Upwork
What is Upwork ?
Upwork, formerly Elance-oDesk, is a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals connect and collaborate remotely. Interested freelancers submit proposals for projects. After receiving job proposals the client discusses the project details with the selected freelancer. If a client is impressed by a freelancer in terms of quality, commitments, suggestions, timing, price and experiences then he/she will hire you for this work. The quality of work and professionalism between client and freelancer are the key for successful results.
If clients want to build a 5 page website, logo, business cards, letterhead, envelopes etc. in a $300 budget within 3 weeks. Clients can hire freelancers at a fixed price or hourly. Then he/she posts a project or job on freelancing platforms e.g. upwork.
Upwork is the best online job marketplace for clients and freelancers. Upwork is the leader in this marketplace and has all the quality features that are required for the virtual workforce.
What are the Pros and Cons of Using Upwork ?
Personally speaking, the pros outweigh the cons for me.
Pros:
1_ Upwork is a safe environment
3_You can reach a wider audience as a freelancer, which means more clients and more money.
3_ Working with people from different places in the world; it’s truly awesome!
4_ Earning on upwork is great
5_ Once you get your set clients they keep coming back- provided you give them good service! I have been on upwork for about 3 years and 80% of my clients are the same because we have developed a great understanding.
6_ Support is really helpful
7_ You can work in the comfort of your home all day- in pajamas!
8_ Saving on expenses such as commuting to an office and having flexible time
Cons:
1_ The market is quite competitive
2_ Some potential clients can waste a lot of your time
3_ Sending job proposals can become frustrating
4_ The commission that upwork takes; however, I strongly feel that everybody has to eat so I don’t mind that.
5_ Recently upwork charges for connects, although it is a super low amount
If you’re serious about making extra cash on the side then I would strongly recommend upwork. I love it!
How much you can make on Upwork?
Honestly, it depends on the type of project you get. As a freelancer, you should definitely know how to attract clients with your polished profile. Upwork is, also, considered the world’s largest freelancing site and as it is said, you can signup and shortlist projects/jobs in your area of interest (just like you do on any job portal) and then apply on it with a cover letter.
There are 2 kind of projects available on Upwork:
A fixed price (You negotiate a fix project cost, it can be divided into milestone payments)
Hourly (You’ll negotiate an hourly charge with the client and track your time with Upwork tracker while you’re working)
Presently you need to know how Upwork functions in terms of paying cash for your work and how they profited from that. For example, if you are on a project for some client and got paid $500, Upwork pulls off 20% for commission. This simply means you get $400 and they get $100 for the work. However, if you got paid $501-$9999, Upwork takes around 10% commission and if it goes beyond $10k, they will take 5% commission.
There are hundreds of jobs advertised on Upwork every day and finding the right one can be quite difficult. Make use of the Upwork Job Feed. The column lets you narrow down the job results into jobs that are more likely to fit your skills and from your preferred niche. The Job Feed is also important because it ensures you never miss out on new opportunities that match your skills.
