Why I Freelance and Why You Should Too

[@code.design]

There’s no “free” in freelance or being your own boss. As a freelancer, you might find yourself juggling 15 different clients, each eager to consume all your free time. The key is to shift your mindset: start a company and invest fully in yourself. Remember, YOU are the asset THEY need, not the other way around. Once you grasp this, you truly become free. Also find a solution to a problem if you are struggling to find clients. Yes, you can double, triple, or even, like me, quintuple your income compared to being employed. But don’t forget to factor in taxes, VAT, and social security when setting your rates. For example, if your invoice is $15K, make sure to set aside funds for taxes, VAT, and expenses in a separate account. What remains is yours to either reinvest or pay yourself as a salary. I’m not being negative-just sharing my perspective as a 47-year-old agency owner with over 50 coders and designers. I started out as a freelancer, and after 5 months I started my studio → which became an agency. Good luck.

[@Osirisdigitalagency]

how exactly please, i'm a frontend web developer, i know for a fact i can help businesses with their problems with web solutions , but getting those clients is the problem, i've tried cold calls, cold emailing, all sorts for over a year now, nothing has really happened, i am from a country where people don't even care about websites or even believe it will help their businesses. its really hard, i work 14hrs/7 days a week as a barber, and i still find time at night , staying up just to find these clients and learn new things every now and then , its just not happening. i wish you have a way that i can try to at least maybe i might be lucky to have a turn around 🙏🙏🙏

[@code.design]

@Osirisdigitalagency Talk to business owners and really listen to their needs. Ask questions, and focus on them-not on yourself. Dig deep into their challenges. Put yourself in their shoes and think about ways you could improve things for them. Then, start working on solutions. Don't just sell websites or designs-sell yourself as a valuable asset. It’s actually pretty simple. Never come across as desperate to work. Stay busy. Be polite. Be active and proactive, but never beg for work. Never downplay your skills or work for free. For example, I started freelancing by chatting with a local pub owner: “Is it always this calm here? Or is it the calm before the storm?” He admitted he didn’t know how to attract an audience. I told him about using social media, creating buzz, giving out free drinks. But I also mentioned how much effort it takes to manage all that, and that I could help by creating weekly social media posts, taking that load off his plate.

[@rezouknorddine8378]

May I ask what is the name of your agency ? Your story is empowering

[@DMZT_dhruv]

Olivers aura 📈📈📈

[@felipechalkho]

Awesome video Oliver, as always! Please keep rocking it! Greetings from Argentina

[@aghileslounis]

The biggest challenge to freelance is actually getting clients. Like you said, networking. It's a big topic that you must study and learn, you can't just have a network or do it randomly from your brain. Sure, you can be lucky from the beginning, maybe from your creative work or knowing the right people, and from that you know others. You also need to be a social person. It's mandatory, and you can learn how to behave the right way and be pretty good even if it's not natural for you. I'm learning by reading some books on the subject and it's quite good, I feel that it works, will see how it goes. But yeah, building a network is extremely difficult and time-consuming. You also need to expose yourself to the public the best you can, exactly how you do it with KZbin for example. Which is great. To be honest, I find that you're very natural and good at making videos and talking to the camera, you're also very creative, and it's crucial because it's eye catching. I'm the complete opposite I think, I'm technical and not creative at all (that's what I think of myself at least) I'm trying to learn UI/UX design for the first time ever, I take it as a challenge because I always think of myself as a none creative person since I always think in a rational way even If it's not the best thing to do every time. I've been a Mentor for years now, I teach people how to code, but I can't record a video and teach a topic I find it very hard to do, I just know how to do it live. TLDR; I just wanted to say that freelancing is not for everybody, I think there is a factor of predispositions

[@Osirisdigitalagency]

what book is that , if you dont mind

[@aghileslounis]

@@Osirisdigitalagency « how to talk to anyone » and « never eat alone » also « how to make friends and influence people »

[@jarmel3745]

I watch your videos as a designer and so far you are great, everything you say makes sense. I'm at the beginning of my freelance career and hopefully it will work out. And yes I can agree with maybe 100% of your insights. P.S. you own the pencil tool 😂

[@blastkage7190]

Great video but I agree with the "Not being able to get clients" part in the comments. It is very very difficult to get work, platforms like upwork people mostly would choose the top workers which is totally understandable. The point is that the start is very very difficult.

[@pnel]

Wake up babe new Olivier Larose video just dropped

[@UFO_808]

kringe

[@A_M_R_2004]

Love your work bro❤

[@thatguyjk]

All of this is valid, the only caveat is that you need to get clients 😅 which is hard in todays economy.

[@code.design]

It might be challenging, until you find a solution to a problem.

