This is easily overlooked by rookie freelancers but has to be done to 1) Keep you on track and not goofing off and 2) Make sure you are earning what you want/need to earn. Here is a simple strategy for tracking your hours:
• First, make sure you determine the number of hours you plan to work on a project before you even start it. This will be your “budgeted” hours.
• Each day you work on the project, keep track of the time spent on it to the nearest quarter on an hour. If you are working on multiple projects, note the time spent on each one. Total these hours by project on a weekly basis.
• Upon project completion, compare the total hours worked on a project with the budgeted hours you set. Is it higher? Lower? Just about the same?
If the total hours worked is higher than the budgeted hours, this indicates that maybe you weren’t working as hard as you could or your bid price was too low on the project. Either way, you need to take note of this and make adjustments in your work habits or pricing. Your goal is to be productive as possible and earning as much as possible and hour tracking is your best measuring stick.
Next I’ll cover some strategies to earn more money in freelancing.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
34-a).Track Income and Expenses
This should go without saying but you need to know how much you are making and how much you are spending since you are a business. It is highly recommended you hire an accountant to do this for you since this can overwhelm you from time to time. If you decide to do it on your own, then here is the bare minimum you must do:
• Create an Excel spreadsheet or use a notebook to track all income received from freelance work. Make sure you jot down every cent earned. If you can, track your income by job/project too.
• Also using a spreadsheet or notebook, track every expense made as a freelancer. This includes rent, utilities, subscription fees, equipment, office supplies, etc. Be sure you have a receipt or somehow be able to account for each expense, too.
• Make sure you set aside part of your income for taxes. The best method is to create a savings account specifically for tax withholding and deposit 30% - 40% of your received income into it. Please refer to your country’s tax tables for an idea of what your withholding should be. Do not ignore income taxes! The last thing you want is trouble with “the man.”
• Create an Excel spreadsheet or use a notebook to track all income received from freelance work. Make sure you jot down every cent earned. If you can, track your income by job/project too.
• Also using a spreadsheet or notebook, track every expense made as a freelancer. This includes rent, utilities, subscription fees, equipment, office supplies, etc. Be sure you have a receipt or somehow be able to account for each expense, too.
• Make sure you set aside part of your income for taxes. The best method is to create a savings account specifically for tax withholding and deposit 30% - 40% of your received income into it. Please refer to your country’s tax tables for an idea of what your withholding should be. Do not ignore income taxes! The last thing you want is trouble with “the man.”
34).Work Work Work
This should be self explanatory, but do whatever it takes to get that project done on or before the project due date you set. This should be your number one priority. Your ability to get future projects, the possibility that your employer will rehire you and most importantly, your income will depend on you getting projects done on time.
There will most likely be times where you misjudge the amount of time to complete a project. In these cases you may have to work “overtime” working more hours than normal or giving up your weekend to get it done. Just do it if necessary. This is part of the learning curve for the new freelancer and soon enough you will be able to better calculate a time estimate of a project.
There will most likely be times where you misjudge the amount of time to complete a project. In these cases you may have to work “overtime” working more hours than normal or giving up your weekend to get it done. Just do it if necessary. This is part of the learning curve for the new freelancer and soon enough you will be able to better calculate a time estimate of a project.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
33).Develop a Service Minded Attitude
Yes, you are your own boss but your employers are eventually the ones forking over the cash. Meet their needs and treat them with the highest respect and the following advantages to your young freelance career will happen:
• You being rehired for future projects
• Good referrals to other employers
• Good recommendations in your online profiles
• Development of a client base
A service-minded attitude is absolutely essential to achieving the above. In fact, if you develop this attitude and live by it right away, you will surprise yourself in how fast your freelance business will grow and the amount of projects that will be lined up for you.
The opposite is true, too. Leave an employer unfulfilled and disappointed in your work and you will be left digging yourself out of a hole due to bad reputation. I shouldn’t have to explain this further but remember that bad reputation spreads faster than good reputation.
Your freelance career depends very highly on your reputation as well.
Here are suggestions to developing a service-minded attitude:
• Keep in constant communication with your employer and make sure that they know AND understand how you will take on a project. Make sure they know if they have any questions or are unsure about anything, to let you know about it.
• More often than not employers will ask you for small changes or “favors” during a project. It’s OK to give in once in a while and do a freebee, but don’t make a habit out of it, especially with the same employer. Your time is valuable and you need to charge for it. If you made a mistake with the employer, however, quickly fix it and consider adding on little “extras” to the project to ease them over.
• If your employer seems to ask too many favors or you get the sense that the employer is taking advantage of you, then kindly inform them that there will be an extra charge applied (this is where your project agreement comes in handy). Some employers will test the boundaries of freelancers and will calmly back down if you are firm, but polite with them.
• After a project is finished, follow up with your employer about five days after completion and send him an email asking if they were satisfied with your project work or if the project is working as he envisioned it.
Most of the time they will thank you and say everything is fine, but once in a while an employer will have a concern. Should that be the case, do what needs to be done so they are happy with your work. This is more or less applying a customer guarantee to your employer.
• If an employer has an urgent request or if they try to contact you to fix a problem,respond immediately and handle their requests in an efficient manner.
• Once in a while a misunderstanding may develop between you and your employer that may leave you, the employer or both of you fuming. Whether you or your employer is at fault, take these steps to diffuse the issue:
1. Wait a few hours before handling the situation, or better yet, until the next day. You will calm down more and be in a better frame of mind to handle it.
2. Then take a good look at the issue at hand and figure out the quickest and most effective resolution to it. Not to mention, one that is fair to both parties.
3. After that, acknowledge the issue your employer calmly over the phone or by email and explain the resolution you propose. Always give your employer the benefit of the doubt here and you will avoid arguments and calm him down, too.
4. Never under any circumstances argue with your employer even if they are at fault. Otherwise, you may quickly lose an employer and your reputation could be at stake if he decides to complain.
• Remember that you may never even see the faces of some of your employers which makes your relationship with him or her somewhat impersonal. Make small talk with your employer whether it is by phone or email and you will add another dimension to your business relationship.
• You being rehired for future projects
• Good referrals to other employers
• Good recommendations in your online profiles
• Development of a client base
A service-minded attitude is absolutely essential to achieving the above. In fact, if you develop this attitude and live by it right away, you will surprise yourself in how fast your freelance business will grow and the amount of projects that will be lined up for you.
The opposite is true, too. Leave an employer unfulfilled and disappointed in your work and you will be left digging yourself out of a hole due to bad reputation. I shouldn’t have to explain this further but remember that bad reputation spreads faster than good reputation.
Your freelance career depends very highly on your reputation as well.
Here are suggestions to developing a service-minded attitude:
• Keep in constant communication with your employer and make sure that they know AND understand how you will take on a project. Make sure they know if they have any questions or are unsure about anything, to let you know about it.
• More often than not employers will ask you for small changes or “favors” during a project. It’s OK to give in once in a while and do a freebee, but don’t make a habit out of it, especially with the same employer. Your time is valuable and you need to charge for it. If you made a mistake with the employer, however, quickly fix it and consider adding on little “extras” to the project to ease them over.
• If your employer seems to ask too many favors or you get the sense that the employer is taking advantage of you, then kindly inform them that there will be an extra charge applied (this is where your project agreement comes in handy). Some employers will test the boundaries of freelancers and will calmly back down if you are firm, but polite with them.
• After a project is finished, follow up with your employer about five days after completion and send him an email asking if they were satisfied with your project work or if the project is working as he envisioned it.
Most of the time they will thank you and say everything is fine, but once in a while an employer will have a concern. Should that be the case, do what needs to be done so they are happy with your work. This is more or less applying a customer guarantee to your employer.
• If an employer has an urgent request or if they try to contact you to fix a problem,respond immediately and handle their requests in an efficient manner.
• Once in a while a misunderstanding may develop between you and your employer that may leave you, the employer or both of you fuming. Whether you or your employer is at fault, take these steps to diffuse the issue:
1. Wait a few hours before handling the situation, or better yet, until the next day. You will calm down more and be in a better frame of mind to handle it.
2. Then take a good look at the issue at hand and figure out the quickest and most effective resolution to it. Not to mention, one that is fair to both parties.
3. After that, acknowledge the issue your employer calmly over the phone or by email and explain the resolution you propose. Always give your employer the benefit of the doubt here and you will avoid arguments and calm him down, too.
4. Never under any circumstances argue with your employer even if they are at fault. Otherwise, you may quickly lose an employer and your reputation could be at stake if he decides to complain.
• Remember that you may never even see the faces of some of your employers which makes your relationship with him or her somewhat impersonal. Make small talk with your employer whether it is by phone or email and you will add another dimension to your business relationship.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
32).Develop a Productive Working Schedule
Working freelance gives you the ultimate freedom of letting you choose the hours you want to work. This will not be the same as a job where you will be paid even if you are surfing the internet all day. You need to maximize your time working if you want to be successful and enjoy the benefits of freelancing.
