What it Takes to Start Making Money Online in Nigeria as a Freelancer

So, you have decided to join the club of smart hustlers out there. Who adds value to the lives of people being freelancers and, in return, make money online in Nigeria.

But at this juncture, you’re curious about what it takes to start earning online from the comfort of your four walls.

Perhaps, you’re just a beginner or maybe you have tried several online businesses which didn’t work out and you’ve been thinking about what you’re doing wrong or what you aren’t doing.

When I began business on the internet, for example, it took a whole lot of ups and downs, trials and errors. In fact, there are some online businesses that didn’t make me a dime for over a year but that is a story for another.

It was when I started out as a freelancer I began to realize what hustling online really meant. And today, I can tell you that the pretty fastest way to start making money online is through freelancing.

Making money online as a freelancer can be easy –if you start the right way.

There are certain questions that you need to ask yourself and give honest answers to. These questions will help you decide if you are going to sink or swim in the freelancing ocean.

Well, if you think “ocean” is an exaggerated word, feel free to call it a pool or whatever you feel it should be. At least, you got my point. So let’s dive into the questions:

1. Do you have a marketable skill?

Think of graphics and designs, data analysis/science, online marketing, programming, consulting, teaching, video creation, or freelance writing (I don’t mean copy and paste o!).

You must have heard or read the quote, “You can’t give what you don’t have”.

So true!

There’s no way you can make money online as a freelancer without having any valuable skill to offer. Skills that people are willing to pay you for.

In fact, this is the most important thing that you should consider. So if you do not have any skill, then you might want to consider learning one today.

Fortunately, we are in an information age. If you know how to get your way through search engines, you can learn the basics of virtually any skill for little to no amount.

2. Do you have a smartphone and a PC?

“If you’re not making money from your smartphone, you my friend, have a “dumb Phone”…

And I cannot agree less about this!

That quote is just one among the many quotes from rich and financially literate men about making money from smartphones. They understand the fact that the world has evolved and it will continue to.

We have millions of youths whose phone is nothing but a liability to them. On the other hand are the intelligent ones whose phone is nothing but a money-making machine.

At the time of writing this, I made back the amount I used to purchase my new phone within 2 weeks!

Now tell me this isn’t cool.

In fact, I have friends that’ll make more in a shorter time span simply because of the kind of useful and highly demanded services they offer as freelancers.

To make it as a freelancer, you also need a PC. It could be a desktop computer or a laptop.

Anyway, a laptop is preferable for several reasons that I cannot begin to explain these.

3. Do you have a good internet connection?

Well, Nigeria is obviously not among the first world countries that have no problem with an internet connection. This is, in fact, the reason I had to put this one the list.

There are some places in our dear country that will make you feel like you are not even on planet earth because the network sucks.

This reminds me of a very good friend of mine who, one day, posted on her WhatsApp status that going home for school vacation can be frustrating.

Why?

Because she only gets a good internet connection on her refrigerator in the Kitchen!

As funny as that may sound, it really is a sad thing. Don’t even think your online hustle will thrive in that kind of environment.

Doing business online generally demands reliable internet access.

So if you reside in those kinds of places, you might want to consider freelancing offline or perhaps change your residential area.

4. Are you good at selling?

See, the business competition online is just as fierce as doing business in real life –if not more!

An Upwork press release specifically talked about how the freelance workforce growth is skyrocketing and has three times, exceeded the entire U.S workforce growth since 2014.

Don’t even think that will reduce anytime soon.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to live a sweet lifestyle of making at least $1,000 weekly from the comfort of their home?

No consistent 9 to 5, no traffic to get stuck in, no boss nagging and the list goes on.

So as a freelancer, in order to beat your competitors, you must be an expert in the art of persuasion and selling yourself to customers.

I bet that if you never believe that pen is mightier than a sword, freelancing will prove it to you.

Let’s move on to the final question that’ll determine if you have what it takes to make money online as a freelancer.

5. Do you have the time and commitment?

Even though freelancing can be a lucrative side or part-time hustle, you still need to dedicate time to it. You will need time to hunt for gigs, negotiate with clients, time to work on contracts you get and deliver and all.

You also have to be committed because it is a business and should be treated as such. Commit to it, dedicate valuable time and you’ll end up living the kind of life that you want.

Your Turn

If you answered no to most of the questions, don’t let that deter you from taking action. The good thing is that you can change things for yourself and I strongly believe so.

Now tell me…

What are the challenges you are facing that is stopping you from being a freelancer? Is there anything you think I’m missing out? Let me know in the comment session below. And make sure you share this content with others –you never know whose life you might impact today.