10 Popular Freelance Business Ideas You Can Start Today

April 30, 2019
45 Comments

Last Updated on May 17, 2021 by NandiNN

Best Freelance Business Ideas that Rock

If you are a creative entrepreneur and you are looking for freelance business ideas to make money, we have you covered today!

We have an amazing guest post that you are just going to love.

She spent 13 years as a business consultant in large companies throughout the world. She knew her job very well and was pretty good at it.

However, all she wanted to do was to quit the 9-5 day job and start doing what she really loved: Writing Books.

While still working full-time at her office job, Joanna Penn read a lot of self-help books about how to become a happier person. For her, a truly happy life meant quitting her job because she was miserable in it, so she decided to make this uneasy step after being in the industry for 13 years.

Soon after, she wrote her very own first book, she discovered that the publishing industry was extremely slow, so she made another courageous step and self-publish.

That was 2006, which means no Kindle and an eBook market still in its infancy.

Penn did it anyway, and even though she didn’t sell a single copy of her first book, her talent and perseverance helped her to succeed.

She started her own website and a YouTube channel just two years after her first book and that’s when her business really started to take off.

Now, she is a multi-six-figure entrepreneur and a well-known author with numerous bestsellers.

Would you like to quit your current job and start your freelance business, too?

In this article, we have compiled a list of ten popular freelance business ideas that can inspire you to make that first step and finally begin doing what you love.

But before we get started on freelance business ideas to make extra money, we would love for you to join our growing Facebook group right here! Be sure to give us a quick follow on Instagram as well!

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How do I start a freelance business?

We are going to share a few ways you can either start your own freelance business or get experience becoming a freelancer.

Freelancers can make a lot of money depending on what field they do decide to tackle.

Now you are here because you have the following questions:

What is a freelance business?
How can I start freelance with no experience?
What freelance jobs can I do?
How much money can you make as a freelancer?

Freelance is such a great way to make extra money working from home.

It is a lucrative way to make money as a self-employed entrepreneur and you are bound to be successful if you put your mind and soul into it.

Your ideal client is small business owners that are looking for independent help to grow their businesses.

Marketing yourself as a virtual assistant or design consultant, for example, is a popular way to attract an online business that is interested in hiring out for small projects.

Starting A Freelance Career

Before you quit your 9-5 full-time job you need to know and understand what you are getting into by starting a freelance career!

Choosing to quit your job to start a freelance career is truly a dream for many people. This means, no crazy work hours, no boss to report to, flexible work hours and a way to make your own money.

But do keep in mind that even though you have no boss or crazy hours, technically your clients or audience are your new bosses.

You have to do everything you can to please them in order to get paid. In some cases, you might even have to work more to meet the demand and hopefully get paid.

So what are the best business ideas to make money?

Freelance Business Ideas You Will Love

We have put together a list of freelance business ideas that we believe you will love and can attempt.

If you are a freelance professional with a passion for starting a business or a career, any of these business ideas below will do.

1. Professional Blogger

Since we started this article with the story of a successful blogger, it makes only perfect sense to start with this freelance business idea.

When Joanna began her freelance career in 2005, the idea of making money with a personal or lifestyle blog wasn’t quite popular as it is today.

But now, the internet is full of good blogging tips and tools and tips on starting profitable blogs.

To maximize the chance of succeeding as a freelance blogger, you need to determine your niche and, more importantly, choose to write about something you truly love.

If Joanna started her business writing about business consulting, chances are that she would have lost her motivation pretty quickly, and therefore, might have failed altogether.

Natalie MacLean, for example, combined her two interests to create a popular blog about wine reviews.

So far, her determination and perseverance helped her write over 309,417 reviews and obtain 269,176 registered followers.

And, boy, her reviews are indeed insightful, unique, and makes us want to become wine enthusiast every time we read them.

Something as easy as finding your passion can help you come with some freelance business ideas that can become profitable.

Writing about something you have an interest in provides you with the much-needed motivation to move on, which is something that you’ll need.

For tips about writing in a concise and reader-friendly manner, you can always turn to professional online tools like TrustMyPaper.

Learn, set up a blog, write great content, sell guides and eBooks, get into affiliate marketing, and the success will follow.

To learn more about how to turn your side hustle blog into a successful business, continue to follow all the tips on this blog!

2. Professional Organizer

Let me begin with a quick story about another incredible female entrepreneur who has a degree in film but eventually left the field to become a professional organizer.

In her childhood, Julie Naylon found it more than categorizing her toys than playing with them, so when she had a chance to pursue her passion for organizing as a freelancer, the decision was quick and easy.

If you have a passion for helping people clear the clutter and be more organized, this is something that you can do.

In fact, you can make a real impact on the lives of many people; take Naylon for example. She appeared in Marie Claire, Daily Candy, and even The Conan O’Brien show.

They don’t just feature people there for nothing, right?

Naylon does residential and office organizing, and here’s how she prefers to approach her projects.

Just notice how passionately she talks about this (once again, the key is to do something you love). No wonder this incredible individual is so successful when she does.

Come with freelance business ideas that revolve around what you are truly good at as well as passionate about.

3. Start A Logo Design Firm

Did you know that one of the most well-known logos in the world, the iconic Nike’s Swoosh logo, was designed by a woman?

