Freelancing has recently become a more popular and flexible way to earn income, especially as remote work is increasing in its wide acceptance. Many people now make a lot of money working for companies, businesses even half way across the world earning in dollars and foreign currencies. And what’s interesting is that you can as well. There is no gate keeping this information, so whether you are looking to supplement your existing job by having a side hustle or you are transiting into full time remote work this article is for you.
Knowing the best platforms to kick start your freelancing journey on, can be the difference between succeeding within a few weeks or going in circles for years and giving up. There are so many options available when it comes to choosing a freelancing platform, so it is okay to feel a little confused on which is best. This article will guide you through the five top platforms, Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, Freelancer.com, and PeoplePerHour, that most Nigerians use to make millions through freelancing. It will discuss in detail, how these platforms operate, their features and how you can get started and get paid on them with whatever charges that they may
1. Upwork
At the top of the food chain, we have the most popular platform for freelancers. Currently the largest freelancing platform in the world, Upwork connects freelancers with clients, who are looking for either novice, intermediate or professionals to complete certain tasks and jobs for them.
The platform has freelancers who specialize in diverse fields such as Digital marketing, Accounting, Graphic design, Search engine optimization (SEO), Social media marketing and campaigns, Copywriters, Programming, Website designers. Chances are if you can do it, you can offer your services on Upwork, and someone is already looking for it on Upwork.
How Upwork Works
As this is a platform that not only helps freelancers promote their skills, but also helps clients pick the best as it helps them rank higher, it is a platform that you can make a lot of money from when you are good and consistent.
The process is that you create a profile as a freelancer to promote whatever skills you have as well as your past work experience, and expertise. For the profiles, incase you have multiple skills, you can create specialised profiles, that is more specific to a particular set of skills, which would greatly improve your chances when sending proposals for those kind of jobs. You can also create what is called projects that clients who are looking for a full package kind of treatment can decide to patronise.
On the part of the client, after realizing that they need an independent contractor or professional to help them with a particular task or project they want to accomplish for their organization. They then come on Upwork and post a job description; detailing the exact functions and duties and experience they want and also the details of the project that they want to hire for.
Freelancers, like you can then apply for the job by sending proposals if you are interested in the job. You can also bid on your proposal with connects to make your proposal among the first ones the client sees. The client reviews the applications, profiles, and portfolios of the applicants and selects the freelancer they would like for the task or project, and then chats them up for either an interview or a discussion, after which they initiate the contract. The freelancer does the job and gets paid through the Upwork platform, with Upwork removing 10%
Things You Need to Know Before Becoming a Freelancer on Upwork
- Finding new customers can be one of the most difficult aspects of being a remote/freelance worker. While Upwork may provide freelancers with an opportunity to showcase their skill set and acquire clients, which is especially useful for new freelancers looking for methods to make money as independent contractors, getting new clients is not still as easy as most people would think. There are thousands of other independent professionals and freelancers also competing for work, and most people realize this only after joining the platform, and so lose hope and drive realizing the competition is fierce and give up. However, this just means that a to be successful in freelancing, you need to know how to put their best foot forward and give your best.
- Milk interest from clients with an introduction video. While a lot of information out would teach you the importance of having a well optimized and arranged portfolio and profile, these are generic advice. Upwork recently introduced a introduction video feature. So why as a newbie who is trying to get a great start not milking it?
How payments works
All of the work you do on Upwork is protected by payment protection, regardless of whether you are paid on an hourly or fixed-price basis for the gig.
So, you can use Upwork to bill clients and monitor your revenue, it allows wire transfers, PayPal, Payoneer, or direct deposit, although it is advisable to withdraw into a dollar account like the VitalSwap dollar account than try to convert the money. Also a 10% freelancer service charge will be deducted from your Upwork earnings when ever you get paid from the client.
2. Fiverr
Second on the list is Fiver. On this platform, instead of projects or profiles or proposals, freelancers registers what are called ‘Gigs’ on what is considered a online marketplace, for prospective clients to see and pay for those services, whenever they are interested capabilities. Through these detailed “Gigs,” freelancers provide a comprehensive overview of their profiles, skill sets, and service offerings, to potential customers looking for such services.
The goal of their brand is to make it easier to recruit or be hired as a freelancer. Employing, firing, and all the other duties of the human resources departments are eliminated by Fiverr. With this, businesses can quickly get the help they need without the long process and freelancers have the option of selling their skills to any company at any moment. Unlike any other platform out there, Fiverr allows clients to pay first, even though the site’s initial pricing for all services was a fixed $5, freelancers and remote workers can now offer package deals, or gig packages, and determine their own prices. On this platform you can offer any digital service, including WordPress design, logo design, writing services, transcriptions, NFT artwork, Twitch graphics, and even voiceover work.
What Does Fiverr Mean?
The word “fiverr” references to a $5 bill in the United States. For instance, someone can say “The meal cost me a Fiverr,”. And that was how marketplace gained its name, however you might be wondering why the website was also called Fiverr. The simple explanation for that, is that when the platform first launched, it advertised that you could hire a freelancer for as low as $5. However, keep in mind that there aren’t many services available on Fiverr for $5 now as that was when they first launched.
Overall, Fiverr’s meaning insinuates that the platform offers you freelance services at a very affordable price. Whether you just need one job done or you would like someone on an ongoing basis, Fiverr may be the best marketplace for you.
Opening an account on Fiverr is free. Once you register, you can both buy and sell on the platform. Registering through Fiverr will create a client account by default. To become a freelancer, simply create a Gig.
A gig is a service you are planning to offer on Fiverr’s website, like I will write you an excellent press release for $5, although it is definitely more complex than this. When a Gig is purchased, it’s called an order. As the seller, you set your price and can choose to offer addons to your gigs to Increase the price and better the client’s experience. When a customer chooses to purchase your order, the funds are deducted from their account and held until the order is finished. 80% of the money made from each gig that is successfully sold and delivered is retained by the seller.
