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New report proves the gig economy is not just for delivering dinner

In this article, we will look at the 25 highest-paying jobs for stay-at-home moms. We have also discussed biases against working moms at workplaces. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 10 Highest Paying Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms.

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Upwork

upwork

“It was the 24th of October That day 21% of Upwork employees always remember, yes they will 'Cause that was the day that they lost their jobs” The news about one-out-of-five layoffs at Upwork shook the remote work community to the core. The exact scope of the layoff is unclear, but based on Upwork’s reported 800 employees at the end of 2023, the 21% cut will likely hit at least 160 workers. Was it necessary? Could it have been avoided? Upwork expects to save $60 million a year from the announced cost cuts. The stock markets reacted almost immediately, in a matter of hours. The gig-economy specialist's share price was up 22.6% as of 11 a.m. ET. When you put it like this, you don’t get the full picture: So, How Many People Work at Upwork? I asked this question on Reddit. My source was Backlinko: The trouble with getting the exact number is related to freelancers who work on Upwork for Upwork. I had to ask one more question. WTF is GSV?! Indeed, an interesting market reaction, and an even more interesting graph: I didn’t have to wait long for an answer: OK. I get it. Moving on. How Upwork Feels About All These Job Kills? I don’t know about you, but Upwork’s sense of humor on X, a day before the layoffs announcement was really something. I didn’t get it then, and I don’t get it now. So, I decided to fix it for them: As you might’ve expected, the official Upwork Community reacted, as well. I had to fact-check this Upwork Community member, my fellow freelancer. This is what I found: “The estimated Net Worth of Hayden Brown is at least  $24.1 Million dollars as of 18 August 2024. Ms. Brown owns over 58,046 units of Upwork Inc stock worth over $11,243,016 and over the last 6 years she sold UPWK stock worth over $1,348,852. In addition, she makes $11,530,900 as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director at Upwork Inc.” A “decent salary” and “a drop in the ocean.” Nuff said. Now, to our space-cowboy friend. Dear Elon Musk, Let’s Make Upwork Your Next Takeover Task! From a space explorer to our planet’s savior. People don’t lack imagination in their propositions to Elon Musk to save this or that by buying all kinds of things and companies. I saw one tweet from a guy asking Elon to buy the umbrella company, which owns all dating apps, and save the dating market. I mean, of all the suggestions this one perfectly aligns with Elon’s plans to tackle the declining population problem. But, let’s get back to Upwork. I thought to tweet my suggestion. Elon, buy Upwork, and make remote work great again. But, he already had other plans: So, X is now a job search platform, officially. This is one of the latest new features. The app that does everything. Hmm, where did I see that? Let’s ask Wikipedia: “WeChat has been described as China's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions.[10] WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video conferencing, video games, mobile payment, sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.” Shortly before buying Twitter, Musk wrote: “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.” The everything app, indeed. And, Elon Musk is doing everything to elect the next President of the United States. So, it seems that Upwork will have to wait because it’s definitely not on Elon Musk’s plate. “It was the 24th of October That day 21% of Upwork employees always remember, yes they will 'Cause that was the day that they lost their jobs” The news about one-out-of-five layoffs at Upwork shook the remote work community to the core. news about one-out-of-five layoffs at Upwork The exact scope of the layoff is unclear, but based on Upwork’s reported 800 employees at the end of 2023, the 21% cut will likely hit at least 160 workers. The exact scope of the layoff is unclear, but based on Upwork’s reported 800 employees at the end of 2023, the 21% cut will likely hit at least 160 workers. reported at least 160 workers. Was it necessary? Could it have been avoided? Upwork expects to save $60 million a year from the announced cost cuts. Upwork expects to save $60 million a year from the announced cost cuts. save $60 million a year The stock markets reacted almost immediately, in a matter of hours. The gig-economy specialist's share price was up 22.6% as of 11 a.m. ET. The gig-economy specialist's share price was up 22.6% as of 11 a.m. ET. share price was up 22.6% When you put it like this, you don’t get the full picture: So, How Many People Work at Upwork? I asked this question on Reddit. My source was Backlinko: The trouble with getting the exact number is related to freelancers who work on Upwork for Upwork. I had to ask one more question. WTF is GSV?! Indeed, an interesting market reaction, and an even more interesting graph: I didn’t have to wait long for an answer: OK. I get it. Moving on. How Upwork Feels About All These Job Kills? I don’t know about you, but Upwork’s sense of humor on X, a day before the layoffs announcement was really something. I didn’t get it then, and I don’t get it now. So, I decided to fix it for them: As you might’ve expected, the official Upwork Community reacted, as well. I had to fact-check this Upwork Community member, my fellow freelancer. This is what I found: “The estimated Net Worth of Hayden Brown is at least  $24.1 Million dollars as of 18 August 2024. Ms. Brown owns over 58,046 units of Upwork Inc stock worth over $11,243,016 and over the last 6 years she sold UPWK stock worth over $1,348,852. In addition, she makes $11,530,900 as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director at Upwork Inc. ” Upwork Inc stock In addition, she makes $11,530,900 as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director at Upwork Inc. A “decent salary” and “a drop in the ocean.” Nuff said. Now, to our space-cowboy friend. Dear Elon Musk, Let’s Make Upwork Your Next Takeover Task! From a space explorer to our planet’s savior. People don’t lack imagination in their propositions to Elon Musk to save this or that by buying all kinds of things and companies. I saw one tweet from a guy asking Elon to buy the umbrella company, which owns all dating apps, and save the dating market. I mean, of all the suggestions this one perfectly aligns with Elon’s plans to tackle the declining population problem. But, let’s get back to Upwork. I thought to tweet my suggestion. Elon, buy Upwork, and make remote work great again. But, he already had other plans: So, X is now a job search platform, officially. This is one of the latest new features. The app that does everything. Hmm, where did I see that? Let’s ask Wikipedia: “WeChat has been described as China 's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions. [10] WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video conferencing, video games, mobile payment, sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.” China super-app [10] Shortly before buying Twitter, Musk wrote: “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.” Shortly before buying Twitter, Musk wrote: “ Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app .” Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app The everything app, indeed. And, Elon Musk is doing everything to elect the next President of the United States. So, it seems that Upwork will have to wait because it’s definitely not on Elon Musk’s plate.

