I have been silent on the forums since the new bidding war began but now feel a need to speak up simply because it's something that should not be withheld from Upwork. I still think Upwork is the best place to work online but as we all know they threw us a curve ball last year and this is what happened to me.
When the major companies such as Google and Microsoft during post-COVID made their decisions to outsource to freelancers rather thank re-lease their very expensive buildings, of course, the freelancer market was flooded.
I noticed in June that the ability to get good contracts was difficult and it got worse as the months drug on.
I was working exclusively through Upwork, and as a result, I had to take on projects that were not my speciality.
Even thought I had developed the ability to screen thoroughly - I had to take on clients that I knew were not going to optimal and then when the bidding war bomb was dropped, of course, it got worse.
My score was lower steadily after having spent a year getting it back up 100%, it dropped to 94% because of an especially cruel client in December.
So, by the end of December, my credit cards were maxed out, and I was literally going to be homeless. I called my daughter in Indiana (I lived in Oregon) and she offered to help me. Her and her husband drove all the way from Indiana to Oregon with their truck and trailer and loaded up my 99 Firebird, all my furnishings and moved me back to Indiana to live with them.
So, now I can build my client list slowly and I don't have to knowingly take on bad clients. But because of that one horrible client in December, who left a scathing review of exagerations and outright lies, I've only been able to get one new client in three months along with two repeat clients who "still like me". Of course, I have to get 10 new reviews before I can have that one removed. I figure that will most likely take about 3 years to get back to the volumn on Upwork I was doing before June 2022.
What did I do wrong? I put all my eggs in one basket. I believed the UpWork videos of the young freelancers who giggled and stated "I work exclusively for UpWork, because that's what works for me. Tee-hee!" Very misleading. I don't watch the Upwork marketing videos anymore. And, I feel like an idiot for believing them.
So, yes, I still submit proposals on Upwork, but only if I truely appreciate the description. In the meantime, I'm going through the process of recruiting new clients off Upwork. That takes a long, long time because for one thing, it's a new process that I must now learn having never done it before.
However, I'm certainly not going to let it deter me from doing my very best to rebuild my business both on Upwork and now, off Upwork. I will never again put all my eggs in one basket.
I've been in this world a long time and I absolutely believe that there is always hope. So, when I get bucked off, I get right back up, dust myself off, and get right back on the horse. That's what I recommend to every other freelancer who experiended similar circumstances to mine.
Best of wishes to everyone,
Susan Daniels
