Freelancing Business Ideas: From Concept to Cash FAST

If you want to freelance and make some money on the side, but you just don’t know what in the world should you do, it’s time to come up with some freelancing business ideas.

Here at Small Business Boss, we LOVE coming up with freelance business ideas that can make you cash — fast.

There’s no shortage of options for what you can do as a freelance business, and while you can get creative (like being a bridesmaid for hire!), you certainly don’t have to as there are plenty of “boring” paths that can make you cash quickly by freelancing.

If you’re skilled in something that people will pay for, that’s the fastest, lowest hanging fruit way to bring in money (even if it’s not something you’re entirely passionate about). For example, if you’re in finance at your day job, try bookkeeping as an option. Or maybe you’re a teacher, so tutoring on the side would be a natural fit.

The rarer the skill, typically the higher a price you can command. Having said that, you don’t want to overlook basic things people are always looking for help with when considering ways to make money quickly.

Start by Brainstorming

If you can’t come up with something in the highly skilled department, think about what people are willing (and able) to pay for that you could do. Cleaning houses, walking dogs, or babysitting, are a few common examples. These don’t require a ton of technical skill, and many people are looking for help in these areas, so you’ll be in demand.

Another way to brainstorm some options for a freelancing business is to think about skills that are in high demand but aren’t already oversaturated. This path often requires a little more time to get started in (you may need to do some training), but once you have your foundations set, you can start taking on clients and build your experience from there.

Get a Certification

When you’re starting a business, getting a certification can be a solid investment so long as you do the research in terms of demand. If you’ve got the aptitude and willingness to spend a little bit of time and money to ramp up a skill, finding a certification is a great tool to help you launch a freelancing business.

Not sure where to start? Think about relevant certifications to your skill set. This may be something for a technical tool or software that has a built-in user base like Infusionsoft or a certification in anything from fitness to copywriting.

Even if you only have a basic understanding of what you’re getting certified in, many programs are fast-tracked to get you trained quickly. You may be able to earn your certification in three to six months, and the certified credential can help with your credibility and getting people to hire you over the competition.

Here are 11 freelancing businesses ideas to help you come up with some of your own ideas:

Highly Skilled:

• Bookkeeping
• Makeup Artist
• Tutor

High Demand:

• Dogwalker
• Assistant
• Babysitter
• House cleaner

Certification Focused:

• Personal trainer
• Technical certification for a tool or software in demand
• Professional organizer

The most important step is to make a decision and then get out there and find and book your first clients.

Set aside some time to brainstorm options for your freelancing business by looking at market demand and skill level needed. Next, make a decision to go find your first client, and make some money.

Don’t get hung up on having a perfect website; just get your first client, and you can evolve from there. When you need to make money, don’t let marketing get in the way until you have a baseline revenue established.