Elon, Buy Upwork, Make Remote Work Great Again!

My Top Ten Upwork Conspiracy Theories: True or False

Les meves deu millors teories de la conspiració: vertader o fals

Mis diez principales teorías de conspiración sobre Upwork: ¿verdaderas o falsas?

Kymmenen parasta salaliittoteoriaani: totta vai tarua

עשרת תיאוריות הקונספירציה המובילות שלי: נכון או לא נכון

私のトップ10のUpwork陰謀説：真実か嘘か

Менин мыкты он Upwork Conspiracy Theories: Чын же жалган

Миний шилдэг арван хуйвалдааны онол: үнэн эсвэл худал

Chunka Aswan allin Upwork Conspiración Teoríasniy: Chiqap utaq llulla

Cele mai bune zece teorii ale conspirației mele: adevărat sau fals

My Top Ten Upwork Conspiracy Theories: ሓቂ ድዩ ሓሶት።

En İyi On Upwork Komplo Teorim: Doğru mu Yanlış mı

Iithiyori zam eziPhezulu zokuSebenza kweNyelelo: Yinyani okanye bubuxoki

The Noonification: Why Is Upwork Suspending Six-Figure Clients? (4/8/2024)

After more than ten years on Elance / oDesk / Upwork, I dare to say that I’ve seen and experienced it first-hand: all the good, the bad, and the ugly. I wrote about my fellow freelancers who have suffered blow by blow; the most notorious ones, the introduction of and . I could live with the fact that my words had fallen on deaf remote-work-community ears. I also didn’t use the opportunity to cherish my see-I-told-you-so moments when , got caught red-handed for to make freelancers spend their connects, and was exposed for the legal catch-22 called “ .” connects required for submitting proposals Draconian sections of Upwork’s Terms Upwork almost bled to death on the stock market posting fake jobs Conversion Fee I’ve always been objective and ready to be challenged and proved wrong for every single claim I made and every single word I wrote, but helplessly emotional when more than . Why? Because nobody cared. Because we’re fully aware of the bitter remote work reality that… 100K freelance accounts on Upwork got purged in just one week Little did I know that the suspension train goes both ways. Look, the clients get suspended, as well. But, there’s a huge difference. Upwork What I’d witnessed was in every freelancer’s best interest. I’m talking about fraudsters and “predators” which are a common problem not only on Upwork but on every freelance platform. What’s right is right in this case, and Upwork is fighting the right fight to make sure its platform is as safe and secure as possible by suspending these kinds of clients. However, what a fellow freelancer brought to my attention was something completely different and unheard of. Upwork “Whales” Are Supposed To Be A Protected Species, Are They Not? The so-called Upwork “whales” are every freelancer’s dream. I’m talking about six-figure spenders on Upwork. There are even seven-and-eight-figure whales, but they’re reserved for crème de la crème of the Upwork freelance elite. So, back to my freelance friend who has been swimming with the six-figure whales on Upwork successfully for quite some time. One day, he shared a screenshot with me that got him upset. He couldn’t submit a proposal and, thus, wasn’t able to work, because this client got suspended. At first, I didn’t understand what was all the fuss about. My friend told me that was unthinkable for more than one reason. First, nobody kills the goose that lays the golden eggs in their right business mind. Second, after spending so much money on Upwork and hundreds of projects under your client’s belt you know all the ins and outs of Upwork Terms, especially the no-no things that can get you in suspension trouble (temporary or permanent). Finally, not just Upwork, but every platform would think twice about suspending a long-term client with deep pockets. You can suspend a hundred freelancers without blinking an eye because there are thousands of newbies eager to take their place. But, killing a whale on Upwork can have serious business consequences. I did my best to sympathize with my brother in freelance arms, but my one swallow doesn't make a summer comforting line was hard to swallow for him. So, a few days later, he hit me with another screenshot: Then, that very week came the third in a row: I was about to unchain the situation DiCaprio-style, “you had my curiosity, now you have my attention,” but I think that Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger is a better choice: Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action'. The “enemy’s action” had more “casualties” to report the next week of our “investigation.” We even tried to find a pattern. My friend had a theory related to the latest price increase of Upwork Plus membership for freelancers. He thought that was the last straw that pushed some Upwork freelancers and clients to continue work outside the platform. They violated Upwork Terms, got caught, and suspensions followed. Yet, this didn’t make sense to me. Why would a freelance membership fee increase be a client’s problem and reason-for-treason? After two more pieces of evidence, I finally accepted that this wasn’t a coincidence. Eight “whales” times six-figure amounts they have spent, well, that’s a lot of money to “write off” just like that, even for Upwork. OK. I mean, it’s not OK. What’s going on, and why? New Clients on the Upwork Block Even if you aren’t as successful and diligent as my friend who cares deeply about “whales,” but you happen to be an enthusiastic freelancer on Upwork then you probably haven’t missed their CEO’s LinkedIn post about the impressive financial report for the previous year: This post goes on and on, but there’s one part that caught my eye: What’s 8 suspended against 31 new clients? Nothing. Right? I guess that “enterprise clients” stand for potential “whales.” Yet, it’s going to take some time to hit six or seven-figure spending targets for these new Upwork clients. Just like all freelancers are equal, but some freelancers are more equal than others ( ), all Upwork clients are equal, but some clients are more equal than others (“Client Spend” category filter ). JSS - Job Success Score for those who have an Upwork profile I forgot to mention one tiny detail. My friend and I were able to find eight six-figure suspended clients on Upwork in three weeks. So, the legit question remains: how many more clients have been suspended in the meantime (by the time you’re reading this story)? Honestly, Upwork's financial reports and suspended clients, no matter how much they spend, don’t affect my average resting heart rate, but the number of freelancers who are used to and supposed to work for these gone-with-the-wind clients certainly do. Based on my first-hand experience each of these whales has dozens of open active jobs at any given moment for a good price on average. So, eight suspended whales means hundreds of Upwork freelancers with no work. Where Have All The Good Upwork Clients Gone? All those clients haven’t left the remote work world just because Upwork suspended them. Some of them may even return because we can’t know for sure if these were temporary or permanent suspensions. Yet, some are gone for good. Where they’re going to hire and work next? That’s the million-dollar question, literally. I can’t believe that in October it’s going to be five years since I asked the question that’s still waiting to age well: Is Freelance Anarchy The Future of Freelancing? Let that story sink in, read it because it’s not what you think. Contrary to the unpopular belief and prejudice of Upwork Community moderators, I don’t want or cheer for Upwork to collapse on the stock market. I just want , to the good old days with no connects and (questionable) suspensions. Upwork to get back to its basics If there’s someone who can make freelancing great again it’s not this guy… …but Upwork itself. The day when I won’t have the “material” to write about Upwork, it’s going to be a good day for both clients and freelancers. Until that day, you still have to pay to play on Upwork, this way or another. FREE-lancing; that’s how the whole remote work thing started. Remember?

