I know I've posted something along these lines previously regarding making side income, I've used Upwork/Fiverr before for the occasional cheap logo or bit of expertise when needed. However has anyone provided services on there as a way to earn supplementary income? I have some personal debt I'd like to clear quicker than my 2.5 year plan, I've got time to kill and I'd like to be using it wisely I've considered chucking some gigs up offering basic 3D modelling services in Sketchup and the like floor plans, furniture, interior design, product design, engineering drawings and the like. I've done it on and off for a multitude of years from way back in my college years studying product design, engineering & design tech. I'm certainly no expert but can quickly and efficiently mock something up with relative ease and I do quite enjoy doing it, I know competition is quite fierce on these freelance sites and it relies of placing yourself at the bottom of the pile in terms of how much you charge but I'm okay with that. I've done a few jobs in exchange for beer tokens from family/friends with good results so I don't see why I couldn't do it on these marketplaces. 1) Drawing a bespoke side cabinet for a family friend to take to a carpenter 2) Mocking up a garden idea from a rough drawing from a colleague to present to a gardener I'm sort of considering giving it a go (I have nothing to lose right?) but I'd be interested on hearing anyones personal expiriences
My wife launched her "career" as a ghost writer on Upwork, and she was encouraging me to give it a try. I did try it -- very briefly -- when I finished uni, but it didn't work at all for me. My biggest gripe with these "bid for work" sites is the rates at which you have to start working in order to get more work. My first job was borderline minimum wage, and the client was squeezing me fore more without really giving me the dolla for it. The second job never happened, because the client wanted me to do three weeks worth of work for £500 and I wasn't going to do that, not with a first class honours degree behind me. You'll find that there are a lot of people just taking the p!ss with the rates they are offering, and sellers with the best jobs are flooded with applications so it's hard to get a look in. I'm not sure about Fiverr, but Upwork take 20% of everything you earn until you break (I think) £1,000, and then up to £10,000 they take 10%. It's ghastly, but that's how they make their money. If you are fortunate enough to do what my wife did, you can do all your work for the same client and get into the 5% bracket. In reality, it's far more likely that you'll be doing numerous jobs for various clients, and you just have to suck it up. Maybe someone else on the forum has a more positive experience of Upwork (or Fiverr), but it's no picnic that's for sure!
