What I’ve Learned About Managing An Upwork Freelance Job

I’m going, to be honest with you: I know next to nothing about freelancing. 

I come from a long line of blue-collar, in-office workers, and my parents were always vehemently anti-freelance (my father, when told that one of my classmates was working on the side as a freelance developer, shot back with “That does not work!”). 

As a result, when I finally got enough experience under my belt to go out into the world as a full-time freelancer, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or how much money I should ask for.

The benefit of starting with no clue is that you can hit rock bottom right away and then start moving up. Over time, I have learned a few things about the lance life. Hopefully, these tips will help someone else get started without too many mistakes!

Takeaways
– Effective time management is crucial for success in freelancing.
– Building strong communication with clients fosters long-term partnerships.
– Balancing multiple projects requires organizational skills and prioritization.
– Offering exceptional customer service leads to positive reviews and referrals.
– Continuous learning and adapting to feedback contribute to professional growth.

Don’t Work For Free

It’s a common misconception that freelancers should be willing to work for free, or at least cheap. 

While some people can afford to do so and enjoy the experience, I’ve learned that it’s more important to build a reputation as someone who charges fairly and expects payment upfront. 

If you’re worried about looking like an amateur, remember that you’re demonstrating your professionalism by standing up for yourself and your industry; don’t let anyone take advantage of your services unless they’re willing to pay for them!

Sometimes clients will ask if they can pay late because their situation is difficult at the moment; this isn’t okay! 

You won’t find success with someone who doesn’t respect your time or expertise enough to pay what they agreed upon from the beginning.

If you’re passionate about writing and interested in the insurance industry, learn how to kickstart your career with our comprehensive guide on becoming a freelance writer in the insurance industry.

Have A Great Contract

If you’ve ever hired a freelancer, you know the importance of having a contract. But if you’re new to the process and not sure what goes into a good contract, here’s everything you need to know.

What is a contract?

A contract is an agreement between two parties that governs their relationship and what will happen if certain circumstances are met on either side. 

It can be as simple as agreeing on a price or time frame for completion of work, but it can also include details about how disputes will be handled or even things like whether one party has ownership over any intellectual property created during the project.

Why do I need one?

Contracts help protect both sides, especially when the other person isn’t someone close to us (as in family members). 

If they don’t do what they promised, we have proof that they agreed otherwise; 

And if we end up not doing something promised ourselves (like paying them) and they want compensation for that missed payment date well guess what: there’s already documentation saying otherwise!

Toss The Bottom Feeders And Go For The Good Clients

The first step to getting rid of these bottom feeders is to identify them. You can do this by looking at the jobs you have done in the past and seeing which clients were most difficult, cost a lot of time, or didn’t pay well.

Then, you need to start saying no to those jobs! Tell your future employers that you are only taking on projects that meet certain criteria: they should be worth your time and they should pay well (more than $5 per hour).

The key here is not only saying no but also being firm about it if someone has been disrespectful of your needs or time in the past, don’t feel bad about turning them down.

Dreaming of a lucrative freelance career? Discover the proven strategies and tips to build a six-figure freelance career in our in-depth article.

Pay Attention To When You’re Getting Paid And How You’re Getting Paid

The next thing is to pay attention to when you’re getting paid and how you’re getting paid. This may sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget about this detail if you’ve never had a freelance job before. 

Make sure that your contract includes all the details of how much and when you’ll be getting paid (and in what currency), and make sure those terms are communicated before starting work on anything.

The timing of payment can be an issue if there are no set deadlines in place, or if there aren’t any delays in paying out funds from a project. 

If there are delays, it might be worth asking why it could be because your client is processing payments manually rather than through automatic billing software like Upwork’s Escrow system uses (this could take up to one week); 

Or they just don’t want to pay until they’ve received everything that was promised in the contract agreed upon by both parties at its start date(s).

Keep A Journal Of Things That Happen On Each Project

There are two ways you can keep a journal. The first is to create a new project in your Upwork account and add the job details. The second is to write it down on paper, then scan it into your computer later.

When writing things on paper:

Write down what happened on the job that day, including any problems or issues.

