I used to think freelancing was only for fancy people. You know the type — editing videos on a MacBook in a café, sipping a latte they pronounce correctly, throwing words like “deliverables” and “bandwidth” into normal conversations. Meanwhile I was on a slightly cracked Windows laptop, one USB port dead, and a charger that sparked if you looked at it wrong.
And still, I made ₹50,000 in about two months. Not with coding. Not with design wizardry. I didn’t “become an expert” before I started. I began with what I had and learned the rest while I was getting paid. This is that story, with all the awkward parts included — because those are the real parts.
Day 0: The uncomfortable truth I had to swallow
I kept “researching” freelancing for months. Too many YouTube videos, too many bookmarks, zero action. The loop was: watch a tutorial, feel motivated, open Fiverr, panic at the 5-star profiles, close Fiverr, reward myself with samosa. If procrastination had a LinkedIn, it would endorse me.
One evening I asked myself a dumb little question that turned out useful: what could I do for someone else tomorrow, even if I’m not the best at it? Not “what can I master in six months.” Tomorrow.
I wrote a list:
- Make simple Instagram posts in Canva (I already made them for my friends’ birthdays).
- Trim short videos in CapCut/InShot (I made Reels for fun).
- Remove photo backgrounds (free sites do this, I just had to… use them).
- Rewrite clunky product descriptions so they sound human.
- Be a basic virtual assistant: sort emails, format spreadsheets, schedule posts.
No “hard skill.” But all useful to someone too busy to do it themselves.
The first tiny offer (and why I priced it embarrassingly low)
I didn’t open with “I’ll manage your digital strategy.” I posted in three Facebook groups for small business owners and one WhatsApp alumni group:
“Doing 10 Instagram posts for ₹500 (24-hour delivery). You give photos/logo, I’ll handle captions, colors, layout. 3 revisions. DM if you want to test me.”
Cheap? Yep. But I wasn’t trying to get rich on Day 1. I was buying speed + proof:
- Speed, because low friction gets a yes.
- Proof, because I needed screenshots + reviews more than cash.
A boutique owner messaged within an hour. She sent 18 random photos and a Google doc of prices. I panicked, then did the obvious: picked a simple Canva template pack, swapped her colors, used three fonts max, and kept captions short (“New arrivals ↓”, “Festive picks”, “Under ₹999”). Delivered 10 posts the next afternoon. She said “This is actually nice 🥲” (yes she used the teary emoji), left a 5-star review, and asked for 10 more.
₹1,000 in two days. Not glamorous. But not imaginary either.
The profile that didn’t sound like a résumé
Most new profiles read like they’re applying for an internship:
“I am a hardworking individual seeking opportunities…”
No one hires “seeking opportunities.” They hire outcomes.
I rewrote my Fiverr/Upwork bio like this:
“No time to design posts? I’ll make clean, on-brand Instagram content from your photos, deliver fast, and keep captions short (so people actually read them). Need short Reels too? I’ll cut, caption, and time them to trend audio.”
No lies. No “10 years experience.” Just a promise I could keep.
I uploaded before/after samples (even mocked some from stock photos). Clients don’t care that you used Canva; they care that their page stops looking like a garage sale flyer.
My “scripts” (because typing the same thing 40 times is pain)
Cold message for groups:
“I’ll create 10 Instagram posts for ₹500 in 24 hours using your photos/logo. Clean layout, brand colors, easy captions, 3 revisions. Want a sample? DM me one product photo.”
After a DM:
“Cool! Send your logo, 6–12 photos, and any brand colors. I’ll share 3 sample layouts in 6 hours — pick one vibe, I’ll finish the rest.”
Delivery note:
“Attached 10 posts (1080×1350). If you want the square version too, I’ll export and add. Captions in the doc; feel free to tweak. Want me to queue these in your scheduler? I can do that.”
Short. Clear. Zero corporate jargon.
From ₹500 to ₹2,000 (and nobody rioted)
After three happy orders + public reviews, I changed my gig to ₹999 for 10 posts. After two weeks and more screenshots, ₹1,499. End of month: ₹2,000. The trick wasn’t “be the cheapest.” It was be the easiest yes:
- Fast replies (I kept notifications on).
- Specific timelines (“First draft by 5 PM, final by tomorrow noon”).
- Less back-and-forth (give a layout choice upfront).
People will pay more to avoid babysitting a freelancer.
Adding “short video editing” (no After Effects required)
Once posts were steady, I added a second offer: 3 short videos (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) for ₹1,200. CapCut did 80% of the job — auto captions, templates, beat sync. I just had to choose tastefully and not go full carnival.
First video client was a fitness coach. He sent raw front-camera clips. I cut mistakes, added bold captions, used a punchy track, and sprinkled one “pop” transition per video so it didn’t look like a slideshow. He asked, “Can you do 8 per month?” That word — per month — is when freelancing stops feeling like lottery tickets and starts feeling like income.
Within a month I had:
- 3 clients on “10 posts/week” (₹8k each).
