The Newest UpWork Pricing Policy Update

Now, just a little while after the first announcement, UpWork sent a new message to its users, promising their policy will not take effect over the old contracts, only new ones. Furthermore, the day of change has been postponed to 21st of June. Now, according to the last letter, a freelancers fee will not change for old contracts, only for those signed after June 21st, however, if the old contract reaches the $500 the fee will be according to the new policy. At first look, it seems okay, but question is, how many lifelong contracts are there on the website?

Sooner or later the contract will be over, the job will be done and freelancers will again pay 25% in UpWork taxes. Lucky will only be a few people with contracts above $10,000 and not forever. Clients’ new pricing has not changed and they will continue to pay 2.75% per-transaction fee unless they are from a specific country.  This only serves to prove that even with the newest pricing policy update, there are not actual lasting changes that can be beneficial for the freelance community. It simply just delays the inevitable.

The Freelance Community

We could only guess the freelance platform owners got scared of the weave of leavers, who publicly denounced the website. We could point that and the fact that it has been a significant drop in numbers of the job opportunities posted in the UpWork feed, especially the last weeks. After many have accused UpWork of ripping freelancers and employers the internet is now flooded with commercials of upcoming or older websites promising their users a fair system.  Another future solution many have taken into consideration is the usage of a time tracking software to keep record of work hours and continue their relationship with  clients.

The Future Of Freelancing

The newest fee changes of UpWork may be tempting for the old users of the website, yet will repel any new aspiring talents to offer their services using that exact platform. Inevitably it is highly unlikely those who have left to return to the website, as the previous declaration forever branded UpWork as a website who does not care for it users, be it freelancers or employers.

The Conclusion

Once a great platform, which gave amazing opportunities, UpWork is now causing a great deal of changes on the freelance market. The user migration has started and the newest change will not be able to stop that. The monopole over the freelance marker is no longer in the hands of UpWork, unless they yet again decide to make a fee change that cancels the change. Anyhow, the past events have won UpWork a bad name over the internet, and there is no cure for that. It is up to the freelance community to either choose to keep up with the insane pricing or search for better solutions like time tracking software or other freelance platforms.

Quantity

How much work do you need to be processed and for how much time? If it is a great load job that is making you stay behind, but your employees are having their hands full, your option is both. You can either hire a full-time employee or a freelancer to do the job and end the contract when it is all finished. For instance when you are having a big project and your current staff is insufficient to complete it before the time limit.

Hiring a freelancer for something that will not take too much time, yet  will relieve your employees from the pressure seems like a smart decision too. Yet, if you expect the work to become even more in the future, you should reconsider expanding your staff with whichever solution fits best in order to avoid future setbacks. When your company is experiencing significant interest and is gaining more popularity and hence more purchases is another such case.

Time

Do you need such job done frequently or rarely? Often enough, many tasks are something that needs to be done few times only, just as services like accounting, customer care and similar. When you are still a small business and you do not deal with something daily, you can use the services of outsourced employees ever once in a while. You should determine if such task needs someone hired for hours a month, or will it be less expensive if you hire a person to whom you will pay on delivery. Then again, you can choose to keep you own staff in-house.

Type

Is the work directly connected to your business? If you are, for instance, in the  construction business but you keep an opened website, it is easier to hire a freelancer, than to waste time, money and equipment on hiring an in-house employee to take care of the website. As long as your main business is not online, everything that is online can easily be assigned to a freelancer.

Expenses

Another thing you should consider is if it’s worth the materials? Sometimes, the utility bills and materials expenses you pay can actually make it more expensive to keep an in–house employee, than to hire an outsourced one.

Price x Quality

As cost is relevant so is quality and it is best to have them balanced. On the web, there are countless pages where you can find enough experienced freelancers that will work for an agreed price. The trick is to find the one who will deliver exactly what you need and require. Besides, often freelancers have worked on various projects and their technical skills and qualifications are superior.

Of course, there are employees whom you can hire, but often those with so many projects behind them are more expensive. Again it is about cost and quality. Every expertise has its price on the market, and if you know a certain type of employee be it freelance or in-house, can do the job under your budget, then it is clear.

Management

However, both freelancer and in-house employees have one thing in common for which you pay. When you pay by the hour, time is of the essence. If you decide to hire a freelancer, it will be easier if you have a way to manage the time freelancer spends on the job, just as you need to manage your in-house staff.

For instance, if you use time tracking software with screenshots, you can observe and manage the work process of all your employees who use the computer for their job. When you use time tracking software it does not matter if the employee is right next to you, a different country, or few blocks away. You get all the information you need right on and a click away.

Freelancing is about cost and time saving. Numerous businesses around the world choose to hire remote workers for the projects, which can be done outside their organization. The freelancing market is vast and can offer specialists in many services. It makes no difference if you are a big or small business owner. If hiring a particular member to join your team will help you elevate your business, then you should.

One of the top qualities a freelancer should have is being communicative. The freelancers’ rule, do not work with people who do not respond quickly and are often unavailable, applies for the freelancers themselves. Since almost always, freelancers are in another time zone, a good 24 hours response window is appropriate for both freelancers and employers, especially if the employer is in a hurry to find the remote employee for the project.

Another vital skill a freelancer should have is responsiveness. Freelancers that are ready to take action, open to suggestions and appreciative of feedback understand the value of their work. Being responsive shows the respect for the work you are doing, thus, yet again this rule applies to both sides.

Cooperation is much needed when you work with or as a freelancer. Without cooperation, you expose your project at risk. Cooperation and exchange of ideas, keeping an open mind of how you want the things to go and how should they be done instead is crucial for the better outcome.

The technical skills a freelancer should have for the job he/she is being hired for is not always in complete accordance with the freelancer’s CV, sometimes they may possess more or fewer abilities than listed. Therefore, many prefer to first test their future employees and check their abilities for themselves. Beside the freelancers’ portfolio and job success, this is the only other option for you to confirm if their abilities meet the requirements for skill and quality.

Last but not least, a freelancer should be perfect at time management. Time, as we often tend to say, is the only thing that forms the value of a freelancer’s work. Freelancers, who know how to manage their time and understand its preciousness, are organized, able to act accordingly and have no problem in meeting their deadlines.

A time tracking software can be used not only for the accounting of hourly contracts and monitoring of the work process. It is an irreplaceable tool that can help both freelancers and employers keep their time, manage their tasks and organize their work, in order to finish it in time without struggles and problems. Timekeeping is freelance’s best friend, a time management solution that improves the organization, performance, and productivity, at the same time incredibly useful for the administrative and  management functions.

Hiring a skilled remote employee is not only a cost-saving action but a solution that can speed up your projects and boost the productivity levels. The effective management and appropriate behavior when working with  freelance employees will bring you much profit, and will be a worthy connection with skilled professionals that you can rely on.