There ARE still people who believe the future of work is NOT freelance. Hard to believe, but it’s true. They’re the people who put air quotes around “work” when you say you work from home.
And couldn’t tell you what Zoom is.
They’ll also be the people asking you how you did it in a few years.
Try to be nice.
I experienced something similar when I told people, way back in 2004, that the internet would be the future of business.
“The Yahoo chat thing? Bahaha. Okaaaay.” they scoffed.
We know how that played out.
Meanwhile, big companies see it clearer than ever. They’re not pivoting. They’re not searching for the “next big thing”.
They already know what it is.
And, they’re doubling down.
Google recently rebranded Hangouts as Google Meet and made it free to everyone. Zoom grew from 10 million daily users in December of 2019 to over 300 million by April of 2020.
Facebook launched “Rooms” to throw their hat in the ring.
And, interestingly, Upwork recently launched a brand new service called Direct Contracts. It’s a service that gives you access to Upwork’s payment and dispute-resolution features without clients being required to actually sign up for Upwork.
When this many big companies are all pointing in the same direction, you should pay attention. Something is happening. That might seem obvious to you, but I bet you missed just how much Cornavirus has accelerated this trend.
Take the numbers I wrote about a few months back. Upwork conducted a series of surveys of 1500 hiring managers conducted BEFORE and AFTER the Coronavirus hit the U.S. Here’s what they found (emphasis mine):
- 47% of hiring managers MORE LIKELY to hire independent professionals since the COVID-19 crisis
- 56% of hiring managers said working remotely has EXCEEDED their expectations, and 62% said their workforce will be MORE remote
- 73% of hiring managers are continuing or INCREASING their use of independent professionals.
- than before COVID-19.
- 32% of hiring managers say remote work has INCREASED productivity
- 59% of hiring managers agree that organizations that are NOT adopting a flexible workforce are falling behind.
That’s a sea change in the opinions on remote work, from the very people who will be doing the hiring, in a very short amount of time. The ramifications of this will continue to play out over the next several years.
Companies got a taste.
And they liked it.
All this should mean something to you. The opportunity to “make it” as a freelancer has never been greater. The tools, support and education to do it are only going to grow.
That’s the good news.
The bad news?
People are paying attention. The moves made by these big companies aren’t going unnoticed. And every “swinging” Tom, Dick and Harriet are going to throw their hat into this ring.
So, there’s still time to be a first-mover…
And get that advantage.
But, that window is shrinking.
If you’re AT ALL considering freelancing, NOW is the time. If you’ve “dabbled” a bit, NOW is the time to get serious. If you’ve been going at it hard, but haven’t made the progress you wanted, NOW is the time to fix it.
Soon, the friends, family and neighbors who’ve been laughing at your freelancing “pipe dream”… are going to be your direct competitors. I’ll be damned if I’M gonna let them get a leg up on ME.
The last thing you want…
Is to have seen a big opportunity coming and miss it.
Did that once.
Still grinds my gears.
In any case, the previously-mentioned Upwork is one of the easiest ways to get started. Clients are right there… waiting. They’re ready to pull the trigger. You just have to say the right things to make them want to hire you.
No, it’s not “the lowest bidder always wins”.
It’s not “a bunch of scam projects”.
It’s not “only viable for established Upworkers”.
Or whatever horse hockey you might hear out there. Not, if you know what you’re doing, anyway. I’ve seen it time and again. Freelancers who closely follow a simple set of guidelines with Upwork…
They tend to have long-lasting success.
Those who don’t… often never even get their first client.
It’s like one of my students, Divyendra, said recently:
“All the things which he says seem to be minute but have a very great impact. I made account on Upwork 3 years back but it did not get approved. After viewing his course during lockdown I made account again and it got approved the same day and amazingly I got my first job the very same day.”
So, it’s a simple decision.
Follow the guidelines… or don’t.
You decide.
For those with clear eyes…
I packaged this proven set of guidelines into an online course called “Freelancing on Upwork”. In it, I walk you line-by-line through building your profile, bidding on jobs and getting noticed on the platform.
So, you can start and grow your freelance business using Upwork.
Best part… you can take the course for free.
I uploaded it over on Skillshare and, as a teacher there, I’m allowed to give you an exclusive 2-month free trial of the site. When you join the trial, you get FULL access to my course plus 28,000 others.
Watch, implement and get your Upwork account rolling.
Then, simply cancel before the 2 months ends and you’ll never pay a penny.
It’s that easy.
If you’re interested, the link and all the information on the free trial is here: https://johnmorrisonline.com/skillshare
Later,
John
