Starting out as an online freelancer - Part 1

This series is aimed towards those who are trying to get into the wonderful world where one can work from his or her own home!

Guys, winning your first project is the most difficult job you'll ever get in this field.The entire online freelance community works on a crucial system of ratings. All major online marketplaces have rating systems which employers use to judge potential workers.

A person new to the world of freelancing is without a single rating, and so starting out can be very difficult. Few employers are willing to trust workers who have done no jobs on that marketplace previously.

But don't worry, we'll constantly update you with the latest tips and techniques to landing jobs, and hopefully guide you through the process. Feel free to communicate with us by leaving your comments below this post.

Part 1 of this series deals with setting up accounts on the most ideally suited freelancing marketplaces to those starting up!

STEP 1:REGISTRATION

We have done a lot of research over the past couple of weeks on the easiest websites for online freelancers to begin their work. Taking into account various factors including the long term prospects of these websites, we realized that freelancers have the highest chance of getting jobs on two websites:

We recommend you register on this site as well as this one both at once, so that you can save time filling their profiles (a lot of profile requirements are similar so you can just fill them simultaneously).

 Once you create accounts on both the websites, choose your payment methods etc. oDesk requires you take a readiness test before you can post a reasonable number bids at one time so make sure you do this after reading up on how the site works..

Fill in your areas of expertise, resume*, etc on both the websites and put up a photo to give your profile a less robotic look. Portfolios are very important to show any past experience you may have, so if you have any proof of work you may have done in the past that could be relevant to any projects you might bid on, upload it!

Vworker has Expert Guarantee tests that you should complete, whereas oDesk also has certification tests. There are a number of tests available, so you should just do tests in areas in which you believe you are an expert. A great score could result in you gaining more credibility as a worker, so make sure you take tests which you think you can score well in.

Once this is all done, you will have two solid looking profiles set up and you will be all ready to get to the most important part - BIDDING! 

Stay tuned for part 2 to find out the best bidding strategies for when you are completely new to the game!

Please feel free to leave a comment if any part of this is unclear or if you have any further questions. Thank you.

We would recommend you also like our Facebook page which can be accessed by clicking here since we frequently publish Success Tips which are absolutely essential to follow if you want to land your first project and complete it successfully.

Best Freelancing Websites for Pakistanis - PART 3 - Elance

Hi all,

While there are a lot of reviews comparing various freelancing websites, few do it from the perspective of a Pakistani. I have taken the time out to do a little bit of research to identify which website is most suitable for us, in terms of cost and payment methods.

There are a number of freelancing websites out there that allow Pakistani workers to work on projects and then get paid on them. However, a lot of Pakistanis have problems receiving payments from abroad because we cannot have a Paypal account in Pakistan and relying on the postal system to receive checks via snail mail is not a preferred option.

This series will talk about the pros and cons of the major online freelancing marketplaces from our perspective. The next website we will be looking at is:


ELANCE

Elance is a leading online freelancing website that boasts having faciliated $494,935,092 worth of business during the course of its existence. Elance has a large number of employers posting jobs regularly, but there is also a lot of competition and each job posting receives a large number of applicants.

While a basic membership on Elance is completely free, if you wish to upgrade your membership, there are superior plans available. The table below shows the types of memberships Elance offers to workers.

Source: www.elance.com

There are a number of payment methods for Pakistani contractors.


Wire Transfer (PKR) is offered by Elance. It is a direct bank transfer from their accounts to your local PKR bank account in Pakistan. Most major banks in Pakistan are supported by Elance, and while there is no list of supported banks published on their website, you can try out your bank details after making an account on Elance. Each Elance account is entitled to one free local currency wire transfer every month, after which each additional withdrawal costs $5.00. Since Elance converts the funds before transferring them, the currency conversion cost is avoided.


Wire Transfer (USD) is also offered for non-US countries. It is a bank transfer from Elance to your bank account (local PKR or local USD) in Pakistan. However, Elance does not offer any free USD wire transfers to account holders, and each withdrawal amounts to $25 in fees. Also, local PKR bank accounts often charge a hefty fee to convert the USD amount into PKR so this is not advisable, specially if you do not have a local USD account.


Payoneer [FOR more information about Payoneer, please click here: How to use Payoneer MasterCard Debit Cards in Pakistan.] is reliable and quick but it can end up being quite expensive. They issue a prepaid MasterCard debit card to people who can then use it to make electronic purchases at any place that accepts MasterCard, or withdraw it at ATM machines which accept MasterCard (in Pakistan, these include Standard Chartered Bank, Faysal Bank* and Muslim Commercial Bank).

Payoneer charges $24.99 as a one time activation fee that Pakistanis must pay, as opposed to a $9.99 fee for some other countries.

Source: www.elance.com

While Elance provides free withdrawals to your Payoneer account, Payoneer charges $2 to load it ($5 if you want to load it instantly). Otherwise it can take a few business days. Payoneer also has a monthly fee of $3 ($1 if you have more than three transactions, either through ATM or purchasing from shops etc in the previous month) but this is not deducted from your account if you do not have sufficient money there during the course of the month; i.e. your Payoneer account can never become negative. Besides this, there is a $2.15 fee for each ATM withdrawal you make. To top it all off, you get a poor exchange rate in Pakistan. The exchange rate is Rs.90/$ but our banks only give Rs. 87/$. This amount can build up if you are withdrawing a lot of money. Remember that Elance has a $20 minimum withdrawal limit for Payoneer users.


FOR more information about Payoneer, please click here: How to use Payoneer MasterCard Debit Cards in Pakistan.


Skrill, more commonly known as Moneybookers, charges EUR1.80 per withdrawal. Moreover, a rate of 1.99% has been applied for currency converssion by Skrill.

Moneybookers had a fantastic reputation amongst Pakistani contractors until recently, when there were widespread complaints of additional fees, delays and missing money with their services over the past couple of months. Skrill has undergone several internal changes, which have reduced its credibility in the eyes of many Pakistani contractors.



*only those branches of Faysal Bank that were once owned by Royal Bank of Scotland accept MasterCard. Look for the MasterCard logo on the machine. DO NOT insert your card in machine that does not accept MasterCard



FOR more information about Payoneer, please click here: How to use Payoneer MasterCard Debit Cards in Pakistan

EZ Rupee Online Facebook Page Up

Hey guys,

Our Facebook page is up and running! Make sure you like it to receive updates about the latest posts as well as to be a part of a conversation with other people in your fields.

The page can be found here.

Happy freelancing!

Welcome to EZ Rupee Online!

Hi all,

Welcome to EZ Rupee Online, a blog dedicated to people who want to make a part time or a full time living on the internet. While there is no shortage of resources available on the internet for people who want to learn how to start earning money on the internet, there is a massive amount of information that remains unverified or even downright untrue.

Here at EZ Rupee Online, I am going to do my best to get as many of you into the great world of online freelancing as possible. While this blog aims to serve as a resource to primarily Pakistanis, people from other countries are also welcome to ask general questions and join the conversation.

I have been working as an online freelancer for a year now part time. While I am a full time student, the extra income I have earned over the past few years services has helped me out tremendously, at a time when our economy has not been producing too many jobs.

I only talk about PROVEN ways to make money. There are a lot of scams out there, and I know a lot of people who have been victims of them.

If you ever have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. I will do my utmost to get back to you as quickly as possible.