Explore Freelancing – Career Scopes, Apps, Websites and More

Freelancing in 2020-2021

Times have changed. A white-collar, 9-5 Job has lost its demand. During the Pandemic, many people lost their jobs and the employers were also in great despair.  It was here the popularity of freelance sites came in. The word ‘Freelancing’ and ‘Gig Economy’ has gained momentum among the millennials. The freelance job has helped many by giving them rescission-proof for their careers. 

The popularity of freelance sites increased when both top companies and small startups saw an immense possibility here. They saw an opportunity of cutting down costs and getting their work done with the utmost quality.  At first, it was simply seen as an online part-time job but now the trend is changing. Even the professionals are quitting their Nine to Seven jobs and are taking freelancing as their full-time career option to become a part of the ever-growing gig economy’.

Digital-Marketing-Freelance

Many see freelancing as an opportunity for sharpening their skills or simply as a way of moving towards their passion. Freelance sites cover all sorts of works from routine and mundane tasks to vast artistic arenas. Freelancing opens doors for anyone who has the will to work and the right amount of diligence and consistency to move towards the goal. It creates an indelible opportunity for anyone who has sufficient skills. 

Freelancing can be your cup of tea if you have:

  • An ability to market yourself
  • The ability to sell your services 
  • Skill to Deal with a variety of clients

Reasons to Start Freelancing

There are many reasons to start freelancing and become a part of the ‘gig economy. Freelancing is being your ówn boss and working flexible hours. You are independent and free while freelancing. Working as a freelancer is not only the best way to earn money but also the best way to live. The concept of freelancing attracts many as it is available to people of all ages and with any qualifications. It gives you the freedom of working from home to working even while traveling all around the world. It gives you dream life. 

It gives you the freedom of working from home to working even while traveling all around the world. It gives you a dream life.

For employers, appointing freelancers can become a highly profitable part of their business as they will have to face only,

  • Fewer taxes
  • Lower employee-related expenses like health care and travel expenses. 
  • No need for Office Space

Freelancing Jobs Most In-Demand

Before beginning freelancing, you have to find a 

  • Profitable Niche
  • Find the right target audience. 
  • Learn the skill as best as you can
  • Use techniques to market yourself (Set up a good solid portfolio showing your skills and experiences) 
  • Set short term and long term goals

Freelancing has become quite popular. Therefore, the demand for certain jobs has increased. Lists of the most demanded jobs that are ruling the ‘gig economy’ are given here. If you find your skills matching these in-demanded jobs, then give yourself a chance. 

You can always find ready clients with these in-demand freelance jobs:

  • Virtual Assistant  Work:
They work as an online administrative assistant helping businesses grow by performing routine tasks that include writing and replying to emails, doing research, managing social media, checking invoices. The highlight of this freelance work is that you don’t need tons of experience to start working as a Virtual assistant and getting paid. To become a virtual assistant, you just need to have basic computer/communication skills.
  • Data Entry:
Businesses are always ready to hire people to help organize their data and documents into systems or through software programs. They are always willing to make them work from home as they have a routine and mundane work and they may need flexible working hours. The only need to become a data entry freelancer is to have proficient typing skills and you should have the ability to deal with a  variety of software programs.
Data-entry
Everyone has finally acknowledged the fact that ‘Content is king’. Everyone needs consistent content including bloggers, small businesses, influencers, and even non-profit organizations. Freelance writing gives you the freedom to set your schedule and work from anywhere. Remote Freelance Writing is a great opportunity for writers as it allows the free flow of imagination.
  • Transcription:
Freelance transcriptionist works by converting audio or video files into text with utmost accuracy and efficiency. For this, you have to be a fast typer and must have a good knowledge of grammar. Accuracy is important and you can improve this with a lot of practice. </ul.
If you know how to code, then this freelance job is for you. You will get recurring work with clients by providing them with regular maintenance services too.

Choosing the Best Freelance Sites

As the popularity of freelancing is increasing, many websites are popping up with the best features for freelancers to take, manage and fulfill orders. The Freelance sites provide the best experience for the employer and the employee. There are hundreds of freelance sites. Choosing among them for creating a solid portfolio can be quite a time-consuming and tiring process. You must be selective while choosing the best freelance sites. 

