You need three things…

The want to,
The how to,
And the guts to say “YES”!

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Hell no, it’s hard. Just because you live next to a Home Depot doesn’t mean you can build your own house. Beginner freelancers and online writers still sometimes need some direction.

We will divide this article in 2 parts: First part to help you find out if you can be a freelancer and second to help you get started if you decide to be one.

Part 1 – Can you be a freelancer?

We will go through the six of the most common questions that all beginner freelancers ask themselves. This should give you a broad overview of what it takes to leave your current job and leap into freelancing freedom.

1. Does anyone want to hear what I have to say?

Are you an expert in your field? Can you talk about your interesting hobby for days on end and offer advice to others? Have you been working the same job for a few years and feel like you have some cool tips to share with your internet brethren? Then YES! Someone, right now, is googling all of the exact things that you know about, want to write about, and can’t wait to offer advice on.

2. What do I write about?

Anything you want! It’s the internet! But seriously, here are a few things to consider:

What does your ideal internet presence look like? Think about this carefully, because this is your brand. Are you putting yourself out there as someone who is silly, quirky, and funny? Maybe your brand is being sassy and serious. Maybe it’s a bunch of these things all at once that make up who you are.
What do you never get tired of talking about? It’s great if you want to write tutorials on coding or braiding hair, but if you only have three or four really juicy things to share about it, where will you go from there? That is not meant to be discouraging. I want you to map out some direction for yourself so if and when you get sick of talking about healthy habits or fishing lures, you’ll still be able to churn out fresh content.

3. What do you do for a living now? Whatever it is, be the expert!

Feel like you’re not an expert on anything? I’ve coached some professionals as they made a transition to freelance work. Here are some of their professions:

Roofers
Customer service/call center associates
Makeup artists
Teachers
Parents

Here is a list of things I did before becoming a freelance writer:

Internet Tech Support
Office Administrator
Loan Officer
Human Resources
Training and Development Coordinator

Anyone can become a freelance writer if they have knowledge and advice to share. Your next step is to understand how to leverage those skills into an online writing career.

The makeup artist, for example, runs a how-to blog.

The roofer tells funny stories on his blog. He has been hired to write for numerous websites. His writing style is unique and his voice is clever. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t have an MFA in creative writing. He found his niche and laid claim to his audience.

You need to have an audience. Why are you different? What do you offer that no one else is offering right now?

4. How do I actually make money?

That’s a really big and broad question. There are a lot of ways you can start making money right away. Websites like Freelancer.com, Upwork, and Fiverr are all places where freelancers can begin looking for work immediately.

Some helpful posts:-

5. What if I’m not a very good writer but I have a lot of knowledge to share?

You have two options. Get better at writing or start a YouTube channel/Podcast instead. If you aren’t comfortable with either of these options, freelance writing is probably not your bag.

Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, writing from home demands that you are an above average writer. There are a lot of free programs that can help you improve the skills you’re lacking. Check out websites like Grammarly or Skillshare, or just start Googling and be amazed at the number of free lessons that are available to you.

6. How much money will I make?

I have no idea, but the good news is that you can plan, budget, and set goals now, before jumping into a freelance career.

If you’re looking for a great starter budget spreadsheet, look no further than Google Docs.

You can always go to Mint.com and start there, too. It’s free, easy, and I’ve been using it for years.

If you haven’t already quit your full-time job, wait. Make sure that you will be making enough money to pay the bills. Which brings me to the second part of our article…

Part 2 – How do I even start?

There are things you can do now while still working a full-time job that will ease your transition into the freelancing world.

Every day after work, I would come home and sit at the dining room table for five or six hours working on writing, seeking clients, and networking.

It took me three solid months which is a lot faster than most. I’m not bragging, I just want you to be aware that three months is quick to get a freelance business off the ground. You can certainly do it, but be realistic and practical in your planning.

I followed this 5 pronged approach to get my freelancing business off the ground –

1. First, and most importantly, network network network!

Let’s talk about our love/hate relationship with social media. We all use it, know it, love it, or hate it. Sometimes I love and sometimes I hate. The first thing I had to do was beef up my non-existent social media presence.

