How to Build a Portfolio for Your Freelance Business
& start working for yourself!
3 min read
Having a portfolio to show off your work is key to finding clients as a freelancer.
I’m writing from a brand designer's perspective, but this goes for video editors, copywriters, & even UGC creators.
As a self-taught freelancer, some of the questions I hear most often are:
Where should I host my digital portfolio?
What if I don’t have any real clients yet?
How do I even find real clients?
I can answer two of those questions with one word, Contra.
& when it comes to the work you have in your portfolio, it can & sometimes should be passion projects!
If you’re new to the freelancing game & haven’t worked with any real clients yet, then passion projects are a great place to start.
Passion projects are just made-up projects, allowing you to practice your skills & figure out your style.
Client projects can come with stricter guidelines & higher stakes, passion projects allow you to play and create freely.
If your passion projects reflect the kind of work you wish to do, then the clients will know what to expect & choose you for a real project.
Now you have some work built up, where do you put it all?
That’s where Contra comes in.
Contra is a site made just for freelancers.
It’s not only a place to showcase your work & services but it also serves as a project management tool.
You can search for opportunities directly on the site, send proposals/contracts/invoices to clients, & get paid commission free.
With Contra, you can showcase your best work & explain services along with prices (clients love the transparency).
Clients can also send inquiries directly from your profile & you can get right to work.
With Contra Pro, you can turn your portfolio from the above to the below.
With Pro, you can transform all your work & services into a professional, on-brand portfolio.
Complete with animation and other cool features like custom fonts & uploading your own logos.
You’ll be able to do all this in half the time it would on a traditional website builder meaning clients can start reaching out now.
You can start freelancing now!
For a limited time, you can get the first month of Pro for $1 with my link ↓
You don’t need a professional portfolio to find clients, but OMG does it help. It shows credibility & builds trust with clients.
A portfolio is like a resume for freelancers.
It’s how you can showcase your work and expertise & encourage potential clients & even long-term jobs to get in touch.