If you’re one of the many people in isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic, you’re probably thinking about two things:
- Making and drinking your morning coffee only takes 20 minutes. What are you supposed to do with the other 15 hours and 40 minutes left in your day?
- How can you make some extra money while you’re stuck at home?
Luckily there’s a simple answer to both of these questions: Apply for freelance jobs and start working from home.
There are thousands of freelance jobs posted online in hundreds of different categories every day. With all of these opportunities available, chances are there’s a job out there that’s just waiting for your application
In fact, you may find that you make more freelancing than you did at your regular job. In a recent study, skilled freelancers were found to make more than 70% of workers in the US.
And the best part about freelancing is that most of the opportunities are remote gigs that can be done right from the comfort of your own home. This makes freelance jobs perfect for people who are currently in isolation.
Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Figure Out Which Skills You Have to Offer
If you’re new to freelancing you may be wondering whether you even have the skills and experience required to apply for one of these jobs.
However, chances are that between school, work, and your life experience, you’ve picked up some valuable skills that make you a great candidate for a number of freelance jobs.
Have you ever worked in an office? You’re probably perfectly suited for plenty of administrative tasks.
Is writing part of your current day-to-day? There are numerous opportunities for writers, including blog writing, article writing, and content creation.
Are you fluent in more than one language? You may want to consider the many translation jobs available.
These are just a few of the opportunities you’ll find online. The possibilities are endless so don’t sell yourself short. Make a list of all your skills and pinpoint two or three that you think you could use to land a freelance job.
Create a Work Schedule for Yourself
When you work as a freelancer you’re essentially running your own business. This means you won’t have a boss telling you what to do and when to do it.
This can be good and bad. On the one hand, it allows you to set your own schedule and gives you a certain amount of freedom. On the other hand, it opens the door to a freelancer’s arch-nemesis: Procrastination.
If you’re not used to working for yourself, it’s a good idea to create a daily work schedule to help stay on track.
Decide how many hours you’d like to dedicate to your freelance business every day, then set aside time to both send proposals to potential clients and work on projects. Aim to get your work done as early as possible so you can have time at the end of the day for yourself.
Make sure to stick to your schedule and hold yourself accountable so you can meet your freelance goals. And feel free to experiment with different routines as every freelancer balances their day differently.
Sign Up to Freelance Platforms
You’re probably wondering where you can find all of these freelance jobs. Well, most of them are posted on freelance platforms. With these sites, individuals and organizations can sign up and post jobs on the platform. Freelancers can then submit proposals and interview for the available opportunities.
The benefit for freelancers is that you can quickly and easily identify clients that are in need of your services, instead of blindly cold-emailing companies without knowing whether there is even any work available.
Often these sites also offer a number of other perks, including payment protection services, project management tools, and the ability to upload portfolio items to attract new clients.
Some freelance platforms are more general while others focus on specific niches. For example, Work for Impact offers freelance jobs exclusively from nonprofits and socially and environmentally responsible organizations.
Once you sign up to a freelance platform and create your profile, start searching for opportunities that match your skills and begin sending proposals for jobs that interest you.
Here are a couple of articles to help you find and apply for freelance jobs:
Think About How You Can Help Clients During this Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t just made things hard on employees. Businesses are also struggling and many are being forced to close or adapt to changing conditions.
As you begin to speak to potential clients, start thinking about ways that you can assist them during this challenging time.
Here are a few things to ask yourself:
- Do they need to change their content and/or PR strategy?
- Do they need to make changes or updates to their website?
- Do they need help moving portions of their business online?
- Do they need to implement new systems to allow their employees to work from home?
If you have some ideas, be sure to let them know. Not only will your suggestions be appreciated during these difficult times, but it will also be a great way for you to add value and set yourself apart from other freelancers.
Nurture Your Client Relationships
Even if freelancing is only a temporary gig for you until the recommended isolation is over, it’s a good idea to nurture the relationships you build with clients right now.
First, it will help you get repeat work from existing clients. This means you can spend less time writing proposals and more time actually working. And second, you never know where these relationships might lead. If you build a good report now it could potentially lead to bigger opportunities down the road.
So be sure to do everything you can to make a good impression on your clients. Here are a few things you can do to build solid relationships with them:
- Research their organization and ask questions so you can fully understand their goals and objectives.
- Keep an open line of communication throughout the project and respond promptly to any messages or questions they send your way.
- Look for ways that you can go above and beyond and add additional value.
- Always meet your deadlines to ensure that projects stay on schedule.
If you follow these simple steps your clients will be sure to think of you the next time they have a freelance job available.
Find Meaningful Freelance Projects
If you’re looking for work that feeds both your wallet and your soul, make sure to check out Work for Impact. We’re committed to offering freelancers meaningful job opportunities that make a positive difference around the world. Click here to learn more.