You might think that every $100 is the same, but I’m going to tell you exactly why that’s not true…
The first $100 I made as a freelancer was in a niche I loved.
I was working full-time and writing on the side. I got a gig writing blogs for a travel company and after I made my first $100, I was sure this was going to be my ticket out of a life controlled by an employer…but I was wrong.
That’s because that $100 didn’t lead anywhere.
I was trying to force my freelance skill (writing) into a niche (combat sports) that really didn’t have enough paid opportunity in it to support the full-time freedom from a 9-5 that I wanted (my goal).
Well, a few years and a couple entrepreneurial projects later, I got laid off.
That was what I needed to start taking my freelance career seriously and start working to find the sweet spot between my skill, opportunity, and goals. So I did what a lot of freelancers do…I started searching bidding sites
I got on Upwork, paid attention to what kind of freelance work I saw businesses were hiring for (I didn’t put that in italics for nothing. Remember it…it’s going to come up again in a few), and a few years later? I cracked my first 6-figure equivalent month with $8,000 in freelance income. That’s while working part-time.
The lesson there? Every $100 might spend the same, but it won’t take you the same places.
You might want something different than I did…you might only be interested in making an extra $500 a month…you might want to make way more than I am…regardless, your freelance journey is going to be uniquely yours and I want to help you get the best way possible.
I’m Megan and I keep things running at BlackFreelance.
There’s a lot going on here (check out the Start Here page if you haven’t yet) but we’re going to keep thing simple today. We’re going to focus on earning just $100.
That might take the edge off your phone bill or be a nice little bonus to dump into your savings every month. Use it the way you want, but today we’re going to cover 3 ways to earn your first, and best 100 freelance dollars.
You don’t want your first $100 to be a ton of stress…the whole point is to get started earning, doing, and learning the lessons that’ll build your freelance career ASAP…that’s because doing is what gets you past the fear, frustration, and overthinking that sinks so many other freelancers.
That’s why I don’t want you to dwell too hard on this.
The point is to just get out there and get moving. Shaping your best freelance career is going to take time, and you don’t want to wait while the rest of the world moves away from relying on employment without you.
Step 1: Focus On the People With Immediate Need
What a lot of freelancers won’t tell you is that there are layers to how we find work.
Sure, the best paying clients (the ones that make up 4 and 5-figure projects) come from building a reputation and relationships…cold contacting, hitting people up on LinkedIn, networking, content marketing…but those take time.
They also usually come after you’ve found the sweet spot of where your skill and businesses’ needs meet. You’re probably not there yet, so we’re going to get started on the people who need you now.
The good thing is? They’re everywhere…asking for help, telling you what they need, and usually they’ve already put money on the table.
You’re probably a little familiar with where they post their jobs…sites like Upwork, Fiverr (who catch unfair shade) and others like FreelanceWritingJobs and Guru (who people say nicer things about).
If you’re starting to get suspect, you should be.
All these sites can be full of underpaying, slimy gigs that aren’t worth your time. What I’m going to do in this step though, is help you get past all that.
I’ve coached other people through using these sites to get their first “springboard” gigs and even used Upwork to earn the first gig of my freelance career. (I actually still use it to get clients that pay $100/hr, but that’s a talk for later on down the line.) So go ahead and set up an account here.
Now that you’re signed on I’m going to give you a little peek into how I send higher-quality jobs to BlackFreelance Academy members every Monday morning.
It’s how you get past the annoying, frustrating gigs that burn out even great freelancers and has them giving up on profitable independent careers before they start…and that’s filtering out the crap.
Pretty much every site has a way to filter jobs, and some let you skip right past the low-paying gigs before you even get started on your research.
Upwork’s where I recommend most freelancers start (for a few reasons you can read about here), but the ability to filter out the cheap jobs is one of the biggest.
If you go to perform a search, it looks kind of like this.
See that experience section? You can choose to focus by experience level. I don’t touch any of that entry level work because that’s where you find the people trying to pay $5 for a week’s worth of your labor.
You don’t want those people as your clients. They’re the ones trying to drive the price of your labor down as low as possible and truth is, you just can’t compete with freelancers around the world in places with lower costs of living. Plus, you don’t learn a lot from the type of work they offer and this $100 is all about you learning.
You’ve already got a valuable skill that can help businesses (you do, even if you don’t know it yet) and want to skip right past them.
Take a second to scroll through the results and see if you see anything that interests you.
Step 2: Narrow and Apply
Remember how I said I “paid attention to what kind of freelance work I saw businesses were hiring for”? Here’s why.
Just because you have something you want to do as a freelancer, doesn’t mean there’s going to be demand for it.
I know, I know…people have told you to “follow your passion” and “if you keep grinding, the money will come”. I’m not going to say they’re wrong (at least not about the passion part), but here’s a fact that deep down we all know is true…just because something is high-quality, socially important, or even morally right, doesn’t mean people will pay well, or even fairly for it.
Now, I’m not saying that to discourage you…I hope it encourages you!
If you prioritize income as a freelancer, you have the chance to make emotional and financial room in your life to pursue all kinds of passions, projects, and interests without stressing so much about them being profitable.
That means we’re going to be looking for work that’s profitable and that you might also enjoy doing at some level.
Are you seeing any of that in your search? Any terms that keep popping up? Favorite (or make a list) of anything you see. If you see a common theme. Start there.
Let’s say for example you see a lot of ads in the real estate niche (FYI, this multi-trillion dollar, global market is a good starter niche…listen to this interview to learn more). You might want to start exploring here.
When you’re creating a profile (start simple) just say flat out that you’re a real estate writer (or social media manager, or graphic designer, etc.) and list any credentials you might have.
I’m not even talking degrees here…you might be applying to a local job and be a native of the area.
…You might have bought and sold 3 houses in the last year.
…You might have a license yourself or a background working at a real estate investment company.
…Maybe you even run a blog on visiting open houses
The point here to just pick a niche (for now), let people know in your profile that you’re specialized and want to help them in their business, and start applying.
Best part? If you don’t get any nibbles after a couple of weeks? Switch it up and move on. These sites are almost always free to search and anything you pick up in the process is great information for your freelance business. If you keep your profile short (no more than 3-4 paragraphs) it’ll be easy to make a shift if you find out your starter niche isn’t working out for you.
If you want some more tips on landing your first job on Upwork, check this out.
Step 3: Repeat and Record
Here’s a not-so-secret secret about succeeding in freelancing…it’s all about strong habits.
That’s because rejection happens…a lot. That’s ok though, because rejection is valuable information…information that teaches you how to waste less and less time on the clients that aren’t a good fit for you and then by pointing your skills and attention where you can provide the most value.
As you go, I want you to start answering these questions, either just in your head or on paper…
What kinds of jobs look most interesting to me?
What kind of jobs pay well?
What kind seem to pop up the most?
What kind of work seems scammy?
Are there any niches (social media, tech, healthcare, beauty, etc.) that I see more than others?
What kind of jobs am I enjoying the most?
What niches do those fall under?
What’s catching my interest and making me curious?
Movin’ On Up
Sound too simple to work?
Well it is and it isn’t. This is the process I’ve used every day, week, and month for years and it’s what all the members here at BlackFreelance are working on every day.
You’re going to start receiving weekly emails to help you stay motivated and work through challenges, but to help keep you motivated and focused I want to offer you one more freebie, and that’s the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook.
If you’re ready to start putting real meat on your freelance career, that download is where you start. (It’ll walk you through laying out your goals, choosing a long-term niche, picking a skillset…lots of great stuff).
In the meantime though, if you’ve got ANY questions, just shoot me an email at connect@blackfreelance.com. See you around the community!
