I am convinced that freelancing is going to be a significant part of the global economy in the future. Rather than mega corporations making products and selling them, manufacturers will simply create products and groups of freelancers will work together for mutual profit in quasi-organized business models to market and sell the products. Believe me; it’s not as science fiction as it sounds. Major businesses already rely on freelancers to do significantly large portions of their work, including design, marketing, and even sales.
If you are looking to start a business and aren’t sure what to do, consider one (or more) of theses 5 businesses for freelancers. Additionally, if you are a current business owner, consider adding one or two of these businesses to your product and service line-up.
Freelance Web design. Already huge, this industry is going to get even bigger. And because the online world is constantly changing (and changing very, very quickly) a freelance web designer who can keep up with the changing trends, needs, and ideas can do very well. This freelance business requires an eye for design and color and does not require nearly as much knowledge of code as it once did. There are many computer programs out there can do a great job of filling in the areas that once required an intimate familiarity with html.
Freelance writing. Freelance writing is not an art and it does not require great literary skill. It does require an ability to think coherently and transfer those thoughts into words in a way that engages the reader. Most people don’t realize that, like any other freelance business, it’s a business and requires two things to be really successful: a business mind and the desire to constantly improve your abilities.
Freelance marketing. People who do freelance marketing are often called marketing consultants. Why they’re called consultants and writers and web designers are more frequently called freelancers is just semantics. Freelance marketers or marketing consultants help people create and distribute the general message about their business. A freelance marketer does not need to have connections in the industry, but should have an eye for detail and some of the great publishing software available to help them create good marketing ideas. Of all of the freelance businesses so far, this is one of the most creative, especially as advertising media becomes more expensive and more fragmented.
Freelance sales. This area is often overlooked and is wide open for people who like to sell. If you have a way with people and seem to be able to sell anything to anyone, consider becoming a freelance sales person. There are different ways to do this job. The classic mode is as an “independent sales rep” who goes from one store to another looking for people to stock the rep’s client’s products. There are other sales reps, though, who take incoming calls for businesses at a phone in their home. Other sales reps offer Instant Messaging services to a variety of clients who have websites but not the staff to respond quickly to customer questions.
Consulting. This is really just freelance work with a premium title! Consultants are the thinkers of the above group of freelancers and often the ones with the most experience. Often, consultants specialize in specific industries and even specialize within an industry, so one consultant might be the go-to person for airlines to build client loyalty or another consultant might be the go-to person for automotive businesses to win back consumer confidence after a recall.
If you’re interested in working at one (or more) of these jobs and don’t know where to start, consider offering your services for free to build up a small list of satisfied clients (only two or three is often necessary). Once you’ve done that, post a website and start marketing your services. Depending on the specific areas you might specialize in, consider advertising locally or online. If you choose to advertise online, check out www.elance.com , www.guru.com , and www.sologig.com which are three places that allow freelancers to connect with people who need their services.
