There are several solutions for taking someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. But this is a road to nothing because after receiving the order, you must prove your abilities by doing the work.

And if it turns out that the level declared in the Portfolio is higher than what you have, then it will not be a very good situation.

In some cases, there may be penalties. Therefore, before passing off someone else’s work as your own, think ten times if the game is worth the candle.

Some portfolio works

Remember this saying: the quieter you are, the farther you go. It’s just about how to start from scratch. Again, creating a quality portfolio is your primary task.

At one time, when I started my freelance career, two works of 3D graphics were enough to get me the first order, which eventually brought in $1800. Times are different now, so a bigger portfolio is needed.

There is no exact answer to how much work is required. There should be enough of them to get the first order. Only filling the Portfolio in various specializations is taught in freelance schools.

How to make a portfolio from scratch

• Go to any freelance exchange and see real orders for your topic. Choose a project with the most detailed technical specifications. Do quality work for yourself, then you can safely put it in your piggy bank.
• Moreover, in the Portfolio for this work, you can add a description according to the formula: Before – After. It is necessary to show the work conditions before the work and the result—participation in the competition. Often in freelance exchanges, but less and less often, they offer to participate in various events with a prize fund. Feel free to take such contests. You’ll gain experience and work on a portfolio even if you don’t receive prize money.
• Projects with test work. Experienced freelancers, for obvious reasons, do not accept such orders. But a novice freelancer has nothing to lose: in any case, you must put effort and time into filling your Portfolio.

Here, perhaps, and all the way. If I missed some way to create my Portfolio, then write in the comments on this article. It will be useful for those wanting to become freelancers from scratch.

The period of creating a portfolio is the most difficult stage in starting a new activity. The main thing to remember is that later it will be easier: there will be so many projects and orders that sometimes there will be no time to replenish the Portfolio with new works. It happened to me often.)

In passing, I have already mentioned freelance exchanges. They are like thematic sites on the Internet, where the employer is looking for performers for their tasks. It should be recognized that, in most cases, employers go to such exchanges with one goal: to find a contractor at the most affordable price.

But some customers are willing to pay more for a better service. So don’t sprinkle ashes on your head early).

I divide all freelance exchanges into English-speaking (foreign sites) and Russian-speaking. I will not say that in the first variant, the average prices for the projects are higher, although logically, it should be so.

The main problem with foreign exchanges is freelancers from India and China, who throw up the prices.

Your self-branding

It is very common when a project is placed at a very good price, but after a week of the auction, the price is reduced by two or even three times. So think carefully about whether it is worth registering on foreign sites. I will tell you a secret that an ordinary, average freelancer does not change in freelance exchange throughout his career. It’s like first love: one and forever.

In addition, to work on foreign sites, you need to know English, at least at the everyday and professional slang level, which is inherent in your chosen specialization.

Freelance exchanges can also be divided into such categories.

Types of freelance exchange (Become a freelancer)

• They are partially paid. In such exchanges, it is possible to respond to orders for free. Accounts for payment, the so-called PRO status, have a few more opportunities and chances to receive an order.
• It is paid in full without the ability to respond to projects without paying for a certain period. But even on such sites for beginners, there are free trial periods or discounts on the first payment.

Today, there has been a general trend towards a narrow specialization of freelance exchanges. Among the universal ones, where every freelancer can find an order for any discipline, you can count on the fingers of one hand. Let’s find out which exchange is right for you.

• If there is a freelance exchange exclusively for your specialization, select it after looking at the average monthly number of orders placed on the site.
• Generally, we do the same for special exchanges: we register and, before filling the Portfolio, we check the number of orders per month on the selected topic.
• The cost of an advanced account per month. Obviously, cheaper is better. But do not rush to conclusions on the price. Again, look at the number of orders per month. We exclude the period for review holiday in the new year. If there are few projects, you must put a portfolio where you have to pay more for professional access.
• Ease of portfolio completion. Try to download the first works. If you prefer something else to the interface and the time you spent filling at least one job in your Portfolio, it makes sense to think about another site.

