Woohoo! You want to work for yourself – freelancing is a great way to make that happen. Whether you want to freelance as a side hustle or full-time, here are some of my favorite options to find freelance work.
Find Freelance Work on FlexJobs.com
This site is the first I recommend to friends looking for remote jobs – including freelance clients. Why? Because it is a scam-free, clean list of *real* companies looking to hire. This site has a nice filter for full-time, part-time, and contract work so you don’t waste any time.
I recently read that over 3 million people have used FlexJobs to find flexible jobs – which is incredible!
You can search the site for free – even clicking links to apply without a subscription. The subscription does get you:
- Unlimited access to ALL jobs they have posted
- Email notifications when new jobs are posted
- The ability to make a profile so you can be found by employers on the site
- Free skills assessments to make you more marketable to employers
Subscriptions start at $10/week and come with a satisfaction guarantee. You can save up to 30% with promo code FLEXLIFE. Let me know in the comments what you think of FlexJobs!
Freelance with a Skill You Already Have
So you’ve gotten to this point in your career – take stock of what you like to do, what you’ve been good at in previous roles, and what people compliment you on. Is that something you’d be interested in working with different clients on?
If the answer is yes – create your own freelance role! Check out how much a freelancer in your field makes by clicking here.
Starting a full-time freelance career may sound scary or more complicated than it actually is – I promise. I know, I know… you are thinking “how will I find clients?” and “how does that actually work?” Which is why I recommend the online course Freelance Success Framework; this course teaches how to start freelancing, managing clients, payments, finding freelance clients, and SO much more. Check out their a free webinar: How to Build a 6-Figure (or More!) Freelance Business (Without Dry Spells, Cold Calling, or Begging for Work!)
Online Business Manager
This is a new-ish career as more and more entrepreneurs start their own online businesses. An Online Business Manager (which is what I do in my full-time job, by the way) is another term for Operations Manager or COO.
If you are good at the behind-the-scenes stuff and don’t enjoy being the face everyone sees or associates with a brand – this could be for you. Online Business Managers (OBMs) are SO needed. Creative folks start businesses but don’t know how to organize a project, manage a team (full-time or freelancers) effectively, and can struggle to see an idea or project all the way through to completion.
In my day-to-day, I oversee our team of full-time employees and freelancers to ensure that we hit our KPIs (key performance indicators) and goals. My days involve project management, planning, some HR, some accounting, and overseeing/managing all of the software that we use. Basically, if something doesn’t go according to plan, it’s my responsibility to identify that problem and fix it. I love it! Every day is different and for someone who enjoys problem-solving – it’s a dream. The owner of the business comes up with BIG dreams and goals – and I figure out and when we can do it, what resources we need, and if that potential project makes sense for the business.
I recently stumbled across the Prowess Project, which is an online course that teaches individuals how to become an Online Business Manager AND matches them to entrepreneurs (either full-time or freelance)! This is not something you see often in these types of training! Interested in learning more? Check them out –> ProwessProject.com
Copywriter
Are you great with words? Have you been told by others you’re a great writer? Then copywriting might just be for you.
Many people think that this means writing blog posts and long-form content – but that’s not what copywriting is. Copywriting is persuasive marketing writing designed to sell. “Copy” refers to the words that make up the writing.
Like many of the remote career options I recommend, there is some great training available to become a copywriter. The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is an online course that teaches how to do copywriting and then how to get a job as a copywriter. Check out their free webinar to learn more about copywriting and the online course.
Reach Out to Previous Employers
The number one way I have found freelancing clients is through previous jobs. I already know their systems, team, culture, and objectives – so they don’t have to onboard me at all. When I turned in my notice at my last two full-time jobs, I offered for them to keep me on as a freelancer when they have overflow work. And both times – they said yes! One of them I filled in an interim role. The other one, I am still freelancing for 4+ years later. They ended up never filling my role and let me do the most important parts of that role on my own schedule as a freelancer.
Professional Proofreader
Businesses of all sizes need proofreading. Have you seen a TV commercial or email with a typo and just cringed? These businesses need someone like you on your team. The best way to become a professional proofreader is to get some training. To date, the best proofreading course I have found is Proofread Anywhere. Caitlin Pyle really knows her stuff, and presents it in an easy-to-learn way. You can check out my full Proofread Anywhere review here or learn more about the course by clicking here.