Make sure you also include what went well as well as what didn’t go so well! This will help you look back with gratitude and don’t forget to celebrate the wins!

Set Expectations At The Beginning Of The Project

When you’re starting a job with a new client, it’s important to set expectations at the beginning of the project. Having clear guidelines and boundaries up front will save you both time and effort down the road. Here are some things you should discuss:

What is the scope of your work? Are there any specific features or designs that need to be included? Can they describe how they want their app to function?

What is the deadline for this project? When do they expect it finished?

What kind of budget does this project have attached to it? Will different phases have different price points or payment schedules (e.g., design vs development)?

How should we communicate throughout this process by email,  phone calls, or instant messaging tools such as Slack/Skype/Google Hangouts, and who should initiate those conversations (you or them)?

How many revisions do they expect before approving your work for payment; what happens if both sides aren’t happy with each iteration after that point; 

How much time does each revision take so we know how much profit margin needs to be built into our quote upfront vs after completion when there are no more changes allowed under contract terms (this may vary depending on which country’s laws govern these arrangements).

Are you tired of missing out on life events due to a rigid work schedule? Learn how freelancing can empower you to overcome the fear of missing out in our insightful post on how freelancing helps people in reducing the fear of missing out.

Document Everything

There are many reasons to document your work. First, it’s good to have a record of what you’ve done and the time it took in case you need to refer back to it. 

Second, if a client wants me to do something that I’m uncomfortable with or isn’t included in our agreement, I can remind them that we discussed this together and show them my documentation of our discussions.

Documentation also helps protect you from clients going back on their word later on: “We agreed on X amount of hours at Y price but now they want more hours and they’re charging me more money!” 

If there’s no evidence of such an agreement (like an invoice or contract), then it’s easier for the client to claim this was not the case. Keep everything documented so that no one can dispute what was said!

Be Prepared To Be Flexible In Your Approach But Not Your Fee

Many times, when you’re hired as a freelancer on Upwork, the client will start with some kind of proposal or idea of what he wants done to be done and how he wants it done. 

This is great news! You can use these guidelines as a starting point to build out an estimate of how much time it’ll take you to complete the job. 

However, if after giving them an estimate they request changes that would require more hours and/or money, don’t be afraid to negotiate! 

It’s okay to say no if their requests will cost too much or take longer than they claimed they needed. 

Sometimes this process can lead to better results overall because it allows both parties more freedom in deciding what is best for their joint venture together.

Learn Something New Every Day, Even If It’s Just A Word

I have found that the best way to improve my skills is to learn something new every day. It doesn’t matter what you’re good at or what you’ve already learned; 

There’s always something else out there waiting for you to discover! 

This can be as simple as learning a new word in the language that you speak or finding out about someone who has done something amazing that was previously unknown about them (i.e., discovering how much Neil Armstrong contributed to his project).

Lights, camera, action! If you aspire to become a freelance videographer, our detailed guide on how to become a freelance videographer will equip you with the essential steps to launch your career.

Set Boundaries

You are in charge of how much time you spend on a project, and how many revisions or tasks you complete. It’s also up to you whether or not your clients can reach out via phone or email during certain hours of the day. 

If you don’t have any boundaries, then your client should do whatever they want with their budget and schedule and so should everyone else who works with them (including the freelancers).

Keep those boundaries! When setting these limits for yourself and others, communicate clearly where these lines are drawn so that no one gets confused about what’s expected from them as far as communication goes. 

This will also help make sure nothing slips through the cracks when it comes time for an update on progress made during a project (or lack thereof).

Enforce those boundaries! As soon as someone steps over one of these boundaries set by either party involved in communication between two parties involved in communication… 

It’s important to enforce them immediately before they become too disruptive (like if one client keeps calling another client at all times of day/night).

When you can’t keep your boundaries, don’t beat yourself up about it, just do better next time.

When you can’t keep your boundaries, don’t beat yourself up about it, just do better next time. Don’t get caught up in the negative feelings that come from things that are beyond your control. 

If you have to work late or on weekends to meet a deadline, focus on what you can control: how you handle the situation and make the client happy so they will want to use your services again in the future.

