Month: February 2023

Freelancing is the future! If we look at freelancer statistics, we’re sure that your jaw will drop open. Only in the US there are 73.3 million freelancers in 2023, according to numbers from Techjury.net. UpWork, one of the largest freelance platforms today, has 16 million registered, and the market size was estimated at $4.43 billion in 2022.

The percentage of the population working today as a freelancer continues to grow every year, and since the COVID-19 outbreak, more companies have experienced the benefits of hiring freelancers instead of full-time employees.

 

But the benefit is also seen by freelancers who have confirmed that they can make much more money freelancing than on a full-time job, manage their own schedules, and have a better work-life balance.

 

For these reasons, we believe that there are many benefits for companies to hire freelancers in 2023, and a great way to find them is through freelance platforms. This is why we have gathered the 5 best freelancer marketplaces where you can find great talent virtually anywhere in the world.

 

The five best freelance platforms

 

Fiverr

This freelance platform is one of the most popular in 2023. There are many categories, such as graphics and design, digital marketing, writing and translation, video and animation, music and audio, programming and tech, business, lifestyle, and AI services.

 

Here, you can find voice-over professionals, translators, copywriters, language teachers, programmers, designers, and much more, for both short and long-term projects.

 

It is a very large and popular platform with no registration fees. The cons are high commission charges, saturation, and long payment processes.

 

This platform allows buyers, or business owners, to contact sellers (freelancers) directly and ask them about their services (gigs) before committing to a purchase. Fiverr only provides the platform, and buyers pay Fiverr directly. After the project is completed and approved, Fiverr releases the funds to the freelancer, which will be around 80% of the offered price.

 

Freelancers also have different levels, and depending on theirs, it can take up to 14 days to withdraw their earnings. They can do so through their debit card, PayPal, and wire transfer.

 

Toptal

Toptal is one of the most popular freelance platforms today. They focus primarily on software development, financial consulting, and interim management, but you can also find web developers, designers, and product managers.

 

Among the pros, you will find top-tier companies and talent; among the cons, users mention extensive screening processes and that only large projects are available.

 

This marketplace connects highly qualified freelance industry experts with companies. Since the screening process is thorough, as a business owner, you are sure to get the best-qualified professionals. The evaluation includes a comprehensive English evaluation, project assessment, and more. 

 

After passing the screening process, you can access job postings from top clients, such as Airbnb, Bridgestone, Shopify, and Motorola, to name a few. Freelancers can withdraw their payments via Payoneer, PayPal, or direct local bank transfer.

 

Jooble

Jooble is a workplace platform where you can find professionals in writing, data entry, and graphic design. Plus, freelancers can benefit from centralized job discovery and email alerts, and there’s no signup necessary to apply. Nonetheless, there is no quick application; interested professionals must apply from each job vacancy’s source.

 

This is one of the preferred freelance platforms in 2023 because it aggregates from more than 140,000 sources worldwide, such as job boards online, corporate websites, social networks, freelance platforms, and classified ads. Therefore, you don’t have to check multiple online job boards, as it works as a centralized place.

 

One of its cons is that you can only find jobs within a particular region, so you are limited to the area where you live. Currently, there are only 69 countries accepted at Jooble.

 

Creating an account is not necessary for Jooble; you can enter a keyword directly for the job you want and apply filters if needed.

 

Freelancer

This very large platform allows freelancers to connect with potential clients. Here, you can find professionals in content translation, web development, social media marketing, and more. A pro is that there is 24/7 customer support available, live chat with interested parties, and a progress tracker.

 

However, users consider that the platform is complicated to use and that there are a lot of spam applicants and fake clients.

 

Business owners like Freelancer because of the wide range of expertise they can find on the platform. Signing up is very easy, and as a professional, you can participate in contests.

 

The platform takes 10% of the total earnings for completed jobs, and freelancers can withdraw their funds via wire transfer or PayPal.

 

Upwork

As one of the largest freelancer platforms available today, Upwork offers the opportunity to connect with professionals in different areas, such as programming, copywriting, SEO, brand marketing, design, translation, and more. 

 

They offer payment protection and credible clients, and the projects are usually based on a budget. However, the selection process is typically lengthy, and the service fee is high.

 

A great benefit of Upwork is that it is available across the globe. Clients can post a job or hire a freelancer directly from their project catalog, and professionals can also apply for job postings and offer their services. 

 

Clients can see your profile and decide whether you are qualified for their project. One benefit is that the more you work on Upwork, the less you pay in fees. The commission fee starts at 20% for the first $500 bill with a specific client and gradually reduces as you receive more money from the client. 

 

You can withdraw funds via PayPal, direct transfer, and wire transfer.

 

Is freelancing worth it in 2023?

