img src='http://rss.buysellads.com/img.php?z=1259904k=f7b7931ec28da9e4ff2580bfd4eddb18a=20724c=1284895649' border='0' alt='' //a/pbr /pimg src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/chess.jpg" alt="" title="Chess" width="550" height="367" class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-20730" //p
pFreelancing can be fun and exciting, especially when you#8217;re first getting started./p
pYou have a new income stream, a new amount of freedom and control, and if feels like you#8217;re taking charge of your skills and talents./p
pOf course, those are just a pipe dreams if you can#8217;t a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/blog/explore/finding-clients-jobs/"find a client/a./p
pSo how do you get started? How do you actually go about finding that first client? I don#8217;t have all the answers, but here are a few ideas for kick-starting your freelance career.span id="more-20724"/span/p
h21. Work for your friends and family./h2
pWhile I don#8217;t like the idea of continually selling your services to friends and family, the truth is that this is a great way to get started./p
pFor example, a social media consultant might get their start by working for their uncle#8217;s business. A wedding invitation creator might start by creating cards for their cousin#8217;s wedding./p
pWhatever your task may be, jobs for friends and family are usually easy to find and mdash;�even if they aren#8217;t paying as well as you would like mdash; they can be a good way to build your portfolio when you don#8217;t have one./p
h22. Ask for referrals./h2
pIf you want to get started as a freelancer, then you need to spread the word. Let people know what you#8217;re up to and ask them if they know anyone who might need what you#8217;re offering./p
blockquote class="pullquote"pA helpful hint: when you ask for referrals, make sure to use the right language. Instead of saying what you do, describe the problem that the client faces./p/blockquote
pAlmost every freelancer I know got their start by working with people they already knew or #8220;friends of friends.#8221; It#8217;s up to you to get the word out, but people are usually willing to help you get started./p
pemA helpful hint: when you ask for referrals, make sure to use the right language. Instead of saying what you do, describe the problem that the client faces./em/p
pFor example, web designers won#8217;t get much work if they say, #8220;I#8217;m a freelance designer. I do HTML, CSS, some PHP, and Photoshop.#8221; /p
pBut you#8217;ll see much better results if you say, #8220;I help people who are frustrated with the way their website looks. If you hear anyone talking about their site, feel free to send them my way.#8221;/p
pLet people know who you help, so they can put you in touch with the right person. Leave the technical jargon at home./p
h23. Partner with someone who already has access to your target market./h2
pIf you#8217;re just starting out and nobody knows your name, don#8217;t worry! You can easily connect with your target market by partnering with a relevant group./p
pYou don#8217;t have to be an influencer, you just need to connect with one./p
pWant to start a freelance dog walking business? Partner with the local pet store owner. You can recommend their leashes and dog food to your clients, and they can recommend your services to their customers./p
pWant to teach guitar on the side? Partner with the local music shop. You can recommend their strings and picks to your clients, and they can put your business cards and a flyer by their cash register./p
pWant to become a freelance writer? Partner with a graphic designer who designs brochures, reports, and other documents. They can suggest your writing services to clients who aren#8217;t comfortable with their writing skills and you can pay the designer a small referral fee each time they send business your way./p
h24. Go to live conferences, trade shows, and events./h2
blockquote class="pullquote"pIf you show up at relevant events and meet people live, then you#8217;re bound to start having success./p/blockquote
pThere is something about meeting people in person that just makes you friends. Once you#8217;ve spent time with someone face to face, you#8217;re buddies./p
pIf you show up at relevant events and meet people live, then you#8217;re bound to start having success./p
pThat said, don#8217;t walk around and shove your business card in everyone#8217;s face. Take your time, have a real conversation, and when the other person asks what you do just naturally talk about your services. If you want, you can even throw in at the end, #8220;If you know anyone looking for that, just let me know.#8221;/p
h25. Write about your topic./h2
pWe often see people who write about a certain topic as being an expert./p
pIf you start a blog and begin writing about your freelance topic consistently, then you#8217;ll gradually develop an audience and respect within your industry. (You#8217;ll have to promote the site as well, but that#8217;s a story for a different article.)/p
pIt takes a little longer to build, but there are plenty of freelancers who have a steady stream of business just from their online audience./p
pemAnother tip: Make it easy for your readers to pay you. Set up a #8220;Services#8221; page or a #8220;Hire Me#8221; page and allow people to click-through and pay you right then and there./em/p
h3Get Out There/h3
pAnd there you have it. Five solid ways of getting your first freelance client./p
pNow, get out there and start pulling in some cash. It#8217;s not as hard as you might think./p
pemPhoto credit: a title="Attribution License" href="http://photodune.net/wiki/support/legal-terms/licensing-terms/"Some rights reserved/a by a href="http://photodune.net/item/chess/598065?WT.ac=item_similar_thumb#038;WT.seg_1=item_similar_thumb#038;WT.z_author=xilius"xilius/a/em./p
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