Competing for Freelance Work

The kind of marketing you need to do depends in part on where you are. In a small community, you may not face much competition, but you may need to educate local business owners about why they need to pay for your services. You're competing with all the client's other vendors to get access to limited dollars, and it's going to take sales skill and business knowledge to make the case for the value of your work.

In a large city, on the other hand, you may find yourself in a tight, competitive market with many other qualified freelancers. A New York graphic design job posted on the Internet may receive hundreds or even thousands of applicants within 24 hours. In that situation, networking within a specific industry or carving out a unique niche is vital to standing out from the pack.