 

The answer is YES. As we have mentioned on our blog, freelancing has many benefits in 2023. This way of working has become increasingly popular, and more platforms are becoming available to help connect potential clients to professionals.

Ulin Consulting can help you and your startup get started and connect with the right professionals for the team you’re building. We offer various services ranging from SDR, digital marketing, and virtual assistants.

What does being self-employed mean? It means that you work as an independent contractor or sole proprietor instead of working for a specific company with a fixed salary.

 

Being self-employed also means that you determine your working hours and that you also earn and report your own income. This way of working has always existed, but it has become more popular in the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

 

However, being able to determine your own wages and schedule are not the only perks of being self-employed. These are only a few of the many benefits that come from working on your own. For those who are not fans of an endless routine, independence, control, and freedom from always doing the same thing also go hand in hand with self-employment.

 

Plus, you may also get higher monetary rewards by being self-employed. Many companies are willing to pay more to an independent contractor if that means they don’t have to make a long-term commitment with an employee, which comes along with benefits, unemployment compensation, pensions, sick days, and more.

 

Is self-employment right for you?

As occurs with everything in life, self-employment is not for everyone. A self-employed individual runs their own business and holds sole responsibility for its success or failure.

Also, not every profession works for self-employment. Some common jobs are: actor, account technician, chiropractor, barrister, dentist, construction manager, financial advisor, illustrator, journalist, designer, life coach, musician, private tutor, photographer, make-up artist, sports coach, and writer.

 

The good news is that you can be both employed and self-employed simultaneously. Many people have employment during the day and work on their own projects at night or on weekends.

 

Take into consideration that being self-employed does not come with the benefits that regular employment has, such as sick leave and pay, maternity and paternity leave, holiday entitlement, and more.

 

7 benefits of being self-employed

As we have explained, there are many benefits to self-employment. We will explain more of them in detail below.

  • You are in control

 

One of the most significant benefits of being a self-employed person is that you control every single aspect of your company. From structuring the work environment to who you want to do business with, everything falls into your hands, and it is you and only you who makes the final decision. 

 

Additionally, you don’t have to report to anyone else, follow preexisting rules and policies, or having to discuss any of these with anyone because you will be able to make any related decision yourself. As a self-employed individual, you have the freedom to create your schedule according to the work-life balance goals you want.

  • Do work that you really feel passionate about

 

When you are freelancing or starting your own company, you have the opportunity to do work that really interests you. You can turn your hobby and passion into a business, and it’s a way to make money by doing what you love the most.

 

Also, when you work for an employer, your ideas may not seem attractive to them because they don’t share the same vision or passion you have, or they want to take another route.

  • You can create your own schedule

 

Do you like to sleep in late and are more active and productive during the evenings? If so, you will probably benefit from a schedule that begins by mid-morning or afternoon. Or, perhaps you are an early bird and are more active right at dawn, plus you like to finish your duties early so you can do other things; then, you may benefit from working in the mornings and taking the afternoons off.

 

This flexibility that comes with self-employment allows you not only to decide how much work to get done and when but also how many hours you want to spend building your business. And what about vacations? Take them whenever you want to. You don’t need to request them and wait for the approval.

  • Choose who you want to work with

 

As your business grows, you will likely have to expand your team. The good thing about being self-employed is that you decide who your coworkers will be. Therefore, you are free to choose people whose work ethic aligns with yours and have an enjoyable working environment as a result.

 

It is like having friends as coworkers and people who understand where you’re coming from when decisions are made.

  • There is the freedom to create your business as you prefer

 

Being in control of your own business, you have the ability to be as creative as you like, which may not occur when you are working for an employer. As a self-employed person, you can shape each aspect of it as you’d like. Your mission, vision, values, policies, standards, and more are all up to what you want.

 

But also, being self-employed allows you to design your products or services according to what you want and need, exactly the way you want them.

  • Work wherever you want

 

Do you feel like working from home today? No worries! You can, because you’re your own boss! How about taking a trip abroad and continuing to work from where you are in the world? Yes, you also can because a self-employed professional can decide where they want to work. You can rent office space, work from home, or wherever you travel to.

 

Plus, if there’s a day you want to take some time off to run errands, rest, or spend time with your loved ones. Guess what? You can, and you don’t need to ask anyone for permission!

  • Learn new abilities

 

When you are self-employed, you need to learn new abilities since you will have to oversee marketing, finances, customer acquisition, and other aspects of running a business. It can feel overwhelming sometimes, but it is an immersive learning experience that can improve your professional life.

 

This is knowledge that will be beneficial to have no matter what job you do or what new projects you decide to embark on.

If you are self-employed or considering becoming one, head to our website. At Ulin Consulting, we help startups and entrepreneurs thrive.

We partner with Apollo.io to bring our clients’ sales processes to life. Learn more about how you can supercharge your sales here.

