Is it possible to become a freelancer from scratch. For beginners: a few tips on how to start working on freelance exchanges. Prepare terms of reference in advance and discuss the scope of upcoming work

If you do not have your own successful business, this does not mean at all that you cannot create it. It won't be easy, but nothing is impossible. The path to success will be difficult, even incredibly difficult, but then you will become a freelancer and be able to earn good money from the comfort of your home! Where to start? The first step is to choose a field of activity. You should not think about a narrow niche, it is better to think in broader categories. But at the same time, it must be remembered that freelancing is primarily a service, and here you need to carefully analyze your skills. Everyone knows how to do something very well, so these skills should be the main weapon in your arsenal.

You may have studied web design. Or good at drawing. Or maybe you like programming. Find your strengths and weaknesses and keep only what you are good at. Everything else you don't need. You want to be a freelancer, which means you have to become an expert in order for clients to trust you with work. This should always be kept in mind at the very beginning - after all, no one likes to cooperate with people who can do a little of everything. A client who wants to hire a freelancer is looking for a specialist, not a jack-of-all-trades.

Create your website

Once you have decided on the services you will provide as a freelancer, you will need your own website. In the world of freelancing, a site is something of your own store or service center - it is there that you can profitably sell what you offer there.

Then you need to choose a domain name. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here - just name the site by your name. This is a good and, most importantly, memorable option. And then find a good hosting and just launch a business card site. Today it is very easy to do it yourself. The site should have four main sections:

• About you
• Services you offer
• Your portfolio
• Contact page

If you don't have anything to present in your portfolio yet, then you can turn to friends or acquaintances and offer them help. It is enough to do a few small projects for free or at a good discount so that you have some material for your portfolio. The main thing is that these projects demonstrate your level - future clients will view the portfolio and evaluate your skills.

A good, professional portfolio is the best way to secure a steady stream of clients. You are just starting to work as a freelancer and you, of course, still have few works that can be shown to potential customers. Do not worry about trifles! If you have already worked on small projects, try to get feedback from the client. Even if it's a friend or even a family member - still ask to leave a review.

Do not be shy in any way! Clients love positive reviews because they show you are a skilled, reliable freelancer. Even if you have three or four reviews, this is already a big step towards success. Over time, there will be more of them and reviews will become a serious argument in favor of the client hiring you as a performer.

Network, network, network!

When you become a freelancer, you will have to spend a lot of time on the Internet, such is the nature of this work. From the first days, you need to start communicating closely with other freelancers and register on exchanges that offer the same services that you want to provide. Starting a freelance business will require you to create separate social media profiles. Focus on four of them, sign up for VKontakte, as well as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

And get active. Make friends with other freelancers working in your field and send them a message that you are just starting your freelance career. Many people make the mistake of assuming that fellow freelancers will see them as competitors and won't respond. You will be amazed at how closely freelancers communicate with each other! If you can make a good impression on an experienced freelancer. He may well throw you a couple of orders if he has an emergency at work. And professional freelancers have jobs with enviable regularity.

Find your first client

Even though the network allows you to create a good source of passive income, your freelance business will not be like that at all. To make money, you need clients. And at first it will be difficult for you to find them. To receive your first order, you need to do the following:

• Constantly monitor the project feed of all the exchanges on which you are registered
• Scan social media for job postings
• Feel free to contact a potential client directly

When you find an order that matches your skills, you need to work on the text of the appeal to the client. This is a very important point, do not be lazy, give it more time! Don't write too much, but introduce yourself, talk about your experience and skills, show that you are interested in this job. And be sure to explain how you can help the potential client. Suggest several ways to solve the problem and advise what can be done to make the result really outstanding. Act like you're in an interview. Clients love this kind of treatment, and you, in turn, can convince them that you can do the job.

When starting a new freelance business, it is very important to start fulfilling expensive orders as soon as possible. You are still a beginner and high fees are not yet available to you. It's not a problem. When communicating with customers, stay optimistic, meet deadlines, and answer any customer questions as soon as possible. And of course, do your job to as high a standard as you can.

And do not worry about the fact that you did everything very well, but received some miserable pennies for it. A little time will pass and ridiculous amounts for professional work will remain in the past.

However, be aware that some clients may view your modest demands as a weakness. In this case, they will try to squeeze everything they can out of you. They may try to underpay you or put a lot of work on you without increasing your fee. If you see that a client is trying to manipulate you, be polite but principled in dealing with him. Steadfastly defend your opinion, do not be afraid to enter into unpleasant business negotiations. You are a freelancer, you are a businessman and you are interested in your business growing and developing. Difficult clients will often come up in your career and you need to be prepared for this from the very beginning.

standing orders

The most valuable thing in freelancing is constant and repeat orders. A long-term relationship with a client guarantees you a stable regular income. Look for just such projects and then you will always have a job. In order to make sure that customers contact again and again, you need to:

• Work to the highest personal standards
• Always meet the agreed deadlines
• Be polite and friendly with customers
• Do not forget about personal marketing, spend time on social networks
• Ask! Let your clients know that you are passionate about your work. They will be impressed by your zeal and when they have an order or encounter a problem, they will turn to you because you are an enthusiast.

