- PPF Points
- 4,640
# Freelancing 101: How to Get Your First Online Client (Without a Portfolio)
So you wanna make money online—join the club, right? But every time you even think about freelancing, there’s this nasty little voice in your head going, “Uh, hold on, who’d pay you? You don’t have a single sample to show.” Relatable? Honestly, same. That whole “portfolio panic” is practically a rite of passage in the freelance world.
Here’s the secret nobody tells you: Most first-time freelancers don’t have a polished portfolio. Heck, half of them don’t even have a LinkedIn headshot that isn’t a terrible selfie. You can get that first client even if you’ve never sent a single invoice—you just gotta be a little scrappy, a little clever, and way less hard on yourself.
Hang tight. We’re about to bulldoze through the anxiety and get you paid.
---
## Wait—What Even Is Freelancing? (Spoiler: It’s Kinda Awesome)
Freelancing is pretty simple: you put a price tag on your skills, slap them online, and people hire you for gigs. Nobody’s your boss. You decide when you work, where you work, if you wanna do it in sweatpants (honestly, who doesn’t?).
Here’s what folks are selling these days:
If you can do it on a laptop, someone needs it done. And with the internet blowing up—like, more than ever—there’s a shocking amount of stuff to work on. Not to go all “fun facts” on you, but freelancing is a trillion-dollar industry now. One and a half billion people do it. That’s nearly every third person you see on the train scrolling on their phone (if it’s not just endless doom scrolling, bet it’s Upwork).
And guess what? There isn’t some super-secret degree, or magic badge gatekeeping you. Just guts, Google, and honestly, a bit of “fake it ‘til you make it.”
---
## Step 1: Pick A Skill (Stick to Just One—Seriously)
Resist the urge to say you’re “a writer and a designer and a dog walker and also I code a bit…” That’s rookie stuff. Instead, pick one thing you either already know, or can learn fast. Trust me, focus wins.
No real skills yet? No problem. I present to you, blessed child of the internet, the shortcut list:
| Skill | Learn It (Mostly Free) |
|--------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Blogging | HubSpot Academy, Medium posts |
| Social Media Mgmt | YouTube rabbit holes, Buffer guides |
| Virtual Assistant | YouTube binge, Udemy freebies |
| Graphic Design | Free Canva tutorials |
| Data Entry | Google Sheets, Coursera crash courses |
| AI Stuff | ChatGPT mini-lessons |
Here’s the real trick: go niche. Instead of “writer,” be “email copywriter for fitness coaches.” Instead of “designer,” pick “logo designer for vegan bakeries.” Hyper specific sells, and no one asks how many clients you’ve had—they just want to know you get their world.
---
## Step 2: The “Fake” Portfolio Move (Works Every Time)
This hack’s so good it feels illegal.
Can’t show real work? Make it up. Seriously. Pick a pretend client, do the work as if they hired you.
Need ideas?
Dump all these beautiful, totally made-up masterpieces in a Google Drive, Notion, or Canva folder. Share that link like it’s gold. To clients, it is.
Would someone eventually find out you did sample work? Maybe. Would anyone care? Nah. Most freelancers have been there.
Bonus cheat code: Use ChatGPT or any AI toy to help brainstorm or polish samples. Just don’t let it write your “About Me” page. That stuff always reads like a robot at a job interview.
---
## Step 3: Pitch Like You Don’t Actually Need ‘Em
Here’s the mistake everyone makes—they grovel. Nobody hires the freelancer who’s practically apologizing for existing. You want them to see you as a fixer, not a favor.
Try something like:
Short. Confident. Not a whiff of desperation. The little sample proves you can deliver. (And if you really wanna score points, point out a little improvement or idea just for them.)
If you sound like you’re selling encyclopedias door-to-door, stop and start over.
---
## Step 4: Go Where The Hungry Clients Hang Out
Don’t waste your time shouting into the Twitter void. Don’t DM your Facebook friends (unless you wanna get ghosted at the next BBQ). Instead, plant yourself where clients are already hunting freelancers.
Here’s the big five:
1. Upwork – It’s not rocket science, but a proper profile with your fake portfolio’s gonna win gigs. Pick jobs with fewer applicants.
2. Fiverr – List your service as a “gig.” Throw in keywords people search for, like “SEO blog post for tech startups.”
3. Facebook Groups – Find groups like “[your niche] for entrepreneurs.” Answer questions, toss a helpful sample, DM tactfully (don’t be spammy).
