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You will agree with me when I say that there is no college student who wouldn’t want to earn some extra money. Every student just like you would never miss the option of having a passive income. However, it is not easy to dedicate yourself entirely to a full-time or a part-time job because that puts your grades at risk. Plus the long college hours would leave you almost no room to have time for a job. Unfortunately, even paid internships are limited in number and the competition for them is high. Even unpaid internships help you gain the experience to place a foot in the industry of your choice but they aren’t the best option. What’s the solution? Freelancing! Freelancing is the best way to keep your skills updated, gain some experience, and not to forget – a decent income. Now I know what’s popping up in your head, the common question – How to start freelancing as a student. Hold on till the end of the article and you’ll know everything about freelancing.
Freelance, also known as gig work, is a type of service that you offer as an independent worker. This is usually a one-person business show where you set up your business, market it, and do it yourself. Unlike the usual 9-5 job, freelancing comes with freedom. You are the boss here. You work according to your schedule and get to make all the key decisions. In recent times, companies are getting more and more comfortable hiring freelancers rather than full-time employees. Many jobs can be done remotely and companies don’t have to provide the same financial or healthcare benefits to freelancers as they do full-time employees. Hence, starting with a freelancing career is a great choice at present.
How To Start Freelancing As A Student
Following is a step-by-step guide to help you get started with your own freelancing venture. All your questions regarding how to become a freelancer when studying will be answered below.
Step 1 – Define Your Goals For Freelancing
It is necessary to have a clear idea of your goals before you embark on this journey of freelancing. Would you get in a car and start driving without knowing your destination? (Leave the wanderlust feeling aside) No, right? Don’t do that with your first (probably) business either. Start by asking the question WHY. Why do you want to start freelancing? Knowing the answer to these questions at the beginning will help you in the long run.
Step 2 – Choose Your Best Skills With Which You’ll Start
The first most important thing on how to start a freelance business would be recognising your skills. Your unique skills are your greatest asset. Whether you’re set to become a full-time freelancer or a part-time, your business will be built around the unique skills you have to offer. Identify the different skills you’ve polished over the years that other people may not have. This is why they will pay you. Consider starting freelancing with skills from previous jobs, hobbies or self-taught skills.
Recommended Reading: The Potential of Affiliate Marketing For Students
Step 3 – Bundle Your Skills Into A Service
Once you have identified the skills you wish to start with, just try to consolidate them into one unique service. Clubbing together multiple skills will help you maximise the revenue and increase the value of your offering.
Step 4 – Define Your Target Customer
In any business, it is important to understand your target market extremely well. Think about who is going to pay you. Set your bar for an ideal client. Make sure you target these ideal clients who respect the skills you possess and offer sufficient compensation for the same.
Step 5 – Decide Reasonable Rates
Pricing your service according to market standards is critical. You would be straight away out of the competition if you set an impractical cost. Start slow and increase your rate when you have achieved a decent reputation in the industry.
Step 6 – Legally Incorporate Your Business
Make sure you abide by the laws at all times. Research if there are any specific laws pertaining to the domain you are working in and manage your taxes well.
Step 7 – Reach Out To Potential Clients
Next step in the process of how to start freelancing as a student would be to reach out to the clients. You could start by letting your friends and family know about your service and request them to spread the word for you. Basically, just tap into your existing network and you’ll do fine.
Read More: The Right Way To Conduct A Business Call
That’s it. You are ready to rock. The next step would be to create a portfolio and market your business well.
Essential Tips For Freelancing As A Student
The next section in our blog on – How to start freelancing as a student must be some exclusive tips because none of our blogs fail to provide extra insights to our valuable readers. So here are some tips for you to ensure a successful freelancing career.
- Don’t wait for clients to find you. Reach out to them yourself
- Testimonials do wonders. Make sure you have some of them on your website/blog
- Be polite in case you are refusing work. Reputation is important
- Always keep a back-up of your work
- Plan ahead
- Avoid multitasking
- Make sure your interpersonal skills are excellent
- Send invoices as soon as you receive the payments.
- Talk clearly about money and never hesitate
By now all your questions on how to do freelancing while studying must be answered.
Best Freelance Jobs For Students
The last section in our blog on – How to start freelancing as a student has to be examples that will help you get started. So here are some best freelance jobs for students.
- Online Tutor/ Teacher
- Website Developer
- Graphic Designer
- Online Marketer
- Content/Blog Writer
- Translator
- Freelance Editor
- Tourist Guide
- Data Entry
Bonus Tip: Wondering how to start freelancing with no experience? Try the tutor profession. It’s the perfect option for everyone without any experience.
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