How to Find Great Freelance Clients

I’ve received many questions on how to find freelance clients, but I’ve been hesitant to write this blog post. That’s because there isn’t one right way of doing things. I know everyone wants that secret formula, but unfortunately it doesn’t exist.

The truth is, every freelancer has their own set of skills they excel at. The best clients are those uniquely suited for your skillset. When it comes to clients and the work itself, every freelancer has a threshold of what they’re willing to tolerate. What lights up one freelancer might drive another crazy.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve done really well as a freelancer financially. I say no much more than I say yes, and I’ve had a steady stream of work for most of the six years I’ve been doing this full-time. I’m going to talk about what’s worked for me in regards to finding freelance clients. These are the tactics and strategies that keep me sane, and ensure I have a full plate of projects at all times. Most of these tips are in reference to freelance graphic design and some illustration work, but can be applied to any type of freelance career.

Go For the Big Fish

This can be tough when you don’t have work coming in. I know how it feels when you’re trying to survive, and will take whatever comes your way. The thing is, every time you take on a new client, energy is expended. You need to learn their brand, uncover their personalities, and figure out how they like to do things. Jumping from tiny project to tiny project just isn’t sustainable. It’s going to wear you out and break you fast. You’ll get in this cycle where you’re so burnt out, you don’t have the energy to look for bigger, better clients, so you just stay the course. At some point, you’ll wonder why you started freelancing in the first place, because your 9-5 was much less stressful.

In the beginning, you need to say no to bad clients in order to find better ones. This is the best piece of advice I can give. Say no to high maintenance small clients who don’t pay you enough to put up with their antics. You need to raise your standards. It may feel like jumping without a rope, but have faith you will land on your feet. It's better not to have any clients at all, than to have a roster of bad clients that abuse your time, drain your energy, and barely pay your bills. This is how you burnout fast, and end your freelance career for good. It’s kind of like trying to get from New York to California. You can drive, but it will take longer, there’s more risk involved, and you’ll be exhausted when you get there. Or you can patiently wait for a plane. The plane may take longer to arrive, but once you’re on it, you’re golden. I always recommend people have a financial safety net before freelancing, because it won’t be profitable in the beginning if you do things the right way.

I know larger clients are hard to come by, but it’s actually worth the effort. All you need is a few to make a very healthy yearly salary. They’re more stable, and much easier to work with. The first step is to tell everyone you’re freelancing and looking for corporate clients. Agencies can be great to partner with too, because often they need extra manpower. Do you know people who work at larger companies? Can they set up a meeting? Did you used to work at a large company that needs work? I guarantee you know at least a handful of people working at big companies with big budgets. The whole goal is to find clients who will use you on an as needed basis. They’ll pay you hourly for anything they need help with. That way, you can stop fishing so often and enjoy being full. You won’t need to work so hard, and you’ll feel confident saying no to potential disasters. Usually larger clients are low maintenance and lovely to work with. Don’t get me wrong, the work can be hard and there can be tough deadlines, but it’s much more predictable and there’s less drama involved. Your invoices will get paid out on time, and your bank account will be full.

Have Faith in the Domino Effect

If you can just find one great client, they most likely have friends. Focus on finding one client at a time. Most clients I’ve worked with have referred me to 2 or 3 other people just by word of mouth. Yes, this takes time to happen. Their friends have to ask for a designer referral, and that conversation needs to occur. Eventually though, the referral usually always happens. The people you’ve worked with and made happy, will help you grow your business. This is how you become successful, and eventually have a thriving client roster. Just find that one big client, and give it time. Most people quit freelancing too early, before these referrals have had time to happen.

Say No to Branding Projects (aka Startups)

You may be surprised by this. Let me explain what I’ve experienced. If someone has a branding project, they’re usually starting up a new business. That means they have a limited budget and are overly invested in the project. They’ve probably never worked with a designer before. They most likely have unreasonable deadlines, because they want to check “logo” off their list, and start making money. All these things are a recipe for disaster. You never want to be the first designer someone has worked with. JUST SAY NO. These are the projects that spiral out of control. No matter how many review rounds you include in the estimate, you always end up over budget. Often times, these clients don’t even know what they want and they string you along for months. Yes, there’s that dream branding client that comes along and is lovely to work with. However, in my experience, these are rare. You never know who they are going to be until the project is finished. It’s better to say no to all branding work, than to risk it.

The only exception to this rule is if a huge company asks you to redo their branding (probably not going to happen, because they will go with an agency). If that happens though, obviously say yes!

Be Wary of Social Media Projects

Unless it’s a big client who already has a decent following. Anyone who “wants more followers,” is never going to be happy with the results you produce. This is another recipe for disaster. You may be great at making social media posts, but you can’t control how well those posts are going to perform. It’s as unpredictable as the weather. Your success comes down to a lot of things you can’t control - including what the company does, and how interested people are in them. If your clients expect a certain amount of likes and follows, they will become unhappy real fast. That relationship will be ruined. It’s better to be honest and say you don’t do social media work. Hopefully they’ll have other things you can work on that you actually can control.

