Don't Eliminate the Middle Man Add One!

If you’re going to work as a freelancer, having a large list of clients will be vital. But we have some good news: It doesn’t have to be that tedious and time-consuming process you may think it is. In fact, there are many ways you can make your list more manageable. Here are some quick tips that will help you avoid the dreaded “I don’t know where to start!" moment:

1) Make a list of realistic opportunities for your skillset - not all situations need to be worth taking!

2) Create job requirements for yourself so you can find potential projects faster. Some examples could include "working remotely" or "designing social media graphics.”

3) Set up a clear criteria for job candidates - usually covering the following:

a. Location, hours, income requirements - how much you need from the client, how often that amount will be paid and other details like that.

b. Requirements in your industry/specialty area: what skills are needed to be hired? Examples would be "designer with Photoshop" or "online marketing consultant" or "internet marketer." These are simply examples. You should create your own list if you want to see how it works for you!

4) Upload your resume to various job sites on a regular basis: including sites like Zoominfo and C3 and Zipjob .

5) Get a good LinkedIn search engine. 

6) Own multiple websites: one for your portfolio, one that focuses on freelance design, one focused on your niche and one for clients.

7) Keep all of your business cards handy!

8) Use the ReferralCandy app to manage client referrals . 

9) Using Upwork or Elance? Use the Posting Dashboard to see what you’re getting paid for each job; this will help you assess whether you need to raise or lower your pricing! 

10) Make sure you have a backup plan: if there is something new coming up that might be a good opportunity, make sure you can take it up quickly.

11) Stay organized! And if you’re thinking this might be a little too time-consuming, remember that time is money. It’s important to make sure you’re not wasting your clients’ time.

12) Be proactive: if you find yourself feeling uninspired, it's OK to take a break and do something different for a while. Just don’t lose sight of your long-term goals.

13) Make sure you have a backup plan: if there is something new coming up that might be a good opportunity, make sure you can take it up quickly.

14) Find like-minded people to help you brainstorm ideas.

15) Remember, the more services you offer on your website/social media profiles, the better! This helps to make you more visible when job hunting and also helps with retaining clients when they come across your work by seeing what other companies or projects they may be interested in.

Be sure to check out Elance and oDesk , you know they will be around for a long time.

Salary:Â $10 - 20 per hour

I personally wouldn't work here because it's too much work. But it has definitely been a reliable source of income over the last few months. There are a lot of opportunities to earn on here and the chances are high (as compared to other freelancing gigs on this list) so if you're looking for steady cash flow, then here is your go-to place!

I haven't heard much about Upwork recently, but it is still doing well in the market. 

These sites offer quick cash, but I would steer clear of them. The reason why is because it is a very competitive market and the longer you take to accept a job, the less money you will get for the same project. In any case, these are good for some quick cash, but I wouldn't rely on them for my income. Most of the people who work on these sites are truly gifted designers.

This is my go-to place for work - especially since I have a wide array of skills to offer. It is VERY quick and easy to set up a profile, and you can be almost guaranteed of getting paid every few days.  

I can't tell you how much I would love this as a way to get my money. It's very misleading because it seems like these people offer $10-$20 jobs, but the trick that they use is that they always have 'catch" jobs on there - these are jobs that really need someone with a particular skill or even just someone who has an extra bit of time (which is why it's deceptive).

If you're going to use this, then I would recommend getting some basic skills first and then going on there.

Elance is a very similar site to oDesk and Upwork - the only thing that sets them apart is that they focus more on the more skilled jobs. Be sure to check out oDesk and Upwork though! 

Fiverr:  I don't think it's worth it

Here is another site that is great for quick cash - but I can't tell you how many people have told me how much they dislike working here. You'll have to look at some of the reviews online before deciding what to do, but I personally haven't had a good experience with this one.

If you're going to get into this business, make sure you can do a lot of work fast, because that's what people are looking for there.

I don't really like selling products on Fiverr - even though it looks like it's making a good amount of money.

The thing about these sites is that the prices seem tempting. But if you think about it for a moment, then you'll realize that $5 an hour is not really worth taking up in the first place because like I said above, time is money.

This site requires really high quality work in order to be taken seriously by the other users. Make sure that your portfolio is ready to go - or else you won't be getting any jobs.  

This site doesn't have a lot of jobs; and I've only posted one job here in the past. It's worth a shot, but don't expect miracles. 

This is a great site for outsourcing work to other countries, but you can also get some good work from there as well if you are disciplined enough to only take up the high-paying jobs that come up on the front page.Â

I'm sure there are many more sites out there that you can use for outsourcing work - but these are the ones I know of .

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to tell you that if you are serious about freelancing and making money online, then it IS possible. Take it from me, who has not worked a real job in the past 2 years! I make more money than my friends and family who work at 9 to 5 jobs.

 This guide is meant for those of you who are truly interested in freelancing - for those of you who want to make a career out of it or even just as a side-business. If any of this sounds like something that interests you, then go for it!

Thanks for reading.