Tag: freelancingbusinessduringcovid19

5 Ways to Stand Out from the Competition on Major Freelancing Sites

Being able to run a business at home, earn money, invest, raise kids and socially distance all at the same time has become the 2020 marathon. Parents, professionals, graduates and those caught in-between careers weren’t exactly prepared for the new age of working from home; yet, as Covid-19 restructured life as we knew it, we had no choice but to consider alternative work arrangements that supported our families right from our laptops.

Companies were forced to furlough staff as budgets were slashed. Individuals elected to quit their jobs for fear of coronavirus exposure and others realized that, considering how fleeting life can be, they wanted to leave their jobs and do something they love. For all of these people, the arrangement of working on a per-project basis for different companies, brands and startups became more alluring than ever before.

As of last year, nearly 57 million Americans considered themselves part of the gig economy as freelancers. The data for 2020 will show a massive increase in that figure as part of Covid-19’s new normal. Why were so many people joining the gig economy as freelancers in 2019? One study explains it all: skilled freelancers earn more per hour than 70 percent of workers in the U.S.

Related: 50 Ideas for a Lucrative Side Hustle

That’s why more people than ever before are wondering how they can not only become freelancers but also how they can position themselves for immediate success right out of the starting gate. The competition to stand out as a freelancer just got dramatically more challenging, and everyone knows it. Tens of millions of people are using the biggest freelancing sites today, from Upwork and 99designs to Fiverr and Guru.

With millions of providers worldwide accessing these sites, how can you ensure that your profile and services are the most alluring?

Here are five ways to stand out from the competition on major freelancing sites.

1. Use your picture throughout your profile 

People think that working online as an anonymous provider, instead of being a corporate employee, means they can withhold their identity from their freelancing profile. Quite the contrary, removing any imagery of yourself from your freelance profile makes it harder for prospective buyers to trust you. Are you really who you are claiming to be? How can buyers be sure? 

Related: 9 Reasons to Start an Online Side Hustle in 2020

Content with imagery and video gets 94% more views than content with only plain text and stats. We are visual creatures, so we need to see photo evidence that we are not being scammed.

  • Include different photos of yourself for your profile picture, services and biography. The more images you use, the more trustworthy you become
  • Post only crisp, high-definition photos in which you are making eye contact with the camera
  • Consider branding yourself with the same colors in all of your images
  • Refresh your photos every few years to match your real-time identity

2. Feature as many reviews as possible

Social proof is essential. It’s the only way we can convince ourselves that someone is trustworthy online when we have never met them in person. That’s why 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they do a recommendation from a friend or family member. Prioritizing your five-star reviews on your profile will help a buyer trust you immediately.

  • Work hard in the beginning to secure a perfect five-star average. Go above and beyond and consider charging less-than-market prices to get your first reviews
  • Proudly present the reviews on your profile, front and center
  • Offer up a summary of your reviews to prospective clients in your messaging inbox

​​​​3. Don’t lie about credentials

Too often, first-time freelancers skew information about their background and experience since no boss is watching them do it. This can come back to haunt you, especially since buyers can do a simple background check on you in minutes. Should the freelancing site catch you lying, you will be blacklisted for the remainder of the platform’s existence. It’s not worth it. Augment what credentials you do have. If you don’t have many, offer free work for friends and family to bolster your portfolio.

  • Spend some months doing work for free so you can add real projects and products to your profile
  • Never lie. As you climb in prominence on a freelancing site, the company will conduct background checks on you.
  • Buyers are more likely to buy from you if they trust you. If they catch you lying, they will never trust you again.

4. Don’t wait for first reviews

One of the most challenging periods in freelancing is the initial weeks when you have to sit and wait for a buyer to be the first one to invest in your service. When you have no reviews, they don’t know if they can trust you.

Related: How to Start a Freelance Writing Side Hustlehttps://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Think outside the box and go to your in-person networks for first reviews. Ask family members, former coworkers, friends and those who follow you on social media if they need your service for their businesses. Accessing your already aggregated networks will have you circumvent freelancing algorithms that can punish newbies.

  • Think outside the box and offer a discount to people you know in the beginning
  • Post about your services on social media
  • Write articles about your services and post them to a website or your social profiles
  • Offer referral discounts to people you know for securing you new clients

​5. Offer more than one service

Marketing studies have found that consumers prefer choices when they go shopping. If you walk into a clothing store and see just four shirts hanging on the clothing rack, you start to feel uncomfortable, right? But if you want into a store with 400 shirt options, you would feel free to shop around and find the item that is right for you. 

Related: 3 Best Ways to Diversify Your Income (and Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck) During Times of Uncertainty

The same goes for your freelancing profile. If you offer just one service, buyers will assume you’re new to the site, you don’t know what you are doing and have only one skill-set. When starting, offer at least three (related) services on your profile. That way, buyers can feel like they are really shopping. 

  • If you don’t know what other services to offer, check out your competition. Look up people with your same skill-set and see what other services they list.
  • Don’t be afraid to teach yourself new skills. Take online classes and practice.
  • After a while, increase your services from three to five to even 10!

The art of the side hustle

Those that once laughed at the thought of a side hustle becoming a main hustle are no longer laughing. Our newly decentralized, socially distanced world has made freelancing ripe for the taking, which is why now is a great time to pivot your skill-set online through one of the major freelancing sites. Follow these tips above to ensure you are positioned as successfully as possible while wading into the freelancing waters.

