A freelancer’s first stop when searching for work is job boards, bid sites, and marketplaces such as Fiverr. As I’ve mentioned several times, I’d like to focus on Upwork in this blog post. Would you recommend staying away from Upwork if it were legit?
Let me explain what Upwork is to you. It is a platform that helps freelancers and clients connect. A business posts work that it needs done, and freelancers can submit proposals to work on it.
Let’s get to the juicy details, shall we?
Contents
Is Upwork a legitimate job site? Read on to find out
Yes, prior to getting into this, I have experience with Upwork. 😉 Speaking from experience, these are the most important things you should be aware of concerning this platform.
Upwork Isn’t a Scam, But…
Upwork is not a scam in and of itself. It’s a legitimate platform. However, some people use it to scam people.
As an example, a number of writers have told me they haven’t been paid by an Upwork client for work they performed.
A freelancer can be just as easily ghosted by a client as anyone else.
Scammers are everywhere, right? Certainly. It is too easy for hardworking freelancers to get taken advantage of with job boards and bidding sites. I dislike these platforms because of this. They aren’t necessarily bad things. Nevertheless, they draw too many people who will misuse them.
In the end, it’s always the freelancer who’s screwed over.
At least a little bit of protection can be provided by researching the company off of Upwork. Anything can be said on these profiles. If you can find any reviews of them online, look at their website, social media pages, and look up their reviews on the web.
As much as possible, make sure this company is a legit one by performing your due diligence.
The Problem of Getting Paid What You’re Worth
Job boards and bidding sites like Upwork are yet another reason why people dislike them so much. It has nothing to do with the platform. Instead, it’s how they are used.
I’ll tell you something. There is usually a lot of competition on these platforms. Therefore, they are highly competitive. Because freelancers want to get hired, they are willing to offer lower rates than their competitors. Thus, it frequently turns into a competition of low rates.
Do you think businesses use sites like Upwork to find freelancers knowing this? Businesses that need cheap work done. Professionals are hired through Upwork to save money.
There is no end to this cycle. It is much harder to hire freelancers who charge what they are worth. Does that make sense?
Could this mean that Upwork is unprofitable? Certainly not. Certainly not. It definitely won’t be easy competing against other freelancers whose rates are a fraction of yours.
Those who argue that you need to apply and be accepted on Upwork may object. Listen, the term “get accepted” is used loosely here, because I just did it to see what happens, and I was instantly approved.
That’s what I mean. Anyone and everyone should be welcomed at Upwork. These are the best ways to make money for them. (I’ll explain more about that in a moment.)
Your profile does not belong to you
There’s a lot at stake in this one.
You’re in a vulnerable position when you use Upwork to hire freelancers, because you don’t own any of that.
A profile, a conversation, or any other aspect of your Facebook profile is not yours. It belongs to Upwork.
Certainly, Upwork would have to find something wrong with you for your account to be suspended. Yet, is that option even worth considering? If Upwork is your primary source for clients and, therefore, your main income source, then you have no choice but to use it. You are suspended for one day, for any reason. You are out of business.
You run this risk if you rely on someone or something but yourself to find clients. Take responsibility for your business. Manage it yourself.
Upwork Charges Fees
In order to work on Upwork, you must pay.
Freelancers usually ask me this question: “Is Upwork legit? I mean, if they’re charging you, there can’t be a way that it’s legitimate.
No, not exactly.
In order to understand these fees, let’s look at how they work. These are the percentages that Upwork takes. The percentages are directly from their website.
As a result, they take less as you make more.
There are fees and memberships associated with all job boards and bid sites. As a business, they earn money this way. Obviously, this isn’t scamming.
However, does it suck? Absolutely.
For you to work on Upwork, you need to pay. Doesn’t this seem a bit strange?
Why they charge makes sense. However, the fact that you must pay them no matter what stinks. Taxes will also be due on that income. A $200 blog soon becomes substantially less.
Does Upwork offer a legit service? Certainly. What are its advantages and disadvantages? None.
It may be a different story if people used it better, if freelancers stayed true to their opinions and refused to work for pennies, if that became the standard and clients knew they had to pay more (although there are more issues at play than that). However, this is simply not the case.
If Upwork isn’t the best way to find freelance clients, what is?
That’s right, I know. I complain far too much. But I’m also ready to provide you with a solution.
It was cold emailing that I used to build my business, and I still believe it can be highly effective. As it’s largely a numbers game, I became weary of it. Instead of sending hundreds of emails, I wanted better results.
I developed the process I use today as a result of that. My first step is to reach out to people on LinkedIn. It allows you to talk with someone working for the company you wish to pitch.
In order to find out more about the person, you send them an email. Once you have done that, you make a phone call or Zoom call with them. Your proposal is the next step. Congratulations!
The following is a condensed version of the original. Creating real relationships with clients is the key to landing them, with the aim of helping businesses succeed. Making that your obsession could lead to success that is much easier than you expected.
You also get to position yourself as an expert and charge a lot more for your services because this process eliminates most of your competition completely.
During Revenue Spark, I teach students a start-to-finish formula that sets them up for long-term success and freedom.
This blog is hoped to be helpful to you!