4. Reddit – Subs like r/forhire, r/freelance, r/hireawriter are goldmines. Respond to job posts, don’t just advertise.
5. LinkedIn – Not just for suits. Post a quick sample or insight every week, DM businesses with a clever, light touch.
Pro tip: Skip job boards with thousands of applicants; start with the weird forums and tiny Facebook groups. Less noise, more love.
---
## Step 5: Turn That First Gig Into A Real Career
Getting paid once? Cool. Turning it into your day job? That’s the move.
Do these:
Referrals are how freelancers stay alive. One $50 blog post? Maybe not career money. Five referrals from that? That’s rent. That’s beers on Friday.
---
## Quickfire Q&A (Because You’re Still Worrying, Aren’t You?)
Q: Do people actually pay new freelancers with no proof?
A: Every single day. The market is big, and some clients just want someone reliable, not Insta-famous.
Q: What if someone ghosts me after I send a sample?
A: Welcome to freelancing. Shake it off, send another pitch. If it keeps happening, ask for partial payment before you share samples.
Q: How do I stop feeling like an impostor?
A: You are an impostor—everyone is at first. Bluff just enough to get that first gig, then suddenly, look at you, a real freelancer. Fake it. Then actually make it.
Q: When do I raise my rates?
A: After 3-5 gigs, or whenever you don’t feel nervous quoting double. Simple as that.
---
## Final Words (And A Funny Truth)
Real talk: Pretty much every freelancer you see bragging on LinkedIn started with absolutely nothing but a half-baked idea and maybe a Gmail account. Nobody starts with experience—experience is what you get after someone trusts you enough to give you a shot.
So go make your fake portfolio. Pitch clients like you’re doing them a favor, not the other way around. Stack some gigs. Bank the testimonials. Then upgrade your website, headshot, and all the rest. Or don’t. I won’t tell.
And if you ever doubt yourself, remember: somewhere, right now, a dude is making a living just writing descriptions for dog Halloween costumes. You’re gonna be fine.
Now, go get that bag.
So you wanna make money online—join the club, right? But every time you even think about freelancing, there’s this nasty little voice in your head going, “Uh, hold on, who’d pay you? You don’t have a single sample to show.” Relatable? Honestly, same. That whole “portfolio panic” is practically a rite of passage in the freelance world.
Here’s the secret nobody tells you: Most first-time freelancers don’t have a polished portfolio. Heck, half of them don’t even have a LinkedIn headshot that isn’t a terrible selfie. You can get that first client even if you’ve never sent a single invoice—you just gotta be a little scrappy, a little clever, and way less hard on yourself.
Hang tight. We’re about to bulldoze through the anxiety and get you paid.
---
## Wait—What Even Is Freelancing? (Spoiler: It’s Kinda Awesome)
Freelancing is pretty simple: you put a price tag on your skills, slap them online, and people hire you for gigs. Nobody’s your boss. You decide when you work, where you work, if you wanna do it in sweatpants (honestly, who doesn’t?).
Here’s what folks are selling these days:
- Content writing
- Social media management
- Web design
- Data entry
- Video editing
- Virtual assistant stuff
- Voiceovers (yup, even the guy who narrates squirrel TikToks)
If you can do it on a laptop, someone needs it done. And with the internet blowing up—like, more than ever—there’s a shocking amount of stuff to work on. Not to go all “fun facts” on you, but freelancing is a trillion-dollar industry now. One and a half billion people do it. That’s nearly every third person you see on the train scrolling on their phone (if it’s not just endless doom scrolling, bet it’s Upwork).
And guess what? There isn’t some super-secret degree, or magic badge gatekeeping you. Just guts, Google, and honestly, a bit of “fake it ‘til you make it.”
---
## Step 1: Pick A Skill (Stick to Just One—Seriously)
Resist the urge to say you’re “a writer and a designer and a dog walker and also I code a bit…” That’s rookie stuff. Instead, pick one thing you either already know, or can learn fast. Trust me, focus wins.
No real skills yet? No problem. I present to you, blessed child of the internet, the shortcut list:
| Skill | Learn It (Mostly Free) |
|--------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Blogging | HubSpot Academy, Medium posts |
| Social Media Mgmt | YouTube rabbit holes, Buffer guides |
| Virtual Assistant | YouTube binge, Udemy freebies |
| Graphic Design | Free Canva tutorials |
| Data Entry | Google Sheets, Coursera crash courses |
| AI Stuff | ChatGPT mini-lessons |
Here’s the real trick: go niche. Instead of “writer,” be “email copywriter for fitness coaches.” Instead of “designer,” pick “logo designer for vegan bakeries.” Hyper specific sells, and no one asks how many clients you’ve had—they just want to know you get their world.