Everybody has a certain time of the day when they are most productive, so time your schedule around those hours. It doesn’t make sense to start working at 8:00 am drowsy and grouchy when you are normally an afternoon person and most alert around 3:00 pm.Schedule a set number of hours to work each day and keep track of your time working during the day until you reach that limit you set. It is somewhat difficult to establish a working schedule in freelance simply because you are “allowed” to goof-off. Choosing your hours and sticking to them is the first step in developing that habit.Be sure to take breaks during your work day. Some of you may remember that one 15 minute break you were allowed during your work shift. HA! No more! Don’t take too many breaks, though, or it will affect your concentration and production. A break once every two hours of work is about optimal.
Everybody has a certain time of the day when they are most productive, so time your schedule around those hours. It doesn’t make sense to start working at 8:00 am drowsy and grouchy when you are normally an afternoon person and most alert around 3:00 pm.Schedule a set number of hours to work each day and keep track of your time working during the day until you reach that limit you set. It is somewhat difficult to establish a working schedule in freelance simply because you are “allowed” to goof-off. Choosing your hours and sticking to them is the first step in developing that habit.Be sure to take breaks during your work day. Some of you may remember that one 15 minute break you were allowed during your work shift. HA! No more! Don’t take too many breaks, though, or it will affect your concentration and production. A break once every two hours of work is about optimal.
31).Communicate With Your Employer
It is important to stay in contact with your employer, either by phone or more commonly by email. You should at least send an email to your employer once a day (once every few days for longer projects) giving him the status and any updates you have made.Employers are especially weary of new freelancers they hire and some may have had bad experiences with other previous freelancers they hired in the past. The better you communicate with your employer, the more you reassure him and put his trust in you.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
30).Create a Project Agreement
Before starting any project, you must get into the habit of drawing up a project agreement. A project agreement outlines the exact project requirements, your completion schedule and terms pf payment. Most important, though, this will legally bind you and your employer to a project and will be of use in case a dispute arises with your employer. There are three parts to a project agreement:
Buyer/Provider Agreement
This part is a contract that outlines the basic project requirements, terms of payment and project milestones. A project milestone is a date (or multiple dates) of completion of each stage of a project. For instance, if you obtain a project to ghost write an autobiography,you may want to set a completion date of eight months. Then a milestone of 25% completion could be set for every two months after you start. You also set the payment requirement upon completion of each milestone, too.
Statement of Work
Here, you get down to the nitty gritty and detail the project exactly. This is where you document all requirements the employer has and your methods of completing each one. I cannot stress enough that you take your time to understand every last detail of a project then make note of each one in the statement of work.
The statement of work is not necessary for shorter, simpler projects where all details can be mentioned in the buyer/provider agreement.
Most freelance work exchanges (FWEs) have a tool for you to upload a project agreement which must be agreed upon (online) by the employer before the start of a project. If not, you will have to make sure the employer signs and emails/faxes you the entire agreement. Either way, make sure you have this so you don’t get burned!
Change Order
This will not be a part of the initial project agreement between you and your employer but is necessary if any part of a project requires a change from the original agreement. The change(s) necessary are detailed including any additional costs. Most projects will require some change or another due to things that were forgotten by the employer or a change of taste. The change order ensures the change is fair for both parties.
Buyer/Provider Agreement
This part is a contract that outlines the basic project requirements, terms of payment and project milestones. A project milestone is a date (or multiple dates) of completion of each stage of a project. For instance, if you obtain a project to ghost write an autobiography,you may want to set a completion date of eight months. Then a milestone of 25% completion could be set for every two months after you start. You also set the payment requirement upon completion of each milestone, too.
Statement of Work
Here, you get down to the nitty gritty and detail the project exactly. This is where you document all requirements the employer has and your methods of completing each one. I cannot stress enough that you take your time to understand every last detail of a project then make note of each one in the statement of work.
The statement of work is not necessary for shorter, simpler projects where all details can be mentioned in the buyer/provider agreement.
Most freelance work exchanges (FWEs) have a tool for you to upload a project agreement which must be agreed upon (online) by the employer before the start of a project. If not, you will have to make sure the employer signs and emails/faxes you the entire agreement. Either way, make sure you have this so you don’t get burned!
Change Order
This will not be a part of the initial project agreement between you and your employer but is necessary if any part of a project requires a change from the original agreement. The change(s) necessary are detailed including any additional costs. Most projects will require some change or another due to things that were forgotten by the employer or a change of taste. The change order ensures the change is fair for both parties.
29).You’ve Won a Project, Now What?
Winning your first project will be an exciting time for you. Now you will have officially started your career as a freelancer and all your work putting together your profile and writing bids will have paid off. It is very important after winning the bid to now concentrate on the project at hand and deliver the employer your best work possible within the time period you specified.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
28).Important advice for bidding in Freelance Work Exchanges and job boards.
When you finally start bidding, one of the most important things you can do is login to your FWE or job board and keep track throughout the day on new projects posted in your category. Once you see any project that fits your capability, then do not hesitate to make a bid right then and there. The reason is that employers are often in a hurry to look for providers and you want to be near the top of that list of bidders.
If the first one who bids on a project happens to submit a reasonable bid and has the right qualifications, then they stand a great chance of being selected right away. Given this, I cannot stress the timing of your bid enough and this is an excellent way to reduce the competition from other bids. Also most FWEs allow a limited number of bids per month, so this also optimizes your use of them.
Also remember that the longer a project has been listed the less likely you are to win it. The truth is your odds of winning a project drop dramatically just after the first day it has been posted. With that in mind, only bid on projects over a day old if it happens to be really ideal for you or if there are no other brand new projects to bid on. Otherwise, only bid on same-day project postings, and keep an eye out for new ones periodically throughout the day. Be patient and they will come.
Also, don’t limit yourself to just checking one job board. Check up on other listings as well. I don’t recommend paying to use multiple FWEs (it can get costly). If you do use an FWE, then periodically check other free job boards since you never know when or where a good project that suits you perfectly will show up.
If the first one who bids on a project happens to submit a reasonable bid and has the right qualifications, then they stand a great chance of being selected right away. Given this, I cannot stress the timing of your bid enough and this is an excellent way to reduce the competition from other bids. Also most FWEs allow a limited number of bids per month, so this also optimizes your use of them.
Also remember that the longer a project has been listed the less likely you are to win it. The truth is your odds of winning a project drop dramatically just after the first day it has been posted. With that in mind, only bid on projects over a day old if it happens to be really ideal for you or if there are no other brand new projects to bid on. Otherwise, only bid on same-day project postings, and keep an eye out for new ones periodically throughout the day. Be patient and they will come.
Also, don’t limit yourself to just checking one job board. Check up on other listings as well. I don’t recommend paying to use multiple FWEs (it can get costly). If you do use an FWE, then periodically check other free job boards since you never know when or where a good project that suits you perfectly will show up.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
27).Bid Samples
The following pages will contain project descriptions similar to what you will likely to see in FWE listings and suitable bids that correspond to those descriptions. I’ll include comments in red for items to note in the bids.
Sample
Project Description:
I need a talented, creative, efficient, organized, self-starting ghost-writer who can help me create web and published content for a variety of different topics.
I will provide the outline and ideas to which I’ll basically need website copy review,tweaks, and edits. Also, I will be needing a feature article for my next newsletter.
I need someone that is marketing minded not just a great writer. Someone that knows how to sell, write good ad copy, etc. I'm looking to outsource a few projects in order to find the right long-term relationship.
Bid for this project:
[ Subject line ]
What luck! Now you have an expert ghost-writer published in successful websites!
Greetings, [or if you know name Dear Xxxx,]
[ Opening ]
Thank you for the opportunity to bid on your project seeking a ghost-writer to create web content. I’ll be more than excited to take on the challenge and you will find all information relating to my skills and experience as well as my cost and time estimates contained in this project bid.
[ Skills and experience ]
I have ghost-written several ebooks including the sales copy on the websites used to promote them. A few of which are, “Search Engine Secrets You Never Learned,” “The New Atkins is Here,” and “Million Dollar Jobs From Your Home.”
Here is what you can expect as your new ghost-writer:
• Expert in writing content for ANY subject
• Will meet all deadlines. Guaranteed or no charge.
• Will accommodate urgent requests
[ Attachments (the follow ing is the alternative if you are unable to upload files) ]
For more information of my skills and work samples please view here:
Resume: http://www.myname.com/resume
Work Sample (New Atkins is Here): http://www.myname.com/newatkins Work Sample (Million Dollar Jobs From Your Home): http://www.myname.com/million
[ Cost and time estimate ]
I have a quick turnaround time for completion of sales copy which is three days for each 500 words of copy. Not to mention, the sales copy is keyword optimized for the search engines. Turnaround for newsletter articles is roughly one day for every 500 words of text. My rates are $0.50/word for search engine optimized sales copy and $0.10/word for articles.
