Who is a Freelancer and What Are Their Tasks?

Who is a Freelancer and What Are Their Tasks?

Freelancer - who is it and what do they do?

 A freelancer is a self-employed specialist who works remotely, typically through the internet, without official employment. They act as a remote contractor, providing specific services and completing assigned tasks.

 Freelancers independently seek clients and decide what type of work they want to undertake. They can collaborate with one or multiple clients simultaneously. They have tasks, deadlines to meet, and a predetermined payment amount for the work performed.

 The company can carefully search for a truly excellent specialist in its field, within its financial capabilities and necessary goals. And if the quality of the work performed is not satisfactory, it is possible to quickly find another freelancer. However, if an employee in the company fails to handle the work, it will take much more time to terminate their employment and find another worker.

Advantages of freelancing:

If freelancers were predominantly people working in creative fields in the past, today there are more and more engineers, psychologists, foreign language teachers, designers, and consultants in various fields among those working for themselves. This is because freelancing offers a wealth of advantages that make people leave offices:

• Flexible working hours: One of the main benefits of freelancing. When you work as a freelancer, you decide when and how much to work and rest. If you get tired, you can postpone work at any time and relax, or go for a walk in the fresh air.
• Independence from the workplace: It is enough to have a laptop and internet access. The possibilities are limitless: you can live anywhere, travel multiple times a year, or not even show up at home. As long as you have enough money for travel. However, this depends on the services you provide, the client you work for, and how much effort you put in.
• Ability to adjust workload: If you have accumulated too much work, no one prevents you from raising your service rates and thereby filtering out unnecessary clients. A freelancer can calculate their working time and energy in such a way as to complete the required number of tasks and earn a sufficient amount.
• Unlimited income: In freelancing, a specialist receives payment based on the volume of work completed, not an hourly wage. Therefore, there is motivation to complete it quickly and with high quality. This format is much better than in offices, where employees will not rush to submit tasks and receive new ones because they know that their salary will remain the same regardless of their productivity.
• Independent choice of clients: Some generous clients pay well but have such demanding requirements that the earnings are not worth the effort. In freelancing, you can easily part ways with a client who doesn't suit you and quickly find another one in the same niche, carefully studying the payment and working conditions.
• Knowledge of the specific workload: You know exactly what amount of work you need to accomplish and how much money you will receive for it. If you take a contract with a 10-day deadline and complete it in 3 days, you will still receive the same amount of money. Then you can move on to the next task or relax for the remaining 7 days that you had planned to spend on the project.
• No unnecessary expenses: No expenses for public transportation or taxis to commute to work. No corporate events and colleagues' birthdays where you have to contribute to a common fund – these are regular expenses for people working in a large team.
• No pressure from superiors: At home, you won't be subjected to the stress that exists in an office, where supervisors may sometimes stand next to you and monitor your work. Yes, there are deadlines and requirements for completing tasks, but no one will hover over you and monitor how much you get distracted or what you do during breaks between work.

Disadvantages of freelancing:

Freelancing is not all smooth sailing. Some of the advantages mentioned above can turn into disadvantages for remote work, especially for newcomers who have no reputation yet and are not well-organized.

• Inadequate clients: They may not pay for completed work, argue about the rates you set for a project, make unreasonable demands, and nitpick, sending projects for revisions. However, with experience, you will quickly learn to identify and filter out good and bad clients in the future.
• Independent choice of the customer. There is generously high competition. Beginners need to establish a reputation for themselves and make themselves known to work with large and financially capable clients in the future.
• The need for self-organization. If it is lacking, the advantage of being "your boss" will turn into a disadvantage. No one will remind you of work or force you to complete it. If you fail to deliver an order on time, you will lose the client.
• Lack of stability. In one month, you can earn over 100,000 USD, while in the next month, nothing at all.

 This is because orders come with periodic success when you don't have a steady client. Some clients may close projects, after which you become unnecessary to them.

