Welcome side hustlers!
This week we are focusing on selling your skills as a freelancer.
Starting a side hustle often gets you thinking about what strengths you have that you can monetize.
Whether it be selling your skills on Upwork, Airtasker or Fiverr (more on Fiverr later), this newsletter will help you kick start your freelancing side hustle with confidence.
From finding out what your skill set is, be it writing, graphic design, marketing, admin skills, voice work, editing or accounting, there are a variety of skills that can be monetized as a side hustle.
With all the uncertainty over the past couple of years, people have become more determined to take control of their lives and their financial future.
Are you ready to take the leap?
Defining your skill set can open up new opportunities, giving you the freedom to work from home, create your own schedule and make more money!
The best part?
All you need is a marketable skill, a computer, a good internet connection, and the ability to manage your own schedule, meaning you can work from wherever and whenever!
And guess what? Freelancers are in demand.
Are you ready to take the plunge?
We are going to guide you through the process, from finding a monetizable skill, establishing yourself as a credible freelancer, as well as delving into the things not commonly spoken about.
Such as how to land your first gig, maintaining a steady income and the not so comfortable conversations you will need to have with clients.
Let’s get you started on creating your freelance career!
What you can expect this week:
- Trends. We’ve curate all the latest data on freelancing for you to enjoy.
- Strategies. Learn how to uncover your skill set, land your first client, and more!
- Tool of the Week. The tool of the week is Fiverr. An online platform designed for freelancers and clients to connect on a wide variety of jobs.
Trends
What’s the most popular field of work for freelancers? Do freelancers really have better quality of life? What about the pay? Answers to all those questions and more are backed up by data. Check it out below!
Gig economy global size
The global Gig Economy currently generates $204B in Gross Volume, with Transportation-Based Services (e.g., ride-sharing) comprising 58% of this value.
The size of Gig Economy is projected to grow by a 17% with a Gross Volume of $455B by 2023, due to factors such as evolving societal attitudes around P2P sharing and increasing digitization rates in developing countries.
Marketing yourself as a freelancer
Recent survey results reveal that the majority of freelancers find the most success by marketing their services at networking events, through their online portfolios and via social media content.
Freelancer quality of life
The Fiverr survey results are in and for the majority of freelancers (68%), their quality of life has improved since ditching the day job and flying solo!
Most popular fields of work for freelancers
Interestingly, the most popular fields of work for freelancers are not necessarily the ones providing the highest pay.
After all, clients are more likely and willing to pay higher rates for professions which are more specialized and have less qualified practitioners in them. Likewise, those fields which are more popular and have a large number of freelance professionals in them are more likely to have downward pressure on rates due to higher levels of competition.
Where do freelancers find work?
A survey run by Payoneer earlier this year revealed that the majority of freelancers find most of their work via online platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr. This is followed by just 10% by word of mouth referrals and even less on social media. Because it’s free to create a profile on sites like Upwork and Fiverr, it makes sense to start there when beginning your freelancing journey!
Strategies
So you have decided you want to start a freelancing side hustle.
Firstly, congratulations!
This is the beginning of you creating your side hustle dream.
You have the ability to create a job opportunity that is not only flexible in hours but where you can utilize your passions and strengths.
So, where to start?
Firstly, you will need to determine what skills you can sell.
Finding your skill set
What strengths do you possess that can help you work remotely while providing future clients with a quality service?
Write ideas down and make notes on what you think you would excel at. This may take some time and patience. So don’t stress if it takes a bit of note taking to finalize what you may like to do.
Part of figuring out your skill set is understanding what your core skills are. Consider what technical, behavioral and other skills you may have already that you can monetize.
Technical Skills
Technical skills are those that are specific to the work you currently do. For example, a radio producer’s technical skills are the producing and organizing of radio shows and managing and coordinating on-air talent.
If you currently have a job, what technical skills has this allowed you to develop? Are these skills something you can use for your freelancing career?
Behavioral Skills
Also known as interpersonal and communication skills, behavioral skills are often transferable skills within many industries and sectors.
This category of skills include communication skills, working and relating with others, relationship building, problem-solving and applying initiative. Having a likable and approachable personality and good sense of humor goes a long way in dealing with clients.
Are you a people person? If you are, consider delving into a freelance career that utilizes these skills.
Other Skills
Consider what other skills you may possess that could help you create your freelance career.
Do you have a passion for gardening? Do you know another language? Have access to a studio for voice work? Consider other skills you may have that could greatly give you a point of difference with prospective clients.
And think how gratifying it would be to make money from a passion or hobby!
Other qualities you will need…
To become a good freelancer that has potential to make this side hustle work, there are a variety of skills and qualities you will need to have if you wish to work with clients remotely and online.
Motivation And Discipline
If you are wishing to create a side hustle from being a freelancer, you are going to need to have the motivation and discipline to work hard and be determined.
Motivation can be far easier when you are seeing success from your hard work, however can be harder to muster in between contracts when you are seeking out your next project.
This is when discipline comes into play. Don’t be deterred during times of quietness. Use it to seek out other potential clients, sign up to other freelancing sites and update your profiles, up skill yourself and work will start to come through again.
