07-06-2006, 04:31 AM
I've been asked a lot of questions about what sites are best and how to find good projects. So I've decided to write this article.
Where to start?
The best place to start if you are new to this type of system is SMALL... I've talked to people who have signed up for an ELance account without having one idea of the type of projects they are going to be looking for or how much to charge. You should find sites that offer free or a small fee per project. There are a lot of auction sites that you can register for free and start bidding for projects without having to spend a dime up front. Take some time going through the projects and getting a feel for the community. You will start to see the type of projects that are posted and if they are going to be worth your time.
Ready to bid!
So now you think you are ready to start bidding on projects. First you need to figure out what your time/skills are worth. Only you can figure out what you are worth. Remember that you are going to have to take into account your time, work, resources, and any tools/supplies you are going to need to complete the project. There are also taxes to think about. Once you start adding up all the expenses to complete the project you will have a good idea of what you should charge for the project.
Now that you have an idea of what you are going to charge you need to get your bid proposal ready. I recommend that you create a custom one for every bid you submit. This does take a little extra time on your part but I've found that its well worth your effort. Doing this will make your bid stand out from the others. When creating your proposal make sure you have all your deadlines, information, and prices correct. This is very important because this proposal is what the buyer is going to make their decision on who they are going to select. Price is not everything... Make sure that your proposal reflects the project requirements. You will find that some buyers will have details in the project requirements that let them know you read the complete requirements.
Work the project...
Once you have won the project its time to get in gear and get the project completed. Once you have the contact information for the buyer send them an email to inform them you are ready to work on the project and also confirm your bid proposal and the project details. This is your last chance to make sure that you didn't miss anything in the requirements and that your proposal is correct. If you are thinking of using an escrow service this would be the time to also get that all worked out. You should also set the project update frequency. This is how often you are going to update the buyer on the status of their project.
Once you have got to a point where you can demo the project to your client you should schedule a demo with the client and make sure that the client understands that this is ONLY a demo and NOT the finished project. Its good to have clients demo the project... It shows that not only are you working on their project but that you also feel good enough with the project that you would allow your client to have a peek at it.
At this point you should be pretty close to completing the project and if everything has gone well... Pretty close to getting PAID! A lot of auction sites have member feedback systems. If the site you use offers this system you should take advantage of it. Also, ask your client to leave feedback for you. It will help you get future projects from the site.
I hope this helps!
Johnny
Resources
http://www.freelancewebprogramming.com
http://www.scriptlance.com
http://www.php-freelancers.com/
http://www.programmingfromhome.com/
http://www.freelancers.net/
http://www.bidfreelancers.com
Where to start?
The best place to start if you are new to this type of system is SMALL... I've talked to people who have signed up for an ELance account without having one idea of the type of projects they are going to be looking for or how much to charge. You should find sites that offer free or a small fee per project. There are a lot of auction sites that you can register for free and start bidding for projects without having to spend a dime up front. Take some time going through the projects and getting a feel for the community. You will start to see the type of projects that are posted and if they are going to be worth your time.
Ready to bid!
So now you think you are ready to start bidding on projects. First you need to figure out what your time/skills are worth. Only you can figure out what you are worth. Remember that you are going to have to take into account your time, work, resources, and any tools/supplies you are going to need to complete the project. There are also taxes to think about. Once you start adding up all the expenses to complete the project you will have a good idea of what you should charge for the project.
Now that you have an idea of what you are going to charge you need to get your bid proposal ready. I recommend that you create a custom one for every bid you submit. This does take a little extra time on your part but I've found that its well worth your effort. Doing this will make your bid stand out from the others. When creating your proposal make sure you have all your deadlines, information, and prices correct. This is very important because this proposal is what the buyer is going to make their decision on who they are going to select. Price is not everything... Make sure that your proposal reflects the project requirements. You will find that some buyers will have details in the project requirements that let them know you read the complete requirements.
Work the project...
Once you have won the project its time to get in gear and get the project completed. Once you have the contact information for the buyer send them an email to inform them you are ready to work on the project and also confirm your bid proposal and the project details. This is your last chance to make sure that you didn't miss anything in the requirements and that your proposal is correct. If you are thinking of using an escrow service this would be the time to also get that all worked out. You should also set the project update frequency. This is how often you are going to update the buyer on the status of their project.
Once you have got to a point where you can demo the project to your client you should schedule a demo with the client and make sure that the client understands that this is ONLY a demo and NOT the finished project. Its good to have clients demo the project... It shows that not only are you working on their project but that you also feel good enough with the project that you would allow your client to have a peek at it.
At this point you should be pretty close to completing the project and if everything has gone well... Pretty close to getting PAID! A lot of auction sites have member feedback systems. If the site you use offers this system you should take advantage of it. Also, ask your client to leave feedback for you. It will help you get future projects from the site.
I hope this helps!
Johnny
Resources
http://www.freelancewebprogramming.com
http://www.scriptlance.com
http://www.php-freelancers.com/
http://www.programmingfromhome.com/
http://www.freelancers.net/
http://www.bidfreelancers.com