Freelancing: How I found clients, part 1

It took me 2 years to get my first client as an independent freelancer. For my second client, it took 6 months. For the third, 6 weeks. After years of trial and error, I’ve reached a point where I can structure, define and document this process, for others to use. Given this period of layoffs, industry shifts and people not finding work, maybe these tips can help some find work. However, take it with a grain of salt; I haven’t looked for new clients since 2023. My final two contracts were long-term, and one developed into a small software services business. I’ll structure the process into 4 time intervals: 🎒 Setup, preparation: Setup, pre-conditions, what you should do before starting 📢 Marketing, reaching out, finding potential clients: How to look for companies that want to work with you 👥 Sales, talking to clients: Sales, persuasion, honesty, negotiation, if you can call it that 🤝✍ Signing: What happens after a client accepts In this article, I’ll dive into the first step: wha ... Read full article.