What if the next step in your career didn’t involve a job application?
Many people in our community are rethinking traditional employment. Whether you’re between roles, exploring remote work for the first time, or considering a side hustle to boost your income — freelancing could offer more freedom and flexibility than you think.
In this free session, Remote Work Europe is joined by Hannah Dixon from the Virtual Excellence Academy to walk you through what freelancing actually looks like - and how to take your first steps without unnecessary risk.
From pricing and portfolios to platforms and payment, we’ll demystify what it takes to land your first client and start building freelance income streams that work for you.
🗓️ Date: Monday 28th May 2025
⏰ Time: 5pm CEST
💻 Where: Online (Free registration below)
Why attend?
You don’t need to quit your job or commit to a new career path to start freelancing. This session is designed to give you clear, practical insight into:
How freelancing works (and how it’s different from remote employment)
How and where to find your first (and next) client
The practicalities of setting up and managing a business entity
How to know if freelance business operation is right for you
Who is this session for?
Everyone.
Whether you’re a jobseeker, full-time employee, or already earning independently, this webinar will help you understand the freelance option and how to start small, safely, and strategically.
It’s ideal if you:
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Are struggling to find remote work opportunities that fit
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Want more flexibility or autonomy
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Are curious about freelancing but don’t know where to begin
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Need income you can build around your skills and schedule
🎙️ Your Expert Speaker: Hannah Dixon
Hannah Dixon is a well-known voice in the virtual assistant and freelance training space. As the founder of the Virtual Excellence Academy, she’s trained over 30,000 freelancers and helped thousands launch new careers from scratch.
Expect practical advice, straightforward tips, and a clear path to getting started.
Key Takeaways from the Session
Whether you caught the live event or are watching the recording, here are some of the core themes Hannah covered that are worth keeping in mind as you explore your freelancing options:
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Start before you feel ready. One of the biggest mistakes new freelancers make is waiting until everything is perfect — the website, the portfolio, the business plan. Hannah’s advice is clear: start with what you have, learn as you go, and refine along the way. Your first client does not need to see a polished brand — they need to see that you can solve their problem.
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Know your numbers. Setting rates is one of the most common sticking points. Too low, and you burn out fast. Too high without a track record, and you struggle to land work. Hannah walked through how to calculate a sustainable hourly or project rate based on your living costs, desired income, and the number of billable hours you can realistically work each week.
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Choose your niche wisely. Generalist freelancers compete with everyone. Those who specialise — whether by skill (e.g., email marketing, bookkeeping, project management) or by industry (e.g., coaches, e-commerce brands) — can charge more and attract better-fit clients.
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Leverage free platforms to find your first clients. Hannah recommended starting with platforms where potential clients already gather — Facebook groups, LinkedIn, and freelance marketplaces — rather than waiting for inbound leads from a brand-new website.
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Treat it like a business from day one. Even if freelancing starts as a side project, setting up basic systems for invoicing, contracts, and time tracking pays off quickly. It also builds the professional habits you will need if freelancing becomes your primary income.
If these themes resonated, the Virtual Excellence Academy offers structured training programmes to take you from first steps through to building a sustainable freelance career.
Watch the recording above to access expert advice that could change your career path.
