Work, quality, communication, and rate: there should be referrals or reviews that mention this about

you.

There should be contracts as you communicate with a business or client that shows legal privileges and
rules.

Do not overfill your plate i.e. do not overwork. DO NOT TAKE 10 PROJECTS AT A TIME.This can damage
your and your country’s name.

YOUR PROFILE ON FREELANCE

YOUR WORK

EXPERIENCE

INDUSTRIES YOU’VE WORLED WITH

SOFTWARE TOOLS EXPERTISE

WORK PERIOD

YOUR PORTFOLIO

LINKS IMAGES SCREENSHOTS RELATED TO WORK

FEEDBACK

THESE ARE REFERALS AS SEEING IS BELIEVING

IN REVIEWS THEY TALK ABOUT COMMUNICTAION, DEADLINES MEETING ABILITY, PRICE, QUALITY OF
YOUR WORK.

VIDEOS

IF FREELANCE HAS VIDEO THEN YOU CAN RECORD IN ENGLISH AND UNDERSTAND YOUR SPEAKING
ABILITY.

Setting price per hour as a freelancer: defining your rate

You need to know your worth and the value you’re adding to the employer.
It should also depend on your expenses (e.g. electricity etc.) so that you have a
profit.
How to charge your clients more
If you finish your work earlier,
You can win your employer’s trust.
As your employer retention increases, you earn more money.
You get a good feedback.
Money is byproduct of success. As you communicate with employer, try to
communicate on skype. As you tell employer that you can work on weekends e.g.
for four hours. Convince employer to work with you that they should work with
you. Polish the art of communication. YOU NEED TO PROVE YOUR WORTH TO
THE FREELANCER SO THAT THEY CAN PAY YOU MORE.
HOW TO TRICK THE FREELANCE MARKET IF YOU ARE STUCK
Problems may occur as a freelancer.
1. Look what are other freelancers doing. Look at their profile, monthly
feedbacks, and their employers. Get info about your competitors. You need
to understand quantity and quality of work of your competitors.
Average award is 1 in 5 bids.
2. Post a project as an employer. You are not getting any response. You are
doing something different or wrong so post a blog then bid on that project
as a freelancer. Analyze what people are bidding on. When you like their
profile and bid price so you see what employers are seeing. What is a
competitive price, what sort of bid attracts more response, how an
employer gives a project to a freelancer: you will learn this.
3. Communication Skills are needed. You have to convince that you are the
right choice. Selection of words and the eagerness to get you on skype and
conciseness of why you are the right choice.
4. Competitive price related to your project. The price that you will bid and
excite your employer.
Your Level of Skill that sets you apart as a Freelancer
Level of skills determines your success as a freelancer. The more you are
competent, the more you are experienced (hands-on)(keep practicing and
learning new improvements in technology), the better you are at your work.
Advance your skill as your skill can tell your success. Hands-on experience:
Watch tutorials 3-4 times and practice it as you promise yourself that you
won’t watch it in the next 24 hrs. Higher level of skill (from hard work), more
chances of your success.
Your Communication Skills that set you apart
More effective communication skills, better relations in business. If you cannot express, how
can you expect employer to give their project to you. The art of selling yourself is extremely
important as you should learn the art of effective communication. You have to sell either
product or service. You need to learn the soft skills and get a hands on experience with these
soft skills:
1. Selection of words are very important.
2. Message says it all either selling your product or selling yourself as a freelancer.
3. Stay connected. Have a skype video and convince him to talk to you and give employer
comfort that you are accessible.
4. Conciseness. When you can effectively convey message then only employer can know
that is you convey your point in a precise manner.
It’s all about how you present yourself. Better communication skill, more effective business
development skills and conveyed as a good freelancer
Speed of Response as a Freelancer
Become a cheetah!
1. Respond as soon as you get a business lead. It could be a message or invitation. If you
message when you feel like, the project will be awarded to someone else. Use your
smartphone. Use emails as you can get instant message delivery and you can reply instantly
on freelance website. The moment you receive an email you sign in to your freelance
website. If you don’t have time you can write,
Thank you for your message. I will revert back to you ASAP.
Employer will get impression that you are serious about the project. It is not possible to wait till
1 day for a freelancer’s response, the project will be awarded to someone else by then.
Download Outlook, Gmail, or whatever your email account. Call client on skype for a detailed
response.
Professional Behavior as a Freelancer
Be accountable to yourself and to your employer/client. You are responsible to its good and
bad. When employer gives you’re their business and money i.e. time and value, you should
expect employer to ask you multiple questions. You are responsible for deadlines. Be
disciplined e.g. there should not be any distractions in 8 hrs. that you give to freelancing.
Manage your time: if you want to do a work in 2 hrs don’t let it delay it 4 hrs. Have a positive
attitude: your tone and attitude matters a lot. Know your work and present yourself as that :
know what value you can bring to employer and how efficient you are at your work.
Presenting your work
1. Use your freelance place profile and present your portfolio.
 2. Have a website about yourself
3. Social media: Google plus, facebook page, youtube, pinterest.
This way you can share your skills and about yourself and allow people to contact
yourself. Brand yourself as you upload your content.

