You can become a freelancer and a full-time stay-at-home mom and live a fulfilling life. According to an Upwork freelance survey, 75% of people who quit their traditional job to freelance say they earn more than they did in their previous jobs.
Currently, 36% of the US workforce work as freelancers.
Becoming a freelancer mom has gained momentum in recent years largely because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey by Upwork reported that 12% of the current freelancers in the country started freelancing during the pandemic.
The trend continues, and it means there’s a chance for you to become a freelancer while taking care of your kids. We’ll explain how you can get started below.
What it Means to Be a Freelancer
A freelancer is someone who works independently without being part of any organization. Freelancing allows you to set your schedule and working terms.
Being a stay-at-home freelancer mom means developing a schedule that allows you to be a part-time mom and part-time freelancer. Your home becomes your office, and you get to work only the hours you choose.
As a freelancer, you will work on a contract basis. And you can have as many ideal clients as your schedule allows you.
Benefits of Freelancing
Before we discuss how to become a freelancer, let’s talk about the following benefits it offers.
Flexibility
One of the primary reasons you chose a stay-at-home mom lifestyle is because your 9 to 5 did not leave much room to take care of your family. But now you have enough time for that and can spare some hours in a day for yourself.
The beauty of freelancing is that it doesn’t invade your freedom of time. You just have to develop your schedule based on the tasks on your plate.
And there will always be enough time to save to work on your client’s projects. Imagine all the time you save by not having to commute to work every day. You could use some of the saved hours to work on projects for several clients.
Moreover, freelancing allows you to choose the days you want to work. For example, you can work during certain days of the week and handle engaging household chores for the rest of the week.
Work-life Balance
The flexibility you enjoy being a stay-at-home freelancer mom translates into a work-life balance. You are the master of your schedule.
Therefore, you can choose when to work and have time for yourself. If you want to, you can create enough time for your personal development. And how about the fact that you get to do the things you love? You will always have a feeling of fulfillment when working.
Continuous Learning
There is no limit to what you can learn as a freelancer. The best part about it is that you don’t have to wait on your boss to approve your training.
The moment you feel there is a new job skill you need to be more competitive, you just get it. This is a valuable tip for becoming more competitive in the freelancing industry.
In most cases, you don’t have to pay even a dime to acquire the new skills you need. Numerous online institutions are providing these skills for free.
For example, don’t be surprised that you don’t know to use most of the automation tools used by other freelancers. You can always rely on YouTube tutorials and become a pro with these tools.
Now that you are familiar with the benefits of freelancing let’s focus on how you can become one.
Define The Type of Freelancer You Want To Become
The first step to your stay-at-home freelancer mom begins by choosing your freelancing specialization. It may seem like a challenging decision at first, but it is not.
Choose something you love and get paid for it. Review your passions and hobbies and see which ones you can monetize. Then find out if you have the necessary skills. For example, do you have the skills required to become a graphics designer?
Remember, you can acquire the necessary skills. You got the blessing of time to acquire these skills.
Identify Your Target Audience
Now that you know the skills you are ready to offer, determine the clients who are a good fit for your services. But as you will realize, many other freelancers are offering the same services.
Therefore, it would be best to focus on a specific group audience. These are the audiences you will target with your services and become competitive in that market niche.
That means you will have to do thorough research on your customers. Then based on your research findings, you will develop a complete profile of your ideal target audience.
After defining your buyer persona, market your freelancing services to these clients to convert them into buying customers.
Develop Your Online Portfolio
An online portfolio is your first proposal to your potential client. It is the ice breaker to the possible long relationship you will have with your clients.
Therefore, you must create a compelling online freelancer portfolio for your services. It is going to be the resume you will be using to apply for various online jobs.
Make sure to include your past accomplishments and previous projects you have completed related to this field. Also, host your portfolio online and on competitive platforms such as LinkedIn, Fiverr, or Upwork. Such platforms improve the visibility of your portfolio.
Market Your Services
Clients don’t appear magically because you have created an online platform. You need to apply for jobs and market your services.
Again, social media platforms are a good place to conduct marketing campaigns for your services. Remember, you are marketing to your target customers. Therefore, personalize your marketing campaigns to align with the specific needs you identified with these groups of customers.
Ensure that you develop a relationship with your target audience. These relationships will prove vital in earning you referrals and return customers.
Network Consistently
Freelancing, like any other adventure, will always have some challenges. But you can easily navigate these challenges if you have been building networks along the way.
Networks provide opportunities, projects, new clients, and probable business partners. Networks can also be excellent sources of tips on how to make it as a stay-at-home freelancer mom.
Build your networks by joining online freelancing or virtual assistant groups or communities. There are even groups specifically for stay-at-home freelancer moms.
How to Begin Your Freelancing Journey
If you are pumped up and ready to do this, we got just the right place to start. How about learning to be a freelancer and surviving in the gig economy from the best?
Sign up for the Free VA Mixer hosted by Marie. She will share tips, information, and tricks on navigating being a multifaceted VA. Be ready to start networking with other virtual assistants in your field, immediately.