Independents/freelancers: how do you find new business?
I struggle with this myself. And after speaking to dozens of independents, they either rely on word of mouth from previous contracts or have the one long term contract and hope it doesn’t end.
But that’s not actionable for acquiring new business, it’s kinda like waiting for the rain to fall.
Then there is the crowd that sells LinkedIn masterclasses where posting everyday just the right AI generated words will generate infinite inbound messages and business opportunities, they promise.
I don’t believe in the LinkedIn miracle, I think these courses are a scam.
But I don’t have an alternative either and need to acquire new business to remain financially sustainable.
I do custom software engineering (custom line of business applications) on my own, and devops + infra with a couple of friends (we each have a specialty and we split the work based on our strengths)
So, independent tilderinos, how do you find new business and keep your business afloat?
Word of mouth for me too… My wife is also a freelancer (ghostwriter) and she did an honest effort to source leads through LinkedIn but got nothing out of it. For her it turned out happy and thus returning customers and word of mouth were also the way to go.
For me it’s a bit different. I have my own uncommissioned project where I publish a new long form video interview every month (and have been doing so for the last ten years) which gives me immense exposure and generates leads for my freelance work. If I remember the buzzwords from my old days in the advertising world correctly that would be called a kind of content marketing, maybe? But I think the only reason it works so well is because to me it isn’t content marketing but an ongoing art project.
I like the way you frame it as waiting for the rain to fall. That honestly feels like a large part of my strategy (or not strategy but my fate) as well. The more actionable part is just really connecting with people. That takes time but it also is a lot of fun. Whenever I feel like it, I email some past contacts and ask them out for a coffee. Or if I discover someone who is doing really interesting things, I invite them over for coffee. Sourcing work is not the target of those coffees. Although I will mention the kind of work they can ask me for at the end of our coffee, if it was fun. But just getting to know these people and understand there work is where it all starts from for me.
In any case: I wish you all the best. And I applaud you for being critical about the LinkedIn mirage that is presented to you as being the solution. :)
I have been incredibly fortunate to have found nearly all of my clients via word-of-mouth, and twice by someone chasing me out of a building. I am forever thankful for this good fortune, as I am not good at promoting myself, which seems like a critical flaw for a self-employed person. I have found that sporadically contacting past clients has resulted in renewed business or referrals, but you already know that all of this is unhelpful to someone who is just starting out.
Occasionally, when I am unable to accommodate a client, they will ask if I know anyone else who can help them. Perhaps you can network with other independents in your line of work and ask them to throw a lead or two your way when they are overloaded.
Have you considered targeted ads? On Facebook, I see many ads for my services. Some of them have an impressive number of views, but I don't know the conversion rate.
In any case, it may take a while for you to build up a sufficient client base to support yourself without an alternative source of income or some savings. I hope it works out for you!