Exchanges for designers, photographers and illustrators. Exchanges for designers, photographers and illustrators Exchange of ready-made designs

Hi all. I started doing web design 6 years ago (if you count from the very, very first crooked layout for a non-existent travel company). The first 2 years I worked in a small studio, then I went freelance and so far I'm alive and well.

The recommendations below are not at all axioms, not rules, and are not binding. I came to some myself, some I peeped from others. Something I often cannot force myself to do (this is partly why I decided to write them out and structure them). If you're just getting started with web design, you'll likely need at least some of the following. If you are already in business, your opinion is welcome in the comments.

1. Start working in the morning
After lunch, the head already cooks worse, so accelerate in the morning. Yes, there are people who think they work better at night. You can try this, and then return to the daily schedule.

2. No one cares how long it took you to get to the end result.
But the ability to do everything as quickly as possible not only saves time, but also increases the chances of doing something else in life.

3. No matter how hard you try - if the result is bad, then you need to redo

4. Always start with pen and paper
Draw an idea, sketch a layout, write down in words what needs to be done. And yes, use a pen - a pencil is no good. A marker is also possible (this is if you want to show off pictures of your beautiful sketches on the Internet later).

5. First a prototype, then beauty
And then another prototype.

6. The customer is always wrong, but sometimes right

7. Learn typography
Figure out which fonts can be combined with which ones, what line height is the most convenient for reading, how to compose paragraphs with pictures, how to assemble blocks with different font sizes, why you need a vertical rhythm, why you should use no more than 3 fonts in a site. Then all this can be repeatedly violated and sleep peacefully.

8. Don't overthink color matching
The palette can be stolen from any picture you like. But the base colors are up to you, and the "Delete" button will always be red.

9. Don't abandon a project after it's completed.
Each of your projects will start with some flaws. The design can break, the layout can go wrong, the manager on the client side will throw ugly illiterate texts on the site, the animation in the application will be crooked ... There are many options. Therefore, always try to at least ask a couple of weeks after the surrender how things are going and if your help is needed.

10. Your ideas are worth nothing.
Don't worry about them being stolen - no one will be able to implement them the way you would.

11. Learn to typeset html
Try to completely make your own site according to your own design. Many discoveries await you.

12. "You" with a small
Write with a big letter only in a personal letter to a specific person you know, whom you really respect very much.

13. Try standing up for a change.
It is just as hard as sitting down, it will just hurt in other places.

14. Write about your work
And do not be afraid to reveal your most secret working knowledge - most likely, you yourself spied it on someone.

15. Once an hour, get up from your chair for 15 minutes.

16. Don't get too carried away with Dribbble
Keep in mind that there are special people on the salary who are exclusively engaged in drawing pictures in Dribbble. Such pictures have little to do with real interfaces and, very likely, would never work in real life.

I ask you in a separate line: do not draw an application for an iPhone about the weather and a product card with animation.

17. Try windows background and android - they are also fun

18. Grid - Last
First come up with a design without a grid at all. Then you can fix everything.

19. Redo your old work
Maybe others too.

20. When you study, read everything on the topic.
Don't limit yourself to standard lists like "10 books for an aspiring designer." Rowing everything in a row, along the way, you yourself can figure out which books and articles are valuable, and which ones are about nothing.

21. Listen to Ludwig's lectures for designers about designers

22. Get knowledge yourself
What you have learned on your own stays with you. What they try to force into your head will most likely fall back.

23. Design with real data
Immediately take real texts and photos to work. Or compose something on the topic yourself. If you make a layout, where there are only plugs and “lorem-ipsums”, then there is a high probability that everything will fall apart on the battlefield.

24. Bad design doesn't hurt much good idea. Good design does nothing to help a failed product.

25. Don't get creative at work
Solve puzzles.

26. Don't dump
Know your worth and keep your customers informed.

27. Don't race
If the client wants you to compete with another candidate for a project, you can safely turn around and leave.

28. Don't panic
You will have periods when there will be no projects. There will be a desire to grab any job, even for a penny. This is normal, but it must be endured.

29. The cost of your work can be changed
... depending on the state of affairs in the market, its workload, the complexity of the project, the harmfulness of the manager or the weather. Just set reasonable limits.

30. Competition is a good opportunity to work on your portfolio
Not more.

So far, I have everything. I most likely lost something along the way, so it is likely that the article (or the second part) will be updated soon. All for now.