[ Closing (breaking the ice in last sentence) ]
I am located in New York City and am able to begin working on this project right away. Feel free to contact me anytime at example@example.com, in MSN Messenger under screen name example or by phone at (555) 555-5555. I look forward to working with you and turning your ideas into dollar signs like I did for my previous clients.Best regards and I look forward to working with you soon.
Sample
Project Description:
I need a talented, creative, efficient, organized, self-starting ghost-writer who can help me create web and published content for a variety of different topics.
I will provide the outline and ideas to which I’ll basically need website copy review,tweaks, and edits. Also, I will be needing a feature article for my next newsletter.
I need someone that is marketing minded not just a great writer. Someone that knows how to sell, write good ad copy, etc. I'm looking to outsource a few projects in order to find the right long-term relationship.
Bid for this project:
[ Subject line ]
What luck! Now you have an expert ghost-writer published in successful websites!
Greetings, [or if you know name Dear Xxxx,]
[ Opening ]
Thank you for the opportunity to bid on your project seeking a ghost-writer to create web content. I’ll be more than excited to take on the challenge and you will find all information relating to my skills and experience as well as my cost and time estimates contained in this project bid.
[ Skills and experience ]
I have ghost-written several ebooks including the sales copy on the websites used to promote them. A few of which are, “Search Engine Secrets You Never Learned,” “The New Atkins is Here,” and “Million Dollar Jobs From Your Home.”
Here is what you can expect as your new ghost-writer:
• Expert in writing content for ANY subject
• Will meet all deadlines. Guaranteed or no charge.
• Will accommodate urgent requests
[ Attachments (the follow ing is the alternative if you are unable to upload files) ]
For more information of my skills and work samples please view here:
Resume: http://www.myname.com/resume
Work Sample (New Atkins is Here): http://www.myname.com/newatkins Work Sample (Million Dollar Jobs From Your Home): http://www.myname.com/million
[ Cost and time estimate ]
I have a quick turnaround time for completion of sales copy which is three days for each 500 words of copy. Not to mention, the sales copy is keyword optimized for the search engines. Turnaround for newsletter articles is roughly one day for every 500 words of text. My rates are $0.50/word for search engine optimized sales copy and $0.10/word for articles.
[ Closing (breaking the ice in last sentence) ]
I am located in New York City and am able to begin working on this project right away. Feel free to contact me anytime at example@example.com, in MSN Messenger under screen name example or by phone at (555) 555-5555. I look forward to working with you and turning your ideas into dollar signs like I did for my previous clients.Best regards and I look forward to working with you soon.
26).The Bid: Attachments
Most FWEs and job boards allow you to attach files to your bid which you should take advantage of. Your bid acts more or less as a cover letter for you profile so including attachments make it complete. Attachments should include your profile and selected samples of your work you made in the previous chapter.
Remember to include only work samples related to the project itself.
In the event that you do not have the option to upload files, then provide links to your profile and samples of your work where they can be found online. These are best placed right after your skills and experience summary mentioned above.
Using attachments or links may seem redundant given that you already have a profile right there with the same information contained in the attachments. It’s not always obvious to a potential employer though so give them every opportunity to access your information quickly right then and there.
Remember to include only work samples related to the project itself.
In the event that you do not have the option to upload files, then provide links to your profile and samples of your work where they can be found online. These are best placed right after your skills and experience summary mentioned above.
Using attachments or links may seem redundant given that you already have a profile right there with the same information contained in the attachments. It’s not always obvious to a potential employer though so give them every opportunity to access your information quickly right then and there.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
25).The Bid: Closing
This is a short paragraph that gives tells how to get a hold of you. Always give an email address AND the instant messenger you use plus your screen name AND your phone number AND your location. Though most communication is done by email or instant messenger these days, you want to leave an impression that you are accessible and are a living person with an address.
Sometimes in a project description, an employer will have questions listed for the potential freelancer. It should go without saying that you need to list these and provide a clear answer to each one in the bid before the paragraph with your contact information.
Another tip which doesn’t always have to be done is to include a sentence “breaking the ice.” This is just a simple statement personalized to the employer that will flatter, humor or make them smile. I would only recommend this if you are familiar with the area which the employer is or have something in common with the employer.
This tiny bit of personalization can go a long way. Be sure to make it subtle and harmless and not as if you were joking around or talking to your best friend. Otherwise, it could backfire on you.
Sometimes in a project description, an employer will have questions listed for the potential freelancer. It should go without saying that you need to list these and provide a clear answer to each one in the bid before the paragraph with your contact information.
Another tip which doesn’t always have to be done is to include a sentence “breaking the ice.” This is just a simple statement personalized to the employer that will flatter, humor or make them smile. I would only recommend this if you are familiar with the area which the employer is or have something in common with the employer.
This tiny bit of personalization can go a long way. Be sure to make it subtle and harmless and not as if you were joking around or talking to your best friend. Otherwise, it could backfire on you.
24).The Bid: Time estimate
Though it is easy to say you can finish a project in a few days or a week or two weeks, some serious consideration needs to be taken when determining the estimated time for completion. Rookie freelancers usually never take into account ALL aspects of a project that can consume time and make it progress longer than planned.
Here are the steps in determining the time estimate of a project:
• Break the project down into the smallest tasks individual tasks required and write them down. Then determine the time estimate for each individual task and add them all up to get the total project time.
• Add 20% of the total time from above to the time estimate for completion or one extra day for every five days of a calculated estimate. This will be your overhead for revisions and unexpected occurrences that happen during the project phase.There is almost always some type of revision or “surprise” on every project. It’s better to expect them and take them into account.
• Now you will have to schedule that calculated time into your working schedule. Go ahead and determine the number of days it will take given that schedule.Again, the project description may be too vague for a time estimate so it is best to give a range for the time of completion or state “ roughly 3 weeks for completion.”
Here are the steps in determining the time estimate of a project:
• Break the project down into the smallest tasks individual tasks required and write them down. Then determine the time estimate for each individual task and add them all up to get the total project time.
• Add 20% of the total time from above to the time estimate for completion or one extra day for every five days of a calculated estimate. This will be your overhead for revisions and unexpected occurrences that happen during the project phase.There is almost always some type of revision or “surprise” on every project. It’s better to expect them and take them into account.
• Now you will have to schedule that calculated time into your working schedule. Go ahead and determine the number of days it will take given that schedule.Again, the project description may be too vague for a time estimate so it is best to give a range for the time of completion or state “ roughly 3 weeks for completion.”
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
23).The Bid: Cost estimate
Though the simplest items to put on the bid, these can also be the most time consuming especially for rookie freelancers, not to mention, at times stressful.Now comes the important question to ask yourself: How much do I charge? It is almost useless to search the internet for freelance billing rates by profession since they vary wildly. If you can find or know other freelancers in a similar field, consult them to obtain a rough estimate of what they charge. I know that this is usually a long shot, though.It is good to start out with determining the hourly rate you should be charging then you can base your project fees on this rate. Using the Rate Calculator should give you a good estimate which applies to all fields of employment.So now that you have your hourly rate we are left with the next piece of the puzzle:
what to charge for an entire project. This can also be a bit complex to a new freelancer who may not have enough projects under their belt to be able to determine this.
It is normal for a new freelancer to take longer completing a certain project than a more experienced freelancer tackling the same project. It will not be fair, however, if the new freelancer charges more because he will have to work more hours than the more experienced one. The project bid price has to be a competitive and fair price. Here are some ways you can create a competitive bid price:
• In some FWEs, you can browse similar projects and view the bids and bid prices that others place (Elance is one of them). You may notice a wide variation in bid prices, so also take note of what they offer in relation to the price. From there, you may be able to generate a rough estimate for your bid price.
• Look for the relatively simple projects where you can easily determine the number of hours necessary and apply your hourly rate. It should be no surprise, too, that the easier projects are also the easiest projects to win.
• Keep track of the first fifteen bids you make. A general rule is if a high percentage of them accept (eight of them or higher) then you are likely bidding too low. Conversely, if two or less accepts, you are likely bidding too high. If 3 - 5 accept, you have the pricing at an optimal level.
The quality of your bid also can be a factor here, too, so it’s important to stick with the methods outlined in this chapter.
What happens many times is that the project description is too vague to give an accurate estimate. In this situation, it is always best to just estimate anyway and state that it is just an estimated amount. Employers most often like to see a price on a bid whether estimated or not.
what to charge for an entire project. This can also be a bit complex to a new freelancer who may not have enough projects under their belt to be able to determine this.
