Building a Successful Freelancing Business Online

Julie Starr • September 3, 2020



While some people enjoy working in a 9-5 role, others crave the excitement and responsibility that comes with being your own boss. Freelancing gives you the opportunity to carve out your own niche and do something you love. What’s more – you can combine freelancing with your current role as an employee and boost your income, if you choose too.

Of course, building your own freelance business isn’t always straightforward. Creating any enterprise from scratch can be challenging, so it’s important to be prepared for what’s ahead. With these handy tips, you can begin planning for a successful career as a freelance business owner now…

Choose your business focus

Before you can begin working, you’ll need to decide exactly what it is you want to do. Perhaps you’ve always had a burning ambition to develop a product or maybe you’ve got a great idea for a service business ? Alternatively, you might decide to use your professional experience to your advantage and use it as the basis for your freelance career.

When you’re choosing what type of business you want to launch, take the time to really think about the type of role you want. If you’re eager to work from home, you won’t want a business that involves traveling to client sites on a regular basis, for example. Being a freelancer gives you the chance to create your ideal working environment, so make the most of the opportunity.

Research your market

Just because you think your business idea is fantastic, it doesn’t necessarily mean that other people will agree with you! Before you get too far into the planning stage, be sure to research your market and make sure there is a demand for your products or services.

Fortunately, the internet makes it easier than ever to carry out market research activities. Instead of hosting your own focus groups, you can access databases of willing participants within your target demographic. This means you can carry out your research quickly and cost-effectively while building your freelance business.

Locate potential clients

Acquiring new customers is arguably the biggest challenge for any business, so start to think about how you’ll attract clients or customers early on. When you’re running your business online, you can rely on the internet to connect you with your target audience, providing you know where to look.

There are many sites that are dedicated to matching clients with freelancers, for example. You’ll even find niche marketplace sites that post short-term audio visual jobs , copywriting projects or website development roles. Although you’ll typically need to pay a fee or commission to the site, this can be an easy way to pick up clients, particularly while you’re establishing your new business.

Formally set up your business

When you’re working as a freelancer , you have the option to register as self-employed. Many people enjoy the flexibility this offers but it does mean that your personal finances and assets are tied into your business.

If you want to create distance between your personal assets and your business, you might prefer to register as a limited company. Some people decide to form a company because they believe that it creates a better impression, but this depends on your industry and the type of clients you’re aiming to attract.

Whether you decide to operate on a self-employed basis, register a limited company or form a partnership, make sure you’ve completed the necessary paperwork, and submitted the appropriate documentation. This will give you peace of mind that your tax, legal and financial obligations have been met.

Learn about SEO

When you’re running a business online, search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for success. Even if your business will be trading offline as well, having online visibility helps to create brand awareness and increases your reach within your target demographic.

SEO is an entire industry in itself, so don’t expect to learn everything you need to know in an instant. In many cases, it can be more effective to outsource your SEO and online advertising to a third-party company or another freelancer who specializes in this area.

However, learning the basics and understanding why SEO is so important for your business will stand you in good stead for the future.

In order for your website to be effective, it needs to be designed well in order to attract and convert visitors into customers. If you’ve never built a site before, then it’s worth consulting Squarespace web designers to help you get up and running fast with your website.

Set up social media profiles

If you want to establish yourself as a successful freelancer, you’ll need to have an active presence on social media. Take a look at the platforms that are most popular with your target audience and set up profiles on each one.

When you post and share content on social media, you get the opportunity to showcase your talents, establish your specialties, and create awareness of your services. While self-promotion is expected, make sure your social media posts offer more than just that. Engaging with people on topical issues and sharing industry news is a great way to gain fans and followers on social media.

Build a professional network

Working as a freelancer can be somewhat lonely, particularly if it’s your full-time role. Connecting with other freelancers gives you the opportunity to build your network and learn from other people.

Furthermore, liaising with other freelancers may give you the chance to gain new clients or customers. Informal partnerships with subcontractors who offer similar but not competing services ensure you can recommend one another’s services. Personal endorsements carry a lot of weight, so this can be an excellent way to get free promotion and expand your customer base.

When to Launch a Freelance Business

Once you’ve decided what your business will entail, it’s tempting to jump ahead and start advertising your services straight away. However, you run the risk of trying to do too much at once if you throw yourself into the deep end too quickly.

Take the time to research your market, create a professional website, and establish your SEO and social media strategies before you even think about trading. Once you’ve got the essentials covered, you’ll be well-placed to launch your business and start your career as a fully-fledged freelancer.

Build Sustainability into your business 

As a reminder, every business can be a sustainable business.  The first step is to ensure that sustainability is at the core of your business and build from there.

With these tips, you’ll be able to launch your freelance business online in no time!

