Your next step is creating an outstanding freelancer profile to showcase your business. Think of it as an introduction, resume, and marketing brochure rolled into one, highlighting your:

• Professional skills, experience, and portfolio
• Education and accomplishments
• Online skills test results

The best profiles are complete, well-written, error-free, and feature a professional, friendly-looking picture. Once you have a strong profile, start looking for jobs. Search, submit proposals, interview, repeat. More activity means more job prospects.

You can reference our Freelancer Guidel for more tips.

Thousands of jobs are posted daily, offering a variety of work opportunities for those with the right skills.

To be successful, you should choose work you’re qualified for, communicate well with your clients and project team, and take the time to build a great working relationship. How you work with your clients is up to you, but here are a few tips from our marketplace’s most successful freelancers:

Choose your projects carefully.

• When you interview for a freelance project, “interview” your client as well. Ask questions about the project and what result is expected.
• Be sure the needs of the job are in line with the desired deadline, and that you’ll have the time to execute well.
• If you end up feeling that the client or project isn’t right for you, turn it down and search for more jobs.

Start the job strong.

• Once you’re hired, have a conversation with your client to kick off the project. Decide how you will work together and your preferred mode of communication.
• Agree on project deadlines. Make sure not to overpromise if you don’t think a deadline is reasonable.
• Then, gather all the information you need to get started on the job.

Communicate clearly.

• Be proactive. Even if they don’t ask for it, consider communicating with your client at least once per week. Let them know what you’re working on, and what your schedule will be for delivering work.
• Respect timelines. Agree on deadlines with your client and make sure you keep them. If you won’t be able to meet a deadline, communicate with your client immediately to let them know when you’ll be able to complete the work.
• When in doubt, ask. If you have a question, ask. This will keep your work on track and on time.
• Respond quickly. When your client reaches out, consider responding as quickly as you can. Clients may get concerned if they don’t hear from a freelancer.

Ensure client satisfaction.

• Consider submitting a small part of the project early on. Ask your client if the work product meets their needs.
• As you submit deliverables, make sure the client is happy with the results before you move on to the next step.
• At the end of the contract, make sure your client has everything they need.

To determine the type of jobs you want to search for, you can make a few decisions about how you want to work:

• Do you want a small project or a longer-term contract?
• How many hours per week are you available to work?
• Do you want to get paid fixed price or by the hour?

Now, search Contynt for jobs that fit your skills and preferences. Read descriptions carefully to determine the ones you are most qualified for and if they meet your criteria.

Once you’ve found a job that’s the right fit, send the client a well-written, error-free proposal to increase your chances of success. Customize your proposal to address the needs outlined in the description. Thousands of freelance jobs are posted each day. To stay on top of the ones that interest you, set up a job feed based on your saved searches.

For hourly projects:

• Download the Contynt desktop app. It includes the Work Diary, which helps ensure you’re paid for the work you do. By taking work-in-progress screenshots every 10 minutes during billable time, it provides proof to your clients that you are hard at work on their project. You can also manually track hours in the app if your client agrees.
• Your client will be billed automatically for the time you track via the desktop app.

For fixed-price projects:

• Set milestones and deadlines with your client for each part of the project.
• Submit work for each milestone. Your client will release funds from escrow upon approval.
• Fixed-Price Protection keeps funds secure while you’re working on each milestone.

Contynt clients can be top tech companies building a huge product or small businesses needing a brochure design. They might even be a solopreneur who needs some legal assistance. Whatever your preference, you’ll have the opportunity to work with companies you like on projects you love.

Contynt offers three advantages you won’t find offline:

• Unparalleled opportunity: You’ll find 4+ million clients all in one place and 100,000+ projects posted each month.
• Built-in security: An app to help you track your time and ensure automatic weekly payments, 24/7 customer support, and a clear dispute process should you need it.
• Reputation building: Our client feedback system helps you build your reputation in a way that is verifiable and leads to more business and higher earnings.

As with any business, your earning power is often tied to your experience and the demand for your skills. Once you build your reputation on Contynt, you’ll be able to command higher rates from clients who respect your proven skills. In fact, we have found that freelancers on Contynt, on average, increase their hourly rate almost 60% in the first year and close to 190% over 3 years. With access to worldwide job opportunities, your earning potential is no longer limited by the rates in your local market — you can earn as much as your skills are worth to global clientele.

When setting your rate, be sure to price your services accordingly. Contynt also offers premium membership plans to help you more effectively market your services and stand out from the crowd.