• Low income at the initial stages. Newcomers who are not yet known will not be able to earn a lot because they won't be paid big money. However, they will encounter quite challenging tasks. Completed assignments will add to their experience and be useful for their portfolio.
• Virtual communication. This can be a plus for introverts. Not everyone prefers to work in a team and interact with people of different types and characters. However, over time, one may feel lonely and lack live communication due to regular home-based work.

The required skills in freelance work:

The most important thing is the desire to work for oneself, develop good self-discipline, and thoroughly understand the freelance industry, its advantages, and disadvantages. It is necessary to familiarize oneself with professions that are available for remote work online and their requirements.

One should be prepared to constantly seek new clients or projects and know how to use freelance platforms.

Here is a standard list of requirements for freelancers:

• Proficiency in programs like Word, Excel, and other applications, and online services, according to the technical aspects of the work.
• Browser proficiency.
• High self-discipline.
• Responsibility and integrity.
• Being up-to-date with the latest trends.
• Willingness to work at any time of the day.
• Meeting deadlines for assignments.
• Professional approach to project completion.

 Responsibility is one of the main requirements because, without it, you won't be able to motivate yourself to work as much as required and deliver assignments on time.

How much can you earn from freelance work?

 Freelancers' earnings depend on their profession, popularity, experience, the financial capabilities of their clients, and the number of tasks they can handle. In general, here are some approximate monthly salary ranges:

• Rewriting, copywriting: 10,000 - 80,000 rubles;
• Website creation and promotion: 20,000 - 200,000 rubles;
• SMM management, social media promotion: 20,000 - 80,000 rubles;
• Video editing: 40,000 - 200,000 rubles;
• Web design and development: 20,000 - 200,000 rubles;
• Internet advertising: 20,000 - 150,000 rubles.

 This information is based on feedback from freelancers themselves on various websites and forums.

Fields of freelance work:

Numerous professions require remote workers today:

Design:

There are various types of designers:

• Logo designers;
• Interface designers for websites, applications, etc.;
• Motion designers;
• Graphic designers;
• Presenters.

 It's not necessary to know how to draw. Many companies provide training for beginners. The main thing is the desire to create and design.

Copywriters:

 They write texts for clients' websites. You can start by writing texts for low prices, but if you specialize in a specific niche, you can offer copywriting services in that field. Such texts are well-paid, and there is an opportunity to earn over 100,000 rubles per month.

SEO Specialists:

 They focus on website promotion in search engines. Having SEO skills is beneficial because, besides client websites, you can successfully promote your projects.

SMM Specialists:

This profession is perfect for advertisers and marketers or those who aspire to become one. Keep in mind that it is challenging and specialized work if you take it seriously. You need to be able to interpret information effectively and pay attention to minor details.

Director of Advertising:

A director of advertising ensures direct leads and sales for clients, manages advertising campaigns and handles internet marketing. This profession can be described as creative-analytical, and it requires good intuition.

Website Developer:

Many people can create code, but learning to do it with quality is not so simple. This work requires technical aptitude.

Others:

Teachers and tutors, artists, drafting designers, and specialists in writing coursework and theses also earn money online.

Where to find clients

Finding work online is much easier in today's reality than it was 10 years ago. There are numerous platforms for job searching.

Freelance platforms:

1. Fl.ru:

Fl.ru is a popular freelance exchange with a well-thought-out system for connecting clients and freelancers. Freelancers have the opportunity to provide detailed information about themselves, their work experience, skills, and abilities, as well as showcase examples of completed projects. There are many high-value projects available on this platform, so it is advisable to have a quality portfolio to stand out and attract attention.

 Experienced professionals also note the abundance of projects with reasonable requirements and pricing. The platform offers a secure transaction system, and the mailing system is well-planned.

 One thing to consider is that it is better to acquire a PRO account, as it opens up a vast number of job opportunities. Of course, this option is suitable for those who have the initial capital and are willing to invest it for future earning prospects.

