44
votes
Accepted
How can experienced contractor survive outside Elance/oDesk/Freelancer?
I have never used any online freelance service to acquire work. Ever. Not even for one project. Without any direct experience as a worker, they all seemed like a less-than-ideal business venture for ...
- 17.4k
29
votes
Why am I not getting hired on UpWork/oDesk?
Where do I start? Why I almost didn't read this question? Why most of guys on this group probably skipped reading your question?
Why I would not hire you based on this bid?
Bad English
You addressed ...
- 14.4k
17
votes
Accepted
Do you spend lots of time on a website for your freelance company?
In my experience, a website will - in itself - give you nothing.
Clients are only found by actively seeking them.
When you have lots of face time with a potential client, a website should make no ...
- 3,822
16
votes
Accepted
Why anybody would work without a contract?
This is a common scam on Upwork. Well, not a real scam, but here is the thing:
You CANNOT rate him before he finished the work. So if he is not sure he can finish the work, he will work on it, but ...
- 14.4k
14
votes
Client owes me substantial money, I got another job full-time, client wants me to hand over keys to next developer without payment
Generate an invoice marked "past due". Send certified. That's all you can really do in your case, at this step, without getting an attorney involved. The $10,000 is probably more than any state's ...
- 5,313
12
votes
Making quotations out of thin air
Don't provide anything.
Avoid these clients. Seriously, don't even consider working for clients such as this. If the client can not take the time to at least attempt to describe their issue as ...
- 17.4k
11
votes
Is it good to leave a job to start freelancing?
Plain and simple....
If you don't have 6 months to 1 year of savings to live off of, you aren't adequately prepared to start freelancing full time. You can do it part time and keep your job. However,...
- 17.4k
9
votes
Why am I not getting hired on UpWork/oDesk?
Getting hired on Upwork is easy and hard at the same time. Most of the freelancers have everything perfect from the 100% profiles, good in their field (Skills are there) etc.
From what I have come ...
- 91
9
votes
Why am I not getting hired on UpWork/oDesk?
I'm going to assume that you're asking because you're new to either Upwork or freelancing altogether.
There are many reasons as to why you might not be hired often. Personally, I used to get hired on ...
- 917
9
votes
How to find good jobs on freelancing sites
When you say freelancing, are you talking about working part time from home, or working for a period of weeks or months possibly on the clients site?
I've been a contractor/consultant since 1994 and ...
- 1,162
9
votes
Accepted
Should I become a freelance web developer or a freelance software developer?
I think you should shoot high. The sky is the limit for you. You already have a lot of skills for your age. I think it is totally possible to make some money with freelance web development to pay ...
- 114
9
votes
Accepted
Employer Via Freelancing Platform Threatening To Take Legal Action Against Me
Sounds like you're using Upwork? If not, let me know and I'll adjust this.
Personally, I've been using Upwork for over a year and pretty much stopped using it because of low-quality clients.
If there ...
- 917
9
votes
Accepted
Upwork taking 20% of my money. Alternatives
Agreed! Upwork charges a hell of a lot of the Fee. On the top of that Freelancer had to pay withdrawal fees, currency conversion fee, bank fee, etc. and the actual amount which a freelancer receives ...
- 144
9
votes
Client owes me substantial money, I got another job full-time, client wants me to hand over keys to next developer without payment
Unless you receive payment, I don't believe you are obligated to do anything.
It's your fault to some degree for letting outstanding invoices "build up over time". You should never allow that to ...
- 17.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Why < $10 per hour for freelancing?
I used to charge around that when I started. I was a student back then, working during the night and studying during the day.
These were my thoughts:
Not Possible to get a job at night where I live, ...
- 206
8
votes
How can the online freelance IT market be segregated?
On the surface, it is just as you have described it. But the reality is different.
Every fresh client will go with the lowest rate in his project. And eventually he will be burnt and will realize ...
- 14.4k
8
votes
How to work with a micro-manage client
Sometimes the money is not worth it.
I offer discounted prices for well-behaved clients, and I overcharged the ones that are, well, no good people.
Here's how you've got to look at it, the client is ...
- 563
7
votes
Employer Via Freelancing Platform Threatening To Take Legal Action Against Me
Ignore it. If escrow was used for payments, they had to relinquish their hold on the escrow.... if they did so without approving of the work, it's not your problem.
Bullying you into more work, or a ...
- 17.4k
7
votes
Do you spend lots of time on a website for your freelance company?
Since now I was very rarely contacted by clients that found me from my website, and consider that I am online with my website since 1996, each 1-2 years I renewed it making it tecnically and ...
- 2,054
7
votes
Ex-employer wants to hire me after I send him a design
No money, no final design. Full stop.
You can meet with them to discuss what they're looking for, or refer them to your portfolio. You NEVER release a final product until you get paid or money is in ...
- 6,873
7
votes
How to work with a micro-manage client
Generally, you cannot change clients; you can merely select the ones you want to work for and those you don't. The only factor where you are in full control is how you handle a client.
For some ...
- 3,822
6
votes
How to find good jobs on freelancing sites
I have been a part time freelancer for the last 6 years. Nowadays it is very hard to get new work. Recently I started using this chrome extension, which is very helpful for me to get new job ...
- 61
6
votes
How to find good jobs on freelancing sites
You should be applying for fewer jobs.
It's not about the quantity of jobs available. You need to find the jobs which suit your skills, your experience, and your expected rates - and then focus more ...
6
votes
Accepted
On a web site gig, who pays for the domain and hosting services?
That's completely up to you, and what risks you're willing to take.
I'm a huge advocate for hourly billing and that (along with a few other key concepts) defines more than just what I charge for.
...
- 2,030
6
votes
Accepted
Income tax when working as freelancer through Upwork (UK)
good idea to start a bit of freelancing on the side! There are some rules but they are easy and shouldn't scare you off.
I'm in the UK too:
the income is taxable in the same way as your normal ...
- 611
6
votes
How to respond without hurting a potential IDEA business guy's business proposal
I met some guys like this one in my work career til now.
What I usually do (and would do in your case) is:
Enstablish the right mutual work positions: I am the professional in my area, you are the ...
- 2,054
6
votes
Is it unacceptable or not wise to email clients during the weekend?
Here's my opinion and practice....
I never respond or contact clients during any time I want to myself, ever.
That is to say.. I don't respond to or contact clients before 9am, after 5pm, on ...
- 17.4k
6
votes
Accepted
What can I do if underestimated the project ?
Finish the project for the agreed upon amount and learn from your
mistake.
Ask for more money or stop working on the project, and create an
unhappy client which will probably have other ramifications.
- 17.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible