- Which part of this project do you think will take the most time? (Upwork)This article is a part of the Upwork proposal series where we dive deeper into how to write proposals that win clients. Today, we’ll look at the question “which part of this project do you think will […]
- What questions do you have about the project? (Upwork proposal series)In this Upwork proposal series, we’ll be looking at the question “what questions do you have about the project?” and how to best answer it. How other freelancers are answering “what questions do you have about the […]
- Upwork proposal tips: When freelance projects fall down from the skyI normally don’t check emails in bed. But this one morning I forgot to turn off the notifications and in came this… I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Having a project fall […]
- Which of the required job skills do you feel you are strongest at? (Upwork)In this part of the Upwork proposal series, let’s dive into the question “which of the required job skills do you feel you are strongest at?” Depending on the client, this tends to be more of an […]
- How to use Upwork: a craftsman’s approach to landing clients on UpworkDo you know who this is? This man is in his 90s and still works around the clock doing what he loves… and it shows. He is widely regarded as the best sushi chef in the world. […]
- What challenging part of this job are you most experienced in? (Upwork)This is another entry in the Upwork proposal-series, where you and I will dive into how to answer often asked questions, so we can land more clients. Today, we’ll look at the question “what challenging part of […]
- Review of Transferwise for freelancers: is it worth it?This article is about Transferwise for freelancers: I know many of us freelancers are complaining about the fees on our work from third party companies like: Upwork project fees Fess for more Upwork connects Paypal’s transfer fees […]
- Tired of sending Upwork proposals and not hearing back? This is for youLook at all this contradictory advice on why someone’s Upwork proposals aren’t landing clients. The first response points out that we should not work for free. Next, someone says to do pro bono work. One answer is […]
- What past project or job have you had that is most like this one and why?This article is a part of the series on writing Upwork proposals that win clients. In this article, we’ll look at how to answer the cover letter question “what past project or job have you had that […]
- So, you want to create winning cover letters on Upwork? Read thisAre you dreaming of landing freelance clients remotely and get the control to quit your job? The first step is writing cover letters on Upwork that wins clients over to your side. In this guide you and […]
- How to get approved on Upwork (even if it has been denied before)One of the most frustrating things with Upwork is when you’ve finally decided to give it a shot and created an account… Only to be denied access without knowing exactly why. Despite the fact that they are […]
- How much can you make on Upwork? $1,000? A living? $100K?When I first began freelancing, I dreamt of earning $2,000 per month to cover my living cost. Even though there are many freelance projects displayed on Upwork, it can still feel confusion whether it is really possible […]
- How to get clients for digital marketing services (if you want clients NOW)One time I pitched an Australian business on Upwork. He was ready to start and promised to hire me right away… Only to never be heard from him again. Another time I worked with a company that […]
- Kickass Upwork questions and answers that win clientsAs part of the Upwork-series, let’s look at Upwork questions and answers that often come up in proposals. Throughout this short guide for ambitious freelancers, you and I will dive into two techniques you can use to […]
- Is digital marketing a good career? Yes, if you want THISI’ve been working with digital marketing for the past 5-10 years by now. When I began, I also asked myself the question “is digital marketing a good career choice?” Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, […]
- How to start freelancing with no experience, network or portfolioOver at Entrepreneur On Fire, John ends his interviews by asking the guest what they would do if they got sent to another planet. On this planet, everything is the same, they have all the same knowledge, […]
- Is THIS weirdo digital marketing career path for you?I love this quote from The Office’s Dwight “I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then, my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. Absolutely everything was the same… […]
- The best freelance website for beginners (& a sneaky tactic to land clients)When I began freelancing, I looked for the best freelance website for beginners, too. Without thinking much of it, I picked Freelancer.com and jumped right in not knowing any better. After working there for a while, it […]
- Valentine’s day marketing campaigns hand-picked by an ad nerdI am what we might refer to as an ad fan-boy. I love old ads and crazy marketing campaigns and I love special holidays and events because, often, the big brands create some amazing and hilarious marketing […]
