10 Essentials You Need To Launch A Successful Freelance Business

So, you’re ready to roll in the shiny new world of freelancing?

That’s great. I love your enthusiasm and drive and proactivity. But I’m here to tell you that the more backend work you do, the easier it will be to launch your freelance business. Not everything but a few essentials set up and raring to go will help you heaps down the track.

I’ve been subcontracting more lately and I’m noticing that lots of freelancers still don’t have all the basics down.

2.5 million Australians (that’s 17% of the workforce) are currently self-employed. But how many of them are properly set up to work with clients? To build successful, sustainable and repeatable work?

Want to stand out from the crowd? Get organised!

Here’s the top 10 essentials for launching a successful freelance business.

Part 1: The visual goods

An ABN and business registration

The first step is to get an Australian Business Number (ABN) and register your business name. And setting yourself up as a sole trader is the easiest way to get started. It’s cheap, straightforward and it puts you in the game.

It’s not hard. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to set up a freelance business.

2. A website

You don’t have to shell out thousands for a snazzy design or a professional copywriter to make you sound fancy. You can put together a simple website yourself on Squarespace or Wordpress for a couple of hundred dollars. Here’s why I think Squarespace is great for business websites.

Still feeling the pinch? Check out free portfolio sites like Clippings.Me and set yourself up there. I’d view this as a temporary move though and when you can, invest in a proper site to start getting your SEO juices flowing.

3. A Google My Business (GMB) listing

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I’ve been hawking the value of a GMB listing to anyone who’ll listen. A free ad from Google that can put you at the top of page 1 for your target keywords? What’s not to love?

I recently wrote a post about how to set up your GMB listing so read it and take action! Get in while it’s still relatively new and you can start getting the attention. GMB listings are for any type of business, both products and services, and Google is refining the process all the time.

4. Socials

Some form of social media for your business persona is vital these days because that’s where your target audience is hanging out. I’m on the big 4 - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. My advice is to pick one of the first 3 platforms (LI, FB or Insta) because they allow you to showcase your portfolio as well as your personality in your posts. But consider first where your ideal client is likely to be at.

Hop on that platform and build up your profile, connect with like-minded souls and start stalking your target market. Just showing up regularly on social is so important in getting your business out there and in front of your audience.

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5. Business cards

Yes, this old elephant is still on the scene. You just never know when you might need one. I’ve handed out business cards at the dog park. And more importantly, when you start going to business networking events - and you definitely should even if you feel like a total imposter (and trust me, everyone does) - you’re going to be glad you’ve got your snappy cards in tow.

I design mine for free in Canva - they’ve got loads of templates so you don’t even need any design experience. And then I print them with Moo, who are a bit more pricey than other printers but the quality is gold. But there’s loads of other, cheaper printing companies you can use too; just download a print ready PDF and upload it to your printer.

Part 2: The business process

Part 2 of your business armour is having your business process set up and ready to roll. If someone called you up today and offered you a project, could you roll it out straight away? Do you know how to quote and invoice and get all the job details?

While you don’t have to have everything in place, some things are necessary and will make your life much easier if you have them set up beforehand.

6. A quote document

It’s pretty standard for prospective clients to ask you for a quote when requesting your services. Maybe they’re shopping around for prices or they just like to have everything written down. Either way, it’s important for both of you to have the price and job details for each client neatly listed somewhere.

There’s lots of specialised and fancy quoting software you can use. Recently, I discovered Qwilr which I absolutely love and use for bigger quotes above the $2k mark. But you don’t have to be fancy. For years, I just used a standard Word doc. Then I switched to my invoicing software (Quickbooks) which has templates and churns them out more professionally. Whatever you choose, set it up and have it ready.

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7. A price list

Hand in hand with your quote, business life is much easier when you have prices for all your products and services. Or at least reliable estimates. So, when you’re on the phone with a client or pitching for a timely job, you're able to confidently say, “I estimate that will cost about X”.

Note that this list is a private, for your-eyes-only list. You don’t need to share it with anyone (and for service-based businesses, it’s advisable not to share it with clients). So, just having the list scribbled down and stuck on your wall is fine. It’s a guide to help you be more professional and pitch more confidently.

Don’t know what to charge? Think about the time it takes you to do a job, add admin time and times it by your hourly rate. It’s not set in stone, this stuff will change as you grow, get more experience and more things around in your business. If you’re a copywriter, check out Kate Toon’s Copywriting Pricing Guide.

8. A brief

A brief is simply a questionnaire that you send to a client (or call and go through it with them) at the outset of a project. After your initial invoice is paid but before any work is done.

It’s a whole bunch of questions designed to get to know your client and their needs and expectations so you can deliver the best outcome. I’ve streamlined my brief over many years but it still only amounts to about 3 pages. Again, it doesn’t have to be in a fancy format; a Word doc or an online form via Google forms is absolutely fine.

9. An invoicing system

Back when I used Word for my quotes, I also kept track of all my finances and invoices with a simple Excel spreadsheet. It worked very well. Then I moved onto the professional accounting software, WaveApps. It’s got all the bells and whistles plus you can use it completely free of charge.

Earlier this year, I moved again to Quickbooks because it also tracks GST and I can make my quarterly PAYG payments direct to the tax office. QB keeps track of all my sales and expenses and makes tax time much easier. I also do all my smaller quotes in Quickbooks using simple templates (see above). Whatever you want to start with for your invoicing doesn’t matter, just have some kind of system in place.

Part 3: The right attitude

Finally, success in business, like anything, comes down to a proactive attitude and the effort you put in.

Remember why you’re doing this and what you want to achieve and be strategic about where you put your energies. But it’s not rocket science, it’s just connecting with people and putting yourself out there. And the best way to do that is to...

10. Be responsive

Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But so many people drop the ball on this one. Whether it’s answering an email, returning a phone call or pitching for a new job, make it a priority. Every lead is a potential client and when you’re starting out, the more responsive you are to new clients, the more work and opportunities you’ll be open to.

And you don’t know where they will lead. With service-based businesses in particular, you’re playing a long game. Answer a connection request on LinkedIn and 3 months later, they might ask you to quote on a job. It happened to me. I’ve had thousands of dollars worth of work from that one connection. Or respond to a callout on a Facebook group and you may get an email out of the blue asking if you’re available to subcontract.

This is how freelancing really works. It’s about making connections and being responsive.

So, if you’re starting out, welcome. If you believe in the power of the universe, then putting yourself out there, being positive and proactive, and being prepared and organised is really the way to open doors. Go and get ‘em!