Taking the leap into freelancing—whether full-time or as a side hustle—brings up a lot of questions. And one of the most common questions is “How long does it take to start making money as a freelancer?”
We get it. It takes so much hard work to start something new. You want to know for certain that it’s going to end up being worth your time and effort.
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to making money as a freelancer.
While we can’t give you a specific date when you’ll be raking in the big bucks, we can tell you generally what to expect. Essentially, you can expect to start making money as soon as you know more than your clients.
It’s both as simple and as complicated as that!
In other words, you can start reaching out to clients once you learn enough within your particular field to be considered a pro. It’s typically a good idea to begin freelancing with small businesses. That’s because you will almost always know more than they do! Since you’re able to concentrate on the valuable service you’re offering, you’ll be able to begin helping them very quickly.
As you continue to learn and grow, you’ll be able to build up your portfolio. And then you’ll have demonstrable proof—and the confidence—to successfully reach out to bigger companies.
Of course, if you already have a lot of experience in your field, you could be making money as a freelancer in just a few weeks. You may have contacts in your industry already that make it easy to send out your first pitches.
If you need to build up your skills and your portfolio, it could take a bit longer.
Your timeframe for making money is really up to you.
For example, if your schedule is jam-packed, or if you want to take it slow, it will take you a bit longer to earn money. It’s your business; your career. The pace you choose is the right pace if it works for you.
Comparing yourself to others in your field will not help you get where you want to go; plus, you have no clue what anyone’s goals are besides your own.
We certainly can’t give you any guarantees. If we did, you would rightly call us out for BS-ing you!
But we can help you reach your goals as fast as possible by showing you the proven steps you need to take to get your freelancing career off the ground.
There’s no magic bullet. You need to take the steps to build your portfolio and reach out to clients. When you put in the work, you will make things happen. And you can definitely succeed!
It might take you anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to start making money. It all depends on how fast you want to work through the process. Ultimately, it’s all on you.
Last Updated on July 1, 2023.
