What is Freelance work ?

In one of my previous posts I wrote about free data entry jobs in Sri Lanka. In that post I mentioned that freelancers have a good chance of making money online. When it comes to Internet jobs in Sri Lanka freelance work is something that has a quick return for your money compared to something like building niche websites and blogging. That lead to more questions about where to find freelance work in Sri Lanka and what is freelance work. A freelancer is someone who works independently, on his own terms. He is not committed to any employer and usually have temporary contracts with few different employers. It could be something like designing someone else  website in your free time and getting paid for it.

Advantageous of doing freelance work

• You have the freedom to choose your hours, no more 8-5 jobs. You work when you feel like it.
• You cut out the middle man and communicate directly with the customer so any profit gain from the work is solely yours
• No tedious administration tasks like time reporting,logging work,attending meetings etc, although it is a good idea to do those as a matter of discipline
• You can do it part time while working , doing university studies etc
• Since it is hard to track payments for freelance work you can get some tax benefit too

Disadvantageous of doing freelance work

• Responsibility to get the job done is totally up to you and if you fail to deliver you have to bare the loss yourself.
• It will be tough in the beginning until you establish credibility and build your reputation
• Its hard to show proof of income so you might have trouble getting bank loans, paying income tax etc
• Because no one is watching over you it is very easy to lose focus so if your not dedicated enough doing freelance work could be a disaster

Where to find freelance work

Below are two sites that you can join for free and find freelance jobs. There are variety of jobs including creating computer programs, designing websites, doing payroll work and even some data entry jobs. Once you join the site make sure to create a good profile and add your qualification so you have a better chance of winning bids. After you done the initial work required search for the jobs that are best suited to you and bid on them. If you are a beginner it is always a good idea to bid low for the first few bids. Below are two sites where you can find freelance work.

ODesk.com - Whole range of freelance work and the commission is taken from the job provider something you should consider when bidding for jobs. Join ODesk For Free .

Freelancer.com - Another site with lots of jobs so you are bound to find something that suits you if you have enough skills.Join Freelancer for free.

If you know any other site that offers these services for free fell free to mention it in the comments section. Good luck in your freelancing work