Freelancer - who he is and what he does. Why do people go for free swimming? Who are freelancers

Hello, friends! In this article, I will help you figure out who a freelancer is and what he does, because the popularity of this type of employment is growing day by day.

What is freelance and who is a freelancer?

I gave a detailed analysis of the meaning of this word in my article about.

Interesting fact that for the first time the concept of "freelancer" was mentioned in the work of Walter Scott "Ivanhoe" to refer to medieval mercenary warriors. By the way, the novel was published in 1819. That is, this phenomenon is not at all new and has a long history.

But, if in the Middle Ages the privilege to choose when, for how much and for whom only warriors had to work, today almost any professional can do this. Just think - everyone can adjust their work schedule to suit their life, and not life - to the work schedule.

A freelancer is a specialist who fulfills orders for one or more employers. At the same time, the customer does not really care where, when, how long you work, the main thing is the quality work done on time. Freelancing is not a profession, it is a type of employment. I have been working in this mode for several years and I can say with full responsibility that a freelancer is a lifestyle.

What does a freelancer do?

If desired, a specialist in almost any field can become a freelancer and provide his services remotely.

All freelancers can be conditionally divided into two groups:

1. Those for whom the Internet is a means of communication with an employer. For example, accountants brought together the reports and sent them by mail to the customer. This also includes lawyers, photographers, translators, teachers who conduct classes and consultations via Skype.
2. Professions for which the Internet is a field of activity. A limitless field, I must say. Business today does not exist if it is not on the Internet. Everyone needs sites that need to be developed, promoted, optimized, and filled with content. Therefore, the demand for such specialists as a programmer, designer, copywriter is growing rapidly. You can familiarize yourself with.

Why is it profitable to hire a freelancer?

V Lately more and more companies prefer to use the services of remote employees and freelancers. The benefits of this type of hiring are obvious: the employer does not pay for office rent, for the table and chair you sit on, for electricity, water, tea and napkins. He only pays for your work. What is not an ideal scheme?

There is another indisputable plus: if the need for your presence at a specific workplace disappears, then geographical boundaries are also erased. You can attract a specialist from any corner of the world, which, you see, greatly facilitates the task of finding employees.

How does this happen

Most freelancers work remotely over the internet. At the same time, there are different options for employment:

• Remote employee - in this case, you are officially employed in the company and enjoy all the benefits guaranteed Labor Code, - seniority, pension contributions, vacations, etc. At the same time, you work from home, staying in touch with the manager in a clearly defined work time.
• Freelancer - individual... You are invited to perform one-time tasks. Sometimes such projects can be very voluminous and provide you with work for a long time. In such cases, the freelancer and the customer sign an agreement on the provision of paid services, and sometimes even do without it. Simply put, the same scheme as when you go to get a haircut or hire someone to renovate an apartment.
• Individual entrepreneur - many customers, especially large ones, find it convenient to cooperate with such freelancers. Do you have a checking account, model contract, your business brings good income and you pay taxes regularly.

Advantages

As a person who has tested everything on my own skin, I can talk a lot about the advantages of working as a freelancer. But let's highlight the main ones:

• Individual work mode

Let's be honest - how many hours of the time you spend in the office do you actually spend on work?

There is such an anecdote:
- What place would you like to take in our company?
- A place where no one can see my computer monitor.

Each person has their own productive hours. And not everyone has this time between 9 and 18. Therefore, very often office workers, being unable to concentrate on the task at hand, are forced to create an imitation of work activity. Imagine how many useful things you could do during this unproductive time, if you were not obliged to constantly be present at the workplace.

Personally, I get to work when my brain is at its peak and I am most efficient. There can be several such intervals during the day (and night). The rest of the time I devote myself with peace of mind.

• Unlimited earnings

Your earnings depend on the volume and quality of the work performed. You can cooperate with several customers at the same time. Initiative and enthusiasm are welcomed and rewarded. The more experience you have, the more expensive your services are.

• No bosses

There are customers who turn to you as an expert, and this, you see, is a completely different level of relations. Moreover, you yourself choose with whom to work and with whom not. And if something does not suit you, you can simply refuse to cooperate with this client.

• Employers around the world at your disposal

When you are looking for work offline, you focus on distance from home. This is especially true for large cities, where sometimes the travel time to work is several hours. This reduces the number of suitable and interesting employers to a minimum.

When you work online, you don't really care where your customer is. You choose a job according to your interests, your liking and cost, but definitely not according to the distance from your home.

• Ability to work anywhere

Everything said in the previous paragraph applies to you as a performer. The customer does not care where you are: surfing in New Zealand or picking mushrooms in the Mari forests. If the work is done efficiently and on time, absolutely everything is in the black. That is why great amount freelancers are desperate travelers.

• There is no age limit. And no restrictions at all

Whether you are a student or a pensioner, a mother of three or a freelance artist, if you are disciplined and professional, you can always find work on the Internet.

• Continuous development

When the quality of your work directly affects how much you earn, you will not allow yourself not to develop. You constantly master new information, broaden your horizons, acquire new skills. Provided permanent work, your professional value is increasing every day.

