One of the most common ways to work from home is to do so a freelancer. Whether you are writing or doing graphic design, you can earn a decent living with a freelancing home business. I know. I’ve been freelance writing for years now, and am lucky enough to be making a good living at it.

Over at the Freelance Folder, Laura Spencer offers her thoughts on 5 things you can do to kickstart your freelance business:

1. Develop an online presence: Start a blog or a web site showcasing your abilities.

2. Social media profile: Make sure your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media includes freelancing availability.

3. Bidding site: Build a profile on a bidding site, just to get started.

4. Apply for jobs at online boards: Look around and apply for jobs you see on the many job boards out there. Just be careful of work from home scams.

5. Offer a freebie: While you don’t want to make it a habit, you can do one or two things for free, just to build your portfolio and maybe garner a reference.

In the end, there are ways to get going with a freelancing home business. While I’m not a fan of the freelance bidding sites, I did get two gigs that way. I’ve had way more success, though, landing jobs through LinkedIn, Twitter and even StumbleUpon.