Where to Find Freelance Jobs

While there are a limited number of companies that will pay you as an employee to work at home, if you are willing to work as a freelancer there are many more opportunities.

As a freelancer you are in charge of how much work you take on, what your pay rate it, and when and how you will go about doing the work. You are also responsible for reporting your income and paying your own taxes. In the US, if any one person pays you over$600, they are required to send you (and the IRS) a form 1099 reporting your income. Even if you don’t receive a 1099, you should report all your income.

There are many different types of careers that work well for freelancing. Freelance writing is obviously very popular, as well as graphic design and web development. I started my work from home career as a freelance bookkeeper. Almost any service you can provide can become a freelance business.

Before you start looking for work, you should create a website or a blog for yourself that will showcase your talents and advertise your services. Make sure to have an about page and a contact form so potential clients can get ahold of you.

Now you are ready to look for work. If you are just starting out, and willing to work for cheap to build up your portfolio there are a few forums where you can find work quickly. The good part about using forums to find jobs, is that you can often find a job and get paid for it on the same day. The bad part about forum jobs is that you have no idea who you are working for. It is possible that you will not be paid. Proceed with caution. That said, I personally have always been paid for the work that I have done. Two good forums to get you started.

Digital Point Forums.
Site Point

Job boards are another place to look for freelance work. There can be a lot of competition, but as you get a reputation it will be easier for you to win the jobs.
elance is a well known job board.
Problogger has a job board with lots of writing and blogging jobs.
RentACoder is a great board if you are looking for programing and coding jobs.

And there is always craigslist. If you are looking for telecommuting jobs don’t limit your search to cities near you. You may have more luck finding telecommuting jobs in the larger cities. I always check San Francisco and New York. Then run a search in jobs for telecommuting and work from home. I have found a number of freelance jobs this way.

Finally, look to your local area for freelance work. When I first started out as a Work at home bookkeeper, I got my first jobs through a classified ad in the local paper. Sending a letter to businesses that might be able to use your services can also result in work.

Where have you found good work from home jobs?