Put Your Ego Aside When it Comes to the Work

If a large client with a big budget offers you a project that is less than desirable, TAKE IT! This will most certainly lead to more work if you are pleasant to work with and do a good job. Some of my first projects that paid really well were as simple as moving files. I’ve done many Powerpoints too (something most designers won’t touch). If the money is there and the client has potential, say yes. You can’t be above any work when you’re a freelancer. Bad clients and bad pay are the only thing you need to be turning down. When interacting with the client, always act excited about the work and be grateful they are giving you the opportunity.

Develop Your Skillset

The more skills you know how to do that other people don’t, the better. The pool of freelancers is GIANT. However, the pool of freelancers who know how to animate is very small (for example). Think of all the skills you can learn to set you apart from others in your field, and start taking classes online. I’ve found a lot of my clients simply because I’m the only freelancer they’ve come across who knows how to do what they’re looking for. Sometimes you’ll be working with a client and they will ask out of the blue if you know how to do something. It’s awesome when you can say yes, and take on even more work from them!

Be The Kind of Person People Want to Work With

A lot of designers are divas. What’s really gotten me ahead in freelancing are my organization and communication skills. I’m always positive, and thankful for the work. My biggest tips for keeping clients happy are:

• Give them project updates regarding budget and timing before they have a chance to ask you how things are going.

• Work 9-5 hours like them, and try to be very responsive during those hours. Communicate in advance when you’ll be out, and always have your away message up on vacation.

• Have a Dropbox account, and keep all your files extremely organized. If they need something, you should be able to find it within a matter of seconds.

• Send invoices promptly, and always say thank you. Give plenty of notice if a project is looking like it will be over budget.

• Send short, concise responses and skip the flowery language. Don’t ask questions you know the answer to, or overcomplicate things for them. They are busy, and want to hear from you as little as possible. They just want the work done.

• Always be friendly, but assume they don’t want to know what you ate for breakfast (unless they ask you). Follow their lead as to how much they want to know you personally.

• Be a force of calm in your client’s lives. If you’re stressed, don’t let them feel it unless there’s something they can do about it. If you’re running behind schedule, calmly ask for an extension. Just don’t make a habit out of it. Expert tip - pad your timing estimates, so you don’t have to be stressed.

• Don’t talk about clients with other clients. Make every client feel like they’re your only client. They don’t need to know what else you’re working on. Don’t give them all your hours (which I’ll talk about next), but give them your undivided attention when you’re meeting with them.

This may sound like a lot of things, but it all comes down to getting client’s projects completed with as little time and effort required on their end as possible. It’s about a quick, pleasant exchange.

Never Dedicate All Your Hours to One Client

I’ve learned this the hard way. If you’re good at what you do, clients will send more work your way. You may be tempted to work on their projects full-time, especially if you like working with them too. My advice is DON’T. Just ask for timeline extensions so you can keep a few additional clients on your roster. If a client thinks they have you full-time, they’ll assume they own your time. They may call you at odd hours, or want you to travel for them. You’ll suddenly feel more like an employee, and less like a freelancer.

While this may not sound too bad for your bank account, it doesn’t give you much of a safety net. If your one big client changes directions, or hires an agency, you’ll have nothing to show for it. You’ll be back at square one, like you just started freelancing again. Try to keep your ideal number of clients at any given time around 3, no less than 2 and no more than 5. The distribution of work among these clients may vary, but the numbers are important to diversify your income. I like to diversify my income even more by having some money coming in from non-client side hustles. My Etsy shop is my biggest source of non-client income, but I have lots of other little ventures going that feed into my bank account as well.

Don’t Use Freelance Sites

To be honest, I’ve found sites like Upwork and Fiverr to be completely useless. They usually undercut artists. Start with people you know, or people your friends know. If you can’t find anyone in your circle that works at a large company, start locally. Find the nearest large companies in your area, and try to get someone to have a quick meeting with you. That way, you aren’t a complete stranger because you’re from the same neck of the woods.

When it comes to freelance art don’t ever sign over your copyright unless the opportunity is too good to pass up. And I mean it has to be REAL GOOD, like stuff of dreams good. Companies usually say that they have the right to license your art in a particular space for a certain amount of years. Anyone who expects to own your art outright is probably either asking too much, or they don’t know how to industry works. Suggest a contract rewrite with the terms you want. It’s not part of my business model to give up my copyrights and I really don’t think it should be part of yours either.

For more on illustration pricing, check out The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook.

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I know it can be overwhelming to find clients, but focusing on the idea that you only need a few big clients makes it less intimidating. Also, focus on finding one client at a time. As I mentioned earlier, if you can just land one really big client in the first year of freelancing, that’s more than most freelancers manage. One great client relationship will get you far! It took me over a year for me to see some real growth, so don’t give up! Just chip away at it every day, and try not to focus on the future. Focus on what you can do today to nurture one client relationship.

It all comes down to staying positive and being in it for the long game. Make sure you’ve given yourself enough cushion when you start freelancing so you can stay calm and not freak out while you wait for your client roster to grow. I always recommend having a 9-5 for several years before freelancing, just so you can meet contacts and get used to working that schedule. It will also give you the confidence you need to handle any freelance project with ease.

For more posts about freelancing full-time, click here.