Growth of freelance business.

Freelancing is not easy, you already know that. You will have to work two, three times more than before. Only in this way will you be able to move your competitors in this tough business. However, if you put your time and effort on the freelancing altar, you will certainly be rewarded. Your work will not be in vain and you will definitely start earning decent money.

When you are more or less on your feet, start looking to the future. Explore new areas, gain valuable skills, look for big clients. There will come a day when you realize that you can't do the job on your own. Team up with other freelancers, delegate some tasks to them. Teamwork will take your freelance business to the next level. And remember, there can be any number of these levels - after all, this is freelancing.

Good day to you, dear friends! Tell me a little secret and tell me your own fears get in the way? How many opportunities have you had to sacrifice because of an obsessive self-doubt? How often do you feel hurt and get mad at yourself for the fact that other people become successful and implement those ideas that you did not dare to implement? If you have never experienced such feelings, then I am amazed, because you are a real rock! If you are already accustomed to such sensations and resigned to their presence in your life, well, it's a pity, here I am powerless to change anything.

My article today is designed for those of you who, despite fear, are ready take risks and follow your dreams, desires and ideal life. In previous articles, I told you about the features of freelancing, showed you the strengths and weaknesses of the life of a freelance worker. Since you have a complete picture of the life of a remote worker, you have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat it consists of, it's time to figure out how to become a freelancer from scratch.

What is a freelancer?

I am sure that many of you would appreciate the opportunity to go to your work office in a dressing gown and slippers, located just a couple of meters from the bedroom and kitchen. To make this dream come true, it is enough just to change your stable job in the company to a remote one. Interested in such a prospect? Then let's figure out what is freelance work on the Internet, and who is a freelancer.

If we hit back a little in hoary antiquity and go back to the Middle Ages, it will become clear that in those days freelancers were called freelance knights. Today, this title is worn by people who work from home and work on individual projects for a fee. Freelancers can be involved simultaneously in several areas of activity and work with several customers at once.

By the way, work is far from always remote, free workers are also found among builders who make repairs in apartments and houses, and among plumbers who skillfully repair pipes. Nevertheless, in the vast majority of cases, employers and contractors find each other precisely in the Internet. They also carry their working relationships there. In general, it was the growth in the popularity of the Internet that provoked the freelance boom and made this type of employment in demand.

In some way, individual entrepreneurs can also be considered freelancers, however, in no case should these two concepts be equated. This is because a freelancer is usually one single person hired to do a specific amount of work. But an individual entrepreneur may well have a staff that he will manage.

Freelance work remotely is complete lack of leadership, weekdays from Monday to Friday and strict planning of the working day from 9 to 18.

Counting money: how much can you earn?

Well, let's move on to the most interesting - counting money? I am sure that many of you are eager to find out how much freelancers earn, and what you can count on if you change jobs. I must say right away that earnings on freelance will largely depend on the amount of time you devote to work, the field of activity, your qualifications and experience. In addition, in many ways, your success will also depend on the ability present your services. Based on my own experience, I can safely say that an experienced freelancer can earn 2 or even 3 times more than his office colleagues in similar positions.

Well, if you translate experience, skill, qualifications and hard work into numbers, it turns out that the average freelancer earns about $ 500 a month. Moreover, this amount can be earned both by a person without education, and by a highly qualified specialist with a higher education. In the case of freelancing, customers look directly at your skills and talents, and not at the color of the diploma. It is for this reason that such a profession ideal for students who are looking for work and are just gaining experience.

It is not at all rare that freelancers manage to get 2-3 thousand dollars per month. True, such amounts are most often earned professional designers, programmers and website optimizers. If you are not going to completely abandon your main job, continue your studies at the university or want to find a part-time job for the weekend, then the freelancing profitability for you will be about $ 150-200 per month. In general, not such bad money, is it?

Registration on the freelance exchange FL.RU

Who is freelance for?

If you don’t know where to start building your own freelance career, I suggest you first figure out what How close is this lifestyle to you?. To do this, it is enough to get answers to a few simple questions.

What personal qualities and skills should a good freelancer have?

Successful a remote worker is, first of all, a self-confident, resourceful, enterprising, active, flexible and, of course, organized person. In addition, you will need to learn how to work in the " multitasking". This skill is simply necessary in order to manage to carry out several projects at the same time and meet the deadlines agreed with the customer.

How to determine the amount of payment for services?

