You don’t always have to rely on online freelance marketplaces to find work as a freelancer.
You can also find work from local businesses in your city or even country.
In fact, when I started a web design agency, I relied entirely on local clients. And I used a simple strategy to get clients interested in my services.
In this post, I’m sharing that same strategy I used to find clients along with a few other ways you can find local offline freelance jobs.
1. My Method For Finding Local Clients
A few years back I started a web design agency offering cheap design services for local clients.
I knew how to design websites and I had a hosting account setup to offer cheap prices to clients.
The only problem was that I didn’t have an office or a budget to advertise my services. So I had to get creative.
One day I went to my local city and walked around while writing down the mailing addresses of potential businesses that I could promote my services.
At the end of the day, I had about 15 potential contacts.
Then I came back home and checked online to see if any of these businesses had a website. Most of them didn’t have websites.
So I started preparing a pitch. I created a detailed document showing why they should have a website and how it can bring in new customers for their business.
I mailed this document via snail mail to each business and received 3 calls.
I also followed up with other businesses by cold calling. The best part was it wasn’t a cold call because I had something to refer to. I started my call by asking what they thought about my leaflet. I managed to secure a few interviews with this method too.
Long story short, this method worked quite well for getting my business off the ground. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay off the ground for too long, due to my own faults. But the point is it works!
You can actually follow this method to find clients for various other services. Whether it’s graphic design, web design, translation, or social media marketing, you just need to go out there and get creative with the way you approach a business.
2. Use LinkedIn Job Search
If you’re not an outdoor person or unable to go out looking for clients, you can still use online platforms to find local jobs.
LinkedIn is arguably the best place for finding local jobs.
When you visit the Job Search page on LinkedIn, it shows a curated list of job listings from businesses in your country.
It shows both remote and on-site jobs depending on the skills and categories that you choose when creating your profile.
The only thing you need to apply for a job is a solid LinkedIn profile.
Make sure that you have a killer profile with all the right details about your work history and experience before applying for a job.
3. Use Online Job Boards
Landing jobs via LinkedIn can be tough if you don’t have a great profile or past experience to show off.
In such cases, you can use other online job boards to find local work.
Sites like Indeed and FlexJobs allow you to filter your search based on your location to find local jobs.
You can also use Google Search to find local gigs. If your country has local websites that curate job listings, Google Search will show those for you.
4. Attend Events & Conferences
Attending local events and conferences is another surefire way to connect with potential clients and land gigs.
Whether it’s a conference at a local tech fair or an event for a company, there will always be places you can go to network with others in your field.
Meetup is a great tool you can use to find these local happenings. This platform allows you to explore and find meetups happening in your local area.
Of course, you can also use Facebook Events to find special meetups related to your niche.
Find these events, go there, and talk to people. Be open about what you do, speak confidently, and make sure to have a business card in your pocket to hand out to potential clients.
5. Respond To Newspaper Ads
Consider this a last resort but it still works.
Most local businesses are still using newspaper ads when looking for new hires.
In my country (Sri Lanka), 90% of businesses don’t even have a website or email address. They still use old-school methods.
So go grab a newspaper and look for job openings. Get to an interview. Then, work out a plan to make a deal with the business by offering to work from home.
For example, many businesses offer special benefits for employees like insurance plans and trust funds. They don’t have to offer these benefits to freelancers.
Plan your approach and try to convince them to give you a work-from-home position.
It may not work with all businesses so pick your targets carefully.
In Conclusion
Of course, it’s easier to find remote jobs online. But, I wanted to show you that you can still find work locally if you can get creative with your approach.
Don’t let those bidding wars on UpWork or Fiverr competition hold you back. You can still land jobs as a freelancer from local businesses. In fact, the competition will be much lower in your city.