Flaws

Cons in remote work is also there. Although for me this is more of a specificity, but nevertheless:

• Lack of stability

Twice a month guaranteed payments are not about freelancers. Pay to pay is not about us either. Payments are received as orders are completed. And the cost of orders can also differ significantly. With the transition to remote work I've become much more serious about my budgeting.

• No collective

There are people who go to work to satisfy the need for communication. They do not represent themselves outside the team. But if you are not very worried about the problems of relations between the estimator Lydia Petrovna and her daughter-in-law, then perhaps this point can be transferred to the advantages of remote work.

• No New Year's corporate parties and gifts for February 23 / March 8

You have to come to terms with this. And reassure yourself that the New Year in Bali is not the worst alternative to a herring under a fur coat in the office.

• Misunderstanding on the part of loved ones

Freelancers often fall prey to the stereotype that being at home and not working is the same thing. It will take time for your family to realize that you have not moved from office chair on their neck. Let them get used to this unusual phenomenon - he does not go to work, and he does not run out of money. Very often, after observing one such "rebel", the rest of the family also switch to remote work.

Where to begin?

Most internet jobs are relatively new. Therefore, many begin to master them from scratch. On the Internet, you can find a huge number of training webinars, articles, trainings. I tried a lot: some trainings are very strong, some are not done quite professionally, some are generally ineffective.

If you already have experience in any of the professions, then you can immediately start looking for customers. There are many sites where customers post their assignments in search of performers. Here .

Do not expect that the first orders will bring you a lot of money. Be prepared that at first the payment for your services will be minimal. This is fine. See this as an opportunity to gain experience, build a portfolio and give feedback on your work. First, you work for the reputation, so that the reputation will work for you further.

In the article you will find even more information that will help you switch to remote work mode.

How not to give up?

Starting something, especially when you're a beginner with no work experience, is always tricky. But every freelancer has gone through this. And I don't know a single person who would like to return to work offline. The main thing is to set goals for yourself and not deviate from the intended path. Sometimes the steps towards the goal seem too small and insignificant, but, believe me, any effort will yield results.

I wish you personal and professional success, dear readers. Listen to yourself, be bold and enjoy yourself!

If you still have questions, I will be happy to answer them in the comments, share my experience and maybe I can give valuable advice. Share information, friends!

At its core, freelancing is work outside the staff of a particular organization. If you are interested in who is a freelancer and what his work is, you can study in more detail the features of this activity.

Such a person independently finds clients, performs the assigned work and receives a monetary reward for this. Today, many professions are in demand on the Internet on a remote basis - from copywriters to programmers.

Who is a freelancer and what does he do?

Many, especially those who are bored with office work, are interested in who it is, a freelancer, and what he does. Among such people, there are many workers of professions of a creative nature, spheres information technologies and advertising.

It is worth noting that the average salary for a freelancer is twice that of an office worker. The income of successful workers in almost any field fluctuates from 30 to 100 thousand rubles per month.

Freelance work is aimed at completing a specific project for which these specialists receive remuneration. For example, a copywriter can write texts for advertising media, programmers -
create websites, translator - translate certain information, and so on.

How to become a freelancer from scratch without education?

In order to become a successful private practitioner, you need to follow the instructions below. It is only important not to be afraid of the difficulties that may arise in the early stages, and to be persistent.

How to get started as a freelancer? Start mail and. No freelancer is complete without fast internet, your own laptop or personal computer and e-wallet, to which money will be transferred to you. You can register in the Webmoney or Yandex.money system. The registration process takes only a few minutes. After the money is transferred to the wallet, they can easily be withdrawn to a bank card. In addition, you will need Email and ( or) Skype for communicating with customers.

After that, select the services that you will offer to your clients. In order to be successful, it is very important to love what you do. Don't worry if you don't have a degree in higher education... Many freelancers work without special education. However, you will have to master new knowledge. For this, there are many thematic sites and forums, where you can find a huge number useful information... If necessary, you can visit professional courses and webinars.

Decide in which price category you will work. How to make money on freelancing for a beginner? First of all, you need to adequately assess your capabilities. Visit freelance exchanges and find out how much performers are asking for their services. Find your strengths and bring them to the attention of your customers.

Create a portfolio. It should contain a list of your works that are available for viewing by potential clients. If you have absolutely no experience, the first few orders will have to be made for free or for very little money. Gradually increase your royalties as you fill your portfolio and acquire new skills.

Find your first customers. The first orders can be found with the help of friends. Tell your friends what you are going to do, maybe someone you know will need your services. If this is not possible, register on one of the freelance exchanges. It is recommended to register in several places at the same time, post your portfolio and leave contacts. The largest exchanges include Freelance.ru, Etxt.ru ( text content exchange), Freelansim.ru ( the exchange is convenient for IT professionals) other.

Registration of individual entrepreneurs. The legislation of the Russian Federation states that any income must be taxed. If freelancing is your main job, it is advisable to register as a sole proprietor. More about legal aspects you can read below.

