Building a Freelance Career

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Missed our latest FEDSA talk on freelancing? No worries! Here’s a breakdown of the key insights shared by Bulls, a Webflow freelancer, on how to build a successful freelance career, find clients, set rates, and avoid common pitfalls.

Freelancing offers flexibility, financial growth, and ownership over your work—but it also comes with challenges like inconsistent income and scope creep. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your freelance business, this session covered everything from pricing strategies to marketing yourself effectively.

Key Takeaways

1. When Should You Start Freelancing?

• Freelancing isn’t for absolute beginners—get experience first. Working in an agency, startup, or under a senior freelancer helps you build skills, industry knowledge, and connections before you go solo.

• Don’t wait too long either! Once you’re confident in your skills and understand how projects are scoped and priced, you can start making the transition.

2. How to Get Clients & Maintain a Consistent Flow of Work

   • Leverage your network: Many freelancers start by getting work from past employers, colleagues, or referrals.

   • Build partnerships: Connect with other freelancers and agencies who can send work your way when they’re over capacity.

   • Offer retainers: Project-based work is unpredictable—long-term retainers provide stability and reduce the need to constantly search for new clients.

   • Market yourself online: LinkedIn is a powerful platform for finding clients. Optimise your profile, share valuable content, and engage with industry professionals.

3. Marketing Yourself on LinkedIn

   • Optimise your profile: Make it clear who you are, what you do, and who you help. Use a professional profile picture, a compelling headline, and a well-written about section.

   • Post valuable content: Share tutorials, insights, and lessons learned from projects to showcase your expertise.

   • Engage with others: Comment on posts, start discussions, and connect with people in your industry to stay visible and build relationships.

4. Pricing & Contracts: Avoiding Scope Creep & Late Payments

   • Discuss budget early: Be upfront about pricing in your first conversation with a potential client to avoid wasting time.

   • Use contracts: Always have a written agreement covering payment terms, scope, and deadlines. This protects you from scope creep and non-payment.

   • Know your pricing model: Options include hourly rates, fixed project fees, and value-based pricing (charging based on the impact your work delivers).

5. Handling Free Work & Transitioning to Paid Projects

   • Free work can be useful for building a portfolio, but set clear expectations—use it as an opportunity to get testimonials or case studies.

   • If you’ve been working for free and the project gains traction, communicate clearly that you can no longer continue without payment. If they see your value, they’ll pay to keep you on board.

Want to Learn More?

This session was packed with practical insights, real-life experiences, and hard-earned lessons from freelancing. If you’re serious about building a sustainable freelance career, watch the full session here.

And stay tuned for our next FEDSA event, where we’ll dive deeper into freelancing, client management, and growing your career as an independent developer!