How To Find Your First Clients

written by Alexis Rodrigo

When you have picked a field you want to freelance in, the next question is: Where will you find your first clients?

If you’re in the same field as your current or previous job, don’t try and steal clients from your employers! This is plain bad taste and can even be illegal. So you could get into serious trouble.

One way I have found my first clients is through online networking. Google your industry + forums. Bookmark those sites until you have about 10-15 potential online forums. Sign up for maybe the top five based on relevance to your services and number of forum members. You’ll also want to make sure the forum posts are recent and active.

Most of these forums are free to join. However, paying to join a forum could be worth your while if the forum members meet your description of your “perfect client” – you know, the one who has all the characteristics you’re looking for in a client, including having deep pockets to pay your fees.

Another place to look at are freelance bidding sites, such as Elane.com, Guru.com and Odesk.com. You can also try looking at the many freelancing job boards on the Internet.

Wherever you do look for your first few clients, remember that you may have to set your fees low to begin with. If that’s the case, take heart. You are accomplishing many things with these first few clients:

• You are building your portfolio
• You can collect testimonials
• You are creating your own network of people who can give you referrals
• You are gaining experience and honing your skills
• You are getting to know your target clients better, especially their needs and how you can fulfill them

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The low paying jobs will probably last for awhile, as until you have assembled a massive list of satisfied clients you will have to primarily compete with all of the other freelancers in your field entirely on how low your rates and fees are.

Eventually though you will graduate into higher and higher paying jobs until you will find that you have practically doubled your current income with income from freelancing. In fact, you should gradually increase your rates over time. People do judge the value of a product or service based on its cost. So if you keep under-pricing yourself, potential clients will think your services are probably not worth much.

When you do reach the point when you have practically doubled your starting out fees, you can consider cutting down the hours you work at your day job, or even quit it altogether.

About the author:
TheSavvyFreelancer.com was created by Alexis Rodrigo, a freelance copywriter and Internet marketer. Before freelancing, Lexi worked in the United Nations for over 10 years. Now Lexi is living her dream of being home for her family while pursuing her professional goals.

Retrieved on 28^th September 2009 from http://www.thesavvyfreelancer.com/marketing/how-to-find-your-first-clients

How To Work At Home As A Freelancer

written by Brett Krkosska

A freelancer, or contract service provider, is someone who works on a contract or freelance basis. As a freelancer you are acting as a specialist, or expert, in your field. This is not to say you need dozens of awards hanging on your wall, you just need to be proficient and knowledgeable in the duties you perform.

Freelancers are in high demand by employers for many reasons -when a project deadline must be met, when the company lacks adequate expertise or experiences sudden and explosive growth, and so on.

Many times an employer simply cannot justify the additional expense associated with hiring another employee. Since you are not an employee of the company, you keep 100% of the money you earn and are responsible for your own taxes. On the whole, you don't have to be licensed, insured, or have a business of your own. You just have to be a person that can do the project.

Truly, this is self-employment at its best!

The type of projects available for freelancers include accounting, translation services, language consulting, creative writing, Web design, programming, technical and business writing, data entry, Internet and off-line research, and everything in between. Believe me, there are all kinds of projects out there (including some really extravagant and offbeat stuff).

To help you get familiar with the process of finding freelance work, let's talk about some concepts you should be familiar with.

First, when you take on a project you are promising to complete the specified assignment within certain parameters... the time it will take you do the project, the pay you expect for completing the project, etc.

For you to get hired to do a project you must "bid" on it. The term "bidding" can be misleading... you are not paying any money to get the job, rather you are offering the employer a price you will accept to complete the project.

Let's say you find a company seeking someone to write a series of press releases for their new product line. You bid the project at $75 per press release with three revisions allowed each. The company will likely have several bids to look at, and will choose the service provider they deem most suitable.

So how does the company determine the best candidate for the job?

The lowest bid doesn't necessarily get the job. The company only partly bases their decision on the bid. They especially want to know whether or not you are qualified for the job.

Your qualifications are determined by your resume, or portfolio. Keep in mind that many companies hire for services on a continual basis, therefore your skills and experience level should accurately represent your abilities in order to secure future projects with the company.

Is there a catch, you ask?

There is no real catch. What you will notice are the dynamics of a marketplace with supply and demand features. That is, lower skilled projects tend to be more competitive, as do specialized projects where the market is flooded with experts.

How do you compete when there's a large pool of bidders?

