Hopefully, I’ve set the scene for the gig economy sufficiently in Chapter 1 and you’re now feeling psyched to get started. And probably a little anxious. A little anxiety is good; it keeps you focused.
But it’s all still rather conceptual and abstract at this point. So enough with the aspirational talk; let’s get practical! In this chapter, you’re going to learn the nuts and bolts of selling your skills online. What you can sell, where you can sell it, and so forth.
What Are You Going to Sell?
Maybe you came into this with a business model in mind. Maybe you’re going to turn your current job into a freelance gig. Or maybe you have a passion that you want to turn into a profitable business.
But on the other hand, you might just know you want out but have no idea how to get there.
The good news is that there are lots of services you can sell online, and chances are that there’s at least something you can offer. This book is aimed specifically at technology entrepreneurs, and if you are a coder, a web developer, an Internet marketer, or anyone else with basic computer skills, then you’re going to have tons of options.
But if you’re not any of those things, then don’t worry—this book is for you as well, and there are plenty more options. This section provides some ideas to whet your appetite. You don’t need to read all of this section; just glance over and see what sticks out to you.
Tech Skills That Sell Well Online
While you can sell pretty much anything under the sun—and you’ll see just how true this is in a moment—the reality is that certain skills are more suitable for selling online than others. This is owing not only to demand, but also factors such as value, time, and marketability. Here are some great places to start.
Programming
Programming is perhaps the best skill you can sell online. It is particularly skill-based and it’s something that’s in high demand. Countless businesses are looking for programmers to develop apps, to work on in-house software, and to manage their websites.
All types of coders are in demand online, though some languages are in greater demand than others, of course. Python is often up there as one of the most sought-after languages, as is Java. Knowing C and C++ is great for game development, while using C# and having a familiarity with Unity or Unreal will also help in this regard. Likewise, specific skills pertaining to Android development or iOS can also be beneficial.
The holy grail is the “full-stack developer.” This is someone that can handle everything necessary to build a fully functioning, interactive website or web app with a back end, user profiles, and other features. In other words, you’ll need HTML and CSS for web design, along with something like PHP for the back end, MySQL, and so forth.
That said, other key areas that are increasingly important for developers include cloud computing, big data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. These are areas that are increasingly up and coming, and it’s important that you keep your ear to the ground for other opportunities.
The key is to market yourself correctly. If you call yourself a programmer and simply list the languages you’re confident in (and the ones you’re a bit shaky on), you’ll face a lot of competition and get a lot of job offers that aren’t quite right for you.
But if you market yourself as a games developer who works with Unity and C#, then you’re going to stand out from the crowd and get a lot more specific work offered. Other ideas that will get more attention than “programmer” are “full-stack developer for web applications” and “virtual reality developer,” for example.
Alternatively, become an “Android app developer.” This way, you’re not offering to collaborate on projects or create libraries and methods—rather, you’re offering a complete package for a specific type of program.
You can even offer “refactoring”—or offer to port iOS apps to Android. Look at your skills and think about the work you’d like to do . . . then let your imagination go to town.
IT
This is a much broader term, but any kind of IT skill can be sold online or on a freelance basis.
Tech support is something that can be offered remotely thanks to remote desktop viewer tools like Splashtop Remote and TeamViewer. And often just talking someone through the problem over the phone is more than enough.
Better yet is once again to specialize in one of the currently “hot” trending areas. IT security is huge right now thanks to numerous high-profile data breaches, and if you can offer to secure a company’s network or website, you’ll have no difficulty getting work.
Many of these services will ultimately be consultant roles. Though if you’re looking for slightly meatier contracts, you could also find yourself in the position of a project manager overseeing the implementation of a new piece of software or new security policies.
Web Design
Web design is a concept. The best web designers should be familiar with popular CMSs (content management systems) like WordPress, but should also have the necessary HTML, CSS, and PHP skills (and more) in order to tackle more ambitious projects. You’ll also need to be able to create professional-looking designs, which will mean learning software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. If you don’t know a raster file from a vector file, then you have some learning to do—a lot of people mistakenly think they have all the necessary web development skills without fully understanding the market.
That said, you can always break this down and be more focused. If you are able to use WordPress and know how to buy a URL and set up a new hosting account, then you might offer “simple” web design this way (or even use something like Squarespace if you are code-phobic). Likewise, you could just offer logo design.
And if you only have half the skills you need to design a website, you could always outsource the bits you can’t do or find a partner who will handle that aspect.
