Originally Posted by hyproVision
Coming across professional always seems to be the best idea, clients will automatically gain that little bit more trust with you simply because you came across as a professional, if your work is high-quality then there's no reason not to act professional.
Starting off from the very bottom as an offline freelancer will be more problematic with getting clients than you would online. I suggest you start online first, sell a few templates here and there(here, sitepoint, digitalpoint, etc), make a few connections by networking, make some money, build an online client base and hey presto you'll have some money to make a website, business cards, stationary and more in no time.
Once you're happy with your role then take it to the next level - offline marketing.
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I agreee. i do some freelancing too and appearing professional is a really important aspect of the business. if you build trust, you'll build clientele that will keep coming back and coming back, etc
that having been said, you probably know that you don't have to break the bank to look professional. it's all online for gosh sakes. google sells domains for 10 bucks a year, which will give you your own person email domain:
johann@johannthedesigner.com (if this is a link I'm sorry, it's fake obviously) or whatever. you don't even need a full website right away, the email addy alone sends a message. there are also a LOT of affordable advanced voicemail providers out there -- I use gotvmail and like it...I don't need every inch of the functionality yet but as my business starting getting bigger I wanted a 1-800 and a few other things.
but your main mission right now should be impressing the clients you do have. word of mouth/referrals can really make or break a freelancer