Self-employed freelance ideas you can start for under £1,000
Freelancing is more popular than ever, and both a cold virus and increasing digitalization have opened the door to freelancing as a career choice for more and more people.
Life as a freelancer comes with a number of benefits: You are self-employed and therefore your own boss, you decide how you distribute your time, you can work wherever it suits you, and it's (often) cheap to get started.
Of course, you'll need time, discipline and hard work to break through, but no matter what business idea you choose to pursue, we see that you can make money from pretty much anything these days.
Here you'll find a range of business ideas to help you on your way to becoming self-employed and starting your own business.
Align expectations with yourself
When the conversation turns to entrepreneurship, self-employment, entrepreneurship and freelancing, images of billion-dollar companies and hunky guys doing their thing in the Lion's Den are typically painted.
But ambition doesn't have to be unicorn food to have a business where you are happy and satisfied. Quite the contrary.
In fact, most freelancers prefer to hold on to the freedom and flexibility of being their own boss rather than being responsible for a team.
In the freelance book, Company of OnePaul Jarvis argues the beauty of staying small, agile and flexible as the next big thing for business.
Before you embark on a freelance career, make it clear what the success criteria are for you and consider both the pros and cons of being an independent freelancer.
Not how a glittery Instagram profile shows the sweet life.
Check out Noah Kagan's approach to starting a business while in a permanent position here:
What does it take to start a freelance business?
The great thing about freelancing is the flexibility that comes with it.
And on the surface, few people would turn down a career that can be run from a hammock in Bali as a digital nomad, where you decide your own time, workload and which customers to work with.
However, there are no guarantees in this space and it takes time to build a customer base.
Especially in the beginning, when the amount of tasks often goes up and down too.
The first few months are the toughest, and also where most aspiring freelancers throw in the towel and return to the office cubicle and 9-5 life.
When you think about starting a small independent business, which a freelance business is, there are enough business ideas to go around.
Of course, it's advantageous to choose an area you already know a little about, or where you can move above average in a short time.
If you're willing to dedicate 24 hours of active learning on YouTube, you'll be surprised how far you can climb the expert ladder.
At the end of the day, it's not about the uniqueness of your self-employment idea, but your ability to execute and solve problems for others.
Starting a freelance business is the easy part. Continuously selling yourself is the hard part.
So make sure you promote yourself from day one, share your work on social media and update your website frequently to help potential customers choose you.
🚀 If you want to get off the ground, check out our in-depth article on how to get started as a freelancer, with everything you need to know to land that first client.
Learn to love the suck
To starting a freelance business is the easy part. Continuously selling yourselfis the hard part.
And there's a 99% chance that there will be times when you just want to say "f*ck this" and dream yourself back to the comfort of a boss who pays your salary and a job that ends on time.
The sales part never stops and is what is a huge frustration for most freelancers.
So make sure you promote yourself from day one, share your work on social media and update your website and portfolio frequently to help potential customers choose you.
🚀 If you want to get off the ground, check out our in-depth article on how to get started as a freelancer, with everything you need to know to land that first client.
Understand the journey to turn your self-employment idea into reality
The ugly truth is that you need money on the table to keep the wheels turning.
Therefore, as mentioned, there are many aspects of freelancing that relate to sales and marketing, which comes as a surprise to many newly hatched solo cowboys.
In addition to being a shark in your field, you need to both draw attention to yourself and be able to close the customer meeting when the opportunity arises.
- To starting a freelance business is how you find clients
- To building a freelance business is how you convince clients to hire you
- Monetizing your freelance business is how you convert your new clients and make them stick around.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
What type of freelance business should I start? 17 (+4) business ideas:
Even though execution is 99%.it doesn't hurt to start with a great business idea for your self-employment business.
Here's a list of 17 (+4 new) small businesses that are all represented among Factofly's users today, and that you can start for less than 1,000 DKK.
1. Graphic designer
From logos to social media design, there's hardly a business that doesn't need original creative elements developed.
A good graphic designer is therefore faced with great opportunities to land freelance assignments.
Key skills typically include graphic design theory, drawing skills, and expertise in design software such as Photoshop, Figma, Affinity and/or Sketch to name the most popular ones.
👋 Pro Tip: Many graphic designers also offer their services as UX/UIs.
2. Translator
If you are enriched with more languages than Danish, your skills as a translator or translator are in high demand.
You can land jobs that require translation of websites, business ideas, documents and presentations.
You can find jobs directly on some of the larger freelance portals or join a translation agency.
3. Teacher
Your own talents are often worth more than you might think, and people want to learn (and improve) everything from Japanese to swimming.
Many independent trainers sell their expertise both in person and through online courses.
Depending on your expertise, you may need to take an alternative approach to finding customers here and possibly be active in various (local) Facebook groups.