Why Is Upwork Suspending Six-Figure Clients?

কেন আপওয়ার্ক ছয়-চিত্রের ক্লায়েন্টকে সাসপেন্ড করছে?

Warum sperrt Upwork Kunden mit sechsstelligen Umsätzen?

¿Por qué Upwork suspende a los clientes de seis cifras?

Pourquoi Upwork suspend-il les clients à six chiffres ?

अपवर्क छह-आंकड़ा ग्राहकों को निलंबित क्यों कर रहा है?

Upwork が 6 桁のクライアントを停止しているのはなぜですか?

Upwork가 6자릿수 클라이언트를 일시 중지하는 이유는 무엇입니까?

Por que o Upwork está suspendendo clientes de seis dígitos?

Почему Upwork приостанавливает работу шестизначных клиентов?

Upwork Neden Altı Rakamlı Müşterileri Askıya Alıyor?

Tại sao Upwork đình chỉ các khách hàng sáu con số?

Upwork 为何暂停六位数客户？

Let's learn about via these 41 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Upwork /Learn Repo 1. 7 Most Shocking Facts About Upwork Most Freelancers Don't Know The Most Shocking Things About Upwork That Turned Out to Be True 2. Upwork in Real Danger of Losing MILLIONS over ONE DOLLAR "Conversion Fee" The most significant change in Upwork history that no one knows anything about! 3. Leaving Upwork Neverland I left Upwork after seven years...for good. 4. How Upwork Turned Freelancers Against Each Other Photo by cloudvisual.co.uk on Unsplash 5. The Death of Freelancing: Upwork Project Catalog If you can't beat them, don't join them - copy them! 6. Is Upwork Going to Pull a Myspace? All great empires fall from within, including the digital ones. 7. What Are Pros and Cons of the Top Five Freelance Websites for Clients and Freelancers? It's always fair to compare! 8. Top 5 Freelance Marketplace to Start Your Online Сareer Are you trying to earn a living online? 9. Upwork Costs: From Nada To Prada The best things in freelance life are supposed to be FREE! Right? 10. Why Did Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer Stocks Drop by 60% in 6 Months? The “pillars” of our freelance industry have collapsed spectacularly! 11. Why The Majority of Freelancers Fail at Upwork Project Proposals The excellent proposal is what makes a difference between successful and struggling freelancers. 12. Buying Upwork Reviews: Is Your Freelancer Really a 5-Star Freelancer? Freelancing is all about - the trust. And, trust is all about - the reviews. 13. The Noonification: How to Add a HUD to Your Flame Game (3/20/2023) 3/20/2023: Top 5 stories on the Hackernoon homepage! 14. The Noonification: The Last of Us HBO Series; The Nth of Many (9/29/2022) 9/29/2022: Top 5 stories on the Hackernoon homepage! 15. The Noonification: The Planet of Dread (9/28/2022) 9/28/2022: Top 5 stories on the Hackernoon homepage! 16. Upwork Freelancers Under BlackRock: The Masters of the Freelance Universe The future of work is remote. But, now that you know who holds the keys to your freelance future, how do you feel about it? 17. 5 Reasons Why Upwork Sucks for Writers I will give you a handful of reasons why I think Upwork isn’t a writer-friendly place. 18. Two Years an Upwork Slave: How to Own Freelancers and Sue Those You Can’t Own So, my story goes, one day I decided that enough is enough and it’s about time for me to part ways with Upwork. Once my beloved platform has rubbed me the wrong way more than once. I was free to opt in. So, I’m free to opt out. Right? You are free to join and you are free to say goodbye. This is what freelancing is supposed to be all about — freedom. Right again? Well, it turns out that there’s a catch — an Upwork legal catch. 19. How To Find A Great Developer on Upwork My name is Eduard and I’m the CTO at Polecat. Sometimes I help my friends to find developers on Upwork. Below, I describe how I recently searched for a React developer on Upwork. 20. What Should You Do If Upwork Sends You a “Dear John” Letter? "We are contacting you to let you know we have suspended your access to Upwork indefinitely." 21. A Farewell To FREE Upwork Connects — Cherish Your Freelance Moments Today is the day when you have to PAY-TO-PLAY on Upwork! 22. Is Upwork Posting Fake Jobs To Keep Freelancers Bidding? [A Deep Dive] You read about Upwork's "fake review farms" here on Hacker Noon. How do you feel about "fake job farms?" Are you shocked, disappointed, or furious? I guess, it depends on whether you are an Upwork's freelancer or investor. 23. Behind Business Insider Story About Upwork Success Credit Business Insider 24. The Aftermath of My Article About Upwork Fake Jobs It has been almost a month since I asked a question on Hacker Noon: Is Upwork Posting Fake Jobs To Keep Freelancers Bidding? 25. The "Golden Million" Upwork Freelancers: Between Conspiracy Theory and Business Reality You have probably heard and read about the “Golden Billion” conspiracy theory. 26. Show Me The Money, My Freelance Honey! Hey freelancers, I have a million dollar question for you: 27. Is Upwork The Sick Man Upon the Silicon Bosphorus? [Looking At Numbers] Financial reports are lengthy, confusing, and boring. I promise that I will keep it simple, brief, and straight to the point. I will let Upwork’s numbers do all the talking. 28. Is Freelance Anarchy The Future of Freelancing? If history has taught us something that has to be this - all great empires have fallen from within. 29. Is Upwork The Next Wework? What do Upwork and Wework have in common? 30. Is There A Black Market For Freelance Accounts? Do you want to sell or buy a freelance account? 31. How My Hacker Noon Stories Impacted Upwork Stock Prices If you think that a small story can't make a big splash, then, good luck with that! 32. Why UpWork Is Still Worth Despite The High Fees Hello freelancers, 33. The Controversy of Naming Upwork TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 Instead of high-fiving Upwork, I will give you five reasons why this naming is controversial. 34. How To Protect Your Big Idea When Hiring a Freelancer Hiring freelancers or independent contractors is a great way to get specific tasks done without having to hire more full-time employees. This can save you time and money; you won’t have to go through a lengthy interview and hiring process or provide benefits like health insurance. 35. Upwork Second Quarter 2019 Financial Report: Titanic Orchestra At Their Finest What's the best way to analyze a public company's financial report for the second quarter? Well, I think you should keep it simple. 36. My 2019 Predictions That Came True I played a prediction game in 2019, and I dare to say, I played it pretty well. 37. 5 Upwork Alternative Websites for Freelancers This article introduces 5 Upwork alternative websites for freelancers looking for work in niche fields or people looking for entry-level micro work. With struggling economies in many countries, more and more people are turning to online freelancing as an additional source of income. Upwork is one of the most popular websites for freelancers. However, if you aren’t really getting many leads from that site, there are tons of upwork alternative sites you can try. 38. Upwork vs. Nebojsa Todorovic As this year's nominee for the Most Controversial Writer of the Year Hacker Noon Award, I couldn't possibly wish for better circumstances and time to write this story. 39. World's Top 5 Freelance Platforms’ Fees - Explained, Busted, & Compared DISCLAIMER: 40. From Getting Over a 1-star Upwork Review to Becoming a 5-star Freelancer It takes more than one bad review to shake a good freelancer’s self-confidence. 41. What Happened To Upwork’s First Birthday Party? Wait! Something isn’t right here. Thank you for checking out the 41 most read stories about Upwork on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

