Starting your freelance business by building a portfolio of work using freelance marketplace platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer is a great strategy to get started. These websites and marketplaces generally have a solid volume of work and it is a great place to begin.

Unfortunately, most of these marketplaces are hard to make a decent wage without a LOT of time and hustle!

So, what are the other options?

Here are some ways you can build your freelance business and get more work WITHOUT using these platforms.

Ask current or previous clients if you can help with anything else?

A lot of times, your ideal client is busy (that’s why the hired you in the first place, right?) and sometimes they are too busy to ask for help or quotes from you. So, just asking if you can help with anything else will quite frequently lead to additional work.

You might even find these clients thank you for asking!

This leads to the second suggestion.

Ask current or previous clients for referrals

Most of the time, your existing clients will have other friends or colleagues that could use your services as well.

This can be difficult for some, especially the first time you ask for referrals, but remember that you are providing a valuable services to these people, so don’t hold back!

It just means asking a simple question like: Do you have any other friends or colleagues you think could use my services?

The next suggestion is more of a long-term strategy that may not lead to immediate work, but will DEFINITELY help you build your business over the long run!

Reflect on previous clients & find common themes

If you take a few minutes to reflect on your previous clients and find common themes, you might find that working with clients in a specific industry is most enjoyable AND profitable for you.

With this information, you can start putting yourself in the mindset of your ideal clients and figure out where they hang out and how to find more of them.

This will help you get more work that is enjoyable and ultimately more profitable and fulfilling over the long run.

Keep rockin’ it!