Freelancing 101: What Services to Offer
According to a recent study, if the growth rate stays the same, by 2028, 90 million Americans will be in freelance jobs.
There are a TON of things to consider if you want to start freelancing. One of the top things you’ll need to decide on is what freelance services to offer.
So, if you’ve been considering freelancing but are unsure if you have the needed skill set, I want you to do these three things. Right now.
Seriously. Finish reading this article, then stop whatever else you are doing and get to building your freelancing empire!
Go to Upwork.com
Before you sign up for an Upwork talent account, first click on FIND WORK, then Find work for your skills.
On this page, you’ll be able to search through the different types of categories that Upwork has for freelancers’ services.
Scroll through this list very intentionally, grab pen and paper, and take note of any services that you either already know how to do or you’d be interested in learning about.
It’s vitally important that you know what services you want to provide as a freelancer:
You’ll be able to focus. You can become an expert in a field and attract high-paying clients by specializing in a few specific areas.
You’ll have clarity. You can communicate clearly with potential clients by letting them know exactly what you offer, so you attract the kind of work you want to do.
You’ll know how to market. It’s much easier to market yourself and your services if you know who your target market is, based on your skill set. You’ll be able to create marketing materials that are targeted and within the right channels to draw potential clients to you.
You’ll manage your time wisely. You can easily get overwhelmed if you choose many services at the beginning of your freelancing journey. By focusing on a specific service, or just a few services, you’ll manage your time better and deliver high-quality work to your clients.
2. Go to academy.hubspot.com
You can sign up for free lessons, courses, and certifications on Hubspot Academy.
Once you get to the HubSpot Academy dashboard, click on Courses. Then go ahead and click on the drop-down menu under Catalog.
Decide which categories apply to the services you want to learn more about.
For this example, I chose Email Marketing.
As you can see, there are many videos with lessons you can go through to begin building your skills as an email marketer. The lessons range from 5-45 minutes, courses are about 1-2 hours, and you can earn a certification in about 3-4 hours.
And the best part is almost all of their content is completely free, which means you have no excuses about learning a new skill or brushing up on a skill you already have.
3. Go to YouTube.com
Similar to HubSpot, YouTube offers a lot of resources for you to get a good idea of what’s currently out on the market as it relates to the services you want to offer.
Start searching for long-tail key phrases for what services you plan to operate in. I chose Email Marketing again to keep you in the groove.
YouTube videos offer the convenience of watching videos any time, so you can learn at your own pace and save videos you want to watch later. Experts create many of the videos, so you are gaining knowledge from the experience of others. YouTube also helps freelancers stay up-to-date on the latest trends in industries.
Use this same formula for all the services you choose on the Upwork freelance platform.
By the end of this exercise, you should know the following:
Exactly what you want to do
Exactly on what platforms you want to offer your services
If you need help getting started, figuring out your passion, or just a kick in the ass to get motivated, reach out to me. I’m here to help you start building your framework for freelancing success!
