No freelance web design job is the same and clients are not all created equal. Different types have different needs and varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to winning their work. Here are a few of the best places to look for new freelance web design clients.

Non-profits

Non-profits, churches, and other charitable groups almost always need professional web design help, but almost never have budget. Getting their work will probably be the easiest, since you won’t mind working for little to no money. Just reach-out to group leaders and asses their needs, and if it seems like a good fit, offer your services. Do a few of these sites early to build your productivity and awareness in the community.

Small business

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) typically provide freelance web designers with their first paying gigs. They’re local, often very old-school, and almost never have web designers or marketing people on the payroll. While the term “small business” usually means fewer than 50 employees, and “medium-sized business” means fewer than 250 employees, you’ll probably have the best luck with the local mom-and-pops with a only a handful of employees. Almost all of my SMB clients over the years have had fewer than 10 employees. Quite a few had only one or two.

Small business Considerations

Small business owners are usually very headstrong about what they think they need. They did build a successful business from the ground up, after all. They’re also usually very tight with their money, so helping them understand a website as an investment, not a cost, can be a challenge. You’ll also be challenged to stick to good design principles when they ask you to make ridiculous changes, like making the text red and the background black (that’s a true story).

Marketing