User since: Jul 16, 2004 at 22:06 UTC (20 years ago) Last here: Dec 09, 2012 at 16:48 UTC (12 years ago) Experience: 1493 Level: Hermit (10) Writeups: 181 Location: n/a User's localtime: Sep 09, 2024 at 11:33 CEST Scratchpad: View For this user: Search nodes

Freelance info

Looks like some people actually click on the link in my sig ... But unfortunately it seems that most of them don't quite get the whole freelance thing.

Anyway in order to earn some money that way - you need to work on projects (I guess you figured that out already). So here are few tips on how to get those projects, few links to good freelance sites and stuff like that.

• Feedback

  This is one of most important things for a freelancer. If you still don't have any project behind you are much harder to get one. But by no means it's the only thing you need ...

  When you finish the project (or near end) be polite to the person that hired you. Ask them to write something more than just "great to work with" and giving you (hopefuly) 9 or 10. Ask them to describe in few sentences what you did for them, how you did it and what problem have you solved for them - let them explain why are they giving you a rate they are giving you.

• Communication

  This is crucial, especially if you don't have feedback - definitely most important thing. Your bid should be accompanied by personal message to project poster if for nothing else - to let him know you are not automated bid bot. Explain what technology you will be using (usually people leave that as open option). You need to make him/her sure that you understand the project. And if you don't - even better! Ask questions, make sure you are both clear on what you expect from each other.

• Bidding (price & timeframe)

  Being the cheapest - or with least timeframe isn't going to ensure that your bid will be picked. I won bids where people with MUCH more feedback (they finished 100's of project while I did only ~ 10 at that time) made smaller bids with shorter timeframe. Go figure ...

  Of course, I asked project posters why. And basicaly, they all said that it was because of comunication. I was confident that I can do what they need - and I made that clear to them.

• Projects you don't like

  Even that happends :eek: - you stumble upon a project that you know and can do, but simply you are not interested in doing ... Well you can do whatever you like. I ussualy make a bid - but much higher that I would ussualy make, and with longer timeframe. So even if I win it (happened few times) I'm somewhat more motivated.

• Links - recomendations:

  S‎crip‎tlance - This is the website I'm mostly working on. It has it's pluses and minuses, but overall my favourite.

  (PerlMonks messes up links/URLs containing "s‎crip‎t" in href)

  Good:

  • Free to join
  • Low fees. Just 5% (min $5) on regular and virtualy nothing on featured projects.
  • Lot's of project posted
  • They can send you money via wire, check, paypal ...
  • You can be paid directly by project poster (off site), of course it's expected that you cover the fee
  • I've been using it for more than 2 years

  Bad:

  • No arbitration. So even beside escrow payment, in case (of dispute) project poster requests an chargeback from his CreditCard copmany or say PayPal - you are expected to return it. Never happened to me. Read about it on their support forums ...