Simple, Cost-Effective Ways Of Finding Clients As A Freelance

One of the hardest things about being a freelance is finding clients. No matter how talented you are, if you can’t pull in the customers, you won’t earn – it’s as simple as that. Now, the thing is, it’s a lot easier than you think. There is no rocket science or brain surgery involved; it’s just to do with one simple thing – getting seen.
This isn’t a problem for many people. If you are confident, like getting out there and meeting people, then it is a natural thing for you to do. But if you aren’t? Then you’re going to have problems. However, I’m going to talk you through some solutions to those issues with you today. So, pull up a chair and take a read – and with any luck, you’ll have your first client lined up soon enough.
First steps
Your first task is to get your online presence sorted out. You’ll need a website, with a great portfolio somewhere that your visitors can find quickly. Put a broad range of work up there so your potential customers can see what you do. If you haven’t got any client work to put up, then just include a few pieces you have been working on. It’s not so much who the work is for, rather the quality of that work that is important. Once you have a website up and running, set up your social media channels and do those, too. Invite all of your friends to like or follow you – but don’t forget, they are not your target audience. That will come in time, but it’s good to have it there for now.
Ask your friends
Next, ask any of your friends if they know of anybody that needs a freelancer with your skills. It can be tough to do this at first, but if you want work quickly, it can often yield the best results. Don’t give it the hard sell – just let them know your business is up and running, and ask them how their business is doing. If they are struggling in an area you can help them with, tell them how to fix it.They might well fix it themselves, but they might ask you. And there you go – you’re first proper client.

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Get out there
For the shyer folks amongst you, it’s bad news, I’m afraid. You are going to have to get out there to local business meetups and speak to people if you are going to get clients. Take your time, and perhaps scope out a couple of events until you feel comfortable. Prepare a speech in your head that you can reel off in an instant. As soon as someone asks you what you do, you can pull this out of the bag, and away you go. But – always have this in mind: one client from a local business function can often lead to more.
Repeat business
Once you have a client, always keep in touch with them. Again, avoid the hard sell – just see how they are getting on once every few months. As long as you make sure they don’t forget you, you never know when you could get work out of it. Even sending out some corporate Christmas ecards could prove fruitful. Just make the message personable and friendly, and if they were pleased with what you did before, they would get back to you if they have any more work.
So, there you have it. Some strong ideas to get you started, and out there meeting people. Once you bite the bullet, you might be surprised how well things go for you. Good luck!