---
## Step 2: The “Fake” Portfolio Move (Works Every Time)
This hack’s so good it feels illegal.
Can’t show real work? Make it up. Seriously. Pick a pretend client, do the work as if they hired you.
Need ideas?
- Write a blog post for an imaginary CrossFit gym. Title it something clickbaity, like “5 Foods Making Your Abs Mutiny.”
- Toss together a logo for a made-up juice bar. (No one’s checking if “Squeeze It” is real.)
- Record yourself reading the weather—congrats, you’re a voiceover artist.
Dump all these beautiful, totally made-up masterpieces in a Google Drive, Notion, or Canva folder. Share that link like it’s gold. To clients, it is.
Would someone eventually find out you did sample work? Maybe. Would anyone care? Nah. Most freelancers have been there.
Bonus cheat code: Use ChatGPT or any AI toy to help brainstorm or polish samples. Just don’t let it write your “About Me” page. That stuff always reads like a robot at a job interview.
---
## Step 3: Pitch Like You Don’t Actually Need ‘Em
Here’s the mistake everyone makes—they grovel. Nobody hires the freelancer who’s practically apologizing for existing. You want them to see you as a fixer, not a favor.
Try something like:
Short. Confident. Not a whiff of desperation. The little sample proves you can deliver. (And if you really wanna score points, point out a little improvement or idea just for them.)
If you sound like you’re selling encyclopedias door-to-door, stop and start over.
---
## Step 4: Go Where The Hungry Clients Hang Out
Don’t waste your time shouting into the Twitter void. Don’t DM your Facebook friends (unless you wanna get ghosted at the next BBQ). Instead, plant yourself where clients are already hunting freelancers.
Here’s the big five:
1. Upwork – It’s not rocket science, but a proper profile with your fake portfolio’s gonna win gigs. Pick jobs with fewer applicants.
2. Fiverr – List your service as a “gig.” Throw in keywords people search for, like “SEO blog post for tech startups.”
3. Facebook Groups – Find groups like “[your niche] for entrepreneurs.” Answer questions, toss a helpful sample, DM tactfully (don’t be spammy).
4. Reddit – Subs like r/forhire, r/freelance, r/hireawriter are goldmines. Respond to job posts, don’t just advertise.
5. LinkedIn – Not just for suits. Post a quick sample or insight every week, DM businesses with a clever, light touch.
Pro tip: Skip job boards with thousands of applicants; start with the weird forums and tiny Facebook groups. Less noise, more love.
---
## Step 5: Turn That First Gig Into A Real Career
Getting paid once? Cool. Turning it into your day job? That’s the move.
Do these:
- Nail the deadline. Like, send it early if you can. People never forget if you ghost.
- Overdeliver. Toss in a bonus (extra tip, better formatting, whatever).
- Ask for a testimonial—immediately after you wow ‘em.
- Politely ask if they know anyone else who needs your skills.
- Keep chatting every month or so, just to stay on their radar.
Referrals are how freelancers stay alive. One $50 blog post? Maybe not career money. Five referrals from that? That’s rent. That’s beers on Friday.
---
## Quickfire Q&A (Because You’re Still Worrying, Aren’t You?)
Q: Do people actually pay new freelancers with no proof?
A: Every single day. The market is big, and some clients just want someone reliable, not Insta-famous.
Q: What if someone ghosts me after I send a sample?
A: Welcome to freelancing. Shake it off, send another pitch. If it keeps happening, ask for partial payment before you share samples.
Q: How do I stop feeling like an impostor?
A: You are an impostor—everyone is at first. Bluff just enough to get that first gig, then suddenly, look at you, a real freelancer. Fake it. Then actually make it.
Q: When do I raise my rates?
A: After 3-5 gigs, or whenever you don’t feel nervous quoting double. Simple as that.
---
## Final Words (And A Funny Truth)
Real talk: Pretty much every freelancer you see bragging on LinkedIn started with absolutely nothing but a half-baked idea and maybe a Gmail account. Nobody starts with experience—experience is what you get after someone trusts you enough to give you a shot.
So go make your fake portfolio. Pitch clients like you’re doing them a favor, not the other way around. Stack some gigs. Bank the testimonials. Then upgrade your website, headshot, and all the rest. Or don’t. I won’t tell.
And if you ever doubt yourself, remember: somewhere, right now, a dude is making a living just writing descriptions for dog Halloween costumes. You’re gonna be fine.
Now, go get that bag.