Defining Project Deliverables

You need to figure out the project deliverables and what you consider the project deliverables.
3 steps are important in deliverable milestones:
1. Draft Phase
You tell them that you will make 2-3 different samples and based on what the employer
likes you can work and improve on that. You discuss the time frame in which you can deliver
and the price associated with the work and draft you’re working on.Keeping the time frame
in mind you give output and the associated price with it.
2. Final output based on draft
Output is complete and the time it will take and the price associated with it. Tell the hours it
will take.
3. Deliverable outputs
The employer requires different types of output in different formats.
Define your deliverables and make yourself accountable and have price associated to each
deliverable. As you establish these milestones, you will get money for the tasks you performed.
The rate depends on various factors. You must calculate the rates for your services by
considering a few factors, discussed below:

 Market price: Always do your research about the market and your competitors. Check
the market rate and set your price accordingly.
 Level of your skills: Explore and evaluate yourself and your skills. If your skills are basic
you cannot charge more for your services but if you are a master of your skills then you
have an advantage of charging more for the quality you are providing.
 Requirements of projects: Carefully go through the brief of the project to check how
much time and effort it will take to complete the task and then calculate accordingly.

In-Demand Skills (2018)

1. Virtual Assistant
Being a virtual assistant requires no specialized training or certifications, so it’s one of
the most attractive options for freelance newbies. The potential client base is quite
large: entrepreneurs, coaches, executives, authors, etc., in a variety of industries. They
all need assistance with administrative tasks like appointment setting, email handling,
travel logistics, and so on.
While these are relatively simple tasks, it helps to know how to provide the best value
as a virtual assistant in order to maximize your earnings. Plus, investing in training
will help you stand out from the multitudes of virtual assistants who are already
offering similar services.

2. Writing & Editing

Most people have the wrong idea about writing: an introverted genius churning out
novel after bestselling novel. However, writing isn’t limited to works of fiction.
Professional writers create a wide variety of content: web content, news articles,
instructional manuals, scripts, and so on. And of course, editors and proofreaders need
to check that all of that content is ready for readers. There’s always a huge demand for
fresh content, so theoretically, writers shouldn’t run out of projects any time soon.
However, it’s not enough to have good communication skills. Writers constantly need
to hone their craft and improve the way they do business. So why wait for inspiration
when you can make writing a lucrative habit?

3. Graphic Design
You’re in luck if you’re in this field, as the number of freelance graphic design jobs is
expected to increase by 13% within a couple of years. Even more astonishing: the
digital design sector is expected to grow by over 61% as startups and established
companies hire designers who are willing to work on a project basis. It’s good to have
raw talent and eye for style, but you also need a strong knowledge of design principles
and best practices. And even if you’re already an experienced designer, don’t stop
learning.

4. Spreadsheets
Who knew that Excel would be such a useful skill? Data is king in business, so
freelancers who can organize, analyze, and present data are highly sought after. And
I’m not talking about ordinary spreadsheet formulas. What potential clients are
looking for are people who are adept at creating pivot tables, using VLOOKUPs, and
gathering valuable insights from a massive amount of data. It’s not rocket science;
you can learn advanced Excel functionality in a matter of weeks. All you need is an
analytical mind, an eye for details, and a willingness to take up courses like this one.

5. Accounting & Bookkeeping

Accounting and bookkeeping are shrouded in mystery for most people, no thanks to
the complex tax and business laws in most countries. While different kinds of finance
software are now in the market, companies still need qualified professionals who
know how to use these tools and the rules to follow. Plus, a lot of startups and SMEs
would love to hand off their bookkeeping tasks so that they could focus on their core
business. If you have the skills and qualifications to tackle accounting and
bookkeeping, you can charge a competitive rate as a freelancer.

6. Customer Service
Freelancing as a customer support representative is actually a pretty good idea. It
involves interacting with customers over the phone or online, so you can do it from
home. You can even have this as a side hustle since some companies need customer
support after the usual office hours. Customer service requires strong soft skills like
communication, negotiation, and the ability to deal with emotionally charged
situations. And these skills can definitely be learned.