Use the YouDo service if you need a proven freelance designer. The Yudu website has professional web artists who are ready to develop any design project in the shortest possible time. The performers have the necessary work experience and professional skills. Professionals provide their services at affordable prices.

What is included in the services

To successfully promote your business on the Internet, you need to pay special attention to the company's concept and design. The visual part is able to attract new customers and make the brand memorable and recognizable. The development of high-quality unique design should be entrusted to a professional.

A freelance designer provides the following services at an affordable price:

• development of a unique website design
• creation corporate style companies
• brand logo design
• illustration
• development of various banners

To draw a high-quality website design, a specialist will take into account your wishes, the scope of the company, as well as HTML resolution. This is necessary so that your site loads quickly and does not freeze, despite the graphic content.

Freelance implies the work of the performer at home, so a professional works at any time of the day, and the cost of his services is lower than when ordering in large companies(as a freelancer has no extra costs).

The work of a design specialist takes place in several stages:

• definition of goals and objectives of the project
• discussion of project details
• choice of design color scheme
• creating layouts
• edits according to customer's requirement

The master will clearly follow your instructions, and also prompt best solutions for your design. Payment for the work occurs only after you have checked and accepted it.

The price of web designer services depends on such things as:

• project complexity
• order urgency
• type of design services
• the need for additional work

Approximate prices can be found on the Yudu website. The specialist will tell you the final cost of web design after discussing all the details of the project and signing the contract. The agreement gives the parties a guarantee of safe cooperation.

Web masters work remotely and around the clock, so you can order services from any contractor, regardless of his or your location. However, it is recommended to have face-to-face meetings with the implementers to discuss and make decisions.

How to order a design

To place an order for designer services, fill out an application on the Yudu website. Indicate in it the essence of the project and your requirements for the contractor, as well as your budget for the design. Artists who are ready to inexpensively develop and create a unique design will find you themselves.

To find out how much it costs to develop an original design, check out the artists' profiles on Yudu's website. You can also compare their work experience and portfolio there. Be sure to read customer reviews to find a trusted specialist. The rating system will tell you the best professionals with the lowest rates in your city. An experienced freelance designer registered on the Yudu website will complete the order as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you have recently learned that it is quite possible to make money on the Internet, or if you only now feel ready to start such work, then one of the most valuable tips from experts in this case concerns sites where you can get a job. There are many freelance sites on the Internet, where it is not difficult to find a job even for beginners.

What is freelancing?

Today freelancing is most often called remote work in the Internet when you negotiate cooperation with customers and employers via the Internet. The convenience of freelancing lies in the fact that you yourself choose exchanges for finding work, look for clients and manage your time yourself.

The motto of freelancing for both beginners and experienced ones is freedom of choice, which is embedded directly in the very name of the work (free).

The ideal freelance job looks like this - you choose exchanges for job search, find customers, complete tasks and receive payment via the Internet. Money is usually sent to electronic wallets of WebMoney and YandexMoney systems. For beginners, the question of getting paid via the Internet is usually the most incomprehensible, but in fact, for freelancing, finding a permanent job or a source of regular orders is much more difficult.

How to establish permanent remote work?

For beginners, first of all, you should accurately determine what kind of work can you do online. This can be writing texts, posting on forums, SMM, text translations, moderation and site administration. Even if you are a specialist in design, photography, programming or in another narrow profile, then for beginners it is advised to make maximum effort in the first time of work to achieve a high reputation.

Unfortunately, on the Internet, few people are ready to take a word that you are a highly qualified specialist, so examples of completed tasks collected in the portfolio and job reviews will tell you for you.

When looking for a permanent job, you will need a good freelancing exchange, patience and diligence. Many employers may offer test, before starting work - do not refuse to complete trial tasks, but be careful and do not rush to perform large amounts of unpaid work. Keep in mind that any freelance exchange is home to scammers who simply lure jobs from beginners and do not pay for them. Try to work with employers with a high reputation on the site and good reviews.

How much can you earn with a freelance exchange?

Making money through the Internet is a wonderful thing, because everything is in the hands of the artist, even the size of it wages. You can take the first job that comes across and agree to low pay, or you can try find high paying jobs by spending more time and effort looking for a job. Also, earnings depend on the time that you are willing to devote to work, as well as on your productivity.

