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If you don't have contacts then make contacts. If you don't have anything to show, then make something to show. If you are a developer/designer, here are some

by anujkk 14y ago

If you don't have contacts then make contacts. If you don't have anything to show, then make something to show. If you are a developer/designer, here are some suggestions: 1. Don't leave your existing job unless you have enough money in bank to sustain for a year or two. 2. If you don't have projects to show in your portfolio, then do some projects. There are endless possibilities. You can make and sell themes(wordpress/shopify/etc), html templates, plugins, mobile apps, etc. You can also offer free development/design services to some startups in need[1]. You can take some existing popular website and redesign it for better UX. 3. Get your own website. Put your Projects/CV/Blog on it. Write blog posts related to your area of expertise. e.g., on UX design, how to do <something> with <xyz> language, etc. 4. Answer questions on sites like stackoverflow, quora, HN, reddit. Build your online reputation and contacts. Don't hesitate in sending mails and communicating with people you meet online. Ofcourse, don't spam. 5. Attend meetups. Not only technology meetups but any meetup that you can attend and possibly find clients. 6. Share your business card with people you meet. Tell them about what you do(freelancing). Ask them what they do. Think what you can do to make their life a bit easier. 7. Still if you don't have any projects, if possible, make small SAAS or Open Source products that can be of any use to someone. It may take time. You need to toil hard. So have patience and keep working. :) ------------------------------------------------------- [1] Here are some examples : http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1842768 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1842768 and its follow up : http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1860130 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1860130 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1838273 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1838273 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1838033 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1838033 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1836998 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1836998

csalvato 14y ago
How much did each of those steps actually help you earn income as a freelancer? When I tried, most of them didn't help much at all. I am convinced, more often than not, that making a good wage as a freelancer/consultant is to have expertise in an area of interest - like using Ruby on Rails to increase sales of early stage startups through their online store; or using Visual Web Optimizer to increase conversions in enterprise businesses. The more specific the better. Granted, I am still learning my place and getting my bearings, but my experience and the experience of others seems to point me in that direction.
- meric 14y ago
  None of them help much, but all of them together can help. As I think to myself sometimes: Not a single step will be significant on a thousand mile journey. I have earned a little more than 10k from freelancing in 2 years, (Still at university), but here are three places I got clients from: University job board, HN freelancer posts, profile on a freelancer website. I also had someone contact me on LinkedIn once but I didn't make it.

by anujkk 14y ago

csalvato 14y ago

How much did each of those steps actually help you earn income as a freelancer? When I tried, most of them didn't help much at all. I am convinced, more often than not, that making a good wage as a freelancer/consultant is to have expertise in an area of interest - like using Ruby on Rails to increase sales of early stage startups through their online store; or using Visual Web Optimizer to increase conversions in enterprise businesses. The more specific the better. Granted, I am still learning my place and getting my bearings, but my experience and the experience of others seems to point me in that direction.

meric 14y ago
None of them help much, but all of them together can help. As I think to myself sometimes: Not a single step will be significant on a thousand mile journey. I have earned a little more than 10k from freelancing in 2 years, (Still at university), but here are three places I got clients from: University job board, HN freelancer posts, profile on a freelancer website. I also had someone contact me on LinkedIn once but I didn't make it.