Working online is gaining popularity at an alarming rate and it is here to stay.
Many times I get loads and loads of questions from people who want to get onto the bandwagon of freelancing, others are just curious how I make money online (they tend to have very many questions) and those who need help with their freelancing career.
Freelancing online is awesome but one needs to ask some few questions before embarking on a full time or part time freelancing career.
In this post, I will dwell on the most commonly asked questions.
1. What do I need to start working online?
Answer:
This is one of the most asked questions and it is not by coincidence.
You do not just wake up and open up your browser and get a job.
There are some few requirements that ensure you have a successful freelancing career.
i) You need to have the Skill to work online. – Examples of Skills – Article Writing, Video Editing, Audio Editing, Transcription, Web Design, Graphic Design, SEO, SMM, etc
Bonus: If you feel you need to improve your skills then you need to check out some of the Websites I learn and Improve my Freelancing skills on.
ii) You need to Own a Personal Computer or Laptop – This is important to avoid inconvenience to your clients and to also help a freelancer earn stress-free.
iii) A stable Internet connection. – Probably the most important of all. The internet.
It is almost a basic need in this day and age. If you do not have a good internet connection then there is no point in working online.
You risk getting poor feedback from clients and losing out on many potential clients.
iv) A ready to work attitude. – If you think that working online entails clicking on links to get paid, think again.
You need to engage and showcase your skills to potential clients to land contract after contract. Therefore be ready to work, to make money.
2. What kind of work is available for online freelancers?
Answer:
Working online has many great opportunities and with this in mind, any kind of work can be done online depending on your specialty and skills.
You can get jobs in various fields including, graphic design, web design, article writing, academic writing, video editing, e-learning experts, even translation jobs.
Basically when it comes to freelancing online your limitation is your imagination and skill.
SEE ALSO : HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE AS A TRANSLATOR
3. How much money can I make working online?
Answer:
Money !!! Money!!!! Money!!!! The main reason to work online is to make money. Let no one lie to you that money comes second, it is the ultimate priority.
But how much money can one make online? The simplest answer is that the amount one makes varies with numerous factors such as the type of job, contract agreement, your experience level, and your turn around time.
For example – some jobs are difficult to undertake and therefore they require more time to work on and therefore more money will be asked for by the freelancer.
SEE ALSO: 5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD START FREELANCING TODAY.
My personal experience is that the amount of money one makes online is determined by the number of jobs you have running at one go, how much the contracts are worth and your work experience.
4. Which freelancing sites are genuine or legitimate?
Answer:
This is probably one of the toughest questions to answer, and the reason is simple.
The speed at which freelancing websites (outsourcing websites) are popping up online is fast, very fast.
This is making it very difficult to discern genuine websites from pure straight up con websites. This should not hinder your freelancing career.
There are several genuine sites such as Upwork, Freelancer, People per hour, Fiverr, Guru, iWriter, etc where you can work and get paid.
SEE ALSO: 5 BEST FREELANCING WEBSITES.
5. How will I get paid for completed work?
Answer:
Getting paid online is easy and the array of payment options available is overwhelming. Most of the freelancing websites available have at least two supported modes of payment.
You need to open accounts with various payment gateways available such as PayPal, Skrill, Payoneer, Mpesa and Direct bank deposit.
You’re preferred mode of payment depends on the most convenient method for you and their availability in your country or location.
My preferred payment option is Skrill due to their option to send money directly to my mobile phone.
SEE ALSO : HOW TO WITHDRAW OR SEND MONEY FROM SKRILL TO MPESA
6. What can I do to increase my online earnings?
Answer:
There is no day that money will ever be enough.
This in mind, the best way to increase online earnings is to diversify, look for fixed short term quick and easy projects, build a competent profile, expertise and increase your charge per hour. Generally, Work smart, constantly and excellently.
7. I have been applying for work on Upwork with no success. What am I doing wrong?
Answer:
Working online comes with its challenges. The greatest challenge is getting a job online.
Sometimes your job applications are declined by clients for no reason at all but the easiest way to land a job is to have an up to date profile with relevant skills to jobs that you apply to, a profile with relevant tests and always have links to sample work.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Many factors come into play but with the dedication of time and the right amount of energy, landing a job is easy.
SEE ALSO: 8 POSSIBLE REASONS WHY YOU ARE NOT GETTING HIRED ON ODESK
8. How do I avoid being conned by online freelance employers?
Answer:
Getting conned online is easy and it is nothing new. I personally have been conned but this should not deter your freelancing career.
It is possible to sniff con clients even before you apply to a job posting by following the instructions provided in the freelancing websites.
Most websites have instructions prohibiting freelance workers from engaging employers outside the sites to evade the fee, or ensuring workers check on various employer profile hints (Payment verified), and being careful with highly priced fixed price jobs versus hourly jobs.
My take is – if your gut does not feel right during the interview process about any particular job-Jump Ship.
LEARN MORE ON HOW TO AVOID BAD CLIENTS
9. Can I hire people or must I handle all the projects personally?
Answer:
This is probably a question for freelancers that receive huge amounts of work and the answer is, Yes. You can hire or outsource.
However, be careful. Some clients insist on having you personally handle their jobs.
Hiring other freelancers depends on the type of job that you are working on.
Basically, if you freelance on Upwork, hourly contracts are automatically timed using time trackers. Therefore hiring other freelancers means that you will not bill the work hours.
It is always good to handle certain jobs personally, but you can obtain competent workers and outsource for fixed-price contracts.
10. How can I avoid distractions while working at home?
Answer:
Working online means you can work anywhere, at your own convenience and at your own pace.
With all this freedom and time, many distractions crop up (a party in the apartment downstairs 🙂 ) often resulting in unfinished contracts.
Staying focused and disciplined is the only way to avoid distraction.
Ensure that you organize yourself to allocate time for everything, and then strictly follow your schedule. This is the best and only way to avoid distractions.
Working online has its ups and downs and there are many questions every freelancer should ask before embarking on this awesome journey.
If you have any questions with regard to freelancing kindly comment below, or on Freelancer Insights Facebook Page or you can Contact Me and I will gladly help you out.
I was here….budaa,si uko yuu.Help me get started…..How do i go about,attaining the skills you listed above.
Hello Solo, Thank you for taking your time to read my blog post. Kindly let me know how I can specifically be of help. Basically, before embarking on the freelancing journey you should have some skills. This will help reduce the learning curve and you will also freelance on contracts that you love.
That was a great eye-opener. I am reading a lot before I start applying.
Thank you Margaret for taking your time to read my blog post. Read and apply the tips that you gather. All the best.
Thank you for sharing. Very helpful information, discipline and determination is key.
You are absolutely right there. Discipline and determination is key.