A fast and affordable way to start earning an honest income from home is to become a freelancer especially if have the skill, you can start offering your services today.

Who Is a Freelancer?

A freelancer offers their services for a fee usually with no expectation of a permanent single client, although the working relationship can be kept, someone who works on a self-employed basis or contractor.

You are considered an independent business owner, someone who typically works for more than one client and is paid per working assignment or per batch of assignments.

With the state of our current economy, there are various reasons to venture into freelancing, some are;

It can be done on the side along with your job, as a way to generate extra income to raise your standard of living.

It is affordable to start the freelance journey if you already have the skills and equipment required for the job.

Work is instant as soon as you find a client, you can start getting paid to freelance.

It gives room for independence as it is flexible such that you can work part-time or during off business hours compared to having a full-time job.

For every pro there are cons, and the downsides are;

Building full-time income may take time as work can be irregular, which can affect the flow of income.

Managing multiple clients and projects requires excellent organization and may not be as easy as advertised.

Pay is often low for freelancers just starting.

Skill that can be Freelanced

Numerous kinds of skills can be freelanced, and nearly any kind of service provided to another business can be offered on a freelance basis. Some common freelance jobs include;

Content writing and creation

Mobile web development

Bookkeeping

Social media management

Virtual assistance

Marketing/PR services etc.

Where to start from

All you need to have is a skill you can offer to potential clients. You can draw from your employment experience, and offer services using the talents you already have.

Along with a service or skill, some things you might consider putting together include:

A business plan, may not be a business plan in the traditional sense, this is a plan that outlines what service you’ll provide, your target market, and marketing strategies to conquer the market.

A website that sells you and your services, and includes a portfolio of your work, and testimonials.

A LinkedIn profile and all social media can be a great resource to network for freelancers, LinkedIn is an online resume where professionals connect which makes it a great resource for finding freelance jobs.

A dedicated business phone or cell phone number on which prospects can reach you, a business card, a menu of services, and your freelance rates.

Where to find work?

The best place to find clients is where clients look for help. Research your target market, what it reads, where it spends most of its time, and where it goes to get support and be available to provide help, ideas, and resources.

There are numerous freelance sites to find gigs, here is a list of some;

Upwork.com 

Fiverr.com

Guru.com

Freelancer.com

remoteok.com

jsremotely.com

flexjobs.com

remote.co

justremote.com

weworkremotely.com

jobspresso.com

dailyremote.com

angel. co

remoteleaf.com

remoteleads.io

hired. com

An association within your industry where you can relate with people in your field is an avenue you can leverage for some clout and it can also offer many networking opportunities and job listings.