Freelancing Side Hustle – Earn $2,500+/mo Step-By-Step Guide

Last Updated on October 25, 2023 by John Cirelly

Starting a freelancing side hustle helped me escape my 9-5, earn my first six figures, and give me the time and freedom to start other profitable projects (like this blog!)

Below, I’ll outline how to start a freelancing side hustle with no experience, what it takes to succeed, and how you can use AI to work smarter, not harder.

How To Start a Freelancing Side Hustle in 2024

1. Leverage Your Skills or Learn Profitable Ones

The fastest way to make money from your freelancing side hustle is to leverage the skills you already have. Whether you’re an accountant, programmer, or marketer, you can take your skills to the freelance marketplace and often make 2-3x more your hourly rate as an employee.

Keep in mind, you might need to learn new skills, like managing your money, communicating with prospects, and logging expenses. But in reality, these are easy to learn.

If you’re coming from a manual labor job, or are still washing dishes (No shame in those I did that for years) you can still make a freelance side hustle work. It’ll just take some extra effort.

If you’re starting from scratch, explore some high-paying side hustles that might interest you. Consider what they pay, what they require from you, and if you wouldn’t mind doing those tasks for that rate.

I’ll include a list of the best freelancing side hustles to start below, but here’s a quick list of options to explore:

• Copywriting
• Blog Writing
• Programming
• Social Media Management
• Video Editing
• Editing
• Ghost Writing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The vast majority of businesses are looking for your past experience in these fields, rather than a college degree. With a few months of practice paired with learning from an expert on YouTube or Udemy, you can be confident in your new skills in a short period of time.

2. Build Your Portfolio

Your portfolio is akin to an employee’s resume. You want your portfolio to have your best work that is related to the kind of clients you want to do business with.

For example, if you do programming for healthcare systems, be sure to have some healthcare examples in your portfolio.

No portfolio? No problem. There are two ways you can build out your portfolio in the early stages of your freelancing side hustle. You can do one of these methods or both:

Mockup Work: Create portfolio pieces for mock clients. For instance, write blog posts on topics you know your prospects would likely ask to cover.

Take On Small Jobs: Oftentimes, the freelance market has non-profits and very small businesses looking for work. The downside, their budgets are small. But on the upside, you can do the work and then add that work to your portfolio. You can also arrange to have them leave a positive review if they are happy.

Aim for 3-5 portfolio pieces at the beginning and add more as you grow.

3. Find Clients

Finding clients is easily one of the toughest obstacles new freelancers face. The good news is once you get your first client or two, you start to gain momentum.

In truth, many freelancers quit too early before they find this momentum. Consistent action is your most powerful tool, especially when first starting.

Job Boards: Job boards are great places to start, especially for beginners. Platforms like We Work Remotely, ProBlogger, and Remote.co give you the ability to sort by Contract only positions. The downside is many others are using these platforms which make them competitive.

---

Freelance Platforms: Sites like Upwork, Toptal, and SolidGigs are high-quality markets that pair businesses needing work with experienced freelancers. These can be less competitive than job boards but require custom cover letters for each prospect which can be time-consuming.

Hint: You can use AI to help you craft custom responses and apply for more gigs.

You may also have to spend a few dollars each month bidding on jobs you want your cover letter to rank higher on. For example, Upwork requires you to use “Connects” when bidding on a project.

---

Cold Outreach: Cold DMs, emails, or even personalized videos can land you clients. This is truly a numbers game and can cost a bit of money to set up.

However, once your lead generation machine is working, you can have a steady flow of leads. To start, you’ll need a list of leads that may want your service, a personalized pitch, and a way to contact them (email, DM, phone, etc).

Cold Outreach can feel daunting, but realize only 1-3% of people will be interested in what you’re offering. The upside is you’re not competing directly next to other freelancers, which can trigger bidding wars leaving you will less.

4. Do Great Work

Finally do great work. It may sound obvious but so many freelancers get in the habit of delivering sub-par work, especially once they’re more established. Delivering high-quality work not only boots your rating and reputation on freelance marketplaces but can help you get more high-end clients through referrals.

7 Best Freelancing Side Hustles

If you’re still stuck on picking which direction you want to go, I’ve listed the seven best freelancing side hustles in terms of average pay, demand, and flexibility.

1. Social Media Management – $22/hr

As a social media manager, you are tasked with managing a company’s online presence, creating engaging content, and developing marketing strategies to grow brand awareness. This job offers flexibility, high demand, and a good average pay, making it a promising side hustle for those with a knack for creativity and social engagement.

2. Blog Writing – $32+/hr

In this role, you’d be producing compelling articles for businesses, often around specific topics or keywords. It’s a great side hustle due to its demand across various niches and the flexibility to work from anywhere, fitting around your existing commitments. Plus, it offers a perfect outlet for those with a flair for writing.

3. Copywriting – $37/hr

This involves crafting persuasive text for advertisements, websites, or promotional materials, and it requires a knack for creating compelling narratives. As a side hustle, it’s attractive due to its high pay, constant demand in the business world, and the ability to work remotely, providing a lucrative opportunity for those adept with words.

4. Graphic Design – $45/hr

In this creative role, you design visual content for businesses, including logos, advertisements, and website elements. This side hustle is ideal due to its high average pay, the ever-increasing demand for visual content in the digital age, and the flexibility it offers. It’s a perfect gig for individuals with artistic skills and a good eye for design.

5. Web Design – $50/hr

Web designers are responsible for creating the look, layout, and features of a website. The job involves understanding both graphic design and computer programming, offering a high average pay due to its technical nature. With the constant need for websites in the digital world, and the ability to work remotely, it’s an excellent side hustle for tech-savvy individuals.

6. Video Editing- $57/hr

As a video editor, you’ll transform raw footage into a finished product that’s suitable for broadcasting. This job offers a high pay rate, and given the ongoing surge in video content across various platforms, the demand for these skills is high. The opportunity to work remotely makes this a top choice for a side hustle, particularly for those with a passion for storytelling and visual media.

7. Ads Manager- $60/hr

This role involves planning, executing, and optimizing advertising campaigns, primarily on digital platforms. As a side hustle, it’s lucrative given its high average pay and the constant need for businesses to reach their target audience effectively. The flexibility to work remotely coupled with the ever-increasing demand for digital marketing expertise makes it an excellent choice for those with an analytical mindset.