One of the most attractive things about freelancing is that it doesn’t have to take up 40-60 hours of your time each week. Maybe you’re hoping to earn extra cash for a vacation. Or you’re looking to freelance part-time from home as a way to test-drive a new career before deciding whether to go full-time. No matter what your reasons are, you probably have an important question:
How do you create a part-time freelancing career?
We actually think the best way to build a full-time career is to start out part-time. But even if full-time freelancing isn’t in your future, a part-time gig can help you meet your financial, personal, and professional development goals.
To that end, we’ve put together a 4-step roadmap to help you figure out how to freelance part-time from home.
Step 1: Get Training in Your Field
This is the cornerstone to a successful freelancing career, no matter how many hours you plan to spend on it each week. As a freelancer, you are striving to become a professional to whom businesses can turn for expertise. You need to put in the time and effort to make sure you really know what you’re doing.
Now, before you assume that getting training is going to take too much time or money, consider this: Every minute you spend training will pay dividends in experience. And you’ll be able to transfer that experience into higher rates.
Beyond learning the ins and outs of your field, though, you also need training on how to build a business. That’s where a training program like Freelance Success Framework can help you grow by leaps and bounds—even if you’re only able to freelance part-time from home. FSF will walk you through the exact steps to finding, landing, and interacting with clients, no matter what field you’re in.
Step 2: Define Your Hours
Freelancing on a part-time basis isn’t just about the number of hours you’ll be working. It’s also about when those hours will occur.
Many part-time freelancers have to work evenings and weekends because of their day job or family commitments. While these hours have some limitations (usually around client meetings), you will certainly be able to build a thriving part-time business. It helps to commit to focusing on your freelancing when you say you’re going to. And if you’re only looking to work 10-20 hours on your business each week, you may not find it very challenging to put in that focused time.
If you’re freelancing around a full-time job and you find your clients need you during the day, you could freelance during your lunch break. On the other hand, many solopreneurs and small business owners are accustomed to working odd hours. So early morning or later evening meetings are certainly not out of the question.
The key is to figure out what your hours will be and stick to them!
Step 3: Find Clients
Now you’re trained and you know when you’re able to work. Great! It’s time to start looking for clients!
When you freelance part-time from home, you need to bear a couple of things in mind when searching for your ideal clients. First and foremost, you’ll need to find clients who won’t need you on-site. So where can you look?
- Search for small businesses in your area. You can start with your city or state, but also don’t be shy about going beyond those borders!
- Next, look for small online companies. You might be able to connect with start-ups, for example. These days, many companies are completely comfortable with remote workers who are also part-time.
- We mentioned solopreneurs earlier. This group can fall into almost any business category. They could be a perfect fit when you freelance part-time from home because they also tend to keep unconventional business hours.
There is absolutely no need for geography to limit your search for clients. It’s becoming easier every day to collaborate with people in different time zones—and different countries—than your home base.
Step 4: Start Pitching!
If you’re pitching companies, businesses, and organizations who might need your services, the key is to add value.
Businesses need your expertise, and they want you to pitch them. As a busy business owner, it’s much easier to be found by a freelancer than it is to find a service provider.
So don’t be shy! Make a list of potential clients. Think carefully about how you can help each one. Tailor your pitch very specifically to the potential client. And offer value.
You won’t get a 100% response rate (no one does!), but the right clients for you will be eager to say YES! And once they do, it’ll be time to buckle down to do the work, and get ready to be paid!
Your turn! Does it appeal to you to freelance part-time from home? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!
Last Updated on July 1, 2023.
