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8 Tips to Build Your Personal Brand as a Freelancer

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I must confess, I have a love-hate relationship with freelancing.

And I suspect that holds true for a lot of freelancers.

I love the flexibility, but I hate drowning in admin.

I love being able to take a few days off in the middle of the week, but I hate writing my About page.

And some things just baffle me. Such as growing a personal brand. It’s a complex task, and that’s why we’ve invited Pinar Tarhan to take the pulse of her extensive freelance network and report back on the best practices for building a personal brand as a freelancer.

According to a 2014 survey, 53 million Americans were freelancing. And that was just the United States … four years ago.

Because the internet and online payment options make working remotely a breeze, freelancers can have clients anywhere. And that’s both the advantage and the downside of freelancing.

Yes, on the one hand, you can work from home and make your own schedule. But when everyone else is doing the same thing, the competition can get fierce. So how do you build your career as a pleasant and more than competent professional freelancer from scratch?

One good bet is this: by paying attention to your own personal branding.

Branding is basically creating a strong, memorable image for yourself and your business. However, it can get complicated if you work in multiple niches or offer professional services in several areas. So I’ve interviewed a few successful freelance writers and virtual assistants to find out the tricks up their sleeve. Here is their advice, as well as my own tips, on how to set yourself apart and attract clients with your personal brand.

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Student Success Story: Jenny Weg

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Student Success Story 30 Days or Less to VA Success

We’re back with another post in the Student Success Stories series.

Why are we doing this? Glad you asked!

It’s because we want to feature people who took Gina’s 30 Days or Less courses and actually got serious about working on their freelance career.

Every story in the series is a little bit different from the others. That’s because they’re real journeys, and everyone is on a different path.

I reached out to this week’s guest, Jenny Weg, after she posted an encouraging update in the private Facebook group. Jenny has a day job, in addition to being a mom and a part-time virtual assistant. Oh, and she’s also working on the family farm.

Here’s what motivates Jenny and how she makes it all work.

Name: Jenny Weg
Website: www.jennyweg.com
Course enrollment date: June 23, 2017
Business launch date: July 3, 2017
Date hired by first client: July 14, 2017
Hours worked per week: 20
Average monthly income: $2,500
Top three services: Social media management, Email management, Newsletter creation

Hi, Jenny. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a midwestern wife, mom, and blogger. My husband and I have been married for two and a half years and we have a four-month old daughter, Addison. We are part of a family farm, and have a small herd of breeding cattle. We are very grounded in our faith, and enjoy spending time together as a family, traveling whenever time allows, and watching reruns of Friends.

Can you tell us about your business?

I am a virtual assistant for two online entrepreneurs and one online boutique. I offer social media management and email management for my clients.

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How to Make the Switch to Working Remotely (and Keep your Clients)

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“I told my client he didn’t need me.” That was the intro of Shellie’s pitch to Horkey HandBook.

I was hooked and I really wanted to know more. It turns out that Shellie is not just convincing in her pitches; she’s doing a great job at arguing her case in more pressing situations too.

Shellie was freelancing for a client who required her presence in the office. In fact, he was adamant that working from home was not an option. Here’s how Shellie managed to convince this client to agree to remote work.

Last fall, I told my long-term client that he didn’t need me anymore. Didn’t need me in his office every day, that is.

Here’s how I convinced him I could be more effective, work more efficiently, and get more done in less time by working remotely.

Knowing my client was a bit of a skeptic when it came to anyone working remotely, I needed to carefully plan my approach, build my case, and make a slow transition. I’d even heard him utter the words, “if you’re not in the office, how do I know you’re actually working?”

So I knew I had to be persuasive in my approach.

How I Came Up With a Plan for Working Remotely

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Can a Man Be a Virtual Assistant?

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This post is brought to you by serendipity. How so? Well, on the one hand, the question in the title (Can a man be a virtual assistant?) lands in our inboxes regularly. On the other hand, when we opened our latest call-for-pitches to our community, we received three pitches on the topic. Clearly, that’s a question on people’s minds.

So our guest this week, Steve Young, is here to share his story as a “man virtual assistant” (for lack of a better term).

Take it away, Steve!

Hi, my name is Steve. I’m a guy, and I’m a virtual assistant. I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard the question posed in the title, but for me, that was a hurdle I had to get over.

Perhaps it relates to you, or someone you know.

How I Decided to Become a Virtual Assistant

It was my wife who first told me about Gina Horkey and her 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success course. I thought, “Well, I’ve written several books. I think I could become a freelance writer,” so I worked through the course on my own. I never really acted on it though.

Then last year, I wrote a book about how to start your own business. It started out as a list of items for my son-in-law to learn before buying my car detailing business.

As I wrote that book, I thought, “Wow, my life experience has given me a lot of helpful skills and information. Others could really benefit from the things I learned by trial and error, and the school of Trying Really Hard!”

I could relate to other business owners in a way many others could not. I knew the juggling that a small-business owner must do to get all the business tasks completed for his clients, employees, Uncle Sam, and future clients!

Being aware of these difficulties, or “pain points,” is a step in the right direction for a business owner. They must then intentionally take action to resolve the pain points, otherwise these might grow exponentially, and could eventually kill the business.

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How I Used My Disadvantage as a Deaf Person to My Advantage in My Freelance Business

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How I Used My Disadvantage as a Deaf Person to My Advantage in My Freelance BusinessWhat happens when you’re born with a disadvantage that puts you at a severe risk of unemployment and underemployment?

