Your first freelance assignment: what you need before looking for clients

Getting your first client as a freelancer is exciting. It can also be quite daunting.

Suddenly, someone is willing to pay you to design a logo, edit a video, take some photos, write some texts, or create a website. And all the doubts appear at once: how much do I charge?, how do I present my work?, do I need a contract?, what if they ask for endless changes?

You don’t need to have a perfect brand, an office, or ten years of experience to start. But it is advisable to prepare some things before looking for clients. That way, when the first opportunity comes, you won’t have to improvise everything in five minutes.

Be clear about what service you will offer

Saying “I do a bit of everything” may seem like an advantage, but it helps a potential client more to know exactly how you can help them.

Try to summarize your service in a simple sentence:

• I design visual identities for small projects.
• I edit short videos for TikTok and Instagram.
• I create websites for professionals and local businesses.
• I take product photos for online stores.
• I write content for blogs and social networks.

It doesn’t have to be a decision for life. It’s simply a way to explain what you do now and make it easier for the right people to think of you when they need that service.

Prepare a portfolio, even if you don’t have clients yet

Here comes the usual block: you need projects to get clients, but you need clients to have projects.

The solution is to create your own samples.

You can redesign the identity of a fictional business, prepare a campaign for an invented brand, edit a video with your own material, or create a website for a personal project. The important thing is that these works show what you know how to do and the type of orders you would like to receive.

In each project, you can briefly explain:

• What the idea was.
• What problem you wanted to solve.
• What decisions you made.
• What the result was.

You don’t need to publish twenty works. Three well-presented projects say much more than a folder full of files without context.

You can also apply some principles of copywriting to clearly explain what you do and who you can help.

Create a space to gather your work

You can start by showing your projects on Instagram, TikTok, Behance, or LinkedIn. However, having your own website allows you to gather everything in a place you control.

It doesn’t have to be a huge or complicated website. If you don’t know where to start, you can check out this guide to creating a website from scratch. To start, it can have only:

• A brief introduction.
• The services you offer.
• Three or four projects.
• A way to contact you.

Your website can also grow with you. Today it can be a simple portfolio, and tomorrow it can include success stories, testimonials, indicative rates, or a form to request a quote.

Additionally, registering a domain with your name, alias, or brand makes your work easier to find and remember. With cdmon, you can register your domain and choose a hosting plan to publish your space on the Internet. If you’re still not sure what name to use, check out our guide on how to choose a domain for your project.

Use an email you can maintain long-term

An address like hello@yourname.com is easier to associate with your project than an account created years ago with a random name.

Having an email with your own domain also allows you to separate personal messages from professional ones and build a more coherent identity.

It doesn’t mean you have to behave like a huge company: it simply helps to organize conversations and for your clients to easily identify your messages.

You can create simple addresses like:

• hello@yourname.com
• contact@yourname.com
• projects@yourname.com

Decide how you will calculate your prices

There is no universal rate for all freelancers. The price depends on the type of work, the time required, your experience, the difficulty of the project, and the value you provide.

Before talking to clients, calculate at least a reference. Consider:

• The hours you will need.
• The time spent on meetings and messages.
• The tools or resources you will have to pay for.
• The number of proposals and revisions included.
• The taxes and other expenses related to your activity.

Avoid setting a price just thinking: “Since it’s my first client, I’ll charge anything.” Starting doesn’t mean your time has no value.

You can also prepare simple packages. For example:

• Logo design.
• Basic visual identity.
• Complete visual identity.

That way, the client can better understand what they receive in each option, and you avoid starting each budget from scratch.

Prepare a budget template

A “yes, I’ll do it for 200 euros” sent by message leaves too many questions open.

A simple budget should indicate:

• What work you will do.
• What materials the client must provide you.
• What the price includes.
• How many revisions are included.
• How long it will approximately take.
• When and how the payment will be made.
• How long the proposal will be valid.

It’s also advisable to clarify what is not included. For example, if the budget covers the design of a website but not the writing of its texts or the creation of photographs.

The clearer it is from the beginning, the less likely you are to hear the dreaded: “Since we’re at it, can you also add this?”

Use a contract, even with acquaintances

A contract is not a sign of distrust. It serves so that both parties know what has been agreed upon.

The document can include aspects such as:

• The scope of the project.
• The expected dates.
• The payment method.
• The cancellation conditions.
• The number of changes included.
• When the final files will be delivered.
• Who will be able to use the work and how.

This is also important if the client is a friend, a family member, or someone you know from class. Precisely in those cases, it’s easy to assume things and end up understanding something different.

Depending on the type of order, it may be advisable to request a portion of the payment before starting and the rest upon delivery of the work. Always leave that condition agreed upon in writing.

Define what your work process will be like

You don’t need to set up a complicated system. You just need to know what will happen from the moment someone contacts you until the project is completed.

A basic process could be:

1. The client explains what they need.
2. You ask some questions to understand the order.
3. You send the budget and conditions.
4. Both parties accept the project.
5. You receive the first payment, if agreed upon.
6. You start working.
7. You present the proposal and make the included revisions.
8. You deliver the final files.
9. You send the invoice and close the project.

Having these steps clear will help you appear more professional, but above all, it will save you a lot of chaos.

Set limits before you need them

Working as a freelancer doesn’t mean being available 24 hours a day.

Before accepting orders, think about how you want to manage:

• Your response times.
• The meetings.
• Urgent requests.
• Additional changes.
• Messages during the weekend.
• Delays caused by the lack of client materials.

You can be flexible without turning every project into an emergency. If a request falls outside of what was agreed upon, you can prepare an additional budget or extend the deadline.

Saying “this wasn’t included, but I can add it for this price” is better than accepting all changes and ending up working many more hours than planned.

Find out how to invoice your work

Before charging for an order, you must know the tax and administrative obligations applicable to your situation and your country.

In Spain, the start of a professional activity must be communicated to the Tax Agency through the corresponding census registration before starting operations. The Social Security, for its part, includes in the self-employed regime those who carry out a lucrative economic activity in a habitual, personal, and direct manner.

Don’t rely solely on phrases like “if you earn less than a certain amount, it doesn’t matter.” Each situation can be different. If you have doubts, consult with an accounting firm or a professional before issuing your first invoice.

If you are a minor, you will also need to review what procedures you can carry out and what authorization may be necessary.

Prepare a simple way to receive orders

Don’t force those who want to work with you to investigate how to find you.

Include a clear call to action on your website or portfolio:

Do you have a project in mind? Tell me what you need, what your deadline is, and what your approximate budget is.

You can also prepare a small form with these questions:

• What is the project about?
• What exactly do you need?
• When do you need it by?
• Do you have an indicative budget?
• Where can I see information about your project or brand?

These answers will allow you to know if the order fits with you before organizing a meeting.

Checklist before looking for your first client

You don’t need to have everything perfect, but try to have this foundation:

• A service you can explain in one sentence.
• Several samples of your work.
• A portfolio or a simple website.
• A professional email address.
• Reference prices.
• A budget template.
• A basic contract.
• A defined work process.
• A method to control payments and invoices.
• Information about your tax obligations.

Don’t wait to feel completely prepared

Almost no one feels prepared for their first order. There will always be something you still don’t know how to do, a tool you don’t master, or a situation you hadn’t foreseen.

The idea is not to have a professional studio set up before sending your first message. It’s to have a foundation that allows you to show what you do, explain how you work, and avoid the most common problems.

Start with something small: choose your best projects, register a name that represents you, and create a space where they can find you. With cdmon, you can shape your portfolio and have your own place on the Internet so that when that first client arrives, they know exactly who you are and what you can do for their project.