You will find it easier to increase your seller rating on the website the more gigs you sell. As a result, you might be able to raise the price of the services you provide.
Note: You can only create your Gig on a desktop or laptop and not a phone
Types of Fiverr Gigs
- Design & Graphics
- NFT Artists
- Twitch Graphics Artists
- Logo Designers
- Brand Style Guide Designers
- WordPress Developers
- Android Developers
- iOS Developers
- Mobile Game Developers
- Writing
- Transcription Writers
- Editors & Proofreaders
- UX Writers
- Technical Writers
- Audio & Video VoiceOver Artists
- Video Editors
- Audio Engineers
- Website Optimizations
- Core Web Vitals Experts
- Speed Optimization Experts
- Data Entry Specialists
- Virtual Assistants
- SMS Marketing, etc.
How Does Fiverr Pay Freelancers?
Customers pay Fiverr immediately at the moment of purchase when they place an order for a project through the platform. Fiverr will then credit the freelancer’s account with 80% of the payment after the project is finished. The funds credited has a 14-day clearance time during which they would be in “pending”. The two-week delay is for processing and to ensure consumer satisfaction and no issues. The money can be withdrawn if it has been labeled as “cleared.” Depending on the country in which the seller resides, Fiverr provides different methods for withdrawals. They are: Direct deposit, bank transfer, Fiverr revenue card, and PayPal.
3. Toptal
Toptal is a rapidly expanding, entirely remote freelance community that enables freelance software developers, designers, finance professionals, product managers, and project managers around the globe to thrive and succeed in their freelance careers, but all that information isn’t really necessary. What you need to know is that the name “Toptal” is derived from the combination of two words “Top Talent,” which means they only work with the best , that’s why the screening process to register as a freelancer on their platform is tough and rigorous. This also makes their claim of having freelancers that are employed by the Fortune 500 companies more feasible.
How Does Toptal Work?
Unlike many other freelancing sites, this organization only hires the best of the best, making it one of Upwork’s most formidable competitors. Their aim is to provide companies with individuals who rank in the top 3% of independent contractors. In addition to passing numerous screening exams, freelancers must present documentation of their qualifications. Just a few individuals pass this screening process and go on to work as freelancers.
Initially, the company only offered services relating to engineers and software developers, later on, they added freelance design services because reviews indicated that clients were also interested in other areas. And then grew from there.
Pros and Cons of Toptal
Pro:
1. A very rigorous screening procedure: Toptal reviews boast of the site’s excellent pool of job candidates and clients. So not only do are you very sure you are in the midst of qualified people, you are also certain of the caliber of the recruiters and can demand your worth.
2. Risk-free trial period: Your employer can revoke at any time within the first two weeks and receive a refund if your services are not topnotch, however, you can also cancel the job if the agreement is not been honoured.
3. Quick hiring system: Toptal has a very efficient hiring process, so the majority of Toptal freelancers get hired in a matter of days rather than weeks.
4. Less competition: Toptal states that only the top 3% of freelancers that apply are accepted into the platform, as they use selection process that ensures clients have access to highly qualified experts who can produce outstanding outcomes. This automatically reduces the competition that you would face on other platforms.
Cons:
1. Very Costly: If clients are looking for a low-cost hire, this website isn’t the place to go. Clients have to pay a premium to enjoy their beneficial services, and professionals on Toptal charge fairly expensive prices.
2. Overqualification: The freelancers on this platform have worked for companies like Google, Goldman Sachs etc. Now imagine if you were just a recent graduate.
3. Over-automation: Clients do not have the ability to negotiate a contract or browse through each freelancer profile individually.
4. Freelancer
Freelancer.com is a freelancing platform that is very similar to Upwork and Fiverr. It is also the fourth on our list. Like all the above it is an online market platform where clients can post jobs for various tasks they need to be done and get freelancers who are ready to do it for a fee.
So this is how it works, freelancers can bid on “projects,” which are job postings made by clients. In their bids, freelancers include the project’s budget, that is the amount they want to be paid for the task, time duration it would take them, and strategy they would use to solve the task. After reviewing the proposals and profiles of freelancers, the clients then select the most qualified applicants for tasks.
Freelancer.com also allows freelancers to market their skills, and build a portfolio through their profile and other features like contests and the Freelancer Showcase. In their profile, freelancers can showcase their experience, previous work, and any particular abilities that clients could find useful. Freelancer.com also offers competitions (more specifically design work competitions) where employees can showcase their skills, and clients can pick clients right from that competition.
5. PeoplePerHour
Last but not the least we have PeoplePerHour. PeoplePerHour has been in existence since 2007, so is one of the most well-known websites for businesses to locate freelancers and for freelancers to find work online.
Like Upwork, Fiverr and the rest, PeoplePerHour connects clients to expert freelancers who are available to work and get paid by the hour or by project. However unlike other, PeoplePerHour have an ai that connects clients and freelancers for jobs related to everything, including: Web design, Graphic design, Programming, Freelance writing, Video editing, Data entry, Email marketing, Social media management, Personal assistance services. etc
Freelancing platforms Alternatives
These are not the only platforms available to freelance on, others include:
- Guru
- WeWorkRemotely
- Remote.co
- ProBlogger
- BloggingPro
- FlexJobs
- SolidGigs
- Indeed
- Craigslist
- Contena
- 99designs
Conclusion
As you start your freelancing journey, It is important to keep note of the fact that when it comes to receiving your hard earned dollars, VitalSwap dollar account is here for you. The VitalSwap virtual dollar card is also here for all your online international transactions.
Go download the VitalSwap App to get started.