- How to make money on Upwork with the Hollywood Superhero-techniqueIn this article, you and I will look at how to make money on Upwork, so you can earn your first $1,000 even if your profile is new and you feel as if you have no experience. […]
- What to do if you hate working in an office (& how I escaped)Many of us hate working in an office often because of the fixed 9-5 timetable and the office politics we have to deal with.. But it goes deeper. I see office jobs as the new, advanced, factory […]
- What the client REALLY wants (& how to disagree without burning bridges)Recently, I was talking to a reader about what the client wants and how that is often not obvious, and an interesting question came up: “What do you do if a client wants results by going in […]
- 3 Freelance resume examples you can copy to win more clientsWhen I first began freelancing I had no clue what it took to land a client, so I tried all the popular advice I could find out there. My theory was that the more often it was […]
- Create a professional Upwork profile overview with this example collectionWhen I first began freelancing on Upwork I spend SO many hours tweaking Upwork profile overview to be professional. I tweaked and I tweaked and I tweaked… I wanted it to be perfect. Then I waited for […]
- Why do you think you are a good fit for this particular project? (Upwork)In this series, you and I are diving into answering Upwork questions that come up when writing proposals. Today we’ll look at another question: “Why do you think you are a good fit for this particular project?” […]
- Invoice for freelance work in 5 minutes with this template and email scriptThere is nothing like the experience of getting that notification for the very first paid invoice for freelance work. I remember the first time I charged $1000 for an article. I didn’t believe that the client was […]
- Upwork tips: the good, the bad, and the ugly (& the ONE tip for success)The best Upwork tips I’ve ever gotten was when my friend gave me specific feedback on my proposals. At the time, I was getting projects randomly here and there, and his advice helped me to be able […]
- How to become a freelance marketing consultant (and is it worth it?)Are you thinking about becoming a freelance marketing consultant? Working as one for years, I’ve been responsible for everything from simply managing a particular marketing project with specialists implementing each task to specializing in something as specific […]
- 4 Freelance writing niches (& how to find your winning niche)I’ve experimented with different freelance ideas over the years and through that experience, I found some “hidden” profitable freelance writing niches. Looking back, they are not a secret and they are not really hidden either but rather […]
- The most profitable skills to learn (based on data) & the single best oneMany of us look for the most profitable skills to learn but it is easy to mistake one that someone is profiting from as a generally profitable skill. Think about those that are paid to buy alcohol […]
- Freelancing for beginners & the trap of overnight successMany of the overnight success stories out there seem too good to be true and when we look up advice on freelancing for beginners, it can be hard to judge who’s the real deal. Today, I want […]
- The fastest way to a location independent businessA location independent business is awesome! One reader said that it offered him this: Freedom for going to an office and answering to managers Freedom of having your own routine where I don’t answer to a lot […]
- Do you have suggestions to make this project run successfully?As I was looking for common Upwork questions, the question “Do you have suggestions to make this project run successfully?” came up. Some freelancers argue that it’s a good way to know which projects to avoid, as […]
- Is Upwork worth it? — I tested it by earning $8,988 and collected opinionsBefore we jump into discussing if Upwork is worth it, I have to say that I’ve been able to do some awesome things with the money I earned there. My earnings covered my living cost for a […]
- Real sample freelance proposal letters that won projectsFreelance proposal letters are a bit like internship applications. At one point I was stuck with a dead-end internship in Portugal. I wanted a change and so I sent out 100 cover letters to cool looking advertising […]
- Freelancing with project management: I increased my rate by 50%I didn’t start out freelancing with project management. In fact, I began my freelancing experience with random ad hoc jobs like WordPress setup for clients I found on freelance platforms. Not exactly a glamorous career choice but […]
- The best freelance skills: the one skill to rule them allSince I began freelancing, I’ve experimented with different ideas to find the best freelance skills for myself. I’ve tried skills like WordPress setup, running ads and copywriting. From time to time, I’d get lucky and land some […]
- How to run Facebook ads for clients and earn money on the sideOne of my first serious freelance projects was to run Facebook ads for a client. It turned out to be a great client and a nice little project earning me about $1,200. They wanted more customers and […]