To be a freelancer, you need to be reliable and punctual for your clients. Communication must be done in a timely manner and be clear and concise.
Remember, you are working with people whose own side hustles you may be helping bring to fruition. Treat clients with respect. They are entrusting you with your expertise to bring to life their vision and paying you.
Reputation
Building a good reputation is paramount in creating a career in freelancing. You must bring professionalism that delivers successful results for your clients.
Your reputation is what will bring clients back to you and make clients want to work with you.
After completing jobs, depending on what platform you are using to freelance, clients have the opportunity to leave a review and comment. Getting positive reviews is like gold! It can up your rankings and will mean future clients can get an understanding of what you are like to work with prior to hiring you.
Flexibility
Being a freelancer means being flexible. With the business landscape constantly changing, you will need to be comfortable with change and accommodate that to your clients needs.
Being flexible also allows you to manage client relationships and build a professional relationship. When working with a client you will rarely know much about each other’s personal lives or circumstances, so being able to manage the relationship and be flexible within your approach to work will help build stronger bonds with your clients.
So what are some common freelancing skills that you can gather inspiration from? Check out our quick fire list below;
- Web designer or web developer
- Graphic designer
- Teacher
- Virtual Assistant
- Freelance Writer
- Editor
- Accountant or financial consultant
- Social media specialist
- App developer
- Content creator
Resources we recommend
- This in depth article from wizcase goes into 30 very useful skills that could help grow your freelancing career. From looking into mobile app development to online security, be inspired and see if you already possess some of these skills to start your freelancing career.
- Indeed have put together an in-depth article around skills that can help develop your freelance career, diving into the key skills a freelancer must have and how to elevate your customer service skills, online presence and profile.
- If you are wanting to head into the freelancing space, we suggest checking out this video by ScreenSkills. It highlights the importance of being resilient, being open, being curious and having determination.
How to create a client base and maintain a steady income
Whatever you choose to do as a freelancer, creating a client base and providing yourself a steady income is highly important.
If you wish for your side to hustle to work, time, energy and as discussed previously, determination and perseverance will be needed to help make your vision a reality.
When starting your freelancing side hustle, we recommend signing up to a freelancing site where you can apply for jobs. Sites that are dedicated to freelancers provide benefits that can help you in the future, such as technical help or client disputes.
Once signed up you will be able to create your profiles.
Profiles are the key to your success.
But why?
It is said that you only have 7-seconds to make a good impression. By creating a kick-arse profile, you are explaining to your clients why they should be working with you. Highlight your strengths and showcase your talents.
Creating a credible and engaging profile shouldn’t be thrown together. It will take planning and time to bring it all together.
The staple things you will need to provide will most likely be:
- Your name (use your real name, don’t be tempted to make one up)
- A nice looking head shot
- A descriptive job title
- A detailed description of your relevant skills and qualifications
- A portfolio to your previous works (if you have any)
If you wish to bring your profile from a B to a solid A+ here are some tips and tricks to elevate your profile even more.
- Profile picture. Use a professional looking photo for your profile that is clear and uncluttered. A headshot that is well lit and your face in the center is best.
- Use links. Most freelancing platforms will allow you to link work. If you have work that may be featured on a website, make sure to link it to your profile. Show the client what you can do rather than just telling them.
- Videos. Don’t be afraid to enhance your profile with video links. If your freelancing career is one that utilizes your personality, recording a quality video of you introducing yourself could be highly beneficial.
- Social media. If you have a social media account dedicated to your freelancing journey, make sure to link that in, especially ones such as LinkedIn. It will help establish your presence and add authenticity as well as a human dimension to your profile.
- Your skills. Upload the most important and relevant skills in your overview list. If you are a freelance app developer, no need to let people know you worked as a fast food delivery driver throughout high school.
- Client centric. If you wish to highlight your personal interests or life experience, make it clear as to how they can benefit prospective clients.
- Proofread. Once you have written your profile, make sure you go back and proofread. This will catch any typos, spelling errors or grammatical issues that can be remedied. You don’t want to undermine the hard work and time you have put into making your profile as eye-catching as possible.
- Update. Lastly, every few months, revisit your profile and make any additions you think are relevant to keep you profile up to date.
So, you’ve created your profile, great! Now what?
Now, you can start applying for jobs.
Applying for jobs, although it may seem a bit nerve wracking to begin with, is straightforward and is something that will definitely get easier with time!
The structure of most freelancing sites is that you will have the opportunity to apply for jobs. This will require you writing a cover letter and answering any question posed by the client in the application process. Once you have applied it is up to the client to shortlist candidates and contact them individually, Clients can also invite you to apply for their required role if they believe you to be an appropriate fit.
Now, once you start getting a client base you may be wondering what comes next?
One of the best things you can do once you start working with clients, is to invest time in upskilling yourself. There are a variety of ways you can do this. We have made a little checklist below for you.
- Enroll in different courses. Want to master some new skills? Enroll in courses that interest you and that allow you to add a new skill to your portfolio. Places like Skillshare and Udemy have thousands of courses available in a wide variety of sectors.