4. Developer
The demand for developers only goes one way. (It's up, in case you were wondering.)
So if you can make things work on a computer and the internet, you have a good chance of creating a successful freelance career.
If you need to learn the ropes, there is a wealth of online courses you can take, especially in development. Many of them are even free. For example, check out freeCodeCamp and Code Academy take a look.
5. Shopify specialist
Shopify is one of the most used systems for many e-commerce stores, and the demand for developers and specialists who can help window shoppers to print purchases is steadily increasing.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
6. Copy and content writer
Many people don't realize how many possibilities lie behind their ability to conjugate words and put together catchy sentences.
Copywriters are in high demand for everything from newsletters, blog articles, website copy, advertisements and funding applications, to name but a few.
7. Digital marketing specialist
Okay, so digital marketing itself is a relatively broad category, but nevertheless, there is a clamor for experts who can help companies get in front of potential buyers across digital platforms.
We've gathered some of the most popular areas below:
8. Google ads manager
If you don't have a strong SEO profile as a business, you'll have to resort to the paid kind.
Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) is a complicated entity, and for many companies it is an essential part of their marketing mix.
Of course, there will always be one-off tasks here, but many companies are (also here) looking for a specialist who can support them in the long run.
Among other things, there are many YouTube tutorials along with Google's own coursesthat can help you get ahead on the bus.
9. SEO specialist
Search engine optimization is a wide range of services that help with higher organic rankings on Google.
If you learn the ins and outs of SEO, you can break down your service and monetize keyword analysis, technical optimization, backlinking, and content production.
11. Paid social specialist
It's one thing to be good at creating content that reaches the masses organically, but there's also a great need among businesses for talent that can create and manage paid social media campaigns.
When you enter this arena, this type of business is widely referred to as SMMA - Social Media Management Agency.
Watch this video for a short and concise overview of how you can get started with starting your own SMMA.
12. Virtual Assistant (VA)
An overwhelmed senior manager is often looking for ways to lighten their load.
If you have a talent for managing calendars, taking calls, answering emails and generally making administrative tasks run smoothly, then a freelance career may be waiting for you here.
13. Data analyst
The foundation of any modern organization lies in their ability to understand their users, and for that they need to understand their data.
If you're adept at analyzing large amounts of data and translating it into graphs and other easy-to-understand visuals, you could have a glittering future here.
Basic Excel understanding is often a must-have skill, but also analysis tools such as Power BI will help you here.
14. Video and image editor
As an extension of social media management, there is a great need to produce and edit video and images for use on websites, social media and video platforms such as YouTube.
Here you can offer your skills in recording, editing and distribution.
15. photographer
If you know how to capture a mood on film, there are great opportunities in photography.
There are plenty of stock image websites where you can host your images and receive payment every time they are purchased and downloaded.
16. meeting booker
If you have an entry point to a niche audience, there are companies that will pay big money for that access.
The lead generation industry is a lucrative field and if you can manage to land meetings with companies looking for specific services, there are great earning opportunities for you.
17. Window cleaner
At Factofly, we are self-employed and entrepreneurs ourselves, and have great respect for people who deliver the hustle.
One of our users invested DKK 350 in window cleaning equipment, DKK 1,000 in flyers, and then went door to door with small businesses.
Today, he has a number of bakers as regular customers and is on his way to establishing a healthy business.
Starting out as a freelancer doesn't have to be overthought, and our friend here is a great example of exactly that.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
+1 AI Implementation Specialist
There's a lot of hype about AI and how much time it can save us all, and with good reason.
However, the reality is that most companies don't know how to implement the tools and don't look far beyond the big models such as Gemini and ChatGPT.
If you're in a position where you can actually make multiple models talk to each other and customize to business needs, you're in a great position to take your freelance career to the next level.
+2. interior designer
Let's start by addressing the thought that also occurred to us. No, interior designer is not a protected title.
However, few people end up in this space without a certain flair, with an eye for composition, atmosphere and materials.
But if that's you, there's nothing stopping you from studying interior design and starting out as your own boss.
+3. CV expert/job coach
Known in English as Resume Writer, this is basically about helping people land a job.
As you may have experienced yourself, it requires that your entire public professional profile gets a spin: LinkedIn, CV and cover letter especially.
You can read the case study about how Resume Assasin started out. A business that today earns solo founder Mary Southern $240,000 a year.
+4. Consultant
Jumping into freelance consulting is like diving into a sea of opportunity where what you know is your superpower.
The most popular areas where you can flourish as a consultant are typically in finance, marketing, IT, development, HR, and management.
Hone your skills in project management, networking, communication, and analysis - and let's be honest, a fair amount of PowerPoint - and get results for your customers.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
Self-employed freelance ideas you can start for under £1,000
Freelancing is more popular than ever, and both a cold virus and increasing digitalization have opened the door to freelancing as a career choice for more and more people.
