Freelance work is becoming one of the most popular ways to work these days. With the ability to work from the comfort of your own home, flexible hours, and the option to work for a range of different companies, it’s no wonder why people are choosing freelance over other forms of work. Today, we’ll be talking about two of these platforms, Fiverr and Truelancer.

And from a business owner’s perspective, hiring freelancers can be the best choice economically, as it is oftentimes a lot more inexpensive than hiring an in-house staff.

Back in the day, it could be difficult to find work as a freelancer, as you had to be established in your field and have a lot of connections. But now, there are many different platforms to help connect freelancers and clients together.

Fiverr

What is Fiverr?

Fiverr is a two-way marketplace designed to help connect freelancers (sellers) to clients (buyers). Founded in 2010 in Israel, the site started under the premise that you could purchase any service, mainly programming and writing, starting at just $5. 

Now, Fiverr has opened up to a wide range of unique services, from psychic readings to building you a website, and many services can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Fiverr is a multi-billion dollar company and has received quite a bit of media attention in recent years, so this is definitely one of the most popular of the freelance platforms.

How does Fiverr work for freelancers?

Fiverr is completely free to use and to sign up. Once you make your account, you can start posting gigs, which is how potential clients will find your services.

Unlike typical job board platforms, like LinkedIn or Indeed, freelancers have control.

When posting your gig, you want to remember to include important information such as your rates, deadlines, and qualifications. What makes you the best person for the job?

If possible, include images or videos of the final product, and testimonials from satisfied customers. 

Below is an example of a gig from a top rated seller.

Fiverr has the ability to offer different pricing tiers for your gigs as well, starting with basic, standard, and premium. The pricing difference can be up to you, and each tier will include a different amount of content. For example, the premium package might include extra content, quicker delivery time, and the ability for clients to ask for a revision if they aren’t satisfied with the final product. Below is an example of the different pricing packages you could offer.

Another important factor of being a freelancer on Fiverr is the levels. You automatically start off as a New Seller once you join the site. From there, you can level up to Level 1, Level 2, and Top Rated Seller. 

Your level is an important marker on the site, and the higher your level, the more likely you are to get sales. You can also unlock key features as you rank higher, including the ability to upload more gigs and withdraw your money quicker.

To move up from New Seller to Level 1, you have to

•  Be an active seller for at least 60 days
• Complete at least 10 orders
• Earn $400 or more
• Maintain a 4.7-star rating over 60 days
• Deliver a 90% response rate score over 60 days
• Score a 90% order completion rate over 60 day
• Achieve a 90% on-time delivery score over 60 days
• Receive no warnings over 30 days

For how to move up to Level 2 and Top Rated Seller, view the images below.

Note – it’s important to remember Fiverr takes a 20% cut from all your total sales. That means you walk home with 80% of your money.

How does Fiverr work for clients?

You can easily switch between being a buyer or a seller on Fiverr without having to switch accounts. Instead of posting gigs for potential clients, you can scroll through the list of freelancers in your category of choice.

If you are struggling to find a freelancer that matches the specific project you’re looking for, you can always submit a request form. This way, Fiverr will match freelancers to you and you can message them individually to find someone who matches the skillset. Below is an example of the type of information you would need to include on this request form.

Truelancer

What is Truelancer?

Truelancer is an online freelance platform that allows employers to hire freelancers and freelancers to search for jobs. Based in India, the platform available globally and allows for freelance services in content writing, developers, designers, and more.

How does Truelancer work for freelancers?

Truelancer operates under a WorkFlow System. This is a collaboration tool used to facilitate communication between freelancers and employers on the site. It also provides all management tools, such as pay and deadlines, so you can keep organized. Truelancer encourages all employers and freelancers to use this tool for all communication about the project so that there are no outside terms being discussed. This will allow for both parties to be entitled to funds in case of a conflict.

Once you sign up for an account as a freelancer, you can start browsing for jobs. You can search for jobs by specific skillset, such as IT and programming, social media and SEO, etc.

When you see a job posting you think you want to work for, you can hit send proposal. 

Proposal details may vary, but they will probably ask your experience, your rate, and what deadlines you can work under. They might also ask if you require a deposit, which is the starting amount you want to receive before starting the project. For larger projects, you can ask for up to 45% of the total amount, and for smaller projects, you can ask for the entire amount upfront.

Even before you are hired for a project, a workstream will automatically be created if the employer contacts you about your proposal. This is where you can continue to discuss details about the project. Once they hire you, you can accept the proposal amount and begin working on the project.

Below is an example of what the WorkStream will look like.

When you submit the project, your money will be finalized into your account.

How does Truelancer work for employers?

It is free to post a job posting, but you will be charged extra for add-ons such as tagging the post as urgent, private, or featured.

Write a short description of the project at hand and specify the amount you can pay. Once you submit your job posting, freelancers will be able to start submitting proposals. 

You can chat with multiple freelancers before choosing one to hire. Remember to keep all communication in the workstream. 

Once you have hired your freelancer, you can ask for updates throughout the project. When the project is complete and you are satisfied, you can allow the payment to go through. If you are not satisfied, you can contact Truelancer and the payment does not have to go through immediately.

Remember to provide feedback and a review when you are done with the project. Reviews help other employers know if they will want to work with this freelancer in the future.

Which freelance platform will you choose? Do you use an alternative such as Upwork or Freelancer? Let us know down below.