I’ve been earning money online for a decade and it’s freelancing sites like Upwork that have helped me along the way.
I was pretty surprised recently when a client mentioned my “success” on the site and I went to explore my profile (which is something I tend to neglect on there – more on that in the future). Sure enough, both my agency and individual freelancer profiles had earned over $20K each on the site over time. And to think, I recently took a two-year break from the site!
Gig Economy Thrives
I’d first joined a site, Elance, which was merged with oDesk into Upwork. It’s a long story but I loved Elance and didn’t warm up to the policy changes and fee differences on the new for a while. But, I’ve come around now and I find myself holding the distinction as a Top Rated freelancer on the site, being one of the top two providers in my niche.
Why these details? Because there are several of these sites out there and you should find the one that’s best for your niche skills and stick with them. But, not before you shop around. It’s possible that Upwork will be the site for you. They’re certainly the biggest.
Right now the best time to be a freelancer now more than any time in history!
Establish Yourself
Once you’ve found the one or two sites you feel give you the best chances of getting a gig, start sending proposals. Do you have some experience you can tout? If so, put together a resume that highlights that experience – even if at jobs that don’t appear to be relevant by title only.
Do you have samples or a portfolio of work content for a client to see? If so, choose the top selections that work best for that particular job and send. Don’t submit a laundry list of unrelated experience. Unless you don’t have any related experience. Then, send whatever content you have in order to show you’re right for the job.
But, choose wisely. Don’t waste your time going for long-term projects with huge budgets if you’re just starting out. This is about building a profile and getting some feedback from a few clients. That is the type of thing that attracts new clients to hire you.
Earn from Your Couch
I don’t even have to apply for jobs now. Most of my gigs come via invites after clients search the list of freelancers in my niche. You can figure this out, too, but it will come over time. Be patient.
What if you don’t have any past work content to show potential clients? Write!! Start a blog and write a few posts in order to have something to show potential clients. Same if you’re into coding or graphic design or other digital-related fields that advertise on these sites.
You don’t have any specific skills but have several general ones? Consider starting out as a VA. Virtual Assistants have been a thing for a while now, but I see stories of people making a decent living right from their homes.
Earn the living you need while sitting on your couch.
(Photo from Unsplash)
**Affiliate Disclosure: Links within articles may be referral links where I share in marketing revenues for any purchases made via the links.
