It seems like there is a plenty of advice out there on how to get in the right track towards success of your freelance business. The so-called experts constantly give hints on how to deal with clients, how to promote your services and so on. What lacks is how to figure out where to start your business. This is what this article intends to deliver. When you are starting out, getting clients is a challenging task. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. With online job boards and marketplaces you can easily search and apply for good paying gigs. This post lists top 7 platforms for you to hunt your first freelance client. Here they are:
Elance
Elance is one of the most popular online job boards you can use to connect with prospects and get your first freelance job. Equipped with a clean user interface, in Elance, you can work with your employer professionally. This platform allows you to create an impressive profile based on the skills you can provide your clients with. Moreover, you can add your portfolio and experience to increase the likelihood of getting hired. You can then submit business proposals to clients and have chances to land your first deal. All this ease come with a cost, 8.75% of the work done goes to Elance in commission and the rest is for you.
oDesk
oDesk prides itself for being the world’s largest and fastest-growing online workplace. The process of searching for a freelance job goes the same like on Elance: craft an impressive profile, spice up your portfolio, reach to clients and submit your work. However, what sets oDesk from its direct competitors is the wide variety of freelancers the platform comprises. Ranging from web developers to sales marketers, you can enjoy the standard freelance tools to run your business effortlessly and for free. With oDesk, it’s guaranteed that you will be paid for the job you do avoiding frustration and common rip-offs.
Craigslist
Craigslist is more into a classified advertising website that provides a variety of jobs ranging from Mobile apps developers to retail sales associates. If you are looking for some work whether it is part-time or full time you can try Craigslist. Though most of the projects come from recruiters of a quite limited budget, there are chances you can hunt a high-paying gig. The interesting fact is that Craigslist is organized in such way that you can search for job ads according to specific regions. This turns more convenient in case you are interested on regional work.
Guru
Guru is another great online platform to search for a bang-up freelance job. Guru features a responsive and narrowed search tool to funnel down the projects that are most suitable for you. Besides providing all the standard needs to build strong relationships with your clients, Guru comes with a networking platform called Guru Answers. This network allows you to collaborate with other freelancers and create partnerships. Moreover, it provides the user with project management tools to manage various projects effectively. The bottom line is that you can register your account for free.
Freelance Switch
Whether you are an illustrator, web designer or software developer you should check out some useful articles and FreelanceSwitch. This platform goes beyond content providing. The flux of job entries is not that high when compared to most of the online job boards out there. In general, this job board is more suitable for top-notch freelancers who have acquired a wide experience in their fields. For applying for a job you need to subscribe to their membership plan which is $7 per month.
Smashing Jobs – SmashingMagazine
If you are serious into becoming a successful freelancer, then you shouldn’t miss the posts from SmashingMagazine. Not only were they able to create an informative website but they were also capable of integrating an online job board on it. SmashingMagazine Jobs is a great resource to find job opportunities and freelance gigs. The platform’s layout is divided into 3 categories namely, design, programming and others. This allows you to filter the freelance jobs that fit you the most. Unlike FreelanceSwitch, you are not required to pay to apply for a certain job. The contact information of the employer is always provided at the bottom of each job post.
Coroflot Job Board
Coroflot is an online platform that allows you create creative portfolios for your business. Similar to SmashingMagazine,Coroflot have features an online job board to help professional freelancers who are seeking for freelance clients find gigs easily. For an effective job searching, the platform allows you to sort jobs according to levels ranging from executive to freelance.
There are many job boards you can use to kick-start your freelance business, platforms like Elance, Guru, Craigslist and oDesk provide more flexible tools to build up some experience before diving into more serious job platforms that require a wide experience. However, if you are confident about your freelance abilities then you should consider applying for gigs on the rest of the online job boards above.
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