Being successful as a freelancer ultimately starts with some form of getting gigs on outsourcing sites. These types of sites allow you to hit the ground running in your new online venture and remove most barriers to entry, such as having to fund your business, accounting, marketing, etc, etc.
I feel like lately I've been talking a lot about how I started out as a freelancer, and I guess that's because so many people are trying to figure out their best move forward as 2014 comes to a close and we head into a new year.
I quit my job after 10 months of side hustling as a freelance writer. And where did I get 95% of my work? Upwork.
Now if you're new to freelancing, you might not have heard too much about the outsourcing economy and you might not have heard how ‘bad' Upwork is, but if you've been around a while, you WILL have heard about how difficult and hard it is to find clients and good paying jobs… or is it?
Obviously, I don't believe this because that wasn't my experience. And that's where the questions start to come in. Questions like, “how do you find good clients?” or, “I can't find good paying jobs, where do you find those?”
[Tweet “Obviously I don't believe this because that wasn't my experience… on Upwork”]
I know it's frustrating when you land on Upwork or Freelancer, it feels like EVERYONE is there looking for the same jobs you are. But there are some tweaks and tricks you can have up your sleeve to beat the majority of freelancers who are not clued up like you are (or will be!).
To help you navigate your way through getting jobs that pay well on sites like Upwork or Freelancer, I've created a cheat sheet to help you get ahead in your freelancing career – whether that's part-time or full-time.
The Ultimate Freelancing Cheat Sheet to Outsourcing Site Success
And if you want even more in-depth details and tips about how to ensure you find great jobs and clients, check out the course “How to Pimp Your Profile” on Udemy – everything in the course applies to any outsourcing site, but I use examples from oDesk (now Upwork) to illustrate points.
Do you have anything to add to being successful on outsourcing sites like Upwork? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
5 replies to "The Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Successful Freelancing on Outsourcing Sites"
Thanks Lise for the article.
No problem Asha, glad you enjoyed it!
[…] position, Lise Cartwright of Outsourced Freelancing Success created this cheat sheet called, “Freelancing Success on Outsourced Sites.” It’s a step-by-step guide on making your profile, finding gigs, and ensuring that clients are […]
Finding the right clients is challenging, but I agree that is a very important part of the process. Thanks for these tips!
Agree Patricia, finding the right clients is challenging, but if you stick to a few key areas and don’t compromise on what is important to you, then you’ll find the right clients to work with.