How to Start Freelancing Work
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Essential Steps to Launch Your Freelance Career Successfully
Ready to start your freelance journey? Imagine working from home, setting your own hours, and earning on your terms—freelancing can make it happen. Let’s dive into how to kick off your online freelancing career, covering the types of jobs to explore, potential earnings, and where to find clients on here at One Day One Mother.
Freelancing changed my life. It gave me the freedom to work in a way that fits my life, letting me spend time with my family while building my career. As a stay-at-home mom, I wanted a way to earn income without missing out on my kids’ lives. Leaving my corporate job was a big step, but it turned out to be one of the best choices I made. Through freelancing—especially blogging—I’ve grown my income in ways I couldn’t have in a 9-to-5 role.
Starting out can feel intimidating. Putting yourself out there takes courage and hard work, but it’s completely worth it. With persistence, you can build a successful freelance career, open new doors, and shape your professional life.
If you’ve ever had an interest in blogging you can see how I make money blogging here. I came across an interview with Micala Quinn , dubbed the freelance queen, but blogging is not for everyone and that’s why I’m so happy to share this interview of her
She is always so helpful and when she came out with the course Overwhelmed to Overbooked, I had to share it with everyone, especially seeing comments like these from people who have taken her course.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
How to Become a Freelancer Online
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started as a Freelancer?
My name is Micala. I am a wife to Colin… who is the most handsomely frustrating husband on the planet. I am a mom to three beautiful children, two of which I am very grateful to have in my arms and one who is watching over our family from Heaven.
I haven’t always been an influencer in the online space… before this I was a freelancer and before that I was a teacher working 50-60 hours a week & making pennies. Oh, yea & I was absolutely miserable dropping my baby off at daycare every day.
With my first, McLaren our life looked like this.. I woke her up early every single morning & RUSHED out the door to drop her off at daycare- barely making it to work on time & without getting in trouble. THEN, I RUSHED right back out of school the second my contract time was up just to rush home, sneak in a little family time before we RUSHED through dinner because I had to get my daughter to sleep soon, and then we RUSHED through our bedtime routine because I had MORE work to do for my 9-5 teaching job that barely covered my daycare expenses.
Notice anything? So.much.rushing.
The incessant rushing caused me a lot of stress, anxiousness, and anger…which quickly turned into resentment.
I resented my job, myself, and my husband. I felt stuck. I felt trapped and like there were NO options for me to find a stable, reliable way to make income from home.
I needed to work. I needed an income.
But, I wanted something different. Something where I could snuggle and read books in bed extra-long in the mornings, explore our city and do the mommy and me classes, and spend our afternoons playing at the park. I wanted it all.
Everyone told me what I wanted didn’t exist and to just suck it up.
But I refused to settle.
I refused to believe that this was just the way it was going to be.
And I refused to just suck it up.
And that’s how I found freelancing.
I started a virtual assistant business. As a virtual assistant, I quickly tripled my take-home pay, working 15 hours a week. Compared to the 55+ hours I worked as a teacher and the pennies I made, freelancing was a no brainer.
Once I quit my job, I kept getting asked by other women, mostly moms, how they could do what I did, so I started helping them. One by one, until there were over fifty women asking me to help them at once. I saw a huge hole and a huge need in the market, so I set out to launch a company that would help women build profitable and flexible businesses from home.
Since 2017, I have helped tens of thousands of women through my free resources and top 50 podcast find work at home freedom and helped over 1000 through my paid programs actually build their dream work life balanced career.
-Micala Quinn
2. What is a Freelancer?
If freelancing is a new term to you or you aren’t quite sure what it means, no worries, I didn’t either when I got started!
WHAT → A freelancer is an independent contractor (small business owner — you are not an employee) that works with multiple companies and clients on a long-term or project basis.
Some freelancers charge a flat fee per project, others charge hourly. It’s your choice and your decision!
