Do you have a skill that you people are willing to pay? If you do or plan on learning a profitable skill, especially a digital skill, you can begin earning income rendering such skill to those in need of it; as a contractor that is independent. This is what freelancing entails.
The convenience of working from home, having a flexible work schedule, and taking up multiple jobs (that you can handle) at a time are some of the benefits of freelancing. Read on to discover how to become a freelancer in Nigeria.
How to start freelancing in Nigeria will be discussed below:
-
Who is a Freelancer and What is Needed to Become One?
Before we proceed to provide you with the guidelines on how to start freelancing in Nigeria, let’s first discuss who a freelancer is and what is needed to become a freelancer.
First and foremost, a freelancer is a person who is self-employed and is not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term.
As a freelancer, you can work on a contract basis for multiple companies at a time rendering your valuable skills, be it writing, photography, web designing, graphic designing, data analysis, and so on.
Having established what freelancing or freelance is, let’s outline what tools or equipment you need to become a freelancer.
However, for you to become a freelancer in Nigeria (or anywhere else), there are certain things needed to become a freelancer.
One of the things needed to become a freelance is having the skills that people are willing to pay. The skills that are best suited for freelancing are usually those that can be rendered remotely without much supervision.
Some examples of marketable skills suitable for freelancing include writing, publishing, copywriting, web design, computer programming, photography, and so much more.
Another thing needed to start freelancing is a platform where source from. There are several online platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr, where people willing to pay for a service can find those who offer such services and vice versa. Aside from these online platforms, having social media accounts increases your chances of getting gigs as your potential employers probably own social media accounts too.
A laptop or a decent smartphone and internet subscriptions are crucial to rendering freelance services, so ensure to get them. Some services such as web design and computer programming require that you have a laptop since you can’t offer such services with a smartphone.
-
How to Start Freelancing in Nigeria
Now that we’ve established who a freelancer is and the requirements to become one, let’s discuss the steps involved in starting a freelance business in Nigeria.
In this section of this article, we’d cover the following subheadings:
- Getting the capital required
- Acquiring relevant marketable skill
- Getting the necessary freelance equipment
- Creating social media accounts
- Signing up on freelancing platforms
- Getting the Capital Required
The first step towards starting the journey to become a freelancer is to get the funds you need to get the tools you would be needing to work.
Depending on which skill you want to render, your startup budget could range from N100,000 to N250,000.
To save cost, instead of buying a laptop you can go for a smartphone – if it can do the task required of you. However, some skills such as web design and computer programming require that you have a laptop. If that’s the case, you should ensure to get one.
-
Acquiring Relevant Marketable Skill
If you already have a marketable skill, work on yourself to improve on that skill. But if you don’t have a marketable skill, you’ll need to acquire one.
There are several in-demand marketable skills that you can learn, ranging from web design and computer programming to writing and data analysis, and many other skills.
You can learn any of these in-demand skills from already established experts in the field you are planning to focus on or enroll for a course on your preferred skill on any reputable online learning platforms like EDx, Coursera, and Udemy.
Depending on how fast you can learn or the scope of the skill that you want to learn, you could spend one month to three months to master a skill. We recommend you go for what you are passionate about.
-
Getting the Necessary Freelance Equipment
After you have acquired the relevant marketable skill that you intend to focus on, the next line of action is to get the necessary tools you would need to render your service.
A laptop, smartphone, workstation, internet connection, and regular power supply are some of the freelance equipment you would need.
In addition, you would need to install the relevant software and applications you would need to work on your devices. For example, if you are a writer, you would need to have word-processing apps that you’d need to work with.
-
Creating Social Media Accounts
If you’ve done all that we’ve already discussed up to this point, the next thing you need to do is to create social media accounts where you can meet your potential employers.
If you have social media accounts already optimize them to show what you do. If you are opening new social media accounts, do the same – let your social media pages show what you do.
-
Signing up on Freelancing Platforms
The final aspect because you can start freelancing is to sign up on freelancing platforms to improve your chances of getting gigs.
There are lots of freelance platforms that you can join for free. These platforms include but are not limited to Fiverr, Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Toptal, 99Designs, and FlexJobs.
Note that you may not begin getting jobs on these platforms immediately after you sign up, however, don’t despair, keep on applying for gigs and you will be lucky with time.
You can also let your friends and family members know what you. Word of mouth remains a crucial advertising practice that can positively impact your freelancing business.