- 2 clients on “8 reels/month” (₹3.2k each).
That alone is ₹30–₹40k/month if you deliver and don’t ghost. I filled the rest with one-offs.
The “ugly” parts nobody brags about
- Scope creep. One client wanted “just small tweaks” which meant remaking the pack in a new style. I now use this line: “Happy to switch styles — that’ll be a new pack, same rate. Want me to start?”
Polite, firm. Works. - Revisions trap. I cap at 3. After that: “I’ll do extra edits for ₹200 each or a fresh pack at the regular price.”
Most people become decisive quickly. - Ghosting. Some folks vanish after “Perfect, send invoice.” I take 50% upfront for custom video work, or at least a small initial milestone.
- Time puddles. One ₹1,000 job can eat 5 hours if you keep pixel-peeping. I set a timer. When it dings, I deliver, ask for specific feedback, and move.
Tools that did the heavy lifting (all free or cheap)
- Canva: templates, brand kits, bulk resize.
- CapCut (desktop): smart captions, decent transitions, export presets.
- Notion/Google Sheets: content calendar so you don’t mix clients.
- Google Drive: shared folders per client (Posts / Reels / Captions / “Use Later”).
- PhotoRoom / remove.bg: background removal when I needed clean product cuts.
- Unsplash / Pexels: neutral backdrops if client photos were tragic.
No plugins that require a PhD. Just normal apps used consistently.
The simple process that made me look “professional”
- Kickoff (10 mins): logo, colors, reference pages they like, do/don’t list, target dates.
- Mini style test (3 tiles): “Pick A/B/C.” Clients love choosing more than guessing.
- Batching: design 10 in one go while the style is fresh. Schedule a delivery time.
- Delivery: “Here are your 10. Captions attached. Want square too? I’ll export.”
- Ask for the review while the dopamine is high: “If this helped, a short review keeps me alive on Fiverr 🙏.”
That last step matters. People forget. Ask nicely, once.
The numbers (because talk is cheap)
My first 60 days looked roughly like:
- 11 post packs (₹500 → ₹2,000 each as prices rose).
- 6 video sets (₹1,200–₹1,600 each).
- 2 retainers kicked in by week 5 (₹7,500 and ₹9,000).
- A few tiny things (₹300–₹800) like resizing, story versions, banner tweaks.
Add it up: just over ₹50,000. No viral moment. Just compounding small yeses.
If I had to start this week, I’d do this 7-day sprint
Day 1: Make a quick portfolio — 8 fake posts for a fake café + 4 for a boutique. Clean, same color family, export nicely.
Day 2: Set up Fiverr/Upwork + a Google Drive folder named “Aman — Social Packs.”
Day 3: Post the ₹500 offer in five FB groups + two WhatsApp groups. Reply fast.
Day 4: Deliver the first paid pack like your life depends on it. Ask for a review and one referral (“If you know a friend who needs this…”).
Day 5: Record a screen capture “how I made these posts” and DM it to the client — not as content, as a trust booster.
Day 6: Add the video gig (3 reels for ₹1,200). DM existing clients: “Want 2 reels too? I’ll do the first one at ₹300 as a test.”
Day 7: Raise the posts pack to ₹999. Update your gig with the new samples and that shiny review.
Repeat. Prices climb as your examples + reviews grow.
Random tiny things that helped more than “hustle quotes”
- I named my files clearly:
Brand_Month_Post01.jpg. Clients think you’re organized (you are). - I scheduled posts inside their Meta Business Suite when they asked — small value add, zero cost.
- I kept a “caption bank”: 30 generic but clean lines I could tweak fast.
- I said “no” to custom logo/website work. My brain: no bandwidth, thanks.
- I used UPI for Indian clients and Fiverr/PayPal for abroad to avoid “didn’t receive” drama.
“But isn’t this… too simple?”
Yes. That’s why it works. Most small businesses don’t need a Cannes-winning editor. They need consistent, decent content that doesn’t make their page look like a ransom note. If you show up, reply fast, hit deadlines, and don’t make them beg for updates, you’re already in the top 20% of freelancers.
Will you do annoying revisions sometimes? Yep. Will someone ask for “one last tiny change” seven times? Also yes. Will you learn to set boundaries? Definitely — and that’s part of the skill you actually build: managing humans and your time.
The real “skill” I ended up selling
Not design. Not editing. Certainty.
“Give it to me tonight, it’ll be usable tomorrow.”
That’s what people pay for — the feeling that a small but nagging thing in their business is handled. You can deliver that with Canva and CapCut just fine.
If you’re waiting to master a grand skill before you start, cool — but you don’t have to. Start with something small. Price it low. Deliver like a maniac. Save your screenshots. Ask for the review. Raise. Repeat. Two months from now, you won’t be asking “Can I make money online?” You’ll be asking “How do I say no politely when my Thursday is full?”
That’s a better problem to have. Trust me. I’ve been stuck on both sides.
