Forum Discussion
Freelancers -- where do you find most of your work?
I know that question is sort of like where's your favorite fishing hole. Hi, all -- I've been a freelancer for about a year and a half now, and for the first time, things are slow. I guess I'm on t...
Lisa Wesley said:
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for starting this post Daniel. I have been getting myself prepared to freelance. I would like to have my first client by October of this year. I have filed my corporation paper, set up my website, designed my business cards and brochures, and I'm trying to find new clients like you. I believe we have some great ideas started here but I would like to know from Kevin, How did you get your first client? and congradulations on the 90 days. May you have many more 90 days.
Hi Lisa,
I've been "freelancing" doing illustrations and cartooning for better part of 20 years. All that work was primarily through friends and family that knew I could draw so never found the need or had to advertise. Then again, it was just a fun side hobby and didn't consider it as part of the overall family income.
As for elearning and jumping off the cliff into this full-time, my first client came from this very forum. Actually, the Articulate Presenter forum. From there I entered the Articulate Guru contest in 2010 and won the Silver and was encouraged to enter it in DemoFest at DevLearn '10 which it won best in category and best in show. That single course launched my "official" freelancing efforts on a part-time basis. Along the way there's a lot of time spent engaging in other conversations whether that be on Twitter, LinkedIN or replying to other's blogs so folks know you're still breathing. I try to attend two conferences a year as well for some face-to-face networking time.
Bruce, Holly, and others have already mentioned how to build from there. Bruce said it quite well where once he has a client, usually that client is just one department within and organization and more leads come from that single client. It took me about a year or so to start seeing return business from the same clients (same department or another department within same org).
Honestly, it's really striking the right balance in your life. Like a recipe where you're adding a dash of this and smidgen of that. If it tastes good, clients will come back for a second helping (metaphorically speaking of course).