41 Stories To Learn About Upwork

There are thousands of articles online about freelance project proposals. You can collect them all in a series of books — how to write a winning proposal, what to include or not, including the best templates, etc. Everything you’ve always wanted to know about and use in your project proposal is waiting for you out there in the cyber freelance space. Then, how come the overwhelming majority of freelancers fail to do it right? One of the very likely reasons could be the fact that people who haven’t spent five minutes working as freelancers are giving “life-changing” tips for freelancers in their articles. Also, there are so many copy/paste articles that are just rewritten more or less successfully. So, you end up with the same old tips presented in a new way. A genuine article about freelance project proposals with first-hand real-freelance-life experiences and recommendations is hard to find. My portfolio has more than a thousand projects, which means that I’ve submitted tens of thousands of proposals during my professional freelance career. I’m not saying that I’ve seen, done, and I know it all. The best thing you could possibly do is to avoid making the same mistakes I did when I used to write and submit my project proposals. So, without further ado, let’s write something about the project proposals between myth and reality that may help freelancers to win new jobs. 1. Don’t Expect That A Project Proposal Will Do All The Work For You Your project proposal is merely an invitation. Nothing more than the first step on your journey to winning a job. Many freelancers expect that a proposal will bring them work all by itself. There’s no proposal in the world, no matter how good it may be, that’s going to knock your potential client off his feet. 2. Your proposal is supposed to create an opportunity to present yourself and your work, not to win you a project. That’s the only right approach. Don’t fool yourself that your project proposal is going to be perfect and irresistible to your clients. Your project is the first page of your freelance struggle to win a project, not the last one. So, treat it as such. 3. The Quickest Way To A Freelancer’s Regret Is A Boilerplate Every single project proposal you write and send out there should be unique and have a story for itself. It is understandable that the bidding process is the most time-consuming and annoying activity for every freelancer. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it. 4. Either you write a unique and fully personalized project proposal or don’t write it all. I used to think that it was a smart thing to have a couple of pre-made proposals for a handful of the most typical project types. A copy/paste proposal, even with some modifications and adjustments, is simply doomed to fail. That’s the perfect waste of your time. It’s better to write one totally genuine and personalized freelance project proposal than a dozen more or less identical proposals. 5. Make It Personal With Your Project Proposal From The First Moment First things first, always look up the names in a project’s description. There’s no better way to begin your proposal than by directly addressing a person who has posted this project. You are allowed to do a bit of research if a client hasn’t left his name at the end of the description. You can carry out a quick search for the company or website if available. This is one of the critical ways that your client passes your cover letter as ‘not spam’. Google If this isn’t the case and you can’t find a single piece of personal information about your potential client, then present yourself the right way. You have to convince your client that you’re the real person. 6. Hit The Right Targets With Your Project Proposal The clients always leave some indication of what they expect you to do. So, address all of the points precisely and thoroughly. Make sure you include them all in your proposal. Convince your client that you are going to do all the tasks from A to Z. Very often the clients leave a “secret” keyword somewhere in the project description. They want to make sure you read the whole description more than once. That’s why they want you to use this keyword in your proposal. These clients mean business, so don’t miss this opportunity to convince them you’re the right freelancer for their project. 7. It Is Never Too Early To Start A Discussion About Your Price and A Project’s Time Frame This approach is a bit of a gamble. Some clients appreciate a direct straight to the point project proposal. You explain what you are going to do and how. Then, you include your price and a required time estimate. The good thing is that you will show initiative and save a great deal of time for both yourself and your client. If your price is out of your potential client’s budget limits then you won’t have to bother with this one. 8. Always Attach Your Best Examples Don’t just invite your potential client to check out your profile and portfolio. Instead, you should attach the most relevant examples and invite a client to examine your portfolio with additional samples. 9. Remember, The Art of Writing Project Proposals Is Something You Never Master Even the most experienced and successful freelancers should constantly improve their art of writing project proposals. There’s always something you can do better. So, don’t become a self-proclaimed freelance project proposal guru. Every single project proposal you submit should be a small work of art unique in its own way. Remember: An excellent proposal is what makes a difference between successful and struggling freelancers. Happy bidding! Also published here.

