How to become a full-time freelancer in fashion

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How to become a full-time freelancer in fashion

Side hustles have become a booming business over the past decade. Increasing your income can be as simple as spending a few hours a week on food delivery or taxi services like Uber or Deliveroo, all the way to professional services like custom marketing campaigns, creative design or teaching.

One of the most appealing aspects of a side business is its flexibility, and one of the most popular industries to open a side business is fashion. It’s not just about designing clothes – your skills can vary wildly and still apply to running your own brand or freelancing for a fashion brand.

Photo by Kitti Incédi on Unsplash

You can devote as much or as little time to your work as you want, but you can also be busy as you go. But if you want to take it a step further, how do you upgrade to a full-time freelancer in the fashion industry?

If you want to take your side hustle more seriously, things will be different. Totally freelancing is tough. Customers are harder to acquire (especially in fashion retail), they are generally harder to please, and competition is fierce.

Often the difference in who they choose to work with comes down to reputation and branding, not just being the best or most original in what you do. Thankfully, the internet and a little knowledge can give you the tools you need to grow your fashion-based side hustle the right way — and put you on the right path to a full-time future.

1. Find your X-factor

We’re not suggesting that you need to start singing or come up with a crazy USP to advertise your services. However, knowing your niche is an important first step to a full-time job. Being too broad—for example, going all-in on a clothing brand because you sell a few shirts you make yourself—can make it difficult to get noticed and satisfy consumers. Since freelance profits are so much tighter, isolate what you do best and try to build your business around it.

Here’s another example – if you’re considering a career in freelance writing or graphic design, offering to create or write “anything” won’t necessarily win clients. Take a look at the skills and expertise you have today. The fashion industry is very concerned with changing trends and seasonal changes, and living and breathing this world is important to stay relevant.

If you want to differentiate your brand from others, guarantee a certain demand, and portray your business as an experienced business, know exactly what you can offer other brands or everyday customers from day one what to prove it.

2. Home is where the heart is

Unless you plan to hand out flyers door-to-door, an online presence is essential to building a brand in fashion and retail. E-commerce is big business these days, so don’t expect to launch your business without fierce competition, no matter what it is. Designing a website is an early opportunity to do one thing: instill trust in your service. A shoddy-looking website or a thin product portfolio are red flags, especially if you offer professional B2B (business-to-business) services.

The design and creative industries need experience and a signal of trust to show you know what you’re doing, as they will pay you for services that won’t be cheap and the requirements are often more bespoke than in other industries.

Looking at great examples of graphic design portfolios, they show that the main things that really make them great depend heavily on a clear structure and deep personalization of the brand. Rather than yelling at everything you can do, it’s more about communicating the essence of your brand and service.

Freelancers understand that their platforms need to be seen in the right places (think carefully about your social media presence) and need to convey the right message across their website and portfolio. Visual platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are better for fashion brands and their customers – so you need to be seen there, and in a way that captures your ambitions for your business.

3. Key Qualifiers

There is tremendous value in qualifying yourself in every aspect of your chosen field. Many freelancers will enter contests to build their reputation, host giveaways and take certified courses to get certified for specific skills. For example, if your idea is to offer SEO website strategies to other retailers, you can take courses on mainstream platforms like LinkedIn and Hubspot, and prove yourself through platforms like Google’s Skillshop (all free, by the way) to help showcase Potential customers, you are not all talking. A rich portfolio is one thing, but proven certifications can really elevate your game.

4. Stay in close contact with customers

Advertising your services on freelance platforms, even before you start a side hustle full-time, is a great way to get noticed and recognized. You can check out several professional creative freelancing platforms. Repeat customers and positive reviews on these platforms can make a big difference in competitive industries such as fashion, design and retail. If you can, build a good relationship with one or two of your first customers.

Offering discounts for projects, taking a genuine interest in their work, or offering post-project support are all ways to create a brand ambassador for yourself. One or two of these people will make a bigger difference to you than ten clients you never contact again. After all, when you’re a full-time freelancer, the number one priority is creating consistency in your workflow.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Many people maintain side jobs for the extra money, but going all the way to full-time freelance work is another story. When your name is your brand and your profits are the fruit of your labor, the main challenge for many is maintaining it early on.

That’s why things like building a great website early on, promoting a rich product portfolio, qualifying yourself, and getting a brand ambassador are key to quickly cementing your name in conversations in your chosen industry. The sooner you instill some financial stability, the sooner you can reap the benefits of being a full-time freelancer — and there are plenty of them.

Keep it up Artkraft

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