You can be the best designer in the world, but if no one knows you offer your services, you won’t find work. As a freelance designer, the first thing to think about is how and where to promote your services. As a freelance designer, one of your initial steps should be to publish your portfolio online for everyone to see.

There are countless websites that let you establish a web presence through their website; this is a less expensive option to having a website built and frequently increases your exposure to the design market. There are hundreds of websites, in addition to portfolio websites, where freelancers can register, bid on different projects, and market their services. If you’re really committed to your career, you should also think about talking to local design firms in your area who might outsource a lot of their work.

You’ll have the upper hand when making a project pitch if you have both an electronic and paper portfolio. If at all possible, keep a hard copy of your portfolio (print work). To do your designs justice, always keep your portfolio in top shape and print all of your work on premium paper.

If you’re seriously considering purchasing a diary planner, Microsoft’s Outlook express is a great choice. Organization is the key in all spheres of life. Utilizing an application like Outlook gives you access to a fantastic calendar with reminders and, more importantly, a location to keep all of your contacts. You must make it a priority to maintain a complete, backup contact list. We won’t even consider the terrible possibility of losing our clients’ phone numbers.

If you have advanced to the point where you must actually present a pitch to a client, be sure to be organized and ready. The most crucial thing to do is to make sure that you fully comprehend the proposed contract and that your presentation is focused on it. Nothing is more upsetting for me than losing contracts because the presentation I prepared was not what the client wanted.

You could also take the approach of hiring an agent, though this has both advantages and disadvantages. The main drawback would be that they would deduct a portion of your fee, but a good agent would bring in plenty of business and could help you become more well-known. Most agents have good relationships with a lot of high-end clients, so you might work on an exciting, well-known project that helps your career soar.

The best advice for any freelancer is to maintain your focus and keep going because your dream contract is close at hand.