For beginner freelancers, this question often becomes a real stumbling block. To determine the amount of remuneration for your own work, I advise you explore websites and forums, which reveal the topic of the value of the profession in which you plan to earn remotely. In addition, a win-win way to find out the cost of working from home for newbies is to find out how much an hour of labor of a similar full-time specialist costs, and increase it by 25-50%(This amount includes additional expenses such as taxes, insurance, pension contributions, equipment and office supplies). Don't forget that at least a quarter of your work will consist of activities that you won't be able to pay for (this includes analytics, marketing, accounting, and the like).

If you get a chance, try to find out how much experienced freelancers who specialize in the same industry as you charge for their services. In order not to face the problem of how to make money on freelancing for a beginner, I advise you during the first working year to work at a slightly reduced rate. This will simplify the search for clients, allow you to quickly gain experience and declare yourself as a specialist.

Do your research

If you really want to learn freelancing for beginners and become a successful professional, you will have to careful analysis.

Try the work-zilla exchange with simple tasks

Step-by-step guide "How to become a successful freelancer"

Well, now let's figure out how to start working as a freelancer on the Internet, and what you need to have in order to succeed in this business.

1. Get a computer and free access to the Internet. Now your way to the office and back will look something like this: turn on the laptop - you are at work, turn it off - the working day is over. Remember! When you sit in front of the monitor screen, you are a first-class specialist, no more, no less. Try to develop a habit and bring it to the level of a reflex.
2. Create wallets in electronic payment systems. About that, you can find out in my separate article. However, in addition to an electronic wallet in this payment system, I advise you to also get wallets in Yandex Money, Qiwi. Despite the fact that this method of paying for freelance services is the most convenient and popular on the network, I advise you not to neglect the opportunity to receive money also for bank cards. Keep your debit card handy at all times. Personally, I use tinkoff bank card . By the way, it will not be superfluous to have a bitcoin wallet in your arsenal.
   
3. Installing software for your work and the normal functioning of the PC. It’s not enough just to put a laptop on the desktop, you also need to take care of its “stuffing”. Install a good and reliable antivirus on your computer, office products like Word and Excel, download a handy screenshot and an Internet browser in which you can bookmark the most frequently used sites and web pages. A program for reading books and other text files in pdf format will also come in handy.
4. Creation of accounts in popular social networks and their design. Since you will transfer all communication with customers online, you also need to take care of communication programs. In addition to having email and pages on social networks, it makes sense to install skype, viber and whatsapp. In general, the more options for communication you find, the better. As for the design of profiles in social networks, they should look like quite formal and appropriate. The account must contain several of your real photos, in which you look well-groomed and attractive. Whatever it was, but your profile is a kind of resume, your business card by which the employer will evaluate you.
   
5. Choosing a profession, to which you have the makings and predisposition, in which you can develop as a professional. You can read about the most in-demand professions for a freelancer in 2017 in my separate article, but for now, let's take a quick look at the list of vacancies that can be found on sites for beginner remote workers.

Main list of professions and vacancies

So that you have an idea of ​​what a freelancer does and can find the most suitable type of activity for yourself, I decided to sketch out a short list of the most popular and in-demand specialties on the Internet services market. That's what I did:

Completing tasks from 500 rubles on the Kwork exchange

Where to go in search of work?

It can be quite difficult for beginners at first - it is not clear where to look for customers, how to offer their services, which sites to monitor in order to find employment. To make this task a little easier, I will give you a few ideas, which will simplify the process of finding the first customers:

1. Register on specialized freelance exchanges. There are many sites on the network that bring together free performers and customers. I will present the best exchanges for remote workers a little further, but for now I advise you to think over the structure of your own portfolio and decide what you will write in your work account.
2. Browse vacancies on websites, portals and web projects that interest you. It is quite possible that your favorite online store is just looking for a remote operator to process orders, or perhaps the VKontakte group needs a new moderator.
3. Submit job search ads on specialized sites, study the offers already available on them. For example on hh website
4. Use your social media page as a platform for self-promotion. I talked about that in a separate article. Now we are talking about how to present your service by writing an appropriate advertising post and fixing it on your wall.
5. Make a separate group on a social network, where you tell about your service, and promote it. Read about it in my article.
6. Become a regular visitor to thematic forums for finding remote work. Forums like searchengines.ru , seobuilding, lingvoda.ru , codeby.net and phpforum.su .

The main freelance exchanges

As for specialized exchanges, for employment, I recommend that you use the following services:

• fl.ru . An excellent platform for finding customers and contractors in the field of IT technologies. Remote advertisers, programmers, webmasters and designers - the best labor force and interesting projects can be found here. Here you can create your own directory, as well as explore the ranking of the best freelancers. By the way, the same service also has a store where you can put up for sale the fruits of your intellectual labor (articles, translations, site templates, and others).

