Freelancing as a web designer

Grey Paladin

Given the local job market is pretty much non-existent I have decided to try to earn my income through working as a freelance web designer. I have created a few sites before and even got paid to make one for my friend's publishing company, but I have never done it professionally and thus don't really know where to start on the business side of things.

How do I find customers? How do I earn enough to keep myself afloat given this is (ideally) going to be my sole source of income? Is there any way I can compete against designers from certain foreign countries that charge far less than I can allow myself to charge?

Any and all advise is appreciated.

Rye

I used to freelance all the time. The key is to be personable and flexible.

I found most of my work on Craigslist and through alumni bounties (from my particular school). The way you compete with outsourcing is you advertise your ability to be hands on - if they want to meet face to face, do it if you can / are comfortable, or at least be willing to talk on the phone. If they want you to work a little on site to wrap up a project, do it.

Also, be persistent and patient. The best way to land a gig is to make clients feel like you care more about the project than the money, and that you're OK with going an extra 10% if they need it. Nothing's scarier for a client than the thought of their freelance contractor bailing on them at the last moment.

Agree on what the definition of "done" is together, but ultimately the best way to leave a contract is when the client agrees the project is done. That's the only way to grow your network - by doing good work, completing it fully, being a pleasure to work with and not leaving any surprises for the client.

And lastly, you may need to charge less to gain some clients and build a small portfolio before charging a fair price. I used to build an entire site for $100 when I started, and I ended up charging $50/hour by the time I quit freelancing and settled on a full-time job.