One of the biggest problems my readers encounter when starting their own project or making a living as a freelancer is that they don’t know how to get started.
They know they want to dedicate themselves to copywriting, programming, photography, web analytics… but they have no idea how to get clients and start making money.
In the end, most of these people get stuck and give up on their dreams, or they invest thousands of euros and two years of their lives in doing a master’s degree that is worthless with the sole objective of doing an internship in some company and thus being able to work.
When I see these things, I get in a bad mood.
As Lorenzo told his son Calogero in A Bronx Tale, “there is nothing sadder in life than wasted talent.”
That’s why, in this article, I want to share with you the roadmap that many of my friends have followed – and that you can also follow – to start from scratch with your project or in your new profession and get your first clients… even if you don’t currently have any prior experience or are not well‑known in your sector.
Step #1: Decide what problem you are going to solve
I’ve talked about this many times on the blog, but I’m going to repeat it anyway, because I get the impression that many people still don’t understand it:
People will pay you to solve a problem for them.
It doesn’t matter what courses you’ve taken, what degrees you have, or how much you know about a subject; if you don’t know how to use that knowledge to solve a real problem, nobody is going to hire you.
Therefore, the first step should always be to decide what problem you are going to solve, think about how you are going to solve it, and learn how to implement that solution relatively well.
In my experience, most “aspiring entrepreneurs” fail at this point.
They say, “I want to start my own web analytics business!”
But they don’t understand that nobody wakes up in the morning thinking, “hmmm, what a nice day it is, I think I’m going to hire a web analytics service.”
People go to bed and wake up thinking about their problems.
Problems such as not knowing the return on investment in advertising for your company, or having no idea of the conversion rates of your sales funnel.
And they dream of a solution.
That solution might be web analytics, new software you’ve developed, or something completely different.
But only if you are able to solve their problem will they be interested in learning more about you and paying you for your work.
So, you know, before you think about getting clients or making money…
- Decide what problem you want to solve.
- Think about how you’re going to solve it.
- Learn how to implement that solution properly.
That’s the basis of everything.
Real case
Ami Bondía, the latest guest on the Vivir al Máximo podcast, discovered personal branding while doing her PhD and liked it so much that she decided to dedicate herself to it.
But of course, nobody was going to pay her for providing “personal branding services,” because people buy solutions to their problems.
Ami was aware of this, and knew that universities and business schools are always looking for professors to teach interesting classes in their courses and master’s programs, and that conference organizers also need quality speakers to talk at their events…
So, what did he do?
It’s very simple: offer a solution to the problems of these two groups.
More specifically, she decided that she would dedicate herself to giving classes and lectures on how to apply personal branding to achieve your dreams.
At that time, Ami had sufficient knowledge about personal branding, a powerful story to convey that knowledge, and was an excellent communicator, so she had everything she needed to successfully implement that solution.
Step #2: Offer to help people with that problem for free
Once you have decided what problem you are going to solve, how you are going to solve it, and are able to solve it reasonably well, you are ready to start working with your first client.
The question is:
How are you going to get that client if you’re a nobody in your industry and most likely don’t even have a website?
And who’s going to want to hire you without any experience?
These are the two biggest obstacles you’ll encounter when starting out; it’s unavoidable, but luckily there are different strategies to overcome them.
One of these strategies, for example, would be to start a blog and publish useful articles every week about the problem you have decided to specialize in.
Over time, those articles would rank on Google, and you would begin to organically attract potential clients who would read your articles, see that you know what you’re talking about, and maybe even hire you.
In this way, you would gradually gain experience and make yourself known.
This strategy works, and it works very well if you know how to apply it and are good at creating content, but it also has a big problem: it’s very slow.
In my experience, not everyone has the patience or the savings to write week after week for 6 months or more without seeing results.
For that reason, I recommend a much faster and more direct strategy, which consists of the following:
- Find people who have the problem that you know how to solve (if they are friends or acquaintances, even better).
