Freelance on the Side to Earn Extra Cash
So, you're thinking of ways to start earning extra income to free up your time. Good idea! Most actors find it difficult to balance going to auditions with earning a living, so by starting to freelance, you can bring in extra money for yourself while freeing up your time.
Freelancers typically might earn $50 per hour, whereas a regular employee might only earn $20 per hour. This means a higher income or a lot more free time.
Scroll down to see the 6 steps you can take to start earning extra cash within just a couple weeks (if you actually take action).
Freelancers typically might earn $50 per hour, whereas a regular employee might only earn $20 per hour. This means a higher income or a lot more free time.
Scroll down to see the 6 steps you can take to start earning extra cash within just a couple weeks (if you actually take action).
Step 1: Figure Out What You Want to Do
I'm not going to recommend selling drugs here because I don't know much about that lifestyle and my only experience of it has been Breaking Bad. But if you choose to go that route just be aware of the potential consequences of life in prison or being killed.
BUT... if you're looking to earn money legally, I can definitely help with that. The first question to ask yourself is, "What are you good at?" What do you enjoy doing besides acting that you think people would find value in? Below is a list of ideas that you might consider because they are popular and people are usually willing to pay for them:
Action Step: Pick one of the categories above or make one up (note that if you're going to make one up you'll need to ensure people actually want the service by asking around).
BUT... if you're looking to earn money legally, I can definitely help with that. The first question to ask yourself is, "What are you good at?" What do you enjoy doing besides acting that you think people would find value in? Below is a list of ideas that you might consider because they are popular and people are usually willing to pay for them:
- Writing & Editing
- Transcription of Videos & Audio
- Videography or Editing Video
- Graphic Design
- Web design
- Photography
- Presentation Design (like PowerPoint, etc.)
- Social Media Posting for Companies
- Private Tutoring
- Personal Training
- Life Coaching
- Martial Arts Instruction
- Dance Classes or Choreography
- Acting Classes
- Dating & Matchmaking
- Bookkeeping or Tax Filing (if you somehow enjoy this)
- Travel Planning
- Personal or Virtual Assistant
- Personal Chef
- Courier Services
- Pet Services (grooming, walking, training, etc.)
- Home Organizing
- Fashion Stylist
- Makeup Artist
- Child Care & Babysitting
Action Step: Pick one of the categories above or make one up (note that if you're going to make one up you'll need to ensure people actually want the service by asking around).
Step 2: Figure Out Who You Want to Help
Who is your ideal target customer? What type of person would you enjoy working with? It's important that you select someone who would benefit from the service you offer AND be a pleasure to work with. If you hate working with certain people, you won't do good work and won't get referrals.
Let's pretend you decide you want to earn extra cash babysitting because it's not too time consuming and you don't mind kids. Who would you be looking to market to? Ideally women in their mid thirties who have busy lives and want to free up some time. You'll probably want to work with people who are easy to physically get to - people who live close to you.
But remembering that you went to work with people you like, you'll also add a filter for who you take on as a client: Any mother who needs babysitting in your area, but who is also friendly and easy to work with. You'll avoid taking on business from people who act like psychos (unless you're fine with wanting to pull your hair out every day).
Action Step: Pick an ideal client you'd want to work with and decide what types of people you will say NO to.
Let's pretend you decide you want to earn extra cash babysitting because it's not too time consuming and you don't mind kids. Who would you be looking to market to? Ideally women in their mid thirties who have busy lives and want to free up some time. You'll probably want to work with people who are easy to physically get to - people who live close to you.
But remembering that you went to work with people you like, you'll also add a filter for who you take on as a client: Any mother who needs babysitting in your area, but who is also friendly and easy to work with. You'll avoid taking on business from people who act like psychos (unless you're fine with wanting to pull your hair out every day).
Action Step: Pick an ideal client you'd want to work with and decide what types of people you will say NO to.
Step 3: Figure Out Why They Buy What You Sell
When you speak with these people and they are considering working with you, you'll need to know why they buy what you sell. What are they really buying? A common phrase in the business and marketing community is that consumers Donn't by features, they buy benefits.
Example: In the case of a personal chef, they are not hiring you because they need to eat food. They could easily just go to a grocery store and make their own meals. They are hiring you because they want more free time, they want to enjoy delicious, home cooked meals, they want the convenience of not having to worry about shopping for groceries, and some people might even want to feel a certain level of importance, or status. The feature of what you sell is delicious, home cooked meals. But the benefits are there free time, amazing taste, convenience, and feelings of importance they will get when they hire you.
