Today’s focus is all about finding work as a freelancer. I want you to receive your first payment this week, so let’s not waste any time.
Creating a web presence can take an astronomical amount of time. It’s really a never-ending process. In order to be successful as a freelancer, you have to know where to go, how to promote yourself, and what techniques will work best for your industry or niche.
I am about to give you two of the best angles I use to find work, so make sure you save this page. Most importantly, the work should come in on a continuous basis. Everything will revolve around my writing career, so implement your own business when necessary.
Building a Portfolio
I touched upon this in the first piece of this freelancing series, but its well worth discussing again. A portfolio on the Internet allows potential clients to “window shop.” If they like what they see, there is a good chance you will get hired. Your portfolio should offer 5 to 10 examples. My personal portfolio has one article for each of the formats I am capable of writing (e.g. technical, conversational, press release, syntax, unique article wizard, etc.).
Most clients will ask for a sample before hiring you, so having one handy will be helpful. They will also feel as though you take your freelancing career seriously. A well prepared freelancer has a much better chance of landing a new job. After all, you will look much more professional.
Setting Up Accounts with Bidding Sites
One of the first places you should create an account is Elance. This site allows potential clients to post jobs, and then freelancers can bid on them. You should upload your portfolio, be attentive (they will send you messages, asking questions), and bid with confidence. Each project is different, so you will have to agree on the payment structure and deadlines.
You could potentially get hired for a new freelancing job today. There will be an area where you can provide a sales pitch, so tell them why they should choose you.
Also, I have found that a mixture, a personal and professional approach in your sales pitch works much better. Search the Internet for similar sites, because there are plenty of them out there you can join.
Join a Couple Forums
Two of my favorite freelancing forums are Digital Point and Warrior Forum. I use the 
latter to learn more about different areas of SEO, but I use Digital Point to promote my business. Once a month I will set aside time to schedule work for affiliate marketers and website owners. Granted, I have plenty of work to keep me busy, but utilizing the forums can open doors to new opportunities.
Leaving posts and interacting with others can also help you advertise your freelance business. I know it takes 14 days to utilize the Buy/Sell/Trade area of Digital Point. You also have to have a certain amount of posts to add a signature link (I believe 25).
The most productive approach is creating an advertisement (thread) in the Buy/Sell/Trade area. When it’s complete, just place the link to that page in your signature link area. All the posts you have on the site will now be showing hundreds or thousands of people your freelancing advertisement. It’s a very easy way to gain work in a short period of time.
Sub-Contract for Other Companies
There are a lot of opportunities to sub-contract work. In the writing arena, I sent samples and completed trial runs for several different companies. Some of them rejected me, while others praised me. Some have come and gone, but I still supply content to Demand Studios and Need-an-Article from time to time.
These are great places to work with if there are vacancies in my schedule. This way I’m not left worrying about the bills if a couple months are slow (usually January and August).
Excellence goes a Long Way
My final piece of advice is to make sure you provide clients with the best experience possible. Once you’ve completed their project, ask for them to provide you with feedback. Be willing to go out of your way to get the job done. During my third year as a freelancer, I was up for 28 hours straight just to meet a deadline.
Even though it wasn’t my best work (words don’t flow very well when you’re exhausted), they loved the effort. I had to make some corrections, but it landed me a long term project that lasted almost 2 years.
Conclusion and Upcoming Information
I have given you my personal approach to finding freelance work. Most importantly, you will find that there was no mention of needing a website. If anyone ever tells you a website is needed to be successful, please direct them to this page. Finding work as a freelancer is all about knowing where to go and how to approach it. Just by joining a couple of bidding sites and forums can keep you busy for years.
Eventually you might consider a website (I never made one for my freelance career), but for now, just focus on these areas. I truly hope you can gain your first freelancing job this week and receive payment.
Also, the next part of my series will discuss different tools and techniques to help manage clients. Be sure to look it over when it’s published.