Hi! I recently held my first webinar to provide an introduction to my course Freelance with Elance. This webinar addresses some common questions (and misconceptions) that people have about freelancing in general and about Elance in particular. I’ve provided examples and screenshots in this presentation to show you how my course can benefit you. Its an approximately 40 min presentation, including audience questions. Watch here:

If you’re in Karachi, you can sign up to take the next course here: http://wordpl.net/index.php/freelance-with-elance/ Once you fill out the form, you will be emailed details about the date, time, venue and course outline.

Thank you!

To start 2011 right, I am very happy to bring to you my first interview with someone who embodies the spirit of action in all she does – Fareen Effendi. This remarkable woman, who is a mother & a wife, heard about freelancing opportunities from me in August 2010 and a month and half later was on her way with her first international client. In just three months, she’s made over $3000 just from freelance writing clients! With her dedication and focused approach, she is definitely going to go far and I wish her all the success! Read on to learn more about what powers Fareen and what kind of a mind-set is needed to thrive as an online entrepreneur.

1. When did you start freelancing?

In August, I attended a session through Weldon Moms where the guest speaker was none other than Salma Jafri.  Ripe with the need to move into something that offered me freedom and flexibility, yet afforded me the opportunity to earn all the same, the session sparked within me the desire to begin immediately.  At that time, between my day job and managing three small kids’ school rounds, ‘immediately’ ended up being a month a half later.  So, one late evening in mid-September in 2010 I sat down to sign up with Elance.

Right about the same time, I began to chronicle my freelancing journey on my blog: http://fareenswow.blogspot.com

2. Why did you choose Elance as your freelance marketplace of choice?

What attracted me to Elance was mainly the platform’s long-standing history (having been in existence for at least a decade, if not more) and the site’s inclusion of things like Escrow payments, a dispute-resolution program and other things that were well-thought out.  The other thing is that, of all the freelancing websites and forums out there, Elance is the one best suited for the global marketplace in my opinion.

3. How did you find the getting started process (making a profile, choosing membership, etc)? Was it intuitive or complicated?

I LOVED the initial set-up process.  I mean, who doesn’t enjoy tooting their own horn to some degree?  So to be able to outline my skills and showcase my talents was enjoyable, to say the least.  I didn’t just do it over night either.  I took my time, studied the site, went through the profiles of successful providers to see where the edge was in their profiles, read each and every relevant post on the website’s forum, browsed through the Elance blog and of course went through the list of FAQs on the site as well.  Only THEN did I feel ready and able to assemble an effective profile that I knew would do justice to my abilities.

4. What kind of projects do you wish to do as a freelancer?

This changes regularly.  When I first began just a few months ago, all I wanted was to land that first job.  Three projects later, I began to realize that not only was I valuable to buyers on Elance but I was also providing them an invaluable service at very low rates – so I upped the ante and began to charge more, a lot more.  To my surprise, the projects evolved and the pay rates increased along with it.  To answer specifically, at first I was only doing article writing – then soon after I ventured into some viral marketing, blog writing, business writing and web copy.  Now, I’ve slowly begun heading into white papers, academic reports as well as some book editing and I’ve added an off-site team member to expand into some graphic design to go along with some of my projects.

5. How do you differentiate yourself/your services in the competitive international market?

Elance is no different than having a regular store front in a shopping mall.  You own a business.  You can either succeed, depending on your marketing techniques, or fade into the background if you are not careful.  When it comes to my business, whether online with Elance or otherwise, I simply remain true to myself and my abilities.  I try to put forth the ‘real me’ with each client, never over-selling but usually willing to go the extra mile.  The key is to remain professional, do your very best in everything you take on, keep an open and honest rapport with your clientele and deliver what you promise.

6. How much are you currently earning monthly in freelancing income?

This is always a fun question – because this, too, is ever-evolving.  My first two weeks, I earned zip.  In fact, the investment I made set me back a few bucks.  But with the first job and ever since, I’ve been seeing a steadily rising income of anywhere from $1000-$1200 per month – working part time.

7. How much do you expect to be earning/would prefer to earn in 6 months’ time?

Well, based on the strategy I’m following I expect to see some exponential growth which by my estimate would mean that by the end of June 2011 I hope to have earned about $12-$14k.

8. Do you believe freelancers can earn just as much or more than a typical office job?

Yes, I do but it would take a great deal of discipline and LOTS of sacrifice.  I remember Salma saying on that very first day that success on Elance doesn’t come without hard work.  This is so true!  To work as a freelancer has some risks involved but if you play your cards right and strategize effectively, it can be done.  I have a friend who has earned over $50k this past year but not without working around the clock and sacrificing many other things in life.  For now, that’s not my agenda.

9. Your top 3 tips for freelancing success?

1. Believe in yourself and your abilities.  If you are confident, people are confident in you!

2. Never accept anything less than perfection from yourself.  Never.

3. Put your heart and soul into it and realize that this is your business. Treat it like that, and you will find success.

Note from Salma: Fareen is one of those people who can take an idea, research it and follow it to its logical (and successful) conclusion. For those of you interested in gaining a spark about the possibilities, please read my post about how to start an online business. For those wishing for a little more hand-holding, check out my course tailor-made just for you, called Freelance with Elance. We’re gearing up for the Jan session, so pre-register now!

