A lot of people are deciding to become a freelancer or work at home so they do not have to go through the misery of waking up at 7am in the morning getting stuck in traffic on the way to work. I had the same thought. I did not want to work under someone else and earning a fixed income. I wanted something exciting, challenging and worth risking. This is why I headed out as a freelancer working online. If you are already a freelancer, check out this article of what it takes to become a satisfied freelancer. But did working as a freelancer really gave me the freedom I wanted?

1. alvinhy
My Money Journey on PeoplePerHour
URL: http://www.alvinhy.com/my-money-journey-on-peopleperhour/
A lot of people are deciding to become a freelancer or work at home so they do
not have to go through the misery of waking up at 7am in the morning getting
stuck in traffic on the way to work.
I had the same thought. I did not want to work under someone else and earning
a fixed income.
I wanted something exciting, challenging and worth risking.
This is why I headed out as a freelancer working online. If you are already
a freelancer, check out this article of what it takes to become a satisfied
freelancer.
But did working as a freelancer really gave me the freedom I wanted? Check
out what happened here.
Can you even make money on PeoplePerHour?
The big question is “can you make money online”, the answer is yes. I chose a
PeoplePerHour because of its simplicity and ease of use.
I have been earning over £10,000 on PeoplePerHour and that does not include
the other clients referred outside of PPH.
My journey as a freelancer
It started all started off when I got my first copy of Adobe Photoshop 7.0 back
in high school. I design signature banners for users in many different forums (it
became a hobby).
Although there were no actual cash payment, many of it were in virtual credits
within the community. This was my first taste of freelancing. Let me know if you
have done this before!
After Graduating
I graduated in 2012 studying BA (Hons) Interior Design. It was a nice course
and fulfilled my love of interior design. After graduating, I began job hunting
and at the same time I stumbled upon PeoplePerHour. What I like about
PeoplePerHour is that it is different.
There are many freelance platforms on the internet such as:
• Freelancer
• Elance
• Odesk
URL: http://www.alvinhy.com/my-money-journey-on-peopleperhour/

2. alvinhy
but the main reason I started on PeoplePerHour is because it was not flooded
with unqualified users that bid so low that most likely your proposal is not even
looked at.
How I Started Freelancing on PeoplePerHour
I started off by creating a profile on PPH (PeoplePerHour) and started by adding
my portfolio onto the platform. Quickly got myself verified instantly so my profile
looks complete and legit.
Now the REAL journey begins...
My first job
Let me explain how I got my first job. Initially you are given around 20 credits to
bid to start off.
I filtered out the design jobs (since I only do design), and chose all the ones that
I have confident in completing it professionally. I then started bidding each of
them at a low price.
Why? Good question. This is because I had no reviews on my PPH profile yet,
and I had a limited portfolio.
No employer would want to hire a designer that they do not trust.
Along with bidding a low price, I had custom wrote ALL the proposals to be
related to the client. This lets them know you better and gives you the job.
My first reaction when seeing the email popup “Congratulations, xxxx has
accepted your proposal”, my heart skipped a beat.
It was a feeling of relief and enjoyment. I thought to myself “Its unbelievable!
Someone actually wants me”.
Maybe thats the feeling you get when you propose and get a yes.
The whole job process was smooth and I give credit to PeoplePerHour. The
workstream they created is very reliable. An email is sent instantly to my mailbox
to notify me whenever the client replies. VERY important to enable this in your
settings.
The first payout
I started freelancing on PeoplePerHour on February 19th 2013, and after a
month I withdrew my first payout! As excited as ever, I don’t need a 9 to 5 job to
earn money!
I plan to withdraw my payouts monthly to keep track on how much I earn. This
URL: http://www.alvinhy.com/my-money-journey-on-peopleperhour/

3. alvinhy
will give you a rough idea how well you are doing one month and the other.
Of course, I gave myself a small reward and went out for a nice dinner.
Keeping it steady
After the initial month (a long hectic month), I got the hang of time management.
When freelancing, your time management skills are put to the test. Clients all
over the world contact you at different times of the day (due to different time
zones) and you really have to reply promptly to keep them happy.
This is why I downloaded the PeoplePerHour app on my iPhone to get the
latest messages. I can reply my clients wherever I am whether out having lunch
or in the toilet taking a dump.
I usually have around 6-7 jobs parallel working at the same to so I can keep a
decent flow of work.
It really depends on how much you can handle. If you think freelancing is a
“I can work anytime anywhere job” you are half correct. BUT you still have to
work 5-6 hours a day.
What I do is wake up every morning, check my email to see if clients reply. I
deal with their situation and repeat until I decide that it is enough for the day.
Sometimes I even would like to finish the job even if it takes me late at night
(this is more like a designers thing). I would suggest keeping around at least
4-5 jobs ongoing at all times to have a decent amount of cash.
The Satisfaction
The motivation that keeps me going is the satisfaction and feedback when the
job is done from the client. I have an article about how to become a satisfied
freelancer. They even sent me a photo of the product!
I never thought people would acknowledge what I produce as “great work”.
Also being able to meet with different people around the world and sometimes
you can even make good friends/connections out of them.
For example, one of my very first clients Sunnamusk have become one of my
greatest friends. I have learnt a lot from him and has opened many doors for my
future.
What is next?
Well, you can decide to keep freelancing or venture out into different
businesses.
URL: http://www.alvinhy.com/my-money-journey-on-peopleperhour/

4. alvinhy
I continue to work on PeoplePerHour, aside from that I have started a design
agency called Why So Creative.
Sometimes I outsource some of the work that takes too much of my time. This
allows me to have more time to communicate with clients and providing quality
services.
BONUS: Tips for you to start out Freelancing
From my own experience, here are some tips and tricks to start out well on
PeoplePerHour. Don’t make the mistakes I did!
1. Starting out
• Create a profile on PeoplePerHour
• Verify everything (Email, Credit Card etc...)
• DO NOT use pre-written proposals
• Start of at a slightly lower cost to build up reviews
• Create a good hourly to sell and bid on jobs
2. Completing the job
• After you get a job keep communicating with the client.
• Send samples/previews of what you have done
• Quick replies are thumbs up (download the mobile app)
• Always keep in mind, clients are always right
3. Extra Tips
• Don’t bother with bids that ask for free preview, you never know if
they will nick your design and produce a similar copy
• Bid only if you have confident you can complete it.
• Time manage yourself wisely and have a few jobs on the line at one
time.
• There will be ups and downs, just build your portfolio and doors will
open eventually.
Conclusion
PeoplePerHour is a great place for both employers and freelancers. It has a lot
of talented designers and reasonable employers. It is really a great community
and I recommend it to anyone who would like to start freelancing.
You never know what you find in the virtual world! If you manage to read all the
above, why not spend 10 seconds more and endorse me on PPH! You can do
that here: Endorse Alvin Cheung on PPH!
Let me know if you enjoyed reading this article I would be happy to answer any
questions you have.
Drop me an email or connect with me through social media.
URL: http://www.alvinhy.com/my-money-journey-on-peopleperhour/

5. alvinhy
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URL: http://www.alvinhy.com/my-money-journey-on-peopleperhour/