Anyone feel a big change?

[tomzilla1]

Usually my late Augusts are very busy --- but since May, it's been pretty flat, number of views according to the profile view are around 40 a week but I get maybe 3 or 4 proposals a week? And almost all of them have been very low quality proposals. I use to get 20 to 30 proposals a day and would probably get 3 or 4 good offers out of those.

[alecia252002]

I feel your pain Tom Z. I wrote a message asking if anyone else was experiencing the same thing. I think the new business model isn't going so well. There's also rumors of bots posting fake jobs so freelancers will spend money on connects.  I personally think the new added fees are ridiculous! I've been a member since they we're Odesk and it seems like they're getting a bit greedy. 

Really worried, 

Alecia

[tlsanders]

---

Alecia M wrote:

I feel your pain Tom Z. I wrote a message asking if anyone else was experiencing the same thing. I think the new business model isn't going so well. There's also rumors of bots posting fake jobs so freelancers will spend money on connects.  I personally think the new added fees are ridiculous! I've been a member since they we're Odesk and it seems like they're getting a bit greedy. 

Really worried, 

Alecia

---

Alecia, this has been discussed at great length in other places, but obviously Upwork would rather collect hundreds of dollars in fees from working freelancers than $15 for 100 connects. The "new added fees" aren't a significant revenue source (if they generate revenue at all versus the old model, which is questionable)--they're a deterrent to bidding.

[tomzilla1]

Usually Upwork gets about $1600 to $1900 monthly from me... But since may,... half of that.

[florydev]

---

Tom Z wrote:

Usually Upwork gets about $1600 to $1900 monthly from me... But since may,... half of that.

---

So you are pulling $8k minimum a month (that's assuming 20%) for that, and so now you are only getting $4k?

[tomzilla1]

I think that's pretty accurate but yes, the new change definitely saw less proposals and less jobs overall... not good.

[tlsanders]

---

Tom Z wrote:

Usually Upwork gets about $1600 to $1900 monthly from me... But since may,... half of that.

---

That's amazing. Do you mind if I ask how that plays out? Are you making $32-38,000/month from large long-term clients at 5%, or $16-19,000/month from mid-range clients at 10%, or are you patching together enough tiny one-offs to aggregate $8-9,500 per month in 20% gigs?

I'm thinking it must be the latter, if the recent changes have caused a serious decline,but that sounds exhausting. Were you doing something like 30 $300 jobs per month? How many bids did it take to land that many?

[tomzilla1]

I would say I'm decent, there's people on here that's way more amazing -- but to answer your question, I'm paying about a combined rate of 10% to Upwork, but then again Uncle sam gets another, and state gets another, I don't get much when it's said and done.

Anyways, the point is... man there was a big change since end of May. I wonder if I'm the only one.

[tlsanders]

---

Tom Z wrote:

I would say I'm decent, there's people on here that's way more amazing -- but to answer your question, I'm paying about a combined rate of 10% to Upwork, but then again Uncle sam gets another, and state gets another, I don't get much when it's said and done.

Anyways, the point is... man there was a big change since end of May. I wonder if I'm the only one.

---

That's kind of confusing given the numbers you gave us. If you're paying an average of 10% and you were paying Upwork what you said, you'd be making $32,000-$38,000/month. That's $384,000 to $466,000 per year via Upwork. But, your profile says you've been here for more than 3 years and earned just over $300,000. I just can't make your math work.

[tomzilla1]

I don't make that much, I don't want to disclose too much how much I make but the point is the change had a big impact since May. If you notice it too then share too.

[tlsanders]

---

Tom Z wrote:

I don't make that much, I don't want to disclose too much how much I make but the point is the change had a big impact since May. If you notice it too then share too.

---

The change has been the opposite for me. I've steadily been seeing really good invitations for the first time in a long time.

Re earnings, I'm not really interested in how much you make...just skeptical of your claim that you were paying Upwork $1600-1900/month (which, it now seems you are admitting was exaggerated, or at least atypical). I'm sure in the abstract your point is valid, though--you're hardly the first person who has reported decreased earnings and other obstacles over the past couple of months.

[abinadab-agbo]

Mark's uncanny maths (as usual) confused the life of me as well.

Taking the median of fees Tom says he pays monthly (1750$), that fee would only set in at 24,000$ project value each month.
So please, explain your maths, Tom & Mark.

[florydev]

---

wrote:
Mark's uncanny maths (as usual) confused the life of me as well.

Tiffany too...

or are you patching together enough tiny one-offs to aggregate $8-9,500 per month in 20% gigs?

Taking the median of fees Tom says he pays monthly (1750$), that fee would only set in at 24,000$ project value each month.
So please, explain your maths, Tom & Mark.

---

You are right about my confusion on math (tried to leave it maths but Americanness will not allow it), for example I always thought a median was the middle value in an ordered series and the average was termed the mean.