I’ve been getting many questions lately regarding Elance’s payment procedure and its legalities from many interested first-time Elancers based in Pakistan and so thought this post might be of help to those who have either just recently set up their own Elance account or are wanting to do so. All of the information contained in this post is applicable to the residents of any country – the only difference may be in payment processing times.

When you set up an Elance account, you have 4 membership plans to choose from: Basic (free), Professional ($10/month), Small Business ($20/month) and Large Business ($40/month).

Assuming you start with the Basic Plan (which will give you 10 connects to place bids with), you do not need to use your credit card at all since the plan is completely free. The flip-side is obviously that you’ve got to use those 10 connects to bid wisely and even so, statistically, there’s a slim chance of landing a project with just 10 connects and no Elance experience (although it can be done).

If supposing you are one of the lucky ones and manage to land a project (or more!) with those 10 connects, the next thing you’d want to know (apart from doing the work) is how you’re going to be paid. Well, Elance couldn’t be simpler really. You do not need a PayPal account, you don’t need a credit card, and you don’t need a foreign bank account.

All you need is a local bank account.

Elance will wire transfer your money to you as a direct deposit into your local bank account! You can then withdraw it immediately using your ATM card or whatever method you prefer. Simple, isn’t it? So how does it work?

Before we proceed on Elance, you must go to your local bank and ask them for the following information (write it all down EXACTLY as the bank tells you):
————————
A/C Holder Name
A/C Number / IBAN
Bank Account Type
Bank Name
Bank Country
Bank ID Type (you will choose SWIFT here for international wire transfers)
Bank ID Number (8-11 characters)
Bank Address
Bank City
Bank Province
Bank Postal Code
———————–

Now come back to Elance. You will first need to tell Elance the particulars of your bank account. Once signed in on Elance, navigate to Get Paid > Financial Accounts > Enter a New Bank Account

You will be taken through a 3-step process to Enter Your Bank Information. Fill in all the particulars on these three forms using the information your bank gave you above. Choose Destination Currency as the default US Dollar; your bank will automatically convert it to Pak Rupee if you have a Rupee account or keep it in US Dollars if you have a Dollar account.

Once you have correctly entered your financial information, Elance and the payment processing team can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to verify your bank information (although it states a much longer duration on the website itself for Pakistan). The time periods will differ according to the country and also according to the calendar, discounting for any holidays or other disruptions in normal financial activity.

Once your bank information has been entered and verified as authentic, you can then begin receiving funds for work done. The above process is a one time thing only; you do not need to go through this every time to withdraw funds.

To withdraw funds, you simply navigate to Get Paid > Withdraw Funds and enter the account to which you want it withdrawn (the bank account you added in the steps above), along with a dollar amount. Elance will ask you for your password once before proceeding with the withdrawal. As soon as a withdrawal has been initiated successfully, you will get an email notification from Elance.

Note: There are payment processing fees associated with withdrawing money from your Elance account. So a Basic account holder has to pay $10 for withdrawing funds, while a Small Business account holder gets a free withdrawal every month. Elance also deducts service fees, which is the Elance commission for using the website. Again these service fees vary depending on which membership plan you have and can range from 6.75% to 8.75% of the project’s value. You must keep these and the payment processing fees in mind when calculating your bid amount for projects.

Well, that’s it! Now go and get your first job, gloat about it here and withdraw your first-ever international payment. It’s a heady feeling

Added on Dec 18: We won 2nd Place in the New Way to Work competition! Check out the Elance blog for more details!

Added on Dec 10: Our story is now a Top 10 finalist in Elance’s New Way to Work Contest. Thank you all so much for your appreciation and support!

Follow your passion – make meaningful connections – be fulfilled!

Although I work really hard every day, it never feels like work to me because I’m constantly doing things that I really truly love. I love being with my family, I love writing, I love making money, I love building my business, I love reaching out to help others and I love making valued connections!

My New Way To Work video shows that working online, freelancing and outsourcing are not simply jobs or career choices. The new way to work – with greater control, flexibility, options and freedom – is now a conscious lifestyle choice.

Thanks to embracing this lifestyle and utilizing all the tools and resources available at my disposal, I am able to enjoy a full life – a life with quality family time and the natural high of helping others succeed in their online business ventures.

Today when I tell people that I run an online content development company from home, I get puzzled looks. The concept of being an internet entrepreneur with flexible timings is difficult to grasp and not very prevalent, especially where I live. Thanks to Elance, there is now a huge scope in the market for professionals to freelance and businesses to outsource. I do both. I freelance for Elance, but I have a team of specialist writers based all over Pakistan and abroad who I outsource projects to. Everyone in my company, WordPL, works from home and enjoys the triple benefits of financial freedom, flexible work hours and no commute time.

Two years ago, if someone told me that I could work with international clients and team members without ever having to leave home, I would have probably laughed at them. Today this concept is a reality. Cultural differences, physical locations and geographical boundaries no longer separate the two arms of business: buyers and sellers. The lifestyle opportunities that technology and companies harnessing that technology, like Elance, offer are both overwhelming and awe-inspiring all at once.

