Laura Briggs - The Six-Figure Freelancer: Your Roadmap to Success in the Gig Economy

Entrepreneur Press, Publisher

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ISBN 978-1-61308-439-7

contents

by Hayden Brown, president and CEO of Upwork

foreword

by Hayden Brown, president and CEO of Upwork

T he work landscape is changing faster than it ever has, with remote work becoming mainstream, and more and more companies looking to the freelance workforce as an increasingly primary way to get critical work done. This shift in how we work is being accelerated by a powerful social undercurrent of newer generations in the workforce who are motivated by both personal passion and meaningful purpose, looking to rebalance what they get out of their work, seeking more autonomy to work for whom they want, when they want, where they want. Whether due to increased concerns about economic uncertainty, a reticence to rely on a single employer for job security, or the desire for a change in career to pursue a passion or build a more balanced life, an increasing number of professionals are looking to build careers as successful freelancers in a wide range of fields. But how to get started? And what kind of career is truly possible? Laura Pennington-Briggs provides compelling and essential answers to these questions, based on her extensive personal experience building a lucrative freelance career and coaching others to the same success.

Lauras book is particularly compelling in creating access for people of all backgrounds to tap into this high-potential career opportunity. When I was a child, my family spent several years living in Nepal, and it was there that I saw early on that there are amazing, talented people all over the world who have not historically had access to the global opportunities that are increasingly available online today. The old adage that talent is evenly distributed, but opportunities are not can finally be called into question by the rise of digital tools and freelancing platforms that make meaningful, sustainable work opportunities increasingly available to freelancers in all corners of the globe. This seismic shift towards leveling access to amazing work that can be done remotely is carving a pathway toward a truly inspiring future where your professional development and earning potential is not limited by where you were born or where you want to live.

One of the most uplifting parts of my work as the CEO of Upwork is hearing from freelancers on our platform about how independent remote work has completely changed their lives and economic outlook. Ive also read many books and articles that talk about the aspirational aspect of this change in professional status, but frustratingly, all too often readers are left wanting more practical advice about how to develop that six-figure career.

Thats why Im grateful that Laura has given us this book, in which she shares her expert advice on the resources and tools available to help freelancers obtain the practical skills, develop the right mindsets, and understand, set, and achieve meaningful financial goals. Lauras passion and experience provides a competitive advantage for those who follow her wisdom and detailed playbook for how to build a sustaining freelancing business from the nuts and bolts of how to structure it to identifying which clients to pursue, how to market your services effectively, and how to continue deploying smart strategies to increase your income at a rapid pace. Perhaps most inspiring to me is the roadmap Laura sets forth for freelancers, whether they are in discovery mode or already entrenched in meaningful work, to not only make their own money, but to create a meaningful and sustainable livelihood. Lauras book helps close the gap between the perception of freelance work as being too risky, to the reality of highly profitable and rewarding careers of which each of us is capable of achieving on our own terms, without compromises.

There are a large and growing number of high-quality, flexible opportunities out there for freelancers in a variety of fields: not just for writers who have had many years of familiarity with the freelancing model, but also for virtual assistants, graphic designers, voiceover artists, project managers, web designers and developers, and beyond. Lauras book provides the toolkit that professionals can deploy regardless of their specific areas of expertise in order to build fulfilling freelancer careers that work for them. Companies today are now looking to work with people with more specialized skillsets, in regions further away from their traditional operations, which opens up a tremendous opportunity for independent professionals to build a stable roster of clients with diverse and interesting needs. This is the perfect moment to hear Lauras clear messages as she applies her vast experience as an accomplished freelancer and business owner to a range of professional fields and provides a complete and realistic view of freelancing opportunities in todays increasingly digital landscape.

introduction

L aura, your work samples are solid. But let me give you a piece of advice: You need to charge more. Your rate is so low that Im not sure why youve set it there. It makes me question the value.

It was 2013. Id just left my job to officially become a full-time freelancer. Id taken a call with a prospective freelance writing client while sitting in my car, but the conversation left me confused.

Id had plenty of clients who said I was too expensive and that they could get better prices elsewhere. But no one had ever told me I charged too little before.

The encounter caused a sea change in the way I approached my freelance business. The truth was that I couldnt compete with every other freelancer out there on price alone. That was a surefire way to race to the bottom. And, as Id just discovered, it was driving some great clients away because they assumed my low prices reflected some problem in the process. Maybe they thought I delivered late or copied someone elses work, but none of those details mattered. Id accidentally branded myself as cheap.

A few days later, one of my best clients told me it would be easiest if I just took over all his blogging projects for him. He needed four blog posts a week and didnt want to schedule them on social media, enter them into his online content management system, or track keywords on his own. Having previously sold my blog posts only in batches of four to ten at a time, The client wasnt just asking me for the core blog posts, but add-ons that could increase the total value of this contract. This introduced me to the concept of both retainers (ongoing work) and upsells (additional services.) It was time to let go of the idea that my business could thrive on a project-by-project basis. It was time to raise my prices, convert as many clients as possible to retainers, and look for other opportunities to scale my business. It was time to work toward becoming a six-figure freelancer.