Improve your skills! In order to be successful in any activity, you need to constantly develop. Learn to talk to customers, do your job better and level up!

Legal aspects of this activity

If you are a full-time freelancer, it is recommended that you pay taxes regularly. So, you will not be considered unemployed, receive pension contributions and do not draw attention to yourself. tax office.

In the tax office, you need to submit an application about your desire to switch to the simplified taxation system. In this case, you will be charged 6% from all income that will go to your bank account.

You also need to make pension contributions ( about 1000 rubles per month). However, this amount will be deducted from your tax if the amount of contributions to the FIU does not exceed 50% of the tax under the simplified system.

If you only earn extra money on the Internet, and the amount of your income is small, you can work unofficially.

Video interview with a freelance designer:

Freelancer skills and personality traits

What skills should a freelancer predominantly have?

No matter what types of freelance you are about to master, these skills are a must for any private practitioner. Also very important and personal qualities that will help you successfully move up this kind of career ladder.

In order to better understand the essence of such work, you need to know what is included in the concept freelancer what it is, as well as what such people do.

Types of activities

1. Copy-paste. This is the maximum simple job, for which you will receive very small amounts. The employee is simply required to copy graphic and text materials from various sites, and then transfer them to other Internet resources. For each copying, you can get a few rubles, depending on the method of posting information.

This type of earnings is more suitable for beginners, but it is not recommended to linger at this stage, because it is much more interesting to conquer more difficult horizons.

2. Rewriting. This income is considered to be more profitable. Its essence lies in rewriting texts. You are provided with ( or you find yourself) a source of information that you simply retell in your own words.

The task of the rewriter is to achieve the uniqueness of the finished text. You can engage in such activities on specialized content exchanges. The average price for a thousand characters of a unique text is 10-20 rubles.

3. Copywriting. This type of activity consists in writing quality text materials. The texts are created based on the knowledge of the copywriter.

Talented copywriters with organization and creative approach to their activities can receive from 30 thousand rubles per month and higher.

However, this method of earning may also have disadvantages:

So freelancing can be enough profitable business if you approach him responsibly and be patient with initial stages work.

Greetings! Friends, today we will continue to get acquainted with freelance. It doesn't matter what time of day it is - day or night, what you do - work or rest, because right now freelancers are busy at computers. I am sure that now many of you are intrigued and are eager to find out as soon as possible if a freelancer is who and what he does. This is not surprising, because which of us would not like freely dispose of their own time , work when conveniently, earn as much as you want, and in general, finally stop crowding in the subway at 7 in the morning and in the rain, and in the snow, and in the eerie heat five days a week all year round... In general, if you are ready to give up your usual lifestyle in favor of work of your dreams, Then this article is for you.

Who are freelancers?

Every valiant office worker can boast of his own stable salary, vacation at the nearest resort or dacha twice a year and a couple of days off a week. In general, it’s not so bad if you don’t know that freelancers travel for a long time without postponing their work indefinitely. You are probably intrigued and wondering how this is possible? The fact is that once having risked their ghostly stability in the office, they decided to become free employees... Let's quickly find out what kind of profession it is, who a freelancer is, and what he does.

Translation and history of appearance

To understand the meaning of the word " freelancer», It makes sense to refer to the English-Russian dictionary. It is from here that we learn that free Is freedom, and lancer Is the shooter. Thus, it turns out that a freelancer is none other than “ free shooter". Are you at a loss? Then let's remember, at school you probably read the work of Walter Scott about the valiant knight Ivanhoe. So it was in this novel that the concept of "freelancer" was first introduced, it was he who was used to refer to medieval mercenary soldiers. But the work, for a minute, was published in the distant 1819 year... Thus, we can safely conclude that such a phenomenon as freelancing is by no means new and has, I'm not afraid of this word, a centuries-old history.

But if in the Middle Ages only soldiers had the privilege of choosing when, for how much, and with whom to work, then today every self-respecting professional can choose. Just think about it - if you want, you can adjust the work schedule to suit your life, and not vice versa.

The essence of the activity

Freelancer is a specialist who carries out projects for one or even several customers. At the same time, employers do not at all matter where, when and how much you will work. Everything that interests them from such cooperation is quality performance work in clearly deadlines ... I must note that freelancing is not a profession, but a specific one. type of employment... Personally, I have been working in this mode for more than five years, and if before I did not consider freelancing as a full-time job, I used its opportunities more for part-time work, then today I can safely say that this lifestyle has sucked me in, and I am not ready to say goodbye to it.

What do free workers do?

So what are these freelancers doing? By and large, a specialist in any field can go freelance and provide his services remotely, working from home. Conventionally, all free workers can be divided into two categories:

• Those who use the Internet solely to communicate with the customer... For example, remote accountants bring together reports and then simply send them to customers by mail. This group can also include all kinds of lawyers, photographers, translators and teachers who conduct classes and consultations online via Skype.
• Those for whom the Internet is a real field of activity... I want to add that the field is limitlessly... Today, no business can exist if it cannot be found on the Internet. Every entrepreneur needs his own website, development, promotion, optimization of which needs to be done regularly. That is why today specialists in the field of programming and web design are in great demand. Considering that any site needs quality content, the demand for copywriting services is not decreasing either.

