This week’s message is going to be simple but powerful.

I want to share with you one of the tips that help me really start pushing my income and get away from lower paying (also, usually higher-maintenance…it’s weird how that works) clients.

It’s easy to do, but hard to keep yourself from slipping into old habits, so I’m going to give you three tips to help you out. Want to know what it is?

Seems like common sense, right? The more money they have, the more they have to pay you. The hard part though, is not letting yourself get stuck with the idea that you’re not good enough to work with a company pulling down millions, even billions a year.

You are, and that’s easier to accept if you really sit back and understand that bigger doesn’t always mean more complicated. Don’t believe me? Check out Walmart’s blog.

Their posts, even their page design is less sophisticated than what you’ll find on some individual websites…and the company is does over $400 billion in business each year.

Companies that size aren’t the most likely to work with freelancers, but you get my point…Don’t let size scare you off a better paycheck.

So how do you find them? Here are a couple of my favorite methods…

I run every prospect possible through Hoover’s.

This site lets you search a prospect’s name to see their annual income (go ahead and toss “Walmart Stores” into the bar at the top right and see what you get.) You should be using this site a LOT. Aim for companies that are at least in the millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions. (I mean that.)

Sometimes an overall niche might be low-paying, but a corner of that niche is better. Behavioral health? Might be low. Behavioral health technology? You’ve got much better odds of pulling clients that pay. If you’re not a natural techie? Your familiarity alone can be a big selling point, so don’t assume you need to be an expert.

Sometimes if you want big, you should just ask.

Simple practices like searching for the major players in your industry can set up really strong prospect lists. It’s easier than you think…just pop “Biggest [your niche] companies” into a search engine and you’ll likely get quite a few lists, some with up to 100 companies. (Here’s an example from retail.)

This method of approaching your clients can become even more powerful as you grow as a freelancer (i.e. if you start getting into value-based pricing), so start adjusting your mind right now. It can change your freelance business.

Megan