It is normal for a new freelancer to take longer completing a certain project than a more experienced freelancer tackling the same project. It will not be fair, however, if the new freelancer charges more because he will have to work more hours than the more experienced one. The project bid price has to be a competitive and fair price. Here are some ways you can create a competitive bid price:
• In some FWEs, you can browse similar projects and view the bids and bid prices that others place (Elance is one of them). You may notice a wide variation in bid prices, so also take note of what they offer in relation to the price. From there, you may be able to generate a rough estimate for your bid price.
• Look for the relatively simple projects where you can easily determine the number of hours necessary and apply your hourly rate. It should be no surprise, too, that the easier projects are also the easiest projects to win.
• Keep track of the first fifteen bids you make. A general rule is if a high percentage of them accept (eight of them or higher) then you are likely bidding too low. Conversely, if two or less accepts, you are likely bidding too high. If 3 - 5 accept, you have the pricing at an optimal level.
The quality of your bid also can be a factor here, too, so it’s important to stick with the methods outlined in this chapter.
What happens many times is that the project description is too vague to give an accurate estimate. In this situation, it is always best to just estimate anyway and state that it is just an estimated amount. Employers most often like to see a price on a bid whether estimated or not.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
22).The Bid: Questions to the employer
These aren’t always needed but more often than not, you will encounter project details that are somewhat vague, or the employer might leave out details necessary to give them a cost or a time estimate. If this is the case, you will have to list these questions of uncertainty to the employer.
Again, asking questions can give the potential employer the impression that you are knowledgeable and may inform them of issues they haven’t thought of so do not be afraid to ask them.
Note that questions are not always necessary and do not have to appear on the bid. It is important to ask them, though, if it will help clarify a project. Keep the questions to a maximum of two or three, though. If there are more, wait until they contact you to ask them.
One additional tip is that some FWEs, such as Guru, have a project message board (one for each project) which acts as a tool to for freelancers to post questions or comments. They are visible to everyone too. My recommendation is that you read them, but not post to them. Reading them may give you some new insight on a project, but posting to them may give other competing freelancers some insight instead. Save the questions for your own bid.
21).The Bid: Plan of action
You will need a paragraph or two explaining to the prospective employer how exactly you will handle the given project. You want the employer to know you can handle the project and you will essentially be proving it here.
Explain the design process, what technologies will be used, research methods, your own methods … whatever it takes to inspire confidence that you can handle what is offered. If there were any challenges while working on similar projects, mention those challenges (if you already haven’t in the examples from above) and how you will handle those.It is extremely important you are clear and use a language that the employer understands here. Otherwise they may become confused and move on to the next bid. The goal is to leave the prospective employer without any doubt in your ability to handle the project. He needs to be crystal clear on your methods, though.
20).The Bid: Your skills, experience and benefits of hiring you
Usually in this part freelancers make the mistake of listing everything they know and places they’ve worked. Take this example:
SKILLS
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
EXPERIENCE
The Daily News – May 2005 to December 2007
Graphic Designer
Created and graphics for their website.
Unfortunately this doesn’t jump out to a potential employer. An employer needs to be sold to the fact that you can handle a project. Not only this, it needs to be done in a matter of seconds as he is reading your bid since he virtually scan dozens of bids when hiring for a project.
Therefore, you need to list specific instances where you handled similar requirements and promote yourself in the process. Also, we have to give the employer the benefits of hiring ourselves. Now, take the following:
• Expert graphic designer for The Daily News, a major New Mexico newspaper
• I work fast and deliver on budget. My references would love to tell you the same.
• 100% Money Back Guarantee
That sounds much better, doesn’t it? Notice that these are also in a bulleted list. They attract the attention of the employer and force him to read them through.
SKILLS
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
EXPERIENCE
The Daily News – May 2005 to December 2007
Graphic Designer
Created and graphics for their website.
Unfortunately this doesn’t jump out to a potential employer. An employer needs to be sold to the fact that you can handle a project. Not only this, it needs to be done in a matter of seconds as he is reading your bid since he virtually scan dozens of bids when hiring for a project.
Therefore, you need to list specific instances where you handled similar requirements and promote yourself in the process. Also, we have to give the employer the benefits of hiring ourselves. Now, take the following:
• Expert graphic designer for The Daily News, a major New Mexico newspaper
• I work fast and deliver on budget. My references would love to tell you the same.
• 100% Money Back Guarantee
That sounds much better, doesn’t it? Notice that these are also in a bulleted list. They attract the attention of the employer and force him to read them through.
Friday, May 29, 2009
19).The Bid: Subject line
Some FWEs and job boards allow you add a subject line to your bid. Normally these default to “RE: Project Title” where the project title was already provided by the employer.Not all allow for a subject line, but here’s how to take advantage of those that do.You can imagine that an employer will see a list of fifty or so bids with the same “RE:Project Title” subject when he is looking through them. If you make yours different, you can instantly stand out before he even reads you bid. Don’t just put anything for this line though. Make it catch the employer’s attention.
So instead of putting “Interested in your project” or “Reliable graphic designer” as a subject line, use something more on the lines of:“5 Year Expert Graphic Designer. Results 100% Guaranteed.”
“You can finally stop looking at these other bids. Read on for why…”
This way you catch the curiosity of an employer and encourage him to read on or possibly read your bid first.
The Bid: Introduction
This is simply a short paragraph that states the project title and/or project ID, thanks the employer for the opportunity to apply for the project and briefly outlines the rest of the bid.
So instead of putting “Interested in your project” or “Reliable graphic designer” as a subject line, use something more on the lines of:“5 Year Expert Graphic Designer. Results 100% Guaranteed.”
“You can finally stop looking at these other bids. Read on for why…”
This way you catch the curiosity of an employer and encourage him to read on or possibly read your bid first.
The Bid: Introduction
This is simply a short paragraph that states the project title and/or project ID, thanks the employer for the opportunity to apply for the project and briefly outlines the rest of the bid.
18).Creating Winning Bids
For some job boards and nearly all freelance work exchanges, you will need to learn and understand the bidding process. For those unfamiliar with it, a bid is simply a written proposal sent to a prospective employer that briefly details yourself, how you will handle the employer’s project requirements, cost estimate and estimated time of completion.The bid itself is actually the most important part of the bidding process and we’ll go into it in great detail in this chapter. An employer’s first impression of a provider lies in the bid,and sometimes they will decide on a provider just on the bid alone instead of your profile.Therefore it is important to have this done correctly.
Freelance work exchanges (FWE) make it simple to create and submit bids on projects.They put in measures, however, to prevent freelancers from “spamming” employers with bids. One of which is to limit the number of bids you can send per month so it’s important to make every single one count.
One major advantage you’ll have over other freelancers in any FWE is knowing that most do not take the time to write a really good
personalized
bid to a prospective employer.
They pay relatively little attention to writing the bid thinking the price they submit is the only deciding factor. This couldn’t be further from the truth.In fact, read the following excerpt from Mitchell Harper of the company Interspire:
As an employer with over 30 staff at Interspire, most of the time when I need something done I can call on a staff member in the office and they will take care of it for me. However, sometimes I need the skills of an experienced freelancer for one-off jobs, such as writing a user guide or putting together a product overview video in Flash. In these situations I turn to freelancers on eLance, oDesk or Guru.com.
After posting a job ad, the responses start to come in within a few hours. 95% of the time the candidates have no idea how to reply to the job ad and will either send over:
• The same old copy-paste reply which they use for every job ad
• A vague reply in which they don’t sell themselves to me
(How to Win Any Job on eLance, oDesk or Guru.com by Mitchell Harper, FreelanceSwitch.com, 05/16/2009)
You see, by knowing this you are already ahead of 95% of ALL freelancers out there, not just the rookies. That’s why we will go into detail on creating a winning bid. Writing a winning bid will take you some time at first but, with experience, will be no problem later on down the road.
First of all, a successful bid contains the following parts:
• Subject line
• Introduction
• Your skills and experience related to the project plus benefits of hiring you
• A plan of action, or how you will handle the project on hand
• Questions to the employer if any project specifications are unclear
• A cost estimate
• A time estimate for completion
• Closing with your contact info
• Attachments
We’ll go over each part individually and I’ll provide sample bids to illustrate how they are used.
Freelance work exchanges (FWE) make it simple to create and submit bids on projects.They put in measures, however, to prevent freelancers from “spamming” employers with bids. One of which is to limit the number of bids you can send per month so it’s important to make every single one count.
One major advantage you’ll have over other freelancers in any FWE is knowing that most do not take the time to write a really good
personalized
bid to a prospective employer.
They pay relatively little attention to writing the bid thinking the price they submit is the only deciding factor. This couldn’t be further from the truth.In fact, read the following excerpt from Mitchell Harper of the company Interspire:
As an employer with over 30 staff at Interspire, most of the time when I need something done I can call on a staff member in the office and they will take care of it for me. However, sometimes I need the skills of an experienced freelancer for one-off jobs, such as writing a user guide or putting together a product overview video in Flash. In these situations I turn to freelancers on eLance, oDesk or Guru.com.
