Want to freelance and offer your services from the comfort of your own home and computer?  You must have the ability to network yourself and get the word out about your abilities.  You must also have a good portfolio.  Prospective clients will want to look at examples of your work.  Some clients will be more strict about their demands (contracts) while others will be more word of mouth.  Keep track of all correspondence whatever you do and you may want to consider using contracts (to be safe).

You must be able to keep track of payment records.  Click here for a sample form that you can use.  You can set an hourly rate for your services, you can bid for a project (on certain websites) or you can charge a fee for the project (after you review what they want you can give them an estimate for your services).

Freelancing can bring in extra income for you as you continue to build your portfolio and reputation.  You can gain more credibility and recognition by getting your work "out there" in the real world.  You can add who you've 'worked for' to your resume. 

There is a lot of competition out there so make sure you are ready to fulfill a client's desire's as an effective designer-capable to take on a certain level of project.  As a designer you should be versatile in your skills so you can appeal to a wider range of clients.  You can build a portfolio on your own and then when you're ready you can start freelancing.

About.com has some great resources for graphic designers and many tips and forms you can use to get started freelancing.

Elance.com    Aquent.com    graphicdesign.about.com    guru.com

- Orion Williams copyright 2004