Crafting Winning Upwork Proposals for Remote Job Opportunities

Have you ever wondered how much the freelance industry (without quotation marks) is worth? More importantly and interestingly, who or what owns it? These are legit questions to ask. And yes, my fellow freelancers, you should care a lot. Let me show you why. If It Makes Money - It Ain’t Funny, But Dead Serious! Let’s start with this jaw-dropping number. Worldwide, the total freelance platform market is estimated to be . worth $3.39 billion To give you a perspective, you’d need to take to match the estimated value of the global freelance market. I’m talking about all US hospitals, drug and cosmetic wholesaling, including the all-mighty health and medical insurance industry. the top three US industries by revenue Is the omnipresent Mr. Musk the hero of this story? Except for this meme, no. We, the freelancers, are. The World Bank estimates that are self-employed. nearly 47% of all workers worldwide The total number of freelancers globally is estimated to be 1.57 billion people out of a total global workforce of 3.38 billion. So, we own it. Right? Well… Have you heard about the “three kings” of the freelance industry? No, not these guys (great movie, definitely worth checking out), more like: , , and (com). Upwork Fiverr Freelancer Having in mind that Upwork freelancers made more than $2B in 2019, let’s first talk about the biggest shareholders of this freelance platform. ownership in UPWK / Upwork Inc represents of the company. BlackRock Inc. 6.7 percent ownership So what? BlackRock isn’t even the biggest Upwork shareholder. That’s ownership with . Vanguard Group Inc 8.46 percent ownership The “dynamics” of the Upwork ownership structure are worth mentioning: A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that implying that no single shareholder has a majority. the top 15 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% Wait? What do Upwork shareholders have to do with Upwork freelancers? It doesn’t make any sense. They (shareholders) care only about the money. So, freelancers are cool. They (freelancers) are “safe.” What could possibly go wrong or worsen for freelancers? Hmm, let’s see. Why did you think connects were no longer free ( )? Why more than 100K user accounts were purged in one single week ( )? Finally, why the tricky ? profit costs “conversion fee” was introduced Now, have a look at this: Are you surprised by the most recent changes because I’m not at all: I’ve said it many times, and I still haven’t changed my mind: As a newbie Upwork freelancer, you stand a better chance of making money by trading Upwork stocks than by using Upwork connects to find work. But, that’s just me. Let’s see what’s happening with the biggest Upwork rival - Fiverr. Fiverr (NYSE: FVRR) is owned by 46.62% institutional shareholders, 0.00% Fiverr insiders, and 53.38% retail investors. , owning 2.74M shares representing 7.33% of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc is the largest individual Fiverr shareholder To sum it up. Behold, : the masters of the freelance universe Vanguard Group Inc Goldman Sachs Group Inc BlackRock Inc What about Freelancer dot com? When it comes to the ownership structure, the Aussies are in “a league of their own,” for the lack of a better explanation. “Freelancer is . The company's CEO Robert Barrie is the largest shareholder with 44% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 35% and 2.3% of the stock. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, Darren Nicholas Williams is also a Member of the Board of Directors, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.” not owned by hedge funds So what? Well… After doing some more digging, we found that the top 2 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions. The silver lining here is that if you don’t like something about Freelancer, you can take it directly to the members of the board of directors or the owners themselves. In other words, you can make it personal. Just Follow The Money, My Freelance Honey! The future of work is remote. But, now that you know who holds the keys to your freelance future, how do you feel about it? Let me adjust one of the simplest and well-known definitions of the market economy to suit the freelance economy: A market economy is a type of economic system where supply and demand regulate the economy, rather than government intervention. So, how about this one: A economy is a type of economic system where and regulate the economy, rather than . FREELANCE FUTURE FREELANCERS CLIENTS SHAREHOLDERS In 2019, I asked this question, here, on HackerNoon. https://hackernoon.com/is-freelance-anarchy-the-future-of-freelancing-avms32yx?embedable=true Just compare the stock prices from the 2019 article against the current Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer share prices. How come nobody talks/writes about the “decentralization” of the freelance industry? The last line I wrote almost four years ago still stands: It stands, but I’m still looking for freelance friends - who share the same feeling and vision about the new and better future of work.

Upwork Freelancers Under BlackRock: The Masters of the Freelance Universe

ব্ল্যাকরকের অধীনে আপওয়ার্ক ফ্রিল্যান্সার: ফ্রিল্যান্স ইউনিভার্সের মাস্টার্স

Upwork Freelancers Under BlackRock: Die Meister des Freelance-Universums

Freelancers de Upwork bajo BlackRock: los maestros del universo freelance

Upwork Freelancers Under BlackRock: Les Maîtres de l'Univers Freelance

अपवर्क फ्रीलांसर्स अंडर ब्लैकरॉक: द मास्टर्स ऑफ द फ्रीलांस यूनिवर्स

Upwork Freelancers Under BlackRock: フリーランス ユニバースの巨匠

BlackRock의 Upwork 프리랜서: 프리랜서 세계의 거장들

Upwork Freelancers sob a BlackRock: os mestres do universo freelance

BlackRock Altındaki Upwork Serbest Çalışanları: Serbest Çalışma Evreninin Ustaları

