Brian Wong made millions with freelancing before starting off his own company at Kiip. Sahil Lavingia, a young talented designer, in his course of freelancing designed series of apps and worked for reputable and renowned brands in the media industry before channeling the garnered experience towards starting his own company at Gumroad. Alex Mangini was a WordPress freelancer, it was claimed that he got tired of freelancing due to too much money and less time to himself, now he is a founder at Kolakube. Carol Tice is one of the most successful female freelancers in the world, she’s known to be richer than her millionaire husband, she only writes online.

Do you know these individuals? I guess NO, you care less. These are people who have made a significant income with freelancing, and they didn’t stop there, they were so confident, they had to quit freelancing and build their own brands. But all-in-all, they are successful freelancers to mention.

In this content, I would be giving some information as regards making money online as a freelancer. Most of the information are not far-fetched, some are no-brainers but generally, they are all worth paying close attention to.

Below is a list of sub-topics I would cover:

#1. What Is Freelancing / Who Is A Freelancer

#2. How To Get Started As A Freelancer

#3. How To Make Money Online As A Freelancer

#4. Top Best Freelancing Websites To Earn Online

#5. Top Freelancing Jobs To Make Money Online

$6. Advantages Of Freelancing

#7. Challenges And Problems Of Freelancing

#8. Facts About Freelancers

#9. Freelancing Resources

WHAT IS FREELANCING / WHO IS A FREELANCER

Generally, a freelancer is someone who is self-employed and works off no formal schedule. A freelancer is someone who has no official agreement with any company but rather works for different companies or individuals on a short run. It is a flexible type of employable whereby you are able to set your own hours and work on projects solely based on your choice and under no real supervision.

Freelancing allows you to set your own price, which is mostly higher than what you would be offered if under some employment terms. It also allows you to set your own work pace to your convenience, often less demanding when compared to what would be required of you as an employee doing the same work.

One of the most interesting facts about freelancing is that it can also be a side-hustle. You can have your full-time job and still be a freelancer, a very smart way to earn some extra income online.

Freelancing jobs and the number of freelancers is on a steady rise and very soon, freelancing would be a very different career opportunity than it is now.

There are several skills that are demanded to freelance, and there are several ready websites where you can kickstart your freelancing journey, I would be mentioning some of them in coming paragraphs, stay close.

HOW TO GET STARTED AS A FREELANCER

Deciding to start off as a freelancer is scary, but with determination and the feeling of freedom to work at your own pace makes it less overwhelming. Freelancing is actually easy, you can do it if you have the skillset and the right information at your disposal. Below are some 6 steps to consider to start off a career as a freelancer:

Have A Vision: The very first obstacle on the freelancing road is that mental hurdle that’s telling you, “You can’t, it’s too late, it’s hard and you won’t do it.” You must find a way to beat this, this will help you create a mental picture of your journey and give yourself a clear, real path to follow. Decide On What Skills To Offer: You might be good with a couple of stuff, I mean you might have more than one or two digital skills. For instance, you might be a good writer and web designer, you might as well be good with graphics. Always go with what you are very good at. You can choose more than one and you can decide to change later, but it’s good to have a plan from the start so you can properly arrange your description and freelancing portfolio. Gather Freelancing Materials: Lay the groundwork by collating your freelancing materials. Gather what you would need to get started and get going. This way you can start to establish buzz before officially launching your freelancing career. When I started freelancing, I set up a website, created Twitter and Facebook accounts for this only purpose and even though they later didn’t have much effect, I never regretted it. Prepare A Portfolio: You won’t just show up on a digital surface and claim to be a graphics guru. Clients would be willing to see your past works before trusting you with their projects. You are not expected to launch a freelancing career before you have experience providing the services you plan to sell. Generating samples for your portfolio isn’t hard, but it might take time and resources. Take the pain and get a nice portfolio, no matter how simple. Select A Freelancing Platform: Check out the top best freelancing websites and choose the one you would love t0 work on. In Nigeria, the most recommended are Fiverr and Upwork. You can as well decide to get your freelancing jobs off these ready-made platforms, you can approach companies that seek freelancers and offer your skills, hopefully, they might find you worthy. Lastly, Believe In Yourself: The whole freelancing venture starts with your believing in yourself and that’s the ultimate consideration through the whole of it. If you doubt your ability to find success, you won’t find it.

These are some 6 steps to consider when starting off your career as a freelancer, master them and take actions proportionally, you should have a success story to tell.

For a brief introduction to Freelancing, you can Download This Ebook – Guide To A Successful Online Freelancing

TOP BEST FREELANCING WEBSITES TO EARN EXTRA INCOME ONLINE

The rise of the freelance economy is palpable. People now quit their day jobs to focus on freelancing. The pay is high and judging by the freedom and remote atmosphere, it’s easy to tell why freelancing has become a gold rush in recent years.

