So You Want To Know About Freelancing?

I don't know anyone who likes commuting. With the seemingly incessant supply of cars on the roadways, the level of traffic has just gotten ridiculous. Have you ever found yourself tired of having to face never-ending lines as you go to work every morning? Have you ever wished that you could laugh at other people, spend the day in your pajamas and work from home? Of course you have. Most people do. In fact, I'm wishing it right about now. If you're the creative sort, and you've got a ton of ambition, you may just be able to make it happen. Why not look into freelancing as a career?

It's very easy to get caught up in the hype that freelancing is the next great thing and you're going to be able to retire early with bundles of cash at your disposal. There are a lot of sites which are guilty of propagating this fallacy, mainly because they're trying to make money off of you in some way. While there are a few lucky ones who have managed to reap huge rewards, these are the exception and not the norm. Discouraged yet? Well you shouldn't be. While it may be improbable that freelancing is going to make you millions, it can very well make you a decent living…but it's going to take work on your part.

One of the biggest advantages of freelancing, especially in today's economy, is the fact that you can get into just about any area. Years ago when people thought about freelancing the only thing that came to mind was writing. But what if you're not good at writing? There's no need to fear. The internet is moving at a lightning pace and many more areas have opened up. Companies will now hire freelancers for tasks such as:

- Data entry
- Data processing
- Graphic design
- Market research
- SEO
- Copywriting
- Proofreading

And this is by no means an exhaustive list. Many businesses are realizing that they can have jobs done by a freelancer at a fraction of the cost it would incur to hire full time staff. New areas are opening up every day it seems. So why should you consider a career in freelancing? Well there are three good reasons.

Creative expression:

If you love something then why not do it? Everyone needs a chance to relax, and there has to be something that can help you take the edge off a hard day. Do you like to write? Maybe you love dabbling with Dreamweaver or Photoshop? So do it…and make some money off of it. Many people choose to pursue freelancing as a part-time hobby only and this can be great if you have a day job that you're not quite ready to give up. In fact, if you're new to freelancing it's always a good idea to have something to fall back on.

Work on your own time:

You're not going to be able to get away from deadlines, so get that particular thought out of your head. The difference is you'll have some level of control over those deadlines. It's easier to work at your own pace when you have a client who needs 10 articles in three days than a boss who wants a 20 page report in three hours. It's up to you when you want to work, as long as you get the job done on time.

Money:

This is perhaps the most important point for many. Freelancing is a great way to earn a little pocket change at first, and build up to a comfortable income eventually. Don't think it's possible? I haven't paid a cent out of my own pocket for any of my domain names or hosting plans. It's all been paid for by my freelancing efforts, and I haven't been online all that much. Imagine what you can do if you really put the time and effort into it.

So the biggest question now is how do you break into freelancing? I'm not going to lie to you…it can be hard. It took me a few months before I got my first paying job. Your biggest obstacle is likely to be competition. In these difficult economic times, everyone is looking to make a few extra dollars. Depending on the type of jobs you're going after, you'll be up against other novices as well experienced freelancers. The best thing you can do for yourself is create a portfolio. This may be a bit difficult if you're after things like Data Processing, but there's always a way around it. You're going to need examples of your work if anyone is to be expected to take you seriously. Write a few articles and submit them to article directories where a human editor has to give the okay for it to be archived, such as Ezine Articles. Design a website and upload it through a free hosting service. You can even create an Excel spreadsheet with custom fields.

Once you have your portfolio in place, it's time for you to start looking for jobs. You can do this is one of two ways. There are a number of job boards, such as Craiglist, where buyers will post jobs with a fixed price and you send them your information. They will then choose the person who they feel is most qualified. If you've never freelanced before, but you have a great deal of experience in a particular field, you can try this method. If not you might end up just wasting your time. Your second option is a site on which buyers post a job with a price range and allow potential providers to bid. They do this because the competition tends to drive the price down and they end up saving a lot of money.

There are free bidding sites, such as GetaFreelancer, and paid bidding sites, such as eLance. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Free Bidding Sites:

- There is no cost to join
- There is usually a limit on the number of bids placed per month
- There may be the option to upgrade membership for a fee and place more bids per month
- Jobs tend to be on the lower end of the pay scale
- There is a lot of competition from international bidders, especially China and India. These individuals can often afford to place extremely low bids since their currency has such a high conversion rate.

Paid Bidding Sites:

• The cost may be annual but there is usually a monthly fee
• There is typically no limit on the number of bids placed per month
• Jobs tend to be on the higher end of the pay scale
• Competition is mainly in the form of already established freelancers

Again, if you have the money, a lot of experience in a particular field and a great portfolio, you can try your hand at the paid sites. Most people may be better off using the free bidding sites in the beginning though, just to build contacts and to get some feedback. When you are placing your bids, try to make it specific to the buyer and the job at hand. Mention something from the job description. Above all, do not copy and paste your bids. This leads buyers to believe that you haven't read the job description properly and you don't fully understand what they're looking for.

As stated before, the large number of international bidders tends to drive the price down to ridiculous depths and it may not be worth your while to bid on some of the jobs. I have seen buyers offer less than $1.00 per article and about 50 bids being placed. Unbelievable. Your best strategy will be to offer $2.00 to $3.00 per article and bid on selected jobs (you can raise your fees later, when you've made a name for yourself). Don't waste your bids. If your work is good, you'll get buyers who are concerned with quality. A great tactic is to offer a reduced fee in exchange for good feedback. If you usually charge $30.00 for a particular job, offer the same for $25.00 on the understanding that the buyer will write you a great review once you've delivered the work. It goes without saying that your work needs to be of an acceptable quality.

In the course of your bidding, you're likely to come across buyers who:

- Seem to think that you should work for next to nothing
- Don't quite understand that the U.S.A, U.K and Canada are not the only English speaking countries in the world
- Have very unrealistic expectations of one person

Don't give up. Remember your main goal at the start of your freelancing career is to make a name for yourself. You will have to make some sacrifices. You will have to accept jobs that you know you're not getting paid enough for. But once you have enough positive feedback you can take the next step and start going after the higher paying jobs at the paid bidding sites. Once you've landed a few of those, there will be no stopping you. Before long you may even be able to set up your own article writing service .