Start making money on the weblancer exchange

Benefit question: why hire a freelancer?

Today, more and more companies prefer to use the services of freelancers and remote employees... I think that the benefits of such cooperation are obvious: entrepreneurs do not have to spend money on renting an office, buy tables, chairs and computers for which you will work, you do not need to pay electricity and water bills, you don’t have to worry about buying small household goods like tea, napkins. , toilet paper and the like. All the employer needs in this case is to give it to the mercenary clear terms of reference and pay for his work. Well, isn't this a perfect circuit?

In addition, there is another plus of such interaction: since there is no need for your regular presence at a specific workplace, this means that geographic boundaries blur at all. It turns out that for the implementation of the project, you can attract a specialist from almost any corner of the world. Agree, this opportunity greatly simplifies the task of selecting the right employee.

How is the work of a freelancer organized?

The vast majority of freelancers choose to work from home and sell their services remotely over the Internet. However, here you need to know that such employment can be issued in three forms:

What specialty to master?

Well, we figured out the theory, made inquiries about freelancers, and therefore, I think it's time to think about your own career as a free worker. In this regard, I decided to sketch out a small list the most demanded specialties in the world of remote work. In this case, I will consider exclusively online freelance... If you are interested complete list services, then my article "The Best Jobs for Freelancers in 2017" will come in handy. In the meantime, here's who they are looking for in the remote work market:

Specialists in working with text information

Seo copywriters and seo rewriters, ordinary copywriters and rewriters, content managers, text editors and proofreaders and all kinds of translators. To find a job in one of these industries, you need not only masterly pen and have impeccable knowledge of languages, but also possess certain knowledge in the field of psychology, marketing and analytics. By the way, the real apotheosis in the world of text freelancing is considered to be writers who are ready to write real masterpieces for different publications, agreeing to work for percentage of sales of your creations... Newcomers to the freelance world can start with. This will allow you to get your hands on and move on to more complex and expensive projects.

Programmers and system administrators

They are engaged in writing programs, scripts, solve all kinds of tasks for the administration of websites, servers and applications. Testers can be referred to the same category. software products... If you want to have a decent income on the Internet, then you need to master the device of various site engines, understand programming languages ​​(at least you need to know Java Script, PHP and Perl), be able to work with databases and, ideally, be proficient in markup languages ​​such as html and css.

Designers in all possible forms

The demand for landscape designers, interior designers, graphic designers and web designers are growing every day. Besides, designers of computer games are also in demand. If you have a heightened sense of beauty, you have tremendous imagination and, on top of that, work great with such graphic editors as Photoshop, Coreldraw, Maya, 4Studio, 3ds max and the like, then it makes sense to think about finding your first clients and start working remotely.

Specialists in the field of promotion

These are smm-specialists promoting projects on social networks, and seo-specialists, and optimizers, and layout designers, and specialists in attracting visitors to sites using a variety of advertising. If you are wondering how to become a cool freelancer from scratch in an industry like this, you will have to constantly improve your knowledge they should be large and fresh. Since the promotion changes regularly (search engines now and then introduce more and more new algorithms, filters, change the basic approaches to promotion), your knowledge should always be hot, just taken off the stove.

Moneymakers - freelancers

They absolutely do not accept work for someone, and therefore they are constantly looking for more and more new ways to earn money on their own. To earn money, such workers use their own own projects, and traffic arbitrage, and partnership programs... To succeed in such a difficult matter, a moneymaker has to become at once a webmaster, a website layout designer, an analyst, a marketer, and many others.

Coaches and trainers

Quite a specific kind of freelancer. Representatives of this category are specialists (or consider themselves to be such) in a particular field and offer their training services. As a rule, they conduct courses online, using the form of webinars, correspondence or chatting. However, there are also cases when classes are conducted offline in groups or in the form of individual trainings or schools.

Other options

In addition to the above specialties, freelancers who have experience and knowledge in the following industries will be able to find work:

Positive and negative aspects of freelancing life

pros

As a person who has studied freelance from A to Z, I can endlessly talk about the merits of such work. Nevertheless, I tried to pull myself together and highlight the main thing. So among positive aspects of being a freelancer I would highlight:

Individual work schedule

Now let's be honest - what time are you really spend on fulfilling your work duties while sitting in the office? Everyone has their own biorhythms, and therefore in some hours he works better, and some - worse. Not everyone is able to work productively between 8 and 17. It is for this reason that many office workers cannot concentrate on completing the task assigned to them and simply imitate the work process. Imagine how many useful things you would manage to do during this unproductive time if you did not have the need to constantly be at your workplace.

As for me, I take on work only when my brain is at the peak of mental activity, which means that I am most efficient. Best of all, I work from 10 to 15 and from 21 to 23. It also happens that insight comes in the middle of the night, and I can safely work until the morning. The rest of the time I spend with peace of mind on household chores, personal interests and hobbies.