I’ve gone on an extensive research, and I’ve tried to come up with some best Freelancing Websites To Make Money Online in a previous post, you can check that out. Meanwhile, below is a list of some 20 freelancing websites where you can make money online for free.

As I mentioned earlier, of all the freelance websites listed above, Fiverr is the most recommended freelancing website for Nigerians.

HIGHEST PAYING FREELANCING JOBS TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE

Well, there are several skills to offer online as a freelancer, but more often than not, you would want to offer a skill that’s in popular demand.

Although this is quite complicated, I mean because a skill has a higher demand or pays well than the others doesn’t necessarily bespeak the fact that it’s the best path for you to follow. What if you don’t have the skills? What if your interest isn’t inclined towards these? Whichever, stick to your skill and interest, but I must mention, below are the top best 5 freelancing jobs as at 2017.

TOP BEST 5 FREELANCING JOBS IN 2017

Programming And Software Development: James Knight is a software programmer that makes $1,000 per hour as a freelancer. This dude left a lucrative job at Google to pursue a career in freelancing. Now, can you see the nerve? Programming jobs pay the highest for freelancers, also judging by the fact most of their clients do come back with more job offers if you give them proper customer satisfaction. Software developers on Fiverr charge as high as $4,000 per project, that’s the annual income of an employed person with the same skill set. Web Design And Development: PHP development is the most sought-after web skill in the freelancing world as at 2017. There is a big market for web designers, but it’s worth mentioning that the freelancing market for web design is now crowded, judging by the fact that anyone can lear

n web design the easy way and start building websites. You can start off with WordPress if you aren’t too comfortable with handling real web design codes. Content Writing / ContentMarketer: This is one of the skills I offer online as a freelancer, so you don’t even need to go far to find proof concerning how good writer freelancers are doing. Although not everyone can be a skilled writer, you might need a lot of practice, reading and a very creative mindset to write amazing articles that pay well. Your master’s degree in English studies or an A in elementary English won’t take you anywhere when working online as a freelance writer. Graphics Design: This is number 2 on the most in-demand services on Upwork and number one most sought after freelancing skill on Fiverr. Sounds interesting? Yes, it is! Logo Design, Business Cards & Stationery, Illustration Cartoons & Caricatures, Flyers & Posters, Book Covers & Packaging, Web & Mobile Design, Social Media Design, Banner Ads, Photoshop Editing, 3D & 2D Models, T-Shirts, Presentation Design, Infographics, Vector Tracing and lots of other graphics design skills are in high demand online. Freelancing as a graphics designer can earn you as high as $1000 per hour online. Social Media Management: This is an important aspect of branding and marketing strategies, so it is inevitable for a couple of people. This opens a massive opportunity for freelancers who are into social media management as these businesses and inidividuals are constantly in search of social media managers. The good part is, no real skill or talent is required. Just some knowledge of how to thumb through various social media outlets and publish contents that convert is all you need to start off as a freelancer in the social media niche.

ADVANTAGES OF FREELANCING

To support your decision of becoming a freelancer, listed below are some 9 advantages of being a freelancer.

Flexible hours Absolute control over jobs and clients Work at your convenience, work a your own pace, work wherver you want You are always the BOSS You pocket all the profits You are highly autonomous Better work-life balance More income, less expenses (In Most Cases) Learn the aspect of becoming an enterpreneur faster

PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF FREELANCING

Before you jump in thinking it’s all easy, consider these disadvantages of freelancing:

Workload is not steady, predictable or reliable It’s hard to distinguish between working time and personal time Not getting well paid, especially as a starter No employer benefits or bonus Isolation and too much of loneliness Spending too much hours in front of PC screen Unique ethical considerations Variable, unstable and unpredictable income Round the clock coverage Lack of accountabilility Lack of job security Administrative responsibilities Lack of paid vacations or personal time off Costly health insurance Distractions

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT FREELANCING

There are 55 Million Freelancers in the United States Freelancers Earned $1 Trillion in 2016 79 Percent of Freelancers Think Freelancing is Better Than Traditional Employment 63 Percent of Freelancers Started Freelancing by Choice 53 Percent of Freelancers Have Multiple Income Sources Freelancers Work more than 36 Hours Per Week 50 Percent Would Not Give Up Freelancing for Any Amount of Money

Freelancing Resources

I hope you find this content useful and that you succeed in your freelance career. Just remember to be patient and to keep working hard. It might take time to see some serious results, but freelancing can be a fulfilling career once you get pass the initial stages. Trust me, your efforts will pay off eventually!