🔍 Problem: 73% newbies quit freelancing in their first year because they chose the wrong niche (Upwork data, 2024). How to avoid making the same mistake?
1️⃣ Income vs Time: Realistic Expectations
📊 What to watch:
– Average rates in the niche (for example, copywriters - $15–50/hour, testers - $20–80/hour).
– How long will it take to achieve a stable income (3–6 months).
📌 Example:
"I chose SMM thinking it was easy. But the first 2 months were spent on training, and only on the 3rd month the income exceeded $500."
2️⃣ Skills: what you can do vs. what you will have to learn
📋 Checklist:
✅ Already have skills (for example, writing texts).
📈 Need to improve (SEO, Figma, Excel).
🆕 Completely new (programming, design).
💡 Advice: Take free courses (Google Certificates, Coursera) before choosing.
3️⃣ Competition: how to stand out?
🚨 TOP 3 overcrowded niches in 2024:
– ✍️ Copywriting (newbies — 40% on exchanges)
– 🖌️ Web design (cheap work from Asia)
– 📱 Social media administration
🎯 What to do?
– Narrow specialization (for example, “copywriter for IT startups”)
– Add a related skill (design + layout)
4️⃣ Schedule: rigid vs. flexible
⏰ Remote work options:
– 🧑💻 Freelance — you look for orders yourself, but the schedule is flexible
– 🏢 Remote work in a company – fixed hours, but stability
– ⚡ Gig economy (one-off projects) – money fast, but no growth
🧪 Test: "Are you ready to look for clients?" (Yes/No → if "no", look for a company)
5️⃣ Prospects: will there be demand in 2 years?
📈 Trends 2024–2026:
🚀 Growing: AI specialists, data analysts, UX researchers
📉 Falls: manual data entry, simple design
🔍 Advice: Check the niche through Google Trends and LinkedIn job postings
✅ Checklist for selection
📌 1. Assess your skills
| Skill | I already know how ✅ | Need some training ✍️ | I don't know ❌ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copywriting | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Design | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Programming | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| SMM | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| SEO | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
📝 Advice: Select 1-2 areas where there are more checkmarks in “I already know how” or “Need to learn”
⚙️ 2. Define the conditions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 💰 Minimum income | _____ $/month |
| ⏳ Schedule | Free / Fixed |
| 🧾 Format | Full-time / Part-time |
🧠 3. Check the competition
| What to do | Comment |
|---|---|
| 🔎 Go to Upwork or FL.ru | Calculate the number of pages |
| 📉 Conclusion | If >10 pages - look for a narrow niche |
📊 4. Analyze demand
| Where to look | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Google Trends | 📈 Is interest in the profession growing? |
| 🔍 Number of vacancies for #remotework |
🏆 TOP 3 niches in 2024:
– 🤖 AI integration
– 📊 Data analytics
– 🎨 UX/UI design
🛠️ 5. Action plan
| Paragraph | Answer |
|---|---|
| 🎯 Niche | _____ |
| 📚 Skills to learn | _____ |
| 🌐 Search sites | (eg Upwork, LinkedIn) |
| ⏱️ Time to income | _____ months. |
🎁 Bonus: questions before the start
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Am I prepared for instability in the first 3-6 months? | Not really |
| Do I have 2-3 hours a day to study? | Not really |
| What will be my “uniqueness” among competitors? | _____ |
Author: Alex
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