How to Kickstart Your Freelance Journey With Service Arbitrage

Are you a new or prospective freelancer looking to kickstart your career? Service arbitrage is a proven strategy to get your freelancing journey off the ground.By leveraging the services of other digital business owners and freelance platforms, you can find clients, build your portfolio and grow your digital business as a freelancer. In this article, we'll explore the ins and outs of service arbitrage and provide a step by step guide on how to use it to launch your freelancing career.

WHAT IS SERVICE ARBITRAGE 

Service arbitrage is a simple yet effective way to start your freelancing journey, it typically involves finding clients with a specific need and then outsourcing the need to a third party to be completed on your behalf. So basically, your freelance business is going to ack like the middleman— what happens is, you look for clients who want a specific work done for them and then you outsource the work to a third party to complete it and then you deliver it to your client. The third party service provider doesn't need direct access to your clients.These third party service providers can be found on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Upwork, Fiverr and the Newcomma platform.

HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED

Choose a platform : Select a platform that aligns with your skills and interests. For example, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Fiverr, Upwork, Newcomma.

• Fiverr is great for digital services like graphic design, writing, and social media management 
• Upwork is better for larger projects like web development, content creation, and consulting 
• Freelancer is ideal for competitive bidding on projects like data entry, virtual assistance, and online research.

Market your services and create a gig : Market your services and set up a gig using social media. One way to do this is, if you already have found your third party service provider, is to request a sample of their work or services without their logo or any source of identification so with their consent you can promote to attract clients 

Make sure to:

• First, provide value: You can achieve this by providing tips and tutorials that help solve a particular problem for your followers or that answers questions they have been looking for responses to. Example, if you are in the graphic design niche, you can share tips and tutorials on the latest design softwares and tools that can help graphic designers with their work.
• Highlight your unique selling point: Tell your followers or potential clients what they stand to benefit when they choose to work with you.
• Use attention grabbing titles and descriptions 
• Add relevant keywords to improve visibility 

Find clients: find clients on the platform you choose to go with. Whether on social media or any freelance site. This can be done by using the search bar on the freelance sites or by searching for opportunities from accounts on social media pages and reaching out to them.

Outsource the work: After doing all the above, hand over the details of the work as specified by your client to the third party service provider you have identified and reached an agreement with. These third party service providers can be other freelancers, your friends, colleagues or other agencies who are capable of getting the work down as described by your client.

Deliver and earn: Deliver the completed work to your clients and earn your profits. Ensure that the communication between the client, yourself and the third party service provider is clear. Meet deadlines and also try to exceed the expectations of your client. This is how you get recommendations for more work.

Service arbitrage is a viable option for new freelancers looking to start their career. Remember to focus on providing value, building relationships, and establishing your credibility before promoting your services. Start small, be patient and stay committed to your goals.