- Contact those people and offer to solve their problem for free.
As you can see, it’s not about setting up a blog, publishing free content for months, and waiting for sales to come in.
In fact, you don’t even need to have a website.
“But Angel,” you might be thinking. “Are you really recommending that I work for free?”
And the answer is yes, but you will only work for free temporarily and always as part of a strategy.
Basically, what you’re going to do is:
- I offer to work for free, but only for a specific project with a start and end date.
- Make it very clear that your work is normally worth X, but that you will do it for free exceptionally because you are starting out and want to gain experience.
- Explain that, instead of money, all you want in return is a testimonial… only if the client is 100% satisfied, of course (more on this in the next point).
When you look at it this way, working for free becomes the ultimate shortcut, because it allows you to…
- Verify that the problem you’ve decided to solve is the real problem your customers are facing. Often, this won’t be the case; your customers themselves will guide you in the right direction. For example, a friend recently offered to edit a video for me for free, and I explained that this isn’t a problem we have in my industry. Most info‑producers don’t have a backlog of videos waiting to be edited, nor do we need help with that. However, what we do struggle with is finding someone who knows how to record good student testimonials. That is a real problem, and we’re willing to pay whatever it takes for a solution.
- Prove to yourself that you’re truly capable of solving that problem. One of the biggest barriers we all face when starting out is the infamous imposter syndrome, and the best way to overcome it is to work for free. Since you’re not getting paid, the pressure you’ll feel will be much lower, and as you see your clients satisfied with you, you’ll gain confidence and lose the fear of charging what you’re worth.
- Accessing new opportunities. One of my favorite sayings is that “when you do things, things happen,” and when you start working (even if it’s for free), that’s exactly what usually happens. If you do your job well, it’s very possible that your free clients will decide to pay you, offer you a paid project, recommend you to their friends and colleagues, or that someone will notice you and contact you with an interesting opportunity.
- Gain experience and social proof. Ultimately, working for free will transform you from “John Doe, the unknown, inexperienced guy” into “John Doe, the one who’s worked for these clients.” Furthermore, it will allow you to demonstrate to potential future clients that you are truly capable of solving their problem, because you’ll have proof that you’ve already solved it in the past.
As you can see, working for free is one of the best things you can do (if you do it correctly), because it will greatly accelerate your progress.
That’s why I recommend you do it if you’re starting from scratch with your business or in a new profession.
Real case
When Ami decided to dedicate herself to giving classes and lectures on personal branding, she had no experience or reputation whatsoever.
I started completely from scratch.
That’s why what he did in his early days was exactly what I just explained to you: he offered to work for free.
In her case, she started by contacting the director of a postgraduate program at her university and offered to teach a class for free. They agreed, she taught that first class, and she did so well that they ended up paying her as if she were an experienced professor.
After that, Ami wrote to HUB, a kind of coworking space in Madrid, and offered to give a free class on personal branding for entrepreneurs. They agreed, and she had the opportunity to give her second class in front of dozens of people.
One of the girls who attended the HUB class liked Ami’s style so much that, at the end, she offered to run a small course together (because when you do things, things happen), so that’s what they did. Again, more classes in front of large groups.
And so, by working for free or for little money, Ami stopped being “Ami the unknown” and became “Ami, the one who has taught classes in the master’s program at the Rey Juan Carlos University, has spoken in front of X people at the Madrid HUB, and has taught personal branding courses with dozens of attendees.”
Step #3: Document the results achieved by your first clients
Saying that you have worked at a prestigious place or that you have experience solving a certain problem will increase your credibility, but it is not enough.
After all, paper can withstand anything, and anyone can boast of great achievements that are not really true.
That’s why you need to go one step further.
If you want people to pay you, and especially if you want to be paid well, you need to prove to them that you are truly capable of solving the problem you claim to be able to solve, and the best way to achieve that is with evidence.