The advantage of freelancing is that you can work on weekends, and on weekdays start earlier, or vice versa, work late.

If you want to earn more - just work more, if comfort and rest are more important for you, shorten the working day.

List of the best sites for remote work

The best exchanges for a beginner are large platforms that ensure the security of transactions and closely monitor compliance with the rules of work. Quite good criteria for the reliability of the exchange are a guarantee of payment for the task and a system for protecting the rights of all users, even beginners.

weblancer

good project for beginners - here you can always find a lot of tasks. Unfortunately, this exchange has ceased to be free - in order to respond to projects, you need to select and pay tariff plan. The cost is from 1 USD, while for a number of services offered, for example: naming and slogans, transcription, the tariff is free. The more specializations a freelancer chooses, the more he has to pay for using the weblancer exchange.

fl

One of the largest and most famous freelance platforms is the Fl exchange. Full-fledged work on this resource is possible only with a PRO account, the price of which starts at 1,500 rubles for one month of access to the resource. Without it, you will be able to contact only those customers who themselves leave their contacts in the text of the assignment, but cannot respond to projects. In the case of direct contact with customers, the site does not guarantee payment for the task. To be guaranteed to receive payment, you need to have a PRO account and work through the Safe Deal service. This resource is not recommended for performers with above-average cost of services.

freelancer

The Freelancer exchange website has a user-friendly interface and provides the opportunity to work both through a secure transaction and without it. You can work on the exchange for free, but if you are interested in submitting more than three applications per day, you need to purchase a higher level account that gives additional features. Price for access to personal account starts from 590 rubles.

Freelancehunt.com

The exchange is quite young, but with good prospects. More than a hundred thousand freelancers have already registered here. The site has good design and user-friendly interface. The main tasks are for designers, copywriters, programmers. You can start working on the service for free, as there is no need to purchase additional PRO-accounts. It is enough to offer services and customers themselves can contact the freelancer.

Work-zilla

On the freelance exchange workzilla great amount specializations. You can choose the task you want to complete from the list of tasks published on the site. The system protects freelancers from fraudsters: it takes a commission from each order, but guarantees the customer a refund if the work is not completed in accordance with the terms of the task, and the contractor is paid for a job well done, even if the customer does not want to pay for it. In order to work on the exchange, you need to buy a subscription - the cost of access to tasks for 3 months is 490 rubles + commission.

Kadrof.ru

You can work on this exchange without even registering - the system allows you to view orders and see the contact details of the customer, so you can contact him directly. There are different orders here: website development, copywriting, crowd marketing, etc. On the this resource a lot of useful information: articles, courses, both for beginners and for those who already have experience. Kadrof.ru provides information about other Internet resources (stock exchanges) for copywriting.

Kwork

Freelance exchange Kwork positions itself as an online services store, and this is a one-price store - 500 rubles. You can offer your services for this price and wait for the customer to choose you. True, the system withholds a commission of about 100 rubles. For a beginner, it is interesting because you can gain experience and rating almost for nothing. This will allow you to take applications at an adequate cost in the future.

best-lance.ru

This exchange provides its services to freelancers different directions. Currently, it is characterized by rather low activity. There are offers for one-time projects, but vacancies for remote work are more common. You can always find a large number of ads on the site, but some of them may turn out to be fraudulent, since there is no secure transaction service on the exchange.

freelansim.ru

This exchange grew out of a freelance blog. Now you can find quite a lot of orders here - mainly for programmers and designers. The majority of customers are quite experienced and technically competent specialists. After registering on the exchange, you can respond to 5 orders daily for free. For more active work, it is possible to purchase subscriptions or responses. Payment for a subscription is based on the price per day - from 20 rubles, and depends on the purchased subscription period: the longer, the cheaper.

Watch the video - TOP 10 sites for making money on the Internet without investments on freelance

Moguza.ru

This is a kind of store where the performers themselves offer services and set the price for them. The range of services is different: texts, websites, graphics, web design, etc. The cost starts from 100 rubles. Now more than 10,000 current offers from freelancers are posted on the moguza.ru website.

freelancejob.ru

This site contains advertisements with customer contacts, so that freelancers can contact them directly. There are many vacancies for copywriters, layout designers, programmers, managers. It is more suitable for professionals. It is quite difficult to get into the freelancer directory - the requirements for the portfolio are quite high. A newly registered user may find himself on the first pages of the catalog, as it opens in random order. At the same time, the registration procedure is quite simple, one might say - ordinary.