Be the best competitor on the block, that's how. Get additional training if you need to upgrade your skills, or take an internship to enhance your experience level.

Actually, you want to be the best competitor on several blocks. Bid as many projects as you reasonably can within your area of expertise. Never lay dormant - search for projects and bid, search and bid, search and bid...

Now then, for you to get started as a freelancer here are the necessary steps:

Register at sites that list projects. It's free to register in most cases and makes you a member of the site. Register at several sites to increase your chances of getting projects. Many freelancers work several projects at the same time. Just be careful not to take on more than you can handle.

Not only must you register, you must submit your skill set at the project site. Your resume must be in tip-top shape. It must be current and an accurate representation of your experience and skills.

If you're not comfortable writing a resume you should consider hiring a professional to do it for you. You don't get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Now just search the listings for projects you feel qualified for. When you find one... bid on it!

To go a step further, set up your website as a showcase of your talents. Direct prospective clients to your site and give them a tour of the *benefits* only you can give them. Further extend your reach into the worldwide community by advertising your services both offline and online. Go global!

So what are you waiting for? If you've been searching and searching for a home-based job and you're feeling frustrated with the whole thing... this could be the perfect way for you to start working from home.

About the author:
Brett Krkosska provides how-to advice on small business and home-based work issues. His site, http://www.HomeBizTools.com, helps small businesses reach their fullest potential. He is also the publisher of Straight Talk, a fresh and original newsletter that offers a unique perspective on today's business issues.

Retrieved on 16^th September 2009 from http://www.project4hire.com/articles/How_To_Work_At_Home_As_a_Freelancer.html

A Freelancer's Heart

written by Alexis Rodrigo

Do you experience any of the following symptoms?

• Inability to find happiness in employment
• Constant dissatisfaction with your job, no matter how much money you are earning
• Susceptibility to various distractions, such as hobby, passion - or kids and spouse
• Weakness for dreams of adventure, like travelling, bungee jumping or living a bohemian lifestyle
• Short attention span for structure, or at least those structures that others set up for you

If you suffer any or all of the symptoms described above, I’m afraid the prognosis is not good:

You’ve got a freelancer’s heart.

It’s an illness for which there is only one cure: To engage in what may be the scariest, most challenging journey of your life.

But it’s the only thing that will take away the constant feelings of discontent, longing and soul-lessness you’ve been getting from employment.

How do you know if you really have the heart of a freelancer?

I believe a freelancer at heart has the following qualities, more or less:

A Creative Spirit

Just being able to imagine a life outside the cubicle reveals you have a strong ability to think outside the box. No wonder, you can’t be contained by hierarchies and structures imposed on you by employment. You long to create, to leave a legacy to the world in your own terms.

Adventurous, Risk-Taker

You crave adventure, or at the very least, are willing to take risks for the chance to achieve what’s most important to you: freedom. You’re willing to give up the stability and predictability of a j-o-b if it means being able to live a life by your own design (creative, remember?).

Freedom Lover

You value your personal, creative and financial freedom more than you do security. You don’t mind the occasional (or is it constant?) uncertainty of being “on your own” because the ability to take off to new directions whenever you feel like it is much more fun and fulfilling than knowing you’re receiving X amount of dollars every week.

Independent

You take responsibility for yourself. You don’t blame others when things go wrong. You’re independent. Even though you know you need others to succeed and be happy, you acknowledge that, ultimately, you’re in charge of your personal happiness and success. You take control of your destiny.

Idealistic

You’re an optimist. When everybody else is running around yelling, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” you take a deep breath and seek opportunities where others see none. You believe that you have something to offer the world, something so valuable that you will never go hungry (well, at least not for long). You have a dream and you believe it will come true.

If you see these qualities in yourself, then you know why you’ve been unhappy in your job, even though you may have been making more money than you’ve ever dreamed of.

Now you know why you’ve been feeling like your soul was being sucked out of you as you sat in your cushy office.

Now you know why you were always looking for something else, something more… and it wasn’t the next step in the corporate ladder.

You’re a freelancer at heart. Go and live your dream.

About the author:
TheSavvyFreelancer.com was created by Alexis Rodrigo, a freelance copywriter and Internet marketer. Before freelancing, Lexi worked in the United Nations for over 10 years. Now Lexi is living her dream of being home for her family while pursuing her professional goals.

Retrieved on 28^th September 2009 from http://www.thesavvyfreelancer.com/personal/a-freelancers-heart