If you want to earn 6 figures as a freelancer, let me start with a reality check:

6 figures is hard.

You probably won’t reach it.

I’m just being honest here. Most freelancers don’t.

But it is possible.

Everyone who gets to 6 figures had to start somewhere.

It’s not some magic feat that happens overnight.

It’s true that some people have a headstart. We all start with difference resources and skillsets.

Our unfair advantage.

But that doesn’t mean you’re disqualified if you happen to start further back...

It just means you’ll probably have to do some major grinding in the beginning.

(That was me –way back behind the starting line. School dropout. No college degree. No money, etc.)

When you’re facing a big challenge like this, it’s normal to wonder if it’s worth the risk.

So…What’s the risk of chasing down 6 figures as a freelancer?

You ‘fail’.

…and now all you have is a good 5-figure business.

Doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Now that’s out the way, you can stop the unproductive ‘what if’ thinking, and focus on an actual plan to reach your goal.

Here’s what I suggest:

Step 1: Audit

Take an honest, objective look at where you’re at.

• What marketable skills do you have?

• What industry knowledge and soft skills do you possess?

• Where are you financially and what are your financial goals?

• What time do you have available for freelance work and working on your business?

Step 2: Improve

Once you’ve done your audit, pick any key skills or knowledge areas you know you need to work on.

Focus on the viable minimum you need to build a portfolio and get your first clients, or take the next growth step in your business.

Then keep improving on-the-job.

I started building websites only knowing (bad) CSS, and I got clients.

Don’t let the knowledge gap stop you from taking action.

There will always be more to learn.

Step 3: Build a portfolio fast

Most clients won’t buy from you without some proof you can deliver the goods.

Focus on building a portfolio fast to showcase your skillset.

Do work for cheap or for free if necessary.

Just get it built, and don’t obsess about the details.

Your portfolio doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to show concrete proof.

Step 4: Define your offer

When it comes to landing clients, defining your offer is everything.

Within 5 seconds of coming across your website or social media profile, a client needs to understand how you can help them solve a painful problem.

Otherwise they have no reason to care about what you do.

Your offer should be clear on three things:

• Who you serve

• What you do

• The benefits to the client (how you solve their painful problem).

Bad offer:

❌ “I design beautiful websites”

Good offer:

✅ “I optimize websites for business consultants to double your online bookings”

Step 5: Test your pricing

When you’ve defined your offer, decide on your pricing model, then test it.

Common pricing models for freelancers:

• Hourly pricing

• Fixed pricing

• Value-based pricing

• Packaged pricing

I walk you through all of them in this video.

Another option is a subscription pricing model or Waas (check out some examples of how it works here).

Step 6: Get clients

Here are the 6 best avenues I recommend for finding clients as a web designer:

• Friends & Family

• Communities

• Freelance Platforms

• Google Search & Maps

• Outreach DM

• Partnering with Agencies

I go into detail on each of these strategies here.

Step 7: Adapt

Once you’ve landed your first few clients, keep refining things from there.

Keep learning as you go.

Adapt your strategies, offers, pricing, etc, as you figure out what’s working and what isn’t.

And outsource tasks that you don’t enjoy or you aren’t good at.

Commit to the plan and stick it out.

1 year of hard work and compromise is nothing for this reward...

Takeaways

• Earning six figures as a freelancer is not easy, but possible.

• What's your unfair advantage?

• Auditing your skills, industry knowledge, and financial goals is the first step.

• Improve key skills and knowledge to build a portfolio and attract clients.

• Define a clear offer that solves clients' problems within seconds of viewing.

• Test pricing models to find what works best in your market.

• Keep adapting and learning from experience to improve and grow.

Have a good one, and chat to you next week!

Thanks for reading!

-Kyle