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!
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!
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