How to Start
Freelancing

This is my quick, practical guide on how to begin freelancing. The world is vast and there are so many creative ways to make money, so don’t limit yourself!

The steps in the post are what worked for me. I am now a Top Rated Plus freelancer on Upwork, have earned $60K+, and have a 100% Job Success Rate. I share this information to show you what is possible and inspire you to take action today.

One pathway, endless options.

Welcome!

So you’ve decided you want to take control of your financial destiny.

Whether you need to make extra money or want to work for yourself, making the leap into freelance life can be both exciting and overwhelming.

Before we dive in, I want to clarify a few terms. These terms are often used interchangeably, but you can decide which one feels the most reflective of you.

  • Typically works hourly or projects with a variety of clients. Experience level depends.

  • Typically offers services for a set period of time; often has 7-10 of deep experience in a specific area.

  • Typically offers services or products. 1-3 team members.

  • Typically refers to someone who creates a business they intend to grow; often associated with startups/tech world.

Steps to Start Freelancing

01
Identify Your Why
(Don’t Skip This)

02
Create Brainstorm Lists
for Your Offer

03
Do Quick Market Research
on Upwork

04
Craft Upwork Profile,
Offers, and Pricing

05
Don’t Build a Website, Instead Build a Portfolio on Notion

06
Vetting Clients &
Sending Proposals

07
Make a List of Personal Freelance Practices

10
When to Work
Direct with Clients

08
Tools to Keep
You Organized

11
Frequently
Asked Questions

09
Business Basics, Freelance Ledger, and Tax Tips

Identify Your Why

First, identify why you want to start freelancing.

Knowing your why becomes essential as you craft your offering and decide which clients to work with. 

Your why becomes your north star, your motivation. It can also be your gut check when uncertainty arises. You can simply ask, does this project/rate/client rate align or support my why?

    • I want to be in charge of my own time and hours

    • I want to be able to rely on myself for income

    • I want to work remotely from anywhere

    • I want to build a business and small team

    • I want extra income to support my lifestyle

    • I want to transition out of my job and do something I enjoy

    • I want to quit my job or I got laid off, and need to start making money now

Brainstorm Lists
for Your Offer

Take a few hours to reflect on your work experiences and create a few different lists.

→ Industries you’ve worked in
→ Softwares you know well
→ Areas of Expertise or Topics you are knowledgeable in
→ Skill Sets you have
→ Job Titles you’ve held

You likely already have some of this info in a resume, so upload it to ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to pull a refined list as a starting point. 

Once you have your lists (they can be short or long!), these become your keywords! Next, bold the keywords you are most interested in pursuing for freelancing.