Freelance platforms defeat Control & Entry?

[NakedAmbition]

I'm reading the Millionaire FastLane and I'm on the chapter about Control.

I feel like freelance platforms fails the commandment if Control and Entry, and possibly Need.

There are so many freelancers joining platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, hoping to become the next Alex Fasulo.

There are more freelancers than there are clients.

You have no control over your income. These platforms take a chunk of your commissions.

Also, they could close down tomorrow.

And then what? There goes your source of income, if you have any.

It's interesting that people have recommended Fiverr and Upwork when I feel like those sites go against the commandment if Control.

Don't get me wrong. I feel the same way too. I'm on them myself.

Finding your own clients and providing value would be better than competing with thousands of cheap freelancers who won't do diddly squat for these cheap clients.

Or maybe it's a good stepping stone into something that you can scale.

Am I wrong? I'd like to know everyone's thoughts.

 

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[Johnny boy]

Fiverr is like the mexicans standing out in front of the home depot looking for work. DUMB AS F*ck

If any of you ever mention taking jobs on freelancer apps this is how we look at you.

 

[Xavier X]

Fiverr is like the mexicans standing out in front of the home depot looking for work. DUMB AS F*ck

If any of you ever mention taking jobs on freelancer apps this is how we look at you.


View attachment 46090

Not necessarily. That's a myopic way of looking at it. You probably assume everything on Fiverr is $5. Those days are long gone.

I've never sold services on Fiverr, but I've hired hundreds of people on Fiverr to do many things over many years. Some of them, I hired as long term ongoing contract workers. I still get things done there, till date.

That said, for someone just starting out trying to make their own way outside the confines of a 9-5, there is nothing wrong in starting there. Every service that can be offered digitally needs clients. If you can get access to a pool of clients that may lead to bigger projects within your own business brand, then why not?

Most professionals who offer their services there aren't actually offering it for 5 bucks. Since the platform requires you offer something at $5 (for branding and business model reasons), they have to. So a listing might be:

Joe's Web Design Services
$5 - 5 minute phone consultation on your web needs.
$500 - Static landing page with XYZ
$2000 - XYZ type of website
etc

If Joe gets a $2k basic web design gig from a good client that leads to bigger projects, what's so wrong with that?
Just like life, Fiverr and similar resources are what you make of it. Given the same circumstances in life, some will thrive and some will look for reasons not to.

 

[Johnny boy]

Not necessarily. That's a myopic way of looking at it. You probably assume everything on Fiverr is $5. Those days are long gone.

I've never sold services on Fiverr, but I've hired hundreds of people on Fiverr to do many things over many years. Some of them, I hired as long term ongoing contract workers. I still get things done there, till date.

That said, for someone just starting out trying to make their own way outside the confines of a 9-5, there is nothing wrong in starting there. Every service that can be offered digitally needs clients. If you can get access to a pool of clients that may lead to bigger projects within your own business brand, then why not?

Most professionals who offer their services there aren't actually offering it for 5 bucks. Since the platform requires you offer something at $5 (for branding and business model reasons), they have to. So a listing might be:

Joe's Web Design Services
$5 - 5 minute phone consultation on your web needs.
$500 - Static landing page with XYZ
$2000 - XYZ type of website
etc

If Joe gets a $2k basic web design gig from a good client that leads to bigger projects, what's so wrong with that?
Just like life, Fiverr and similar resources are what you make of it. Given the same circumstances in life, some will thrive and some will look for reasons not to.

Its a great place to buy stuff yes, just like getting Jose and Emanuel to come build a deck for me. Great price, decent quality, but no bueno for the home depot boys.

Meanwhile Alex the contractor makes 30 grand profit renovating your backyard and hires the home depot boys and is the equivalent of the company that is smart enough to call themselves an agency and run their own ads and bring in their own clients.

 

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[Xavier X]

Its a great place to buy stuff yes, just like getting Jose and Emanuel to come build a deck for me. Great price, decent quality, but no bueno for the home depot boys.

Meanwhile Alex the contractor makes 30 grand profit renovating your backyard and hires the home depot boys and is the equivalent of the company that is smart enough to call themselves an agency and run their own ads and bring in their own clients.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Some of those home depot boys will go on to own relatively successful licensed handyman businesses. Then they will hire others, as experienced players in their field.

The point is, inexperienced people have to start somewhere. Same reason having a job of any kind before starting a business is also an asset. That gives you real world professional interaction insights, before doing your own thing.

So again, there is nothing wrong with a beginner (or anyone for that matter) trying to get clients on a freelance site.
As long as they have a clear path to their own destination. And Fiverr, for instance, isn't their end goal.

 

[Johnny boy]

Rome wasn't built in a day. Some of those home depot boys will go on to own relatively successful licensed handyman businesses. Then they will hire others, as experienced players in their field.

The point is, inexperienced people have to start somewhere. Same reason having a job of any kind before starting a business is also an asset. That gives you real world professional interaction insights, before doing your own thing.

So again, there is nothing wrong with a beginner (or anyone for that matter) trying to get clients on a freelance site.
As long as they have a clear path to their own destination. And Fiverr, for instance, isn't their end goal.

No