Five tips to survive your first month as a freelancer

How do I find clients with self-employed assignments who pay me how I would like and where I do what I like? How do I ensure a good start? These are questions we often receive when someone is thinking about making the transition to a freelance life.

Concerns about finding enough work to pay the bills and grow keep many people from taking the big leap. Certainty is of course important, but it doesn't have to hold you back. If you've already been thinking about switching to freelance work, it's probably worth picking it up and researching what exactly it entails and giving it that one shot.

Many freelancers experience the beginning as difficult. That's why we give five tips to get through the first month.

1. Your specialty The fact that you have few or no assignments at the beginning means that you will react to anything and everything out of necessity. As long as you have work (= income). But you can't keep that up for long, especially at the start. Therefore, focus on offering one service. And yes, that is difficult. You're probably good at several things. Try to avoid offering an entire package of tasks to all your customers. For example, a client who only wants to have a website or logo designed is not looking for experience in the field of online marketing.

2. Need Empathize with the customer's problem and describe your view of the problem by explaining how you can help. A customer does not need a list of experiences but wants to see how you can fulfill their specific need. If you apply this, the chance that you will win the assignment will only increase.

3. Let's go! Don't waste all your time creating a website. Gaining experience is important now. Start by getting freelance assignments and your own website will follow later, if you still need it. A mediation platform for freelancers and clients often also offers you an online profile to which you can refer the client.

4. Pitch Compose a short pitch that you then adapt to each client. This will save you a lot of time and ensure that you always have your say when you try to bring in a new one. Please also highlight how you can help.

5. Find Other Freelancers Connect with other freelancers and communities. This isn't about getting to know your competition. You need these people. After all, they face the same challenges as you and know (currently) more than you about the freelance business, what is important and how to get in touch with clients, for example.

Every beginning is difficult, but don't let it discourage you. Believing in yourself and the abundance of opportunities are crucial for the courage to finally take the step. Above all, we wish you good luck. If you need some encouragement, take a look at our blog page . This is full of useful tips to help you get started as a starting freelancer!