Freelance / Contracting Platforms

[Andy Hallett]

It's happening everywhere else in the world, platforms are disrupting and replacing traditional businesses. Uber and taxis, Purple Bricks and Estate Agents etc

Has anyone started to get their gigs through Upworks, Elevate, Guru, Fiverr etc? If so, how have you found the experience?

[ladymuck]

I always thought those were a race to the bottom and with very little control. Maybe I should take a look...

[DaveB]

I always thought those were a race to the bottom and with very little control. Maybe I should take a look...

Thats been my view as well when I've looked at them. Moistly minor one off jobs that aren't paying well.

[MasterBait]

Don't think that purple bricks made any difference, only very bad reviews
As for a contractor platform it has been tried before and failed each and every time

[northernladuk]

Don't think that purple bricks made any difference, only very bad reviews
As for a contractor platform it has been tried before and failed each and every time

Punternet seems to have filled a hole though.

[courtg9000]

It's happening everywhere else in the world, platforms are disrupting and replacing traditional businesses. Uber and taxis, Purple Bricks and Estate Agents etc

Has anyone started to get their gigs through Upworks, Elevate, Guru, Fiverr etc? If so, how have you found the experience?

I have tried two of those for small jobs in the past. As the customer. Very poor.

Speaking as the customer, a colonoscopy is more pleasant and I have had one of those as well!

For the most part, I have a large "Rolodex" of contractors/freelancers that I know if I need anything. Easier just to pick up the phone if my contact base doesn't have what I need they will more than likely know a chap or chapess that does. Failing that I find advertising for resources on my own website yields good results.

Would I use another platform or a new platform. Very unlikely. I have now retired from active work and business and my long-term property and financial markets investment holds are managed elsewhere. I would probably resort to the "Rolodex" if I needed anything.

[victorantos]

It's happening everywhere else in the world, platforms are disrupting and replacing traditional businesses. Uber and taxis, Purple Bricks and Estate Agents etc

Has anyone started to get their gigs through Upworks, Elevate, Guru, Fiverr etc? If so, how have you found the experience?

I got on Upwork a few weeks ago. My first gig got me $400 for 10 email templates, which is actually not much only £200 in my bank account after fees.

The second gig I got an hourly based rate $50/hour, but the client limited the task to 15 hours only after an "estimation" session. I've done more than 2/3 of the task in 17 hours.

Now the client is not willing to pay me more than 12 hours for it, I stopped working on it - so not a good experience...

[eek]

Which would confirm my viewpoint of such systems

Great when you are selling a small product and can easily explain what you are selling - they fall apart as soon as things get complex...

the issue is that except for obvious flaws the best market for contractors is really agencies - they source the work and for a percentage find a suitable candidate for the project.

Every other scheme for a contracting platform has failed because it doesn't provide the leg work that is required - contractors and end clients look at them as ways of removing the agency cut but in reality that's cheaper than the other options.

[oilyrag]

Upwork was hit and miss, where I could hire contractors, but I could not attract work to myself. With Toptal, I get a good supply of work coming in for myself.

[ladymuck]

There's also Talmix which seems to have some interesting stuff on it but I've never bid for work there. I've always been a bit suspicious of it.