The Ultimate Guide

TO GOING
FREELANCE
All the resources you need for
your step-by-step transition
 GOING
FREELANCE

If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need to be

convinced about all the plus sides of freelancing—
choosing when to work, where to do it, what kind
of projects to take, who to work with...Ahhh, sweet
freedom!

But, as sweet as it is, freedom always comes with a

price. To be a successful freelancer, you need to learn
a specific set of skills that will help you set prices,
work with clients, manage time, and ultimately, make
a living freelancing.

Whether you’re wondering if you’re really cut out for

freelancing or if you’re overwhelmed about managing
it all, this round-up of resources pulls together all the
information you need to transition into freelancing,
broken down into 4 manageable phases:

LEARNING THE TECH SKILLS YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

GETTING INTO THE FREELANCE MINDSET

BUILDING A CAREER SAFETY NET

(SO YOU CAN SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR DAY JOB!)

QUITTING YOUR JOB!

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For each phase of transitioning into freelance, you’ll

find TONS of useful articles and resources to get you
on the right track.

Read through them now to help you wrap your head

around all the aspects of working for yourself, and
then save this guide for handy reference whenever
questions pop up later as you’re making your way in
your freelance career.

Tip: Throughout this

guide, the symbol
indicates that the resource
includes a FREE download.
Follow the links to get
instant access.

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 3

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FREELANCE

1
GET THE TECHNICAL
SKILLS you NEED
(Hint: Learn to code!)

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 4

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The first step to being ready to be your own boss

is to get a set of in-demand skills, and the hottest
skills today are tech skills. Clients and companies are
constantly on the lookout for talented professionals to
design and develop websites and apps. So, if you’re
ready to change your life , your first step is to learn
some valuable tech skills.

For web design, that means UX and design

fundamentals, and, for web development, HTML and
CSS.

To start doing exciting work building websites for

clients, learn workflow tools like Git and GitHub, plus
start programming with JavaScript, jQuery, and Ruby,
for example.

And if you’re ready to level up, you can go beyond

the basics to amp up your skills with systems like
WordPress and frameworks like Ruby on Rails.

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To see if you’ve got what it takes already, check out

these convenient checklists complete
with resources and more references:

WEB DESIGNERS: WEB DEVELOPERS:

● Tend to be more visual + artistic ● Tend to be logical problem solvers

● Like making things look beautiful ● Like to build things and make them
and feel wonderful to use work in clever and efficient ways
OR
Find out exactly what you need to Find out exactly what you need to
know to be a web designer here: know to be a web developer here:

ARE YOU READY TO BE A WEB DESIGNER? ARE YOU READY TO BE A WEB DEVELOPER?

Do you need to brush up on your tech skills or start

at the very beginning? Our Web Designer and Web
Developer Blueprints are perfect for aspiring coders
who are starting at square one.

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WEB DESIGNER
BLUEPRINT

Are you infatuated with the idea of being a digital

designer but you don’t have the tech chops? Or maybe
you love the idea of being an online educator or
customer service rep but the idea of using HTML + CSS
on the daily sounds a little foreign. Our Skillcrush Web
Designer Blueprint has your name all over it.
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42

YOU’LL LEARN:
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE

To Design & Code Your Very Own Website

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b

Photoshop for Web Design

R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

SOME HEADLINE

To Design for Your Users

The Web Designer Blueprint is a three-month long online

What Are You course that includes everything you need to get started in
Waiting For? web design: structured lessons, useful exercises, master
Invest In Yourself, classes with industry experts, killer cheatsheets and
Invest In Your Future.
sample files and instructors there to help guide you every
step of the way! Find out more at [Link]/blueprint/
SIGN UP NOW
web-designer!

Your Blueprint is structured around three core classes:

UX AND WEB HTML AND CSS WEB DESIGNER

DESIGN APPRENTICESHIP

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FREELANCE

WEB DEVELOPER
BLUEPRINT

Product design sounds like a pretty cool gig, huh?

Getting paid to invent cool products all the livelong
day? Yes, please! If you are stoked to start creating
but you’re lacking some of the necessaries – like
knowledge of a programming language like Ruby or
JavaScript – Skillcrush is here to guide you. Check
out the Skillcrush Web Developer Blueprint and get
tinkering.

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE

YOU’LL LEARN: #3b3b3b

R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE SOME HEADLINE

To Build Websites from Scratch

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE

To Translate Designs into Code

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

SOME HEADLINE

To Launch Your Very Own App

What Are You
Waiting For? The Web Developer Blueprint is a 3-month long Blueprint
Invest In Yourself, that includes everything you could possibly need to get
Invest In Your Future.
started the right way: structured lessons, useful exercises,
master classes with experts, killer cheatsheets and
SIGN UP NOW
instructors there at every step along the way! Find out
more at [Link]/blueprint/web-developer!

Your Blueprint is structured around three core classes:

HTML AND CSS JAVASCRIPT, RUBY, GIT AND

JQUERY AND APIS SINATRA

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ADVANCED BLUEPRINTS
If you are already comfortable using HTML and CSS, or
if you are already off to a great start when it comes to
web design and development, you might be ready to
dive into one of our advanced blueprints:

Freelance WordPress
Developer
AVERAGE SALARY: $85,000

Are you ready to learn one of the most marketable

skills on the planet? Do you want to land a side project
that pays more than your monthly salary? Are you sick
of being dependent on expensive templates that aren’t
QUITE right, or having to call your developer every
single time you need to make even a tiny tweak? Then,
my friend, it’s time for you to learn WordPress.