Upwork Freelancers Under BlackRock: Bậc thầy của vũ trụ tự do

贝莱德旗下的 Upwork 自由职业者：自由职业者世界的大师

This is how movie begins, with this great quote that makes you think a lot. The Big Short You’d be surprised how many successful freelancers who’ve spent years working on Upwork know little about their platform. Shocking Fact #1 - The Legal Catch-22 — Section 7 of Upwork’s Terms You are free to join, and you are free to say goodbye. This is what freelancing is supposed to be all about — freedom. Right again? Well, it turns out that there’s a catch — an Upwork legal catch. Plain and simple, you’re obliged to work exclusively on Upwork with all the clients you found there for a . What if I don’t want to wait for two years? I want to leave now. If my clients want to follow me, that’s their decision. What’s that got to do with me? minimum of two years So, I’m free to leave, but without my clients and contracts. In an ideal freelance world, my client or clients can be generous and offer to pay this opt-out fee. But, this isn’t going to be a gift, but rather an investment or better to say a loan. After my clients pay this money to Upwork, I will have to compensate them, this way or another. With my work, of course. Upwork made sure that I have a great working relationship with my clients in the future outside Upwork. Shocking Fact #2 - There Is A Black Market for Upwork Freelance Accounts It’s much easier than you think. You don’t even have to go to the Dark Web to get it done. It’s all there in plain sight on Google and Facebook. Try it for yourself. All you have to do is type one of these: “buy/sell Upwork account” or “buy/sell Fiverr account.” See what happens. Hey, you can even make demands! You can choose a new freelance account or a well-established one that has been around for some time. The more reviews it has — the more you’ll have to pay for it. Suit yourself! And, that’s not all freelance folks. It turned out that one of my readers was a controversial IT expert — a hacker. So, one day he approached me with He actually wanted to help me. How? an “indecent proposal.” Well, he offered to change my IP address and make it possible for me to appear as if I’m a freelance writer from the USA or the UK. You name a country, he can get you a flag for your freelance account. It goes without saying that as a “native speaker,” I would be able to charge more for my work. Of course, I said, thank you, but no thank you. Shocking Fact #3 - Freelancers Who Work On Small One-Time Projects Are Nothing More Than A Logistic Burden Look, I’m a freelance writer. I’m not a developer. I can only dream of clients who spend more than $10K on my projects. I write you the content for your website, and you’re gone. Unless you want some regular blog posts. Truth be told, I got some clients who made it possible for me to pay a 10% instead of a 20% fee. You can earn more than $500 per client to get into a 10% fee zone. But, the magical 5% fee was clearly reserved for freelance rock stars. OK, I get it. As a freelancer who works on small one-time projects, I’m nothing more than a logistic burden to Upwork. And this is . a price I have to pay to play Shocking Fact #4 - The Odds Are Mathematically and Statistically Never In Your Favor on Upwork Here's what you can find on the official Upwork website when you apply filters for selecting the freelancers ( , but I’m pretty sure things haven’t changed a lot in the meantime): it’s been a while since I took this screenshot I took the liberty to highlight some of the most indicative and confusing numbers, at the same time. See for yourself. Pay attention to the number of Upwork freelancers with "no earnings yet" and "any amount earned" against their colleagues who make $10K+. Shocking Fact #5 - There’s No Single Work-Related Thing You Can Do or Get for Free on Upwork Plain and simple, whether you are a freelancer or a client on Upwork, . If you want: there’s no single work-related activity you can do for free To bid (submit proposals) as a freelancer — you pay for every connect (bid) you use. To pay your freelancer as a client — you pay a processing fee for every payment you make. To access the additional perks as either client or freelancer — you pay a membership fee. Upwork charges you each step of your freelance way. Shocking Fact #6 - There Are Upwork Fake Review “Farms” C'mon guys, you can't be serious about it. No freelancer in his right mind would've invested money in buying Upwork reviews. Right? Well, all you have to do is to type “buy Upwork reviews,” and see for yourself what happens. I thought that this was a ridiculous thing to consider even for a minute. Then, the "Description" and "Additional Information" of the first website that sells reviews in plain sight caught my attention. As a writer, I can tell you, this is one hell of a good copy. Nicely written and structured. Straight to the point. These guys have worked out all possible scenarios. They have covered all reasonable questions. Again, . see for yourself Shocking Fact #7 - At One Point, Upwork Was Posting Fake Jobs to Keep Freelancers Bidding and Spending Money on Connects My fellow freelancers were the first to notice: Some of them even made screenshots of these fake job posts: Where’s these fake jobs? the proof that Upwork was behind Here it is: No need to zoom in on this official Upwork explanation, apology, and refund promise. I’m : quoting the most interesting parts We did review the jobs discussed on this thread and found that they were actually created as part of an outside course by a client teaching other clients how to use Upwork. They were posted as a "test job" The jobs have been taken down, however, we ran into issues with Connects being refunded for them. We have been working on a solution and will make sure the Connects are refunded by end of this week. I'd also like to reiterate that Upwork team doesn't post jobs on the marketplace without an intention to hire. That’s all freelance folks. Are you shocked by these shocking facts about Upwork? Ignorance isn't bliss; if you are an Upwork freelancer, check out what you missed. Also published here

7 Most Shocking Facts About Upwork Most Freelancers Don't Know

আপওয়ার্ক সম্পর্কে 7টি সবচেয়ে মর্মান্তিক তথ্য বেশিরভাগ ফ্রিল্যান্সাররা জানেন না

Die 7 schockierendsten Fakten über Upwork, die die meisten Freiberufler nicht kennen

Los 7 datos más impactantes sobre Upwork que la mayoría de los freelancers no conocen