Life as a freelancer comes with a number of benefits: You are self-employed and therefore your own boss, you decide how you distribute your time, you can work wherever it suits you, and it's (often) cheap to get started.
Of course, you'll need time, discipline and hard work to break through, but no matter what business idea you choose to pursue, we see that you can make money from pretty much anything these days.
Here you'll find a range of business ideas to help you on your way to becoming self-employed and starting your own business.
Align expectations with yourself
When the conversation turns to entrepreneurship, self-employment, entrepreneurship and freelancing, images of billion-dollar companies and hunky guys doing their thing in the Lion's Den are typically painted.
But ambition doesn't have to be unicorn food to have a business where you are happy and satisfied. Quite the contrary.
In fact, most freelancers prefer to hold on to the freedom and flexibility of being their own boss rather than being responsible for a team.
In the freelance book, Company of OnePaul Jarvis argues the beauty of staying small, agile and flexible as the next big thing for business.
Before you embark on a freelance career, make it clear what the success criteria are for you and consider both the pros and cons of being an independent freelancer.
Not how a glittery Instagram profile shows the sweet life.
Check out Noah Kagan's approach to starting a business while in a permanent position here:
What does it take to start a freelance business?
The great thing about freelancing is the flexibility that comes with it.
And on the surface, few people would turn down a career that can be run from a hammock in Bali as a digital nomad, where you decide your own time, workload and which customers to work with.
However, there are no guarantees in this space and it takes time to build a customer base.
Especially in the beginning, when the amount of tasks often goes up and down too.
The first few months are the toughest, and also where most aspiring freelancers throw in the towel and return to the office cubicle and 9-5 life.
When you think about starting a small independent business, which a freelance business is, there are enough business ideas to go around.
Of course, it's advantageous to choose an area you already know a little about, or where you can move above average in a short time.
If you're willing to dedicate 24 hours of active learning on YouTube, you'll be surprised how far you can climb the expert ladder.
At the end of the day, it's not about the uniqueness of your self-employment idea, but your ability to execute and solve problems for others.
Starting a freelance business is the easy part. Continuously selling yourself is the hard part.
So make sure you promote yourself from day one, share your work on social media and update your website frequently to help potential customers choose you.
🚀 If you want to get off the ground, check out our in-depth article on how to get started as a freelancer, with everything you need to know to land that first client.
Learn to love the suck
To starting a freelance business is the easy part. Continuously selling yourselfis the hard part.
And there's a 99% chance that there will be times when you just want to say "f*ck this" and dream yourself back to the comfort of a boss who pays your salary and a job that ends on time.
The sales part never stops and is what is a huge frustration for most freelancers.
So make sure you promote yourself from day one, share your work on social media and update your website and portfolio frequently to help potential customers choose you.
🚀 If you want to get off the ground, check out our in-depth article on how to get started as a freelancer, with everything you need to know to land that first client.
Understand the journey to turn your self-employment idea into reality
The ugly truth is that you need money on the table to keep the wheels turning.
Therefore, as mentioned, there are many aspects of freelancing that relate to sales and marketing, which comes as a surprise to many newly hatched solo cowboys.
In addition to being a shark in your field, you need to both draw attention to yourself and be able to close the customer meeting when the opportunity arises.
- To starting a freelance business is how you find clients
- To building a freelance business is how you convince clients to hire you
- Monetizing your freelance business is how you convert your new clients and make them stick around.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
What type of freelance business should I start? 17 (+4) business ideas:
Even though execution is 99%.it doesn't hurt to start with a great business idea for your self-employment business.
Here's a list of 17 (+4 new) small businesses that are all represented among Factofly's users today, and that you can start for less than 1,000 DKK.
1. Graphic designer
From logos to social media design, there's hardly a business that doesn't need original creative elements developed.
A good graphic designer is therefore faced with great opportunities to land freelance assignments.
Key skills typically include graphic design theory, drawing skills, and expertise in design software such as Photoshop, Figma, Affinity and/or Sketch to name the most popular ones.
👋 Pro Tip: Many graphic designers also offer their services as UX/UIs.
2. Translator
If you are enriched with more languages than Danish, your skills as a translator or translator are in high demand.
You can land jobs that require translation of websites, business ideas, documents and presentations.
You can find jobs directly on some of the larger freelance portals or join a translation agency.
3. Teacher
Your own talents are often worth more than you might think, and people want to learn (and improve) everything from Japanese to swimming.
Many independent trainers sell their expertise both in person and through online courses.
Depending on your expertise, you may need to take an alternative approach to finding customers here and possibly be active in various (local) Facebook groups.
4. Developer
The demand for developers only goes one way. (It's up, in case you were wondering.)
So if you can make things work on a computer and the internet, you have a good chance of creating a successful freelance career.