Allfreelancers.com

There are not too many orders here - maybe 20-30 per day, but there is little competition. You can work both through a safe transaction and without it. Using the AllFreelancers.su resource: registration, portfolio creation, selection and application for projects is completely free. For a small additional fee of 30 rubles, you can highlight your application when included in the project. The exchange contains vacancies from employers in different areas. Of the nuances: from the accounts of users who have not logged in for 6 months, a maintenance fee of up to 100 per month is charged.

Ujobs.me

The ujobs.me team started its activity in 2015. Now more than 9.5 thousand performers are registered on the Ujobs exchange. Freelancers can place their ads on their own or respond to customer requests. It is possible to work through a secure transaction. There are tariffs that allow you to respond to a larger number of applications. The cost of tariffs - from 15 rubles per day.

Etxt.ru

This is perhaps the most popular exchange for copywriters, so if you consider yourself a copywriting specialist, then be sure to try working on this exchange. There is a service for checking the text for uniqueness, in case of a match, it gives complete information. The portfolio is constantly being updated. Distinctive feature resource - very low prices. For a beginner, there is a chance to gain experience and rating. To do this, however, you will have to take on any work and perhaps just a review. The exchange has implemented another affordable source of income - the sale of already written articles.

advego.ru

It positions itself as the number 1 content exchange. The site is suitable for copywriters, rewriters, translators. On the Advego exchange, you can put up your articles for sale or take orders from the site. The advantage of the resource is that there is no need to run after customers - you can choose a job from the list of available ones and immediately start working on it. True, for a beginner, the prices will not be too high, but here you can “fill your hand”. The system takes a 10% commission, but guarantees payment for a job well done.

Most of the freelance exchanges listed above are broadly specialized. Even a beginner can try his hand there, although there are many professionals with vast experience among those working on these resources.

If you know exactly what kind of activity you want to earn a living, then you can also register on highly specialized exchanges - for copywriters, photographers, designers, programmers, etc.

Making money on the Internet is quite real, and freelancing is just one of possible ways. Want to know more? All actual information here 50 ways to make money online

In fact, there are many more sites on the Internet suitable for freelancing - these are FreelanceJob.ru, Text.ru, Advego.ru, Copylancer.ru, Txt.ru, Modber.ru, Freelansim.ru, Illustrators.ru, Shutterstock.com , Vsesdal.com and others.

The main thing is to choose a niche for yourself for your own work, be patient and start looking for jobs. The most important thing in freelancing is, perhaps, experience, so if you become a good specialist, then you will find a job on any stock exchange.

Do you want to not only make good money, but also get rich? At the very least, do not think daily about whether you have enough money for everything that you planned to buy: the latest technology, a cool car, and even an apartment? Then you are on the course money management.

Many designers from Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR in last years faced with a drop in earnings for local . This is not surprising - the economic situation leaves much to be desired, there is less money in business and the number of orders is falling.

At such a time, the logical decision for a designer, and for any other freelancer, is to enter new markets and search for customers from Europe and America. Business there is growing steadily, and with it the need for quality, besides, payment comes in dollars or euros, which, at the current exchange rate, cannot but rejoice.

Of course, specialized sites that help specialists and employers find each other are best suited for finding customers from abroad. In addition to the well-known exchanges covering all types of freelance work, there are a number of exchanges tailored exclusively for designers. Let's take a quick look at some of them.

99 designs

This portal operates on a competitive basis. To get an order, freelancers participate in competitions announced by customers.

Contests can be very different - for the best logo, illustration, website design, application or packaging design, clothing sketch or book cover, etc.

Within seven days, the customer selects the winner, who receives a predetermined fee, transfers the rights to the project to the client and becomes the priority executor of new orders for this client.

DesignCrowd

This platform, which is extremely popular in the West, but not so well known to designers from the CIS, also works on the basis of a competition. Competitions are held in four categories: web design, graphic design, printing and form style. Designers offer their work in accordance with the brief of the customer, who, after discussion and making improvements, chooses the winner.

Unlike other sites, on DesignCrowd, designers are compensated for participating in the contest (about $20-$50), even if they don't win.