7 faits les plus choquants sur Upwork que la plupart des pigistes ne savent pas

Upwork के बारे में 7 सबसे चौंकाने वाले तथ्य अधिकांश फ्रीलांसर नहीं जानते हैं

ほとんどのフリーランサーが知らない Upwork に関する 7 つのショッキングな事実

대부분의 프리랜서들이 모르는 Upwork에 관한 가장 충격적인 사실 7가지

7 fatos mais chocantes sobre o Upwork que a maioria dos freelancers não sabe

Upwork Hakkında Çoğu Serbest Çalışanın Bilmediği 7 Şok Gerçek

7 Sự Thật Gây Sốc Nhất Về Upwork Hầu Hết Freelancer Không Biết

大多数自由职业者不知道的关于 Upwork 的 7 个最令人震惊的事实

Have you seen a movie called – The Purge? Well, you should. That's exactly what has been doing to the freelancers. You read it right! Upwork is purging our fellow freelancers on an epic scale. Upwork So, what’s going on and why? The Email From Hell It all begins with an email sent by Upwork support. Let's clarify something for a moment. Every freelance platform has the right to suspend your account temporarily or permanently. There's no difference between Upwork or any other platform online, big or small. When it comes to their sacred right to say you bye no cry, they're all the same. However, it turns out that the reasons for such unpopular decisions make a huge difference for freelancers. It's not a matter of life or death if you're going to get suspended, but it can hurt and cost you a lot. We are contacting you to let you know we have suspended your access to Upwork indefinitely. Our decision is based on a careful review and the fact that you have submitted a high number of proposals for jobs on our site without many contracts or earnings. Unfortunately, this means the jobs posted by clients are not a good match for your skills. I know this news is likely disappointing to you. But our goal at Upwork is to enable freelancers to successfully connect and collaborate with clients who need their skills and expertise. Unfortunately, this means we must part ways with freelancers whose skills are not in demand in our marketplace. My sad story goes, Upwork just made my day, one fine day, with this lovely email. Now, I wouldn’t shed a tear or even raise my eyebrows, if this had been a fair punishment for my reckless and obvious violations of Upwork’s Terms of Service. You know the rules of the game. So, if you do something wrong, you have no other to blame than your own stupidity. But, I did nothing wrong! I was doing my best to win a project. It sounded like a bad joke when Upwork said: “you have submitted a high number of proposals for jobs.” Why? Because, all you have are 60 so-called “connections” or bids, which are enough to bid only on 30 projects OR one project a day! Good luck with that. The way I was able to read it between the heartless Upwork’s lines just couldn’t be softened. You are too stupid to work on Upwork! We don’t need you! Long story short, why don’t you just buzz off? You Aren’t The Only One You know what? I consider myself to be a reasonable freelancer. It hasn’t even crossed my mind to drop a dozen F-bombs in my email to show Upwork what I really think and feel about them. That’s not my style. So, I decided it would be a good idea to gain comfort in sharing my story with my freelance brothers and sisters online. Guess what? I wasn’t the only one. It turned out there have been literally hundreds of freelancers being purged from Upwork, almost on a daily basis. Now, when you spend so much time as I did on countless forums, you can read and hear all kinds of horror stories and conspiracy theories. Of course, most of them were too exaggerated even for my taste and vengeful mood. But, some of them you just can’t ignore and justify. Upwork is building “The Wall!” Google it yourself. Upwork has too many freelancers coming from third-world countries. This “measure” is supposed to keep their number under “control.” Needless to say that this “policy” stands against anything and everything freelancing is supposed to be about. No prejudices. Equal opportunities for all. Justice for all freelancers. I live in a third-world country. It took me months of restless bidding to win my first project. I needed five more years to build a respectable portfolio and become one of the top freelancers. Maybe, I could’ve done the same on Upwork. Maybe, I just needed a bit more time to succeed. Now, thanks to the lovely Upwork policy we will never know. That’s Called Pride — I Don’t Need A New Upwork Ride For what it is worth, you can still complain even though you have been suspended indefinitely?! It doesn’t make any sense, does it? In other words, I have to beg Upwork to take me back. I’m not the greatest freelancer the world has ever seen, but I have some pride left. I’m not going to beg. Just like Gloria Gaynor in “I Will Survive.” https://youtu.be/6dYWe1c3OyU?embedable=true You should definitely see The Purge Trilogy. The funny coincidence that’s not funny at all. You can combine UP and Purge. What you get is UPurge — how appropriate, indeed. Vote for this and my other freelance-related stories in Noonies 2022 category: . HACKERNOON CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR- FREELANCING Also published here.

What Should You Do If Upwork Sends You a “Dear John” Letter?