3D Modeling
3D modeling is a very valuable skill that often goes overlooked. This is a specialist skill that’s in demand, and if you can do it, you’ll be able to offer everything from 3D logo designs and video openers, to prototyping through 3D printing and creating models for computer games.
Internet Marketing/SEO
Internet marketing and SEO are still big business, although the game has changed a lot since the early days.
Again, you can get as broad or as granular as you like here: you could offer SEO specifically, social media marketing, or Instagram marketing. You could use your social media skills to become an “online agent for athletes.”
OR you could offer an entire Internet marketing service. This could be bespoke, starting with a “marketing strategy” consultation, resulting in a tailor-made package with content writing, link building, and more.
Writing
Writing is a “tech job” in as much as it is actually a form of Internet marketing, specifically referred to as “content marketing.” If you want to be an online copywriter, then you’re largely going to be working for companies that need that content to boost their discoverability on Google. In other words, you need to know the basics of SEO and how to get the client to the top of the SERPs (meaning Search Engine Results Pages). This is writing but with a dose of “tech understanding” for good measure.
Likewise, selling writing becomes a lot easier if you have a specialty or expertise. Such as . . . I don’t know . . . maybe tech? As a programmer, I’ve been able to find a lot of work writing tutorials, courses, and even the previous book I wrote for Apress: Learn Unity for Android Game Development.
Video Editing
Video editing is a skill that is in increasing demand thanks to the popularity of video marketing, YouTube, and online courses. If you are familiar with (or can familiarize yourself with) Adobe Premiere Pro, VEGAS Pro, or Apple Final Cut Pro, then you’ll find there are lots of gigs out there for you.
VAS
A VAS is a virtual assistant service . This is basically an outfit that will complete all the jobs that a company or individual doesn’t have time for, whether that’s collecting contacts or performing “outreach” (contacting blogs or clients to work with in the future). Essentially, any non-skilled job that doesn’t require you to be physically present can be performed by you as a VAS.
Very often we imagine VAS companies as being based in India and speaking broken English. However, that is not always the case, and there’s nothing stopping you from fulfilling these services in a more “premium” fashion for busy executives and small startups.
Non-Tech-Related Jobs
Business consulting: Consulting can take pretty much any form. If you have business experience, then why not try helping startups get off the ground?
Writing: This is one of the jobs that the most people will be able to do with minimal experience - as long as you can write well enough, there are companies that need the copy and content. I mentioned writing already in the context of the tech expert, but you can also write for blogs in a more casual sense, offer copywriting for businesses (that means copy for websites, adverts, press releases, etc.), or even write for magazines.
Composer: YouTubers, game developers, video makers, and more are looking for tunes to add to their creations. If you can use software like FL Studio, then you can provide those beats.
Voiceover/presenter: From video marketing and explainer videos, to video games and online courses - they all need a VO.
Proofreading: Where there is a need for content and copy, there is also a need for proofreading.
Photography: This is also great for passive income if you put your photos up on a stock photos site.
Videography: Video marketing is big online, and being able to help create those videos with high production values puts you in high demand.
Data entry/analysis: This is another job that a company may wish to outsource in order to reduce admin and overhead.
Law: Law services can be provided remotely to businesses or B2C.
Translator: If you’re a polyglot, then you’re laughing! This is a highly in-demand role, owing to the multi-lingual nature of the web.
Coaching: Career guidance, personal training, counseling. . . as long as you have the skills1 you can teach others.
Art: Many artists now use Instagram to sell commissioned and non-commissioned works.
Catching fish: This is just to point out the literally endless number of possibilities. I have a friend who actually offered this service through a website to landowners with overpopulated bodies of water. He didn’t charge for the job, but instead sold the fish he caught to restaurants. The job you do doesn’t even need to be online or remote if you market using a website!
Combining Jobs
Can’t choose from all the preceding options and the many more ideas that may now be swimming through your mind?
Great: then take on several!
There is literally nothing stopping you from providing multiple different services and thereby rounding out your résumé more while keeping your work much more varied and less predictable. The friend who caught fish also provided SEO services and taught English to Spanish expats. Whoever called him that day would define the work he was doing next. There is nothing stopping you from doing the same thing if that idea appeals to you.
More Ways to Sell Your Skill
Think outside the box a little as well when thinking about how you are going to “package” your skills. For instance, if you are a developer, then creating software for companies and individuals is just one avenue.
