Top 11 tips to build a profitable freelancing business

I built a global design business from scratch without formal training in my early twenties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8I1m1n-7Lg

I worked with companies like Google, the BBC, Wired Magazine and Two Dots Games within a few years.

But I made many mistakes, and it took longer to grow than needed.

Here are some quick ideas I’d share with you if you’re in the early stages of building your freelancing business:

• Your biggest priority right from the start is bringing income through the door.

Cash flow is king, and you must do everything in your power to ensure it flows through consistently, or you will end up a statistic: businesses that gave up.

No job is beneath you in the start if you need cash.

• You don’t need fancy stuff at the beginning like a glitzy website, business cards, an office, or clever software.

You just need to reach out to people and show them why their lives will improve working with you.

• You will do better and earn more than someone who has a better product or service by bringing more attention to you and your brand to more people.

You will struggle if no one knows you.

• Freelancing work will be feast or famine unless you maintain the rate and pace at which you prospect for new potential clients.

This should be an ongoing process, not one you action at the last minute when things are going badly.

• Raise your rates and set your sights on clients who have money as soon as possible.

You’ll make more and experience less stress when you work with bigger ticket clients and have the guts to ask big.

• When people ignore your messages or say no, that’s not the end.

You need to be a bit pushy in this busy world.

Most sales are made after someone hears from you beyond seven (7!) times.

Keep following up, even if it feels a bit icky. There’s no reason to hold back if you have a great product.

• When you start making decent money, don’t worry too much about adding to your savings beyond your 6-month emergency fund.

Re-invest that money into your skills, marketing, and delegation (scaling up), so your business grows and makes more money.

• Your aim shouldn’t be to run a small ‘solopreneur’ boutique business.

This is small thinking and will make it very hard to stay in it in the long run because you’ll burn out.

You must have eyes on scaling, building a team and growing as soon as you start earning.

• Don’t just do ‘enough’ marketing.

The Internet is a busy place.

Use all the resources you have to be seen. Make use of social media hard. It’s free.

Create an unfair advantage by going deep and as wide as possible on these platforms, and turn those eyeballs into sales.

• You must find the balance between providing a service that interests you and one that people actually have the willingness and money to pay for.

This requires research.

It also requires stepping aside from ego and asking — ‘how can I REALLY serve people in an outstanding way?’

• Exercise every day, and dedicate your life to building an elite body.

This might seem out of place in an article about business growth, but it’s the number one point here.

A healthy body means a healthy and rapidly-firing brain and mind.

That’s the crucial advantage you will have when you’re on fire physically.