Jobs That Can Go Freelance
How To Get Started As A Location Independent Freelancer
- Get in touch with as many contacts as you can from your past roles and let them know you are now freelancing. Offer to meet with them to discuss opportunities for collaboration and sell yourself until they give you a go – you could even set up a deal whereby you do a trial for them, and if they are happy with your work then move on to further paid projects.
- Set yourself up a profile on each of the following sites: LinkedIn, Monster, People Per Hour and if you live in the US, Craigs List. Guru and elance are also good sites if your field is online or digital. Promote yourself as a remotely based freelancer and sell your experience.
- Attend networking events in your local area for the chance to meet potential clients – Meetup is a global site that allows you to search for or start up your own group in your city. LinkedIn also now has organised events advertised on it, and there are many more focused to specific countries, for example in the UK the site ‘Find Networking Events’ lists all upcoming meetings for England, Scotland and Wales.
- Contact specific companies in your field you want to work with and provide them with references and a portfolio for your work. Don’t be shy – you never know, you might just hit the jackpot and land your first job!
One great resource for freelancers starting out or already in the game is Fuseloop, which is a support network for independent professionals, bridging the gap between the distance of social media and the immediate reality of professional life: http://fuseloop.com
Thanks Dave – great!
Have you addressed the legalities of working online and accepting payments while in a country where you are visiting?
I travel to the parts of Asia inc India & Nepal regularly. It is legal to reside in India up to 6 consecutive months on a tourist visa, and 5 months out of a calendar year in Nepal.
However, during my last stay, I began receiving emails from PayPal India that I would have to set up a residency and bank account to continue receiving PayPal payments for “location independent” work done online…
Would be interested in knowing more.
Thanks
Hi Tammy, Thanks for bringing that up – I personally have not experienced this, but it’s definitely something I will research and provide some info on. Thanks!