Most people want to find international clients but don’t know how to do so or where to find them. Elance has put it all at our fingertips. Now with a click of a mouse button, I can browse through a seemingly endless list of buyers specifically seeking exactly what I offer and immediately connect with them. That is nothing less than magical.

If I, someone from a developing country with limited resources, and grave security and safety concerns, can build a sustainable life around the world of outsourcing and freelancing, then really anyone can! It just takes a lot of determination and the will to succeed.

I’d like to add my heartfelt gratitude for people who either directly or indirectly have helped make my online business dreams a reality and have truly inspired me:

• My husband Ali who helped film and edit my new way to work video and is my soul partner and moral compass in all that I strive to do.
• My parents for babysitting duties whenever I asked them and for supporting me in every way possible.
• Author Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn for giving me my first break on Elance and who continues to inspire me on Twitter.
• Self-made millionaire Gill Fielding who helped me think out of the box by saying “statistically financially successful people are not normal”.
• All my excellent clients on Elance for their professional standards and for believing in my work.
• Elance itself for making my new lifestyle choice possible. And a special thanks to Elance Alex for promptly and courteously responding to my mails in a professional manner.

If there’s any one thing you can take away from my story, it’s that “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” – Confucius.

The transition from working a 9-5 job to becoming an internet freelancer can be pretty scary. Some fears might be inflicted by self-doubt, while others might be a result of societal pressure and norms. There are, however,  many reasons you might want to make the decision (leap?) to venture into the world of internet freelancing.

Here are some of the more common ones:

• You’re stuck in a dead-end job
• You wish to be your own boss
• You wish to explore your own creativity
• You’ve been laid off or think you might be soon
• You’ve heard all sorts of great stories about freelancing and think it might be your cup of tea (coffee, soda, or whatever jars you!)
• You think it will make you a millionaire overnight!

OK, so the last one is a joke. But it’s amazing how many websites sell that concept (*work from home and make millions* sound familiar?) and how many people get trapped into paying some small amount – $20, $50, whatever, to get access to these *amazing* offers.

Right, so apart from the scammers and their scams,  there are many legit reasons for you to want to work online.

But taking that first step can be real daunting. Trust me, I know.

I stumbled onto freelancing and making my living online through pure chance: I actually got laid off and pregnant in the same month and it couldn’t have been a better beginning! And even though I was offered my job back, I decided that the constant backache sitting in unergonomic chairs and being cloistered in a cubicle was really not something I wanted to return to.

I started exploring work from home opportunities since I wanted to stay at home and spend time with my baby and a completely new world suddenly opened up to me! Sometimes the worst things in life (like losing your job) and the most career-disruptive things (like being pregnant) can result in the most wonderful opportunities.

Here are some reasons why you might be feeling hesitant about changing your life and what you can do to shrug that initial fear and take the leap:

The Fears we Face

• I wont be able to do it
• I wont be able to continue/keep it going
• It wont be popular or accepted, no one will like it
• I wont ever make money from it
• What will people think?
• What if I fail?
• It’s just way too risky
• I’m being selfish
• Add your own fear here (cause I’m sure there are many more insecurities than I can list)

How to Overcome your Fears of Starting an Online Business

1. Make a Plan

This is probably the best way to overcome your fear. Write down what your fears are. Make 2 columns on a blank sheet/screen. In the left-hand column right down all that you love about your current work and in the right-hand column, write all that you dislike/hate/detest about your current job. Then address each dislike with a counter point: how will working for yourself change things for the better?  You might even reach the conclusion that by tweaking something in your current job you could be more productive/happy/enthusiastic, etc. But if you can clearly see the benefits of freelancing and setting up your own shop, then you’ll go ahead with it more confidently.

2. Start Part-time and Build up Gradually

Who says you have to take the plunge all at once? Some of the best businesses were set up as a result of working on weekends, working evenings and working part-time. This way you get the best of both worlds: you still keep your day job while experimenting with what might work for you in an online capacity.

3. Develop a Thick Skin

There will always be nay-sayers, no matter what you do or where you go. It’s practically human nature to not want others to succeed. Some nay-sayers will even go so far as to say they’re doing it because they care about you, and shockingly this comment may even come from people like your parents or your spouse. Here’s what I would say to them: “If you really care about me, then you’ll let me succeed or fail on my own terms”. Simple to think; not so simple to execute, i know. But you must say it or deal constantly with negativity, which will be a damper to your creativity.

Here are some other ways to get over that initial fear:

• laugh off other peoples’ snide comments
• educate people; tell them the benefits as outlined in your plan above
• ignore people; sometimes the best strategy when dealing with  narrow-mindedness
• believe in yourself
• find others who believe in you; build a support group
• take the plunge without over-thinking it
• drive yourself in a corner so you’re forced to take action (resign from your job or do something totally unexpected & risky)

If you’re currently thinking about leaving your 9-5 job for a freelancers’ lifestyle, leave a comment below and let me know what your fears and hopes are. Lets discuss this and maybe you’ll find there are more people with you than against you

Cheers!