It is important to place your portfolio on the site, because sometimes customers simply choose a designer without holding a competition. Service commission is 13.3%

Fiverr

This service causes a lot of controversy in the design environment. He is often accused of dumping and extremely poor quality of work. This is not surprising, because one of the requirements of the service is to provide services for only $5.

Oddly enough, many offer the design of a logo, business card, banner, flyer, etc. for such a ridiculous price. However, not everyone knows that a designer working for Fiverr is obliged to provide for $5 only one, the most minimum service. Wherein Additional services can be provided at a higher rate (necessarily a multiple of five dollars).

For example, creating a simple logo without a deadline, providing sources and rights can cost $5, while urgent logo creation with providing sources and files in high resolution a performer with a top rating will be no less than $50. Some experienced users good rating earn several thousand dollars a month by offering packages of services for $50-100 each, while the provision of these services takes only 2-3 hours.

Below are 10 tips that will help designers from the CIS to correctly present themselves to a foreign customer, learn how to receive orders and successfully work on international design exchanges.

1. Pay special attention to the profile

Just like on the Russian stock exchange, your profile is your business card. The content of the profile becomes a decisive factor influencing the success in promoting the designer's services.

Come up with a catchy title that includes your specialization, work experience and skills; Remove descriptive words from there - everything is only on the case. Describe your professional experience and qualities in the format of an informative but concise cover letter. Competently formulate your thoughts, write only to the point. Put yourself in the place of the customer, think about what is important to him when he orders your services, and let him know that you have necessary qualities. A potential customer must be convinced not only that you have already successfully completed projects similar to his, but also in general in your adequacy and professionalism. If you are not sure about your English, give the text to friends for proofreading or order proofreading in an online agency. Be accurate and honest - then customers will perceive you exactly as you want.

Be careful with your profile photo, moderately preferred business style on a neutral background. A friendly smile never hurts, it will emphasize your self-confidence and win over potential customers.

Look at the profiles of other highly rated designers - think about what elements of their profile, phrases and expressions you could use for yourself. Analyze which are the most important for customers keywords most often used in the profiles of successful competitors, and include them in your profile.

Include in your portfolio examples of your best, most presentable work done for US or European clients. This is much more important, albeit very high-quality, but made for customers from the CIS work. If you don’t have any work for Western clients, it makes sense to design a flyer, website page or booklet cover for a fictitious project on English language.

Constantly work on your profile, improve it, add new skills (more on that below), update your portfolio.

2. Pull up your English

Communication on international design exchanges is mainly in English. Many designers believe that knowing English is not necessary, and it will be enough to use Google Translator for work. This approach has a number of downsides.

First, without knowing the language, you will not always be able to accurately understand the task.

Secondly, you all know at what level online translators often translate. Do you want the letters and messages that you send to the customer to be written in incorrect and illiterate language, and sometimes with a distorted meaning? Good written communication will help you inspire confidence in the client, and it will just be more pleasant to work with you.

In addition, communication with the help of online translators requires much more time, you will feel this when it comes to chatting on Skype, and not in exchange chats. It is worth noting that many dumping designers from Southeast Asia suffer from poor English, so competent speech is a great way to additionally stand out among them and make the customer want to pay more for your work.

Therefore, if your level of English is below Intermediate, it's time to enroll in courses.

According to the experience of many designers, the easiest customers in terms of communication are from European countries where English is not native. As a rule, such clients speak at a comfortable slow pace, their speech consists of the most famous common words, they use little unfamiliar speech turns and slang, and they have a fairly easy-to-understand pronunciation.

3. Keep evolving and learning

It's no secret that in order to be a professional, you need to study every day. Your income directly depends on the level of your professionalism, and when you enter a market with global competition, it becomes especially important to constantly improve this level. On the global market it is much easier for the customer to find a contractor with the right set of skills and competencies.

Therefore, you must not only develop and hone existing skills, but also constantly acquire new ones. On the international exchange, the chances of selling low-quality services tend to zero.

Because the constant work on improving your professional level- recipe for success. Try to devote at least half an hour every day to studying authoritative thematic resources, forums and communities. Explore new trends and technologies - even if you do not use them in practice, you will be aware of industry trends and will be able to present yourself favorably to the customer.

