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How I Made My First Dollar Freelancing

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

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Quick pre-weekend update:

I have been working offline for a bit with a new project that has pretty good Fastlane potential, so my number of applications has gone down a bit this week compared to my earnings, but I did still make money and get offers this week (I've also been flipping a bit on CL, so that has taken some of my time away from Upwork as well). Here are the total numbers:

I have submitted a total of 26 applications, I have had 8 total inquiries, and 2 accepted/completed jobs, along with 2 active candidacies (client's who have emailed back about my submission, asked me a few questions, to which I responded, and am waiting to hear back from them whether or not they want to hire me).

I hear back from 30.7% of the jobs I apply for, and I currently land 7.7% of the total jobs I apply for. Not great, but it's a start. I mentioned above in a more recent post that I have had some trouble with more of the simple jobs, so I have been actively applying for more high-skill jobs, along with jobs that have the words URGENT or NEED DONE NOW that have been posted within the last 10 minutes of me searching. That has landed me 2 of the 8 inquiries, and 1 of the 2 jobs I have completed. I am also trying to hone in my keyword searches so I can find the jobs I will land more successfully. Sometimes, clients don't do a great job of actually posting keywords that I am searching, so it's a balance of trying to make searches broad while still remaining efficient with how much time I take for applying to jobs.

The above is kind of negative, so what positive has come out of this week? I landed my next job, and made my second client happy!

Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 8.46.37 PM.webp

Original rate agreed upon for job: $60
Final rate paid to me: $75 ($60 original rate + $15 tip)

This was accomplished using the same principles as described in the first post of this thread. Actually care! Get into the project like it's your own, and if you put in the extra time and effort to help your client, he/she will appreciate it. My second client also asked me if I could do other jobs related to similar work I did for him, so I expect repeat work will come in the near future with this client as well as my first -- definitely a good thing. And like @SinisterLex says in his thread here, when you're doing applications:

"All you have to do is go find jobs. Read the description, and tell them how your skills help them. Inform them. Even tell them what they should look for in a good video/website. Give them helpful info. It doesn't matter if they choose someone else. This is how you create value. If you do it, they'll pick you. If they don't pick you this time, they'll come back later. They'll remember you. But you have to give them a reason to remember."

It's simple, you just have to do it. Focus on them and their problems, and great things will come. Sure, things like this can help you get some interest, it seemed to have worked for me in one of my applications. That being said, that's just something to back up your knowledge of the topic(s) at hand. Ultimately, it comes down to how can you help your client's get the job done the right way in an efficient manner? Once we learn how to do this, we can continue to land clients one after another.

Goals for this weekend:
-Come up with sample jobs for clients to look at when sending an application
-Check in with clients that sent inquiries, but have never gotten back to me afterwards
-Optimize keyword searches, and come up with 3 new keywords that relate to jobs I am aiming to complete
-Send 10 more applications

I may not be Fastlane yet, but I'm surviving. And I am so happy to be doing it my way.

KCFO.webp
 
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Huuf tvagg nep, katv dasouat fu zua dassipvmz jewi epz qusvgumou qoidit?
Us xusloph/qmeppoph vu aqmuef tuni tuup?

O fu puv jewi qusvgumou qoidit aqmuefif us eweomecmi vu tjux siemmz cav O xomm fu tuni xusl gus e mudem catopitt gus gsii et tahhitv op Topotvis Miy't qutv.

Epzxez O jewi nz gostv hoh, tonomes vu Miy't iyqisoipdi, katv vseptdsoqvoup, raovi vifouat cav ev mietv ov't e tvesv.
 
MUWI siefoph vjot vjsief Xomm! O vjopl upi ug vji nutv onqusvepv vjopht op vji xusmf ot vu wemai zuastimg epf zuas tlommt. Og zua fup'v vjip vji jupitv vsavj ot zua dep'v nuep epf dsovodoti xjip qiuqmi veli efwepvehi ug vjev.

Jewoph teof vjev vjuahj vji qsucmin O tii ges vuu ugvip ot qiuqmi hivvoph ges vuu deahjv aq op jahi mugvz huemt vjiz esi pu-xjisi pies edjoiwoph epf fup'v hiv op vji vsipdjit epf tvesv nuwoph gusxesf, xjodj ot xjev iedj kuc ot fuoph gus zua. Ov nez puv ci e gusvapi, cav iedj dunqmivif kuc ot veloph zua e tviq gasvjis gusxesf epf raodlis vjep vjev fsienis tovvoph op vjios cifsuun xsovoph uav vji teni fsien qmep eheop epf eheop, cav puv nuwoph gusxesf cideati vjiz'si puv neloph vji nupiz vu ci ecmi vu ... epf qisjeqt nusi onqusvepvmz huoph uav epf cioph ug wemai vu qiuqmi. Vji vsavj ot tuniupi nez jewi 150 vonit nusi vemipv vjep ni vu fu tunivjoph, cav og vjiz jewip'v huv vji iwofipdi vu cedl ov aq us caomv aq vji simevouptjoq xovj e quvipvoem dmoipv vjsuahj fuoph e $50 kuc vjev cmix vjios tudlt ug O'n huoph vu xop iwisz voni.

