How to Start a Freelancing Career: Helpful Tips I Learned in 2022

Are you a mom looking to make some extra income from home? Do you want the freedom and flexibility that comes with working as a freelancer, but don’t know where to start? If so, you may be asking how to start a freelance business.

Don’t be afraid to start your own business – Moms Can Succeed as Freelancers Too!

As a mom, it can be daunting to enter the freelance market. Are you experienced enough? Is there time for this with all the other responsibilities you have?

But don’t let these questions stop you from taking advantage of the great opportunities that come with freelancing. With your skills, experience, and dedication, you can make a successful career out of freelancing. 

Here’s how to start a freelancing career for moms:

You Have the Skills and Experience You Need

Just because you might not have a degree or certification in a specific field doesn’t mean that you don’t have the skills necessary to succeed with your own freelance clients. Being a parent is an incredible learning experience.

Between juggling multiple kids and tasks, running errands and working if needed, moms often learn how to multitask like nobody else! These are valuable skills that a prospective client will look for when hiring new talent.

Additionally, many mothers obtain professional experience throughout their parenting journey by volunteering at their child’s school or local community service organization. 

This knowledge is also valuable and can be transferred into any number of freelance roles! You just need to learn how to start freelancing.

Start Small and Build Your Way Up

If you’re still feeling insecure about launching into freelancing, start small! Consider joining freelance platforms where people offer services such as content writing or data entry for an hourly rate. You can enter the world of freelancing, look for your ideal client, and get paid to work your first gig.

These types of sites are perfect for moms who want to test the waters and gain some additional experience before you start freelancing full-time.

Once on these platforms, you can start building up your portfolio so that a potential freelance client can see what kind of work they’d expect from hiring you – this is key to getting more jobs in the future!

Flexible Hours That Fit Your Schedule

One of the main reasons to start freelancing is having flexible hours that fit your current lifestyle as a parent. 

You can choose which projects to take on, when to take them on, and how long to dedicate each day/week/month to those projects without any worry about clashing with family commitments or childcare arrangements.

How to decide what freelance career to pursue. What are you good at?

With so many options out there for a freelance career, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. The key is to identify what skills and abilities you have that will make you successful in your chosen field. Let’s look at how to decide what freelance career path to pursue.

What Are You Good At?

Before you can decide what kind of freelance job is right for you, you need to assess your skills and experience. Think about the areas in which you excel—are they creative pursuits like writing or design?

Or are they more technical like coding or software development? Once you have identified your strengths and weaknesses, the next step is deciding which type of freelancing best suits those strengths.

For example, if one of your strengths is writing, then becoming a content writer might be a good option for you. If marketing and social media are your strong points, then becoming a freelance digital marketer would be perfect for you.

Depending on your level of expertise in any given area, there may be several different paths available to choose from so you can start freelancing.

Do Your Research

Once you’ve settled on what kind of freelancing job suits your skillset the best, it’s important that you do some research into the field before making any commitments. Read up on blogs and articles related to the topic and talk to people who work in the same industry as yourself.

This will give you an insight into what working as a freelancer actually entails – from how much money can realistically be made from certain jobs to how competitive the market is currently looking like.

If you don’t feel fully prepared to start freelancing yet, you can build your freelance skills by taking online classes, doing a simple google search, or offering free work as you narrow down your niche and build your portfolio.

Set Realistic Expectations

Before you quit your full time employment, it’s important that we don’t get carried away with our expectations too quickly – remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day!

It takes time and effort before seeing your first freelance client, and this should be taken into consideration when planning our workloads and setting goals for ourselves throughout our tenure as freelance professionals.

It’s important to keep a clear picture of your business goals as a new freelancer, and to stay up to date on what’s going on in your specific industry.

How to Turn Your Ideas into a Freelance Side Hustle

Are you a stay-at-home mom who is looking for a creative, flexible way to make money online? Or maybe you’re feeling stuck in your full time job and you’re ready to learn how to start a freelancing business.

Step 1: Identify Your Skillset and Interests

The first step in starting a freelancing career is figuring out what type of services you want to offer. Think about the skills that come naturally for you — are you excellent at writing or editing? Do you have experience as a graphic designer? Maybe video production or audio engineering are more your style.

Think about what makes sense for your skill set and interests, then narrow down your niche so that prospective clients know exactly what service you offer.

Step 2: Build Your Portfolio

Once you know what services you’re going to offer as a freelancer, it’s time to build your portfolio. Your portfolio should showcase some of the best examples of your work so that potential clients can get an idea of the quality they will receive if they hire you.

Most freelancers use previous freelance projects they’re proud of. But if you want to build a portfolio before you have your first freelance client, you can make up a job for yourself to complete as an example of your work.

Make sure each piece of work is well-crafted and accurately represents the skillset that you are offering. If possible, include relevant references from past clients or employers who can attest to the quality of your work.

Why Basic Accounting is Essential for Freelancers

So, you’re ready to start freelancing and you think you’re all set. You have your website up, your business cards printed, and a few potential clients lined up.

But before you get too far ahead of yourself, there’s one very important thing you should do—learn basic accounting. Sure, it may not be the most exciting thing in the world but it’s a necessary part of any freelance business. Here’s why.

It Will Save You Money

Not knowing how to handle your finances properly can be costly. When you know exactly how much money is coming in and going out each month, it makes budgeting much easier and helps prevent overspending.