Unlimited earnings

Your income as a freelancer will depend only on how much work you do and how high-quality it will be. Here initiative and enthusiasm are not punished, but, on the contrary, are welcomed and encouraged. In addition, the more experience you get, the more expensive you can sell your service.

Lack of bosses

Most customers talk to you as an expert, and this is, whatever one may say, a completely different type of relationship. In addition, you can independently choose with whom you work and with whom you do not. If suddenly you do not like something in the interaction with the customer, you can simply refuse further cooperation.

You can choose employers around the world

When you are looking for a job, the first thing you look at is how far your place of work is from home. This criterion is especially relevant for residents of large cities, where it often takes several hours to get to the office. In this regard, the circle potential employers is reduced to a minimum. When it comes to finding freelancers, things are completely different here. The whole world is open to free workers... It doesn't matter what city, country or continent your customer is from. The main thing is that you can choose an interesting project for yourself, and the selection criterion will not be distance from your home, but its price.

You can work wherever your soul desires

Customers do not care where the performer is - surfing in Bali or picking mushrooms in the Carpathian Mountains. If the work is carried out in accordance with the terms of reference, the deadlines for the delivery of the project are not violated, then everyone remains in the black. In general, this is why most freelancers are desperate travelers.

No age restrictions

Freelance no bias towards your social status ... Everyone, young and old, can find work here. If you are disciplined enough, your professional quality in demand in this market, welcome to the web!

Continuous development and self-improvement

When exactly on quality the final amount of earnings depends on your work, you simply will not allow yourself to stop developing and stop learning new things. You will gain mass every day new information that will broaden your horizons and help you acquire useful new skills. Provided you work consistently, your professional value will grow day by day.

Register and find projects you like on the FL.RU exchange

Flaws

However, it is not devoid of freelance and dark sides. Although personally I do not attribute these points to disadvantages. In my opinion, this is only work specifics... But since there is no escape from it, and I am making an honest review, I will not hide the cons. So as for weaknesses freelance, here it is worth highlighting:

Lack of reinforced concrete stability

Guaranteed advance payment and wages twice a month is not about freelancing. However, life from paycheck to paycheck is not our strong point. Money comes here as the order is completed... The cost of projects can vary significantly. By the way, it was the transition to remote work that made me think about planning my own budget.

Lack of team

There are people who go to work not so much for the sake of a salary as for the sake of satisfying their hunger in communication. It is very difficult for such people to imagine themselves outside the team. However, if you are not too interested in the problem of relations between the accountant Valentina Sergeevna and her daughter-in-law, it is quite possible that you will include this item in the block of advantages of remote employment.

No corporate events, teambuildings and holiday bonuses

You will simply have to accept this point. And besides, you can always reassure yourself that new year under the palm trees in egypt- This is a very good alternative to Olivier in the office.

You have to spend time looking for orders and suitable employers

Choosing the path of a freelancer for yourself, be prepared for what you have to constantly advertise your services, spend time building your own portfolio and regularly view ads on freelance exchanges.

Difficulties with self-organization

It is extremely difficult for many people to organize their working hours if they are not overseen by a strict boss and motivate them with carrots and sticks. The temptation to abandon business and just turn on the series will always follow you on your heels. If you are not ready discipline yourself, you have nothing to catch on the Internet.

Lack of social package with sick leave and paid leave

If you get sick, you will have to eat up your stash. Besides, you won't earn your pension at home... If the latter is important to you, you will have to register as Individual Entrepreneur and regularly spend time keeping records, paying taxes.

Difficulty creating a work environment

Sometimes it can be quite difficult to explain to your loved ones that the fact that you are at home does not mean that you are not busy with anything. Requests to take out the trash, wash, cook, wash the dishes and the like simply do not allow you to tune in to a working mood. It is very important here to explain to the household that you can only be distracted outside of working hours and clearly delineate for them when you " at work", and when " Houses».

I must admit that periodically looking for a job on the Internet leads to deception and all kinds of "divorce". There are times when you are offered to do a certain amount of work, and after the delivery of the project, the customer refuses to pay or simply disappears.

In order not to become a victim and not get into such a situation, I advise you to look for employers only on specialized freelance exchanges, where the administration of the service is responsible for the security of the transaction.

So, let's say that you are seriously thinking about how to get rid of boring everyday life in the office and become a free bird - freelancer. In this case, you need:

1. Decide what you want to do... To make money on the Internet, you need to have quite extensive knowledge and real experience in your chosen direction. Nobody says that in order to conquer freelance, you need to be an IT specialist. Not at all, the delights of remote work are available to teachers, builders, and even doctors. You may well write articles on topics close to you, share your own knowledge. At first, you can find a job for yourself as a rewriter, administer a group on social networks, or act as a call center operator in an online store. By the way, if you decide to work with social networks, it can be very useful to you.
2. Get some training... At this stage, you just need to get acquainted with the basics of the chosen field of activity, refresh your professional knowledge and "swallow" the information received.
3. Create customer base... I have already said that it is better to use specialized services to find clients. I believe that this issue requires more careful coverage, and therefore I propose to return to it a little later.
4. Take care of the calculated part... Think about how you will be paid for the work done. The payment method you choose must be reliable and fairly fast. An undoubted advantage in this matter is bank cards... However, in the event that your customer is located in another country, the question of currency conversion arises. This is why freelancers are more likely to use electronic money in systems such as WebMoney or YandexMoney. I already talked about that. For those who do not know, I advise you to read this article.