In 2020, I caught to keep freelancers bidding. Upwork admitted that for wasted “connects.” Upwork red-handed for posting fake jobs there were so-called “test jobs” and promised to refund freelancers I’m doing it again in this story. This time is different, even more severe, and expensive. Ignorance isn’t always bliss, my dear fellow freelancers. You should’ve known better. I did my “call of duty” with this story: https://hackernoon.com/two-years-an-upwork-slave-how-to-own-freelancers-and-sue-those-you-cant-own-feb0fc75a3f1?embedable=true What happened? The Notorious Section 7.3 of Upwork ToS Got A “Silent” Update Do you know? Are you aware? Do you care? Well, you should. It all started in the official that raised a storm of criticism and confusion. Here is a screenshot, just in case this thread becomes unavailable for unknown reasons or “technical difficulties.” Upwork Community with a legit question Upwork Community is free to access and read all questions and answers. If you want to participate in this or any other discussion, you must have an Upwork account—just a kind reminder. You are welcome. I had a question of my own for this vigilant Upwork user. How did Amanda find out about the change? Upwork user Mykola did us all a huge favor. Who Shall Not Be Named Wait! What? Why? We are talking about ToS (Terms of Service). There isn’t and shouldn’t be anything top-secret about it. Let’s have a look, shall we? Here’s a of Upwork’s ToS. link to the Non-Circumvention Section 7 Fun fact. I have a law degree. In Upwork’s defense, I have to say this: Upwork to change its ToS at any given moment. has the right Upwork to inform its users each time about these changes. has no obligation Now, there’s another question. Does Upwork have the “moral obligation” to inform its users about the ToS changes, especially if these changes have serious implications, to say the least? Yeah baby, yes, they have! So, what’s the catch with Upwork’s “deafening silence?” Something Ain’t Right - It’s Much More Than Just The Math It seems that is on the right track. one Redditor C’mon, you can’t be serious. It’s just one buck. What’s all the fuss about it? In plain English and layman’s, not complicated legal terms, let’s delve into it together. So, here it goes. Let’s say for the sake of this story, you’ve been working with a client on Upwork for quite some time. At one point, you realize that you don’t need Upwork anymore. You wish to take your work and client outside Upwork. You may opt out of the obligations in Section 7.1 with respect to each Upwork Relationship only if the Client or Freelancer pays Upwork a Conversion Fee which is a minimum of $1,000 USD and up to $50,000 USD for each Upwork Relationship, unless Client and Freelancer have had an Upwork Relationship for at least two (2) years. I know how it looks and sounds, but let’s be fair. You’ve found a long-term client on Upwork. You accepted Upwork Terms the moment you signed up. So, hold your freelance horses for two years, and then, you’re free to go. Or, are you, for real? Up until the latest changes of Upwork ToS, what you and your client decide to do after two years was none of Upwork’s business. But, things changed. If Client and Freelancer have had an Upwork Relationship for at least two (2) years, the Conversion Fee is a nominal $1 USD for administrative purposes. Still doesn’t make any sense? No problem, you aren’t the only one. Spot on! Congrats! You see, Upwork wants to KNOW, Upwork needs to KNOW! And, this is a clever way to do it. What do you think it’s going to happen when you and your client get stuck in the Upwork ToS door? Here’s my interpretation of it: “Where do you think you’re going?” Upwork: “We’re leaving. Two years have passed. We’re free.” Freelancer & Client: “But, have you paid the Conversion Fee?” Upwork: “What for? Haven’t we paid more than enough during these two years?” Freelancer & Client: “Yes, you have, and we appreciate it. But, you still have to pay one dollar for administrative purposes.” Upwork: “Isn’t that a convenient way for you to find out who’s leaving your platform?” Freelancer & Client: “That’s your free interpretation of our ToS. We can’t comment on that.” Upwork: “Who says you won’t take advantage of this information to try to convince us to stay?” Freelancer & Client: “Again. We can’t comment on that.” Upwork: “It’s a ridiculous amount, that Conversion Fee of yours, but doesn’t it represent a valid legal reason for violation of your ToS, especially the Non-Circumvention and Opt-Out clauses?” Freelancer & Client: “Well, legally speaking, it does. But, let’s work it out. What would you like to drink?” Upwork: One Dollar OR One Billion Dollars - It Doesn’t Make A (Legal) Difference Well, you see, it’s not that simple. If Upwork hadn’t had the problem of users wanting to leave the platform, they wouldn’t have imposed the infamous Section 7, in the first place. Obviously, things escalated so much to such a degree that additional “measures” had to be implemented. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Upwork is trying to keep “the best of the best” by any means necessary even if it means using the “soft legal force,” such as the Conversion Fee. Upwork lawyers must have been very expensive. My legal opinion you didn’t ask for: that’s the money well spent for Upwork. There’s only one “one dollar” problem, though. This one-dollar fee can cost Upwork millions of dollars in lost service fees. What do you think how will the users react to this latest Upwork’s legal catch-22? The users choose their words carefully in Upwork Community for obvious reasons. That’s why I prefer Reddit where people speak their minds freely with no fear. If you’re asking me, “vox populi” at its finest. You Had One Problem, Upwork - Now, You Have Two Upwork could’ve left things just the way they were before, and nobody would’ve noticed it, let alone discussed it for days. People come and go. It’s always been like this in the freelance industry. Upwork is no exception. Upwork should’ve kept its ToS mouth shut unless the problem of users leaving after two years was so big that it turned into an “exodus.” Upwork has succeeded in one thing. It raised the “awareness” of its problematic non-circumvention clauses and opt-out fees in the worst possible way: Users are discussing legal matters instead of new projects and features in the Community. Instead of offering a juicy loyalty carrot, Upwork is threatening with an even longer legal stick. Those who have second thoughts about leaving, now can’t stop thinking and talking about it. Those who’ve already been on their way out just got an additional reason not to look back. Those who had no clue about the possibility to leave got an interesting idea to think about. Congrats, Upwork! You just paid one dollar for the most expensive boomerang in business history. If and when it hits you back, it’s going to cost you millions. Congrats to you too! You’ve just witnessed history by reading my 100th story published on HackerNoon. Like it, share it, and support my nominations for the Noonies2022 Awards with your votes in these categories: HACKERNOON CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR- FREELANCING CRITICAL THINKER OF THE YEAR No worries, I won’t report you to Upwork. I hope that one day there will be a section of Upwork’s Terms dedicated to me and my stories. Until then, I leave you with the eye-opening lyrics of The Clash's relevant song: Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrdPTQV9wl4?embedable=true

Upwork in Real Danger of Losing MILLIONS over ONE DOLLAR "Conversion Fee"

Upwork en peligro real de perder MILLONES por una "tarifa de conversión" de UN DÓLAR

Upwork en danger réel de perdre des MILLIONS sur UN DOLLAR "Frais de conversion"

एक डॉलर से अधिक "रूपांतरण शुल्क" के लाखों खोने के वास्तविक खतरे में अपवर्क

1ドルの「変換手数料」で数百万ドルを失うという本当の危険にさらされているアップワーク

Upwork em perigo real de perder MILHÕES acima de UM DÓLAR "Taxa de conversão"

Làm việc trong nguy cơ thực sự mất hàng triệu USD do "Phí chuyển đổi" MỘT ĐÔ LA

一美元“转换费”损失数百万的真正危险

Stories, News & Mentions about UPWORK

Upwork’s Stories on HackerNoon

Upwork's News & Mentions