Have you been hearing every other individual getting into freelancing? Every earning-related Facebook group, YouTube, and even political leader mentions freelancing as a great source of earning, is that so?
Asking more about freelancing from such informed individuals isn’t always easy. Hearing you are a bit SLOW and Not Made for freelancing often keeps people from learning more about it?
Do not worry; I am here to help you start from the basics. If you have just heard the term and have been exploring “How to earn from freelancing with no experience in Pakistan?” you are at the right place.
I’ll try my best to use as simple language as I can so you won’t get further confused. By the end of this article, my aim will not only be to answer your initial search query, i.e., How to earn from freelancing with no experience in Pakistan? But also to give your ideas on where to start even if you are new to the field.
So, what’s holding it back? Let’s start our journey from the basics.
What is freelancing?
Freelancing is a broad term where you enter into a contract with an individual or a company for a set price. You can settle the payment terms, service delivery requirements, and everything else you need to fulfill the contract.
Once you finish the work and get paid, you are DONE with the project. There is no further obligation or commitment involved. You are FREE to go, unlike the traditional office settings.
Freelancing is actually a mode of working where you aren’t working under someone. It can cover all tasks, niches, or businesses. However, what I’ll cover in this article, is the context of online work or digital freelancing.
NOTE: The term freelancing is not only for the online world. It is a general term, and you’ll often find lawyers, doctors, and other professionals working as a freelancer abroad. They visit the workplace, complete the assigned task and move on to the next client or company.
What is digital freelancing?
Our discussion here will revolve around digital freelancing. So, let’s discuss what we are dealing with before we can get into the actual ways of earning.
In digital freelancing, you can handle tasks online from the comfort of your home, often at the time that suits you.
You can choose from a range of services and earn money. One of the other benefits of digital freelancing is that you can use this method to earn extra money, along with your regular income. Doesn’t that sound like a relief in such difficult economic times?
Taking breaks while working and choosing the type of work is also possible in such a setting.
Let’s see what are some important things you need to start your freelancing journey when you have zero experience.
Things you need to start your freelancing career in Pakistan?
As a freelancer, there are a few things you should not compromise on. Whether you deal with local clients or international ones, without the equipment below, you won’t be able to establish your name in the industry, ultimately translating into no income from the field.
So, here’s how you can move a step forward to finding an answer to the question, “How to earn from freelancing with no experience in Pakistan?”
Computer or Laptop:
While many will tell you, you can handle your freelancing career using a mobile phone, this isn’t something I’ll suggest you do.
No matter how good your mobile is, you cannot execute everything using it. So, there is no compromise on getting a computer or a laptop, even if it is a basic one.
With time, you can upgrade it. Obviously, the better it is, the more you’ll be able to perform and generate results.
In some fields like programming and graphic designing, you need PCs with certain specifications. Otherwise, your gadget will hang up while working, making it difficult to pursue the field further.
Internet connection:
Again, I have heard people saying that your mobile internet package is good enough to start your freelancing journey. But I don’t support this notion.
You must have a proper wired internet connection with a good backup. By backup, I mean a UPS because you won’t like your work to be impacted by load shedding or other electrical problems.
Having a good internet mobile package can also be used as a backup.
Why do you need a backup? Well, you can’t make excuses while submitting work to the client. It is not a good way to start your freelancing career, even in the local market. But you should not even try doing it with international clients.
Telling foreigners that your country has electricity issues in the year 2022 isn’t going to build up Pakistan’s reputation. Besides, the clients did not hire you to give them excuses. So, make sure you don’t give any such justifications.
Can you earn from freelancing with no experience in Pakistan?
Wondering how everyone can adopt a new earning field and get so many benefits by sitting in the comfort of their home?
Well, it is not difficult. I’ll say you just need a bit of dedication and perseverance to get started. Instead, these are the most important things you’ll need throughout your freelancing career.
However, when I say you can start with zero experience in the field, I did not mean you can sustain in the industry for the long term without a skill.
Experience and skill are different. You must have a skill whether it is content writing, graphic designing, video editing, or any other niche you like. However, you may not have prior experience in working in that niche. This is totally fine.
How to earn from freelancing with no experience in Pakistan?
Now when we have discussed preliminary aspects of freelancing, let’s discuss how you can actually earn.
Again, let me repeat, you have to be consistent in your efforts. You can opt to work as a freelancer, but that doesn’t mean you can work for a day and then leave work for the next few weeks, coming to work again.
Here’s what you should do:
1. Set a goal:
Starting your freelancing career without a particular goal isn’t a great idea. Without a goal, you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself motivated.
Besides, you’ll know what to expect from your efforts. Setting a goal will also provide you with metrics to evaluate your success. So, you know what you should have achieved and what exactly have you received.
2. Choose a niche:
The next important step is to choose a niche in which you’ll provide your services. This is the trickiest part where most new freelancers get stuck.
I’ll share a few suggestions here to help you choose your niche.
