So you have decided to become a freelance web designer / developer after all, and you are at the absolute beginning of your story, this is your first morning. Not sure what to do in getting started? Welcome!

Regardless of how long you have worked in creative production, you will be evaluated by your peers and potentials based on the work you are showing for yourself. The way to begin is to get some small projects up and running as a demonstration of your abilities. And the easiest way to get these projects is to turn to those that you know that have a need and work to meet it; Maybe your father is a building contractor who needs a website, maybe your mother runs a bakery. Your brother is a doula, your sister is a mechanic. Someone in your parish/temple/mosque has a business plan they are trying to get going, etc. But if you look around, you should have someone in your life for whom you can do a small starter project that will get the ball rolling.

A method I have seen work repeatedly is the “clone clutch”, once a method for building a page or a site quickly has been established, it’s immediately repeated on several other projects. You’ve got a formula / recipe / boilerplate, work it! There is also the advantage of review in a repeated process, you’ll pick up on shortcuts, the third will be way easier than the first.

Next, get a portfolio up for yourself, or at the very least a basic presence. Even established developers and designers can appear questionable if they don’t have a .com or a .net live for themselves, showing their work and speaking to their abilities. Your own site should be your best-in-show, it’s where you pull out all the stops and use all your best sparkle and shiny. Do research, look at other portfolio sites, see the design and UX techniques that work best.

Since this is day one, start with your easiest landing page:

• your name
• your email
• clear statement of your abilities and strongest skills
• clear statement of what kind of work you’re looking for
• link to your resume
• link to live examples

Again, if you don’t have any live examples, looks like there’s a little work to do before you launch your own page, you definitely want more than just that one link. It should also go without saying that you do not want to include any social network links that will not tie in to this identity as resource, no need for your personal tweets on your pro page.

Please keep in mind the scale of this undertaking, and your guppy status in relationship to it. This is a massive industry, there are a lot of roles at a lot of levels. There may be a less-than-ideal position, but it gets you in the door. You may know that you’re destined for a senior resource role, maybe your passion is in front end coding, you love art direction, but you’re going to have to cut some banner ads to get there. And you WANT to cut banner ads, you LOVE THAT SHIT. You want to tackle the jobs the other juniors don’t. You’ll do the grunt work, you don’t care, you’re just grateful to be at the table.

Always remain grateful to be at the table. I am still to this day.

Let’s say you’ve got two live sites up AND a portfolio page done for yourself, in addition to a proper humble attitude… congratulations! You came to Day One extra prepared. Now you need to start thinking about promotion, how you are going to market yourself in this existing ecosystem of talent. I wish there were a magic bullet here to share, but you have to just throw yourself into the hunt. Low-hanging fruit for those looking to ramp up:

1. Craigslist is full of people who need websites and can’t afford to pay for them. This or similar want-ads are where you should start hunting for the small business starter projects that should get you going. None of these will make you rich, they will barely pay your rent. But they will show those who pay attention to such things that you are capable of engaging a client directly and bringing a project to fruition.
2. Sign up with agencies. AQUENT and Vitamin T have been instrumental in my own career, and I know good folks over at Filter and Edgelink. They do take their percentage, but talent reps are great for getting unproven newbers through the door and toughened up into proper battletoads. Typically you’ll start off with 2-week to 1-month contracts, but once you’ve established a few good assignments for yourself, an ambitious agent will know how to market you at a higher level.
3. Attend meetups, network your ass off. This really is about who knows you and what you are known for. Again, having a reputation for solid, dependable, reliable work is worth its weight in gold. Don’t ever be pretentious or too pleased with what you have done. Be quick to show your work, but let other people describe it.

All of this is about relationships. Your relationships with clients, agents, contacts and colleagues. But MOST important is your relationship to the craft. Keep your focus on quality there, make sure you’re covering the business end of things, but delivering quality in your role should be the primary aim. If people know that you love what you do and take pride in it, they will want you on their project, they will want your energy at their table.

May the forte be with you.