How to Make Money from Upwork? Easy and fast

You! Uncovered - The pay may not be high, and Upwork is picking up on the pieces, but it's a great marketplace for connecting with clients and building your portfolio.

What is Upwork?

Upwork is a marketplace for freelancers in fields such as writing, graphic design, and web development. This site helps professionals find projects, communicate with clients, and get paid.

If you are a new freelancer, or working in a new field, you can gain valuable experience without having to constantly present yourself to clients. But the site is full of new hires willing to take lower-paying jobs, which can impact your earning potential.

Overall, Upwork makes it easier to find jobs and make more money, but think carefully about which jobs you want to apply for.

How to make money on Upwork

1. Set up a strong and honest profile

Your profile serves the same purpose as a general resume for potential employers. You won't be able to get a job without a profile.

Fill in the type of work you want to do, the specific areas you are good at, and your skill level. This is all self-reported, so be honest. If you are hired for work that you are unable to perform, your account may be suspended or closed.

After that, add a headshot and a detailed description of your background. You can include links to specific portfolios or examples of work.

You can also fill in your education, how many hours per week you can work, your location, and your desired rate. If you're not sure what to charge, check out the rates of other freelancers on Upwork who have had similar experiences.

Upwork will usually approve your profile within 24 hours, assuming your profile is verifiable and accurate. Then you can get to work.

2. Choose a membership package

Upwork offers two membership plans for freelancers: Basic and Plus.

Basic

This plan is free, but you will pay to connect with potential clients. Freelancers on the basic plan receive 10 free "Connects" each month, the platform's internal token, which is used to send proposals to clients. You can also pay $0.15 for each additional Connect, which is sold in packs of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80. Connects can be earned and Upwork occasionally gives away tokens during promotions. Unused Connect numbers can be rolled over to the next month but will expire if not used within one year.

If someone calls you, you don't need to use Connect. The stronger the appearance of your profile, the more likely you are to receive job offers from potential clients. Featuring your best work or highlighting specific experiences can help you stand out. If you are new in your field, volunteer experience is also important.

The basic plan also includes payment protection for hourly and project-based payments.

Plus

• This plan costs $14.99 per month and includes everything on the base plan, plus:
• 80 connections per month.
• Visibility into the prices competitors is bidding for a job.
• Option to keep earnings private.
• Ability to customize your profile URL.
• Profiles are never hidden due to inactivity.

3. Connect with (legitimate) employers

Use your Connect to submit proposals for jobs that match your skills. Proposals should include an introductory letter, your desired fee, and answers to questions the client has in the post. You can also submit samples of any work you think is relevant.

Before applying for a job, find out the reputation of the potential employer. The Better Business Bureau, Glassdoor, and searching Google for news coverage of the company are all good places to start your research.

Do you know?

Upwork's rating system helps you decide who you really want to work with and lets others see if they want to hire you.

Just like Uber or Lyft, both parties rate each other after the contract is completed. Employers are rated on a five-star scale, and their ratings can be seen on their page. Ratings from your clients form your Job Success Score, which is a percentage displayed on your profile that indicates how much of the work completed is to the client's satisfaction.

Even if everything is done, keep communication and payments on the site. Documenting the behavior of both parties can prevent fraud, as the client will be liable for making unclear requests for payment or work or making claims about your work without evidence in place.

4. Set a price and get to work

Upwork takes a share of your earnings. The fee structure is a sliding scale based on the total amount you bill clients over time, so the more you work with clients, the smaller the deduction you take. You can expect Upwork to pick it up:

• 20% for the first $500 you charge clients.
• 10% on total invoices with clients between $500.01 to $10,000.
• 5% on total invoices with clients that exceed $10,000.
• You can be paid in one of two ways: an hourly or flat rate. Upwork costs are the same for both.

Your hourly rate on Upwork is the price before service discounts. So if you list a rate of $20 per hour for your first gig, you can expect to earn $16 per hour after the 20% fee. After you charge the client $500, the fee drops to 10% and you'll earn $18 per hour.

When you negotiate a rate for a flat-price job, the same idea applies: If you were paid $400 for a job, you'd be paid $320 after a 20% deduction. After you charge the client $500, the fee drops to 10%.

Do you know?

If you are offered a low-paying job, don't take it for granted. Negotiate with customers to find a suitable price.

Hourly projects

All hourly projects are recorded in your Work Diary, which is in the Upwork desktop application. By activating this function, the application will keep detailed records of your progress on a project. The app tracks your time in a 10-minute billing cycle and logs keystrokes, scrolls, and clicks. This app also takes screenshots periodically.

You can also turn your Work Diary on and off at any time and log your work manually, but using these tools helps you qualify for Upwork's service called Hourly Protection. This service ensures that you are paid for work that you can prove you completed, even if the client refuses.

Fixed price projects

Payment for fixed-price projects is easier. The person or company contracting with you must set aside a certain amount of money when you make the agreement. Employers should also set milestones, which are concrete results on the way to completed work. You will be paid with some or all of the down payment once you reach these milestones, and the rest will be paid when everything is completed.

5. Get paid

Upwork freelancers can get paid securely via PayPal, direct deposit, or bank transfer.

All your hourly projects are billed weekly. You'll be paid after you and the client review the work, 10 days after the billing period ends. If a project gets canceled before completion, that's when Hourly Protection and milestones come in handy. If you feel you were not being fairly compensated, Upwork has a dispute process.

Fixed-price projects start paying when you reach agreed-upon milestones. You can initiate a dispute if the client fails to pay milestones or refuses to pay for what you consider to be work done.

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