Teaching others to code/coaching
Writing articles/news about programming
Consulting
Upgrading software/fixing bugs
Maintaining and running software on a recurring basis
Overseeing large software engineering projects
Checking programming
Any of these could help you to stand out from the competition, to leverage other skills in your arsenal, and to potentially develop a better workflow to suit your lifestyle.
Likewise, if you are an online fitness coach, then consider that this is something you can write about, teach to others, and so forth.
Ways to Be More Specific
Likewise, think about ways that you might market yourself to be more specific and thereby choose the type of projects you work on. For instance, you could be a game developer who works primarily with Unity. Or how about a web developer specializing in websites for estate agents? What about a writer who only writes about fitness?
Why Companies Need Freelance Coders
My hope is that this book will be useful for anyone who is interested in selling their skills online. But it is particularly aimed at programmers and tech professionals. Here’s the good news: your skills have never been more in demand.
Our little company is growing, and we need help making [PRODUCT] more stable and feature rich. Problem is, there is a massive talent shortage of software engineers at the moment. Even the recruiters and big companies are struggling to find people round here. If you know a software developer, would you do us a massive favor and forward this on to them?
Now is a good time to be a programmer or any other kind of tech professional if you want to work online. Right now, companies are crying out for individuals with coding and IT skills who have the flexibility to take on short jobs and work remotely. And it’s only likely to continue. Often this is referred to as “the future jobs market,” but as you will see, the future is now.
In order to better fulfill this need as a freelancer, it helps to understand why this is the case and to understand specifically what it is that these companies are looking for (or who). By getting inside the minds of your clients, you can better cater to their needs.
So, who is the prototypical “buyer persona” for—let’s say—an app developer?
When a Company Needs an App
Let’s say that an average, middle-sized company needs an app. Maybe it’s a restaurant chain that wants an app for people to order their food from. Maybe it’s a publishing company that wants to showcase their books and provide digital downloads through a mobile storefront. Maybe it’s a toy manufacturer who wants to add extra value by providing an app that will control said toy.
Hire a team of developers or a single developer who can cater to the company’s needs
Try and tackle the problem with existing staff
Outsource the process to a third-party company or agency
Look for a local employee willing to work a fixed-term contract
Look for a freelance app developer online
The final option is by far the most appealing choice for the company.
Why is this?
Well, the first option would mean spending a lot of money and doing a lot of admin. It would entail paying sick leave, paying tax, possibly providing health insurance, filling out lots of documents, and finding desk space. Then there’s the fact that the company would be drawing from a local pool of talent that is statistically much less likely to be able to offer the precise skills and experience that the company is looking for.
More to the point, if a company needs a single, basic app, then it’s not likely to require much maintenance or updating. In other words, if they hire an in-house employee or team, then what do those workers do the rest of the time?
Outsourcing to a third-party development company/agency is a good option too—except it will inevitably be more expensive, as that company has far more overhead.
By going online, a company can find a talented individual with the precise skills that the company needs for its project, hire them for a relatively low fee, and avoid any commitment or complicated administration.
Where to Find Work
Once you’ve decided what service it is that you want to sell, the next step is to find people to sell it to. The ideal scenario is that people are going to come to you and your reputation will do the talking. Later on in this book, I’ll detail how you can get to that point and set up a website to act as a portfolio.
But if you’re hoping to quit your job, or you’re looking to make more money on the side, then you probably can’t afford to “build it and [hope] they will come.”
Unless you have been fortunate enough to take clients with you when you left your last employment (and are not barred from doing so by a noncompete agreement), you’re going to have to get proactive about how you find your gigs. Fortunately, there are several platforms out there that make that possible.
And the best place to start for many people will be with freelancing sites.
Freelancing Sites
Upwork ( www.upwork.com )
PeoplePerHour ( www.peopleperhour.com )
Freelancer ( www.freelancer.com )
Constant Content ( www.constant-content.com )
Fiverr ( www.fiverr.com )
Guru ( www.guru.com )
99Designs ( https://99designs.com )
Toptal ( www.toptal.com )
College Recruiter ( www.collegerecruiter.com )
These are sites that are specifically designed for people looking to sell their skills online and for companies looking to outsource projects and work. Let’s look at several in more detail.
Upwork
Upwork (formerly Elance-oDesk) is currently the largest and most well-known of the freelance websites and can serve as a useful “blueprint” for what to expect on any of these platforms.
