You get the idea. Develop at least two solid marketing strategies. If you’re looking to expand your channels, this article is a great summary of the top 9 marketplaces for designers looking for work, and this post covers 18 unique ways to find new clients.
HOWEVER. Also avoid the temptation to try and focus on all the marketing platforms… as a freelancer, you don’t have the time and resources to really succeed doing “everything”. Each marketing channel takes work. Don’t spread yourself too thin and put in a lackluster effort on too many platforms.
Needing to get a new client as soon as possible will also make you a worse marketer. It’s the definition of short-term thinking, and will make you act desperate instead of confident in sales situations.
It’s amazing how a client will sit on an idea for years, thinking to themselves that they need a new website or new product designed… but then when they decide to actually do it, they want it done yesterday.
Make it your goal to eliminate as much waiting time on the part of your future client as possible. If the client is receiving multiple proposals, it helps to be the first. Begin the conversation with them. By the time they gather more proposals, they’ve already spent time building rapport with you, and will be biased towards hiring you.
For example, when running Facebook ads, I’ve had the most success when setting up a Zapier automation that sent me a text as soon as someone submitted their info through the ad, and yep, I would call or text them immediately.
Another reason why it’s crucial to be super responsive with potential clients is because, whether consciously or subconsciously, they are using that time period to make a judgment of how it will be to work with you on a freelance project.
As with many other soft skills and business skills, your competition isn’t that tough when it comes to communication. Most freelancers are trade professionals who happen to be running a business, not business professionals who happen to possess a trade skill.
My point is, you should aim to be in the top 5% of best communicators in freelancing. Even if you have a bit of a language barrier between you and your clients, you can leverage written communication well.
Getting tons of updates is part of normal human society in 2022. Every day, you are getting dozens of notifications that you don’t “need”, but you still get a little hit of dopamine every time one comes in… so you like it.
Same for your clients. No matter the stage of the project, they should have already paid you a good chunk of change to build something for them… and it’s pretty nerve-racking as a client to not hear anything for two days and wonder if your freelancer just disappeared.
Of course, it also goes without saying that if the client sends you a message, respond as fast as possible. I know I’m guilty of seeing a new text message and deciding I’ll respond later… DON’T do that with clients!
Do that, and your clients will love you, and THAT’S how you get referrals. Doing great work is important, yes, but that’s a given. It’s an expectation. You don’t get any bonus points for being a good designer. You get bonus points (and raving fans) by being a human being that clients love working with.
Maybe you’re familiar with the “belt system” that’s common in many martial arts: white, blue, brown, purple, and finally, s xgdpblack belt. This system of milestones is ingenious. It gives the practitioner reasonable goals to achieve, and instills in them a sense of progress, a feeling that they know where they stand.
Milestones also make it much easier for you to split up payments throughout a project. For larger projects, 3 payments might be less risky for you and better for your cash flow than one or two payments.
It’s truly amazing. I’ve been a freelancer for so long, I can hardly remember what a fixed schedule is like. I try to carry more gratitude for how lucky I am to have this lifestyle.
There are lots of designers out there. But there are not a lot of designers that can also handle the roles of marketing, sales, and customer service. Therefore, if you can be that person that does everything, you’re more valuable to the marketplace and will get paid more.
This is the one that initially drove me to be a freelancer. Honestly, I had a hard time imagining myself at a desk every day just clocking in to complete a task. Over and over and over. For years.
If you want a step-by-step guide to literally walk you through the process and details of going from zero to 6-figures as a freelancer, I can highly recommend checking into Ran Segall’s course called “The 6-Figure Freelancer”.
Hire a HackerFrom a young age, I was captivated by technology. From early computers to the latest smartphones, I always sought to understand their workings and potential. It took years of exploration and self-learning to realize that my passion could be more than just a hobby; it could be a profitable career.
Over a decade ago, I took the plunge into freelancing. Armed with skills in web development and graphic design, I began offering my services on online platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. Here’s how you can get started too:
Today, my passion for technology has not only brought me financial stability but has also allowed me to live my dream of being an entrepreneur. Through my Medium account, I’ll continue to share strategies, tips, and lessons learned. Join me on this journey and discover how you too can turn your passion for technology into a successful career. 🚀💻
In recent years, the tech industry in the UK reached a milestone value of $1 trillion. As the sector booms and the world continues to propel itself towards ever-increasingly digital societies, it’s no surprise that more entrepreneurs are jumping on the bandwagon.
Whether you’re fresh out of education, an old-school industry expert, or a passionate tech newbie, every entrepreneur has to be open to a lot of learning. The more you educate yourself, the higher your chance of creating a product or service that truly resonates with your audience.
This includes your technology niche. If you haven’t already, learn everything there is to know about the technology you’re interested in until you’re an expert in the field. Stay on top of all the latest relevant news and read around your industry, too, ensuring you’re always clued up on what’s happening.
It’s also wise to get to grips with all things business, as well. Read up on everything from creating and managing invoices (using accounting software such as Xero or FreeAgent can help with this), how to handle late payments, and how to accept card payments from your clients (e.g. using Stripe or Sumup card readers), to what your audience expects from your services or products as a company, creating a marketing strategy, winning new clients, and making sure you’re prepared to build a brand.
To learn more about markets, you can make a start by listening to tech and business podcasts, watching reputable YouTube videos, and keeping on top of industry news. There’s also plenty of published market research available on the internet, so do some digging to see what you can find out about your audience.
As a freelance tech company, you’re going to need a network. Your connections will spread the word about your business, offer you advice when you need it, and perhaps even become your first clients. You never know who knows who, either, and one network connection could lead to a whole host of other useful people for you to get to know.
Start developing your business plan. Remember, you can work on this document as you go, adjusting it and fleshing out ideas, but creating the bare bones of a plan early on will help hone your focus.
A business plan should detail everything anyone interested in investing or partnering with your brand needs to know. If you take on employees or contractors to help with freelance work, they can read your business plan and gain a good understanding of your business model, too.
Although it isn’t always too expensive to start a freelance business, in the tech world the costs can be high. Once you’ve developed your business model, it’s smart to look into funding options if you want to take your brand further.
There are a number of options for generating funds from investors, including seeking out angel investors, crowdfunding, and asking friends and family if they’d like to invest. Look into government grants, too, which can help your freelance business get off the ground without having to give away a percentage of your profits.
Get your idea up and running with a minimum viable product (MVP). If you’re starting a tech freelance company that fixes computers, for example, your MVP could be a website that allows clients to book from an initial offering of limited services. For tech products, your MVP will be the basic features and minimum development it takes to get the item or software up and running.
Your MVP should solve your audience’s needs in the simplest way possible. Once it’s developed and deployed, ensure you ask for customer feedback (and opinions from your trusted network) to continue building your brand based on what your audience wants.
Start with creating a website either by learning how to code, using a website builder, or hiring a developer to do the job for you. Be sure to set yourself up on Google My Business and implement SEO best practices to ensure your website sits at the top of the search results pages.