Freelance exchanges

Well, now, as I promised, I return to the question of finding a job. I jotted down a list the highest quality exchanges for remote workers, which you can study in my separate article. As part of today's review, I decided to make a small abstract selection of sites where you can start your search for customers:

Registering an account on FL.RU

• Weblancer ... In my opinion, the most convenient exchange for beginner freelancers. The site administration is doing its best to protect its users from fraud by employers. In addition, the exchange has the opportunity to purchase paid accounts, with the help of which you can significantly increase your earnings;

Registering an account on Weblancer

• Freelance.ru ... The oldest and, perhaps, best freelance exchange in runet. Everything came together in this service - both a convenient mechanism for finding employees for projects of varying degrees of complexity, and the ability to fully communicate with a potential contractor, and protection against fraud using special tools;
• Kwork ... A freelance store where all services are bought and sold at the same price - 500 rubles;
• Moguza.ru - a store selling digital services. The exchange acts as an intermediary between the customer and the contractor, and therefore minimizes the possibility of fraud between the participants of the site;
• Text.ru ... A specialized copyright exchange where you can fulfill orders for writing articles, make money on comments and reviews, or sell ready-made texts by uploading them to the site's database.

Completing tasks from 500 rubles on the Kwork exchange

Summing up

Well, friends, I believe that this is where our review can end. If you still have any doubts about what freelancing is real opportunity start to dispose of your own forces, skills, knowledge, and most importantly time, I advise you just start... Most of internet professions relatively new, and therefore many have to master them almost from scratch. Do not be afraid to learn new things, take risks and build your life the way you like... Read forums, study professional articles, participate in webinars and trainings. And remember that you should never choose projects by price. First of all, evaluate the terms of reference, and only then look at the payment. If it seems to you that this work is too tough for you, give it up and gain experience. In general, that's all for me. Share your freelance experience in the comments and don't forget to subscribe to blog updates. See you soon, friends!

If you find an error in the text, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter... Thanks for helping my blog get better!

Freelancer: couch bum or a free man with money?

5 (100%) 1 vote

In this article, we will figure out what freelance is, who is a freelancer, what he does, and whether it is profitable to be a freelancer. All this - as usual, in simple words.

Freelance(freelance) is translated from English as "independent", "free", "freelance". In the Russian segment of the Internet, freelancing is a noun for remote work.

Freelancer(freelancer) is remote worker, freelancer. WITH in English By the way, the translation is the same. And in this case, "remote work" does not mean working for one company while at home, but independent activity without belonging to a particular company.

Now that we have figured out the translation and definitions, we can talk about the topic. Freelancers- these are any employees who carry out their activities "outside the state" of the company. In this they are similar to outsourcers. True, the latter are most often just employees of other companies. Freelancing, on the other hand, implies an independent search for clients and the sole execution of work.

Of course, for freelancing internet is best- here you can easily place advertisements on the provision of your services, communicate with clients for free using social networks and messengers, send ready (the result of their work) and receive payment. In addition, there are special Internet services that can greatly facilitate the search for customers and protect against unscrupulous customers.

The following are common among freelancers profession: programmers, designers, teachers, rewriters and copywriters (those who write articles or rewrite texts in their own words), managers, advertising specialists. If we abstract a little from the Internet, then “bombiles” can be considered freelancers.

Let's figure it out what is the principle of freelancing... Now, for example, I would like to create another site for publishing articles on other topics. But I myself do not have sufficient skills to draw a unique design, install and configure the engine on the hosting and make the necessary edits to the site's functionality. Therefore, I will go to the online exchange for the provision of remote services to find a designer, layout designer and programmer. The first will draw me a layout, the second will "cut" it, the third will "hang" this layout on the site he has created. Each of them will have to pay a certain amount, but in the end it, as a rule, will come out several times cheaper than contacting a website creation studio.

Freelance work has its own pros and cons... On the plus side, I would include the absence of bosses, who set conditions for you and pays a fixed "money", which rarely depends very much on the amount of work performed. As a rule, if a freelancer works twice as much, then he gets twice as much. Also a clear plus is the free schedule. Do you need to go to the clinic during the day or go to the hypermarket along the free roads? No problem! You can wake up when you want, and fall asleep - the same way. A freelancer can live and work wherever he wants, because the search for clients, the transfer of work performed and the receipt of payment takes place via the Internet. You can save a lot - you don’t need a suit, you don’t need to go to work, go to a cafe for a business lunch, throw off gifts for employees, etc.