You must take care of your interests in choosing the niche. When you start, you are motivated, but with time your motivation will not be as high as on day 1.
So, you must choose the field in which you are interested. It will help you maintain your interests.
Select the field in which you have a bit of knowledge. It isn’t necessary, but you can definitely start earning earlier if you’ll have a skill already. Polishing it will require lesser time.
3. Choose a platform:
Now you have to choose a platform from which you’ll hunt clients. There are two main types of forums available for you to choose from. You can start with the freelancing platforms or use social media for the client hunt.
I will suggest you go for both these forums. Why? Because if you want to build a strong base of clients that you can count on for the long-term, it is highly important you should focus on all the forums. Let me share more details about each of these forums:
a. Freelancing Platforms:
Freelancing platforms are special websites that allow support between buyers and sellers in return for a small fee. You don’t have to face frequent scams or spend additional time vetting clients to start working on the projects. You can register on these forums as a service seller and start providing your services.
However, taking clients from these websites depends upon the communication, your portfolio, and the algorithm of the freelancing platform. All these aspects make it technical for the newbies to get clients initially.
But having a good profile is essential over time so you can get direct clients with payment in dollar denomination.
Here are the freelancing websites you can start building your profiles on:
Fiverr:
Fiverr is a platform that lets sellers create their gigs or shops highlighting their services and charges for the particular services. The buyers can come and choose the services they like within a few clicks.
I usually recommend this freelancing website to newbies as you have to set up your account and gigs and wait for the customers to come and select your services.
Upwork:
Once you polish your skills you should create an account on Upwork. On this platform, buyers post their queries and work requirements to the available sellers. Depending upon your expertise, you can create a proposal for the job.
If the client likes your proposal and price quote, they’ll contact you and award you the project. It might be a bit complex for the starters, but it can bring you, higher-priced clients.
Freelancer.com:
The third prominent website to start your freelancing career is freelancer.com.
You can find a lot of projects here on this forum too. The basics of Freelancer.com are similar to Upwork, so you’ll have to grab clients by writing proposals and bidding.
How to write a winning proposal, what jobs you should apply for, and what rates to decide for your services, etc., are lengthy topics. They require separate blog posts. So I’ll try to cover them separately some other time.
Till then, you can search Amir Ahmer Academy on YouTube and find the detailed video on account creation and winning clients.
B. Social Media or Direct clients approach:
Social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram allow you to get direct clients easily. But for that, you should join relevant groups and showcase your expertise so potential customers know about you and your services.
Posting regularly can make you a specialized individual in the niche. You cannot only learn new things and build your portfolio but also grab the customers’ attention, leading you to get more work.
Isn’t that what you want? However, this method requires careful vetting of the customer before you start working on their project. They might not pay you afterward, so to avoid such scams, due diligence is essential.
No matter what method you choose, it is essential to retain your clients. The important management principle says you get 80% of your revenues from 20% of the customers.
4. Build your portfolio:
While providing services to the clients, do not forget to build your portfolio. What is a portfolio? It is a collection of your work that you can show your clients. To convince them about your skills. Now here comes the question again, How to earn from freelancing with no experience in Pakistan?
You don’t need to have clients for your portfolio. You can start working on anything you like.
I understand it is difficult. So what I can tell you is to join social media groups related to your niche, no matter, whether you want to acquire clients from these platforms or not. You’ll see potential clients posting their work
5. Provide services to clients:
If you are lucky, you’ll find a client in the first month of bidding, so you must be fully prepared to provide them the services. Always try to over-deliver as it will mark your client delightful, and they’ll come back to you for your gig.
6. Get feedback:
The last step in the process of closing the contract on freelancing forums is to get feedback. Not every customer provides you with feedback. However, they have the opportunity to do so.
You must ensure that your service delivery is beyond expectations, so they must be inclined to leave you feedback. Feedback is needed because it helps you make your profile look credible. With more reviews, your potential customers will take lesser time to close a deal with you.
Useful tips for freelancing:
I hope I have made the basics clear in this article. This topic is quite diverse, and each sub-topic can be further explained in a separate blog post.
But before I wind up this article, here are a few helpful tips that I would like you to never forget when working as a freelancer:
Communication is the key – effective communication can lead you to higher paying jobs and retention of more customers
Be persistent – even if you land a job in the first few days. Don’t lose hope and try consistently.
Be professional – honesty, integrity, and respect are the main elements you must not leave behind in any transaction.
Polish your skills – there is nothing PERFECT in this world. You’ll always find something that you can learn. So, always polish your existing skills and diversify by learning more of them. I can guide you regarding the digital marketing domain of freelancing. You can join Aamir Ahmer Academy and get training directly under my mentorship.
If you are interested in finding out more about freelancing or specific skill like digital marketing or SEO, Aamir Ahmer Academy is the best resource available. Here you can find articles, videos, and courses to take you a step ahead. Contact us now for more information.
