In the last post, I talked about online gigs – small jobs that you can do in less than a few minutes that do not require any special expertise or knowledge but can still net you a couple of bucks every day.
Today, I'll be focusing more on freelancing. Freelancing is different than doing odd online gigs, at least in my book. When freelancing, you are depending on your unique set of skills and abilities – you sell them to businesses around the world and you're most likely making a career out of it.
Online marketplaces such as Upwork and Freelancer provide you with an opportunity to sell your knowledge and work on projects without actually having to meet your clients at all. If you're really good at something – and there are literally hundreds of things you can be good at that will be worth serious money to someone – you can use these platforms to make a very decent living.
Jake Jorgovan started designing pages in Wordpress without much previous experience.
However, he had the drive, determination, and the willingness to learn. Today, he easily earns more than $1,000 every week – and that's by putting in only a couple of hours of work!
Want to learn how you can be making $1,000 every week? Then read on!
Who Can Make Money by Freelancing?
Everyone can make some money by freelancing. However, to make serious money you're going to have to be an expert and really know your stuff. Charging $30-$50 bucks an hour means that you have the skills that your clients need and that you don't need to be micromanaged or pushed to do the work. If you don't take your work – and your clients – seriously, then this line of work won't pan out for you.
Why is Freelancing Online a Great Way to Make Money?
There's a ton of reasons why this line of work is a dream come true for most people, but here are just a few of the top of my head:
There is no investment – monetary investment that is; your knowledge is all that is needed
You can do the work from anywhere – working from the beach can become a reality
It's low risk – most online job posting sites offer payment protection to freelancers
Lots of work available - and employers are ready to hire
Ways to Make Money by Freelancing Online
You can offer different types of services:
Consulting/coaching
Drawing up business strategies
Writing/programming/transcribing/working as a PA/drawing
How you make money with sites such as UpWork and Freelancer will depend on your skills and what you're selling but there are dozens of categories to choose from and clients are always looking for freelancers they can depend on.
Where to start
This will depend on what type of work you're doing but there are some general steps you can take to ensure that you're landing clients more often than not.
These steps were created for UpWork originally but can easily be applied to Freelancer and other platforms.
STEP 1 – Choose a niche – being a jack of all trades is all good and well, but it won’t get you far when freelancing. Decide what you want to do – writing, designing, programming, or something else – and perfect and hone your skills in that area.
STEP 2 – Decide on a platform – you can register on several platforms but one will most likely become your primary source of income because you will be spending most time/winning most jobs there. In any case, create a profile on few platforms and see which one you like best.
STEP 3 – Build your reputation and credibility – do this by always going above and beyond. You will get rated for your jobs – make sure to maintain a 5* rating as this will hugely impact the type of jobs you will be getting.
STEP 4 – Freelancing before quitting your job – don’t sign up for a platform and then quit your day job the next day. Make sure you build a good profile and portfolio and can land enough jobs before taking any drastic measures.
STEP 5 – Constantly work on your skills – keep evolving your skills so you don’t get left behind.
STEP 6 – Price yourself competitively – your pricing will depend on your skills and expertise. Make sure you’re not pricing yourself out of business but also don’t give it away for free.
STEP 7 – Be persistent!
Recommended Resources
1. Freelancing Courses
2. Freelancing Platforms
Guru | Freelancer | UpWork | Simply Hired | People per Hour
Online marketplaces are becoming the next big thing and freelancing offers so many opportunities to people who know how to take advantage of them.
Make sure you're cashing in on your knowledge and expertise everywhere you can - sites such as UpWork and Freelancer might prove to be a real cash cow for you!