How to start freelancing (and get your FIRST client!) [Updated May 2022]

The SPI community has been asking a lot of questions about the world of freelancing lately, so I thought I'd share some recent thoughts on freelancing to guide you on how to start freelancing (and get your first client).

But first, I want to take you back to a post I shared in November 2017:

The 2 fastest ways to generate an income online

In this article, I explain that freelancing is one of the two fastest ways to make money online (the other is affiliate marketing). Freelance work gets you paid quickly for a job that can actually help solve problems for people.

And when you're just starting out, freelancing is the best way to get started online. This is not passive income, which is important to understand. Freelancing is certainly not passive; it's super active. If you don't do the work, you won't get paid. But if you're dedicated and put in the effort, freelancing is a great way to get your foot in the door of an industry or niche that interests you. It's simply a great way to start a business.

After all, consider this: you only need one client. A customer to earn some money. A client to start the ball rolling. A customer to make the difference. And then, as you'll hear me talk about later in this article, you can take what you learn working with clients and turn it into something more passive, with tools, or even a team! But first, let's see how to get that first client.

Let's get started!

What is freelancing and why there are huge opportunities in freelancing

I think it's important to first define what freelancing is. Freelancing is basically offering a skill that you have in exchange for payment. If you have a skill that a particular customer, brand, or business needs to help them solve their problems, they'll want to hire you to solve it. And you do it with your specialized skills.

The great thing about freelancing is that there are so many different types of freelancers, offering a wide range of skills. Even if you don't have that skill right now, who says you can't learn it and possibly gift that skill as well?

Here is just a sample of some of the freelance skill types available:

Graphic design Photo editing UI design UX design Video montage Video production Dubbing creation of websites 2D animations 3D Animations Ajax development Java Development API development HTML development WordPress development Administrative Support Technical support by e-mail Virtual Assistance Transcription Data entry academic writing Writing Copy edit Proofreading Editing creative writing ghost writing Translation Accounting Account bookkeeping Business analysis Quickbooks Excel Advertising consulting Google AdWords Marketing strategy SEO CPC Lead generation

And this is only a small part of the types of freelance skills available on the market. This is a huge advantage when it comes to starting freelancing. You probably already have some of these skills. And even if you don't, you know there's a great opportunity for you to build your skill base for your future clients.

Another benefit of freelancing is that it allows you to step into a particular business space, get to know the people there, and learn the ins and outs of this type of business. company or specific sector. You may be hired for a specific skill, but you (or them or both) quickly realize that there are other opportunities you see, other areas where you can benefit the company.

In Session 460 of the SPI Podcast, Jay Clouse joins me to talk about an easy way for anyone to get into freelancing. Listen to it here:

How to get your first client (and why you only need one client!)

Once you have your own client, the road gets a little easier. Don't get caught thinking you need ten clients to start with. You just need a one-person audience to get started.

To walk you through what it is, I had a chat with Charli Marie from CharliMarieTV.

In the video (embed...