The Work At Home Link Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Freelancing’

If you want to get started working as a freelancer, the best place to start is with freelance bidding sites. These sites are usually free to register. Each site then has different requirements, often with different levels of membership. Depending on the site, a fee might be charged to the buyer or the service provider or both. Choose a membership level, build a profile and start bidding on jobs.

Bidding sites are a great way to begin to develop a portfolio. They allow a new freelancer to gain valuable experience as well as testimonials to the quality of their work. Projects are usually posted daily, so they offer a great opportunity for a new service provider to find work. There is also some protection for new service providers in the sense that buyers pay up front for projects and the bidding site holds the money in an escrow account. This takes away the fear of not getting paid for projects you complete.

There are several bidding sites to choose from. Take your time exploring the sites and evaluating what membership options there are. These are the top freelance bidding sites:

• http://www.elance.com is one of the largest bidding sites and offers quite a few new job postings every day. Opportunities are available in programming, design, writing, engineering, administrative support, sales and marketing.
• http://www.getafreelancer.com offers opportunities in programming, web design, copywriting and technical writing.
• http://www.rentacoder.com is a great source of opportunity for software coders. There are also opportunities for graphic designers, writers and virtual assistants.
• http://www.guru.com has opportunities in web and graphic design, writing, programming, sales and telemarketing, engineering, finance and accounting and administrative support.
• http://www.ifreelance.com is one of the lower priced bidding sites and does not charge commission on the money you earn. Opportunities are available for writers, photographers, artists and programmers.

Check out these bidding sites and start bidding on jobs. To improve your chances of getting jobs on these sites, read my next post.

Technorati Tags: Freelancing, Work At Home, work at home business

For those seeking work at home opportunities, what most people are really looking for is freedom. Freedom from time clocks, nerve-wracking commutes, performance reviews, asking permission to go to the restroom, etc.

One path to freedom is working as a freelancer. Freelancing means contracting a particular skill or service, often on a per project basis.  You are contracted to do a particular job, but you are not employed by the person who contracts you. Some of the skills that are offered on a freelance basis are writing, photography, graphic design, editing and computer programming.

Some of the advantages of freelancing include:

• Variety of projects and people you work for. When a project is complete, you have no obligation to continue working for a particular company. You can work for more than one company or client.
• Control over what your time is worth. At a regular job, your income is limited to what your employer thinks you are worth. As a freelancer, you charge what you feel your services are worth, and you can adjust your bids at any time.
• Scheduling freedom. If you are a night person, you have the freedom to do the bulk of your work at 10 p.m. or later. Likewise, you can work at 5 a.m. if you’re most alert in the morning, and you can take the afternoon off to do errands or spend time with your kids.

The disadvantages of freelancing include:

• Lack of steady income.  There is something to be said for knowing where your next paycheck is coming from.  In the freelancing world, until you have established yourself with several steady clients, there is an absence of a steady paycheck.
• Time required finding jobs. For a freelancer, part of your business plan has to include spending part of your work day marketing yourself and looking for more work.
• Income taxes. Being self-employed means being responsible for your own record-keeping and income taxes. If you are single, you also need to worry about health insurance and retirement planning.

If you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, learn more about freelance bidding sites in my next post.

Technorati Tags: Freelancing, make money at home, Work At Home, work at home business