5 Tips for Beginning Freelancers

If you're a beginner freelancer, you are in the right place. Since sharing a little bit about my experience freelancing, a lot of people have reached out to ask questions about how I got started, what I’m working on, and how I’ve navigated my freelancing journey.

This is my attempt to share what I know.

One of the most helpful tips I learned early on is to think of yourself as a business, not a freelancer. Freelancing is inconsistent, unstable, and low-paying (in theory.) Being a business owner means building something that’s sustainable, that’s making you money, and most of all giving you agency over your life and what you’re working on.

Even if you’ve just got one client to start, thinking of yourself as a business looks like clearly defining your scope and what you want to be paid, marking boundaries on your communication with clients, and making things like cash flow a priority.

That said, for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the world of freelancing, here are some great beginner tips. Granted this could change a lot depending on what specific type of work you pursue, but these starter tips are vague enough to apply to a wide range, whether you want to ghostwrite, design websites, or edit blogs.

1. Create a website.

You can do this yourself or hire someone to do it for you, but it's important that your website is professional and shows off the services you offer.

The Freelance Hustle has a great guide that can help you get started.

To be honest, this was one of the biggest barriers for me. I wanted my site to feel perfect and professional before I started anything, but now I’ve learned it’s better to get something out in the world and you can edit as you go. (See tip #5)

💡 Check out my website for Cromwell Creative Co here.

2. Identify an ideal 'menu' of services.

Just like in restaurants, you need to have a menu of offerings for potential clients to choose from. What do you offer? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What would be ideal for your clients?

Start by listing out all the things you could provide if someone asked you to do them—and then narrow down those options into a few simple categories or 'menus' (e.g., "copywriting" or "social media management"). Then list out what each category would entail (e.g., "copywriting" could include blog posts and emails; "social media management" could include posting on Instagram).

Finally, write down what makes each service valuable and differentiates them from other offerings in your industry. It could look something like this:

3. Build a system for finances. (Yes, before you even make a dollar!)

Set up accounts with all the necessary tools (e-mail marketing software like MailChimp, Stripe for online payments), create financial processes (monthly invoicing, etc.), and create systems for getting paid, paying bills, etc.

The more organized you are now, the better off your business will be later on down the road when things start getting tricky.

4. Take one client at a time — build slowly and sustainably

Focus on delivering value and results for your clients so that they'll come back for more and recommend you to their friends.

I built my business very slowly and cautiously. (Which luckily I had the financial ability to do that for a few months.) I started with my first client, Hubspot, editing a few articles per week. This helped me get the hang of managing freelancing work while still building systems to keep me organized.

Over the course of the next few months, I discovered what a realistic schedule and workload might look like and slowly added clients over time. You’ll find the right balance for you, but I’ve found that anything above 4 or 5 clients at a time feels overwhelming.

Every quarter I take stock and assess where I’m spending my time and what projects I’m working on — and go from there.

5. Build in public

Start writing about what you're learning, what you're good at, and what challenges you run into as a freelancer — and don't be shy about asking for feedback from other freelancers or people who've been in your shoes before.

I’ve personally learned the most from people who are just slightly ahead of me in their careers and are now publicly sharing what they’ve learned. So now that I’m a year and half into my freelancing journey, I now want to return the favor.

If you’re like me, it can feel somewhat icky to be promoting yourself a lot. But it’s a necessary thing to get past. Don’t think of it as self-promotion, think of it as marketing. This can also be a great way for future potential clients to find you. A win-win!

For the next issue, I’ll be writing more about this freelancer vs. business mindset and will share some top resources that have helped me. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, please share this newsletter with those in your network who are looking to learn more about the freelance journey. 💌