[tomzilla1]

No idea, I'm just looking at the Earnings Per Client section on Upwork - it may be post fee or pre-fee, no idea. Bottom line is Upwork gets about half as much from me after May.

[oquintela]

---

Tom Z wrote:

[…]Anyways, the point is... man there was a big change since end of May. I wonder if I'm the only one.

---

I was getting like 2-3 junk invites and started to get around 12 since the beginning of June (they're more in line with my skills now); was having trouble landing jobs since late last year but things got a bit easier.

[tomzilla1]

Did you notice that after you did the specialized profile?

[oquintela]

---

Tom Z wrote:

Did you notice that after you did the specialized profile?

---

I don't remember... I personally don't think it has nothing to do with that; I think Upwork changes their algorithm once a year, usually around Summer. This is pure speculation, but it's something I've noticed since 2016.

[kbadeau]

---

Tiffany S wrote:

---

Alecia M wrote:

I feel your pain Tom Z. I wrote a message asking if anyone else was experiencing the same thing. I think the new business model isn't going so well. There's also rumors of bots posting fake jobs so freelancers will spend money on connects.  I personally think the new added fees are ridiculous! I've been a member since they we're Odesk and it seems like they're getting a bit greedy. 

Really worried, 

Alecia

---

Alecia, this has been discussed at great length in other places, but obviously Upwork would rather collect hundreds of dollars in fees from working freelancers than $15 for 100 connects. The "new added fees" aren't a significant revenue source (if they generate revenue at all versus the old model, which is questionable)--they're a deterrent to bidding.

---

It's not those fees that concern me, esp. since I don't usually use connects, but giving clients only three invites worries me. I've heard that's not set in stone yet, but I do have firsthand knowledge of clients who were so bothered by the change/additional fees for the plus plan that they left the site.

[tomzilla1]

Same, I don't mind the 0.15 here and there, but I am concerned because usually by this time in August, I should be getting solid 4 to 5 proposals daily... There's got to be some sort of issue + clients leaving + hoard of new freelancers wanting to score a quick buck, and then vicious cycle of bad work, sour taste and leaving site...

[tlsanders]

---

Kelly B wrote:

---

---

It's not those fees that concern me, esp. since I don't usually use connects, but giving clients only three invites worries me. I've heard that's not set in stone yet, but I do have firsthand knowledge of clients who were so bothered by the change/additional fees for the plus plan that they left the site.

---

I agree with this, but I think it is also by design. I don't think Upwork is interested in clients who hire occasionally anymore.

[abinadab-agbo]

There are clients who hire occasionally, but each project, albeit occasional, is high value.
I bet you Upwork doesn't want to lose this type of client.

[tlsanders]

---

Abinadab A wrote:
There are clients who hire occasionally, but each project, albeit occasional, is high value.
I bet you Upwork doesn't want to lose this type of client.

---

I disagree with you. I may be wrong. Time will tell. But, I don't think Upwork cares at all about those relatively small, sporadic clients anymore. I think they are shifting gears to cultivate relationships with large companies that use hundreds of freelancers on a long-term basis, and clients who occasionally do a large project that generates a few thousand in fees for Upwork will be like the grocery store customer who buys a pack of gum compared with a client paying $15/hour to each of 250 or 500 freelancers on an ongoing basis.

[feed_my_eyes]

---

Tiffany S wrote:

---

Abinadab A wrote:
There are clients who hire occasionally, but each project, albeit occasional, is high value.
I bet you Upwork doesn't want to lose this type of client.

---

I disagree with you. I may be wrong. Time will tell. But, I don't think Upwork cares at all about those relatively small, sporadic clients anymore. I think they are shifting gears to cultivate relationships with large companies that use hundreds of freelancers on a long-term basis, and clients who occasionally do a large project that generates a few thousand in fees for Upwork will be like the grocery store customer who buys a pack of gum compared with a client paying $15/hour to each of 250 or 500 freelancers on an ongoing basis.

---

They would undoubtedly like to attract larger companies with bigger budgets, but I would think that this would involve actually vetting freelancers to ensure that they have the necessary skills and expertise to attract big clients, and I don't see this happening (yet). Plus the recent implementation of fixed-price project offers seems to be actually designed to attract one-off clients rather than big-budget clients. So, who knows what direction they're heading in? The smart freelancer won't wait to find out, but will start implementing "plan B" sooner rather than later, IMHO. There's certainly no point in posting complaints in the forum like, "I'm not getting enough work, therefore Upwork must do X or Y!" because they're going to do what's best for their business model, and we need to do what's best for our own.

[27343438]

As of November 2023, I'm telling you it's only gotten worse. Are you still on the platform? 
If Yes, what strategies have you used to keep afloat?