Black Friday 2020

[olleriksson]

Hey fellow freelancers, wouldn't it be awesome to be shown some appreciation from Upwork on Black Friday? 

Without us, Upwork would literally not exist. How about showing some love on ONE day of the year and give away some connects, alternatively sell them at 50%? Some of us spend hundreds of connects not even getting replies, the clients end up not hiring anyone for the postings, and the ads expire. 

If not on Black Friday, then perhaps on Christmas? 🙂 

[petra_r]

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Olle E wrote:

Hey fellow freelancers, wouldn't it be awesome to be shown some appreciation from Upwork on Black Friday? 

Without us, Upwork would literally not exist. How about showing some love on ONE day of the year and give away some connects, alternatively sell them at 50%?

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What a super idea! Black Friday Freebies, so let's all half our rates and prices or even GIVE AWAY our work to our clients, because without clients we wouldn't exist here.....

No?

[feed_my_eyes]

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Petra R wrote:

What a super idea! Black Friday Freebies, so let's all half our rates and prices or even GIVE AWAY our work to our clients, because without clients we wouldn't exist here.....

No?

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Actually, Black Friday isn't a terrible promotional idea for freelancers who are looking for new clients. It would be a way to offer discounted rates for just a day or two, without compromising your usual rate - you could start your proposals with "Black Friday discount offer!". I bet it would get some attention.

And if Upwork wants to give me a mug to show their appreciation, I wouldn't say no...

[olleriksson]

What? That's definitely not what I said, but I guess the Trumpian times of changing everything someone says and making it into something completely different has affected everyone... I am talking about connects, that are ridiculously expensive and should be offered to US, the freelancers, at a discounted price. Or do you not buy connects like us other mortals? 🙂 

[petra_r]

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Olle E wrote:

What? That's definitely not what I said, 

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It's the exact same logic.... My response was meant to make you think about the logic of your demand. If "every business" gives away stuff for free, why not freelancers?

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Olle E wrote:

Or do you not buy connects like us other mortals? 🙂 

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I do. I build their (minimal) costs into my price and rates like all my other business expenses. Don't you?

[olleriksson]

Petra, do you live in a world where Black Friday does not exist? I get discounts on everything in life on Black Friday, from food and internet subscriptions, to skin care and electricity. Why wouldn't a company like Upwork offer something similar, for one day of the year? It's so strange to see a hard working freelancer defend a huge company, but oh well, to each their own! 

[petra_r]

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Olle E wrote:

Petra, do you live in a world where Black Friday does not exist?

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I really don't like all those special days designed to make consumers spend more money, and No, it's not a big thing in the countries I usually live in (UK, Germany and Italy)

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Olle E wrote:

It's so strange to see a hard working freelancer defend a huge company, but oh well, to each their own! 

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I am not defending anything, I am just a bit more realistic after so many years and every 5 minutes someone thinks it's a sharp and novel idea to ask for freebies.... 

[olleriksson · Accepted solution]

Well that's your personal preference. The world is a capitalist place, and Black Friday is the biggest sale event of the year. Where you live doesn't really matter actually, because BF is American, and so is Upwork. 

I suggested a discount, any sort of discount would be cool in my eyes. Or what if when you buy a lot of connects, you get a couple of extra ones? That's not very strange, that's an actualy normal business model used by most companies. Like "Buy 50 items and get 5% off".

Upwork already charges 20% of everything I earn, so it's not really a "freebie". But whatever makes you happy and satisfied at the end of the day I guess. Hope you're enjoying spending all your money on making rich people richer! 🙂 

[petra_r]

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Olle E wrote:

Hope you're enjoying spending all your money on making rich people richer! 🙂 

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I spend a little bit of money on connects to make *me* richer.

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Olle E wrote:

Upwork already charges 20% of everything I earn, 

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If you get bigger contracts you don't have to spend as many connects and pay much lower fees.... It's only 20% on the first $ 500 with any one client.

[feed_my_eyes]

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Olle E wrote:

What? That's definitely not what I said, but I guess the Trumpian times of changing everything someone says and making it into something completely different has affected everyone... I am talking about connects, that are ridiculously expensive and should be offered to US, the freelancers, at a discounted price. Or do you not buy connects like us other mortals? 🙂 

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LOL if you're calling ME "Trumpian"! There's a first time for everything, I guess.

For the record, I have excellent reading comprehension skills and didn't twist your words, but merely added my own observations. If Black Friday is a time for giving discounts, then why wouldn't you give them to your own clients? Or are you only here to "get rich"? It's better to give than to receive, no?

BTW, Black Friday became a big sale day in America because it's a long weekend there (for Thanksgiving) so lots of people go shopping. It's just a normal weekend in the rest of the world, and I think that Upwork is U.S.-focussed enough as it is.

It's also quite strange that somebody who lives in Sweden thinks 15 cents per connect is "ridiculously expensive". Sounds like a Trumpian level of hyperbole to me.