How To Start Your Freelancing Career On The Right Foot

Feeling annoyed with your work structure? Tired of going into an office every day? Want to diversify your portfolio or expand your experience? Freelancing may be an option that has been tempting you lately, and we wouldn’t necessarily blame you. The ability to independently contract out your talents to different projects, companies, and tasks can be exhilarating. Not only that, but it can help you fine-tune how you approach your work and allows you to build something special of your own.

Approaching freelancing can be a very meticulous process, and that’s why many people don’t end up taking the leap. Many people don’t feel like they have the talent to stand alone in their industry, and feel more like a little fish in a big pond. They may have a fear of being overwhelmed. Still, others are not fans of managing their own income and invoicing.

But, with the right freelance tools at your fingertips – and there are many to choose from – and a solid support system, you can launch the freelancing career of your dreams. Here are some of the best ways to get started.

1. Set Up Your Email Signature

As soon as you designate an inbox for your work, make sure to set up a professional email signature. As both a writer and an editor, I have been surprised over the years at how many people do not include the company they are affiliated with in their email or any specific information or links to their previous work.

Think of an email signature as a more formal Instagram bio. You want to make sure that the receiver of your message knows what your job title is, who you work for – whether it is yourself or you are working on behalf of a company, brand or organization – and any other pertinent information. 

If you have a website, resume, or portfolio that displays your updated work, make sure to include that link somewhere under your name. Many people are beginning to add their pronouns to the signature to help facilitate communication, and others will throw a fun quote at the bottom if there is space.

2. Create Templates to Streamline Communication

Freelancing – especially as a beginner – can be difficult to tackle. You are often researching companies to collaborate with, looking through job boards, and sending cold emails or reaching out via social media to make connections. Streamline your communication process by creating verbiage templates to get the conversation going. Some that we would recommend setting up first include:

• Cold emails to potential clients that introduce who you are, and include space for what you love about their work and how you think you could collaborate. AI based writing tools can also help you write error-free cold emails in less time. 
• Email response(s) to work inquiries that are either set up to go out on auto-reply or are on hand to choose between with each inquiry email.
• Automatic replies in social media inboxes to provide more information and an estimated response time. 

3. Use a Task Management System

As a freelancer, there are so many benefits to having a task management system. The great news? Many platforms have free options, and Hive Solo has been my favorite so far, after a decade of freelancing. This free plan boasts unlimited storage, as well as unlimited collaborative notes, forms, projects, tasks, and subtasks. 

With my own Hive project management account, I can keep all of my information in one place, along with asset drafts, notes, and other information. It also gives me a leg-up organization-wise, as there are many templates to help get you started, and to remind you of details you may not have otherwise been privy to.

If you have a tight budget headed into your freelancing years, here are some great project management tools for freelancers to choose from and their many perks. 

4. Invest in a Drive

With all work – no matter what your industry, role, or the expectations associated with your job – having a backup will always benefit you. While some choose to invest in the cloud and keep their files, client proposals, contracts and other paperwork organized in one place, others choose to save specific assets in different places or separate hard drives. It really doesn’t matter how you choose to back up your information, as long as you have a place to put it and a little extra security.

Dropbox is a reliable digital drive with both free and paid options. Each of their paid packages includes transfer and backup options, as well as e-signature capabilities. If you are using tools like Hive and Zapier, you have the added capability of hooking your Dropbox account up to your management system. This way, you have access to everything in virtually one place. Even without connecting your drive directly to your project management system, Dropbox – and many other options – make it easy to find a link and share assets with your clients.

Another great Drive option – with a high capacity for files in its free version – is Google Drive. If you have a Gmail account, you already have access to this brilliant technology. Plus, it connects seamlessly to Hive and has more organizational options than its competitors like Dropbox. If you are dealing with a lot of high-resolution files in your job, however, you may want to keep in mind that the free version only supports so much storage. 

5. Ensure You Have Reliable Internet Access

Regardless of where you are working or who you are working with at any given moment, you need to ensure you have reliable access to the internet. While a bad internet connection is something people can overlook in the workplace, it doesn’t make a great impression if it’s a constant. 

Investing in your digital access is an investment in your career. In fact, sometimes the company you are working with will help facilitate your work setup. Be sure to ask if they do any reimbursements, and check with your tax professional about how to write off your workspace. 

When I started freelancing, I upgraded my internet package for fast-paced download and upload speeds. I made note of areas of my apartment where WiFi was weak, and made sure to have a hardwire setup as a backup just in case. When I leave my home for work, I bring my internet hotspot. I also make sure to do a little research on the locations I am headed to, just so I know if I need to bring my hardwire setup or not. 

When getting set up for your workspace, make sure to research the history of your internet provider options. Are they newer on the market? Do they advertise updated technology? Do they have friendly customer service? Do they have a history of throttling internet speeds in your area? These are important questions to mull over so you can deliver an efficient and impressive performance.