7. Sales
For a variety of reasons, companies often prefer to have independent sales
representatives. It’s usually a more cost-efficient model especially for startups since
they won’t need to invest as many resources. Another factor is that independent
representatives tend to have wider networks to tap into, which in turn increases sales
opportunities. Whatever their motivation, more and more companies are hiring
freelancers for sales activities.

8. Social Media Marketing

Marketing is an accepted business expense, as it is a proven way to boost business
growth. Most companies employ a diverse range of channels such as content, email,
SEO, and social media. Freelancers are usually asked to handle one or even all of
these types of digital marketing. No one anticipated how popular platforms like
Facebook and Instagram would become; now, social media marketing is considered
essential in increasing brand recognition. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your
feed, why not spend time learning about social media marketing?

9.  E-Commerce
It’s no longer enough to have a brick and mortar store. More and more companies are
offering their products and services online, and for good reason. Having an e-
commerce platform means that a business can potentially sell their products to a
global market of billions while minimizing overhead expenses. The good news?
Freelancers are at the forefront of creating, populating, and managing these e-
commerce sites.

10. Web Development

Web development is here to stay, given how ubiquitous the Internet has become in
daily life. It’s one of the most dynamic careers out there, as practitioners constantly
need to reskill. As a freelancer, it’s a must to learn new languages, technologies, and
trends. Today, chatbots and artificial intelligence are cutting-edge. Who knows what
web development would require in the future? And if you’re someone who wishes to
jump into web development, now is a good time to do so.

11. Web Designer

If you’re a highly skilled web designer, you can freelance for different kinds of
clients, from startups to nonprofits. Web designers need to have both technical
expertise and an excellent aesthetic sense. Since they craft the look and feel of web
pages, their work is crucial in creating a smooth user experience online. It’s also not
enough to create an attractive website design; it has to produce tangible results for the
company.