Therefore, when you do your first jobs, it’s very important that you not only do them extremely well, but also document the results you have helped your clients achieve.
As?
Well, in different ways:
- Ask your client to record a video describing their experience working with you and explaining the results you’ve helped them achieve.
- Record a success story in which you explain the situation your client was in before working with you, the work you did for them, and how their situation improved thanks to you.
- Record yourself on video doing your job, so that it’s clear you know how to do it well.
- Basically, anything you can think of that allows you to demonstrate that you are capable of effectively solving the problem your potential clients have.
Although I have listed documenting your results as step #3 of the roadmap, the reality is that it is a never‑ending process.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a leader in your industry, you should always be documenting your results and gathering evidence that you are truly capable of delivering what you promise.
The only reason I put it as step #3 is that in your first few months, when nobody knows you, it’s essential.
Real case
When Ami taught the course she organized with the HUB, she didn’t just go on stage, talk, and go home. Instead, she brought someone who spent the whole day taking photos, recording her on video, and asking attendees to share their impressions on camera.
Then, Ami uploaded all that material to her website, so that her potential future clients could verify with objective evidence that she was not a snake oil salesman, but that she was actually capable of solving the problem they had.
Step #4: Use your authority and social proof to start gradually charging for what you do
At this point, you should have already gained experience with your first clients, and you should also have gathered objective evidence that proves you are capable of solving the problem you chose in step #1.
Now you’re finally ready to start charging for your services.
It’s normal for your first paid jobs to come naturally: your first free clients will offer you a paid project, they’ll recommend you to their friends and colleagues who will then hire you, someone will notice you and offer you a job…
However, whether or not any of those things happen, ideally you should continue to contact acquaintances and strangers every week whom you can help.
Simply explain that you can solve the problem you know they have, as you did in step #2, but instead of introducing yourself as someone who is just starting out and offering to work for free, explain your credentials and tell them that if they are interested in hiring you, you can send them your rates.
Something like that:
“Look, I’ve worked with this person, this person, and this person, and here are testimonials from some of my clients and this success story so you can see how I work… If you’re interested in working with me, let me know, and I’ll send you my rates.”
The transition from “working for free” to “charging your full rate” doesn’t have to happen overnight; it can be gradual.
You can start by offering discounts or charging little at first, and gradually increase your prices as you become more confident and accumulate experience and testimonials.
The important thing is not to get stuck on free or super low rates, because if you do, you’ll never live well.
Real case
The photos, videos, and testimonials that Ami collected during the course she gave with the HUB girl allowed her to begin a new stage in her career as a teacher and lecturer on personal branding.
From then on, he continued contacting universities, business schools, and conferences, but he no longer told them “I want to work for you for free”; instead, he sent them his credentials and said, “I think I can help you too.”
Little by little, Ami received more orders and raised her rates, and managed to make a name for herself in the industry, to the point that she no longer has to look for clients, but rather the clients look for her.
Now she dedicates herself full‑time to teaching and lecturing; she loves what she does and feels that she has managed to create the life she wanted: a life tailored to her needs.
By the way, if you want to know more about Ami and her story, I recommend you listen to the interview I recorded with her by clicking here. I am sure you will love it 🙂
Conclusion
These 4 steps that I just presented to you form the roadmap that many entrepreneurs and podcast guests have followed to get their projects off the ground.
And it is also the roadmap taught by people like Javi Pastor or Roberto Gamboa in their courses to help their students go from knowing nothing to earning a living with a new profession in record time.
I can assure you that the formula works, and that it works for any sector.
Furthermore, it has no risk whatsoever, so there is no reason not to apply it.
All you have to do is:
- Choose a problem and specialize in a solution.
- Offer to work for free for several clients.
- Document the results that help them acquire those clients.
- Gradually, start charging and raise your rates.
I promise you that, before you know it, you’ll be making a living from it, and you’ll be much closer to your ideal life.