Read more: https://letsceo.com/ulin-consulting-excited-to-announce-partnership-with-apollo-io/

(Disclaimer: We may earn a small commission when you purchase through our referral links.)

The year 2023 has already begun, and with it, our many new year’s resolutions, goals, and plans we set for ourselves. One popular goal is freelancing. It may seem intimidating to take the lead from a full-time job to freelancing full-time, but as time passes, more and more professionals are finding great opportunities here.

Here are five reasons we believe that freelancing in 2023 is an excellent idea:

 

1. More companies are looking for freelancers

Especially since the pandemic began, more companies are realizing the opportunities in hiring freelancers rather than full-time employees for some positions. For this reason, there is high demand at the present time. 

 

“Business owners and managers recognized that their workforce no longer needed to sit at a desk in an office from nine to five to be successful. The rise in remote workers, online collaboration tools, video conferencing, and talented workers dispersed around the globe has led many businesses to hire more freelancers,” wrote Upwork, a work marketplace where brands can hire freelancers for short or long-term projects.

 

Some benefits companies receive from working with freelancers are savings in costs, access to worldwide specialized talent, high quality of work, increased flexibility, and no long-term commitment.

 

2. Higher earning potential for freelancers

Starting as a freelancer, no matter the field, can be complicated, and, at first, it may be hard to make as much money as you want. Plus, you would have to manage different schedules and meetings, be very organized, and constantly look for new opportunities since many freelance jobs are temporary.

 

However, there are more reasons to freelance and the positive side is that you can make more money as a freelancer than in a full-time job. You can set your own rates, manage your own clients and the volume of work you can and are willing to do.

 

As you grow as a freelancer, you will see that you can charge more for your work since you will have a portfolio of completed jobs, more experience, and positive client feedback that indicates you are a professional worth hiring.

 

3. A more flexible schedule

One of the most significant benefits freelancers have is flexibility in their schedules. Not only can they work from home and save time from commuting, but they can also work anywhere else they want. Here are more reasons to freelance.

 

Freelancing has also become an excellent option for people that, due to their circumstances, can’t work for a traditional employer. Still, by being freelancers, they can fit work better into their schedules.

 

A great benefit for freelancers is that they have the freedom to decide their own workload according to what they can handle, which depends on their personal situation. Plus, if they have to move, they can still keep working.

 

4. You are your own boss

If there is something you will get rid of when you become a freelancer is micromanagement. When you work as a freelancer, you are your own manager and also your own boss. Again, more important reasons to freelance.

 

You are in control of what projects you do and which ones you don’t want to do. Also, you decide how to organize your everyday activities, even at what time of day you will complete your tasks or if you will take a few days off to unplug.

 

A freelancer is an autonomous entity with absolute authority over what they do and how they do it. Plus, you avoid office politics and bad management when you report to yourself.

 

5. Improve your skill set

Traditional employees often have a set job description and rarely get out of that role. As a freelancer, you have the opportunity to expand your skills, learn new things and put them into practice, and have a more diverse job.

 

Also, as a freelancer, you will put into practice skills for marketing and sales since you will have to sell your services to potential customers. We can also add management, client relations, and customer service to this list, depending on the service you offer.

 

How does 2023 look for freelancers?

Many believe that 2023 will be a great year for freelancers. While there are businesses performing layoffs, there are many considering hiring freelancers.

 

Companies are also aware of the many benefits of hiring freelancers and that there is a larger pool to choose from in 2023. Nonetheless, one thing to focus on to win more jobs is low cost and differentiation since more and more people are taking the freelancer path, so the competition has increased.

 

It is also essential to see which skills and talents are in demand. If your expertise is in need, it is more likely for you to get hired. If not, you could research what people are mainly looking for and see if you have any of those skills or if there’s a way to acquire them.

 

According to TechRepublic, in 2022, “the greatest year-over-year growth on Upwork has been in web programming (43% YoY growth), web design (31%) and social media marketing (25%)”. Therefore, if you have any of these skills, it may be a good time to consider freelancing. There are so many reasons to freelance right now.

 

Also, many businesses support their employees even if they have side gigs. In other words, as long as it is not a competing brand, they are ok with the team having additional jobs, which is what freelancers most likely do to generate more income and because they have the time to do so.

 

We believe that freelancing will continue to professionalize. Not only will you see more and more marketplaces arise, but companies will increase their trust in working with freelancers and the skills and benefits they can bring to the team and project. They are starting to understand that it is possible and beneficial to work with freelancers on long-term ventures and that they can even have a combination of full-time in-office employees and freelancers.

 

Learn more about what the future holds for startups and entrepreneurs on our website. At Ulin Consulting, we are ready to discuss how these changes in the business world can benefit you and your project. 5 Great Reasons to Freelance in 2023.