A couple of years ago I quit my job abruptly and decided to work at home.
My plan? To become a freelance copywriter and make money using Upwork, a popular online freelancing platform where hundreds of jobs are posted each day.
Taking advantage of a freelancing platform like Upwork seemed a no-brainer to me, because real, paying clients were already there, looking to hire someone who could help them.
That meant I didn’t have to go out and find work, which is the hardest part, especially when you’re just starting out …
Instead of goofing around with cold calling, networking, and marketing myself online (not to mention good old-fashioned prayer), I could just start applying for jobs that very same day.
Which is exactly what I did. And I’ve never looked back! I’ve been able to pay the bills and then some with my Upwork income since day one.
Check out my earnings to date:
And given that I started with no formal experience or training whatsoever, I think that earning money on sites like Upwork is something that just about anyone can do.
Here are some tips that helped me get on the fast track to online freelancing success (and made all of my “j-o-b” friends jealous) despite the disadvantages of being a total newbie …
1) I looked for jobs I could do without previous experience
Many of the jobs posted daily on online freelancing sites don’t require the expertise of an established professional. For example, anyone can write a blog post like the one you’re reading right now.
Lots of clients are just looking for someone who is reliable and puts some care and common sense into their work. Take a look at my very first freelancing job, which I won just two days after creating my Upwork account:
If you look closely, you’ll see that the client’s post itself gave me all the info I needed to do the job.
The stories they needed were short, super simple, and followed a clear formula that was easy to replicate; in short, the main character was a boy who visited famous places and always learned three things about them. The client even gave me topics to work with, so essentially all I had to do was search Google for some cool facts about each destination, and plug them into the story’s template.
I made $340.00 writing these fun little stories in my first days of freelancing, and I was stoked!
There are plenty of other jobs on Upwork (and other sites) that can be done by any conscientious person with an eye for detail, including proofreading jobs, virtual assistance, research, and lots more.
2) I “went steady” with Upwork
Most people make a detrimental mistake when they start freelancing online. That is, they find work from multiple freelancing sites simultaneously.
On the surface, the thinking behind this move appears to make sense — having accounts at more freelancing sites means more potential job opportunities.
But there’s one fatal flaw with this approach: online freelancing sites reward focus.
Why? Because, building up a good solid working history — along with good reviews from lots of clients — helps you win better-paying jobs, with less effort.
To understand what I mean, imagine that an Upwork client is considering hiring one of two freelancers. They appear almost identical, except one of them has a history consisting of 10 good reviews, while the other has only 3…
Naturally, all else being equal the client is going to choose the freelancer with more positive reviews.
I took advantage of this simple fact by using Upwork exclusively, rather than diluting my results by freelancing on multiple sites at once. It wasn’t long before my job history was more impressive than my more experienced competitors.
So, contrary to the natural urge to “diversify” your freelancing work across multiple sites, you’ll actually do better if you focus on just one instead, at least when you’re first starting out. (As a bonus, this makes your job much simpler and easier to manage.)
3) I wooed clients
Though I admittedly started off pretty clueless, one thing anyone can offer clients is an exceptional experience.
That’s why, starting with my very first client, I went out of my way to do simple things that I knew they would love. Stuff like …
- Surprising them by completing jobs a day or two ahead of schedule
- Sending proactive updates to let them know that everything was going great (pro-tip: clients appreciate it when you keep these short and to the point)
- Going out of my way to sound friendly and human in messages, including liberal use of emoticons :-)
- Checking over my work a few extra times to ensure it was flawless when the client received it
- Sending clients links to my Upwork invoices, making easier for them to pay (this also gets you paid quicker, which is pretty sweet)
These “little things” made all the difference, helping me gain two key advantages over my more experienced competition:
a) Lots of repeat customers who continued to effortlessly send work my way.
b) Exceptional (rather than “pretty good”) reviews that made it much easier for me to land new clients whenever I wanted/needed to. Check out a couple of examples below.
The bottom line is that clients want to hire (and rehire) people they like, and who make their lives easier.
By being that person, you’d be amazed at the advantage you can get in the online freelance marketplace, regardless of how little you happen to “know” when you first start out.
Why anyone can start making money freelancing right away
Once upon a time, freelancing was hard. There wasn’t much work to go around, and the competition was fierce.
But today, sites like Upwork have made freelancing one of the best ways to make real money online.
Thousands of jobs are posted each day, and snagging enough of them to make a nice living is very doable if you’re willing to go the extra mile.
I did, and it paid off big-time for my family and me.
Now it’s your turn …
If you’ve been looking for a reliable way to make money from home doing something you enjoy, I hope you’ll give online freelancing a try. You and your family deserve a big piece of the pie too.
Danny Margulies is a copywriter and 6-figure Upwork on a mission to help parents earn great money from home.