Be sure to subscribe to popular English language design resources such as Behance, SmahingMagazine, UXMag, How Design, Just and many more. So you will not only be aware of global trends in design and technology, but also replenish your vocabulary with relevant English terminology.

4. Get ready to interact on a new level and embrace cultural differences

Western customers expect a responsible approach from the contractors and full immersion in the project. Doing projects for several customers in parallel and delaying the deadline for a day will not work here. When entering international exchanges, it is very important to earn quickly and maintain a high rating, so it is necessary to demonstrate maximum involvement in the project and high-quality results to customers. As with local exchanges, it is very important to develop a permanent client base, customer satisfaction must be put in the first place. The first task from a new customer can be small and inexpensive, but if you do it well, then there is a high probability of providing yourself permanent job for a long time.

Pay special attention to high-quality and effective communication. A quick email response will show your willingness to always be in touch with the client. If you want to build a long-term relationship with a customer, respond promptly and whenever possible, always be in touch (of course, within reasonable limits). Send regular reports to the client informing about the status of the project, or schedule periodic Skype calls to discuss current issues.

5. Consider time difference and holidays

When working with overseas, especially US customers, be prepared to work after hours. Customers from other time zones will expect you to be available at least some of their business hours. Keep this in mind when planning your schedule. By the way, Europeans are very sensitive to personal time, and after 17:00 they are not ready to devote time to work issues. Therefore, if you send questions or edits to the layout in the evening, do not wait for an answer until the next morning.

Europe and the US don't have as many days off in early January, and they don't have May holidays, and your regular Western customers will expect you to be at least partially available during this period as their business is operating normally. In turn, don't forget to wish your Western clients happy holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, and try to complete all projects before their holidays start.

6. Consider pricing

Dumping on international freelance exchanges is not the best strategy, there will always be performers who will offer even more low price. Instead, their competitive advantages quality, speed, professional approach and, as mentioned above, good English should be done. Keep in mind that the competition will only increase. Freelancers will make up 40% of America's workforce by 2020, according to Intuit. It is estimated that half of the UK's working population will go freelancing within the next five years, and India already has a whopping 15 million freelancers.

It is always useful to focus on average rates. According to , the average rate of freelancers in Russian-speaking countries is $18, in the whole world - $21. Russia is on par with the world average ($21), Belarus is coming the second with a rate of $19, in Ukraine and Moldova they ask for a little less than the average - $16. As for designers, the average rate for graphic designers, web designers and video editors is $19, and for illustrators $20.

Instead of asking customers how much they are willing to pay, tell them with . It is perfectly acceptable to inquire about the client's budget. Use this information to offer a range of services that will match your prices. You can also offer the client a staged payment or other conditions that satisfy both parties.

7. Think ahead about how you will get paid

Getting paid is one of the main difficulties designers from the CIS face when working on international exchanges. Many withdrawal methods offered by such exchanges are not available or available to a limited extent in some CIS countries. Many exchanges do not transfer funds to an account in a Russian or Ukrainian bank, even if it is opened in foreign currency, and opening an account abroad involves a number of difficulties and high costs for a designer. One solution to this problem is the Payoneer payment platform, which helps freelancers get paid from European and American clients.

Many international freelance exchanges (UpWork, 99design, Fiverr and others) offer Payoneer as one of the means of receiving payment, just enter your account details in the exchange settings. If the exchange does not work directly with Payoneer, you can simply enter the details of the virtual American or European account to receive payment, which Payoneer provides to all its users. Regardless of which of the two ways you receive money on Payoneer, you can withdraw it to your local bank account, withdraw it from an ATM, or use it to make a purchase with your Payoneer MasterCard.

Especially for readers, the Payoneer website provides a special bonus - they give $ 75 to a Payoneer account after registering and receiving payments in the amount of $ 100. To receive the bonus, simply register using this link.

8. Behave properly in case of late payment

By working on popular international freelance exchanges, you expect to get paid quickly. It should be noted right away that in matters of payment, Western customers are very obligatory and punctual. There are practically no lovers of getting a design and not paying here.

Unfortunately, there will always be those who do not pay or pay late. Sometimes the customer does not pay simply because he is busy or does not know how to properly organize the work. Send him a friendly reminder via the online exchange. Ask him if he has any questions about the work you have done. Keep all correspondence with the client, including through the exchange: this way you will have proof that you tried to receive payment.