Prior to leaving my office job and becoming a freelancer, the only social media account I had was Facebook, and it was locked down and private. I’m young enough to keep up with relevant technology but old enough to know that a picture of me taking a tequila shot from a stripper’s butt cheeks will never disappear from social media.

I was using social media sparingly to keep in touch with family and friends. I was content with my tiny social media presence that consisted of pictures of my dogs and well wishes during the holidays. I had no interest in putting more of my life online.

The reality is, however, social media is a requirement when conducting business online in 2017. Sometimes we have to conform with the times because they aren’t going to conform to us.

I had to expand and put my whole self out there like you might have to. I went back to researching what other popular and successful writers were using. There are a lot of options with Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Pinterest (and dozens more), but you should focus on at least two of these social media platforms and get busy.

2. Write your bio and get some professional pictures taken.

That means no weird anime avatar, not a picture of your cat, and not a MySpace angled shot from your bathroom in 2005. If you need to look around for a professional photographer, it is also a great time to start offering your skills in exchange for theirs.

It might sound something like this. “Hey, photographer. I like your work. I was checking out your website and it looks like it could use *insert whatever they are missing, like a bio, a services page, or talk them into starting a blog*. I don’t know if you would be interested, but I’d be happy to create some content for you in exchange for a few headshots.”

You can go on to explain that you are trying to launch a freelance business and a testimonial would be great too. It might feel uncomfortable or awkward to start negotiations like that, but you’ll need to get over your reluctance quickly to make headway. One of my favorite sayings is “It’s none of my business what other people think of me”.

3. Start following people and businesses that inspire you, and begin interacting with them.

Comment on their blogs. Have meaningful interactions and start forming a network of like-minded professionals. They will be the foundation to your burgeoning freelance business.

(You can start here by commenting or following me on Twitter if you’d like. I love connecting with other freelancers! You’ll generally get the same reaction from other freelancers, so don’t be shy!)

As a private, introverted writer, I like my small social circle. However, networking and keeping yourself in the public eye is important in the age of technology. Think about it this way. Are you going to call your local telephone directory and pay to have your name put into a book that is passed out for free right before it ends up in a recycle bin on the corner, or are you going to take advantage of tons of free publicity courtesy of social media?

4. Some things that you will want to consider as you create or update your social media accounts:

Update your resume.

This should be first on your list if you are unpublished. As a beginning freelancer, you need to be able to show the path you’ve taken. Focus on the positions and duties that you can directly relate to writing and communication. Leave out extraneous information that does not pertain to where you are trying to go.

Update your other resume.

Yes, you need another resume. This is a resume for writers who are already published. It doesn’t matter how small the blog or business, you’ll want to make sure your resume reflects your work as a writer. Begin with your biggest pieces, the ones you are most proud of, and go from there. (If you don’t have anything published yet, no worries! I’ll tell you how to make them happen below.)

Don’t spend money or a lot of time worrying about the resumes too much. You have bigger fish to fry! This is just one way to gather all of your writing into one document.

Bonus tip! Keep a spreadsheet to list all of your clients and jobs as you go. Each time you write something new or create content for a client, make a note of it so you’ll never forget even the smallest jobs.

And that brings me to…

5. Start writing your blog and publish some articles.

As I mentioned, your blog is also going to serve as a resume and your portfolio. Your blog will be one of the first things a potential client will want to see. Get in the habit of writing two or three new blog posts each week. Then promote those blog posts on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

Your blog should be about you, what you do, what interests you, and something that other people want to share and pass around to friends and family. Give readers a reason to read your blog. Whatever you choose to write about, stay consistent. Your blogs should be consistent with your brand.

To start building that impressive portfolio, you need to publish a contributor profile on as many sites as you can, but at least two or three of the following:

Once you have a profile set up on each of these, upload your best writing samples. This is where you can refer potential clients in lieu of having a traditionally published article or blog.

Now it’s time to get started and