Freelancing is a great way to boost your income, but it can also be tough. With so many other freelancers vying for the same jobs, you have to find ways to stand out from the crowd. In this article, we’ll go over some tips and tricks that have helped us boost our income as freelancers.
We’ve done everything from optimizing our productivity to learning new skill sets—and they all worked! If you follow these steps, too, then you’ll be well on your way toward earning more money as a freelancer.
1. Optimize your productivity
Optimizing your productivity is a must to boost your income as a freelancer. Below I mention some of the points by which you can boost your income as a freelancer. So let’s check
- Use a time tracking tool, such as Toggl or RescueTime, to get a realistic sense of how many hours of work you’re actually putting in and where your time goes.
- If you don’t have one already, use an online project management tool like Trello or Asana to keep track of all the tasks that need to be completed for each client.
- Remove distractions such as social media and internet browsing when working on projects for clients so you can focus on the task at hand.
- Set goals for yourself throughout the day so that you can measure whether or not the time spent working is paying off (in either monetary or non-monetary ways).
- Plan out at least half of your schedule each week so there’s not much room left over for unexpected emergencies or other situations that require immediate attention.
2. Go international
If you work with local clients then it’s time to boost your income to work with international clients. Here I put some important points that you should follow to work with international clients. Check these points bellow
- Go international. If you’re a freelancer, you can find work anywhere in the world—and that means more opportunities for growth. You can also get paid from anywhere in the world (assuming your clients are willing to pay).
- Find international clients. Start by finding the websites of companies or organizations you want to work with and reaching out to them directly through email with an application letter, portfolio, and cover letter. You can also set up a profile on freelance marketplaces like Upwork or Freelancer if you haven’t already done so, which will give you access to potential clients around the globe.
- Charge international clients appropriately: Some countries have higher costs than others—for example, freelancers in South America often charge less because they live on much lower wages than those in Europe or North America do.
- Communicate effectively with your international client base: Just because someone is paying their bills online doesn’t mean they speak English fluently enough for remote collaboration via phone call or video chat; this is why it’s essential to use tools like Google Translate (which works surprisingly well), Skype translator calls if necessary.
- Manage international projects effectively: If a client asks what she should expect from her new team member abroad then tell her about your experience working remotely before answering any questions related specifically to getting paid by an international client
3. Learn a new skill set
Learning a new skill set is a great way to boost your income. If you’re stuck in an industry or niche, it’s time to take your career in another direction.
Being able to offer multiple types of services can be very valuable for clients who may already have established relationships with other freelancers in your field. Learning how to do something that they need but aren’t interested in doing themselves is also a great way to get more work from them on more projects over time.
4. Look for jobs that are more desirable
As a freelancer, you’re in charge of finding the work that’s right for you. If you’re having a hard time finding clients or making money, it might be time to look at the type of jobs you’re doing.
- Look for higher-paying jobs. If an employer won’t pay what they initially promised or is trying to lowball your rate, don’t take it personally—they probably just don’t know how much freelancers are worth. As a result, consider working on projects where your skills will be valued and compensated accordingly (and ideally by someone who actually knows what they are doing).
- Look for more interesting/challenging/rewarding work. This advice may seem obvious but it bears repeating: if something doesn’t excite you or keep your interest long enough to get paid, then don’t do it! If necessary, look into taking breaks from freelance work in order to focus on things that will bring value back into your life and make up for less-than-ideal projects with higher paychecks elsewhere (e.g., ask yourself “Am I enjoying this?”).
5. Find multiple streams of income
One of the best ways to boost your income as a freelancer is by seeking out multiple streams of income. Sometimes, having multiple streams of income will result in more money than if you were only working on one project.
For example, let’s say that you’re a freelance writer who specializes in a certain niche and frequently writes articles for clients in that niche. You can still write for other niches if you choose to do so—and if the subject matter doesn’t conflict with your focus—but it’s not necessary for you to expand into other niches at all times (unless it turns out that there are no other niches available).
Instead, focus on making good work for the client(s) who ask you to write content according to their specifications and make sure that they’re happy with what they receive every time. Obviously, this is easier said than done since different writers have different styles; however, being able to learn how each individual writer works will help ensure consistent quality even when working with multiple clients simultaneously!
6. Diversify your client base
Diversify your client base.
If you’re currently working with a few clients, try to expand that number to boost your income. This means looking for new clients in different markets and industries and clients with different needs (a larger company might need your services more than a smaller one).
You can also consider offering additional benefits to the same people who already hire you—for example, if they need help writing blog posts or editing their website content, offer to do both those things in exchange for lower rates on the projects they already pay you for then it will help you to boost your income.
7. Market yourself better
- Marketing yourself is about more than getting a job. It’s about building your brand and reputation, growing your network, and establishing a track record of success. It’s not just about the job, it’s about getting more work.
- The more you do for a client, the more they will want to keep you around for future projects—but only if you’re actually doing good work! If your clients don’t think that what you are producing is high quality enough to be worth the cost or effort of hiring someone else, then they’ll probably stop calling on you before long.
8. Improve your efficiency
Improving your efficiency should be the first thing you do if you want to boost your income. Nothing will help you increase your income as a freelancer more than getting more done with less effort. Here are some tools that can help:
- Use a task management system to manage all of your freelance projects. You should also use it to track billable hours and estimate how long each project will take.
- Use a time-tracking app to ensure that every minute spent working is being billed appropriately, so you aren’t losing money on wasted time or forgetting about billable hours in between projects.
- This is especially important for those who have multiple clients with different billing cycles—for example, one client might pay monthly while another pays quarterly or annually (or even bi-annually).
- By using this app to accurately track their hours, freelancers can ensure they’re paid correctly, no matter what client they’re working with at any given moment!
9. Start Building your network
When you’re starting out, it’s important to build your network as soon as possible. That way you can get help from others when you need it and have people to refer work to when you’re done with a project. The more connections you have, the easier it will be for potential clients to find some information about who is doing great work in their industry.
If someone new comes into your field, who do they reach out to? If there is anyone who has been around longer than them and knows everyone else in the industry, then that’s probably where they should look first when looking for help or advice on how best to market themselves professionally.
Make sure that while building this kind of relationship with other freelancers and small business owners, there’s one thing always kept top of mind: competition doesn’t matter! It only matters how well connected we are with each other; not how profitable or successful we may potentially become together.”
10. Focus on high-value clients
When you’re a freelancer, it can be tempting to accept any job that comes your way. But if you really want to make more money as a freelancer and want to boost your income, the best way to do that is by focusing on high-value clients.
Once you find these clients and get them hooked on your work, they will start coming back for more work from you (instead of going elsewhere). This means that instead of getting just one project from each client, it could lead to multiple projects in the future!
11. Surround yourself with like-minded freelancers
When you’re starting out as a freelancer, it can be hard to find your niche. You don’t want to be too competitive with other freelancers in your area, but you also want to stay on the cutting edge of what’s going on in your field.
One way to do this is by surrounding yourself with people who are doing what you want to do—and not just any old person will do. You should focus on finding freelancers who share similar interests and goals as yours; these are the ones who will help keep you motivated and inspired when things get tough (which they inevitably will).
Conclusion
We hope that these tips will help you boost your income as a freelancer and make the most of your time, talent, and resources. You can find all the tools you need to succeed as a freelancer on our website. If you have any questions about how we can help with your business, please contact us at [email protected]