This is so detailed and has wonderful advice for the ones, like myself, who are interested in working from home as a freelancer! My thing is setting up a Blog Platform for myself. I’ve read that you have to have your own privacy police, terms used, and Copyrights reserved documents for legal purposes before writing One Blog! I do see the importance of this greatly and how it will save you in the long run for anyone who tries to pull a fast one on you Legally! However, I have no idea where to even begin, which Blog Site is Best to build my platform, or even what information to trust when researching Legal Terms and Conditions for New Bloggers and their URL Page. Plus, something that doesn’t try to take an Arm and a Leg out of your Pocketbook before starting this new journey in becoming a Freelancer.
Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated! I am very eager to learn everything there is to learn about the first steps to take when it comes to blogging and setting yourself up for success and not failure!
I truly enjoy writing and it’s been a hidden love for me that I knew I enjoyed doing, but never really realized how much of a positive impact it was for me.
Feel free to email me with any advice that you would care to share with me! Thanks in advance! -Alision
Hi Alison,
Glad you enjoyed the article!
Starting a blog is easy, and you can purchase legal templates for your terms of service and privacy policy.
You don’t need a copyright policy. According to Legal Zoom:
When you write a blog post, you instantly create a copyrighted work. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, your original work receives copyright protection “the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/blogging-and-intellectual-property-law
You can get inexpensive legal templates at Legal Zoom, Rocket Lawyer, or Businessese. There are even free templates online that you can use and modify.
Here are the steps for starting your blog:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/setup-blog/
Check your links to Danny Margulies’s documents. I can’t access his website at all without first having a username and PW. And I can’t access his website to acquire a username and PW.
It looks like his website changed. Here is the link to his website: https://www.dannymargulies.com/
You can also view his Upwork profile here: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/dannymargulies
Good postings! Why only women here, how do I access the site for men, am in Nigeria and a Nigerian too. Am so interested in the job
Our information is applicable to both women and men in the United States.
Check out this post for worldwide job listings:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/worldwide-work-from-home-jobs/
I’m really interested in online business I’m a student from Kenya
The Work at Home Woman is geared for US residents.
Please check out this blog post for international listings:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/worldwide-work-from-home-jobs/
Good luck on your job hunt!
Hi Holly
I am interested in learning ways to earn an income from home . I’m a single mom , I completed a diploma in social work and currently enjoying my Practicum.
However , it’s not paid and while I’m applying to jobs this past two months I’m becoming extremely frustrated that I’m not receiving any calls for employment.
Financially I’m out of time and severely broke , driving penniless daily to my practicum is extremely challenging while I’m trying to survive and support my daughter .
Please I need some help to start working online while I’m waiting to start social work, or if I enjoy working online I’ll consider staying permanently.
Hi Raquel,
Where are you located?
I’m very interested in copywriting, editing, and proofreading and have checked out sites like Upwork in the past and noticed that competition is very stiff. There are so many seasoned freelancers (from other countries) who are willing to work at such low wages that it is very discouraging for someone like myself who has no real experience to compete and much less earn a viable living. What’s the secret? Do I jump in by underbidding everyone else just for the sake of getting feedback?
Danny talks more about his process is this post: http://freelancetowin.com/how-to-become-a-copywriter/
Mindy, a six-figure copywriter talks about how she got started in this interview: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/mindy-mchorse/
And Caitlin shares her experience as a court transcription proofreader in this post: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/caitlin-pyle/
Good luck and keep us posted!
Hi,
I have been on Upwork a few times and applied for a some gigs but never got hired. I read all these wonderful posts about people making a living out of freelancing full-time but it seems like a strike of luck to me. I have a blog which I link for potential clients to peruse my work and writing style. Danny, what am I doing wrong?
Thanks,
I’m a copywriter for 8 years in the biggest advertising agency in my country, thinking about going freelance. English is not my first language and I just wanted to ask how this will affect me if joining sites like Elance.
Are there any restrictions?
Hi Lilith, Upwork (formerly Elance) uses a global workforce. Having good communication skills (no matter what language you speak) is going to be essential. Upwork may have gigs from clients in your country. You can create an account and see what’s available. Good luck!
Great article and wonderful advice, especially how you recommend not “bouncing around.” Consistency is definitely key when becoming a successful freelancer!
I am very interested in working at home. Thank you.
Hi Teresa, I removed your phone number, so that you don’t receive junk calls. Check out this post — it will give you a good place to to start. https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/right-job/ Let me know if you have specific questions. Good luck!
I am very interested in freelance writing; however, I have never done any freelance writing before.
Hi Nikki, Take a look at these posts. I think you’ll find them helpful on your journey:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/4k-writer/
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/promising-leads/
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/charging-time-worth/
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/paid-writing-gigs/
Good luck and keep us posted!
Great piece of advice & I would like to add here my view:
I am making 6 figure earning on elance from last 5 years & 88% of my earning is coming from repeat clients. Remember always focus on building relationship with clients instead of delivering single job to each one of them.
Thank you Tanveer! Great advice. :)