As we've already seen in the survey we carried out on our Linkedin page, the number one obstacle to becoming a freelancer is the fear of not finding an assignment/client.

Invoicery France has decided to offer you a few ideas to help you take the plunge and become a freelancer!

So how do you find clients when you're a freelancer?

Having a pool of potential clients is essential if you want to ensure the survival and growth of your freelance business. But how do you go about it? Discover 10 ways to find clients as a freelancer:

• Let people know you're launching

• Work on your offer

• Register on freelance platforms

• Implement a content strategy

• Respond to calls for tender on job boards

• Form partnerships with other freelancers

• Join professional clubs

• Canvass!

• Turn your customers into ambassadors

1) Let people know you're starting out on your own

That's right! Are you becoming independent?

Tell your network! Former colleagues, former bosses, LinkedIn contacts, friends, family...

Activating your network is the first step, and that includes your family! Because there's always someone around you who knows someone who ...

Don't hesitate to contact people you know to tell them about your project. Post your new status as a freelancer on the LinkedIn network, and modify your profile accordingly so that it becomes your business card (photo, profile, banner, about, portfolio if any).

Showcase your expertise through posts.

2) Work on your offer

Before you start looking for customers, you need to know what you are going to offer them

1. What service do you offer?

2. How do you price your services?

3. What is your work process?

4. What are the advantages of working with you rather than someone else?

5. What is your credentials in your field (education, experience, achievements, etc.)?

3) Register on freelance platforms

To find freelance clients, you can register on one or more freelance platforms. These are sites that specialise in putting freelancers in touch with companies.

But beware: competition is fierce and the race to the bottom is fierce!

For freelancers, registering on these platforms is often free of charge, and a commission will be deducted from your services if you sign a contract by being put in contact on the platform.

Here are a few freelance platforms, of which there are many, from the most generalist to the most specialised:

We have selected 4 from the huge choice available:

• Malt, the largest French freelance platform. A generalist that presents itself as a sort of AirBnB for freelancers, it is highly effective for web agencies and communications agencies. Brings together over 300,000 freelancers.

• Fiverr allows you to work with freelancers from all over the world, specialising in more than 500 areas of digital expertise: graphic artists, interior designers and decorators, web developers, copywriters, translators, SEO experts, growth markers, video editors, beat-makers, musicians and more...

• Plateforme Freelance-informatique with over 100,000 profiles, the platform with the most IT & Tech registrants in France. Our positioning is very much geared towards key accounts, particularly in banking and insurance.

• Mon Consultant Indépendant, It is the latest entrant to the market, with a generalist positioning, offering around fifty assignments each month.

4) Implementing a successful content strategy

It's sometimes complicated to prospect ‘cold’ and few freelancers are comfortable with the sales prospecting part. Perhaps the solution is to get customers to come to you?

And how do you do that? By implementing a content strategy!

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, forums... Where are your potential customers? Once you've established this, you need to produce content that will interest them, make them notice you, follow you and tell them that it's in their interest to work with you.

This is Content Marketing! So it's up to you to provide them with relevant material and information: blog articles, statistics, videos, podcasts, interviews... depending on your service offering, there's a wide range of content that will help you gain visibility and establish your expertise.

However, content strategy is a medium- to long-term strategy. The first significant results will not be seen for a few weeks, or even months!

5) Keep an eye on job boards

Freelance assignment offers are often published on job boards. In fact, companies that are used to using these sites to recruit their staff take advantage of them to publish assignment advertisements when they are looking for freelance experts.

Don't hesitate to set up alerts on these sites!

6) Build a network of contacts with other freelancers

Don't think of other freelancers in the same profession as competitors, but rather as potential partners, especially if they've been around longer than you.

And there are always possible connections for the same project or subcontracting.

Take part in events for self-employed people in your sector or work in coworking spaces to create opportunities for meetings and exchanges.

Everyone has a community, a network that can benefit the other. It's also an opportunity to work together on projects and break out of the isolation of freelancing.

7) Join professional clubs

BNI, UPE, DCF, Club Premium, Dynabuy ... don't all these words ring a bell? Then you're going to have to learn!

In every town there are professional clubs or groups that get together to do business! In fact, they encourage business between club members, which means that everyone can benefit from interesting growth levers!

8) Canvass!

There are several ways of prospecting, depending on your service offering: Linkedin, face-to-face canvassing, telephone canvassing or emailing. It all depends on you and how good you are at it!

Canvassing by email is the simplest and least intrusive. Prospects can consult and respond to it whenever they want.

9) Turn your customers into ambassadors

One satisfied customer can bring you ten more. This is the power of recommendation and social proof!

If your customers are satisfied with the service you provide, they can recommend you to their network. They will then become ambassadors for you.

Don't forget that the evolution of internet practices is putting social proof first! It has become an important lever for conversion: it is reassuring for a prospect to see that other customers have used your services and are satisfied.

Here are a few tips to help you find clients as a freelancer. This list is not exhaustive and we can add to it!

Final tip: don't fight on all fronts!

Choose a few levers to activate and concentrate on them!