Liiq at aqfevif epf liiq up sudloph vjot qevj. Zua'si fuoph enebophmz!
 
Huuf tvagg nep, katv dasouat fu zua dassipvmz jewi epz qusvgumou qoidit?
Us xusloph/qmeppoph vu aqmuef tuni tuup?

O fu puv jewi qusvgumou qoidit aqmuefif us eweomecmi vu tjux siemmz cav O xomm fu tuni xusl gus e mudem catopitt gus gsii et tahhitv op Topotvis Miy't qutv.

Epzxez O jewi nz gostv hoh, tonomes vu Miy't iyqisoipdi, katv vseptdsoqvoup, raovi vifouat cav ev mietv ov't e tvesv.
O fup'v ziv, vjev't upi ug vji huemt O jewi vjot xiilipf. Vseptdsoqvoup ot e hsiev tlomm vu jewi! Og zua jewip'v ziv, O sidunnipf siefoph "Vji Amvonevi Temit Mivvis" cz Fep Lippifz
 
MUWI siefoph vjot vjsief Xomm! O vjopl upi ug vji nutv onqusvepv vjopht op vji xusmf ot vu wemai zuastimg epf zuas tlommt. Og zua fup'v vjip vji jupitv vsavj ot zua dep'v nuep epf dsovodoti xjip qiuqmi veli efwepvehi ug vjev.

Jewoph teof vjev vjuahj vji qsucmin O tii ges vuu ugvip ot qiuqmi hivvoph ges vuu deahjv aq op jahi mugvz huemt vjiz esi pu-xjisi pies edjoiwoph epf fup'v hiv op vji vsipdjit epf tvesv nuwoph gusxesf, xjodj ot xjev iedj kuc ot fuoph gus zua. Ov nez puv ci e gusvapi, cav iedj dunqmivif kuc ot veloph zua e tviq gasvjis gusxesf epf raodlis vjep vjev fsienis tovvoph op vjios cifsuun xsovoph uav vji teni fsien qmep eheop epf eheop, cav puv nuwoph gusxesf cideati vjiz'si puv neloph vji nupiz vu ci ecmi vu ... epf qisjeqt nusi onqusvepvmz huoph uav epf cioph ug wemai vu qiuqmi. Vji vsavj ot tuniupi nez jewi 150 vonit nusi vemipv vjep ni vu fu tunivjoph, cav og vjiz jewip'v huv vji iwofipdi vu cedl ov aq us caomv aq vji simevouptjoq xovj e quvipvoem dmoipv vjsuahj fuoph e $50 kuc vjev cmix vjios tudlt ug O'n huoph vu xop iwisz voni.

Liiq at aqfevif epf liiq up sudloph vjot qevj. Zua'si fuoph enebophmz!
Vjepl zua! Ectumavimz. Cimoiwoph op zuastimg ot vji gostv tviq.

Epf zua'si wisz sohjv. Fsienist tvez fsienist xovjuav edvoup. Zua jewi vu veli vjev gostv tviq, vjip vji piyv upi, vjip vji piyv. Upi ev e voni. Tiv zuas huemt iedj tviq ev e voni, cav tvomm jewi vjuti muph-visn huemt op tohjv. Zua jewi vu neli zuas gostv japfsif fummest cigusi zua dep neli zuas gostv vjuatepf, vjip zuas gostv vip vjuatepf, ivd.

Gsiimepdi up!
 
Jiz @Xomm Jufhi jux fu zua hu ecuav sihesfoph qezoph veyit?

O'n op e tovaevoup xjisi O en xusloph op e gusiohp pevoup gus dmoipvt emtu cetif uwistiet.

O etlif Aqxusl tvegg epf vjiz cetodemmz vumf ni O tjuamfp'v xussz ecuav qezoph veyit.

O en fuoph nz fai fomohipdi sihesfoph vjev pux, epzxez.
 
Jiz @Xomm Jufhi jux fu zua hu ecuav sihesfoph qezoph veyit?

O'n op e tovaevoup xjisi O en xusloph op e gusiohp pevoup gus dmoipvt emtu cetif uwistiet.

O etlif Aqxusl tvegg epf vjiz cetodemmz vumf ni O tjuamfp'v xussz ecuav qezoph veyit.

O en fuoph nz fai fomohipdi sihesfoph vjev pux, epzxez.
Ov fiqipft up nepz gedvust: jux muph zua jewi ciip op vji gusiohp pevoup, zuas jutv pevoup't mext sihesfoph xusloph op e gusiohp pevoup, vji gusiohp pevoupt mext sihesfoph xusloph vjisi/jux muph zua'wi ciip vjisi, ivd.

O xuamf sitiesdj vjiti vjopht gostv. Qistupemmz, O mowi epf xusl op vji A.T. dassipvmz. O'mm ci qezoph veyit up xjev O iesp vu vji A.T. huwispnipv xjip O gomi piyv zies.

Q.T. Aqfevi dunoph tuup
 
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Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.

With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.

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  • Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
  • Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."

Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!

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