Creating your mini brand kit is something you should try to get in place as soon as you can to give your new freelance business a solid foundation and platform to grow from.
Once you have it in place and start reaching out to clients, they are more likely to take you seriously and, ultimately, hire you.
So let’s get started.
Table of contents:
- Why do you need branding?
- What is the mini brand kit for freelancers?
- Getting the basics
- The Freelance Roadmap book
- Related articles
Why do you need branding?
Your branding is basically how you are going to go about lodging yourself in your potential client’s minds. By developing some branding, you can ensure that you are communicating in a consistent way and starting to build a name for yourself and a reputation.
Basically, you are making it easier for the people who may want to hire you in the future to know who you are, recognise you, and remember you when the time comes.
What is the mini brand kit for freelancers?
The mini brand kit is, in our opinion, a bare-bone brand that is going to get you up and running without costing too much money. It’s the basic building blocks that you need to look professional, show you are taking yourself seriously and give yourself a space to grow without having to spend too much upfront.
You might be asking do you really need a mini-brand right at the start? Our answer is yes, because why would a client take you seriously if you are not taking yourself seriously?
But your branding doesn’t have to be anything too dramatic or complicated at this stage – it’s just the minimum you should have when you are starting out.
So here are the things that I believe should be foundational parts of your mini brand:
- portfolio,
- website,
- CV,
- testimonials,
- name and logo.
1. Portfolio
Almost every client will want to see at least some evidence of what you can do and what have you done in the past. This doesn’t have to be huge, you just need to be able to show evidence of your skills and expertise.
It’s too big of a risk for clients to hire somebody who doesn’t have any work to display – so you do need a portfolio.
2. Website
You probably also need a website – again, this doesn’t have to be anything too complicated. But as a business in 2023, you are expected to have a decent website.
People will go here to verify you are legit, get to know you a little bit and, eventually, get in contact with you.
But you can, and should, also use your website as an effective marketing tool to actually generate clients. The benefits of a well-run website are huge and often underestimated by freelancers, so having one is also an easy way to stand out.
Of course, you can always combine together your website and portfolio.
3. Resume/CV
Another basic requirement for starting out is a resume/CV.
Get your skills together, get your work experience together, any testimonials, interesting projects or volunteering you’ve done, put it all in a nice, one-page document and send it out when you are pitching.
4. Testimonials
If you’ve been employed, you’ve done some freelancing, or even helped out on projects for other people for free, you should be able to ask them to give you testimonials.
Testimonials are here to show that have actually worked with other people and they liked what you did. The reason why they are so important is that they are incredibly influential, and can really help potential clients make the decision and hire you.
If you don’t have any testimonials, it’s time to start gathering them. Reach out to your past colleagues, and people you worked with together, or browse through your LinkedIn network and see whether you can collaborate with other freelancers on a smaller project in exchange for a testimonial.
At this stage, aim for three legit, verifiable testimonials – this is a great number, it’s not too intimidating and it’s enough to show that you have worked with different people.
5. Name and logo
Finally, you need to think about what you are going to call your freelance business, whether you will use a logo, and what that logo is going to say about you.
We always recommend going with your name at the start, for example, John Doe Freelance, unless you want to present yourself as an agency for strategic reasons. But bare in mind that if you do present yourself as an agency, or that you have a bigger team working with you, the client’s expectations will be different, which can be a good or a bad thing for you.
Whatever you decide here, just make sure you are not misleading your clients.
Get the basics in place
And there you have it!
Those are the basics that you need before you start firing out those pitches and getting on potential clients’ radars. Getting all these foundations right at the start will help you start establish yourself on the market as a high-level professional.
If you have any questions about the mini brand kit, just drop them in the comment section below!
Until next time,
Maja
The Freelance Roadmap book has hit the digital shelves!
The Freelance Roadmap is a complete guide to building your freelance business and living life on your own terms.
This book will teach you how to develop a clear vision for your business, use storytelling that makes others want to work with you, develop a rock-solid freelance mindset, build the confidence to bring your ambitions to life and more!
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