[@Osirisdigitalagency]

how please

[@calebopule2490]

Thanks bro

[@arielelias2413]

Hi Olvivier! When it will be able your web animation course?

[@Cahnisama]

As someone who is starting the career (1YoE), I feel like figuring the entire freelancing thing is such an overwhelming thing. Where do I even start to look?

[@armandofelix5714]

Which are your main freelance platforms if you use any or used in the past?

[@RedCode108]

when we will get your web animation course

[@abdulilahalhamwi3614]

thank you man , how about you make a vidoe about how to start working as freelance , ways and what u should do , great vieoe btw

[@germancho-dev]

hey Olivier! I was just watching a few minutes ago a video by @Looyd about freelancing, and I was wondering, what do you consider are niche ground right now in the web develpment world? Specially talking about freelance

[@thedds-group]

Freelancing offers flexibility, autonomy, and the opportunity to choose projects that align with your skills and interests. It can lead to a better work-life balance and potentially higher earnings as you build your portfolio and client base. For anyone seeking more control over their career and lifestyle, freelancing is a compelling option.

[@phm6530]

In Korea, age restrictions are quite strict when it comes to employment. That's why I chose to switch careers, and I have about four years of experience in a related field, working with CSS, HTML, and jQuery. If you were in your mid to late 30s, would you still recommend pursuing a freelance career?

[@k0wal454]

Personally, I would like to start my freelance career, but it is really hard for me. Maybe I don't have enough experience or knowledge because I'm a 20-year-old recent high school graduate, but I'm pretty sure I can deliver a product that clients would like. Throughout the holidays, I called several business owners and messaged even more, but unfortunately, I got zero positive feedback. Maybe I did something wrong. Now I'm going to college, and I'm planning to get a job in the field to gain some experience. In my free time, I might try again to acquire some clients once in a while.

[@maisoncastro]

You have to work on your sales pitch. The sales pitch is essentially what can convert a business owner into a client. You also have to show their business' pain points (no website/bad websites/etc..), and it all comes down to how you communicate that aspect to them. If you can't communicate, then you won't be able to close a contract.

[@nekotajni394]

The problem is really where to find clients? Everyone always discusses freelancing but nobody ever mentions how to find clients, where to look for jobs etc

[@code.design]

Find a solution to a problem. When I started out, I focused on SEO for Flash websites, despite everyone claiming Flash and SEO couldn’t work together. I proved them wrong. I’m also a minimalist-not the best designer, but I excel at making the most out of very little. Typography and content are king. This minimalist approach, focusing on simple yet powerful typography, is how I grew my agency.

[@XxbankerboomxX]

@@code.designstill did not answer his question

[@olivierlarose1]

I’ll make a video on it! Hopefully you can get some ideas from my experience

[@Yesterday_i_ate_rat]

​@@olivierlarose1thanks

[@thatrocked]

I think freelancing for agencies - b2b2b style if you will - goes undiscussed I used to work at R/GA in brand design. A lot of my design friends from over there are now doing the same work - but for 6 agencies instead of one! In exchange to some consistency, they get more freedom over which projects they take on, higher $ / hour, and much greater work schedule flexibility.

[@CabronAleman]

But how do i get frrelance gigs, contracts, new customers?

[@Fashion_with_Ashish.]

Hey bro, I saw your video-it had great information about freelancing. I'm a 19-year-old guy who just started freelancing locally. I'm getting paid ₹200 per edit as a front-end developer. However, I want to scale my freelancing business both in terms of money and skills as a front-end developer. Could you suggest how much I should charge per edit of a website? I hope my message reaches you well

[@Document_self]

same bro

[@mathieu-superpose]

Where did you start freelancing with low skills?

[@ShadowsPowerFy]

I make 7.364,82 $ as employed each month this is the base salary. This is with 1 month of vacation and bonuses. Next month i make 10.899,94 $ with bonuses. I work as fullstack nextjs developer and also make apps with react-native.

[@UFO_808]

i make 0$

[@howuseehim]

​@@UFO_808 I make less than that rn

[@UFO_808]

@@howuseehim how's that possible broski

[@Gaulois1603]

Are you freelance in Locomotive Agency ?

[@WebHatke]

how per hour freelancing actually works. i dont understand the metrics of this.

[@Astrelune]

the problem is if everyone does freelancing it becomes more hell

[@jsantos1220]

Where you recommend to start to get clients on internet? upwork?

[@code.design]

Never use any of those platforms-they're oversaturated. Get out and walk the streets. Talk to people. Relying on the internet just shows laziness. You need to be OUT there, networking. I don't want to call you out, but everyone and their cat is online these days. Good luck standing out in that crowd. Instead, connect with local business owners, friends, and be social. Get yourself out there. If you put in the effort, the work will come rolling in.