Send out a number of proposals

Have you ever heard of the saying “you have to be in it to win it”? This certainly applies to the world of freelancing.

If you don’t submit a bid, you stand no chance of winning a project. You’ve got to be in it to win it.

Worried about failure? You have to get over your fear of not being successful.

The actual percentage of bids that you win as a freelancer will be relatively low; and that percentage is lower still when you are new to the industry.

Make sure that you continue to bid, because if you don’t even attempt to win you will never build a career as a freelancer.

You will always be unsure as to exactly what is going through the mind of the client. All you are responsible for is selling yourself to the best of your ability.

Advertise yourself

So, you have managed to complete your profile and you are sending out proposals, but what else can you do to help improve your chances?

You need to be serious about marketing; and we have a later section on how to get your own clients in addition to finding work on the freelancing websites.

Put yourself out there on a number of freelance websites, marketing forums, social media, and even classified ads sites such as Gumtree.

The same approach applies no matter which channel or outlet. Complete your profile, be professional, have a portfolio or CV, and sell yourself – while remembering to not beg for work.

By simply being approachable it is surprising how many clients you can pick up and always from the strangest of places.

Making a living as a freelancer gets easier once you have started – the hardest part is building a name for yourself. Be prepared to start by charging less, then increase your prices as your name gets known. Yes, you can end up earning £50,000, but it involves hard work to get there.

If you don’t get a job …

When you apply for a freelance project and you don’t get hired, don’t just count your losses and run for another job offer.

Find out why you didn’t get the work by checking the profile of the person who was awarded the job. This will help you recognise your weaknesses so that you can work on them.

You will also know what extra skills could have made the client choose your competitor . Work on these skills to improve yourself.