English Spelling Test (US Version/UK Version)
Email Etiquette Certification
PHP Test
Call Center Skills Test
JavaScript Test
Internet Marketing Test
Android Programming Test
WordPress Test
While completing these tests will take a little time, it will also make you a more appealing prospect for potential clients—so it is worth the investment. The same goes for uploading screenshots and photos of completed work.
You’ll also set an hourly rate, though of course this will be negotiable when you begin speaking with the clients.
Once you’ve set up your profile and bulked it out as much as possible, you can then either wait to be contacted (which does happen occasionally) or do a search for relevant jobs and “Submit a Proposal.”
Upwork is free for the most basic account, but you’ll need to pay $10/month (currently) if you want to upgrade to a Plus account. This will—among other things—give you more “connects,” allowing you to contact more people about potential work. Of course, Upwork also charges a commission, which unfortunately falls to the freelancer to pay (currently 20% for the first $500 with each client, 10% for the next $10,000, and 5% for lifetime billings).
Upwork is a great tool and a lot of people have had success with it. Personally, I find it has one of the more involved processes for finding new work and for completing that work. There’s also a “Work Diary” that counts your keystrokes and takes screenshots of your screen (six times an hour), among other things. You can forego this if you agree to fixed-price jobs, which are based on “milestones,” but that will be largely at the client’s discretion. And you need to think about how opting out is going to look to the client—especially when the competition is happy to use these tracking tools. If the tracker didn’t exist, then it would be fine. But the fact that it does exist means it looks strange if you refuse to use it. It also means that the market generally is more predisposed to working per hour rather than per job. And as we’ll see later, this is often a less flexible and profitable way to work.
In short, Upwork feels (to me at least) like it benefits the client more than the freelancer. And it forces you to work within its parameters to such an extent that you can actually end up losing some of the very flexibility that might have attracted you to freelance work in the first place.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour ( www.peopleperhour.com ) is a lesser-known platform but actually a superior one in my personal experience, especially if you are based outside of the United States. A friend of mine has gotten some high-paying and long-term clients from here, and I have likewise had serious job offers despite putting in barely any time.
PeoplePerHour charges 15% for the first $280 earned and 3.5% thereafter—considerably less than Upwork. That said, there are some admin fees and other hidden costs and the site doesn’t do the best job of communicating these in a clear way (which always leaves a bit of a bad taste).
The best part is that PeoplePerHour has no time tracker. While some clients see this as a bad thing, I hope you’ve already realized that this is very good news for us freelancers. And really, clients should see it this way too. If someone delivers the work they agreed, then do you really need to spy on their computer use for the entire day? Would you rather they dragged their heels or got the work done as quickly and efficiently as possible?
Freelancer
Freelancer ( www.freelancer.com ) is yet another option, which charges 3% or thereabouts for each payment and for jobs awarded.
Freelancer does offer a desktop tracking app, which is recommended for building trust with employers. According to Freelancer, the tracking app increases average earnings by “up to 300%”—though I would treat that statistic like a bag of chips . . . with a large pinch of salt!
The good news is that because the tracking app isn’t built into the site itself, it’s somewhat less mandatory than it is on Upwork. But it’s still there and it’s still something that a client can push for. And to many freelancers, that’s a problem.
Other Options
Freelancer also offers “Contests,” which gives you the chance to submit your work and get paid if it is deemed to be the best submission by the job creator. This system has its pros and cons and is something you might occasionally attempt—especially if you have supreme confidence in the quality of your work or you’re desperately struggling to find clients.
This manner of working is actually particularly popular when it comes to design jobs. 99Designs ( https://99designs.com ) is a site built entirely around this premise, for instance, and was actually used by Tim Ferriss when designing the cover for The 4-Hour Workweek (Vermilion, 2009).
Fiverr ( www.fiverr.com ) is another freelancing site that offers a slightly different format. As the name suggests, this site is all about selling individual gigs for a fiver. These range from the standard (copywriting, programming, design, etc.) to the bizarre (singing “happy birthday” dressed as Marilyn Monroe). The reason I mention it here is that it is now possible to list jobs for any price and the reputation is gradually changing. Fiverr makes the process of finding work and getting paid very easy, and the market is slightly less saturated for tech professionals.
Unfortunately, Fiverr takes a 20% cut, and then you’ll have to pay PayPal’s fees on top of that. But if you factor these issues into your pricing, then it can be another useful tool in your arsenal thanks to its unique setup. We’ll be discussing this more later on.