If you need to learn the ropes, there is a wealth of online courses you can take, especially in development. Many of them are even free. For example, check out freeCodeCamp and Code Academy take a look.
5. Shopify specialist
Shopify is one of the most used systems for many e-commerce stores, and the demand for developers and specialists who can help window shoppers to print purchases is steadily increasing.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
6. Copy and content writer
Many people don't realize how many possibilities lie behind their ability to conjugate words and put together catchy sentences.
Copywriters are in high demand for everything from newsletters, blog articles, website copy, advertisements and funding applications, to name but a few.
7. Digital marketing specialist
Okay, so digital marketing itself is a relatively broad category, but nevertheless, there is a clamor for experts who can help companies get in front of potential buyers across digital platforms.
We've gathered some of the most popular areas below:
8. Google ads manager
If you don't have a strong SEO profile as a business, you'll have to resort to the paid kind.
Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) is a complicated entity, and for many companies it is an essential part of their marketing mix.
Of course, there will always be one-off tasks here, but many companies are (also here) looking for a specialist who can support them in the long run.
Among other things, there are many YouTube tutorials along with Google's own coursesthat can help you get ahead on the bus.
9. SEO specialist
Search engine optimization is a wide range of services that help with higher organic rankings on Google.
If you learn the ins and outs of SEO, you can break down your service and monetize keyword analysis, technical optimization, backlinking, and content production.
11. Paid social specialist
It's one thing to be good at creating content that reaches the masses organically, but there's also a great need among businesses for talent that can create and manage paid social media campaigns.
When you enter this arena, this type of business is widely referred to as SMMA - Social Media Management Agency.
Watch this video for a short and concise overview of how you can get started with starting your own SMMA.
12. Virtual Assistant (VA)
An overwhelmed senior manager is often looking for ways to lighten their load.
If you have a talent for managing calendars, taking calls, answering emails and generally making administrative tasks run smoothly, then a freelance career may be waiting for you here.
13. Data analyst
The foundation of any modern organization lies in their ability to understand their users, and for that they need to understand their data.
If you're adept at analyzing large amounts of data and translating it into graphs and other easy-to-understand visuals, you could have a glittering future here.
Basic Excel understanding is often a must-have skill, but also analysis tools such as Power BI will help you here.
14. Video and image editor
As an extension of social media management, there is a great need to produce and edit video and images for use on websites, social media and video platforms such as YouTube.
Here you can offer your skills in recording, editing and distribution.
15. photographer
If you know how to capture a mood on film, there are great opportunities in photography.
There are plenty of stock image websites where you can host your images and receive payment every time they are purchased and downloaded.
16. meeting booker
If you have an entry point to a niche audience, there are companies that will pay big money for that access.
The lead generation industry is a lucrative field and if you can manage to land meetings with companies looking for specific services, there are great earning opportunities for you.
17. Window cleaner
At Factofly, we are self-employed and entrepreneurs ourselves, and have great respect for people who deliver the hustle.
One of our users invested DKK 350 in window cleaning equipment, DKK 1,000 in flyers, and then went door to door with small businesses.
Today, he has a number of bakers as regular customers and is on his way to establishing a healthy business.
Starting out as a freelancer doesn't have to be overthought, and our friend here is a great example of exactly that.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
+1 AI Implementation Specialist
There's a lot of hype about AI and how much time it can save us all, and with good reason.
However, the reality is that most companies don't know how to implement the tools and don't look far beyond the big models such as Gemini and ChatGPT.
If you're in a position where you can actually make multiple models talk to each other and customize to business needs, you're in a great position to take your freelance career to the next level.
+2. interior designer
Let's start by addressing the thought that also occurred to us. No, interior designer is not a protected title.
However, few people end up in this space without a certain flair, with an eye for composition, atmosphere and materials.
But if that's you, there's nothing stopping you from studying interior design and starting out as your own boss.
+3. CV expert/job coach
Known in English as Resume Writer, this is basically about helping people land a job.
As you may have experienced yourself, it requires that your entire public professional profile gets a spin: LinkedIn, CV and cover letter especially.
You can read the case study about how Resume Assasin started out. A business that today earns solo founder Mary Southern $240,000 a year.
+4. Consultant
Jumping into freelance consulting is like diving into a sea of opportunity where what you know is your superpower.
The most popular areas where you can flourish as a consultant are typically in finance, marketing, IT, development, HR, and management.
Hone your skills in project management, networking, communication, and analysis - and let's be honest, a fair amount of PowerPoint - and get results for your customers.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
10. Social media manager
Social media is one of those things that businesses can't afford to sleep on and is seen by many as a huge headache.
If you understand how to create content across platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Snap, etc.) and engage users, you can make good money by helping companies get closer to their audience.
Be a freelancer without administration
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.