After posting a job ad, the responses start to come in within a few hours. 95% of the time the candidates have no idea how to reply to the job ad and will either send over:
• The same old copy-paste reply which they use for every job ad
• A vague reply in which they don’t sell themselves to me
(How to Win Any Job on eLance, oDesk or Guru.com by Mitchell Harper, FreelanceSwitch.com, 05/16/2009)
You see, by knowing this you are already ahead of 95% of ALL freelancers out there, not just the rookies. That’s why we will go into detail on creating a winning bid. Writing a winning bid will take you some time at first but, with experience, will be no problem later on down the road.
First of all, a successful bid contains the following parts:
• Subject line
• Introduction
• Your skills and experience related to the project plus benefits of hiring you
• A plan of action, or how you will handle the project on hand
• Questions to the employer if any project specifications are unclear
• A cost estimate
• A time estimate for completion
• Closing with your contact info
• Attachments
We’ll go over each part individually and I’ll provide sample bids to illustrate how they are used.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
17).Your Profile Is Not Just For the Internet
Now that your profile is complete, don’t just stop at submitting them to the FWEs and job boards online. Turn your profile into a physical packet by formatting and printing out your profile document. Better yet, take your formatted document files to a copy/print shop and have it professionally printed and bound into your own business brochure.Always keep a copy of your profile packet on you since you never know who may need your services. Have several copies available, too, to give out or mail on short notice.Every city will have some sort of need for your services, whatever it may be. Cold call and/or visit businesses directly that are good prospects for your services. Introduce yourself and services and leave a business packet with them. I can guarantee that they will look to you to do business with first rather than go online and look for a freelancer.Cold calling is always difficult and not everyone will need or want your services, but there are always those that will. You just have to have the courage to go out and find them.Next we’ll move on to creating a bid and winning your first project.
Monday, May 25, 2009
16).Recommended Job Boards
Yahoo HotJobs
Believe it or not, they do have freelance positions listed and they number quite a bit. Just go to their site and do a search for “freelance.” You’ll see. You may know, too, this site has very high traffic so don’t be thinking you’ll be the first to apply for any of these. Don’t ignore them, either. You never know what you may find.
Monster.com
Similar to the above. Massive job database.
Aquent
They cater specifically to freelancers with the added bonus that they actively match up freelancers to employers seeking their services. Register a profile but don’t sit and wait for this to happen, though. They do have quite a large database of jobs and projects available which you can apply for yourself instead.
Workaholics4hire.com
OK, this isn’t quite a job board nor is it an FWE but it is worth checking out at least one time. What they do is act as an agency between freelancers and employers but market their services to businesses looking for contracted solutions.
They have you apply and send them your resume (that’s where your profile comes in handy) and if they feel you’re qualified, they will look for and match you up with projects.This is without you having to look for the projects yourself.
The Monster List of Freelancing Job Sites
Here is a large and frequently updated list of freelance job search websites. Many of these are job boards but they include FWEs and job sites worldwide.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
15).Recommended Freelance Work Exchanges (FWEs):
Guru
The original and one of biggest FWEs plus is one of the most reputable and safe websites to search for projects to bid on. Also, they allow you to build a very detailed profile and portfolio for prospective clients.
As of this writing, Guru charges a registration fee from $30 - $130 for every 3 months (quarterly) to $60 - $260 a year for annual membership. The fee is based upon you choice of field for freelancing. On top of that, a project fee of 5% is charged for each project you
win.
Elance
This is another of the larger freelance work exchanges with an extensive database of projects to bid on in a variety of fields. They are very similar to Guru in that they allow you to create your own custom profile and offer similar support. One major difference, though,is that they publish the bids created by freelancers whereas Guru does not.
Similar to Guru, Elance charges a registration fee from $9.95 - $39.95 per month based the type of registration selected, plus they charge a project fee of 8.75% of the bid price on every project you win.
Go Freelance
They are not quite as extensive in their job database as Guru and Elance nor do they allow you to create and post a highly detailed profile. They do, however, provide you with valuable tools and guides and email support to help you in your budding freelancing career. One benefit, though, is they do not charge per project fees.
As of this writing their fee is a $2.95 trial membership offered for the first seven days, then after the seven day period, charge a monthly $29.95 fee. It is well worth it to shell out the $2.95 to see what they have. Don’t forget to cancel within seven days if it is not for you.
oDesk.com
An FWE with an extensive database of projects like Guru and Elance but does not charge a membership fee for freelancers to bid on projects. They do, however, charge you a rather hefty 10% flat fee from your bid price if you win it. Still, they offer guaranteed payment to the freelancer (though with rather confusing rules) and is a good place to start if you prefer not to pay anything at the start.
SoloGig.com
This is a site similar to Guru and Elance in that they have a large number of projects to bid on and a wide range of categories. They will, however, allow you to register an account and bid on projects for free with fewer limitations.
As of this writing, they charge a membership fee of $39.99/month to $259.99 for a yearly membership, depending on your payment preference, which will allow you to upload a portfolio, access to bid on all projects and priority placement in searches.
The original and one of biggest FWEs plus is one of the most reputable and safe websites to search for projects to bid on. Also, they allow you to build a very detailed profile and portfolio for prospective clients.
As of this writing, Guru charges a registration fee from $30 - $130 for every 3 months (quarterly) to $60 - $260 a year for annual membership. The fee is based upon you choice of field for freelancing. On top of that, a project fee of 5% is charged for each project you
win.
Elance
This is another of the larger freelance work exchanges with an extensive database of projects to bid on in a variety of fields. They are very similar to Guru in that they allow you to create your own custom profile and offer similar support. One major difference, though,is that they publish the bids created by freelancers whereas Guru does not.
Similar to Guru, Elance charges a registration fee from $9.95 - $39.95 per month based the type of registration selected, plus they charge a project fee of 8.75% of the bid price on every project you win.
Go Freelance
They are not quite as extensive in their job database as Guru and Elance nor do they allow you to create and post a highly detailed profile. They do, however, provide you with valuable tools and guides and email support to help you in your budding freelancing career. One benefit, though, is they do not charge per project fees.
As of this writing their fee is a $2.95 trial membership offered for the first seven days, then after the seven day period, charge a monthly $29.95 fee. It is well worth it to shell out the $2.95 to see what they have. Don’t forget to cancel within seven days if it is not for you.
oDesk.com
An FWE with an extensive database of projects like Guru and Elance but does not charge a membership fee for freelancers to bid on projects. They do, however, charge you a rather hefty 10% flat fee from your bid price if you win it. Still, they offer guaranteed payment to the freelancer (though with rather confusing rules) and is a good place to start if you prefer not to pay anything at the start.
SoloGig.com
This is a site similar to Guru and Elance in that they have a large number of projects to bid on and a wide range of categories. They will, however, allow you to register an account and bid on projects for free with fewer limitations.
As of this writing, they charge a membership fee of $39.99/month to $259.99 for a yearly membership, depending on your payment preference, which will allow you to upload a portfolio, access to bid on all projects and priority placement in searches.
Friday, May 22, 2009
14).Well Then… Where Do I Start?
Here’s the truth: There’s a million websites to find freelance projects, but if you want to find them right away, you want to start out with a freelance work exchange.
To save yourself the least amount of time and give yourself the best opportunity to find projects immediately, I highly recommend you start with a freelance work exchange. This is not to say that freelance job boards do not work. It is guaranteed,however, that you will spend WAY more time searching for work if you are new to this process. This is simply because the number of projects and jobs available are far less on job boards than the number of freelancers looking to fill them.
I know this from first hand experience and can tell you that the money you invest in subscription fees is far less of a hit on the wallet than what you will lose in wasted time searching for and bidding on projects on job boards.
Once you have a couple projects underway THEN it is a good time to hit the job boards. Only when you have projects and are working should you really be looking on the job boards at all. Once you get used to the bidding process of an FWE, then it makes it easier to move the job boards and look for projects.
Don’t worry. In the next chapter we’ll go over how to bid and win projects.
Here are some tips for creating your online profile with FWEs and job boards:
• Nearly all of the information that will be asked of you is already in the profile you created. Therefore, you can just copy and paste most items directly from it. Some FWEs and FJBs may even allow you to upload a resume in which you can upload your entire profile.
• It is important that you fill out all options available in creating your profile in any job board or FWE. Many of them are optional to enter in but do not leave any blank if possible. The more detail you add to your profile, the more keyword exposure you have.
If you apply for projects and contract positions on job boards and FJBs, you will need to create a cover letter if you are applying for a position or a bid if you are applying for a project. It is important to use a cover letter or bid to personalize your profile to your prospective employer.
. In addition,bids will be covered in the next chapter which can apply to the cover letter too.
• Nearly all FWEs require you to choose a category and, possibly, subcategories for where your career specialty is. Make sure you look through all the options and choose the most proper fit to your career field. Some FWEs charge a separate membership fee per category selected and do not allow you to switch from one to another without paying for an additional category.
