
Ask HN: What's the easiest way to get freelance work? - sarreph
A friend and I have produced the media &#x2F; programming needs for a startup which has now hit difficulties.<p>In order to meet rent next month we were thinking freelancing our services might be a good option but we lack existing clients&#x2F;connections.<p>Anyone have tips on the best sites &#x2F; offline methods to get this kind of work quickly?<p>Thanks!
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SyneRyder
If possible, add your contact details to your HN profile (web site, email,
maybe a Twitter account). It's common for HN folks to reach out to each other
with work offers, or the kind of email chat that might eventually lead to a
gig down the track.

Your website should at least include your tech skills, the kind of projects
you work on, a portfolio (ie proof of your ability to deliver). Even better if
you can explain the benefits / results you've provided to businesses before
(eg increasing sales by X%, building something that made $YYYYY in revenue or
profit). It's not guaranteed to work, but it's something you could implement
today to have a better chance of landing something.

Totally understand if you prefer your account to remain anonymous, but the
tradeoff is you'll miss any HN opportunities that could come your way as a
result of this post.

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saluki
The best work is going to be through contacts and your network.

Upwork is competitive and rates are low.

First try your contacts/network, you might not think you have connections but
I expect someone you already know either needs or knows someone needing your
services. So email/call everyone you know.

While you are waiting to hear back from your network you can try going door to
door to local small businesses who would benefit from your services and try to
build a relationship/offer your services in person.

Sometimes it takes a while for projects to get off the ground so try to find
one or price one that is 2x your rent and get 50% up front payment.

Make sure you deliver on time/quality work so you can build your reputation
and build your client base.

Good luck with your freelancing and startup.

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gregjor
Reputation, contacts, marketing. There's no easy way. For piecework you can
use sites such as UpWork but be prepared for heavy competition and third-world
rates.

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throwmenow_0139
"meet rent next month"? You're not going to find clients that fast and even
if, they usually take their two weeks to pay your invoice. I know some people
who get 350$ setting up wordpress pages in the morning, but this usually works
exclusively using connections.

Sure, ask some local companies, but freelancing isn't like tetris in sprint
mode, it's more like playing chess and building relationships. I think you
should also consider temporary part-time jobs doing catering. Registering on
Upwork or Fiverr has a lower ROI than doing those simple tasks.

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eswat
I was going to say that the easiest way is through your existing
clients/connections…

But these don’t necessarily mean professional connections. What about your
friends? Or if you are part of any hobby groups then what about people you
know through them? There’s strength in weak ties; the people you know may no
people that do require your services.

Go to some tech or networking events with the goal of quickly discovering
problems that you can potentially solve. If you’ve ran into someone at an
event you know you can help then dive deeper into the ways you can help them.

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trcollinson
There are no really easy ways to get freelance work but there are some ways to
get it quickly enough. I have a fairly good size network and I still use the
following method with great success.

First, find a niche that is needed quite a bit in your area and which you can
do. This might be marketing and commerce websites (custom wordpress templates?
But don't say that, say marketing and commerce solutions). Maybe you
specialize in media presentations for companies (custom landing pages with
media and some tie to revenue). In my case I chose DevOps, as there are a lot
of companies with aging infrastructure who want to go to the cloud. Whatever
you do, do not call yourself a "Wordpress developers" or "Facebook
specialists". If you want to make money quickly in freelance, tie yourself to
revenue generation right now.

Second, start writing. Write a 1200 word, well edited article that reads like
something you would find in a real magazine. Don't make it sales-y. Give deep
information that helps your target market and makes you sound like an expert.
My first had to do with how DevOps saves organizations money as they move from
their own infrastructure to cloud infrasturcture in 5 essential areas.

Third, tomorrow is Monday. Pick 10 - 15 businesses you would like to go and
visit tomorrow in your area that you think need your services. Look on linked
in and find out who the decision makers are. Write a small personalized letter
to these people and print them out. Introduce yourself, explain what you can
do for them and how you are helping other businesses in your area with the
same problems they obviously have. Do not mention price. Just mention why they
need you to make more money for their business.

Fourth, print out the article you wrote above. It's your "free gift" but also
shows how much of an expert you are. Get it printed on something nice. Make
sure it has a byline with your name. You are now marketing yourself.

Finally, show up in person to the 10-15 businesses on Monday. Ask for the
decision marker. Wait for them if they are busy. Talk to them in person if you
can. Explain who you are, why you can help their business, and then ask them
if you can help them with "X" thing for their business right now. "X" thing is
your specialty. This is the hard sales part. Just do it. I have no good advise
on how to make closing the deal any easier other than try to remember how
hungry you will be if you don't close the deal.

If you can't get with the decision maker for some reason, or if they aren't
interested in talking too much, leave them your letter and your article and
move on to the next company. Follow up 2 days later to see if they read your
letter and your article and then pitch them again on your sale point.

Do this every day. If you meet 50 companies in a week, you will have more
freelance work than you will know what to do with IF you pick a niche people
need.

