23 min
Student Spotlight: Building a Web Design Business from Scratch with Lisa Doiron The Freelance Podclass
-
- Marketing
How do you transition from being a stay-at-home parent to a freelance business owner? Today our guest is Lisa Doiron, a stay-at-home mom who built a web design business from scratch after years of taking time off to raise her family.
As a long-time student at Freelance University, she has valuable insights to share about developing skills and leaning on a community for support. Join us as we talk about valuable lessons learned during the freelance journey and effective strategies for finding clients!
Podcast Outline:
[0:00] Introduction to Lisa Doiron - Lisa shares how she got started in the freelance space and how it’s impacted her and her family.
[3:04] Being a stay-at-home parent and then going back to work - Lisa explains what it was like making that transition.
[3:43] The value of transferable skills - Lisa describes the core services she currently focuses on in her business.
[5:06] Offering WordPress services vs. Squarespace or Wix - how WordPress has challenges but also valuable benefits that make it a pathway of opportunity for your business.
[7:05] How Lisa’s skills have evolved as a freelancer - Lisa and Craig explain how committing to learning helps your confidence and skills grow.
[8:26] Niching down vs. serving a broad audience - Lisa describes the type of clients she loves to work with and how that focus developed over time. Craig explains how you can niche down by speciality or by audience.
[11:24] The value of being versatile - how offering a variety of services keeps you working during times where clients and businesses are struggling. Lisa explains how being versatile helped her discover what she enjoyed and gave her connections and experience she can share with her clients.
[13:26] What Lisa has learned about herself through her freelance journey - Lisa shares the lessons she’s learned and how she’s evolved during this time.
[14:24] The importance of being resourceful - Craig explains how the Freelance University Student Community helps students find the information they need so they can help clients solve problems.
Effective Strategies for Finding Clients
[15:57] #1 Talking to anyone and everyone about what you do - making connections with colleagues who serve the same industry but in a different way.
[16:26] #2 Trying to provide value wherever you can - setting yourself up as an expert so clients think of you first.
[16:39] #3 Marketing all the time - keeping up your momentum and marketing even if you don’t feel like you’re ready.
[17:11] #4 Being vigilant to know that clients can come from anywhere - tapping into your network.
[17:30] #5 Using content marketing and social media - connecting with clients through social media content and answering questions in Facebook Groups.
[17:58] Lisa’s experience with Freelance University - how it’s helped her get to where she is with her web design business. Lisa shares the amazing ways it opened her mind to the possibilities and allowed her to explore them all and have a support system.
[20:48] The confidence Freelance University gave Lisa when working with clients - how she could go there to find training or answers when a client needed something she didn’t know.
[21:16] How to learn more about Freelance University’s community and training center you can join through its 24/7 open enrollment.
[22:08] How to learn more about Lisa
[22:42] How to access Freelance University’s free training resources
Resources and Tools Discussed in this Episode:
Freelance University
The Transferable Skills Class with Janine Kelbach
Learn more about Lisa Doiron:
Website: LisaMarieCreative.com
Resources and Tools:
Google
WordPress
Squarespace
Wix
Facebook Groups
How do you transition from being a stay-at-home parent to a freelance business owner? Today our guest is Lisa Doiron, a stay-at-home mom who built a web design business from scratch after years of taking time off to raise her family.
As a long-time student at Freelance University, she has valuable insights to share about developing skills and leaning on a community for support. Join us as we talk about valuable lessons learned during the freelance journey and effective strategies for finding clients!
Podcast Outline:
[0:00] Introduction to Lisa Doiron - Lisa shares how she got started in the freelance space and how it’s impacted her and her family.
[3:04] Being a stay-at-home parent and then going back to work - Lisa explains what it was like making that transition.
[3:43] The value of transferable skills - Lisa describes the core services she currently focuses on in her business.
[5:06] Offering WordPress services vs. Squarespace or Wix - how WordPress has challenges but also valuable benefits that make it a pathway of opportunity for your business.
[7:05] How Lisa’s skills have evolved as a freelancer - Lisa and Craig explain how committing to learning helps your confidence and skills grow.
[8:26] Niching down vs. serving a broad audience - Lisa describes the type of clients she loves to work with and how that focus developed over time. Craig explains how you can niche down by speciality or by audience.
[11:24] The value of being versatile - how offering a variety of services keeps you working during times where clients and businesses are struggling. Lisa explains how being versatile helped her discover what she enjoyed and gave her connections and experience she can share with her clients.
[13:26] What Lisa has learned about herself through her freelance journey - Lisa shares the lessons she’s learned and how she’s evolved during this time.
[14:24] The importance of being resourceful - Craig explains how the Freelance University Student Community helps students find the information they need so they can help clients solve problems.
Effective Strategies for Finding Clients
[15:57] #1 Talking to anyone and everyone about what you do - making connections with colleagues who serve the same industry but in a different way.
[16:26] #2 Trying to provide value wherever you can - setting yourself up as an expert so clients think of you first.
[16:39] #3 Marketing all the time - keeping up your momentum and marketing even if you don’t feel like you’re ready.
[17:11] #4 Being vigilant to know that clients can come from anywhere - tapping into your network.
[17:30] #5 Using content marketing and social media - connecting with clients through social media content and answering questions in Facebook Groups.
[17:58] Lisa’s experience with Freelance University - how it’s helped her get to where she is with her web design business. Lisa shares the amazing ways it opened her mind to the possibilities and allowed her to explore them all and have a support system.
[20:48] The confidence Freelance University gave Lisa when working with clients - how she could go there to find training or answers when a client needed something she didn’t know.
[21:16] How to learn more about Freelance University’s community and training center you can join through its 24/7 open enrollment.
[22:08] How to learn more about Lisa
[22:42] How to access Freelance University’s free training resources
Resources and Tools Discussed in this Episode:
Freelance University
The Transferable Skills Class with Janine Kelbach
Learn more about Lisa Doiron:
Website: LisaMarieCreative.com
Resources and Tools:
Google
WordPress
Squarespace
Wix
Facebook Groups
23 min