Related: Moonlighting Your Way to Millions: 4 Tips to Turn Your Side Hustle into a Successful New Business

By: Alexandra Fasulo Entrepreneur Leadership Network Writer

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I’m Dan Johnston, a former entrepreneur, turned Freelancer, turned Author and Coach. I value freedom and experiences over money and things and I believe we’re all capable of designing our own lives. So far, I’ve lived in 7 countries, published 12 books and worked hard to achieve my dream of being time and location independent. Along the way, I’ve shared my experiences and helped thousands of people achieve their dream as well. ►One-on-One Coaching Together◄ https://www.dreamsaroundtheworld.com/… ►Free Training and Entertainment◄ http://www.dreamsaroundtheworld.com/f… ►Have a Question or Topic You’d Like Me To Make a Video About?◄ https://www.dreamsaroundtheworld.com/… ►Subscribe to my channel◄ http://bit.ly/ytsubdreams ★☆★Follow me and Learn More★☆★ Website: https://www.DreamsAroundTheWorld.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamsaround… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanjohnston Podcast: https://www.dreamsaroundtheworld.com/… (or search for Dreams Around The World on iTunes, Spotify, Google Music, or wherever it is you listen to podcasts)

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Notes from a Freelancer During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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There is a lot of talk about how many people are losing their jobs and the economy is going to tank. This is obviously a terrifying thought for many. The majority of people in the U.S. and around the world have a job with a boss that they go to. Their doors have likely been shut (or there’s a looming sense that they will) because of the Coronavirus.

It is a magnificent act of “human love” that we all care enough as a whole to stay home, but of course there is also a reality. For all you entrepreneurs out there who have some attachment to a brick-and-mortar establishment, I’m sure there is a lot of uncertainty on how you’ll stay afloat. A family member of mine has a yoga studio in a smaller city, and even with just one month of it being closed, the writing is already on the wall for her, she’s closing shop.

There is a lot of sadness in this, and it’s hard not to fall into the abyss. We aren’t free, and for those of us in countries that have always been free, this is a hard pill to swallow. There is the other side of things though. This time to reflect and figure out what you really want. To take stock of who you are and what direction you’re going in life. We have slowed down to a glacial pace in life. Haven’t we asked for this (even if just secretly). As you take stock of your life, you might also want to look at your possibilities for starting anew. It is possible even with very little money. While the world might be scared, and perhaps very broke at the end of all this, there will be needs everyone has. Can you fill those needs?

Shifts in the Freelance World

I can see how things have drastically changed for many people, especially for those who work in an office. For me, things haven’t changed too much. Okay, other than the fact that I was very comfortable living in Vietnam and felt the need to come home when the country threatened a strict lockdown. I work from home, and have for many years. My clients are all over the world. I am a writer of all kinds and I am finding that currently, the business is thriving.

I am still doing the same thing I’ve done for years. I do some yoga, grab a simple breakfast, and go to my desk at home to start working. When it comes to work opportunities, I have found that they have grown. In fact, I have found that my work opportunities have doubled since Covid-19 was deemed a pandemic.

Many online businesses are needed or desired more than ever. As many people move quickly to make money online, there is a lot of support that they’re going to need. Businesses that have been long established are all of a sudden looking to change their content online. I am writing articles on the Coronavirus that are helpful for the general public. Certain sectors, such as  coupon websites, are stepping up their game as they’re sure to see a surge in popularity.

Enter the Online World (if you haven’t already)

I have friends who teach abroad in brick and mortar schools. Some of these schools shut down, but it didn’t take more than a day for these teachers to get gigs. In fact, the money was much better, and they didn’t have to deal with the bureaucracy or contradictions of an international school system in a developing country.

As I work online and travel around the world, I have met a lot of people around the world doing the same thing. It’s a pretty common theme actually, and so easy to do. Though I have to say when this virus went viral, many of the people I met went home right away. There’s something about being an expat when humans are considered “weapons with a potential deadly virus” in them, you start to feel uncomfortable.

Friends I’ve met around the world who have always worked online are finding ways to get through this time. In fact, many people are incorporating the pandemic into their business content as a way of helping others. For example, during the toilet paper panic, a successful Instagrammer buddy of mine was tipping off people on how they could get toilet paper from another source. Usually he was giving business tips, but he had to shift his message to be relevant (and do his part to help).

Another friend of mine abroad had just begun her online marketing business to help businesses with their social media marketing. She was worried at first, but when she reached out to some businesses, she actually ended up getting many clients. Businesses are taking this time out to reinvent their companies, to rebrand and do some of the things they didn’t have time to do while business was moving along. I guess the moral of the story here is don’t tell yourself that things aren’t possible and not ever try. Tony Robbins has said in the past that you can still make money when things fall apart. He said this after the housing market crash in 2008.

Making This Time Count

There is always a way to be of service if we can be creative and understand people’s needs right now. Not only are you keeping yourself busy, but you’re also helping people through this. Maybe you’re a yoga teacher or personal trainer. This is something you can do online. Maybe you wanted to before, but didn’t have the time. That’s all changed now.

This time of reflection can be a real benefit to you. With all the free apps out there, you can start something meaningful, and it won’t cost you a cent. This is the time for creativity. You have all the time and tools you need to reinvent yourself and start doing something in life you’re passionate about. The world really is your oyster. Striving for the things you want are going to keep you out of a depressive, desperate state of mind. It will get you out of bed in the morning and keep you passionate about life. When this is all over and you can live again, you’ll be bounding out to share what you’ve come up with.

So think about the things you love to do. Think about what people need right now. How can you fulfill those needs with your special talents? You have something to give to the world. Think about what you like to do in your spare time. Do you have a talent? At this point, you literally have nothing to lose by following your dreams (in the confines of your own home for now). Dare to dream and start to take the steps to get you where you want.

Loraine Couturier

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Source: https://startupmindset.com

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The federal stimulus package is supposed to cover additional unemployment benefits for freelance and part-time workers, but a growing number of those workers say they’ve been unable to access that money.

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