Starting as a freelancer is not an easy process, it may seem hard to believe but many people have successfully managed to do this. The following article will cover the main steps you need to take to become a profitable and successful freelancer.

To start with, whether you're new to freelancing or aren't sure if you want to go down this route because of lack of experience I urge you to search for freelance jobs in your area on sites like PeoplePerHour, Upwork, or Fiverr. 

These websites offer real business opportunities where businesses hire individuals from all over the world at extremely low costs compared with hiring someone locally.

Plus they also allow businesses of any size and in any niche so even if you don't have a particular skill you can still find companies willing to pay a set amount for your services.

There are also plenty of other sites that help with this process, but I recommend using those mentioned above as these have the most potential for finding suitable work.

Before you start applying for jobs you should create an online portfolio so businesses can see examples of your past work and what kind of freelancer they will be hiring.

This will help you stand out from all the other applicants and give clients confidence in your abilities as a freelance worker.

Doing this is crucial if you want to start getting paid jobs straight away, without it potential customers could lose interest or fear you're inexperienced and not worth their time or money. 

This doesn't mean you have to have a completed portfolio immediately as you can start applying for jobs and then work on your portfolio at the same time. A good place to start is to look at other portfolios that have been created by professional designers or writers, this will give you an idea of what design styles are popular and which ones aren't.

Sites like these allow freelancers to make use of their skills to earn extra cash while also working out from home. There really is no limit on how much you can earn with these sites; if you take the time to learn new skills and apply them for profit then there's nothing stopping you from making enough money each month to live off or even quit your regular job.

You may be wondering why you actually need to search for freelance jobs since there are so many different ways of making money online, the reason is the job market is far larger than any other form of freelancing and it also gives you more opportunities to get your name out.

When I first started looking for work I used a combination of Fiverr and UpWork to find enough contracts which eventually led me towards being self-employed with my own website outlining my services and showing examples of past work.

I don't recommend just relying on sites like this due to how competitive it is, however, if all else fails or you're struggling with applying to jobs then using these websites can quickly bring some income into your life while also allowing you time to work on your portfolio.

Now you have a completed portfolio, you're ready to make some real money!

Keep applying for positions and if all goes well then within a few weeks or months you should have more jobs than one person can handle, allowing you to pick and choose which ones will get done when and how quickly.

This is the next step towards becoming a freelancer of success as it allows you to take control over what you are doing while also deciding the pay rate based on the project itself.

If any of this seems overwhelming or confusing I recommend reading up about business management techniques, whether it be online or in book form these will help give structure to your freelance life.

Again I cannot stress how important having an online presence is potential clients will look at your work, see that it's good and hire you for something.

I could go on about this subject forever but at the moment I think everything I said has been covered so now would be a good time to wrap things up.

I hope this article was useful in some way or form; if you found yourself reading it from start to finish then thank you!

It really is hurting me inside leaving out all of the details and facts regarding becoming a successful freelancer, but maybe one day I'll write an entire book about what I've learned and experienced during my journey?

Only time will tell, anyway, let's get back onto the important stuff... have a great week.