Introduction: Freelance Service
Freelancing lets people pick their clients and the projects they work on, plus decide their working hours and salary goals. However, this type of work is usually directly tied to how much one works. Stopping working means stopping earning, which limits the ability of a freelancer to really scale.
One way to do that is to switch to a productized freelance service, which aims to provide the customer with a standard product. There is a standard procedure, price, deadline, and result. In this way, it is more convenient to sell, implement, and scale.
If one wonders how to create a freelance service productized enough to scale, the first step is to identify the problems of the clients.
How to Create a Freelance Service Productized Enough to Scale?
1. Start With One Specific Problem
A productized freelance service should be developed to solve a specific problem. Avoid creating a universal solution that includes everything the customer may need. Instead, narrow the offer to one concrete issue with a clearly defined target audience.
For example, instead of offering content writing services in general, one can offer a specific product: four SEO blog posts a month for small businesses. This way, potential clients will understand what exactly they are being offered.
Moreover, one should look at the problems clients usually ask for help with. Analyze past projects to find the ones that involved similar issues several times. Those are the problems worth offering a productized freelance service for, as there is already demand for them.
2. Define the Ideal Client
Not every client wants the same thing, so defining the ideal client should be done. For instance, a graphic designer may want to work with startups that need social media images, while a content writer may want to work with small businesses that need blog posts.
A virtual assistant may want to offer a monthly plan to consultants to manage their administrative tasks. This way, the target audience will be clear about who one is talking to. Moreover, the potential customer will understand what one can offer and what their individual needs are.
3. Create Simple Packages
With the ideal client and the problem in mind, one should create a simple package.
It is important to describe what exactly the client will receive, how many items will be included, how long it will take to deliver, how much it will cost, how many revisions are allowed, and what is excluded.
For example, a freelance writer may offer a product that includes four 1,000-word articles, keyword research, two revisions, and delivery within ten business days. The customer should obtain enough information to make a choice without contacting the writer to clarify any details.
4. Set the Standard Price
One should establish a standard price for the productized freelance service.
Instead of billing hourly, set a price for the entire package or product. Hourly billing makes clients think about how much time an employee is paying for. Billing for a product makes the client focus on the value they receive.
The standard price should include compensation for one’s time, as well as overhead and profit. Moreover, money should be left for unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, it is not worth undercutting the rates to attract more clients at the beginning. A productized freelance service should be able to scale, so there should be enough money for profit.
5. Build a Repeatable Process
When it comes to scaling any business, including a productized freelance service, process is vital. To make things easier on oneself, a standard procedure should be developed for providing the service.
For example, a writer may want to add the following steps to the process:
- The client fills out an onboarding form.
- The writer goes over the requirements.
- The writer implements the project following a certain checklist.
- The writer delivers the first draft.
- The client reviews the draft and provides feedback.
- The writer makes the necessary revisions.
- The final version is delivered to the client.
Moreover, one can create email templates, proposal and questionnaire examples, checklists, and any other documents worth including. All these small things add up and save a lot of time when multiple clients need to be managed.
6. Limit the Customization
It is only natural that clients will want to customize the product to meet their specific needs. However, it is important to limit the extent of customization to maintain the original advantages of a productized freelance service.
It is possible to make special offers for customization at a higher price, but keep the core the same. For example, the number of social media posts, their delivery date, and the number of revisions can be fixed. However, the content and design can be customized for the client.
This way, everyone gets what they need without changing the original product much. Moreover, if a customer asks for something else, they will have the opportunity to pay extra for it.
Conclusion: Freelance Service
A productized freelance service is not merely a service with a set price. Instead, it requires defining a specific problem and finding the target audience to solve it. Moreover, creating a simple product description, establishing standard pricing, limiting customization, and automating repetitive tasks are equally important. Above all, a productized freelance service should make life easier for the person who created it.
When the process is set up correctly, it becomes much easier to scale a freelance business without dramatically increasing the workload.
Ready to turn your freelance service into a scalable offer? Productize your skills, simplify your workflow, and create a service that can grow without increasing your workload. Use the Best Job Tool platform to discover relevant opportunities, connect with potential clients, and take the next step toward building a sustainable freelance career.
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