What Is Freelancing? What You Need To Know About Freelancing!
You may not even know that you’re already freelancing! Freelancing simply means doing work in exchange for money, without the need of an employer or company. In today’s modern world, more and more people are turning to freelance in order to earn extra income and gain valuable experience. However, before you decide to take the plunge into freelancing, there are some important things to consider.
How To Start Freelancing?
Here’s what you need to know about freelancing and how to start freelancing!
How does freelancing work?
Freelancing has gained popularity in recent years, thanks in part to websites like Fiverr and Upwork. But what exactly is freelancing? Why do people choose it as a career? Is it right for you?
Freelancers are people who don’t have a permanent job but instead provide their labor on an independent basis. When working as a freelancer, you choose your own hours, projects, and clients — and often set your own price points. For many workers, freelancing is an attractive option because it offers both variety and flexibility (with fewer hours). It also allows workers to find jobs tailored to their skills or experience level. And with independent contractors only making up 17 percent of U.S.
Are there any risks involved?
Freelancing has inherent risks. Sure, you’re your own boss, but there’s also no one else around to look out for you or help clean up any messes you might make. There are a few things you can do that will decrease risk while freelancing — for example, try matching with clients who have only given positive reviews and have completed projects successfully in similar fields (more on that below). If you’re just starting out and aren’t sure how to find these people, ask trusted peers if they know of anyone looking for freelancers. In addition, freelance sites like Upwork allow users to read job success stories from past clients so they can get a better idea of what working with a client looks like before jumping in.
Is freelancing worth it?
Some freelancers will tell you that they love their work and others may swear they couldn’t do it. The truth is that no one can guarantee your experience as a freelancer will be positive or negative — it depends on what you want out of your career and how much time you want to put into it. If you’re looking for a creative outlet, freelancing could be a good fit for you. But if getting paid is more important than pursuing your passion, then perhaps finding a traditional job would suit you better. Use sites like Fiverr and Upwork as sources of information when deciding if freelancing is right for you — don’t think of them as places where clients hang out in hopes of landing gigs.
Finding good clients on Fiverr, Upwork, etc.
When looking for clients, start with Fiverr and Upwork. On both of these sites, you’ll find freelancers who are making five or ten dollars per hour. This can be a good way to get your feet wet in freelancing and test out different types of projects. Even though $5 an hour may seem low, keep in mind that many jobs on these sites pay even less (see below). Another benefit of getting started on Fiverr is that you can use it as a resume builder — when potential clients see how great your work is at five dollars an hour, they might decide to hire you for higher-paying projects down the road.
Click here to read: Fiverr Gigs Ideas
We’ve gone over how much money you can make on Fiverr and Upwork in previous posts, but once you’re ready to work for clients, there are a few important things you need to know. First, most of these platforms operate on an escrow basis; that is, when you get paid from a client, your payment gets put into an account until you deliver your product or service.
Final Thoughts:
Freelancing isn’t for everyone. But if you can stand working independently, it offers a number of benefits. First, there’s no commute or paycheck that gets docked for taking vacation days — you decide when and how much work you want to do. Second, your hourly rate is almost always higher than what employees make (the Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour). And third, if you perform well, clients will often refer others to you and even help you find new clients. After all, word-of-mouth marketing is always free!