Registering an account on the fl.ru exchange

• weblancer . In my opinion, the most successful exchange for beginners who are just starting to surf the endless expanses of freelance. In addition to the fact that many diverse projects have been collected here, the site administration is quite strict in ensuring that scammers and swindlers do not appear on the service.

Registering an account on the Weblancer exchange

• - the oldest and, perhaps, the best online freelance exchange in RuNet. Here you will have at your disposal a convenient mechanism for searching for projects of any level of complexity, and the opportunity to fully communicate with a potential customer. For a fee, you can raise your position in the freelancer rating.
• Kwork . An innovative freelance exchange, which is famous for its non-standard approach to organizing labor relations between customers and contractors. This site is more like a store where all services are sold at a single price - 500 rubles.
• Moguza.ru - online store of freelance services at a fixed price. Here you can sell your work for no less than 100 rubles. This approach to registration of labor relations solves the problem of large volumes of work and low wages.
• Text.ru . A specialized copyright exchange where you can find writing jobs, sell ready-made articles, or order content for your own websites or groups on social networks.

Use the copywriting exchange Text.ru

For a more detailed list of all the exchanges where you can find orders, I will present in the article "The best exchanges for remote workers." Here you will find sites with inexpensive, but at the same time quite simple projects, as well as with foreign, complex, interesting and quite generous orders in terms of payment.

First steps

Well, so that your job search is crowned with success in the shortest possible time, here's to you a little briefing how to act newbie on the exchange:

We do not make mistakes: what do novice freelancers “undermine” on?

To ensure your remote worker career doesn't go down the drain and end before it even starts, take a look at some of the most common mistakes almost all green freelancers make and try to avoid them.

Never take your workplace lightly.

Despite the fact that many remote workers start their careers at home, it makes sense to consider renting a separate office, workplace, or at least allocate a room in an apartment, equipping it as an office. Organization of the workspace is a must. Believe me, lying in bed with the TV on is extremely difficult to tune into a working mood.

Diversify your risks and never rely on a single customer

Even taking into account the fact that many companies treat freelancers with great respect, value their work and often pay more than their regular employees, you should not fall into complacency. No matter how valuable an employee you are, it is much easier to refuse your services than to fire an office employee.

Plan for periods of downtime and unemployment in your budget

Without a temporary absence of orders in freelancing, unfortunately, there is nowhere to go. That is why I advise you save a small amount every month as an emergency reserve in case one project is completed and another has not yet been found. Such financial protection for your home front will allow you to accept downtime as something integral and mundane. Oh yes, do not forget that you will need money for the holidays. Because the vacation pay in freelance is not expected, you will need to take care of the financial component yourself.

Don't let things go by themselves

Your professionalism in what you charge the customer for should be on par with your professionalism in the matter of doing business. try about a quarter of the working day to devote to administrative and marketing matters. In moments of blockage, when a lot of work accumulates, it is easy to lose vigilance, stop looking for new customers and decide that workload is a constant phenomenon. Without control of your own business, success is not possible. Difficult times and serious difficulties will arise literally out of nowhere if you do not learn business management, you cannot reduce debit to credit.

And finally, some useful tips that will help you at the start of your career as a remote worker:

Do not be afraid of difficulties at the beginning of the journey

The ability to go through thorns to the stars will be very useful to you in free swimming. The skills of self-motivation to work, planning working hours, the ability to find clients and arranging the workplace - all this will be simply necessary at first to lay a solid foundation for a freelance career.

Be careful and don't trust anyone

Make it your rule work only on prepaid. You don't have to be too gullible towards strangers if you don't want to be left with nothing. After the project is completed in full, do not rush to immediately transfer it to the customer. Submit a small portion for review, let the employer make sure the work is done and pay for it. Only after that you can safely send him work. If the person refuses to pay, say goodbye. You leave the advance payment to yourself in order to recoup the time and effort spent on the project.

Prepare terms of reference in advance and discuss the scope of upcoming work

Detailed TOR and specified scope of work is an integral part of your interaction with the customer. This will allow you to avoid misunderstandings with the employer about what you are taking money for and what you are obligated to do, it will insure you if you are required to implement more work than was agreed at the beginning.

Learn to say "No!"

Understand that You can't earn all the money in the world, and therefore it is necessary to learn to refuse people. Calculate your time so that it is enough to complete all orders within a predetermined time frame. Do not spray, because the quality of your work and, as a result, your reputation will suffer from this. Do not rush to load all your time with orders, because no one has canceled going to the movies, relaxing, implementing your own projects and just lying on the couch.

Open IP

The issue of paying taxes is a serious and, as a rule, unresolved problem by many freelancers. Register as an individual entrepreneur, regularly replenish the state treasury with taxes and sleep peacefully. The tax authorities will not break through your doors, and pension contributions will accumulate and work for the benefit of your old age.