There are industry-specific options too. There is Constant Content ( www.constant-content.com ) for copywriters, for instance, or Crowdspring ( www.crowdspring.com ) and Cad Crowd ( www.cadcrowd.com ) for those with 3D modeling skills. Or what about College Recruiter ( www.collegerecruiter.com ), which is specifically aimed at college students looking to pay their way through their studies?
Rent-a-coder ( www.rent-a-coder.com ) is a site where you can rent gardeners. Psyche! It’s actually a site for renting coders. Likewise, you can also find jobs for coders over at Stack Overflow ( https://stackoverflow.com ).
For those in various other commercial industries, you can find sites that will list professionals in your line of work. There are online indexes filled with therapists and coaches, artists and musicians, narrators and agents . . . you name it! Get on those sites and create a profile.
Then there’s Toptal ( www.toptal.com ) for those with the truly impressive portfolios and skill sets. The site only accepts 3% of applicants and includes an intense screening process, including tests and interviews. Of course, the prices you charge and the quality of work you find should reflect that. Something to aim for!
Look, I could go on all day and make an entire book comparing all these different platforms, the sign-up processes, and the pros and cons of each. I’m not going to, however, because a) any information I share here will quickly become outdated, and b) you can get the precise same thing from a quick Google search.
What works best for you will depend on your workflow, the type of clients you’re looking for, your level of expertise, and more. Once you sign up, the process is largely the same.
How to Succeed on Freelancing Sites
Finding the freelancing sites to sell your services on is only the first challenge. More important is working out how to thrive in those environments!
Here are some key pointers that will help you out.
Be Specific
Rather than creating a profile that emphasizes your skills as a developer, instead try to emphasize your particular area of expertise. Maybe you’re an iOS app developer. Maybe you’re a Unity game developer. Either way, it’s easier to stand out and be the best in a smaller crowd. Not only that, but the type of work you receive in this way is likely to be better suited to your particular skill set (meaning that you can complete it more quickly—more on this later!).
Consider the advice that you are given when applying to “conventional” jobs with a résumé and cover letter: alter both to better fit each opportunity, rather than repeatedly sending out the same résumé to everyone. On Upwork or Freelancer, you only have one résumé, which is your profile. But it still follows that you’ll have more work if you can make yourself the perfect match for a certain type of role. If you really can’t decide the kind of work you want to prioritize, then consider setting up two different profiles on two different sites!
Consider Your Profile Photo
When hiring someone online, often companies face the challenge of putting their trust in someone they’ve never met before and never will meet. The best thing you can do to mitigate that is to choose a profile photo that looks professional and friendly. This should be a high-quality head shot, ideally against a white or non-distinct background.
Start Small
Another tip is to know your limitations and to gradually build up to higher rates and bigger jobs. In other words, if you list your services at a huge amount per hour or per gig, then you need to be able to back that up with a great portfolio and lots of positive reviews.
Be Liquid
Sites like Fiverr will allow you to change your prices as often as you like. This then gives you the opportunity to react to your current workload. If you have a lot of jobs lined up, then you can increase your rates. If you are experiencing a bit of a dry spell, then you can lower them. There will inevitably be busier and quieter periods, so be ready to react to the changing market.
Add a Video
Some sites will give you the opportunity to add a video. Where this option is available, it is very much worth considering. Not only can a video help your profile to stand out, but it can also increase trust and familiarity and make you appear more professional. Creating a video with high production values takes skill in itself. This is not something that a kid living in their mom’s basement will be able to accomplish and it gives you the opportunity to be much more persuasive and charismatic than you can be in writing.
Listing Skills
Many freelancing sites encourage freelancers to list their skills, which is what allows clients to try and find those professionals whose repertoire best suits their needs. It’s important that you list the correct skills here, in order to achieve that honed profile that we’ve already discussed. Also important is to avoid adding too many skills in that case, which can potentially lead to your message being lost. This is particularly true if you have skills that are vastly different. At one point I tried to list myself as a software developer, writer, and fitness model! Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get many takers. Try to avoid having many more than ten “core skills” and really make those ten count.
Try to list front and center those top few skills that you really want to promote and then back this up with a selection of “soft skills.” That means things like communication, teamwork, and time keeping. Likewise, it can be useful to express a familiarity with particular tools that you often use in your line of work. This might mean collaboration software like Slack or Asana. For a software engineer, it might mean demonstrating experience with GitHub or Firebase. Remember though, if your skills list is starting to look crowded, you can always move some of these from this section and allude to them in your overview or your descriptions of previous work.