• Sometimes you may be allowed to upload a logo for your profile. Take advantage of this and have one created for yours. The reasons are that 1) These images will brand you and catch better attention and 2) Employers will initially judge those profiles with images as more professional before even looking at your profile.
• If you decide to use a logo, you should have two different logo images made for your profile. One should be your main logo with a length to width ratio of 3:1 and have your name or the name of your business on it. The other should be a square image without a name or words on it, but an emblem or symbol for your business instead.
• You also may be allowed to upload files such as images, video or document files as a part of your profile. Take advantage of these since they offer a potential employer another way to evaluate you and can make you stand out from other freelancers competing with you.
To save yourself the least amount of time and give yourself the best opportunity to find projects immediately, I highly recommend you start with a freelance work exchange. This is not to say that freelance job boards do not work. It is guaranteed,however, that you will spend WAY more time searching for work if you are new to this process. This is simply because the number of projects and jobs available are far less on job boards than the number of freelancers looking to fill them.
I know this from first hand experience and can tell you that the money you invest in subscription fees is far less of a hit on the wallet than what you will lose in wasted time searching for and bidding on projects on job boards.
Once you have a couple projects underway THEN it is a good time to hit the job boards. Only when you have projects and are working should you really be looking on the job boards at all. Once you get used to the bidding process of an FWE, then it makes it easier to move the job boards and look for projects.
Don’t worry. In the next chapter we’ll go over how to bid and win projects.
Here are some tips for creating your online profile with FWEs and job boards:
• Nearly all of the information that will be asked of you is already in the profile you created. Therefore, you can just copy and paste most items directly from it. Some FWEs and FJBs may even allow you to upload a resume in which you can upload your entire profile.
• It is important that you fill out all options available in creating your profile in any job board or FWE. Many of them are optional to enter in but do not leave any blank if possible. The more detail you add to your profile, the more keyword exposure you have.
If you apply for projects and contract positions on job boards and FJBs, you will need to create a cover letter if you are applying for a position or a bid if you are applying for a project. It is important to use a cover letter or bid to personalize your profile to your prospective employer.
. In addition,bids will be covered in the next chapter which can apply to the cover letter too.
• Nearly all FWEs require you to choose a category and, possibly, subcategories for where your career specialty is. Make sure you look through all the options and choose the most proper fit to your career field. Some FWEs charge a separate membership fee per category selected and do not allow you to switch from one to another without paying for an additional category.
• Sometimes you may be allowed to upload a logo for your profile. Take advantage of this and have one created for yours. The reasons are that 1) These images will brand you and catch better attention and 2) Employers will initially judge those profiles with images as more professional before even looking at your profile.
• If you decide to use a logo, you should have two different logo images made for your profile. One should be your main logo with a length to width ratio of 3:1 and have your name or the name of your business on it. The other should be a square image without a name or words on it, but an emblem or symbol for your business instead.
• You also may be allowed to upload files such as images, video or document files as a part of your profile. Take advantage of these since they offer a potential employer another way to evaluate you and can make you stand out from other freelancers competing with you.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
13).The Job Board and Freelance Job Board (FJB)
These work something like the job classifieds of a newspaper. Employers are usually the ones that have to pay to post their jobs and projects. Freelancers usually do not have to pay to use them but there are some that do require a fee. The fees are usually less than the subscription fees of FWEs though and there usually no fees per project. There are the regular job boards like Yahoo HotJobs which have thousands upon thousands of jobs available. A tiny portion of them are freelance projects and positions. Then there are the FJBs that cater specifically to freelance jobs and projects. One major disadvantage with job boards is that there are relatively fewer projects compared to the number of freelancers competing for them. A good rule of thumb is that if the job board is free then expect plenty of competition and if you have to pay to use a job board, then you will encounter less.
When I started in freelance, I tried the job boards first and primarily stuck with the free ones because spending money to look for jobs didn’t seem reasonable to me. I was pretty much broke too. I even took the time to perfect my profile and applied for many, many projects. I was baffled, however, that I couldn’t get a response from even one employer. What I eventually found out was that I was rather unprepared to apply for job board projects. There is fierce competition for these projects plus you really need to know exactly how to bid and exactly when to bid on these projects. Knowing how to sell yourself and the timing your bid right are absolutely essential.
This is not to say that you will not find a project using job boards. It is very likely, though,that you will spend a lot more time searching for work compared to a FWE. You have to decide if that extra time is worth it or not. Remember that you are not being paid while you are looking for work so the goal is to minimize time looking for work and maximize your time working.
When I started in freelance, I tried the job boards first and primarily stuck with the free ones because spending money to look for jobs didn’t seem reasonable to me. I was pretty much broke too. I even took the time to perfect my profile and applied for many, many projects. I was baffled, however, that I couldn’t get a response from even one employer. What I eventually found out was that I was rather unprepared to apply for job board projects. There is fierce competition for these projects plus you really need to know exactly how to bid and exactly when to bid on these projects. Knowing how to sell yourself and the timing your bid right are absolutely essential.
This is not to say that you will not find a project using job boards. It is very likely, though,that you will spend a lot more time searching for work compared to a FWE. You have to decide if that extra time is worth it or not. Remember that you are not being paid while you are looking for work so the goal is to minimize time looking for work and maximize your time working.
Monday, May 18, 2009
12).The Freelance Work Exchange (FWE)
These are the most reliable in terms of finding work right away. Plus, they offer the advantage of providing a decent number of projects to bid and mechanisms to insure you get paid for your work.
They do, however, charge a subscription fee to use their websites and usually a fee per project you win. Even with their subscription fees and project fees you still can earn very well with them.
While you may see the fees as a hit on the wallet, they are actually an advantage to you. They encourage employers (who usually do not have to pay) to post projects and, therefore, there are quite a bit more projects to pick and bid on. For the freelancer, though, having to pay a subscription fee encourages fewer bidders which results in the freelancer having a better chance of landing projects.
Another huge advantage is FWEs have mechanisms in place to protect freelancers. For instance, nearly all have an escrow payment system to prevent employers who cheat out of paying or are late on payments. Plus, most have an employer/freelancer ratings system so you can “preview” who you work for. These make FWEs a safer option as well. Most FWEs allow you to create your profile and test out their bidding process for free (though with a lot of restrictions) so it’s best to take advantage of this and try more than one to see which might suit you better.
They do, however, charge a subscription fee to use their websites and usually a fee per project you win. Even with their subscription fees and project fees you still can earn very well with them.
While you may see the fees as a hit on the wallet, they are actually an advantage to you. They encourage employers (who usually do not have to pay) to post projects and, therefore, there are quite a bit more projects to pick and bid on. For the freelancer, though, having to pay a subscription fee encourages fewer bidders which results in the freelancer having a better chance of landing projects.
Another huge advantage is FWEs have mechanisms in place to protect freelancers. For instance, nearly all have an escrow payment system to prevent employers who cheat out of paying or are late on payments. Plus, most have an employer/freelancer ratings system so you can “preview” who you work for. These make FWEs a safer option as well. Most FWEs allow you to create your profile and test out their bidding process for free (though with a lot of restrictions) so it’s best to take advantage of this and try more than one to see which might suit you better.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
11).Time to Go Online
Thanks to the internet and the increasing popularity of working over the internet, you do not have to look far to start out in freelance. In fact, there are many websites that cater to bringing together employers looking for help and freelancers looking for work.The result is that time spent searching for freelance projects is minimized and your options are wider in terms of the projects and clients available. Also, this makes working freelance all the more attractive and eliminates the primary worry of where to find work. On the internet there are several types of freelance job sites that cater to job and project searches:
- Freelance work exchanges: These are subscription based websites where employers post projects and freelancers pay a fee for the ability to bid on and win them.
- Job boards: These are the major job sites that cater all types of employment, not just freelancers,usually free of charge. They do have freelancing jobs available. You have to do a little digging, though.
- Freelance job boards: Similar to the above but cater specifically to freelancers and employers looking for freelancers. Some are free and some are fee based sites.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
10).Step 3 - Creating Your Profile: Your portfolio
It should be no surprise that experience is key in helping you land freelance projects. In fact,employers do not prioritize your skills and knowledge as much as how you have applied those skills and knowledge to your occupation. It is important to convince prospective employers we can do a given task by what we have done previously.
First we have to brainstorm work experience for your portfolio.
Keep in mind that your
work experience isn’t a list of any particular job positions you may have had, but
instead
evidence of challenging projects or tasks you faced
while at a particular
First we have to brainstorm work experience for your portfolio.
Keep in mind that your
work experience isn’t a list of any particular job positions you may have had, but
instead
evidence of challenging projects or tasks you faced
while at a particular
job, at college or wherever.