Connect with like-minded people

It's not uncommon for freelancers to come together and work as a team to complete complex projects. You can find a vacancy for working in a group on one of the thematic forums. It is quite possible that such cooperation will develop into the opening of your own company, and you will be able to forget about work forever. In this case, you can search for customers through the same freelance exchanges.

Summary

In general, I can safely sum up and say that freelance is a great start for your own promotion, self-realization and earning really worthy money. In addition to the fact that you will have decent income, you will gain valuable experience, find new clients and be able to create an amazing portfolio, which, I want to say, will never be superfluous. The most important - never stop and never stop developing. If you feel like it's time to grow up as a professional and go free-swimming - go for it! You will always have time to return to your old office life, so do not be afraid of change.

That's all for me, dear friends. I sincerely wish you success in such serious undertakings. See you soon!

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Hello dear friends and guests of my blog. My name is Pavel Yamb and I want to talk today. Namely, how to become a freelancer, what it is and why education is not important here.

Let's think:

A young mother, on maternity leave, has more and more free time every day, but is still far from going to work. The pensioner is already on vacation, but the pension does not particularly please him. The student has a lot of free time, but he doesn’t know what to do (he doesn’t play tanks online J). You're on vacation, but you haven't saved up any money.

Familiar? If you saw yourself on this list, then the topic of additional income should be of interest to you. In this article, I want to help you and offer you to learn how to become a freelancer from scratch without education. My blog will help you with this, and examples will dispel your doubts.

First you need to make out who a freelancer is and how he differs from an ordinary office worker.

Who are you?

The peculiarity of freelancers is that they do not work in any company, but carry out various orders of employers remotely, using the Internet. This type of work is possible in many professions, for example, programming and of course. Even without education, you can choose for yourself exactly the area in which you understand best.

Many of you have a question: where to start? I propose an algorithm, after passing which, over time, you will be able to receive money while working at home.

Get off your couch or get away from these cats on Vkontakte! If there is an opportunity to work at home and do what you like, and not sit in the office and wait for 18.00 to leave this hated job as soon as possible, use it. Your income will depend only on you!

What you need to get started

Where to work

For beginners, a direct road to freelance exchanges. This is a place where the customer of services, who is ready to pay for them, and the contractor, who is ready to provide them, meet. Ideally, everyone is happy. Your task now is to understand: what you can offer the world, what level of your skills and how much you want to earn. It is on the stock exchange that you will find out everything. You may come across a customer who alone can provide you with work for a year. Or maybe vice versa.

You can immediately rush to complete the task, or you can doubt for a week and not even try. Who will you blame then? Do not be afraid and try - you will gain experience, a very important component, and then, being a master, you will be able to look for customers yourself.

If you suddenly know nothing, then go learn. I used to be a student, and I am still a student. There are many courses, both paid and free, on the Internet. There are even those who promise to employ you later. I recommend 1day1step.ru. My wife has already studied them and is happy - how it was and how such courses are held ...

The most popular freelance exchanges

I offer you the most popular freelance exchanges where you can start making money:

1. kwork.ru- I recommend!
2. work-zilla- an old proven exchange.
3. weblancer.net— one of the largest sites, with a simple interface and a large number of customers. Also, nothing, you can here.
4. Etxt.ru- a huge exchange for rewriters and copywriters, will allow you to get the first orders, my favorite in copywriting.
5. freelancer.com- this is already a foreign platform, where about 20 million freelancers are registered. I think for a beginner it will not be superfluous to visit here. My favorite foreign I work with freelancers of this exchange for English-language projects.
6. Freelance.ru is also a fairly large freelance exchange.
7. FL.ru- a platform where you need to buy expensive specials. accounts, but thanks to them, the probability of receiving an order increases.

Congratulations, your account is full, you can start searching for your first orders!

If there is silence on one freelancer exchange, there is no need to despair - just register on a few more sites, following my previous tips. This will allow you to monitor a larger number of orders, respectively, the opportunity to be a performer increases significantly.

• The long-awaited moment has come and you have been chosen as the performer! Very good, but this is where your work is just beginning, get serious about the implementation, do not delay the delivery of the order. The customer will appreciate it, thus you will get regular employers who are ready to pay good money for the work.

A fairly simple algorithm that will allow anyone, absolutely from scratch, to become a beginner freelancer. Of course, I do not promise you to immediately receive a very large order on the first day of registration on the freelance exchange, for which the employer offers a tidy sum. It takes some time, you will delve into the work, get regular customers and a decent income from remote work is provided.

Beware of scammers and do not write test tasks for free - any work, if it is done well, should be paid!

