- Read Tutorial
As we continue down the set of requirements for building a successful freelance business, the next checkpoint is building a list of freelance services.
Creating a thought out service list will accomplish a number of goals:
- It will help you focus your target market - if your goal is to work with local mom and pop business it probably wouldn't make sense to list Machine Learning Algorithm Development as a core service.
- It is a key component of your portfolio website - your website, that markets your freelance business, will need to have a decent amount of content. A solid list of services not only helps website visitors learn what you do, but it also will help with search engine optimization.
- It helps you focus - my goals for being a freelancer were pretty vague in the beginning. Writing down a full list of the services that I was going to provide actually helped me focus on what I really wanted to do.
Example List of Services
Here is an example list of services that I have for my portfolio that focuses on enterprise clients.
This list of services includes:
- Enterprise business setup
- Employee systems management
- Mobile app development
- Accounting system configuration
- Data management
- Marketing
Some services can be a little too general, so I also like to specify what type of work I do in a specific vertical. For example, the service Marketing can mean countless things (many of which I have no desire to do), so under the service name I'll also outline what Marketing represents. In this case it means: Web design, search engine optimization, and content marketing.
Homework
Your homework for this guide is pretty straightforward. Get a piece of paper out and write down the full list of services that you want your freelance business to focus on. After that add a subsection under each service that describes a practical explanation of your service. Please feel free to use my example as a template for starting your own list.
What's Next?
In the next guide we'll walk through various ways that you can create and publish a freelance website that showcases your skills and can help attract clients.