Freelancing refers to the process of offering your services for someone else on a per project basis. The best way to explain this is through an example.
Supposing you possess excellent writing skills. There are millions (and I’m not exaggerating) of webmasters and internet marketers out there who are in need of fresh content and new products on a daily basis. Their demand for digitally written works is so great that even if they are blessed with just as much writing prowess, they won’t have the time to come up with everything that they need. Hence, they resort to outsourcing.
And this is where you enter the picture.
As a freelancer offering your writing services for a fee, you could take in some projects they will give you. You will be paid per delivery, and once that’s done, you could take in more clients for consistent earnings.
But freelancing is not only limited to writing, or ghostwriting as it is technically known. There are other services that you could offer, depending on the area of proficiency you possess. Here are more examples:
• graphic creation and design
• web creation and design
• software development
• data encoding
• translation to specific languages
• marketing consultancy
• strategic placement consultancy
There are more, of course, ranging from something as complex as creating advanced scripts to something as seemingly trivial but as surprisingly effective as forum posting (yes, I kid you not! You’ll get paid per post you make!). The bottom line is, if you have some services to offer that can be delivered digitally, freelancing is always available for you.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this earning opportunity. Let’s take a look at the distinct benefits you can reap from this option.
• You can work anytime you want, from the comforts of your own home. Your only concern is to deliver high quality products on or before the deadline your client has set.
• Freelancing requires minimal investment, or none at all. Promoting your services can be done without spending a single cent. But as with everything else, the best advertising vehicles are often those which you have to pay for. Be that as it may, you won’t be promoting heavily, and any financial investment you will be forced to make will not cost you a fortune.
• You have the liberty to accept the projects that you want, and turn down the projects you’re not happy about. Orders will come from your clients, but you remain your own boss.
It’s not entirely a bed of roses for freelancing. Let’s take a look at the disadvantages of this trade.
• You will earn an amount equivalent to the work you have done. If you could only do so much in one day, you could only earn just as much. Surpassing that threshold is quite improbable.
• You will have to work, many hours on occasions. Freelancing may afford you certain liberties, but the same principle applies: no work, no pay.
• Expansion is also quite improbable. You’re only a single person. There is only so much you could do.
• Your orders would be dependent on how efficiently you market your services. There are other earning opportunities that promise more rewards for less work using the same marketing vehicles you will be forced to take.
If you want to dabble in freelancing, here are some splendid places where you could advertise your services and solicit some clients:
Freelance.com
Elance.com
RentACoder.com
Scriptlance.com
Guru.com
The choice is yours, dear friend. If you’re looking for sure profit fast, then freelancing is a great option indeed. But if you want to plan long-term, I suggest that you explore other earning opportunities as well.