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE

YOU'LL LEARN:
#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE

To Code and Launch Custom WordPress Sites

SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE SOME HEADLINE

Plugins for SEO, Analytics and More

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

SOME HEADLINE

To Pitch and Land Your First Paying Client

What Are You

Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.

SIGN UP NOW

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 9

 GOING
FREELANCE

Ruby on Rails Developer

AVERAGE SALARY: $108,000
Learn More

FIND OUT WHEN THE NEXT ENROLLMENT BEGINS

Ask any industry pro what technology you should learn
to build custom web applications and they will all say the
same thing: Ruby on Rails. What makes Rails so special
is that it is both incredibly complex and unbelievably
simple, making it the perfect choice for beginners and
experts alike. If you want to get hired full-time at a major
tech company (or start your own tech company), this is
the technology you must learn.

YOU'LL LEARN:
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

To Build Complex Web Applications

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

To Work On An Existing Ruby on Rails Project

SOME HEADLINE SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

SOME HEADLINE

How Tech Companies Use Rails

What Are You

Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.

SIGN UP NOW

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 10

 GOING
FREELANCE

Responsive Web Designer

Blueprint
AVERAGE SALARY: $92,000

If you’ve ever built a website, chances are, you’ve heard

the question, “Is it mobile friendly?” With more and more
users accessing the Internet from mobile devices, creating
responsive websites has never been more important.
If you are a smartphone addict and are obsessed with
streamlining the mobile experience, then Responsive
Web Design and Development is for you. And if you want
to get hired to do frontend design or development at a
tech company (or meet the demands of freelance clients),
responsive design skills are a must.
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE

YOU'LL LEARN:
#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE

To design and build mobile-friendly sites

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b
R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS

SOME HEADLINE SOME HEADLINE

#3b3b3b #2b2b2b

To optimize designs for the mobile web

R: 59 R: 42
G: 59 G: 42
B: 59 B: 42

SOME HEADLINE

To create interactive, adaptive user experiences

What Are You

Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.

SIGN UP NOW

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 11

 GOING
FREELANCE

2
Think LIKE A
FREELANCER

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FREELANCE

Now that you’re ready to wow the world with your

fancy new tech skills, you need to make sure your way
of thinking is also primed and polished to deal with the
challenges of freelancing and that you’re prepared to
handle working with clients all on your own.

You might be surprised that the way you think has

more impact on your success as a freelancer than your
current skill level. Learning to think like a freelancer,
from getting into the developer mindset to working past
self-doubt, is the difference between quitting
after your first setback and learning from it.

How to Think Like a Programmer: The Developer Mindset

Things Every Awesome Web Developer Knows How to Do
How to Stop Second Guessing Yourself Immediately

Already got your head in the freelance game?

Awesome! But you’re not the only person
you have to worry about it. A lot of new freelancers
struggle with or worry about the prospect of working
directly with clients. Read up on how the most
successful freelancers communicate and interact with
clients:

9 Ways to Make a Great First Impression on Your

New Client
21 Steps to Making Grumpy Clients Happy
Tip: Throughout this 9 Free Email Templates to Get You Out of Sticky
guide, the symbol Situations with Clients
indicates that the resource
What to Do When Your Friend Becomes Your Client
includes a FREE download.
Follow the links to get
instant access.

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 13

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FREELANCE

And as most freelancers will tell you, the key to a

stress-free relationship with your client is to make sure
you get everything on paper first. Be sure to talk to a
legal professional before nailing down a contract to
use with clients, but first check out resources to figure
out what to watch out for when it comes to the legal
side of freelancing:

The Ultimate Guide to Freelance Contracts

The Dangers of DIY Contracts, from attorney Basha
Rubin!

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 14

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3
Build YOUR
SAFETY NET

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Even if you’re mentally prepared to tackle problems like

a pro and keep clients happy, you should still create
your own job security by learning to avoid common
freelancing pitfalls and getting your rates right from the
start. Building a safety net means you won’t end up in
a bind, unable to make rent or find another client, for
example.

And creating your own job security as a freelancer comes

in 2 phases.

First, get familiar with the freelance landscape. What

expenses can you expect? How much money do you
need to make? How much can you charge for your work?
Get answers to questions like that in these articles:

14 Ways to Stop Relying on Job Benefits

The Real Cost of Going Freelance
14 Things You Need to Know About Freelance Taxes
The Ultimate Guide to Setting Your Freelance Web
Design Rates
How to Get Paid as Much as You Deserve
The Foolproof Formula for Calculating Your Price
5 10-Minute Tricks to Make More Money Freelancing

And once you have a good idea of the logistics, take

some time to ensure you don’t get
caught in common pitfalls.

50 Tools You Need to Get Your Freelance Business Started

5 Mistakes New Freelancers Make
Tip: Throughout this
7 Common Mistakes Freelancers Make
guide, the symbol
indicates that the resource
includes a FREE download.
Follow the links to get
instant access.

The Ultimate Guide To Going Freelance 16

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4
GO for IT!

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You’ve done what it takes to get this far. Even if you

don’t feel 100% ready, you have to start sometime.
Either way it’s time to stop dreaming and start
freelancing!

First, gain experience and build up your portfolio by

doing smaller projects in your free time:

5 Freelance Projects You Can Do for $500

Do You Need a Freelance Job now? Send These 5
Emails
13 Ways to Make Your Unpaid Project Really Pay Off
10 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand (and why you
should)
How to Build an Impressive Portfolio When You’re
New to Tech

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AND WHEN THE MOMENT COMES AND
YOU’RE FINALLY READY TO KISS THE
CUBICLE GOODBYE, MAKE SURE YOU
QUIT YOUR JOB THE RIGHT WAY:
Everything You Need to Know about Quitting Your Job

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