How to Start Freelancing for Holiday Cash

If you’ve never tried freelancing, you’re probably wondering how and where to start. In this post, I will share how you can freelance for quick holiday cash!

How to Start Freelancing for Holiday Cash

Freelancing for holiday cash is an excellent way you earn money for holiday gifts, decorations, and anything else you might need. Launching your freelance career may seem hard, but it’s straightforward if you know what to do.

Here are 5 ways you can freelance for holiday cash:

• Identify the things you’re good at
• Build basic business skills
• Network in your community
• Sign up for freelancing websites
• Do local projects

Identify the Things You’re Good At

It may seem simple, but identifying your strengths is the first step you will need to take before you start freelancing. You’ll want to use your best skills to your advantage to show your potential clients why you are a good fit.

Are you good at writing or teaching? Do you have social media skills? Or are you good at photography?

Any of the skills you possess could come in handy when starting freelancing. This can help you identify a particular job niche you might be good at.

Try writing all the skills you learned at school or other jobs. You may also want to include compliments people have given you in the past, like reliability or punctuality. Though these are not skills, they are massive selling points!

Skills that might translate well to freelance work

If you think about it, any of your current skills might translate well to a freelance gig! Below, I’ve included some common skills and matched them with some common freelance opportunities.

Skill/Strengths	Freelance Opportunities
Languages, Writing, Speed Typing	Writing, Editing, Transcribing, Translating, Tutoring
Organization, Punctuality, Reliability	Virtual Assistant, Event Coordinator, Project Manager
Graphic Design	Website builder, Social Media Manager, Video Editor

Build Basic Business Skills

You may also want to strengthen or prove your skills, such as online courses or certificates. You can add these credentials to your LinkedIn, which can go a long way towards proving your capabilities.

For example, I completed the Google Project Management Certificate through Coursera. Not only was I able to add this to my online profiles, but it has also become a huge selling point for any project I work on for my clients.

You don’t need to learn from just a course! There are plenty of free resources you can use to learn how to build skills. A good place to start would be by following personal finance Youtubers since they are always sharing ways you can build income streams.

Three key types of business skills:

• People skills — leadership skills, communication, networking, etc.
• Operational skills — task prioritizing, time management, etc.
• Functional skills — sales skills, social media marketing, etc. 

All these skills can be beneficial when freelancing, as they’ll help you to easily find clients, identify business opportunities, and develop your freelancing career.

Network In Your Community

Networking in your community is one of the fastest ways to land your first freelancing job. People like to do business with people that they already know and trust. Your network can also be an excellent source of referrals!

Consider the people you know who might be interested in your services and list potential clients. This can include friends, family, neighbors, local small businesses, etc.

If you’re unsure how to network, you can start by talking with people you know about your services and making posters, flyers, or business cards. You’ll be surprised how many people are excited to help you make extra money.

Sign Up for Freelancing Websites

One of the best ways to jumpstart your freelancing career and earn holiday cash is to sign up for freelancing platforms. Luckily, there are a bunch of excellent freelancing platforms you can try out!

Some of these freelancing sites offer set jobs you can apply for, while others allow you to post your gig and set your pricing and other parameters. It’s best to explore them all and get an idea of which one works best for you.

Once you sign up and land your first gig, you’ll get paid through popular money platforms such as Wise and PayPal, and you can transfer the holiday cash to your bank account.

Freelancing Websites:

• Upwork
• Fiver
• PeoplePerHour
• Indeed
• Freelancer.com
• 99design

 

The start of a new year can be the perfect time to start new freelancing projects! Many business owners are looking to start fresh tasks and projects. They are also looking to add long-term talent for the new year!

These platforms can help you connect with the right people, find clients, and even enhance your skills.

Local Freelancing Projects

Besides regular online freelancing, you could also engage in local projects to earn holiday cash. Any work you can do in your community could bring you a few extra bucks during the holiday season, like the winter holidays.

These jobs don’t require special skills and don’t have upfront costs, but you need to be a responsible person who’s friendly and good with kids/pets.

The biggest advantage of local projects is that you won’t have as much competition!

Local Freelancing Projects:

• Babysitting
• Pet-sitting
• Dog Walking
• Lawn Care
• Social Media Manager
• Window Decorator

Final thoughts on freelancing for holiday cash

Freelancing for holiday cash is a quick and efficient way to earn that money. Although it may seem difficult, you’ll never know what you can achieve unless you try.

Don’t wait too much longer! Sign up for a freelancing website or reach out to your network as soon as possible. Not only will you earn extra cash for the holidays, but you’ll also learn how to make money all year long!

Will you start freelancing for holiday cash this year? How are you making extra money this holiday season? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!