Your specialized skill set may be social media, design, tech, Pinterest, copywriting, bookkeeping or just saving them time and operating as a virtual assistant.
I can also help you figure out what service you should offer.
-Micala Quinn
3. Why Freelance?
As a freelancer YOU will have control over when you work, how much you work, where you work, and how much you charge… lots of moms and millennials are choosing to freelance because they are sick of the lack of flexibility that traditional jobs require.
-Micala Quinn
4. How Do You Become a Freelancer Online?
There are five things you’ll want to do to get started freelancing online
- Find out what service you want to offer
- Identify who you want to work with
- Determine how to price and package your services
- Create a strategy to connect with ideal clients
- Relentlessly implement
In my free workshop, I cover the nitty gritty of what freelancing is, who can get started, how much they can earn, why businesses hire freelancers, how to leverage your current skills into a profitable freelance service, and then how to find the time to build your business as a busy mom.
-Micala Quinn
To take the free workshop you can sign up here.
5. How Much Can Freelancers Earn?
You would be shocked how many times I hear from people, I want to quit my job, but I bring in X amount of dollars per month… can I really replace my income from home as a freelancer?
Yes. Yes, you can — no matter how little or how much you make.
Industry average across all services is
- $20-35 per hour for beginner
- $35-50 for experienced
- $50-100+ for expert
With some services for experts + results backed earning upwards of $200+ an hour…
-Micala Quinn
6. Can you tell us about your course? Who Is It For? How Does It Work?
Overwhelmed to Overbooked is more than just a course! It is the most comprehensive program for starting, launching, and growing a profitable freelance business.
Plus, it’s proven!
Over 1,000+ women have enrolled and built their successful business with my help!
The program includes my proprietary 7-step framework for launching a freelance business. I cover everything from business legal and tax basics, to pricing your services, to landing clients, to getting started and wowing your clients!
Plus, it includes my two secret weapons for freelance success
The OTO Student Lounge
Once you sign up, you will also get private access to the most AMAZING Facebook group for work at home moms on the internet. This group is only available to those who purchase OTO.
Think of this space as your work “break-room” minus the toxicity and negativity that come with traditional jobs. This group will be one of your secret weapons to success. You will be able to post your questions, share your progress, & reach out for help to work through your challenges with over 600+ active members. We are your future work family and no member is left behind! We can’t wait to get to know you!
-Micala Quinn
Weekly Office Hours
The OTO program gives you 6 months of access to weekly office hours, where you can drop in anytime for personalized 1:1 help. Get the support you need to break through challenges and keep moving forward.
A little bit more about these calls:
- they are every Wednesday at noon CST
- they are virtual and informal come as you are! joining from work or the car or with kiddos — whatever you need to do to be there is encouraged — plus you can stay as long or as short as your schedule allows
With the FB group and weekly calls, get the support you need to overcome challenges and crush your goals!
This support is what we call the Micala Quinn and the OTO difference.
Recommended Books for learning how to start Freelance Work
If you’re eager to dive deeper into the world of laundry keeping, here are some excellent books that will guide you through valuable insights, effective strategies, and essential skills.
- “The Freelancer’s Bible by Sara Horowitz
This book offers a comprehensive guide to starting and running a freelance business, covering everything from finding clients to managing your finances - “Stop Thinking Like A Freelancer by Liam Veitch
A practical book for overcoming the common challenges of freelancing. It includes tips on attracting clients, building your platform, and working smarter, not harder - “My So-Called Freelance Life by Michelle Goodman
A great resource for navigating the ups and downs of freelance life. It addresses everything from client relationships to maintaining a work-life balance - “The Freelance Introvert by Tom Albrighton –
This book focuses on the unique needs of introverted freelancers, offering strategies for setting boundaries, building confidence, and finding clients - “The Six-Figure Freelancer by Laura Briggs
Ideal for those looking to take their freelance career to the next level, this book offers strategies to increase your income and secure higher-paying clients