List of the most advanced freelance exchanges

• freelancer.com (foreign site)
• upwork.com (foreign place)
• Textsale (swapping copywriters)
• freelance.ru
• LogoMyWay (for logo makers)
• Advego (replacement copywriter)
• web lancer
• Krop (for web designers)
• eTXT (copywriter exchange)
• Kwork
• freelance work

Tip #4: Register a profile and respond to orders (Become a freelancer)

When registering your account on freelance exchanges, consider a few things. To begin, we will select the main specialization and some additional ones.

Each freelance exchange has an automatic rating calculation for each of the specializations. As a freelancer, you should strive for a high reputation on the site.

This rating depends on many factors, but here are the main ones: the totality of the account page (Portfolio, information about yourself, opportunities for communication) and the amount of time spent on the exchange from the registration day—usually, the older the account, the higher the rating.

Your self-branding

When registering an account, add a picture for the avatar. This should be your photo, not a company logo, cat, or flower. The client should immediately see who he is dealing with.

Be sure to write a few words about yourself in your information about who you are and why you do what you do. Remember to describe what makes you different from your competitors briefly. Example: for the second and third orders, a 25% discount or an article of 3,000 words within 4 hours. It’s a kind of (USP) that makes you different from others.

By uploading your Portfolio to the site, you can add a description to each of your works. If it works to show skill, you can write that the work is done according to a real technical position, but only for the Portfolio.

Alternatively, generate a project creation history). If the work was done for the competition, describe the event’s conditions and what place it was eventually taken.

Be aware that it may take several days to complete your profile. But it is better to do this work with high quality because this is your business card. And after the profile is ready for potential customers, we start responding to orders.

How to respond to commands (Become a freelancer).

• Always read the posted assignment carefully. A common situation is that people who are physically unable to provide such a service are responsible for the project. I often work with freelancers and already have experience in such projects. It negatively affects the reputation when a freelancer offers services without knowing the order.
• You will find that after a while, you will develop your response structure to which customers react the most. Get yourself an electronic document. Write all the answers in the template: according to what method you are doing, what you need to get started, and prices for the main types of work. You will only need to copy and send to customers, not every time you type text differently.
• In your messages, indicate a link to a portfolio posted on a freelance exchange. This will further encourage the client to move to your freelance profile.
• Briefly explain your benefits. For example: bring all projects to an end, ready to work under a contract, and so on.
• In addition to all contact details in the profile, indicate them directly in the message: email, Viber, phone, and so on.
• Be sure to ask the client a question at the end of your message. The practice has shown that the customer responds faster to such statements. But here is an important point: the question must be on the merits of the present work. It should not be a template for a carbon copy.

Following these recommendations can increase the chances of a positive customer decision in your direction. If you know any other chips in the orders’ answers, write them in the comments. It will be useful for others.

After about a year of training as a freelancer, I had regular clients. This is a common practice in a niche like 3D visualization and interior design. One client brought me two projects per month. It’s a fun time.)

There was a case when I didn’t buy professional freelance access for almost a year. I even forgot what it was like to find new orders because existing customers provided the necessary amount of work.

Loyal customers are what a freelancer needs to strive for in the first place. This guarantees you a piece of bread, even in the most drought for orders.

How to turn customers into regular customers

• Do your work in such a way that the person has a desire to return to you. Finish all projects to the end, even if there is a temptation to abandon the work at some stage.
• After the project, nothing is stopping you from thanking me for your cooperation, and if there is more work in the future, then you are the person who will do your best. After all, you speak the same language as the customer and understand his requirements.
• Check your contacts once a month. Please write to your former clients that they are open to new projects. And that if they have some work, you are ready to perform it immediately.

I want to highlight the third point. After completing the project, the customer often has a break from work. After some time, he may need such a service again, and the client forgets to whom he made the previous order.

Make a regular reminder of yourself for those you already work with, and your clients will be permanent. Always check your contacts.

But working with regular customers also has side effects.

Disadvantages of regular customers

• Having become accustomed to a customer and his way of carrying out a project, this won’t be easy to adapt a new person to his requirements later.
• We live in tough times and have to raise prices every six months. When working with the same client, it’s hard to raise costs because he’s almost a friend.
• Any regular customers will also leave. Take care of this moment in advance: look for additional regular customers.

Each of these points is my experience. Print these words and hang them in a prominent place. It will be useful.