Let's recap:

1. It is quite possible to become a freelancer from scratch;
2. It is necessary to decide what remote services you can perform with high quality;
3. You need to start, and not sit on the couch - register on the exchanges and earn money;

Good luck in your search for your work, and may it be a pleasure. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Pavel Yamb was with you. Until communication.

You are tired of a stuffy office, you want freedom, to work according to your vocation, not to depend on anyone. You have decided to go freelancing.

The first problem you will face is where to look for your first clients?

In fact, everything is simple. For this, specialized sites work - freelance exchanges.

Freelance exchanges are special resources for meeting freelance professionals and customers their services .

There are a lot of exchanges for freelancers, but it’s not easy to work on them: each has already experienced users with many reviews and high ratings. You need to know how to stand out from the competition, how not to run into a scammer, of which there are a lot on the exchanges.

Working on the freelance exchange is a real art. Let's learn it together.

Features of freelance exchanges

To begin with, I would like to dwell on some of the features of these sites. Having understood the nuances, it will be easier for you to get started.

As a rule, exchanges work according to the following scheme :

1. The customer publishes the project;

2. Freelancers study the task and leave their applications. They can be open to other users, or only visible to the customer;

3. The client chooses one contractor and entrusts him with the work;

4. The selected freelancer completes the task and gets paid.

Almost every exchange has list of registered freelancers , or directory. The list is built by rating: on the first page there are those who have a higher rating on the exchange. The customer can choose a contractor from the catalog and offer him a job directly without opening the project. This scheme works on all major sites.

The trick is that the higher you are on the list, the greater the chance that you will be offered a personal project. That's why strive earn high ranking . To do this, as a rule, you need to work through the exchange, and not bypassing it, earn positive reviews, replenish your portfolio.

Every self-respecting exchange offers "Safe deal" service. It can be called that, or be called "Safe" (Freelancehunt.com), Fair Play (Freelance.ru). This is a service through which all transactions go through the exchange. The platform provides a working area for cooperation between the parties, and acts as a guarantor of "fair play". For this you need to pay a certain percentage, but you are protected from fraud. A secure deal is only a plus, and experienced freelancers only work through it.

Every freelance exchange has unique business model . But everyone has common features: each platform has paid accounts (PRO, PROFI, Business, Plus) and personal advertising that you have to pay for. Experienced freelancers actively use all these tools to make their face and name recognizable, to attract the attention of customers.

These are the main features of all exchanges for freelancers. But each site has its own characteristics, which you will learn when you register and get started.

First, you need to choose a platform for the launch.

Exchange selection

Some of the exchanges have more projects and generous customers, some less. On some sites there are a lot of dumping (bringing down the price) freelancers, on others competitors are more adequate. At first glance, all these subtleties cannot be determined.

But some preparatory work needs to be done. I would recommend doing the following:

Find a list of freelance exchanges. For example, a huge one is collected on our website.

Follow the links and make a first impression – are you comfortable? Is the site easy to use? Is everything clear? The exchange will become your main working tool for a long time, it is important that it is easy to use.

Find descriptions of exchanges and read reviews from freelancers, especially about scams and arbitrage. How does the administration treat its users? Is there a black list of scammers? Do they often cheat?

Pay attention to whether there is a Safe Deal service on the exchange.

Does the exchange take a commission, how much does it cost to work on it. There are exchanges where you can start absolutely free of charge, and there are sites where, without first paying for an account with special features, it is almost impossible to get a job. For example, if you choose the largest FL.ru exchange in Runet to start, get ready to pay immediately for a PRO account. Almost all projects here are closed from "mere mortals".

Account rates on major freelance exchanges :

Fl.ru - no fixed rate; the calculation of the cost is carried out individually, and depends on the rating of the performer and his specialization.

Freelance.ru - from 440 to 650 rubles per month.

Freelancehunt.com - there is no fixed cost, the freelancer chooses how much to pay.

Weblancer.net - from 1 USD, depends on specialization.

Look at the number of projects – is there a lot of work? If you look at the major freelance exchanges, the number of projects per day reaches:

Look at project budgets. Remember that it is not so much the number of projects that matters, but their quality. Choose your specialization, see what kind of work is available and how much they offer for it. The price tag from the exchange to the exchange can vary significantly.

Many freelancers register on several sites at once. This is a smart move - so you have a better chance of finding a worthwhile project. And in order not to miss something important, you can use special aggregators of freelance projects . These are services that collect projects from several sites and display them in one feed. Projects can be sorted.

The most popular and convenient aggregators:

FreelanceGrab (to see projects from all exchanges, you need to register)

Trust large sites with good user reviews. After all, the exchange will now become your breadwinner, your main place of work.

Registration and registration of a profile

Have you chosen an exchange? Go ahead - register!

After registration, you need to complete your profile in as much detail as possible. This will increase the credibility of customers and will also add points to the rating.