Indeed, a female graphic designer Carolyn Davidson is credited with the creation of the logo in 1971 (by the way, she did that while she was a Portland State University student looking for extra cash and got about $200 in 2019 U.S. dollars).

Indeed, graphic design, and logo design, in particular, is something that women are really good at.

If you love graphic design, consider registering at freelance job boards like Upwork and Freelancer.com but don’t forget about traditional job boards like Indeed, because most of them allow searching for freelance jobs only.

The average pay of freelance graphic artists is $22.70 per hour, according to Indeed, so it’s just as rewarding as a 9-to-5 work gig!

4. Make-Up Artist

This is what women do best, so if you’re into make-up art, too, then turn this into a freelance business idea that might be a good money-making opportunity.

You’ve probably seen lots of make-up artist tutorials on YouTube and websites of freelance professionals like Clare Hogan, which is good evidence that the industry is growing quickly and many people are interested in various make-up techniques that creative artists have to offer.

Clare Hogan, a successful freelance make-up artist specializing in bridal and occasional make-up

A search for “Freelance make-up artist” on Indeed returns 198 jobs, which is pretty good.

Take note that another popular job board, Zip Recruiter, estimates an average annual salary for the position at $46,693, so there’s definitely no shortage of good jobs here.

5. Professional Photographer

When we think about women and professional photography, we think about Annie Leibovitz.

While it’s certainly reasonable to think about the second highest-earning photographer in the world (who, by the way, teaches a photography class at Masterclass), there are many more other women whose passion and conviction have helped to shape photography into incredible art.

A famous photo of Leonardo DiCaprio made by Annie Leibovitz

If you’d like to join this amazing industry, you’ll have to learn the craft as well as some photo editing software.

As for the freelance photography gigs, you can find them at such websites as the above-mentioned Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and Fiverr.

And don’t be afraid to submit applications.

Fast Company cited a PeoplePerHour study that found that female freelancers were actually more successful at getting projects than males, with 58 percent of gigs on the platform secured by women.

6. Freelancing As An Online Tutor

Online teaching and tutoring are very popular.

The proliferation of online courses didn’t diminish the need for qualified tutors in a wide variety of subjects; in fact, there are many countries around the world facing teacher shortages as well as people looking for professional with experience in specific areas.

For example, it’s a well-known fact that China faces a serious shortage of English teachers, so there’s no shortage of freelance teaching work there.

Numbers say that licensed teachers could earn up to $3,300 per month, which is pretty good.

So if you enjoy educating people, consider one-on-one with kids and adults in your free time.

7. Coder

I’ve always known that many women code, but when I’ve come across an article called “15 Female Web Developers To Follow On Instagram” as well as some freelance job postings where female programmers were preferred, I started to really realize that there’s an enormous community of women in the industry.

If you’ve been fascinated by coding, getting into the field is as easy as ever. In addition to a wide variety of online courses on programming, there are at least 21 well-known organizations that teach women how the skills they need to succeed in coding.

Jelena Jovanovic, a web developer, JavaScript and web motion lover, and Instagram influencer

A lot of gigs can be found on the above-mentioned freelance job boards, and I can tell you confidently that there’s no shortage of projects to apply for.

As you can see, they are many girl bosses that have come up with amazing freelance business ideas so you have no excuse.

8. Fitness Trainer

We have all these fitness apps, but the effectiveness of a real fitness trainer is pretty difficult to match.

Women are excellent trainers, they are able to deliver the motivation and expertise needed by both men and women to achieve their personal fitness goals.

Of course, you should get a certificate to work in this industry, but it’s really now with organizations like International Fitness Organization and International Sports Sciences Association that provides certifications online so you can get it from anywhere.

9. Private Chef (Caterer)

Freelance catering services are getting more and more popular all around the world, so if you have chef experience, check out what freelance job boards have to offer.

For example, Caterer.com search returned 41 freelance options, with some of them paying up to $20 per hour + benefits.

Also, you can register on sites like Hire A Chef for direct contact with customers.

Feel free to take a look at Mariana Leoni, a New York-based private chef’s website for inspiration and tips on how successful female caterers work and achieve success.

While you can start applying for catering jobs at online job boards or networks to find someone who needs these services, investing in your own website is something that I highly recommend.

A good website will do a good job of representing you as a professional and lets people know about what you do so they know that you’re a perfect fit for them.

10. Freelance Project Manager

The Freelancing opportunities in this area are excellent, with Indeed and Glassdoor searches for “Freelance project manager” returning 246 and 369 options, respectively.

After comparing the hourly rates of office-based and freelance project managers, I can confidently claim that they are almost equal, so becoming an independent worker should provide you with the same kind of compensation.

Over to You

A decision to start a freelance business is a good idea regardless of how many years you’ve been working as an office-based employee.

Penn wasn’t afraid to do it after 13 years, and look where she is now.

Certainly, no regrets there.

Having provided the ten options in this article, I thought I’d provide you with some inspirational examples of successful women working in their fields and making an impact in the lives of others.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re serious about starting your own freelance business, so I hope that this piece will be useful to you to make a great choice for your future.

What popular freelance business ideas will you start today?

We would love to hear it!

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