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Dumb question .. how does one go about getting started as a freelancer? Are there agencies or some other mechanism to get you started? Specifically, interested

by turnip1979 11y ago

Dumb question .. how does one go about getting started as a freelancer? Are there agencies or some other mechanism to get you started? Specifically, interested in how to get started in North America.

Everhusk 11y ago
There really is no secret. Just go do it. If you're serious about it then incorporating becomes a good idea to protect your assets. I would suggest starting with family and friends at reduced rates to build a portfolio.
zzalpha 11y ago
Find a friend or fellow techie to subcontract for. Use that as a time to learn time management, invoicing and billing, taxes, etc, while you build up a network. This is basically freelance apprenticeship. Do that for maybe a year and then start doing your own thing.
cshipley 11y ago
It's actually a larger question than you perhaps realize. There are different kinds of freelancing. The spectrum ranges from something that looks like "remote" work to something more akin to agency-like project work. That former is much easier. The latter pays better but requires a whole bunch of other skills, and takes much more time. The two aren't mutually exclusive however, and that is what I've done as part of my strategy. There is a monthly find a freelancer thread on here where you might be able to find a gig. Work on building your portfolio/reputation. I'd suggest small projects at reduced rates. Next, I'd visit a lawyer and get a template contract worked out. Rather than have him write one from scratch, find one that includes a lot of the things you want and have him tweak it. It will be cheaper that way. Most important (IMO) are indemnification, terms of payment, and arbitration. Get used to promoting yourself. Have your short and long "elevator pitch" together. Put together a landing page and get some business cards. Talk.To.Everyone! You never know where and when your next client will come from. One of the issues you will run into is the feast or famine issue. You never know when you will get your next client, you have to always be on the lookout and courting -- overloading the queue because a percentage will drop out. If you don't find the next soon enough, then famine. If, as it happens often, several prospects say yes, then you feast. By feast I mean work a lot of hours and save up so you can weather the next famine. What are your skills? Do you have a portfolio? How about an up-to-date linked-in profile?
CaptainAmerica 11y ago
You know I've been wondering this lately too. I haven't done any freelance work but I want to get into it. I'm still not sure the answer, but I started by turning on the 'Hire Me' buttons on my Codepen and GitHub accounts. I just launched a portfolio website (last night actually) that showcases a few of my projects and lists my contact information. I think my next step would be to check out sites like elance etc. But I'd love to hear other ideas from successful freelancers.
ryandrake 11y ago
Not a dumb question at all. I've wondered the same thing myself. Say you're working full time and have $X/mo in fixed expenses. If you leave that job for freelancing, all of a sudden you're going to be making tons less than you were as a full-timer. How do you bridge that gap?

Dumb question .. how does one go about getting started as a freelancer? Are there agencies or some other mechanism to get you started? Specifically, interested in how to get started in North America.

Everhusk 11y ago

There really is no secret. Just go do it. If you're serious about it then incorporating becomes a good idea to protect your assets. I would suggest starting with family and friends at reduced rates to build a portfolio.

zzalpha 11y ago

Find a friend or fellow techie to subcontract for. Use that as a time to learn time management, invoicing and billing, taxes, etc, while you build up a network. This is basically freelance apprenticeship. Do that for maybe a year and then start doing your own thing.

cshipley 11y ago

It's actually a larger question than you perhaps realize. There are different kinds of freelancing. The spectrum ranges from something that looks like "remote" work to something more akin to agency-like project work. That former is much easier. The latter pays better but requires a whole bunch of other skills, and takes much more time. The two aren't mutually exclusive however, and that is what I've done as part of my strategy. There is a monthly find a freelancer thread on here where you might be able to find a gig. Work on building your portfolio/reputation. I'd suggest small projects at reduced rates. Next, I'd visit a lawyer and get a template contract worked out. Rather than have him write one from scratch, find one that includes a lot of the things you want and have him tweak it. It will be cheaper that way. Most important (IMO) are indemnification, terms of payment, and arbitration. Get used to promoting yourself. Have your short and long "elevator pitch" together. Put together a landing page and get some business cards. Talk.To.Everyone! You never know where and when your next client will come from. One of the issues you will run into is the feast or famine issue. You never know when you will get your next client, you have to always be on the lookout and courting -- overloading the queue because a percentage will drop out. If you don't find the next soon enough, then famine. If, as it happens often, several prospects say yes, then you feast. By feast I mean work a lot of hours and save up so you can weather the next famine. What are your skills? Do you have a portfolio? How about an up-to-date linked-in profile?

CaptainAmerica 11y ago

You know I've been wondering this lately too. I haven't done any freelance work but I want to get into it. I'm still not sure the answer, but I started by turning on the 'Hire Me' buttons on my Codepen and GitHub accounts. I just launched a portfolio website (last night actually) that showcases a few of my projects and lists my contact information. I think my next step would be to check out sites like elance etc. But I'd love to hear other ideas from successful freelancers.

ryandrake 11y ago

Not a dumb question at all. I've wondered the same thing myself. Say you're working full time and have $X/mo in fixed expenses. If you leave that job for freelancing, all of a sudden you're going to be making tons less than you were as a full-timer. How do you bridge that gap?