You need to take care of these factors while choosing the Freelance Sites :

  • Number and variety of jobs available
  • Frequency of opportunities presented. 
  • Diligence in paying for services. 
  • Secure payment systems 
  • Rate of Commission Charging. 

We have made a list of five Freelance Sites that have good reviews and high payment history. You must register with at least two of these freelance sites and stick to them for carving a highly profitable freelancing career.

Top 5 Freelance Sites

  1. Freelancer.com :
The first platform on the list is Freelancer.com. It is a general all-purpose freelance site. It is mainly used by small businesses. It covers all areas of work from website development to logo design, Writing to marketing. It is a simple platform, used by top companies like Microsoft, Sar, and Intel.

You can get Competitive bids within minutes. And if selected you can complete it and can get paid securely. Freelancers can upload specimens of their previous freelance work, keep hirers informed of progress while completing the task with a live chat function. It even has got an excellent app to see the latest updates and for using the live chat option. The main advantage is that Freelancer.com doesn’t take a penny from your earnings as commission.

  1. People per hour :

The second platform on the list is Peopleperhour.com. It is a Freelance site with a huge range of services, a huge international community, and good job ratings. More than $130 m earned by freelancers from this site. It is used by 1M business and  2. 4M freelancers. This freelance site has a Nifty project writing tool that helps to hire companies by providing them with all needed assistance. It provides  AI(Artificial Intelligence) to match and Contact the most suitable freelancers.

The application process for this site is very strict as they want members to be certified freelancers. This means their application is reviewed and selected by a moderation team. But once you are in, it is easy for you as you are certified now and you can demand higher prices.

  1. Upwork :

The next platform is Upwork. They have grown to be the biggest freelance site. Any business seeking to hire freelancers is now checking Upwork. The recruiters here are mainly looking for long-term contracts. It is the best Freelance site for professionals who are looking for complex projects and long-term contract options. 

Upwork is a great software and marketing forum for Web and mobile development and this also has a live chat option.

  1. Guru :
The next platform Guru is a General freelancer marketplace. Guru is highly Cost-effective and is used by 3 million-plus Users. It has excellent Feedback scores. The great advantageous feature is its  Flexible and secure payment systems. It uses four types of payment methods:
  • Fixed price payment
  • Hourly payment
  • Task-based Payment
  • Recurring Payment
You can choose your preferred method of payment.
  1. Fiverr:

Last, but not least is Fiverr, one of the best Freelance marketplaces out there.

It began as a small project site for taking gigs less than  $5  at the beginning and now the gigs range between $5 to $10,000.

Fiverr has a Project-based pricing system and you get your services fulfilled Within minutes. You can simply start working in Fiverr by opting  ‘Become a Seller’ option and become a part of the ever-growing Fiverr gig economy.

Become A Highly Paid Freelancer

Freelancing is challenging for startups and newbies as they don’t have a solid portfolio and good ratings at the beginning. Begin your freelance journey by taking undervalued gigs and slowly you can build an empire in the gig economy. 

To avoid Scams, Buy a small advance at first. Try to exhibit your talent and show off your skillset in every possible way. You can market yourself by:

  • Building a Solid Portfolio
  • Creating a Good Landing Page
  • Creating Social Media Pages with regular and quality contents
  • Drafting a  Cold Mail Template

Make use of tools available online to help you out as a freelancer. There is an app AND.co which covers everything you need as a freelancer and helps you keep going. This app includes features for sending proposals and signing contracts, arranging for invoices and payments, tracking time and expenses, and helps you to even create reports on your performance.

Freelancing is going to stay for a long time as it is the era of the  ‘Gig Economy’. If you are doubtful about your success as a freelancer, start it as a  part-time job. Work on smaller gigs and learn about the vast world of the gig economy and once you feel you are ready for the battle, give it a chance by making it a full-fledged career.

It may be very tiring at the beginning, but it will surely pay you off in the grand scheme of things. Nothing is easy in this highly competitive world. You have got to put in your time and energy to see the wonders happening in the freelance world.

And lastly, always remind yourself of this old age adage:

‘Slow and Steady wins the Race’

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