The past few weeks have been interesting and freelancing is starting to become a mainstream revenue generator for some people in our industry.

“Stop saying ‘later.’ You WON’T do it later. Do it or decide not to do it.” – Chris Brogan

I’ve been doing freelance gigs on and off since 2018, but like Chris Brogan said, I stopped saying later and kicked it into high gear this year. To start off I created my own company, Code by Claro, LLC, which by all means isn’t necessary for freelancing, but it provides some personal liability protection. As well as accountability for myself to get things (💩) done!

Prospecting Sources/Platforms

My primary prospecting sources have been Upwork and Moonlight Work. There are other platforms out there, but I’ve had better luck with these. On these platforms you submit proposals (bids) with the limited requirements provided by the client. Some clients are better than others and have more experience knowing what they want, while others need a guiding hand.

Proposal Tips

The most important and challenging aspect of freelance work is writing the proposal for a gig. Remember you’re competing against talented people across the world, so you have to stand out against the crowd. Here are some tips on submitting a proposal that will help you land that gig.

1. Always be polite, honest and professional… ALWAYS no matter what!
2. Be sure to carefully go over the requirements and try to understand what the client’s problem (pain point) is; sometimes it isn’t clearly spelled out.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of the client, what would you like to hear?
4. Start with a simple “Hello” or “Greetings” and end with thanking them.
5. Nobody wants to read a novel, so be sure to keep things short and to the point and answer any direct questions.
6. If applicable, provide examples of past projects that are similar to what the client is asking for.
7. Ask questions on anything that doesn’t seem clear.
8. Always end with a call to action by suggesting a phone call or web meeting.
9. Provide your availability or give them a Calendy link with your schedule.
10. PROOF READ & SPELL CHECK!!!

Thanks for reading and good luck out there!