Finding clients

Where the work comes from

• Referralsyour first clients will be friends, family, coworkers. Do a good job and your phone rings. Get feedback, document it, use it in your portfolio.
• Portfolionever underestimate a good portfolio. Contract work from agencies comes from them seeing your previous work. It solidifies more than a resume ever could. Always have the link ready — bio, emails, DMs.
• Cold outreachyour expansion phase. Local businesses, niche industries.
• Freelance huntingLinkedIn and Indeed aren't the best because of volume. Better strategy: pick a specific company, do research, and when criteria are met, reach out directly about contract work.

What to put in your contract

• Scope of work (exact pages and features)
• Timeline with milestones
• Revision policy (e.g., 2 rounds of revisions included)
• Payment schedule
• What happens if client goes silent (project pause policy)
• Ownership — client owns the site after final payment
• Your right to display the work in your portfolio