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Hello, everyone! I am Eddie Turner, The Leadership Excelerator®. In this episode of the Keep Leading!® podcast (#109), I interview Alex Fasulo. Alex is a full-time freelance writer, author, speaker, and copywriting business owner. In this episode, we discuss how you can make six figures as a freelancer. Alex shares worthwhile insights from her experience, having earned more than $1Million on Fiverr!
What Is A Freelancer?
Freelancer is a term for someone who works for themselves. As a freelancer, you are, in essence, an entrepreneur. You work with clients on a project. It’s part of the gig economy, much like an Uber driver who gets paid to drive. Some freelancers have anywhere from 10 to 20 clients a day. The best part is no two days are the same.
How to Start Freelancing?
#1 Spend time getting to know yourself and your interests.
#2 Write a list of what you want to do or what you would do if money were not an object.
#3 Find the freelancing platforms that match your aspirations—examples include Upwork, Fiverr, Contra, Continuum, and LinkedIn. Depending on your interest in fitness, cooking, music, photography, or writing, for example, other platforms may suit you better.
#4 Create a profile on the freelance platform you prefer.
#5 Start working part-time. The initial few years can be uneventful, but you can make decent additional income depending upon the project flow. (Like 68K +/- a year in an editing job).
#6 As you gain experience, work hard to enter the top 1% on the platforms like Fiverr Pro, Upwork, or other higher-tier websites.
How to Make Six Figures as Freelancer?
When you develop your specific expertise with experience, you understand the psychology, pricing, market, etc. It empowers you to become a full-time freelancer and helps you raise your fees. If you were charging $25 earlier, with experience, you can increase it to $100 and so on.
But, remember freelancer job is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It requires a lot of patience to attain a 6-figure earning. You must develop your expertise/skill to scale up to the top 1% of the freelance platform. Additionally, don’t spend all your earnings. Save first! Then spend as you wish without falling into debt. Later, invest it in your freelance business to grow it further.
How Freelancing is the Future of Business?
Today, instead of hiring a permanent employee, corporations are hiring freelancers and independent contractors. In the United States, entrepreneurs are familiar with services like Upwork and Fiverr. Freelancing is a win-win for both parties.
Company Side
- Companies no longer have to pay for commercial spaces.
- As freelancers are independent contractors, companies don’t have to pay for healthcare or other benefits.
- Freelancers have specialized expertise. Therefore, companies don’t have to spend resources to develop them. They can search for the expertise they require for the job and choose a freelancer to work with them on a project based on that expertise.
- Companies can use a freelancer repeatedly if they like the work or say goodbye after one project.
Freelancer Side
- You can work from home or anywhere in the world.
- You can do whatever project you like matching your interest.
- You can put in as much or as little time as you want. If you only want to work four hours a day, you might not hit 6-figures, but still, you can have a moderate income.
- Freelancing provides you a lot of flexibility.
- Being a freelancer is being an independent contractor allowing you to lead your work.
How Does Sharing Your Work Help You Grow as A Freelancer?
- It brings more transparency about freelancing work and inspires others like single parents, grandparents, and other people to make a decent income.
- It helps in advancing your brand separate from Fiverr and Upwork.
- It boosts your social network following and opens more avenues to promote your skills, like eBooks.
- It also creates more authority for your name in the area of public relations.
Eddie Turner is the Keep Leading!® podcast host—a podcast dedicated to leadership development and insights. Subscribe and Share wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Eddie Turner on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook! Visit www.EddieTurnerLLC.com to learn more!