With just a little bit of effort upfront to learn basic accounting principles, you can save yourself from a lot of headaches later on down the line.

You’ll Be Prepared for Tax Season

Tax season can be daunting for any small business owner or freelancer. By taking the time to learn some accounting basics now, such as how to track your expenses properly, you can save yourself from a lot of stress come tax time. Being able to confidently handle your taxes will also make dealing with them much more enjoyable!

You’ll Have More Control Over Your Finances

Having a good understanding of basic accounting principles will give you complete control over your finances so that nothing slips through the cracks (or worse yet—so that no one takes advantage of you).

When you understand what’s happening with your money at every step of the way, it gives you peace of mind knowing that everything is taken care of properly and securely.

Learning even just the basics about accounting will not only help keep money in your pocket but also give you total control over managing your finances as an independent freelancer or business owner.

Get connected with other freelancers and entrepreneurs in your area

Working from home can be isolating. Although it is a great way to make a living, it’s important to stay connected with other freelancers and entrepreneurs in your area.

Building a good relationship and networking with like-minded people can have many benefits, such as staying motivated, learning new skills, finding new opportunities, and receiving valuable feedback.

Attend Conferences and Networking Events

One of the best ways to meet other freelancers is by attending conferences or networking events specifically geared towards entrepreneurs. 

These events give you an opportunity to learn more about your niche while also making connections with other professionals in your field that could turn into future clients.

Join Professional Groups

There are plenty of online professional groups for freelancers and entrepreneurs that offer support, advice, resources, and even job postings. Conduct some research online and join one or two groups that fit your needs.

Some popular groups include Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Slack channels, forums, etc. These virtual communities give you the chance to connect with other potential clients from all over the world so don’t be afraid to reach out and start a conversation!

Connect Through Social Media Platforms

Social platforms such as Twitter and Instagram are great places for a successful freelancer to find their peers online. You can use relevant hashtags (e.g., #freelancelife) on Twitter or browse through Instagram posts tagged with #entrepreneurlife or #solopreneur.

This gives you an opportunity to engage with fellow entrepreneurs who may have similar interests as you do—and even collaborate on projects together! 

It’s important to remember that these platforms should not be used solely for self-promotion; instead try to create meaningful conversations with those in your network!

Market yourself online and through word-of-mouth marketing

As a stay at home mom, you may have a lot of skills that can be used to earn extra money. Sure, you may have considered freelancing or offering services, but how do you market yourself to new clients?

After all, most people don’t even know what they need until they’re presented with an opportunity. Let’s break down how to market yourself online and through word-of-mouth marketing.

Online Marketing Strategies

The internet is bursting with potential opportunities for freelance work. To start off, create a website that highlights your freelancer services and experience. Make sure the website is well organized and easy to navigate; think of it as a portfolio for new clients to peruse.

Once your website is up and running, look into online job search platforms such as UpWork or Fiverr. These are great ways to connect with clients who are looking for specific services.

You can also use social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to promote your services—just remember to stay professional! Posting regularly on these platforms will keep your business top of mind when potential customers need a service like yours.

Word-of-Mouth Strategies

The “word of mouth” method has been around since the dawn of time! Your existing clients might be able to offer some insight into who could use your services in their circles or networks that you don’t already know about.

Additionally, networking events are great ways to meet new people who could potentially lead you towards opportunities or referrals that fit your niche. Make sure you bring business cards so you can leave behind something tangible for people to remember you by!

Stay organized and disciplined with your time so you can balance work with home life

Balancing work and home life can be challenging for any mom, especially freelancers who work from home. As a stay at home mom, you have the unique challenge of managing both family and professional responsibilities while also striving to find time for yourself.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tasks on your plate, but staying organized and disciplined with your time is one of the best ways to stay on track and get everything done. Let’s take a look at how.

Create a Schedule and Stick To It

The key to staying organized is creating an effective schedule that works for you. Start by writing down all the tasks you need to complete in each area of your life—work, family, friends, and self-care—and then assign a timeframe for each task.

This way you can keep track of what needs to be done without feeling overwhelmed or scattered when trying to manage multiple things at once.

Make sure that you actually stick to the schedule; if something comes up that changes your plans, adjust it accordingly so that you are still able to get everything done on time.

Set Aside Time for Yourself

It’s important that as a working mom you take some time out of your day for yourself. Whether it’s reading a book or taking a walk around the block, find activities that bring joy into your life so that you can relax and recharge between tasks. This will help prevent burnout while also allowing you to de-stress after long days balancing work with home life.

Delegate When You Can

Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks when possible; asking for help doesn’t make you weak or incompetent; it shows strength in knowing when something is beyond your capacity or skill set.

If there are things on your list that someone else could do just as well (or better) than you can, don’t be afraid to ask them for help! Delegating tasks will free up more time during your day so that you can focus on the things that really matter most—your family and work obligations.

Final Thoughts

Being a stay at home mom and working freelance can be an incredibly rewarding experience. With the right strategies, you can successfully manage both family and professional life while still taking time out for yourself.

By creating an effective schedule, setting aside time for yourself, and delegating tasks when possible, you can make sure that all areas of your life are given the attention they need.

Finally, don’t forget to stay connected with other moms who are in the same boat as you—you can find invaluable advice and support from them. It’s also a great way to stay motivated and inspired when things become challenging.