Don’t Let Other People’s Opinions Distract You From Doing Your Best Work 

Some clients will always be difficult or demanding; 

Others may not fully understand what it takes to create an effective product or service for them (even when they know exactly what they’re looking for). 

It’s not always easy being on both sides of an exchange like this as a freelancer but if someone isn’t satisfied with the results of their project with you, it’s probably not because of any failure on your part!

Stay in touch with old clients and let them know when you’re looking for new work.

One of the best things you can do to keep your freelance business growing is to be open to new opportunities. 

If you let your current clients know that you’re looking for more work and they have something available, they’ll be able to refer you to their friends or colleagues.

If someone doesn’t get the job, don’t forget about them! It’s important not just as a professional courtesy, but also because some good connections might slip through the cracks if they aren’t nurtured properly. 

And if someone does get a job, don’t forget them either! Send them an email congratulating them on landing the gig and offering additional services in case there are any problems with it later on down the road.

Work Hard But Also Take Breaks When You Need Them; Schedule Them If You Have To!

As a freelancer, you’re an independent contractor. That means your clients are the ones who pay your salary and benefits (if you have any) and that they can hire you as many hours in a week as they want. They don’t have to give you any time off or let you go on vacation.

Your sanity and quality of work need to take breaks from time to time but it’s also important that no one knows when those breaks are happening! 

The best thing about being an independent contractor is that there aren’t any rules about how much time off you can take or when it has to be taken. 

You can take all the days off that HR would never approve of because no one will ever know about them except for yourself. 

Make sure not only that no one knows when these breaks are happening but also what exactly makes up this “work schedule” 

If anyone asks questions later on down the line, they’ll think everything was handled according to policy without ever realizing how flexible things were behind-the-scenes!

You Can Learn From Experience When Working As A Freelancer

Learning from experience is a great way to get better at what you do, or discover new skills. You can learn from experience in many different ways. Here are some ideas:

Learn By Observing What Other People Do And How They Do It

Learn by trying things out for yourself, even if you’re not sure if they’ll work the first time around. 

This is called “trial-and-error,” but trial-and-error isn’t always bad; sometimes it’s exactly what’s needed to find out what works best for a certain situation!

Ask others questions about their experiences with certain topics or situations even if those questions feel silly! 

People love giving advice based on their own experiences because it helps them feel like they’ve made an impact on the world (and who doesn’t want that?).

Managing an Upwork freelance job comes with its unique challenges and rewards. Discover the valuable insights and experiences shared in the blog post What I’ve Learned About Managing an Upwork Freelance Job to enhance your freelancing journey.

Conclusion

Whew! That was a lot of information. I hope it was helpful, and that you can take what resonates with you and apply it in your own life. 

If you’ve got any questions or think I missed anything, please feel free to reach out and let me know.

Further Reading

Upwork Jobs for Beginners: A comprehensive guide that offers valuable insights into finding and landing suitable jobs on Upwork, perfect for freelancers new to the platform.

Upwork Review: Is It Worth It for Freelancers?: Learn about the pros and cons of using Upwork as a freelancer and gain a better understanding of its potential benefits.

Best Practices for Freelancing on Upwork: Discover the best practices and tips to maximize your success and build a thriving freelance career on Upwork.

FAQs

How can I find suitable jobs as a beginner on Upwork?

Finding suitable jobs as a beginner on Upwork involves optimizing your profile, submitting tailored proposals, and focusing on entry-level opportunities.

Is Upwork a reliable platform for freelancers?

Upwork is a reputable and widely used platform that offers numerous opportunities for freelancers across various industries.

What are some essential tips for excelling on Upwork as a freelancer?

To excel on Upwork, it’s essential to maintain a professional profile, communicate effectively with clients, deliver high-quality work, and build positive client relationships.

How can I stand out from other freelancers on Upwork?

To stand out, emphasize your unique skills and expertise, provide exceptional service, and maintain a strong portfolio showcasing your best work.

Are there any potential challenges freelancers may face on Upwork?

While Upwork offers numerous opportunities, freelancers may face competition, pricing challenges, and the need to maintain consistent communication with clients.