- Tutorials. You don’t have to pay money to upskill. Places like YouTube have millions of online tutorials that are free to access. Want to gain knowledge in photo editing? How to create beautiful looking powerpoints? YouTube is a sea of knowledge!
- Other freelancers. Make connections with other freelancers. This will give you insight into how other freelancers do things and you may pick up a trick or two!
Resources we recommend
- Freelance website Upwork, has a fantastic video on how to upskill and grow your freelancing business. Get yourself a cup of tea and your notebook ready. This 41 minute video is packed with info to help you get the most out of your freelancing career.
- They also have a fantastic article on their recommended nine top tips in creating a stand out profile.
The highs and lows of freelancing
Freelancing definitely has its perks but you can also be faced with challenges.
We’ve compiled a list of the ones we think you should be prepared for when becoming a freelancer.
Negotiating with clients
Whether it be negotiating money or contracts you will find that freelancing comes with a lot of conferring with clients. You will be using contracts often that include details of compensation, project requirements and deadlines. Contracts are utilized to ensure that you and your clients have similar expectations.
Contracts are in place to help protect both parties, however, disagreements can arise. This is when freelancing using a company is beneficial, such as Upwork, Airtasker or Fiverr.
When establishing a job or dealing with an agreement, negotiations will need to be made. This can sometimes feel daunting but by following the six stages of negotiation you can come to an agreement with your clients that appeals to both parties.
Clients leaving bad reviews
Unfortunately, there will come a time when you and a client won’t see eye to eye.
What are some ways that you can deal with negative reviews and comments?
You can request the client to change their review. Depending on what freelancing site you use you can request a change. When requesting an amendment, it is important that you remain polite and professional. Explain your side of the story and if you have made a mistake, own up to it and apologize. If it’s something that can be rectified, make changes to the work or provide a partial or full refund.
Don’t be afraid to let them know the impact a negative review can have on your freelancing career and ask them to kindly consider modifying if they can.
If the discussion doesn’t go according to plan and the client refuses to retract their feedback, you might want to consider approaching the freelance marketplace adjudicators to assist with the issue. From there you can choose to fight for removal, or, if possible you can publish your own response to the feedback.
Receiving vague briefs and feedback
Client briefs are a critical part of making sure you complete your job to the best of your abilities. It provides you the necessary information of the activity that needs to be conducted and highlights the requirements of your client.
However, in your freelancing career you will come across clients that may find it difficult requesting what they need and trying to comprehend what they want can be challenging.
A lack of effective communication on your client’s part can result in vague briefs and feedback and a lack of clarity that can lead to the job becoming lengthy and complex, not to mention confusing!
However, a way to deal with vague briefs and feedback is by being clear in your expectations and specifying your requirements when you are in the negotiation stage. If they don’t understand, provide an example. If they are not able to articulate what they want, you can ask them what they don’t want.
By asking the right questions and by being an effective communicator yourself, as well as practicing patience it will allow you to excel at dealing with vague briefs and feedback.
When work comes to a standstill
A few ways you can tackle the slowing down of work is by signing up to more freelancing sites. It’s always good to start with one, and when you think you have mastered that, see what other websites are available to connect with prospective clients.
The other thing to do if work slows down is something we have already spoken about. Upskilling. Use this time to add more strengths to your skillset.
With those things covered…
What are the perks of freelancing?
No income cap
That’s right! With freelancing you set your own rates! You have the power to set your hourly rate or decide upon a set price for projects. Negotiations can of course happen with clients but make sure to price yourself appropriately and know your worth.
As mentioned above, as a freelancer you’re free to work where you wish. You’re no longer required in a set location and it also means you don’t have to worry about paying for business premises or other property-related responsibilities.
Yes, you can take your laptop anywhere in the world. But for most freelancers, having the freedom to choose where they work has a huge impact on their mental and physical health. No more office lighting and uncomfortable office chairs!
Not location dependant
You can work wherever you wish! As a freelancer you are no longer required to be in a set location, which allows you the freedom to be anywhere in the world.
As long as you have the suitable tools and a good Wifi connection, you are good to go.
Having the freedom to work wherever you like can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health.
Work the hours you want
If freelancing is your dream side hustle, you have the power to decide how many hours you wish to work.
By choosing how many clients you want to work with and the size of the projects you wish to do, you determine your work hours.
Resources we recommend
- Groove Blog has put together some handy insights into how to deal with negative reviews. And some of their points are very positive, such as using negative reviews as an opportunity to shine and helping bring empathy into your freelancing career.
Tool of the Week
This week we are recommending Fiverr.
Fiverr is an online freelancing platform where freelancers and clients can connect on projects.
Why choose Fiverr?
Every 4-seconds someone on Fiverr lands themselves a job. And with 50 million jobs already completed on Fiverr, it is one of the world’s leading freelancer platforms.
It has over 200 categories to choose from and allows for freelancers with a variety of skill sets to share their talents with prospective clients.
It’s free to join and with each job you complete you will receive 80% of the earnings which are then transferred into your account.
Not only is it super easy to sign up (one of the Side Hustle Strategy team members signed up and started working on their profile in a matter of minutes!), but they also have opportunities for sellers to upskill as well.
