Becoming a Freelancer - Where to Start

You have decided that you want to stay home with your children and make money. Since you cannot find a full time or part time job that you can do from home that is through an employer, (because the children make too much noise, because you cannot set aside a set time to work, whatever the reason may be) you have decided to become a freelancer. But, where do you start?

Pick a Trade: First, look at your skill set. Maybe you are a computer guru, so designing websites may be an option. If you have no clue about HTML, CSS and that sort of thing, then writing may be an option for you. Heck, if you are reading this, chances are you already contribute to Associated Content, so why not use what you have built there to establish yourself for other writing jobs?

Establish a Home Office: If you are really considering freelancing, you will want to have an office set up to meet the IRS guidelines so you can take advantage of tax breaks that apply to people working out of the home. This means that the computer should only be used for business purposes, so if your kids play games on it, it is out. Carefully study the guidelines, keep records of everything so you can be sure you do not miss anything, and get started. Keep track of all spending from utilities, to membership fees, and even paper and ink for your printer. It will pay off.

Build a Portfolio: Sometimes this is easier said than done. If you choose writing, it is easy. Use Associated Content, and market that page as your portfolio. If you choose web design, you will want to get a domain and hosting of your own, and offer to do several projects for free to use them as experience in your portfolio. For me, I am using projects that I complete in school (I am a web design student) to build that portfolio, but I am a long way from being able to market myself, so that is why I turned to writing. Turns out I like it more than I thought, and it was much easier to get started than I thought it would be.