The Thursday Tip Triad

Installment two in the new Thursday Tip column is a bit late again, in hindsight it also might have been better to dub it Freelance Friday - but I've already committed to making it a Thursday post!

Today's freelance job hunting tips will revolve around finding clients. I briefly touched on how to build a client base last week but this time I will focus fully on providing you with a few pieces of information that will help you build a freelance client base without any investment.



1. Use forums! I have found several long term clients through the use of public forums like those on the WAHM website. It is vital that you proceed with caution when dealing with any new client, especially those found on sites like that one, but you will generally get a feel for whether or not it is a scam immediately. I have found clients that I write for, do propagation for and advertise for among other things.

2. Use freelance sites! I know that some of them might not seem very impressive but they are still worth checking out. The clients I have that didn't come from forums came from sites like Elance and the business I have found through them has proven to be very lucrative. While it can be intimidating to get started on a site like Elance, it is a very simple process that can be very rewarding as I've shown through the copies of my account history with them.

Do what you can to flesh out your profile on each freelance site with a simple picture of yourself (nothing flashy), a description of services you provide and a small bio. Letting your possible clients get to know a bit about you can really win them over.

3. Promote yourself shamelessly! If you have a business website or even a well developed profile at a site like Elance with some built up feedback on it, or just a blog - use it to your advantage! Include it in your signatures on forums, your profiles on social networks and anywhere else that gives you an option to include and display a website. The more you get your name out there, the more you work you will get in return. If you hide your services from the public you will find that it much harder for your work at home career to flourish.

Working from home and building a client base as a freelance writer, virtual assistant or data entry assistant is something that you can do. The key is to remain patient, persistent and optimistic. If you keep offering your services to different people you will see your client list blossom over time and you will soon be able to enjoy working from home as a freelancer.