Upwork for Bookkeepers - A Client and Freelancer's Perspective

[@McquistjMcQuiston]

Hi Rachel! Very helpful video! I am an upwork freelancer and have always been intimidated by 20 to 50 proposals already submitted for a job, so seeing how many people don't actually pay attention to what they are applying to makes me feel better. 😂 Your humor was great on this part. Good to see things from the client side and how the milestones work. 👏

[@GentleFrog]

I'm so glad you liked it! I never know if people are getting to get value from videos like this.

[@talkwithyou77]

Very good discussion

[@GentleFrog]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@avaiz-free-soul]

This is an absolutely Gold! I am qualified Accountant, QBO Advisor and a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer, but I often have questions in my mind regarding the thinking of Bookkeeping clients when they are hiring. This video has addressed so many of the questions and I even forwarded the link to other freelancers who might have similar questions in their mind. Thank you ❤

[@GentleFrog]

I'm so glad you found it helpful and thank you so much for sharing the video.

[@KhlayDigitalSolutions]

Hey there! This video is a lifesaver, especially for someone like me, a budding freelance bookkeeper. You're so right; sending out proposals can feel like stepping into a lion's den with all that competition, especially when you're just starting out and have zero experience. 😅 I'd love to see a video where you dive into the nitty-gritty of what us newbie freelance bookkeepers should focus on to catch that first client. Any tips on what to anticipate during interviews would be pure gold too!

[@GentleFrog]

Thank you for the kind words! I'm so glad you found the video helpful. I love your ideas and will put them on my list.

[@KamranShahid-po5qz]

Thank you for the video! I read and write the proposal according to the clients pain points straight away, but still not getting any response from clients, what could be the reason?

[@GentleFrog]

There could be a lot of reasons for this. Look for jobs with fewer Proposals. Do you have any reviews? Have you taken the time to fill out your profile? Even when you take the time to do a good job answering all the questions it could just be that someone else did the same before you, that they have more reviews, more experience, and/or a better looking profile. Unfortunately, there's no way to know.

[@nneese82]

I am still unsure about using a freelancer website to offer my services. I don't generally like to provide an hourly rate for services, and for some work, you should get paid upfront. I am thinking there is not an option in Upwork. I have heard horror stories on freelancers not getting paid after doing a ton of work. Let's say the ad is basic like "QBO Cleanup Needed". Guessing during the interview, you could set up 1-milestone with the offeror and agree that would only be to "review the books in-depth" for flat fee $XXX and will provide diagnosis only after payment is received, and then somehow after payment and after you provide findings, you then request "Milestone 2" for the actual pricing for the cleanup. How would adding "Milestone 2" by the freelancer be if it is only available upon requesting to be paid (which occurred before you presented your findings)?

[@GentleFrog]

Here's some information from UpWork on how Milestones work: support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068218-Milestones-for-Fixed-Price-Jobs I'd suggest joining the Gentle Frog Bookkeeping Lily Pad community group and asking there about people's experience with Upwork and other freelancing platforms: facebook.com/groups/gentlefrogsbookkeepinglilypad

[@rockymntdan1]

$35/hr ! Upwork is what you call A RACE TO THE BOTTOM!

[@GentleFrog]

Yes, there are a lot of low ball offers on Upwork. But you can find decent work there and it can be a good place for new bookkeepers to get experience.

[@abaaguanye9186]

Hello! My name is Richard Anye, ACA. I am a Chartered Accountant and hold a ProAdvisor status on QuickBooks Online, with over 7 years of experience in the auditing, accounting, and financial industry. Recently, I joined Upwork, but it has been very difficult to land my first job. I watched your video multiple times, and it was very educative and helpful. Thank you so much for this great work. Please, I am open to new opportunities or collaborations to join your team.

[@GentleFrog]

Thanks Richard! Upwork can be a challenge. There's a lot of competition from around the world. You may want to check out r/Upwork, it has a lots of good tips including existing posts from accountants looking to get gigs: www.reddit.com/r/Upwork/comments/1cktz93/accountant_looking_for_tips_to_land_the_first_job/