How to start a freelance business without fail with the help of RemoteHub

Are there enough blogging jobs for beginners? Or, how to be a content writer? Many of these questions and more are a constant on our platform. We have to tell you something we know from experience: starting a freelance venture is not always easy, but it is not always impossible.

How to start a freelance business: the main challenges

The practice of self-employment grows year after year. Being a self-employed person has many benefits, such as having the opportunity to choose your own job and schedule and working from home wherever you want. However, if you are considering leaping into this type of career, you have to know that challenges come with it.

Let’s take a closer look at the 5 challenges of freelancing and how you can overcome them:

Cash flow when starting as a freelancer

Self-employed don’t get a flat salary every two weeks like a nine-to-five job. Instead, consumers pay them as they participate in their projects. That is why it is important to have a system to manage cash flow. Otherwise, you could have trouble paying bills at the end of the month, when they come due.

Depending on your personal financial situation, you may want to create a safety net, or you may want to set aside enough money to induce a big purchase. Here are some tips for managing cash flow as a self-sustaining:

Constitute a budget and stick to it. Making a budget will help you create a realistic budget for expenses. You can also use it to create a savings plan for big purchases.
Create an emergency savings plan. Although you will probably have less income than you would from a traditional job, you should have some savings.
Improve credit. Externals often have a hard time getting loans approved, but if you have a positive credit history, you may have better luck.
Find alternative sources of income. In addition to the money you earn working as a professional, you can explore other sources of income, such as investment.

Coping with uncertainty

Being self-employed offers more flexibility and control over the schedules but also brings a lot more uncertainty. You never know when the next buyer may appear or how long it will take to complete a job. In addition, you don’t have a guaranteed amount of money each month. When you perform as an extraprofessional, you have to be prepared to handle uncertainty and have a system to deal with it.

Be prepared for months to go by without deals and to turn down tasks you don’t have time for. It’s also a good idea to have a backup plan in case something unexpected happens. If you have a spouse or partner, make sure they understand the uncertainty associated with freelancing so they don’t get frustrated if you can’t put in extra hours or come home early.

Find a niche

Freelancing is a big field; you can work in many different industries. Knowing how much to charge for a job can be difficult when you’re new to the field.

First, it allows you to focus on a niche and develop a niche-specific skill set. In turn, you can more easily focus on building the customer base in that industry.

Second, it gives you a clearer idea of the types of assignments you can undertake. This is particularly important if you are new to the scene and have no experience yet. You can see the types of orders remote colleagues are doing and see if there’s something that might be right for you.

Third, it gives you a clearer idea of the types of companies you’d like to apply for. There are many different industries hiring remote workers, and you may want to focus on one sector or commercial line over others.

Find the right tools

When you’re freelancing, you need to be sure that you have the right tools to keep track. Perhaps, you may like the idea of using a management tool. These allow you to keep an eye on customers and their needs, as well as keep track of progress. It can be helpful to have a tool like this to keep track of the work performed.

Many management tools also have chatbots that can help you with billing and reporting shoppers. If you are working with people who need you to send them reports in different formats like PDFs, it’s also a good idea to have a tool to help you with this.

Network, network, network

Freelancing is very much about building relationships. The nature of telecommuting can often realize this a bit more difficult, but there are plenty of ways to get started. Get started by building a network on RemoteHub. You can create a proper profile to get in touch with other colleagues or start a conversation with anyone you are following. In this way, anytime you can start chatting with community members, share notes, and much more.

In effect, this means spending time creating an engaging brand that represents who you are and what you do. You should also be sure to construct connections with other freelancers, mentors, and experts in every field. You never know when a connection will come in handy.

Feel at ease with the rate

Freelancers just starting out often struggle to take pride in their rates. When you’re new to the field, knowing how much to charge for a job can be difficult.

Start by doing some research on the average rates. You can use sites like payscale.com or Indeed.com to get a basic idea of what people in the industry are making. You can also use RemoteHub.com and use the term “freelance” to find out how much people with similar skills are making.

Once you have a rough idea of the rates, it’s time to build trust with them. It’s a good idea to be open and honest from the start. There are different ways to do this. For instance, you can let the prospects know how much you earn upfront or tell them once you’ve started working together.

Market your talent and services on RemoteHub

If you want to dominate the freelance market, you need to market services. One way to achieve this is to create a good image through RemoteHub. The good news is that this site offers you all the tools you need to stand out and shine while landing freelance subcontract.

Instructions to publish a service

The RemoteHub has in its structure several fields that highlight every skill. If you want to stand out, we give you these key tips about how to post service on RemoteHub.