By Julie Starr August 9, 2025
Running an online business can feel like a constant balancing act. You’re trying to grow, keep customers happy, and still have time for yourself. The trick to making it all work long-term is to build habits and systems that last. You don’t need a complicated plan or endless resources to do it either. Here are five straightforward ways to make your business more sustainable without overcomplicating things. Focus on long-term customer relationships If you want your business to last, you need customers who keep coming back. That doesn’t just happen because you’ve got a good product or service. It’s about making people feel valued every time they interact with you. Simple things like remembering their name, following up after a purchase, or sending a quick thank-you email can make a huge difference. People are far more likely to support a business they feel connected to, so keep those relationships personal and genuine rather than purely transactional. Make your marketing work smarter A big part of sustainability is making sure your marketing isn’t draining your time or money. You want it to be efficient and get results. This is where working with seo consultants can help. They know how to make sure people can find your business online without you throwing cash at random ads. Even if you can’t hire someone right now, you can start by focusing on keywords, improving your website’s loading speed, and posting valuable content that answers the questions your customers are already asking. Streamline your products or services It’s tempting to try to offer everything to everyone, but that’s rarely a good idea. The more you offer, the more time, money, and resources you’ll end up using. Instead, focus on the things you do best and make them as good as they can be. When you streamline what you’re selling, you can put all your energy into perfecting it, which makes it easier to maintain quality over time. Customers notice when you consistently deliver something great, and they’ll trust you more for it. Keep an eye on your finances No matter how much you enjoy the creative or customer side of your business, the numbers are what will keep you going long-term. That means knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where you can cut costs without cutting quality. Set yourself a monthly check-in to look at your spending and profits. If you spot something that’s not working financially, don’t leave it for months, hoping it will improve. Tackle it early and you’ll avoid bigger problems down the road. Look after yourself You can’t run a sustainable business if you’re running yourself into the ground. Burnout isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for your customers and your bottom line. Make sure you’re setting boundaries, taking breaks, and switching off when you can. That might mean scheduling a full day without work every week or turning your phone off after a certain time. The more balanced you are, the better decisions you’ll make, and the easier it will be to keep your business moving forward without constantly feeling like you’re in survival mode. Sustainability in business isn’t about doing one big thing; it’s about making intelligent, consistent choices that build over time. Start small, keep checking in on your progress, and before you know it, your business will feel a lot steadier and more future-proof than it did before.
By Julie Starr August 8, 2025
Are you hoping to build a heavy industry business? It’s the kind of company that can have globally sweeping positive and negative effects. On the one hand, you’re contributing to the industry, ensuring there’s enough supply to meet demand, and you can do your best to operate in a sustainable way that prioritizes the environment. But on the other hand, the heavy industry has long been the most significant business polluter in the world. Despite advancements in industry technology and usage, their ranking relative to other sectors, such as food and beverage , and shipping and logistics, has remained unchanged as of 2025. Requiring extensive use of large, heavy, and expensive machinery, the fumes produced by heavy-duty factories in sectors like mining, aerospace, nautical, and metal production regularly cause harm to both human and animal life. It’s why anyone interested in investing or scaling within an industry like this needs to focus on their company’s carbon footprint. There are various ways to ensure you’re limiting your harmful output and waste, and you’ll want to use as many as possible within your operation. Check out our recommendations below. Work with Green Suppliers No matter what stage you sit at in the hypothetical supply chain, you’re likely to source at least part of your overall production material from a supplier. If that’s not the case, you’ll still need to work with companies that provide machinery and equipment, as well as replacement parts for these industrial items. All in all, to make as sustainable a choice as possible, you’ll want to commit to working with a ‘green’ supplier who makes eco-conscious choices at every step. Eco-friendly suppliers will strive to both implement sustainable practices within their production line, as well as provide sustainably made and/or extracted materials. The products and/or parts they send out are likely to be recyclable when they reach their end-of-life period, or they’ll run a scheme where you can send old or broken parts back to them. Offset Your Carbon Emissions Offsetting carbon emissions converts the waste output from your operations into something more positive. If you’re interested in programs like this , you can use official government platforms or climate charity websites to contribute. You’ll be able to find a variety of projects that have been undertaken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and they’ll be located in various regions across the world. You can choose to patronise as many of them as you wish, but if you want to focus on specific types, you’ll also be able to do so. When approaching a program like this, it’s usually best to offset month by month, as this helps you stay on top of your carbon footprint. Be sure to invest in as much carbon removal per tonne as your business has potentially contributed to the atmosphere in the last month. But before you go any further, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind here: Carbon offsetting is just one sustainable practice you can turn to, but it’s not the only one your business will ever need to use. Yes, it’s one of the most sustainable practices a heavy industry business can invest in. But that’s only true when it’s partnered with real-time carbon-lowering efficiencies within day-to-day operations. Repair, Rather Than Throw Away Repairing is the best option if a repair is possible. This should be the first step when evaluating old or broken-down equipment. If it can be salvaged, it should be. Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the equipment in question. Not only is that expensive, but it also means more waste to manage. And not all heavy industry tech can be recycled. Sometimes it’s potentially hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully, and this could have harsh impacts on the surrounding environment. Repairing is your best bet, at least 80% of the time. You can get back up and running faster, and you don’t need to account for a large investment at short notice. And more equipment can be repaired than you might think. It’s not just small, singular parts that can be pulled out. Entire internal systems in even large vehicles, such as freighter ships, can be replaced by secondary parts. A marine logistics provider or deep-sea fishing operator would save a lot of money just by ordering a Cummins Rebuild Kit for one of their vessels. Deciding to put the ship out of commission and eventually scrapping it will contribute to the large-scale waste common in companies like this. Aiming to repair and limit environmental damage will get that same boat back onto the waters in seaworthy condition. Operate with Lower Emission Logistics Shipping your products to businesses and markets always generates a carbon footprint. Unless you’re operating only within the local area and you’re able to transport products back and forth on foot, this is an unavoidable issue. And seeing as you’re a heavy industry business, that’s not very likely. But some shipping options are better than others. Indeed, there are low-emission choices to be made, and you’ll want to look into these logistic partners only. You’ll likely find that air travel is a total no-go zone. Alternatives to this are long-haul road transportation or a traditional shipping company that operates via sea. Yes, even trucking your products over land generates a lot less carbon waste that can damage the environment than flying something! Staying Green as a Heavy Industry Player Working sustainably within the heavy industry is a career-long project. You’ll need to continually make moves to consider what could be streamlined into something greener and less consuming next. In the end, this can help your long-term costs decrease and stay low. Fewer risky investments, fewer fees from environmental bodies, and more productive time within your business. So, it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it