A few tips for designing a profile on the freelance exchange :

Do not use stupid nicknames - Solnishko, Kotik, Yagodka. Use your real name - you're a professional!

Upload a real photo. No normal photo? Do it, it costs a penny, it will come in handy more than once - for resumes and social networks.

Write about yourself. Simply, no boasting. List your achievements, not places of work - this will tell the customer more. Compare:

"I worked at Horns and Hooves." By whom? Janitor? Loader?

“He worked as a leading designer at Horns and Hooves, created the design of the company's official website (link).

Now everything is clear.

List the benefits of working with you. Only not the ghostly "quality and speed." More specifics. For example, “I make up a landing page design in a day.”

Complete your portfolio. If there is no work, ask your friends to give you a task on which you could complete the work. Come up with something yourself. But the work in your profile must be mandatory, ideally - at least five.

Specify contacts. How to contact you? Many customers simply write to the artist they like by mail or on social networks.

Do not write too much and do not praise yourself - many letters will not be read, and eulogies will look suspicious.

Response to the project

As I wrote above, freelancers “fight” for each project in response to it. You need to stand out from the crowd so that the customer pays attention and chooses you. This is something remotely reminiscent of an auction, and all means are good in trading for a performer's place.

Many beginners think so, and write that they will do the work for the review. Or very underestimate the price of their services. If you want to be a successful freelancer, don't do this. Know your worth and answer like a pro:

Analyze the project and terms of reference (TOR) to it;

Think about what you can do for the customer;

Briefly outline your plan of action, give some practical advice. But all the cards do not need to be revealed;

Be sure to start your answer with a greeting: "Hello, Imyarek Imyarekovich." Politeness and the fact that you mentioned the name of the customer will immediately endear him to you.

No need to write answers like: "I will be glad to cooperate", "I am ready to work", or copy the same answer into a dozen projects. It looks like disrespect to the customer. And the chances of you being selected are negligible, because everyone wants attention to their person (especially the one who pays) . If you understand this, your chances of success increase.

The same is true for personal projects. Treat with understanding. State your plan of action. So you will demonstrate professionalism and a serious approach to business.

Pass by those projects in which the customer writes that you only need to respond to mail, and he will not read the answers under the TOR. In 80% of such cases, a fraudster is hiding behind the customer's nickname.

Fraudsters and how to deal with them

Speaking of scammers. There are a lot of them on freelance exchanges, and they come in all sorts of ways. The most common fraud schemes:

You are offered to complete a trial (test) task, which will not be paid later.

How to fight : Never do test tasks. You have an example of your work in your portfolio, if they do not suit the customer, let them look for another artist.

All correspondence is conducted via e-mail, you are given a task - you send the finished work - you are not paid.

How to fight : never send a finished unpaid work to a customer. The text can be screened and a watermark applied to it, watermarks are also superimposed on the logo, and the site is first uploaded to its hosting. Work through secure transaction services. Take an advance payment.

The scammer fakes your Skype, writes on his behalf to customers. Requires advance payment and hides.

How to fight : Don't share your contacts. Make sure that on the exchange they are hidden from prying eyes (at least from unregistered users). Write a warning in your profile that a scammer is operating under your nickname. Add customers to contacts yourself.

Fraudsters steal work from your portfolio and pass it off as their own.

How to fight : if you have identified such a scammer - write to the Site Administration and attach the source code of the work, or links where you uploaded it earlier.

conclusions

It is best for a beginner freelancer to start working on exchanges. For a successful start you need:

Choose an exchange with good reviews and a user-friendly interface;

Work through a secure transaction service;

Fill out your profile in as much detail as possible, indicate your real name and upload a real photo;

Respond thoughtfully to projects;

Beware of scammers;

After completing the work, ask the customer to leave a positive review.

In fact, everything is simple - you need to start. Good luck on freelancing, and generous customers!

Today, freelancing has become the embodiment of freedom in its most diverse senses - creativity, self-expression, movement, finance, lifestyle and daily routine. More professionals are seeing freelancing as a seductive alternative to traditional office work, while companies are enthusiastically moving to outsource projects and even functions.

Curiously, most go through similar stages of professional development, despite the diversity of industries and specializations open to freelancing. Understanding the specifics of these stages allows you to correctly prioritize and avoid dangerous traps, achieving success even without connections, experience or formal education.

Let's try to figure out what these stages are and how to successfully overcome them.

Stage 1. Unrecognized genius

Nobody knows you, nobody trusts you, you apply for hundreds of projects and you don't even get rejection emails. You just don't exist in the freelancing world.

The goal of this step is to create a credible profile.

What to do

Sign up with the leading freelancing platform in your field, one is enough to get you started. Next - fake it until you make it. Clearly and concisely describe your skills and relevant education or certifications, add a photo of yourself with a cheerful smile and write a friendly letter with a wish to work together.

