Ultimate Guide to Being a Freelancer [2025 Update]

Written by: Jennifer Gregory
Last updated: May 30, 2025

If you’re thinking of becoming a freelancer, you’re probably bored with your day job and looking for new challenges in your life. Maybe you love the idea of being your own boss, or maybe you just need more flexibility in your work schedule. Either way, the freelance life could be perfect for you.

When you’re a freelancer, everything’s up to you. You can choose to work from the comfort of your own home, from your favorite cafe or from a shared office space. If you’re the adventurous type, you can even be a digital nomad, traveling the world with your trusty laptop. You can work for several clients at a time or find one reliable client who can provide you with regular work. You can work regular business hours just like the rest of the world, or sleep till noon and do your work during the wee hours of the night.

The most important thing is to determine what will work best for you, and find your own way to do it successfully. Because after all, that’s what freelancing is all about: finding your own way.

With all the different options out there, if you’re just starting your freelance career, things can seem quite overwhelming. But don’t worry – we’re here to help you figure it all out.

Your Cheat Sheet to Becoming a Successful Freelancer
The freelance life is challenging, but it can be very rewarding and enjoyable. We’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to help you become a successful freelancer. Read on to learn all you need to know about finding work, pricing, managing, and building a freelance business.

Chapter 1: Finding a Freelance Job

Freelancers can find clients in all sorts of places, but one of the best options is through online freelance platforms. Recent data shows that this is how 75% of freelancers find work. Freelance platforms are online marketplaces where freelancers can showcase their skills, share their portfolio, and outline their rates. Clients know that they’ll find plenty of freelancers on these sites, so it’s usually the first port of call for businesses to browse talent and find the right person to work on their next project. Determine which freelance platform (or platforms) is the best for you!

Chapter 2: How to Create a Winning Freelance Profile

A fantastic profile stops clients in their tracks for a second look. That’s the type of profile you want. Your profile on a freelance hiring platform is your storefront, business card, and public face. Clients who have never worked with you before only have your profile to guide them on whether or not they should hire you. Find out how to avoid the pitfalls of a bad profile and create one that gets every potential client clicking!

Chapter 3: How to Price Your Freelance Work

Without question, the most frequently asked question posed by every freelancer is always “How much should I charge?” Pricing your work on Upwork, Freelancer, or any other platform means walking a very fine line. On the one hand, you’re scared that if you ask for too much money, the client will take their business elsewhere. On the other hand, you certainly don’t want to charge less than you deserve. You’re providing a valuable service, and you should be compensated for your skills, experience, and time. So, how do you make this calculation? We provide you with the tools you need to make this all-too-important decision.

Chapter 4: How to Book a Freelance Job

When you’re just starting out as a freelancer, your biggest worry is finding work. You might feel ready to say “yes” to every project that comes along, so you don’t have to spend weeks and months with no work to do. The risk is that you’ll end up saying ‘yes’ to the wrong jobs. Learn which jobs to say “no” to, tips for writing a winning proposal and landing your first job, as well as the pros and cons of going with short-term versus long-term projects.

Chapter 5: How to Discuss a Freelance Project with Your Client Before You Start

Hooray! The client liked your proposal and got in touch to ask for more details. You’re in that tricky stage now between proposal and contract, where you need to understand what the client wants and effectively communicate your requirements. Understand what you need to know before you sign on the dotted line, including deadlines, scope of work, and of course, payment terms.

Chapter 6: How to Navigate the Freelance – Client Relationship

One of the primary skills you’ll need to gain as a freelancer is managing your clients’ expectations. Doing this successfully requires starting on the right foot by presenting your client with a clear contract. Find out how to meet (and exceed) client expectations, build a strong client-freelancer relationship, and how to navigate various issues without it affecting your working relationship. And don’t forget, every type of client is different – we give you a few tips on how to handle different kinds of clients.

Chapter 7: How to Manage Your Time as a Freelancer for Maximum Productivity

Every freelancer is tempted to believe they can fit their work around the rest of their life. This approach could lead to trouble. To succeed as a freelancer, you will need to schedule your work time just as if you worked in an office. It’s important to treat your work seriously, so schedule your work for your most productive time of day. Learn all the tips and tricks to managing all your clients within reasonable hours, including juggling multiple projects, recommended time-tracking and automation software, and, of course, how to maximize your productivity.

Chapter 8: How to Get Paid as a Freelancer

Once you’ve completed your work, the next step is getting paid. Hopefully, you’ll have an appreciative client who pays promptly. First and foremost, you need to choose the best payment option. We summarize the top payment options and help you decide which is best for you. Also discussed is how to receive international payments, fees, invoicing, and (unfortunately) what to do in cases of non-payment.

Chapter 9: Managing Your Finances as a Freelancer – A Comprehensive Guide

As a freelancer, managing your finances can be a lot more challenging than it used to be when you were a traditional employee. When you’re a freelancer, you can’t be certain how much you’ll make throughout the year. You also have to allow for your tax burden and benefits such as health and disability insurance, which aren’t shared by your employer.

Chapter 10: How to Advance Your Freelance Career

Being a freelancer can bring you a good income and the freedom to work according to your own schedule. Once you’re established as a freelancer, you might want to find ways to grow your income and advance your career. Read here to find ways to increase your earning potential and advance your career, including becoming an agency and “selling your experience” by teaching others.

Chapter 11: How to Be a Freelancer and Keep Your Day Job

Is it possible to have a full-time job and side business at the same time? The answer is yes. Absolutely. For sure. But it’s not easy. And it won’t happen overnight. It takes planning, determination, and persistence – but it’s very possible. And more and more freelancers are successfully juggling both. Our expert goes over the eight steps you need to take to get into freelancing while still maintaining your current job.

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