- Digital marketing project manager: pick the best path for youWhen I first started out in my digital marketing career six years ago, I began as a specialist. As I’ve gained more experience and moved up the ladder my work has become more and more related to […]
- How to write a pitch: the result of sending 303 pitches onlineYears ago, as a last-minute attempt to improve a pitch before the deadline, I was searching online for how to write a pitch. Back then, my pitches would always end with someone saying “I can tell you […]
- How to become a digital marketing manager: thoughts after 6 yearsThe term “digital marketing manager” can feel misleading nowadays as it is used broadly for someone working with digital marketing. In reality, we often see them working as sort of a project manager specializing in digital marketing […]
- How to get international clients for your freelance businessMany of us are wondering how to get international clients for our freelance business and whether they are better than local clients in our neighborhood. Especially, with the recent COVID-19 outbreak where most of us have been […]
- Are you thinking: How much should I charge for a blog post? Read this.If I were to ask you “how much should I charge for a blog post?”, what would you answer? I asked myself that very question as I was researching for this article. Don’t worry, I‘m not going […]
- Upwork success stories: a case study and what really worksPeople like to share random recommendations for how to win with freelancing and become Upwork success stories. Like: “Fill in all the details on your Upwork profile” “Complete Upwork tests” Or my personal favorite “find your why”. […]
- “What part of this project most appeals to you?” An Upwork trick question?When we send proposals on Upwork, clients will sometimes ask the question “what part of this project most appeals to you?” Often, freelancers answer the question with a generic copy-paste answer. If you’ve been following the blog, […]
- How to get more clients on Upwork (are you holding yourself back?)If you’ve been searching around for how to get more clients on Upwork, you’ve probably noticed other articles saying: “Keep a good job success score” “Get good reviews” “Go niche” But you already know that. So, why […]
- Sending a resignation letter to freelance clients without burning any bridgesFrom time to time, we’ll need to send a resignation letter to freelance clients. Sometimes it is because we have discovered certain benefits like being able to take on new clients that are either a better fit, […]
- Freelancer GDPR: Get compliant in 20 mins (incl. template for freelancers)I hated writing this article and you’ll hate reading it but at least we can make this a little fun, huh? To make you feel better, check out the pic above of a fun-looking rollercoaster. GDPR is […]
- How to get Facebook ad clients as a freelancer (get the right clients!)Today, we’ll talk about how to get Facebook ad clients if you are a freelancer. I’ve been running ads with my own projects and for clients for years. I know that it can feel intimidating to start […]
- Freelance guides to help you kick ass (the best guides online)Perhaps the biggest challenge I had in my early freelancing efforts was figuring out how to find anyone in need of my specific services – and, of course, that tiny detail of why any of them should […]
- How to set your first freelance digital marketing hourly rateToday, we’ll talk about how to pick your first freelance digital marketing hourly rate. Getting your rates right can be a distraction and cause anxiety if you are new to freelancing. There is plenty of contradicting advice […]
- Freelance passive income: what does it take? (The unspoken truth)Congrats if you Googled “freelance passive income” and ended up here 😉 We all LOVE the idea passive income — “gotta get that passive income going”, we’ll say. It’s hella sexy to be able to do whatever […]
- Write an about me freelance-page and get clients (incl. template)Soooo.. you are thinking about creating an about me freelance-page? Often, we’ll write our life story and all our interests. Look at these examples of real about me-pages: Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 What do you […]
- Is freelancing worth it? Most of us forget its purposeIs freelancing worth it? No. There you have it! I’ll pad myself on the back for a job well done! Let’s wrap this up and get back to watching TV. Do you remember when you were a […]
- Create virtual assistant packages that sell like hotcakesYou know that feeling of walking past a bakery and it just smells AMAZING? That smell of freshly baked goods… there’s just something irresistible about it! What if you could do the same with our virtual assistant […]
- Strategy calls: win more freelance business and avoid crazy clientsA strategy call is a smart way of saying “let’s talk about your business and what you’d like done”. It goes by many names such as “clarity call” or “discovery call” but you don’t have to name […]
- Marketing for freelancers: the easiest marketing strategyMarketing for freelancers is the art of attracting clients to do business with you. For new freelancers it is the step before pitching a freelance project where the client discovers that you exist and the two of […]