What happens when potential employers misjudge your abilities before they even give you a chance to prove how good you are?

This was the position that Jessica was in, as a Deaf person, in a job market that overemphasizes verbal communication. Jessica is here to share today how she used her disadvantage to her advantage to launch a business that supports and empowers the community of Deaf entrepreneurs.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Jessica.

Imagine living your life in a soundless world.

The beep of the alarm goes unheard.

A friendly voice saying, “Hello, how are you?” does not quite go through.

A video online plays, resembling the popular silent films from back in the 1910s, except there is no text to explain what’s happening on screen. Education and wisdom carried by sound waves fly by undetected due to missing hair cells in the cochlea of the ear.

This is the life I live daily as a Deaf person.

Hi, I’m Jessica, and I’m the founder of Bellewood Virtual Assistant. I was born Deaf, and I communicate with American Sign Language.

I completed the 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success course in December 2017, and built my business from scratch. I developed and created my logo, website, and service packages in less than 30 days, and launched on January 1st, 2018. I landed a total of four clients in the first month of my business, and am already past halfway to my goal of working full-time.

But, as a Deaf person, I have a major “disadvantage” in career opportunities.  

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Want to Keep Clients Happy? 8 Simple Tips to Improve Client Experience

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What makes a good client stick around?

The reality is that keeping a client takes just as much work as landing a client. And we’re not talking about just doing the job that you’re paid to do – that’s implied. We’re talking about going above and beyond to make your clients happy.

Rae is here to offer a few tips on how to improve the client experience in your business.

There are probably dozens (if not hundreds) of other freelancers who provide similar services that your clients could have hired. The truth is that you’re not the only person in your niche. However, you can stand out by making your services the best out there.

One way to make your clients fall in love with you is provide the best client experience possible. Happy clients often lead to long-term relationships (and referrals).

Want to get good reviews? Have raving testimonials on your website, LinkedIn, Facebook page, etc.? Make your clients feel extra special and make things easy for them.

Here are a few simple tips to improve client experience:

1. Gifts and Thank You Notes

Your clients will smile when they receive a small gift or thank you note. In the age of e-mail and junk mail, your clients will be pleasantly surprised to find a letter or package in good ‘ole fashioned snail mail form

Starting out with gift or thank you note is a tangible way to show how much you care about your clients. Ending a client relationship with a gift or thank you note will help you leave on good terms, too. Gift don’t need to be extravagant or expensive to make an impact. Remember, it’s the thought that counts.

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Student Success Story: Mallory Underwood

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Happy International Women’s Day! For this month’s Student Success Story, we’re featuring yet another amazing solopreneur working hard to built a career around their life (not the other way around).

We’re publishing these interviews because we want to feature people who took Gina’s 30 Days or Less courses and actually got serious about working on their freelance career. Every story in the series is a little bit different from the others, but there are always little nuggets of wisdom to take away.

Today’s guest, Mallory, is as positive as they come. She is inspired by people going out and making their purpose a lifestyle because of the vulnerability, courage and resilience this takes. And by following her passion and putting herself and her business out there, she has joined the ranks of those she admires.

Take it away, Mallory!

Name: Mallory Harte Underwood

Website: hartewood.com

Course enrollment date: July 28, 2017

Business launch date: September 10, 2017

Date hired by first client: November 27, 2017

Hours worked per week: 15

Average monthly income: $2,500

Top three services: Customer service, Project management/Operations, and Email marketing management

Hi, Mallory! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a 30-something mother of two little souls and a wife to one not-so-little soul. I love travel and wine, books and wine, human connection and wine … pretty much anything with wine. I also enjoy yoga and an active, “raw” lifestyle.

What about your business?

I believe human connection is one of the pillars of happiness in both personal and professional settings. I also believe quality customer experiences are the key to creating and fostering those connections.

Exceptional interactions with clients should challenge the status quo and become the norm. This goes for those we work with as well as the customers we engage with on their behalf.

I applaud and am inspired by those going out and making their purpose a lifestyle. It takes vulnerability, courage and resilience, and these are all truly admirable traits.

I’m striving to work with entrepreneurs and small businesses who share those beliefs by supporting them with my virtual assistant services.

A fun fact about my business name – Hartewood is a combination of my maiden name (Harte) and my married name (Underwood).

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How to Develop the 5 Most Important Business Relationships for a Writer

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I made it one of my 2018 resolutions to seek out other local writers and meet them for coffee to talk shop. I’ve been working solely by myself for a few years now, so lately I’ve been feeling the need for some in-person chats with people who already understand what I do for a living. It turns out, I’m not the only writer who’s thinking about creating connections, whether we’re talking business relationships or friendships.

Vanessa is here to share the five most important business relationships that she’s nurturing as a freelance writer.

Here’s Vanessa!

As a freelance writer, it can sometimes feel like you’re on a deserted island.

You may work from home and be isolated from In Real Life (IRL) human contact. It doesn’t have to be that way, and if you want to build your business, I recommend developing intentional relationships with the people you interact with online.

The most important relationships – the ones that make up the foundation of my freelance writing business – are the editors, other writers, public relations (PR) companies, interviewees and readers I come in contact with almost every day.

I didn’t start my business with the realization that I needed to spend time building relationships with these folks; it happened by chance.

Now, it’s part of my business model.

Here’s what it looks like for me:

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