My tips for getting started freelancing/side hustling
My tips for getting started freelancing/side hustling
So you want to start freelancing, or working toward another side hustle. It’s almost the norm these days: we talk about “multiple streams of income” casually in our conversations with friends. Sometimes freelancing or a side hustle is a path to do something we love while still making money, or building up a business to free ourselves eventually from a 9-5 altogether.
Whatever your reason, here are my pro tips for starting:
💫 Don't overthink it; just start. There's never going to be a perfect time where you feel fully ready or prepared to do something new and different. You have to make time in your schedule, learn the skills that you're going to offer as services (or decide on something you already know how to do), spend a lot of time fully filling out your freelancing profiles, and try not to make excuses for why now isn't the time.
💫 Do something you love. My purpose on this earth is to create, and to help others create to their fullest potential. I chose to edit books because I feel that it aligns with my life purpose of helping others create art to their full potential. If I did not love what I did, none of this would be worth it. Freelancing takes a lot of hard work and initiative, so it won't be sustainable if you don't like or find contentment in what you do. Do not choose something to chase money; with this mindset, you’ll find that the abundance you seek will never flow to you easily.
💫 Don't let the initial investment deter you. Nothing good happens without putting in some effort. Getting your freelancing or side hustling journey started takes a lot of work. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It will take a lot of time to put together high quality freelancing profiles, a portfolio of your work, or learn a skill to offer if you don't have one already. I recommend Fiverr and Upwork as good places to get started, as well as newer sites like Contra, as an amazing place to host your portfolio and send organic clients. In addition to setting yourself up on freelancing marketplaces, also try to get clients organically through word of mouth and social media. Once you have all of this set up, it will probably take some time and a scrappy, resourceful attitude to get your first few clients. You must be willing to put in the work during this period of initial investment without expecting any return for a few months. I promise that if you stick out this period, you will reap the rewards tenfold. There are definitely misconceptions around freelance work being “oversaturated”--I guarantee if you are good at what you do, you’ll rise to the top quickly.
💫 Time block your days. Most people have to keep some sort of regular 9-5 job while they get started on their freelancing journey. Or, you may be like me and WANT to do many different things! I'm a multi-passionate, creative person and I actually love my 9-5 at an art school, love my freelancing business, love making art of my own, love content creation and want to do it all! In order to do this, it's very important to make the most out of your days, and also prioritize rest and recovery. Use a paper planner, your google calendar, or even a Notion layout to schedule out your days hour by hour. Try to align this with your own patterns and needs. For me, a typical work day goes something like this:
● 7 AM wakeup
● 7:15 AM morning pages, write down priorities in my planner
● 7:45 AM work on poetry, read a book
● 8:30 AM edit and post tiktok vlog
● 9 AM start working 9-5 from home
● 11 AMish once I finish initial tasks from my 9-5, I work on customer service/answering messages for freelancing as well as any emails for content creation
● 11:30 AM I like to go to the gym midmorning if I can (usually on no-meeting days)! If I have more limited time, I do cardio or yoga at home – if I wait to the end of the day it’s much harder for me
● 1 PM lunch break, freshen up from workout
● 5 PM finish working 9-5 from home but stay at desk
● 5 PM work on freelance book editing or my business in another way
● 7:30 PM cook homemade dinner or order takeout
● 8:30 PM relax and unwind, sometimes work on freelancing another hour or so if needed, but usually do not
● 10 PM absolute logoff time, I never work past 10 PM to have good sleep hygiene and ensure I have time to relax and hang out with my husband!
💫 Keep a mindset of constant learning and improvement. Engage with media and trends around freelancing, independent work and online work. Read books, listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos -- there is so much free, incredible information online. Independent work, remote work, working online, the "gig economy" are the way of the future. If you want to be the most successful you can possibly be, you will need to follow news, social media creators, groups and forums, etc. that discuss these topics.
💫 "side hustling" is not for the faint hearted. No matter how you swing it, freelancing or starting a business of any kind is hard work. Especially at first, it took me some fourteen hour work days to get things started. The thing is, this is something that you're building for yourself, not for some other employer. The more hours you put in, the more successful your business will be. And once you get to a point where you can raise your prices and scale your business, you will be able to work less to earn the same amount, and more, and find financial freedom, but you have to work hard to get there.
To wrap this up...
I am of the belief that everyone has the power to break free from doing things that don't serve them. I know there's a lot of discussion around quitting corporate jobs, but don't let anyone else's narrative pressure you. My number one piece of advice is to do some real work thinking about your vision for your life. If you never had to worry about earning money ever again, what would you do each day? Once you have that answer, work backwards to figure out what you must do today to facilitate that life for yourself tomorrow. What are your habits? What are your values? How do you spend your time? What type of job serves your life goals? Oftentimes, freelancing can fit really well into this vision for many people because it offers more freedom.
