These reviews are only available for those who has a minimum skills of certain softwares and talents (well the skillful the better). YES, this is work. NO, this is not MLM or get paid to do silly things on the internet(Get paid for reading mail, surveys, to be online etc).
Doesn't matter if you are using Windows, Mac or Linux, If you think you have at least one of the skills bellow, then I believe you can earn money by working as a freelancer. The people who hire you will pay the minimum of $5 per job and the maximum of more than $5000 / job (usually this job goes to a really talented and skillful person or team)
- Writing, Copy writing, Proofreading, Translation(Word, text editor)
- Illustrator, CG artist
- Web programming and development (HTML, PHP, ASP, Flash, .NET, etc)
- Web graphic design (Illustrator, Freehand, Corel, Photoshop, etc)
- Video editing (Premiere, AfterFX,etc)
- Audio editing, musicians (Wav Lab, Sound Forge, etc)
- 3D modeling and animation (3dmax, Maya, Aliaswavefront, etc)
- Computer programming (VB.NET,VB, Delphi, C++, Java, etc)
- Various simple jobs like taking screen shots, giving tutorials, database
- Some college/university students post their homework problems as a project
The bad news is.. you will not be alone, freelance competitors will also move the way you move, if you are not quick enough or good enough, the Client (the service buyer) will choose another freelancer.
Some of the sites are free, well all of them are free to join, the site providing freelance work just have different methods of get their own profits, either they cut %(percentage) of your original fee or by paying monthly fee to them.
However for those people who already have work, specially those who have "too many work", they can throw their work here on these freelancer sites.
I notice also some people act as a freelancer and at the same time they act as the client. I believe this is called turning the wheels of money, the basic of buy cheap-sell expensive. On this case, its not item related, but skills.
How this works
1. As the freelance
- Get a Paypal or Moneybookers account
- Some freelancer sites can do western union or direct bank wire transfer!!
- Moneybrookers also has the ability to do direct bank transfer
- Register your self on one or as many as you can, freelance sites
- Upon registration, select your field of skills
- Choose to be notified by mail if a job is available
(it is recommended that you have an email client with auto check for messages every 5-10 minutes)
Optional, get a free RSS reader, so you can check every second of what’s new on the line of job ( freeware no adware http://www.sharpreader.net/ this is nice, goes to system tray for windows, for MAC users www.snarfware.com)
- When a job is available, you are able to do bid/bidding
- The client then chooses one winner (well, everybody else will also bid)
- Mockups, some client may be impressed by mockups
- PROTECT your mockups, do watermark on any pictures you make.
Example :put flash movies on your own site, don’t send them yet. Improvise on protecting your files
- Keep in contact with your client, satisfy them don’t let them down
- After job is done and paid, don’t forget to remind the client to ‘rate’ you.
Ratings are helpful when you are on a bid, so there will be a chance of winning the bid
- DONT FORGET PORTFOLIOS. Jobs that you have completed.
specify what did you work on that job. If you don’t have them, no problem.. journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step
Optional, ask the client to pay escrow (escrow:3rd party payment, released automaticly after job is done)
2. As the client
- Do the same registration like above
- Choose your freelancer wisely
- Give them a chance to do a mock up then choose the best
- Must be clear in giving instructions
- Optional, pay them in escrow.
so they wouldn’t have second thoughts about you are not paying them (escrow:3rd party payment, released automaticly after job is done)
Here’s a trick that I know (but I don't do this, I just watched others did)
Example: You have a project worth of $500 upon completion, its a web design project complete with logo and banners. Doesn’t matter how or where you got this project. Apparently, you realized that you as one person does not have enough skills or strength to do this all by your self.
So you decided to open a few project on one of the freelancer sites:
- Need freelancer to do logo and banners, budget $30-$50
- Need a web design and PHP programming, budget $50-$100
So you would be doing.. nothing and get how much? bad trick eh?
FREELANCER SITES (updated June 19 2007)
getafreelancer
This is so far my best freelance site
- Free to join, only get less than 10 bid/month. Pay $12/Mth you get 150 bid
- As Client has to pay $5 to make a project
- Paypal, Moneybookers supported, wire transfer supported
- Escrow system optional
- RSS, Mail supported
- File transfer for mockups, supported
rentacoder
My 2nd trustworthy freelance site
- free to join, unlimited bids !!!
- free to post projects !!!
- the site cuts 15% off our fee :(
- Escrow system optional, you get S2.5 if you tell the client to use escrow
- Paypal, Snail Check and Western Union
- RSS
- Mail notification is very limited, RSS is more reliable
- File transfer for mockups, supported
scriptlance
- free to join, unlimited bids !!!
- free to post public projects !!!
- the site cuts 5% off our fee :/
- Escrow system optional
- Paypal, Check and Direct Wire Transfer
- Incredible mail notifications !!!
- File transfer for mockups, not supported, you must have your own server
Guru
- It's a bit quiet
- Free registration only gets 8 bid
- escrow supported
- mail notification supported
- Available payment: check and paypal
- I'm still currently reviewing this site for more of their features
OK on this blog I will only post 4 sites, as I am only registered on those 4, i will review other sites later on
Additional note:
about rentacoder: there is an interesting comment bellow. Before joining any of these freelancer sites please read their terms and conditions
Sunday, June 17, 2007
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