Becoming a freelancer can be a fantastic way to take charge of your career. Working for yourself and working from home is a very appealing prospect, but as a newbie you might find it tough to know where to begin. To help you figure out what’s involved in launching a freelance venture, here are some top tips for you to get started in some of the most popular freelance careers.
Graphic design
Graphic design is a popular choice for creatives, and offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to work. As more and more businesses go online, graphic design becomes increasingly in demand, so it shouldn’t be difficult to get started.
Having a portfolio is a key part of becoming a successful freelance graphic designer. To build up yours, consider doing some projects for yourself or offering your services to friends and family. Volunteer with charities or local printing firms and signwriters to help you get some valuable experience. Having a website and some business cards you can hand out at networking events are just some of the ways to help you generate more business to help you launch your freelance career.
Adobe Products
As an aspiring graphic or Web Designer, I’m sure you’re familiar with Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe just launched updates to many of their most popular software programs including the industry standard, Adobe Photoshop. For us iPad users, Adobe Photoshop is getting a huge update for 2019 including a full version for iPad and iPad Pro.
Our favorite package is the $9.99 Photographers Plan that includes Lightroom CC, Adobe Spark Post and 20 GB of Adobe Creative Cloud storage shared between all of your devices.
In case you missed it, Craig wrote an excellent article that covers creating beautiful graphics in Adobe Spark Post in his article: Monetize Your Blog in 6 Easy Steps. Proof that you don’t have to have a lot of experience or expensive software to get started in Graphic Design.
Copywriting
If you’ve got a talent for writing, then you could be a good fit as a freelance copywriter. It’s possible to become a copywriter with no experience, simply by applying for roles on freelance work websites like eLance or People Per Hour to build up your portfolio.
A good way to practice the skills needed for copywriting is to blog. Launching your own blog can be a fantastic creative outlet and can teach you a lot about writing for different platforms. Like graphic design, you could even offer your services on a voluntary basis for friend’s websites or charities to help you get some experience and showcase what you can do.
Photography
Photography requires some skill to be successful, so it’s worth educating yourself on how to photograph well, and using different techniques to give you a chance of succeeding as a freelance photographer. It can be costly to start out as a freelance photographer as you’ll need some basic equipment, but this will soon pay for itself once the work comes in.
Becoming a freelance photographer takes a lot of work, and you’ll need to start making contacts to help you get some commissions. From wedding photography to travel or special events, it helps to build up a portfolio of your best work to show to prospective clients. Attend trade shows and wedding fairs to help you push your services and you’ll soon have a steady stream of work coming in.
Social Media for Photographers
Social media networking is also essential for a Freelance Photographer. Nothing gets your photos out there better than a good Facebook or Instagram post. Also consider Pinterest. Did you know Pinterest is the #3 Search Engine out there and #1 among Women internet users?
Pinterest is basically a graphical search engine. A Photographers dream! Putting together a solid Pinterest strategy is essential for any Photographer or Graphic designer.
Freelance Blogging
Our favorite Freelance Career! If you’re a Blogger or thinking of starting a Blog, it can be a bit overwhelming the first few months. Believe me, I know! This website requires constant updates and maintenance to run efficiently. Even if you’re an aspiring writer churning out 2000+ words per day, there are other things to consider when becoming a Freelance Blogger.
Hosting Your Blog
Luckily the most important part of starting up a blog is also the most inexpensive. Worpress powers roughly 27% of the entire internet… and it’s FREE! Self-Hosting your WordPress Blog (like this one) however, requires an account with a WordPress friendly hosting company.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of hosting, think of it like a home for your website. You are purchasing a chunk of real estate on the web to move your website into. While costs vary greatly depending on how much space and resources you consume, you can get setup and running for under $3.00 per month. Yes, it’s that inexpensive.
You can purchase a comprehensive yearly plan at a discount from a company like Bluehost, or get your feet wet with a small monthly plan for $2.88 at Namecheap.com.
Freelancing isn’t for everyone, and it can be tough to break into when there’s a lot of competition out there. Consider starting your freelance venture as a side hustle to help you work out if it’s the right move for you. Don’t let your talents go to waste! Turn them into a career that you’ll love for years to come.
4 Freelance Careers You Can Start Right Now
Joe is a friend and contributing Author to Lifein12keys.com. He lives in Longwood, Florida with his wife Bethanne and sons Patrick and Joe Jr.