Last words of farewell for a freelancer

If this material has not scared you and you are still wondering how to become a freelancer from scratch, then I have good news: you will succeed!

Whatever goal a person sets for himself, sooner or later, he will achieve it in one form or another.

These words are not mine, but one of my advisors. But they move you to move the fifth point from the soft spot and start moving. The path will be long and difficult. But if you show perseverance and perseverance, even taking very small steps, you can go to your Shangri-La and become a highly-paid freelancer.

In this article, I describe how to become a freelancer from scratch. But I wrote about the lifestyle and prospects of a freelancer—more than my bitter experience. In the material, you will find valuable advice.

For today I have everything. Remember that freelance exchanges are only one of the ways for a freelancer to find clients. You can find them and. If this article is useful, comment on it or share it with friends on social networks. To do this, click the colored buttons at the bottom of this article.

I hope you already know how to become a freelancer from scratch. There’s only one thing left to do: act!

In the article, I will tell you what steps I would take if I were a beginner today and started my freelance career from scratch.

Newbie freelancer. Where to start?

1. Choosing a profession: Try everything first; deciding what you like and prefer and where you want to develop is easier.

When you’ve already decided what to do with freelancing, great; if not, then decide. You said brilliantly, but it’s true, you will get far with this step.

How to quickly decide on a freelancing profession?

Try everything that interests you at least a little bit. Before I started doing web design, I studied creating sites in WordPress, and Joomla engine, studied SEO, Info business, MLM, and Programming languages, and only then web design and landing pages. And I have no regrets; the acquired skills in all areas are helping me today.

Read

Take the time, even if it’s different from what you want to do. All the time is spent wondering if it is mine or not. You probably will know once you try.

Choose a niche that you like, and you must like it. You must develop to achieve good results anywhere; learning new material must be interesting.

There is a course by my colleagues Vasily Blinov and Svetlana Kirilyuk, “Start freelancing,” after passing, you will master the secrets of freelancing and understand the algorithm for making money on the Internet – link to the course.

When you decide, I advise you to do only one thing, one profession, maybe even similar related subjects, but nothing more.

If you are engaged in only one thing, for example: Creating Landing pages, then you will develop as much as possible in this vector and, as a result:

• the work performed will be more and more professional every time
• you will understand your customers better
• your job will cost more
• you will be happier when you see your progress.

You need to respond as much as possible to projects on freelance exchanges like work-zilla, offer your services to more people, shine on message boards, etc.

Develop the habit of being polite to your clients, the exception might be people who consider freelancers idiots, but that’s a separate conversation. Being polite to people is usually normal, but in freelancing, it plays a very big role. Customers love adequate and polite freelancers because they save time and nerves.

And here, another important thing comes in – it’s word of mouth. If you do everything above correctly, you will be given a sarafan. If you are recommended to your friends, this is a big plus for you; it means that customers are satisfied with how you do your work.

Get reviews. The best option is a video review, but if they don’t want to shoot, they can at least write in text and provide a photo. You can post reviews on your website or in the same Google Docs document.

In this phase: As confident as possible, we express ourselves and our service, we stop being afraid of customers, we talk more with them, we improve our communication skills, and we identify the customer needs.

Repeat all this in a circle.

• We develop in the chosen niche
• we look for orders
• we do the work
• new project in the Portfolio
• The client is satisfied.
• we get reviews
• other people advise us
• we build a base of regular customers
• Communicate better and more confidently with customers.

Separation word

This is the path I would take if I were a newbie freelancer.

How long does it take? I don’t know, and it’s not the most important thing. The main thing is to see your progress, continue developing in your profession, in communication with clients, and the ability to sell your services more expensively.

If this path suddenly seems difficult, remember why you decided to freelance.

I see obvious reasons to work on the Internet:

• Compared to a paid job, I earn more than I could make working for my uncle.
• I can work anywhere in the world where there is an Internet.
• I grow personally and develop as a professional in my niche.
• There is no fixed salary, but there is no ceiling. Everything I earn depends on me. I control my life, not other people, and that’s cool!

That’s it. I hope I answered the question – How to become a freelancer from scratch? I wish you the best in your freelancing journey!