How to Begin Freelancing with No Prior Experience | KmioDigital

How to Begin Freelancing with No Prior Experience | KmioDigital

You want to know how to begin freelancing with no prior experience. So much so that you think about it all the time - the extra time you'd have to spend with family and friends. The satisfaction you'd experience if you were your own employer. The additional funds you'd need to meet your financial objectives.

You're in fortunate since I was previously in your position, working a job that earned $32,000 per year with no possibility to advance. I studied how to become a freelancer with no experience out of desperation. So, I'm going to show you exactly how I accomplished it today. In addition, I'll go over 28 freelancing ideas to get you started.

How to Become a Freelance Photographer with No Experience

I'm live proof that you can learn how to start freelancing even if you have no prior experience. When I first started freelancing writing, I earned enough money to replace my 9-to-5 wage and then some.

The following are the precise actions I used to make it happen:

1. Determine the type of freelancing you wish to do.

It's possible to "freelance" in a million different ways. The first step is to identify your interests so that you can decide what form of freelancing you want to do.

If you're more creative, you may try freelance copywriting or video editing. If you're technically inclined, you could work as a freelance web developer or coder. If you need some inspiration, we provide over 28 freelancing ideas at the end of this article.

Check out our ideas for overcoming indecision if you're feeling paralyzed by all of your alternatives. The goal is to pick the notion that resonates with you the most and then act on it right away. You can always switch things up.

2. Put yourself in the correct frame of mind as you study how to start freelancing with no experience.

Imposter syndrome might appear whenever you go on a new adventure, telling you that you aren't worthy, smart, or skilled enough to make it happen.

However, guess what? Your inner critic is lying to you. Silencing it can also assist you in developing an affluent and rich attitude that allows you to make meaningful changes in your life.

So, if you're just starting out as a freelancer with no experience, give this mindset work a shot and see if it helps you get in the appropriate frame of mind:

Affirmations can help you reset your attitude and boost your confidence.

Establish a morning routine: This will help you get started. in order to achieve success

Practicing thankfulness boosts optimism and joy in your life while decreasing stress and worry.

Practicing these three habits on a daily basis can help you stay focused and grounded as you establish a thriving freelance career.

3. Make a webpage

When they first start out, many freelancers become preoccupied with designing the perfect website. But keep in mind that your website does not have to be flawless. It's simply a site where potential clients may look at your portfolio and learn more about you.

So, create a basic website and get it online as soon as possible. As you acquire experience, you can always go back and edit it. What I recommend is as follows:

1. Create a simple website with Squarespace. (It is the most user-friendly platform for individuals with no website design knowledge.)
2. Make a website for your portfolio, pricing, and about me.
3. Include a contact page where they may book an exploration call with you.
4. Add a Calendly link to your website so they may book a call with you without first emailing you or filling out a form. (Optional)

4. Create your first portfolio

The next stage is to put together a portfolio of three to five pieces to show potential clients. "But I'm trying to learn how to start freelancing with no experience!" you may be thinking. "How am I supposed to build a portfolio when no one wants to hire a newbie?"

Let me reveal a tiny secret... Are you prepared? It's true: you don't need genuine clients to build your portfolio. You can do all of the work as if you were hired to do it.

As an example, if you're a logo designer, you might create some logo packages for hypothetical, ideal clientele in your field. If you're a web designer, this entails building a few websites that highlight your finest skills. It doesn't matter if they were for fictitious companies as long as potential clients enjoy your end product.

Important: 

This advise may not apply to any freelancing that is significantly reliant on experience (for example, financial counselling, fitness training, or pet-sitting). So, if this is you, you might wish to skip the hypothetical portfolio and go straight to the next step:

5. Identify your first few clients

Finding clients as a new freelancer may appear difficult, but trust me. There are certain strategies to attract those initial few customers. Here are three locations to start looking:

Examine job boards

When you're early learning how to become a freelancer with little experience, Upwork and Fiverr are wonderful ways to obtain some quick victories. However, once you've achieved any expertise, you'll want to leave these sites.

They not only take a huge percentage of your revenue, but many of the organizations that utilize them are searching for the cheapest possible job.

Connect to your network

Reach out to friends and family to see if any of them are interested in doing work for free or at a reduced rate.

This is exactly what our CEO, Bola, did years before establishing Clever Girl Finance with her photography side venture. She began by photographing her best friend's wedding. She then asked people in her social circle to be her "test subjects" as she honed her skills. They wouldn't turn down free photographs!

In short, reach out to people you already know if you want to learn how to start freelancing with no experience! You might be surprised.

Send a cold email to companies you admire.

This last one may appear to be really frightening, but trust me! Cold emailing is the most effective approach to get new clients. Many businesses are utterly swamped with work and are juggling multiple tasks at the same time. As a result, one A good cold email could lead to a fantastic freelancing opportunity.

But there's a catch: you must have a portfolio before you begin cold emailing. This is because businesses need to know you can create the quality of work they require. So, if you don't already have a portfolio, make one before you start reaching out.

Once you have your portfolio in hand, use the following cold email tips to expand your client list:

1. Create a personalized cold email template that demonstrates your legitimacy and prioritizes the recipient's needs above all else.
2. Include a trustworthy email signature. (A free signature generator is available from Hubspot.)
3. If you haven't received a response after five business days, follow up. (However, refrain from emailing them after your The second follow-up. You don't want to irritate them or be flagged as spam.)
4. Recognize that it is a numbers game. (For example, you may only get one response for every 20 emails you send. That's fine! Keep going, and the results will come.)

6. Continue to raise your rates!

Once you've completed three to five portfolio pieces, it's time to raise your rates and keep going!

You may wonder how to price freelancing work. One popular approach is to determine how much money you want to make each month and then work backward to get your hourly or per-project rate.

Assume you wish to start freelance writing as a side hustle. Your goal is to earn an extra $1,000 every month. 

If you charge per project and have five articles to write every month, your rate would be $200 per article (1000 / 5 = 200). If you charge by the hour and anticipate that writing five articles will take you roughly 12.5 hours per month, your hourly rate would be $80 (1000 / 12.5 = 80).

7. Purchase a course that teaches you how to begin freelancing with no prior experience.

Do you want to boost your chances of success? Look for an online school that will show you how to become a freelancer with no experience.

This is exactly what I did when I first started out as a freelance copywriter. I had no experience, but I discovered a copywriting school produced by a seasoned pro who had already made all of the mistakes and learned from them.

I had replaced my full-time income with freelancing and resigned my job within six months of purchasing her course.

Could I have made a living as a freelancer without the course? Yes. But would it have taken me much longer to complete? Absolutely. So, if it matches your budget and learning style, think about investing in a freelancing school to help you get started.