Let's talk about the minuses, which in some moments very closely go with the pluses. For example, the same free schedule and lack of bosses. This is definitely great. But in this case, the freelancer must be very responsible and organized. He must work hard, despite the fact that, it would seem, at any time you can rest or go about your business. The vast majority of freelancers prefer to be "self-employed" instead of registering, for example, an individual entrepreneur. This is also both a plus and a minus: there is more money, but there are no deductions, including tax deductions. Unstable earnings are a clear disadvantage. It happens that there are clients, and it also happens that they are not. And freelancers don't have any fixed rate, that's why you can make money in a month ... nothing at all. Of course, this does not apply to all freelancers. Some are so in demand that they only think about where to find the time to take on another project. There are also narrow and risky specialties that can cease to be in demand at any time. Alas, often a freelancer has the fate of a loner - he has no colleagues, and communication with clients is almost always only correspondence. On the one hand, there are no annoying people with whom you need to work side by side, and on the other hand, it is really boring.

One of the most simple and popular freelancing activities is rewriting and copywriting. This is the writing or uniqueization of informational or sales texts. This job is extremely popular among women on maternity leave. And many more people combine regular work with freelance. Most often this is done by programmers - in their free time, with the proper reputation and skills, they can "raise" almost as much money as in their main job.

I hope this material has helped you understand who freelancers are and what they do.

Hello friends! Today we'll talk about my favorite topic in remote work: "who is a freelancer and what does he do." For since the summer of 2014, I myself have been sitting tightly at my computer in all the parts of the world accessible to me and I don’t blow at all, because the office was left somewhere far behind, in a company with bosses and traffic jams on the way to work.

I am writing this, sitting among the woods and sand, and sometimes I myself do not believe what happened (I just realized that it’s almost like at the dacha). Even . For there is nothing cooler than falling out wherever you want and when you want; not to ask for time off from anyone and not to explain anything to anyone. Just a song. True, not without ...

But back to the topic:

Who first used this word? As the Internet tells us, for the first time this term was noticed by Walter Scott in the novel "Ivanhoe", where freelancers were called mercenary warriors (From the English freelance: "free" - free, and "lance" - a spear). Later, this term began to denote prostitutes working without pimps (even with such a comparison, our brother was awarded).

And today, a freelancer is called a private specialist, a free artisan who works simultaneously for several employers. Most often, freelancer offers his services himself, less often - he works as a contractor for several companies.

I myself prefer long-term cooperation with a limited number of clients, because finding a job for me is always stressful. I already wrote about this in the article by Fr.

Goa at work

For those asking "what kind of profession is this - a freelancer" I will say that this is not a profession, but a way to conduct a work process. To be more precise, this is a way of life! And after 2.5 years of free swimming, I have formed such habits that I absolutely do not want to get rid of. For example, the ability to go wherever you want at any time.

Or do something other than work. Or move your schedule the way you like it, and not the way your superiors require.

What do freelancers do?

The most common question from a neophyte is who to be? For those in doubt, I wrote in which it is easiest to start. However, the list is not limited to them.

Saint Petersburg, making a website for a funeral agency

So, professions:

• Journalism and word processing... Probably the most common direction of freelancing, which includes concepts such as.
• Translators. Especially appreciated are those who speak exotic languages ​​for us, such as Hindi, Urdu or Chinese.
• Website development and maintenance... My topic, which I refer to with a shorter term "web craft". I just call myself "webmaster"
• Design . , graphic, landscape, etc. A wide market for making money.
• Programming in all possible languages ​​and in all available environments.
• Consulting. Areas: jurisprudence, psychology, personal mentoring, coaching, etc.
• SEO specialists - website promotion in search engines
• SMM specialists - promotion and administration of social networks.
• Personal assistants - the right hands of always busy leaders and entrepreneurs
• Marketers, sellers and advertisers- from setting up Yandex.Direct to direct sales by phone
• Design Engineers... Why do you need an office if you only need a laptop and the Internet to design a stove heating?
• Architects. The same
• Photographers and videographers... They, of course, have more problematic mobility, but the essence remains the same: work on orders.
• Video editing and photo processing... As an option for the previous paragraph with a large number of degrees of freedom. But the requirements for the quality of the Internet are the highest
• Photo models. Yes, I even met such! They work for several modeling agencies.
• Bomber drivers. Private taxi - why not freelance?
• etc.

As you can see, the list is quite large, and even it does not exhaust the whole variety of freelance professions. In it, along with typical technical and analytical crafts, there are humanitarian ones as well. Therefore, I consider the myth of the exclusivity of programmers and IT specialists in online earnings to be untenable.

By the way, write in the comments if you need to add something else? Maybe you treat people remotely and know who else is doing this?

Why do people go for free swimming?

There are a lot of reasons! Someone wants to try themselves in something fundamentally new. Someone is sick of office samsara. Someone with the help of freelance solves their financial problems. I was just looking for ways to wander the world.

You sit in Vasishta, wait for tea and rejoice

Of course, there are other means for this: a rich inheritance, generous compassionate relatives or renting an apartment. But, unfortunately (or "fortunately?"), I am not burdened with any of the above. Therefore, I actively earn all the earnings and, unlike many of my office colleagues, I really like it!