- What skills do you offer clients on Upwork? See competition for your skillWith everything from writing to design and accounting, what skills do you offer clients on Upwork? There are a few techniques depending on whether your goal is to earn money or learn a new skill and earn […]
- Upwork hourly rate: see the average rate for your serviceUpdated December 2020 When we look at the Upwork hourly rates, it’s easy to assume that the average rate is low and impossible to compete with. But is it true? I often see some variation of the […]
- Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer: which is the best to earn your first $1,000?When we are looking to earn money from freelancing projects, Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer might be worth considering to find your first few clients. While they might not be the best places to land freelance projects long […]
- Upwork profile title examples: how to write a title that gets attentionDuring my research for this article, I was looking for the dumbest, most ridiculous, Upwork profile title examples to give you a quick laugh… But after looking through a bunch and only finding this: I realized that […]
- Upwork proposal sample: secrets to rapidly winning clientsUpdated Jan, 2021 Why do some Upwork freelancers land client after client while others are stuck sending just as many proposals with nothing to show for it? In this article, we’ll look at winning Upwork proposal samples […]
- An effective marketing strategy for language schoolsWe all want to know that we’re putting in the effort where it’s worth our time and where the payoffs are the biggest. The challenge is figuring out exactly where that is and while it does take […]
- Marketing language courses: will ads, search or email drive results?This guide shows how you can replicate my successful marketing projects for your own language courses (or app). In a moment, we’ll dive into three examples of specific digital marketing channels you can use to drive more […]
- Freelance digital marketing: earn your first (or next) $1,000Updated December, 2020 I sunk into the train chair, finally able to relax. An email ticked in. “Splendid work, as we old folks say! We’ll see where we can use your skills. They were impressed!” I was […]
- Upwork Case study: How This Reader Earned $30,000 In His First Year FreelancingA note from Chris about this Upwork case study: this is a guest post from a reader sharing his experience during his first year freelancing. In early 2018, I decided to quit my job at the well-known […]
- The Most Amazing Freelance Loyalty Program Out ThereAs I entered the bar I noticed the small banner reading “happy birthday”. I was late and people were already tipsy it seemed. I managed to track down the birthday boy. I didn’t know him well at […]
- A Mastermind – The Most Powerful Strategy For Learning How To Freelance?I recently finished reading an excellent book called “Mindset” by Carol Dweck that explores a growth mindset and a fixed mindset (we all have one mindset towards some topics and the other towards other topics). With so […]
- Freelance ideas: pick the perfect one and earn your first $1,000 remotelyAs I was finishing my contract I felt excited to jump back into freelancing. In the past, I had dabbled with different freelance ideas, but this time I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to work with. […]
- Level up your freelance-game by building powerful connections through traveling (don’t try this at home!)When I started this whole freelancing journey, my biggest dream was to work while traveling the world. You know the romantic picture-perfect image of a sandy beach and a couple in love. I thought that it is […]
- Is freelancing on the side the best path to quitting your job?Updated, June 2020 In this article, I’m discussing if freelancing on the side is the best approach to earning money while at your day job, so you can eventually quit if you want. If you are looking […]
- Case study: How I earned $500/article freelancing with a non-spammy email pitch (exact emails revealed!)I was casually searching Google for Upwork content using the ‘site:upwork.com’-feature and I saw this project to write 10 articles about digital marketing. The description sounded great and at the time I didn’t realize that the client […]
- How to get freelancing projects (and avoid the circle of hell)Updated July 2020 As I went to ask for ideas on how to get freelancing projects, a friend told me to pick one approach and stick to it. I said yes, ignored his advice like an idiot, […]
- Productivity advice for new freelancers (hint: you don’t need to become a robot)Updated June, 2020 *BEEP!* … *BEEP!* .. I looked at my phone. Half an hour to go. Damn that Android alarm tone. I got up and into a quick shower to freshen up. While I was in […]
- Does Freelancing Scare You, Too? (How I turned the fear into a life-changing project)After having freelanced for a while a friend sent me a referral. I was doing well on Upwork but for some reason, I was procrastinating on this project even though he told me they were eagerly awaiting […]