Freelancing and freelance Platforms

Freelance

The volatile nature of the world economy as a result of COVID and the massive job losses worldwide had pushed more companies into outsourcing parts of their activities and this shift has seen a major hike in demand for freelancers. Freelance work has also seen a boom globally because of the spread of different communicational tools.

With the rise of the gig economy, people are discussing more freelancing more than ever before. And that’s because there are more freelancers today than there have ever been in history — a 2019 study. More and more businesses are relying on freelancers to do their work because of the vast variety of options available in the market. The increase in outsourcing of businesses or jobs seems to be the new trend that 2020 and the new year had witnessed.

In fact, more and more people are seeing freelancing as a long-term career path for success, security, and fulfillment.

Who is a freelancer

Freelancers are self-employed and are often referred to as independent contractors. They work anywhere and anytime without a supervisor on an agreed schedule and rate. Freelances are deemed as self-employed workers who provide service or services to clients. They are hired by companies on a part-time or short-term basis and do not receive the same compensation as full-time employees.

What is Freelancing

Freelancing means providing service or services as an independent company or individual rather than on a full-time basis or employment. Freelancing is a contract-based profession where instead of being recruited in an organization, the person uses his skills and experience to provide services to a number of clients without necessarily been there in person. It is an agreed relationship, where the individual uses his abilities and experience to offer types of assistance to various clients.

In brief, it could be described as using your skills, education, and experiences acquired to work with multiple clients and take on various assignments without committing to a single employer. In basic terms, freelancing is the point at which you utilize your abilities, schooling, and experience to work with numerous customers and take on different tasks without focusing on a single business or employment. The number of assignments or tasks that you can take just depends on your ability to deliver when needed.

Freelancing provides you a chance to do the work you love and earn some extra money through it. Being a freelancer is a great way to turn your passion into a profitable profession. Freelancers do not hold permanent employment with a single organization and instead earn through temporary projects or contract work.

Freelance Platforms

Freelancing platforms are the ideal place where you can fully utilize your skills and get paid for them. Whether you’re looking for additional ways to pay the bills, fulfill your desires, or just want the freedom that freelancing offers; you’ve come to the right place. With so many platforms available online, freelancing has become very easy nowadays. Even there are millions of people who are choosing freelancing as a profession or full-time job. These freelancing platforms also help companies to hire the candidate required only for a specific project. They don’t need to hire a full-time employee on a salary basis and thus helps in cost optimization. In this article, we will discuss the top sites for freelancers based on our research and experience.

There are currently several freelance platforms available on the internet;

Toptal is a marketplace for the top talent in the marketplace. They emphasize to employers that they allow them to hire the “top 3% of talent”.

So this site is for those with a lot of experience and working at the top streams of industry. If you pass Toptal’s screening process, you’ll be given access to excellent projects with great clients (including JPMorgan, Zendesk, Airbnb, etc.) as well as commensurate compensation (no contests for the lowest bidder). They emphasize projects for developers, designers, product managers, and project managers. Freelancers typically earn a minimum of $60/hour.

Upwork

Upwork is a marketplace for freelancers in fields like writing, graphic design, and web development. The site helps professionals find projects, communicate with clients, and get paid. Freelancers on Upwork create profiles outlining their skills and experiences, along with their job histories and portfolios. Clients post job listings detailing their projects and what they’re looking for in a freelancer. From there, freelancers submit proposals for projects they’re interested in doing. Clients can review freelancers’ proposals, profiles, and portfolios, choose the one that best fits their needs, and place project funding in escrow. Freelancers and clients then collaborate through an online workstation, typically with no off-platform communication.

Overall, Upwork makes it easier to find jobs and make more money, but think carefully about which gigs you want to apply for. And check out our guide to managing money as a freelancer for advice on how to handle your newfound income, once it starts rolling in.

Guru.com is one of the leading websites that connect freelancers with potential employers who want to pay them for their services. With free membership and the ability to browse through hundreds of jobs on any given date, this is a site that you can use to jumpstart your career as a freelancer in your industry. Guru.com is suitable for most types of freelancers. There are IT and writing assignments available, but there are also assignments in photography, web design, broadcasting, business consulting, finance, accounting, and more. In fact, with so many different niches represented on Guru.com, this is a website that almost anyone can use to find a short-term or even a long-term assignment working from home.

Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing platform in a number of users and projects. We currently have over 16 million registered users globally from beyond 247 countries, regions, and territories. More than 8 million projects have been posted on the site in over 850 project categories like software development, graphic design, sales and marketing, and even astrophysics. Freelancer.com allows small businesses and entrepreneurs to hire a global talent pool of freelancers to get work done.

How to become a freelancer

For those who are not happy with the traditional way of been commanded on what to do and feel deep within them that this is not the best way of life for them. It is a decision that one does not want to be limited under one employer for the rest of one’s life. So, this desire compels people in this category to consider a shift to freelancing full time.

The freelance market is growing by the day, and if you want to be competitive, you have to prepare accordingly. Follow these seven steps to get started.

In other to succeed with freelancing one must be disciplined. Being your own boss is a great thing if you’re disciplined and reliable. If you want to be a freelancer, you should maintain a daily work routine, be ready to juggle several projects at once, and continually look for new projects to maintain a steady flow of work.

Most freelancers use freelancing platforms to find work. Choosing the platform with the model that fits your needs and salary expectations is incredibly important for your success. Plenty of freelancing websites encourages the so-called “race to the bottom,” where freelancers provide poor quality work in exchange for poor compensation.

ake time to create a substantial profile that will inform potential clients about your education, skills, expertise, and experience. You don’t have to write novels — keep it short and sweet. List your skills, experiences, special achievements and explain why you’re the best person for the job.

You don’t have to prepare a classical CV, as most freelancing websites have a predesigned template you need to fill out with your information

Take time to create a profile, make sure to provide a portfolio that illustrates your skills and experience.

If you’re a beginner in your chosen field, take time to create a portfolio with sample works, or simply accept several jobs at a discounted rate in exchange for experience.

If you have some level of experience, of course, you cannot charge the same rate as freelancers with a decade of work under their belts. Your rate must cover your monthly expenses if you have steady work, no matter how experienced you are.

First, apply only for the jobs you are confident you can do. As a freelancer, you’re building your reputation from scratch, and especially in the beginning, it’s of utmost importance to secure positive feedback.

Relationships with your clients are the most important part of freelancing. By maintaining a good connection with your current clients and providing quality work, you’ll be more likely to secure more consistent jobs in the future. Make sure you meet every deadline, listen to instructions, make any necessary edits and communicate efficiently with your clients. While you aren’t tied down to set hours, you should still be available to your clients in case they have any questions, requests, or concerns.

Conclusion

With the rise of the gig economy, more people are shifting into freelancing. It is therefore essential that the various requirements and the platforms available be spread further for those who would take advantage of this in the future to succeed in the quest to become independent

Originally published at http://dacrevblog.wordpress.com on February 21, 2021.