The following are types of experience that can be used:
• Direct work experience, especially difficult or challenging projects or assignments
• Projects you have done on your own time, not necessarily for money
• Particularly difficult projects from classes or group projects
• Past internships
If you get the idea here, anything constructively done that is related to your career field can count as your work experience and it does not necessarily have to be from a paying job. Just remember,though,it has to prove you can do the tasks required on a given project.
still believe you have done nothing to count as experience? Then go out and create it yourself!
How? Here are some suggestions to get started:
• Volunteer to intern for a local business
• Volunteer to local charity or non-profit organization and offer your services
• Create projects (i.e. website, essay article, short movie, etc.) for family members.
They will always be your best “employers” even if they may not always pay you.
• If certifications are available for your field, work to obtain them
In addition, check out this article on
building a portfolio without professional experience
.
Let’s now take a moment to brainstorm and write down a list of any relevant experience
using the points listed above. We don’t have to get into them in great detail just yet but
remember to write down challenging tasks. Make a list of
everything
that comes to mind.
You just may dig up something long forgotten from the back of your head.
. . .
A good list should contain a minimum of six examples of experience in your career field.
Hopefully you have at least six, but don’t worry if you don’t. You can always continue
brainstorming later or add on future experience as it happens.
Now that we a list to start with, it is time to find a sample that documents every example of
our experience. It needs to be in or is able to convert into a digital form for us to use here
such as document, text, image or excel files. It is also very important that your samples
reflect the level of difficulty of your experience.
A sample can be any of the following:
• Writing samples
• Code samples
• Research papers
• Images and graphics
• Scanned photographs, brochures and other documents
• Plans, reports and drawings
• Websites (create a thumbnail image of them)
For each experience sample, do the following:
1.Open a new Word document and save it with a descriptive name for the sample.
2.Create a cover page which contains a title for the sample (e.g. “Logo Graphic for XYZ Company”), a brief description and briefly explain any particular challenges that were solved in the process.
If your sample is a website, include the url and stick on the thumbnail image. You can skip the next step, too.
3.Insert the sample into the document, if it fits on the page. Otherwise add a line break then add your sample to the following page(s).
The point of creating separate documents for each sample is
that you will not submit them all to a potential employer. You
will submit only the
relevant
ones for the project you will
bid on.
Let’s go ahead and compile your work experience summaries for your portfolio. Then we’ll
be ready to take it to the next step... looking for jobs and making some money!
9).Step 2 - Creating Your Profile: Your client/previous employer list
This one is pretty straightforward. At some point in the past, you’ve had to fill out a job application and that part with your work history. Here, it is somewhat the same but attention needs to be placed on listing those that relate to your career.
Here is what should be done for this section:
• If you have no previous clients then make a previous employer list
• If you have five or more past clients of your own, then make a client list
• If you have fewer than five past clients, then make both a client and previous
employer list. Keep the employer list to the most recent
relevant
employment.
Here is what should be done for this section:
• If you have no previous clients then make a previous employer list
• If you have five or more past clients of your own, then make a client list
• If you have fewer than five past clients, then make both a client and previous
employer list. Keep the employer list to the most recent
relevant
employment.
In your profile document add a page break (Insert>>Break in
Word) after your resume so you are at a blank page. Title this
page “
PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS
” or “
CLIENT LIST
” on the top of this
blank page. Then you will create this list in order from the
most recent employment to further back.
If you are creating a client and employer list, start with the
client list first then follow it with the employer list (using
the titles above).
For your client list, you will write down for each one:
• Business name of your client
• Phone number, email address and website url (if available)
• Your project(s) and a brief one or two sentence description of each one
For you employee list, you will write down for each employer:
• Name of company worked for
• Location of the company (city, state)
• Your job title
• Dates worked (month/year to month/year)
• A brief job description
Here is an example for a previous client:
Acasa Holiday Apartments
(555) 555-5555
example@acasaapartments.com
www.acasaapartments.com
Designed and developed the Acasa website and graphics.
And one for a previous employer:
JR Martin & Co, New York, NY
August 2005 to June 2007
Small Business Advisor
Assisted in marketing for small businesses in niche, or unique, markets.
Here are some things to remember when writing this part:
1) The job description does not have to be elaborate but should briefly explain your
duties in one or two sentences.
2) If any of your past employment or work for a previous client does not relate to your
current career field then, in the job description for these, focus on the tasks you did
that can relate to your career field.
3) You do not have to list every previous employer you’ve had like that first job with
McDonalds. Keep the list to employers that have relevance to what you do now.
4) Once you have a few projects under your belt, however, then it is important to
create and/or update the client list.
5) Be careful if listing clients from a company you were once employed with since
they may not like you calling them “your” clients. It’s always best to only list the
clients you’ve made on your own and list the employer as a previous employer.
Let’s go ahead and start your previous employer document and then we’ll move on to
creating your portfolio.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
8).Step 1 - Creating Your Profile: Your resume
This may sound fairly straightforward but what we need to do here is to create a resume that highlights your talents and skills insteat of just listing skills and jobs.Most resumes out there(and many of the ones you'll be competing against) will have the following format to them:
- Name,address,contact info
- Education
- Career goal(s)
- List of past employers
- References
- Hobbies
Do you have a resume available?Take a look at it.Does it have a format similar to the above?
Well,I can tell you this format does not work this day and age. The resume format above only tells a potential employer who you are which, to be honest ,they don't really care about.What they really want to know is what can you do?
The following format will tell them what you can do:
The Profile Resume
1).Title of the resume: Essentially what your job title is in a few words. The use of keywords here is important so try to make this with all important words.Note,you will not use the word "freelance" here.It will seem resundant and is unnecessary. 2).Description of service: Here,you briefly describe ehat you do using a few keywords. This should be one short Paragraph of 3-4 sentences. 3).Education: List any collage or post high school education. What you need to list ar the institution name,location,type of degree or certificate received, and date graduated(month,year).Also, if you received any special awards or honors, mention those as well. 4).Certificates and licenses: If you have any type of certifications or licenses,note for each one: Name of the organization or company Name of the certification received Date certification was received Certificate number(if possible) The certificate number is not necessary,but helps to verify the certificate in case someone decides to check it. 5). References: You will need at least three references.Former employers and client are always the best, but also old teacher and professors.For these, make sure you put the following:
- Name
- Company/organization including title of his/her position
- Location
- Phone number
- E-mail address
7).How your profile should be saved
As you are creating your profile,you will need to store the information in a Word document(.doc) or any other similar document file.Also,all information should be saved into a single file since this can be used later to send to potential employers or as a reference.
Importance of Keywords
The secret to creating a project-getting profile is to use keywords throughout.Keywords are words that are specific to your job field but are used for the purpose of coming up in a search query.For example,if you are a graphic designer with a specialty in logos then you may want to mention"corporate logos" or "logo creation" a few of times in your profile.one thing to remember is to not over do keywords by being overly repetitive.This will make your profile unreadable.an example is having a sentence like:Photoshop was used to create the Photoshop logo for this business.I use Photoshop on a day to day basis bla bla bla.Keywords can be repeated but they must flow naturally within the context of your profile.
Your profile is also destined to be transferred to an online profile which, ideally, will be found through search queries made by employers. Therefore it is important to keep in mind what a prospective employer would type in a search box in order to find you.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
6).Your Freelance Profile
The internet makes possible what we were never able to do before.That is, we have the ability to work for anybody from anywhere in the world.In the process,however, we often are not able to meet prospective employers face to face and you can understand that employers face the same dilemma when selecting freelancers through the internet.
For this reason, it is essential that we create a rock-solid profile of ourselves to "sell" prospective employers online.A profile contain a thorough explanation of our skills and experience presented in an organized manner where employers can easily see if you are a right candidate for a project.I know what you're thinking... this sounds like a resume.It essentially is, but takes the resume a step further.
The profile we will create will be a organized compilation of your skills and work experience.You'll then see how to use it to quickly find freelance jobs online.
I cannot stress the importance of your profile in searching for freelance jobs.Therefore, I will go over step by step with you on how to create it,plus,maximize it's effectiveness against all the others you'll be competing agsinst.
- Resume
- List of previous clients/employers
- Work experience portfolio
5).What to Expect Out of This Blog
My blog will give you an introduction to using the internet to freelance and show you how to quickly establish yourself in what is a fast-growing sector of our workforce. This is regardless of whatever your career field may be or even wherever you are located in the world.
Now,if you are thinking of quitting your job and jumping into freelancing, it may be to your best advantage to start off freelancing part-time while keeping your job.This always guarantees you'll have something to fall back on, but more importantly,let's you get used to freelancing at a much more comfortable pace.Then as you gain more experience in freelancing you can decide when to take it on in a more full-time role.