2. Advego:

 Advego is a freelance exchange specializing in rewriting, copywriting, text translation, and more. It is a versatile platform suitable for both experienced freelancers and beginners. It is renowned for its unique tool for checking text uniqueness, readability, fluency, and other parameters in specific search engines. There is an editor where users can set parameters for phrase matching and font size.

 It is considered one of the best programs for copywriters, as it allows customization of text checks based on phrases and shingles.

 A huge advantage is that the service is available for free, and it is constantly being improved and updated.

3. Work-Zilla:

 This platform is recommended for beginners to start their freelance journey. It is convenient for remote work for designers, IT specialists, marketers, and other professionals. Clients simply provide a technical task, specify the cost of the work and the deadline, and the system selects freelancers without their direct involvement.

 Work-Zilla provides tools for communication between clients and freelancers, discussing project details, and other features to facilitate the workflow. In many fields, beginners may initially have to take on low-paying tasks to build their rating. With persistent effort, they can achieve a high rating and gain significant experience, which allows them to command higher rates from clients.

4. Fiverr:

 Fiverr is a popular international freelance marketplace, but it is not widely known among domestic freelancers. It may be challenging for beginners here, as with many other platforms, because attractive and high-paying projects are often awarded to professionals with high ratings. However, the minimum cost of completing a task on Fiverr is $5.

 Freelancers on Fiverr can also offer additional services and set their pricing. There are opportunities for additional work related to the main service, allowing freelancers to earn even more from a single order.

 The platform ranks freelancers based on a leveling system, where lower levels offer standard and lower-paying jobs, while higher levels provide better compensation opportunities.

5. Freelancehunt:

 Freelancehunt is a service from Ukraine that helps freelancers quickly find reliable clients. Freelancers can choose individual tasks or entire projects on the platform. The website incorporates a rating system for freelancers and client reviews.

 Experienced freelancers claim that Freelancehunt offers several excellent projects every day at attractive prices. Clients not only from Ukraine but also from Europe and the USA search for skilled specialists here and are willing to pay higher rates.

 The platform's administration promptly addresses any issues with unreasonable clients who try to lower payment for completed work or fail to provide clear requirements. The exchange's staff will fairly resolve disputes between clients and freelancers.

 Freelancehunt has a forum where freelancers and clients can discuss various topics. Users can report platform errors, share suggestions on how to improve the website and propose necessary implementations.

 For beginners, it is relatively easier to get higher-paying projects on Freelancehunt compared to many other exchanges. Users appreciate the platform's fast payout system, with funds sometimes arriving within a few hours, while on other platforms, payments may take one or two weeks after project completion.

How to Increase Your Freelance Income?

 Increasing your income is directly related to your experience, the quantity, and the quality of the work you have completed. To make clients recognize you as a qualified and responsible freelancer, you need to:

 Create and promote your brand. Establish a personal blog through which you can advertise yourself, increase your popularity, and present yourself as a professional on social media platforms. Utilize targeted advertising to build trust among users.

 Reviews on freelance platforms. In the beginning stages of your freelance journey, it is recommended to complete some tasks for free in exchange for reviews. By delivering high-quality projects, you will receive positive feedback, which will not go unnoticed by other potential clients.

 Portfolio. Never delete your completed work; keep the best pieces for your future portfolio. You can showcase it on your website, in freelance community forums, in social media groups, or during personal conversations with potential clients.

Conclusion:

 There is an abundance of online work available, making freelancers increasingly in demand each year. Even serious large companies are hiring more remote freelancers.

 A freelancer must be responsible, disciplined, and have a work-oriented mindset. There are no shortcuts in this field – the more work you complete, the more money you will earn. Continuous improvement and building a reputable image are necessary to attract more serious clients.

 In the initial stages, it is important not to be arrogant and assume that you are one of the best in your niche, deserving higher payment. The competition is fierce, and to gain attention, you must first establish a name for yourself.