Re: When is it time to up my hourly rate

steveromano · ‎08-18-2018

I've started to get some gigs, which is good. But I know I started my hourly rate too low. I am a writer and know my worth. I started low because i was new to Upwork and wanted to land some gigs to get my rating up.

When should I raise my hourly wage? I know you can raise it whenever, but I am looking for more of a strategic answer.

prestonhunter · ‎08-18-2018

When you are getting too much work and too many offers at your current rate, then it is a good time to increase your rate.

wlyonsatl · ‎08-18-2018

That depends.

You were smart to not try to charge your maximum pricing early in your use of Upwork. When you submit your proposals on new projects, where is the price of your bid in comparison to other freelancers’ bids?

If you’re usually much nearer the low end of the range rather than the high end, you can probably increase your average bids as you build a growing portfolio of successfully completed projects.

Do you have experience in your field outside of Upwork?

If the pricing in your other experience before or outside of Upwork has been higher than you are charging your Upwork clients now, there may be some room to increase your Upwork pricing. (Remember that many clients, depending on your area of specialty, come to Upwork looking for a good deal. As in any labor market, if your skills and experience are demonstrably superior to your competitors, you will be able to charge a premium price - eventually.)

If you find a lot of jobs to bid on, you could try bidding at your current level to keep your flow of projects and income at its current level, but bidding substantially higher on, say, 1 in 10 of your proposals and see if the response rate on your higher bids is strong enough to warrant winning a few fewer jobs but making substantially more money per hour on the projects you work on. This will take some time, but it’s probably worthwhile to get a better idea of increasing your Upwork earnings over time.

Good luck.

sergio-soria · ‎08-18-2018

@Will L wrote:

...where is the price of your bid in comparison to other freelancers’ bids?

But he could only answer that being a plus membership user. We don't normally see other freelancers's bids. Some years ago it was possible without paying but not now.

wlyonsatl · ‎08-19-2018

Sergio,

Neither you nor I know how many Upwork freelancers pay Upwork $10 for the information I mentioned. I assume there are many 1,000s of people who do, but I could be wrong.

If you would like that information but can't afford it, you have my condolences. I wouldn't even bother using Upwork if I didn't make enough money using it to pay that fee. But I have choices you and other freelancers apparently do not. That is sad.

sergio-soria · ‎08-19-2018

@Will L wrote:

If you would like that information but can't afford it, you have my condolences. I wouldn't even bother using Upwork if I didn't make enough money using it to pay that fee. But I have choices you and other freelancers apparently do not. That is sad.

Hi Will, condolences for what? Sad? I think you misunderstood something. I don't care what other freelancers bid. And I don't pay for a plus membership not because I can't afford it, but instead because I don't see any benefits doing it. Just took me by surprise that you assumed the OP has a plus membership because I am pretty sure most freelancers don't. Have a nice day!

wlyonsatl · ‎08-20-2018

Well, Sergio, if you don't care what other freelances bid then you don't have Stephen's interest in taking a strategic approach to making proposals that attract new projects for him.

I will have a nice day. Thank you for caring about that.

petra_r · ‎08-18-2018

@Stephen R wrote:
I've started to get some gigs, which is good.

There isn't a single one showing on your profile though? Neither completed nor in progress. Just how have you "started to get some gigs?"

Before you raise your rate, you need to beef up your profile. There is no portfolio and no meaningful (or any) employment history.

You also want to carefully proofread your overview. A designer or coder can get away with grammar clangers on their profile. A writer? Not so much.

purplepony · ‎08-19-2018

Currently his Profile is not Public---hmmm...

colettelewis · ‎08-19-2018

Stephen,

Your profile is completely at odds with your education. I simply cannot see how, within two years of completing your college course, you have jumped to being "Communications Director/Chief Speechwriter for a State Senator" and that prior to that you were in journalism as a "reporter, blogger, editor and proofreader". If you had experience either as an editor or proofreader, you would know when, and when not, to capitalize.

As Petra says, you need to rewrite your profile truthfully. You also need a writing portfolio.

prestonhunter · ‎08-19-2018

Nichola: he said STATE senator, not "U.S. Senator."

I don't see any reason to doubt that claim.

Where I live, a state senator's communications director/chief speechwriter is more likely to be a college student rather than a college graduate.

colettelewis · ‎08-20-2018

@Preston H wrote:
Nichola: he said STATE senator, not "U.S. Senator."

I don't see any reason to doubt that claim.

Where I live, a state senator's communications director/chief speechwriter is more likely to be a college student rather than a college graduate.

________________________

I stand corrected.