Experience and Proof
Anyone can create a profile and fill it with expertise and experience—and employers are wary of that fact. Your job then is to try and back up everything you claim by offering some kind of evidence. That might take the form of customer reviews and testimonials to back up just how “easy and pleasant” you are to work with. Or it might mean offering photographic evidence/screenshots in order to show that you really did have a hand in that project. Qualifications are also excellent—ideally with scans of your certificates. Likewise, you should also list any full-time positions you’ve held in other organizations. And all of this should be on top of any of the tests offered by the freelancing site you’re using.
Again, this is why it’s a good idea to start out with lower rates: so you can build up those reviews that will then help you to land the bigger fish. And this will also help you to gain a portfolio of great projects. Of course, there are other ways you can do this too—such as working on open source community projects or doing volunteer work—and we will discuss these options later in this book.
Don’t forget the other types of clout and experience you might have too. For instance, if you have a very large social media reach, then this demonstrates technical expertise and business knowledge. Not to mention it’s something that your clients might want to get a piece of (meaning you can increase your rates).
Write Well (Or Get Help!)
Be crystal clear about what you offer and the kind of work you’re looking for—no jargon or buzzwords. If your reader doesn’t know whether you cater to them after the first two sentences, it is game over.
Know your “target persona,” which is the ideal client for your project. Don’t try to appeal to everyone.
Describe your most impressive credentials early on.
Communicate your trustworthiness, professional attitude, and great service. People are still nervous about hiring online contractors. Put their mind at ease and make it sound as simple as possible.
Consider the end goal of your clients and how your specific skill set will help them to reach it.
Push for them to get in touch even if they don’t want to hire you yet. You could say: “If you have any questions or don’t see what you’re looking for, then don’t hesitate to get in touch!”. Contact is easier to sell and nearly as valuable.
Of course, it’s also very important to ensure that your profile is well written. That means good grammar, good vocabulary, and clear communication. If you aren’t confident in your written English, then get someone who is a grammar whiz to take a look at your profile before you submit it to a website.
Digital Marketing
If you’re familiar with digital marketing and SEO, then you’ll understand the role of keywords. Keywords are phrases that people search for regularly that are identified and targeted by businesses hoping to reach the top of Google Search results (or similar). In other words, if you wanted to sell hats, you might try to get your site to rank high for the phrase “buy hats online.” Those are your keywords.
Most freelancing sites have a kind of search engine built in. This is how specific profiles are selected and returned when clients search for the jobs they need to have performed. For instance, someone looking for an Android programmer might search for “Android programmer.” This is another reason to go narrow: because the more niche your skill set, the less competition you will face in the search results.
To increase your chances of getting to the top of the search results, you need to ensure that you use that specific phrase frequently throughout your profile: not only as a listed skill but also in your write-up. Overdoing this is a mistake though, as it can come across as forced and manipulative and ultimately result in your profile being penalized. The key once again is to make sure that your profile is focused which will ensure your profile comes up naturally when employers look for someone with your skills and experience. Keep keywords in the back of your mind while writing but don’t force the issue.
Likewise, consider the other elements influencing the algorithms that underpin these systems. Normally, being more interactive with other users will boost your visibility, as will those positive reviews.
Experiment
In Internet marketing, there is a technique called split testing or A/B testing. This means creating two slightly different versions of the same sales letter or page and then seeing which performs best. You then adopt whichever version leads to greater profit.
While it won’t be terribly scientific, you can do something similar yourself by making small changes to your profile and then seeing what brings in the most work.
Winning Bids
Remember that not all the work you find on Upwork or PeoplePerHour is just going to land at your feet. Sometimes it will be you who needs to go out and find the work by applying to job listings. This will often mean writing proposals that demonstrate why you’re the perfect fit for the project. Keep these short and to the point, demonstrate that you have properly read and understood the task, and provide a link to your samples. Communicate in a professional and friendly manner and don’t undervalue yourself in order to try and win the bid. We’ll be talking about how to price your services in Chapter 4.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter my aim was to show you how to start finding clients, as well as helping you to get inside the minds of the kinds of businesses and individuals you might end up working with. I hope you now understand how the gig economy works.
In Chapter 3, we’ll be taking this concept further and looking at how you can go beyond these conventional methods in order to cast your net farther and wider—and to find higher-paying clients in the process.