Now in the case of the babysitter, why would they hire you? They are not looking for someone to take care of their child, because they could easily do that. They are looking for more free time to spend with their significant others on dates, they are looking for an easier, more relaxed life, they are looking for someone they can trust completely, and they might even be looking for someone who will engage with their child more than they can because of their busy schedule. So the features you're selling are babysitting services, but the benefits are free time, an easier & relaxed life, someone they can trust, and help with ensuring their child gets the proper attention it needs.
Talking about benefits is more important than features because almost all people buy based on emotion instead of logic.
Action Step: What is the main feature you provide? And what are the five biggest benefits that feature (or features) will provide? Think of emotional benefits and what hiring you will mean to them.
Example: In the case of a personal chef, they are not hiring you because they need to eat food. They could easily just go to a grocery store and make their own meals. They are hiring you because they want more free time, they want to enjoy delicious, home cooked meals, they want the convenience of not having to worry about shopping for groceries, and some people might even want to feel a certain level of importance, or status. The feature of what you sell is delicious, home cooked meals. But the benefits are there free time, amazing taste, convenience, and feelings of importance they will get when they hire you.
Now in the case of the babysitter, why would they hire you? They are not looking for someone to take care of their child, because they could easily do that. They are looking for more free time to spend with their significant others on dates, they are looking for an easier, more relaxed life, they are looking for someone they can trust completely, and they might even be looking for someone who will engage with their child more than they can because of their busy schedule. So the features you're selling are babysitting services, but the benefits are free time, an easier & relaxed life, someone they can trust, and help with ensuring their child gets the proper attention it needs.
Talking about benefits is more important than features because almost all people buy based on emotion instead of logic.
Action Step: What is the main feature you provide? And what are the five biggest benefits that feature (or features) will provide? Think of emotional benefits and what hiring you will mean to them.
Step 4: Figure Out Your Packages & Pricing
You'll now need to figure out exactly what your clients will get when they hire you. What is the service you're providing them exactly? For instance, if you're a personal trainer, what tangible benefits can they expect to see within the first week, month, and three months of working with you? If you're a babysitter, how does working with you look? What will you actually do for the client and what is your process like? Most likely they'll get you for a certain amount of time - a specific number of hours, and you'll charge a certain amount per hour. They can expect their child to be taken care of, fed, entertained, and put to bed at certain hours.
Action Step: What will you charge and what pricing model will you use (hourly fee, monthly retainer, project fee, etc.)? What will your clients receive from you exactly when they work with you - what tangible results? Keep things simple and easy for the client to understand.
Action Step: What will you charge and what pricing model will you use (hourly fee, monthly retainer, project fee, etc.)? What will your clients receive from you exactly when they work with you - what tangible results? Keep things simple and easy for the client to understand.
Step 5: Do a Few Free Projects for Clients You Know
Before you can actually start charging people for a service, you need to offer it a few times for free to get some satisfied clients that can either refer you to their friends or write a glowing review for you. The best place to offer free business is to people you already know, but if you don't know anyone who would need your services you can also post a listing to Craigslist.
When you do the service, make sure to do as great of a job as you can and then ask them to write a nice, detailed testimonial for you to place on your website (or copy and paste to send to people via email if you don't have a website right now). Make sure the review includes some specifics on how you actually helped them. If possible, you should also use some of the work in your portfolio if there are visible results, such as photos or videos you produce. If there are no visible, tangible end results (like with babysitting), that's OK.
Another fun thing to do is to get in the habit of asking your clients to take a selfie with you after a project is finished. Then you'll have photos of actual people you helped (where you can attach the testimonial they wrote for you) to increase your credibility with new potential clients.
Action Step: Reach out to 3-5 people you know who might need your services and offer to do the work for them one time for free in exchange for a testimonial, selfie with them, and permission to use the final product as an example of your work to show future clients.
When you do the service, make sure to do as great of a job as you can and then ask them to write a nice, detailed testimonial for you to place on your website (or copy and paste to send to people via email if you don't have a website right now). Make sure the review includes some specifics on how you actually helped them. If possible, you should also use some of the work in your portfolio if there are visible results, such as photos or videos you produce. If there are no visible, tangible end results (like with babysitting), that's OK.
Another fun thing to do is to get in the habit of asking your clients to take a selfie with you after a project is finished. Then you'll have photos of actual people you helped (where you can attach the testimonial they wrote for you) to increase your credibility with new potential clients.
Action Step: Reach out to 3-5 people you know who might need your services and offer to do the work for them one time for free in exchange for a testimonial, selfie with them, and permission to use the final product as an example of your work to show future clients.
