Upwork is one of the biggest freelance marketplaces in the world and about a million Filipino freelancers are making a living through this platform. It’s no wonder that many reacted negatively on the recent pricing scheme introduced by the company a few days ago.
We explore this issue and much more detail in this week’s recording of my Facebook Live episode. In it I talked about:
- What the new sliding pricing scheme of Upwork is all about
- How this new pricing scheme affects freelancers
- What we can learn from this change
- How we can be more independent from freelance market places like Upwork.
My Advice
1. Wake up!
Put yourself in the shoes of the company. Upwork is a business and it obviously wants to survive and grow. This change in pricing scheme is a reflection of that desire. As negative as it sounds we have to look at the issue objectively and wake up to the call of levelling up our freelance career.
2. Don’t put your eggs in one basket.
Why depend on “just” Upwork? Explore other freelance marketplaces out there like Freelancer.ph, Raket.ph, or Guru.com and build a name in them. That way, pricing scheme changes like what recently happened in Upwork won’t affect you a lot when they happen.
3. Be independent.
I can’t stress this more. If you haven’t done it yet, do it now! Build your own home base online independent of freelance marketplaces. Build a website and attract clients there so they can work directly with you. Don’t close your Upwork account. Use that account to bring clients into your home base.
4. Adjust.
Upwork is implementing this new pricing scheme partly to encourage freelancers to develop long-term relationships with existing clients. So why not heed the call? Increase your rate or communicate with existing clients to try to convince them to hire you in a retainer basis.
(Disclaimer: I am not in any way connected with Upwork. The views that you read, hear and watch are my own personal views.)
As always, your views and feedback on this episode is more than welcome. You may do so through the comments section below or you may tweet me @freelanceblend. You may also email me directly through marv@freelanceblend.com.
Links
- Like our Freelance Blend Facebook Page
- Watch the video of my Facebook Live
- Upwork.com
- Message from the CEO of Upwork
Join our Live Blab on May 26, 2016 at 8pm
I want to dive deeper into this new pricing scheme from Upwork that’s why I invited Althea Sagayno, admin of the popular Upwork groups in Facebook, Online Filipino Freelancers. As an Upwork expert, let us ask her all our questions related to this new development so that we have a better understanding of how it affects us and how we can move forward.
Just bookmark and visit this page to watch us live on May 26 >> www.freelanceblend.com/blabwithalthea
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