Also,keep in mind that I will not guarantee that you will find work as a freelancer nor will I guarantee that level of income earned. For starters, this will depend on the skills you have in your field and the work ethic you put forth.These are things only you have control of.I can guarantee that if you do follow my blog and DO put forth the effort and you DO have or develop the skills to do your job,then you will be a success as a freelancer.So there should be no reason for you to fail as a freelancer.
If that motivates you enough to read on, then you will soon discover the following:
- Creating a rock solid profile to attract employers/client
- The best place to find freelance projects and jobs online.
- How to create a winning bid and start working right away.
- Essential tips on earning more money.
- insider advice for freelance.
- Foreseeing and handling challenges as a freelancer.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
4).Can I Do This in My Career Field?
Now that we have this relatively new invention called the internet, the concept of
freelancing has changed forever. Freelancers use to be a rare breed, mostly writers.
These days, however, a computer is used in the majority of jobs out there. Not only this
but telecommuting, or working away from the site of your employment, has also gained steam as of late.Small to even large companies are even looking to outsource to freelancers as a way
cutting costs. This saves huge costs from training and providing benefits to new
employees and, not to mention, saves the costs of keeping employees around the office.
Some of those layoffs you constantly hear about in the news don’t actually mean those
jobs are gone. Many of them just change forms from company hired to company
outsourced.
There are a wide range of career fields within the freelance industry. The following are
some of the major fields in freelancing, but by no means an exhaustive list:
• Administrative
• Architecture
• Consulting
• Engineering
• Finance/Accounting
• Graphic Design
• Legal
• Marketing
• Multimedia
• Programming & Technology
• Web Design/Development
• Writing/Translation
freelancing has changed forever. Freelancers use to be a rare breed, mostly writers.
These days, however, a computer is used in the majority of jobs out there. Not only this
but telecommuting, or working away from the site of your employment, has also gained steam as of late.Small to even large companies are even looking to outsource to freelancers as a way
cutting costs. This saves huge costs from training and providing benefits to new
employees and, not to mention, saves the costs of keeping employees around the office.
Some of those layoffs you constantly hear about in the news don’t actually mean those
jobs are gone. Many of them just change forms from company hired to company
outsourced.
There are a wide range of career fields within the freelance industry. The following are
some of the major fields in freelancing, but by no means an exhaustive list:
• Administrative
• Architecture
• Consulting
• Engineering
• Finance/Accounting
• Graphic Design
• Legal
• Marketing
• Multimedia
• Programming & Technology
• Web Design/Development
• Writing/Translation
3).Lower pay than a job position in Freelancer
I am going over some tips in this blog on how to keep a steady income flowing as a freelancer.I won't lie to ypu. This will likely be ture,to,as you are starting out in freelance.The reason is that there are so many aspects of freelancing that have to be done besides doing your actual job in your field.Some of these include looking for clients,invoicing and managing client which do not earn an income.This list goes on and on,too.The reality is that if you stick with freelancing,learn the ropes and moke it a point to learn and grow as a freelancer,then you will eventually earn more than what you would in a salaried position.This isn't easy as it sounds, though,and freelancing will test your will.Therefore,it is up to you whether you want it to happen or not.
2).Doubts on Freelancing?
To start off, you may have heard several doubts surrounding freelance work. Some of
which may include:
• Looking for work in a “bad” economy
• Inconsistent income
• Lower pay than a job position
I’ll tell you right now that believing these doubts will almost certainly guarantee you from
ever succeeding in the freelance market. These doubts are the reason why ninety-nine
percent of the working population have the “job” to keep afloat.
Let’s touch on these doubts one by one:
Looking for work in a bad economy
Surely you hear about all the layoffs, fears of a recession and, of course, the currently
poor state of the economy. The fact is that, regardless of any of these, there has been and
will always be jobs available. Not only this, but the internet has opened the door for us to
the world economy.
Companies big and small layoff employees as a cost cutting measure. Did you know,
though, that many of these companies that layoff employees turn to outsourcing to
perform what their laid off employees did before? Guess where the outsourcing is going
to? That’s right... freelancers! Don’t let the “bad economy” bollocks deter you from doing
the work you want to do.
Inconsistent income
With freelancing, you will have your good times and you will have your slow times. This
applies more to when you are just starting out rather than when you become a seasoned
veteran. If you play your cards right, you will have a consistent income and more business
than you can handle. It’s all about working hard and
working smart.So more about freelancer i'll tell you soon.
which may include:
• Looking for work in a “bad” economy
• Inconsistent income
• Lower pay than a job position
I’ll tell you right now that believing these doubts will almost certainly guarantee you from
ever succeeding in the freelance market. These doubts are the reason why ninety-nine
percent of the working population have the “job” to keep afloat.
Let’s touch on these doubts one by one:
Looking for work in a bad economy
Surely you hear about all the layoffs, fears of a recession and, of course, the currently
poor state of the economy. The fact is that, regardless of any of these, there has been and
will always be jobs available. Not only this, but the internet has opened the door for us to
the world economy.
Companies big and small layoff employees as a cost cutting measure. Did you know,
though, that many of these companies that layoff employees turn to outsourcing to
perform what their laid off employees did before? Guess where the outsourcing is going
to? That’s right... freelancers! Don’t let the “bad economy” bollocks deter you from doing
the work you want to do.
Inconsistent income
With freelancing, you will have your good times and you will have your slow times. This
applies more to when you are just starting out rather than when you become a seasoned
veteran. If you play your cards right, you will have a consistent income and more business
than you can handle. It’s all about working hard and
working smart.So more about freelancer i'll tell you soon.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
1).Introduction to Freelance
If you are just entering the job market, looking for part-time extra income, starting a new
career or are sick of having a boss, read on. You, too, can join the few of us out there who
work whenever we feel like it… welcome to the world of freelancing.
Working in freelance can be one of the most rewarding career decisions you will ever
make in your life. Personally, I entered the freelance market due to the fact that I could not
stand to work with someone looking over my shoulder all the time. Maybe you can relate.
Fast forward six years as a freelancer and I still have never regretted that decision. Not
even for a second. Not only this but I, like most other freelancers, honed in important skills
in my field of expertise AND gained other valuable intangible skills not always picked up in
a job position.
A few of them are:
• Business management
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Self motivation
Think about these for a second. Does the job you have (or had) allow you to develop
these skills? Most people would tell me one or two of them. Well, wouldn’t developing ALL
these skills make you a better worker?
And a harder worker?
And a worker who earns more money? (Isn’t this the point?)
Now, this guide won’t teach you how to develop these skills. They will come to you with
your own experience and hard work. I can show you, however, how to get started off in
freelance and get you familiar with some of the expectations that are to come. It is not
always easy in freelance, but once you learn the fundamentals you can get the ball rolling
on your new career.
career or are sick of having a boss, read on. You, too, can join the few of us out there who
work whenever we feel like it… welcome to the world of freelancing.
Working in freelance can be one of the most rewarding career decisions you will ever
make in your life. Personally, I entered the freelance market due to the fact that I could not
stand to work with someone looking over my shoulder all the time. Maybe you can relate.
Fast forward six years as a freelancer and I still have never regretted that decision. Not
even for a second. Not only this but I, like most other freelancers, honed in important skills
in my field of expertise AND gained other valuable intangible skills not always picked up in
a job position.
A few of them are:
• Business management
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Self motivation
Think about these for a second. Does the job you have (or had) allow you to develop
these skills? Most people would tell me one or two of them. Well, wouldn’t developing ALL
these skills make you a better worker?
And a harder worker?
And a worker who earns more money? (Isn’t this the point?)
Now, this guide won’t teach you how to develop these skills. They will come to you with
your own experience and hard work. I can show you, however, how to get started off in
freelance and get you familiar with some of the expectations that are to come. It is not
always easy in freelance, but once you learn the fundamentals you can get the ball rolling
on your new career.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Google adsense
Earning by Google adsense is very popular way of earning.For you should have a web site or blogspot.Google will set ads to your web site or blog spot and whenever a visitor of your site will click on these ads you will get $.04 to $.08.so why are waiting for just join the google adsense and start earning money.
How to make money online
In fact we all(who has reached this blog) trying to making more money online.we try different trick to get money but more money.In this blog we do not advise people to just concentrate on one way of earning money.it is a online hopper which hops from one opportunity to another. So, anyone who is also jumping on internet like the posts of this blog from one opportunity to another then he is likely to end nowhere except getting retirement after few years.
Paid per Click
The easiest and quick way of earning Dollars from all money making avenues is Paid per Click.Yes,you get paid to Click.It is least lucrative.Most of people who earn through internet work with paid per Click scheme.By paid per click anyone can earn $1000+ per month.Now imagane how you can earn.
Making Money by Internet
Way of making Money by internet has revolutionized.Infact Internet is a great source of making Money online without investing some thing.By taking the advantage of making money opportunities you can enhance your earning.Extra money will fulfill your basic
financial needs.shortly,Internet is a biggest source of making Money.
financial needs.shortly,Internet is a biggest source of making Money.
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