Don't worry if you don't have an education that matches your specialization, this can be easily replenished with the help of a portfolio and reviews.

Portfolio is the most important element of your profile. If you don't have a portfolio and you're hoping to create one when you start working on the platform, then this stage will be much longer than necessary and will probably lead to depression.

A portfolio with examples of projects that you ideally look forward to should be ready in advance. These could be projects you made up or projects you made for friends. The main thing is that they demonstrate the quality of your work. If relevant, include examples before and after your intervention, this is one of the most effective means of capturing a potential client's attention.

Once you've created your portfolio, start writing reviews for yourself. Invite friends or family, create a few projects, and hire yourself for those projects. As a rule, after 5–7 reviews and a beautiful portfolio appear in the profile, potential clients begin to respond to letters.

What not to do

Don't quit your job. Creating and promoting a profile and portfolio from scratch will take a lot of time, and you will need a parallel stable source of income.

Stage 2. Promising

You are hired on the first projects, you are checked frequently and meticulously interrogated in interviews. You receive a response to 25% of sent emails.

The purpose of the stage is to confirm the declared reputation.

What to do

Work hard and develop communication

Fight desperately for projects, recycle, be in touch at any time of the day or night (thanks to the current exchange rate, the best projects come from abroad), listen to the client and fulfill his wishes, be polite and correct.

When applying for a project, be sure to indicate several ways to contact you (phone, Skype, email). Monitor the prices for the services of your closest competitors and dump, at this stage the price and speed of communications are your best friends in the fight for the customer. Develop telephone and business communication skills, especially if your main market speaks a different language.

If your foreign language is not good enough, invite the client to conduct all discussions by email under the pretense of saving all the details and wishes. As a rule, the majority perceives such an approach positively and even distinguishes you from the rest as the most responsible performer.

To plan

Since each new client still seems like a miracle and an extraordinary stroke of luck to you, it is tempting to agree to all the proposed projects. The monitor is overgrown with files with unfinished tasks, coffee cups are multiplying on the table, and email jingles with letters from clients with a bewildered “When will I see the new version?”.

You need to start time and prioritize projects, learn to say “no” or at least adequately evaluate employment (“I can start in two weeks”).

Manage client base

Be sure to start compiling a file with the client base: include contact information, data on the work done, the specifics of communication with this client, his personal or professional interests. Start building relationships with clients, the end of a project doesn't have to mean a complete end to communication between you.

At this stage, you will longingly remember lazy lunches in the corporate office and fun evenings with friends over a glass of wine. The main thing is to realize that it is not endless and after 30, 80 or 150 projects (depending on your specialization) you will be recognized as a professional worthy of respect and decent pay. Of course, only if the reviews about your profile are impeccable and speak of the high quality of work and budget, and, not least, of your pleasant personal qualities.

What not to do

Don't give up on difficult clients.

They are often your most ardent supporters and lead a steady stream of projects through friends and colleagues. Yes, you may lose time (= money) or some nerve cells in the beginning, but in the long run you will be in the black.

Stage 3. Top specialist

You receive dozens of invitations to new projects, you have a stream of regular customers, you are recommended in professional circles as a specialist with a good reputation. You get paid enough and you can choose which projects you sign up for.

The goal of the stage is to follow the strategy.

What to do

Choose projects that will bring you the best results in the long run. For example, between a small project of a corporate giant and a highly paid one-time project, choose the first one. If successful, you have a high chance of becoming a permanent freelancer in the verdant field of corporate projects.

Try to build friendly relationships with talent managers on freelance platforms as well. They are constantly on the lookout for reliable freelancers with great references for the platform's corporate clients. A carefully selected pool of talent gets direct access to Fortune 500 companies and projects with unlimited budgets.

What not to do

Don't think that you are irreplaceable. You will be forgiven for a couple of missed calls or unanswered emails, perhaps a couple of delayed deadlines, before hiring a dedicated and rock-solid freelancer to replace you.

So freedom is freedom, but it's not worth it to suddenly go traveling for a month with unfinished projects.

Stage 4. What's next

In principle, top specialists are already free enough to live where they want, work in their own style, grow professionally and creatively. For some, this stage becomes the norm of a happy life for many years.

Someone gets tired and takes a job with one of their clients or their partners (which is much easier if you maintain a long-term relationship with your client file). Others will try to translate personal success into starting their own company and growing into a managerial position. There are many options and the decision is yours.

The described stages give a rough idea of ​​what awaits a novice freelancer on the path to success, how best to prepare for this and what mistakes should be avoided.

Despite the fact that it is easy to become a freelancer today, only a few reach the level of top specialists. Understanding the steps and following the basic tips will help you achieve your goals faster and with minimal losses. If you have already gone this way or are halfway there, share your impressions, experience and tips on the steps with us in the comments to the article.