12. Blockchain
Originally created for cryptocurrency, blockchain is quickly evolving to suit other
purposes. Some companies want to take advantage of blockchain’s secure and
distributed model in different industries: law, governance, logistics, insurance, and
healthcare. Freelancers should consider acquiring blockchain expertise on top of more
traditional skills. Aside from being one of the trending skills this year, blockchain is
expected to be in demand for the long haul.
What projects should you take as a Freelancer?
You don’t have to take every project. Search as an employer and you will know which
skill is in-demand and you will realize whether your skill is in demand then you will
have to improve your skillset. You will know that which skill you want to polish, how
much it is in demand.
How to Price Yourself
You need to know your worth before you price yourself. You need to know if you
project yourself well and know your work well and your soft skills i.e. communication
and business development skills.
1. You need to trust yourself. If you don’t know who you are, then how can you
deliver well. If you know you’re the person for the job, then you can successfully
complete project. You should be able to recognize yourself: who you are.
2. Know marketplace price thoroughly. You will act as employer and know what
people do i.e. what is price roughly related to your skillset. You will not underprice or
overprice yourself.
3. How you charge based on your efficiency and employer’s urgency. You’re giving
overtime due to less time so you have to charge more.Your efficiency level is
doubling as well.
4. Don’t sell yourself cheap. The employer will sense desperation and you will have a
bad image in marketplace. You need to establish your place in freelance market.
Price yourself based on skill, speed and experience.
How to calculate hours and price per hours
To get price per hour, divide project price by time duration.
To know time duration to complete assignment, divide project price by price per hour.
You need to know yourself, what expertise you have and what value you can bring to
employer. Your price per hour shows your self-value. Price per hour is based on
expertise, experience and your quality of work. Your time of completely reduces with
time. Fixed price of project is better than increasing per hour price. You can earn
more this way. Stay on the clock at work but anyways you should be prepared for
everything so know your value and price yourself 
How to manage your time
Employer expects best out of freelancer and the best in the time allotted. Keep
yourself on clock. Avoid social media, YouTube, instant messaging distractions. Time
is very important. You need to have self-discipline. You have to keep in mind your
commitments and your time. Establish self-discipline onto yourself.
Work Life Balance for freelancers
The more you work, the more you earn. At the same time, it is important to maintain
balance.
1. Most importantly, your health is very important. Work is made for you, you are
not made for work. Be it, mental or physical, both are equally important. Clock
your time.
2. Your family and social time: Remain social as money is a necessity but you
need to maintain a balance before you forgot to sort out your priorities.
3. Do not over commit. If you are working 24/7 for employer, you are giving your
employer the impression that you are free and you don’t have any other work to
do. You will lose value in front of employer. Employer will figure out the
payment you should receive himself or herself. You have to do more work as
well. Balance your life. You have to give your milestone delivery on time.
Freelancing Behavior
Preferences: time zones, gender population, way of working, time zones in
working. Follow your trends. You have to work late as an eastern as most clients
are on the west side. Manage yourself. But, it also depends on your own self i.e.
you can be night owl and work late or wake up early and work or make flexible
hours for yourself. As your work plate increases, you’ll have to give more time to
freelancing so you’ll have to work more but you have to take work accordingly.
You should know what you have day hustle then you have to work at night but if
you’re an all-day freelancer you can have flexible hours.
Setting project scope in the beginning
Freelancing is virtual meeting but business norms are the same. When the client
messgaes you and message box opens, you have to set scope of project that is the first
thing you need to do. You need to set expectations, deliverables and milestones. You
need to state according to yourself that is your skills, your expertise, time required etc.
Steps:
Firstly, tell the employer how much time it takes to complete project successfully.
Second, set price of project.
Scope should be determined initially and tell your worth, portfolio, price, time, etc. in
order to avoid any loss ahead.
Discussing project details will set tone of project. You need communication skills for
this.
Lack of client’s response
When client does not give a response, what should you do?
As employer backs off, you can complain or be patient, both are right as it is your
right to complain about an issue when you have been awarded a project. ALL OF
COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE IN FREELANCE MARKET PLACE,
COMMUNICATION SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN TO SOME OTHER SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS. You can have evidence. You have to bid, discuss about
project and depending on your communication skills you can get project by your
selection of words, energy, body language, determination. You need to talk it out and
fix things and continue bidding. Necessarily check if employer has previous feedback,
if he or she does not then it is not fake but even if employer leaves you mid-way then
fault is yours.
Freelance Job Selection
Projects close to your expertise and skill set. Chose 10 such projects and open in new
tabs.
Go through projects and if you don’t feel it’s right for you then leave. You look at
employer, if you’re at guru.com and there is a tick next to employer’s name that
means the employer has verifies his or her credit card. And the money shown in front
of paid shows that he has paid that much money to an employer before you. This is to
authenticate an employer. You check whether the project seems fake and also check
where the employer is from.
Bidding on the right project
You’ve selected a few and opened in new tabs and you have authenticated employer
and the project seems real. You see a tick with employer’s name and the employer has
paid before. Paid job shows one paid job is done.
Every project is not for you. You have to check if your skillset and expertise connect
with the project. Can you match the requirements listed down by employer? You have
to give skillset priority over money and authenticity of project.
Identifying fake vs original project
Never give your energy and time to an unauthenticated employer. Avoid bidding such
projects just to make a large bidding number. There is ONLY DOLLARS IN
FREELANCING. Bid less but appropriately and make a difference. Don’t waste time
on dubious projects but invest time on the right ones which have authenticate
employers and the employer’s project’s brief matches your skills and expertise.
Job Hunting Skills: Asking Questions
Importance of questions
Ask questions from freelancers as guru.com allows you to ask questions if you are a
paid freelancer and have bought profile. At Upwork, you have an option to populate
your cover letter or bid. You introduce yourself at cover letter and at bid, you ask
questions. BUT, DO NOT BOMBARD EMPLOYER WITH QUESTIONS. Ask
questions as a freelancer obviously if there is just a one-liner.
Important Questions to Ask:
What is the name of your company?
What color of logo do you want?
What color of design do you want?
Do you have any preferred choice?
(in this case, employer needs a logo designer)
As you ask questions, you are telling employer you are interested and telling employer
to open the PMB as only employer can open the project messaging platform. As
employer opens, the way of communication is opened. Guru has ability to ask but
UpWork has two options that are mentioned above.
Importance of professional response to projects
Set up a professional environment and tone, you act professional. You have an easy
environment but professional. You need to be professional while bidding. You have to
be diligent and positive. You have to be respectful. You have to have knowledge and
attract employers towards you.
Four Rules of Professionalism:
1. Be Courteous. Say hi not good morning, evening.etc. If you’re not courteous,
the employer does not continue reading the next paragraph.
2. Stay to the point. Answer what you are asked. Don’t give extra details.
3. Tell about your professional experience and what have you done in life etc.
4. Talk about your work that can be your portfolio or an industry you have
worked with.
5. Be courteous till the end.
You cannot meet him or convince him in person but you can convince him or her
with your professional response.
Use phrases such as ‘Respected Employer’ to start a conversation.