Step 6: Start Finding Paid Clients on Craigslist
Craigslist is one of the best places to find clients fast for most services. The downside, however, is that most people on there are price shopping, meaning you'll have to keep your prices low to start. This is not always the case, however, so be sure not to drop your prices too low or people might get suspicious. The cool thing about Craigslist is that most of the freelancers responding to ads there are so unprofessional that even just replying with proper grammar and speaking in a professional tone of voice will put you heads and shoulders above the competition so you stand out.
Make it a habit to log into Craigslist and each day to search for ads people post looking for your service. You'll respond to as many of these ads as possible and eventually start booking work (most likely within the first week or two). Plan on receiving one response for every five ads you reply to, and possibly more if you're sending highly personalized emails. Because you're just starting out though, you'll probably need to keep your rates somewhat low at the beginning.
Note: A few types of services from above might be more difficult to find on Craigslist, so I'm including some suggestions of places to start looking for clients in place of Craigslist:
Here are a few general tips to get you the best response rate possible if you're using Craigslist:
Make it a habit to log into Craigslist and each day to search for ads people post looking for your service. You'll respond to as many of these ads as possible and eventually start booking work (most likely within the first week or two). Plan on receiving one response for every five ads you reply to, and possibly more if you're sending highly personalized emails. Because you're just starting out though, you'll probably need to keep your rates somewhat low at the beginning.
Note: A few types of services from above might be more difficult to find on Craigslist, so I'm including some suggestions of places to start looking for clients in place of Craigslist:
- Life Coaching - Networking events: if you offer a free session some people you meet will take you up on the offer and might become clients.
- Martial Arts Instruction - You can ask gyms if they have bulletin boards or places where you can put business cards and offer a free training session with you. Some of these people might become clients.
- Dance Classes or Choreography - You can go to acting schools and leave your cards or post bulletin boards and offer a free class with you. Some of these people might become clients.
- Acting Classes - Same as above.
Here are a few general tips to get you the best response rate possible if you're using Craigslist:
- Make Things Easy - Those hiring someone want a freelancer who can make it easy for them to hire them. This all starts with the cover letter. Keeping your cover letter very short (less than 5 sentences) and readable while highlighting the two biggest benefits they'll get by hiring you is a good place to start. And then make it easy for them to interview you by showing up on time, being friendly, and showing them you're interested.
- Experience - You should know a lot about the specific thing you are being hired to do. And if you aren't experienced, you need to show you are a quick learner and willing to do what it takes to get the job done properly. Remember though, having done 3-5 free clients beforehand should take care of this issue.
- Look Friendly - People feel more comfortable hiring someone who has a photo of themselves showing a genuine smile. If you don't have a good photo of yourself (or you look mean in it), they might decide on someone else (I have literally not hired someone based on their headshot alone because they looked unfriendly in it). A professional headshot can go a long way in establishing credibility, but you can also use a regular picture too.
- Available - You should not be too needy in terms of working certain days or needing certain hourly minimums. The more desperate for cash or needy you seem, the less likely people will hire you because they'll worry you're going to be more of a liability than an asset.
- Provides Added Value - People hiring want someone who is able to provide them with even more value than they were expecting. If you have additional skills or personality traits that could be an asset in your job, make sure to point them out.
- Cares About the Position - You need to show that you really care about the job and can explain why you want it. People don't want you to work for them if it's just for the money because it means you won't do your best work. You have to really want it for the emotional reasons for someone to bring you on.
- Honesty, Reliability, and Responsibility - People who are honest and willing to be vulnerable are actually more likely to be selected. If you make a mistake and don't own up to it and apologize, but instead blame others, you won't get or keep the job. As someone who has hired numerous people over the past ten years, I see personal responsibility, honesty, and reliability as the top personality traits needed for great team members.
- Calm and Relaxed - In general, clients want to be sure that you're easy to work with. Some people I'd brought on in the past were on an emotional rollercoaster and it led to inappropriate outbursts at work and fights between employees which was bad for team morale. Most people want to hire someone who is generally cool, collected, calm, and rolls with the punches.
Step 7: Turn on Your A-Player Sales Game
Sales is just the word to describe the part where you're actually talking to the client and they are considering whether to hire you. You need to have a plan of what you're going to say when they're emailing or calling you so that you present yourself in the best possible way.
I'd love to go deeper with you and show you how to have a great sales conversation, raise your rates and turn it into a real, profitable freelance business where you can easily earn begin to earn $1,000 or more per month. If that sounds good, let me know where to send you my full crash course by clicking the link below!
I'd love to go deeper with you and show you how to have a great sales conversation, raise your rates and turn it into a real, profitable freelance business where you can easily earn begin to earn $1,000 or more per month. If that sounds good, let me know where to send you my full crash course by clicking the link below!