Create covers for services in a featured image
As you know, an image is worth a thousand words. In this space, you can upload good-quality images, iconography, and clear calls to action that allow you to determine what the service is about.
A good title is all you need to attract attention. Start with verbs that describe the action. For instance, “I will write… and try to use keywords that help in the search for your service.
Selection of categories. Do not try to offer all services in a single entry. If you have a service that covers more than one category, try to choose the one that best suits what you describe.
Selection of subcategories. Through them, you can specify doing your service related to other keywords. Try to add only those that relate best.
Choose the menu with the professional skills you have. Now it’s time to add the skills related to your services. A future shopper may be interested in those that complement the results they want to do with you.
Description of services. Think of it as a kind of contract. From the outset, you must produce clear the conditions of a job, which will surely prevent you from having bad times soon. List, detail, and remember to use simplified language.
The price. Only you know how much your job is worth. You can use a specialized calculator for freelancers like this one. However, we recommend that you check the market to calculate an appropriate price that allows you to be competitive. In addition, in this aspect, we recommend you evaluate aspects such as experience and added values. In the same way, you can always negotiate through a chat.

Try to create as many entries as possible, and you will increase the chance of being found by a more significant number of customers.

You published some gigs, now how about publishing your portfolio?

Freelancers are often engaged by word-of-mouth referrals, making it difficult to find new clients early in a career. To combat this problem, you need to be sure you have a strong summary and resume to showcase your skills. In addition, having a good online presence is crucial to finding assignments as an independent. Ensure that you have a website and reach it easily for potential customers to find you.

It’s also a good idea to establish an online setup sample where you can showcase skills that represents you. People are more likely to trust someone with freelance tasks and no experience to show off their skills than someone with nothing to show for it.

Portfolios are an important tool in professional development. In effect, we are talking about a visual documentation exercise and often the first thing a potential market will see. Now let’s see what steps you need to follow to have a job board on RemoteHub.

Creating entries for the most outstanding projects

Start by creating an attractive title for that duty that you want to present to the world. Whether you’re writing a blog, publishing a book, planning an endeavor, or developing a new product, you must capture an audience’s attention. A title may be an essential tool you have in the arsenal. Without it, a variety of assignments is likely to go unnoticed

Start with a verb calling for action
Use interesting adjectives
Throw bold promises in your copy.

Do you have videos or animations? A portfolio can be a collection of various sample texts, artworks, or illustrations that showcase skills and talent. These examples can also be used in animated format. And what happens if you are not a designer and belong to another specialty area?

For instance, if a marketing professional, content or even a copywriter wants the help of video, they may be able to show success stories with figures such as reach, frequency, etc. If you are able to think outside the box, you will be able to create a unique and eye-catching piece of assignment. Eventually, If you can add raw footage to edit, you will increase the visual appetite for this entry that you want to present to the world.

You have plenty of space to show and shine. There are few things more valuable in the market than an attractive showcase. You can create incredible sequences in a sequence of 20 images gallery, where the first one is the cover. Remember that writings mirror your skills, so you must prepare them as attractive, visually interactive, and impressive.
Select the right category. One factor that can reach written works successfully is the category you select. Most people default to the general category, but you may miss out on many great opportunities. Remember that the category you choose will group this entry with other artists, writers, marketers, etc. So you must choose the right one for you.
Add tags related. You will need to tag each one of the pieces you include in example tryouts. What labels do you want for each of them? Include specific skills such as SEO, Photoshop, etc., and the type of proposal you’ve enjoyed doing (such as designing a personal blog or designing a logo for businesses). You have to show the best example, so list all the skills in this area.
Add an external link. Your online presence is the most important tool to attract. Its main purpose is to show potential customers that you have the necessary qualities to achieve their goals and success. It is for this reason that this space is highly useful for materials that are outdoors. This is the case with web pages, videos on Youtube, Vimeo, or any other content. If you have them, put the link immediately!
Describe the achievements. If you are a friend of figures and numbers, you can add some interesting results about these pieces’ impact. In any case, describe the process, the audience it was addressed to, and the challenges you overcame to carry it out.

As an interesting fact, we must tell you that your results can be shared on the RemoteHub social networks. In this way, its reach and exposure can be amplified to bring you more entrepreneurs and more possibilities to create new connections.

Finally, being a freelancer can be a fantastic way to earn money and gain some independence, but it can be challenging for those who want to get freelance remote writing jobs for beginners. It’s important to find the right niche and get the right tools, connect with people in the industry, and be proud of the rates from the start. Once you’ve gained confidence and are ready to accept responsibilities, you can use a remote hiring platform like RemoteHub to find your next subcontract.