How is the workflow going?

So, you have found a customer, discussed all the conditions. What's next?

It's simple:

• Agree on the form of payment (advance interest or something else)
• You negotiate the terms and by these terms provide the result (working in the mode in which it is convenient for you)
• Are you satisfied with the result? - get paid and shake virtual hands with each other.
• Not satisfied? - make changes until the customer is fully satisfied.
• Rejoice at the work done and the happy client and start your next project.

Why would clients want to work with you?

As a rule, freelancers have more flexible terms and conditions and lower prices. Agencies take from above a huge number of "bonuses": their services, electricity bills in the office, and so on. Plus, the employer does not need to pay the costs of maintaining your workplace. You undertake all depreciation. Well, and, apparently, butting with a small individual entrepreneur is much easier than with a less maneuverable colossus LLP or JSC.

Just don't forget to add to your portfolio and collect reviews. This is the main asset of trust in you.

Freelance benefits

Tons of articles have been written about them, but I also add a spoonful of my vision to this great monotony.

1. Free schedule... You get up when you want, work at a time when it is convenient for you and rest when you are tired, and not from 8 pm to 10 pm 5 days a week + Saturday and Sunday
2. High wages... Compared to their office brothers, "free spearmen" can earn many times more
3. Stability! Here I am expecting objections) However, looking at the situation in large corporations and the shattered ambitions of reduced or reduced employees in allowance, I understand that I have nothing of the kind. You work - there is money, you do not work - there is no money. It's simple.
4. Very wide market... Any limitation is your own. My geography today includes 6 countries and this is far from the limit (sorry, I don’t know Chinese)
5. Non-stop development. If you want to make good money - study! Freelance is for maniacs who love their job. There is nothing to do here without love for him.
6. Supermobility. The only thing you need is a laptop and internet. For me, this is the main plus that gives odds to any of the most significant minuses. Still, the third New Year and my birthday in a row while traveling is a nice bonus to my lifestyle, isn't it?

Tried it - it's inconvenient

However, there is also another side. I even wrote an article about her. I will briefly outline it below.

Flaws

I'll make a reservation: it's always hard for me to write in a negative light about what I love sacredly. But "truth is more precious," so I will try. If I'm missing something, let me know in the comments, please?

1. Volatile income... Byword! How much has been written and said about this. And I will argue that all this is extremely exaggerated, although not without a grain of truth. Yes, sometimes there are no orders and you have to go to the trip with a gloomy resting smile or just read good educational books. I like the second much more)
2. Irregular schedule... As the reverse side of his "freedom". I solve work issues on trains, airports, bus stations and even in public toilets... Someone seems like a nightmare, but I'm rushing. Every minute of life is spent for the benefit of all living beings.
3. Seclusion. Also a dubious minus, because I would prefer communication with a book than with an imposed and inevitable subject within the workspace. True, in my office years I was somehow lucky with the team. But there were still some exceptions.
4. Full responsibility for the result... Have you screwed up? - pay, did not meet the deadline - get bream in the form of angry tirades of customers. And no one will come to the rescue, no one will take you, defenseless, under his wing. Around the harsh world of expectations deceived by you and you have to pay for your words and guarantees.
5. No social security... No free dinners, delivery and corporate parties with public drinking "for free". No social package or pension contributions. Row, honey, all by myself. And make yourself drunk ... You have to buy Chinese tea and drink it cheerfully and naturally in your own company. A terrible minus, as you can see.
6. The stress of learning new things... Well within the office walls. I learned to press 2-3 buttons and blast myself for 5-10 years, accumulate fat. Freelance does not forgive this. Read and learn constantly. Wipe the blisters on the eyelids. And love, do you hear ???? LOVE your work as yourself! Otherwise, fig you will become a specialist.

Kathmandu, workplace

Where should a beginner start?

It's simple. First of all, answer yourself to main question: "Why the hell do you need this freelance?" Do you love your freedom so much that you are ready to sacrifice a lot for it? (loss of stability, earnings and even loved ones?) Are you ready for difficulties and whole fields of rake that you will have to go through?

And there will be difficulties: interruptions in work, and unscrupulous customers, and a loss of enthusiasm and another 100,500 reasons why you will want to quit everything and never return to freelancing.

Fearfully? Not? Then read the article "" and get ready for the major quantum leap in your life. It will be cooler - just leave your body and be reborn again in a family of hereditary freelancers!

And if you have doubts (which happens very often), read my flock, Fr. I also suffered from them.

• Check out the little book " 7 professions to start in remote work". I studied with these guys and I highly recommend taking it too. You can give feedback on the training.
• Don't forget to raise your professional level, both in sales skills and in your craft. For example, if you want, you can read about the courses that inspire the most confidence in me.

In general, with all my hands, I want people to learn from professionals and not waste a lot of their time on unnecessary searches for free on the Internet. It dulls and turns into a banal freeloader. By the way, there are many of them in Goa. All their talk is only about where and what is cheaper to get.