Confused about freelancing and finding clients! awkward situation.

Sophia

Junior Member
Hi, I am a graphic design graduate. Instead of looking for work within studios I am taking out six months or more to help care for my ill grandmother. I would like to find freelance work in the meantime but i'm finding the experience difficult and really need your advice on where to start.

First of all, where do you find your clients? Where should I be looking? When you say 'get out there!' what do you mean? Contacting local studios? Contacting local businesses? What kind of businesses? How do I approach this? Do I look around for badly branded companies and contact them? Do I post on forums or job boards?

I tried online freelancing sites like Elance and PeoplePerHour and have found the experience extremely frustrating with zero results.

Any tips? Thank you
 
First of all you need a web site to illustrate the services that you offer. If you have one show it to us for a start and we'll take it from there.
 
^ Thanks both so far, I do have a site but I'm currently updating it as I speak, I know that I need a site to do this is why I'm trying to make it as appealing as possible, hence why I'm updating it during this dry spot!

Could you continue? :) I will post the site up when it is complete (before I start looking for clients again, of course) but I could still do with all your advice and tips in the meantime. Thanks very much
 
Sophia said:
... When you say 'get out there!' what do you mean?

Take initiative.

Sophia said:
... Contacting local studios? Contacting local businesses? What kind of businesses?

Everything that inspires you. My girlfriend offered a site design to shops she likes around her area and she's designing two sites right now.

Sophia said:
... How do I approach this? Do I look around for badly branded companies and contact them?

Yes, as long as you avoid saying "I've noticed that your site needs redesigning really badly and I thought..." that will never work :)

Sophia said:
... Do I post on forums or job boards?
Yes

Overall:

Contact businesses that you like and communicate how enthusiastic about working with / for them you are. If you understand that you are able to do a project, then you only need to make them understand that as well.

PS
I'm looking forward to seeing your site. I'm assuming that it'll look professional enough to make business contacts.
 
What I mean is: my tips will be useful to her if she has a professional looking site.
If not, before using them she'll have to produce one.

And we're here to help her with that. Aren't we Typo?
 
Be brave and contact design agencies and smaller businesses. Many businesses are on the brink of expanding but don't have enough projects in to warrant hiring a full time designer. Try keeping an ear to the ground on Twitter to guage which companies are at this stage.

If you have companies you really want to work for and admire, why not offer a free or low-paid internship to gain experience and show off your stuff to them?

Hope everyone's advice is helpful for you.
 
I'd second that the website is your starting block but there's lots of things you can do in your spare time to promote your fledgling trade, things like social media and seo.
 
Website.
Twitter.
LinkedIn.
Facebook*

These should be your new best friends. But not your only sources of possisble work.

Treat every family member and friend as a possible contact, talk to them, find out things.

Sell yourself and your skills.

And remember 'shy bairns get nowt'. Don't ask don't get.


Now get your site up!
 
Hi, I am a graphic design graduate. Instead of looking for work within studios I am taking out six months or more to help care for my ill grandmother. I would like to find freelance work in the meantime but i'm finding the experience difficult and really need your advice on where to start.

First of all, where do you find your clients? Where should I be looking? When you say 'get out there!' what do you mean? Contacting local studios? Contacting local businesses? What kind of businesses? How do I approach this? Do I look around for badly branded companies and contact them? Do I post on forums or job boards?

I tried online freelancing sites like Elance and PeoplePerHour and have found the experience extremely frustrating with zero results.

Any tips? Thank you

If we can be of any help we have a design gallery where designers post their work so printed.com clients can approach them easily for potential work. If you would be interested in participating then please feel free to send me your contact details and some designs from your portfolio or if you would like more information at [email protected]
 
Over a year since the last post but hey, better late than never right? ;)
 
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