Are you tired of the traditional 9 to 5 grind? Have you been toying with the idea of trying to make it work on your own? Would you like some additional income by taking on a few extra projects outside your workplace? Are you interested in working as a freelance professional?
If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, then we’re here to cheer you on! There’s nothing quite as liberating as taking matters into your own hands when it comes to your career. Taking into consideration that freelancing is not for everyone, before you quit your job for good, consider working as a freelance professional on the side for a while. This way, you’ll still have some stability to fall back on and while getting a taste of life as a solopreneur.
At the very beginning you probably won’t have many previous works to show potential clients, so it might be worthwhile to work through freelance hiring websites. These sites help you build up your portfolio on a secure and user-friendly platform where you can find relevant work projects, receive valuable feedback from clients, and showcase your talents. Check out the 15 best hiring platforms for freelance professionals:
Aquent
Boston-based Aquent is an outsourcing company that matches clients with suitable creatives and freelancers through their online platform. They mostly target professionals working in domains like marketing, creative design, content writing, development, UX and UI. The firm also encourages lifelong learning and investing in their talent through regular webcasts and digital classes to help them stay on top of shifting trends in their respective domains.
Airtasker
Airtasker is a trusted community platform that connects people who need to outsource tasks and find local services, with people who are looking to earn money and ready to work. From simple to complicated tasks, Airtasker can help you complete your home cleaning, handyman jobs, admin work, photography, graphic design or even build a website.
Bark
Somewhat different than Aquent’s platform, Bark offers local services to customers by connecting them to service providers. So if you’re a DJ, caterer, personal trainer, wedding photographer, mechanic, accountant, or offer any other kind of similar service in your area, this can be the perfect virtual place where you can target local customers in need of your talents.
Bullpen
Bullpen is the only freelance network dedicated to commercial real estate. Investors, developers, brokers, and lenders use Bullpen to find and hire experts for common jobs in their business, including underwriting, market research, deal memos, and asset management. Bullpen’s talent team vets all freelancers before they join the platform, so companies know they are hiring from the best.
CloudPeeps
CloudPeeps is a website that offers various online services to businesses. These include copywriting, social media, SEO, PPC marketing, PR, content, design and other similar entrepreneurial ventures. The platform actually analyzes client needs and couples them with the freelancer which best matches client requirements.
CrowdSpring
Advertising themselves as one of the world’s leading marketplaces with over 200,000 creatives, CrowdSpring is a mostly arts- and design-oriented website. They offer services in over 20 categories, which include product packaging, logo, identity, web, mobile, clothing, merchandise, and book design. Their freelancers have worked with high-profile brands such as Microsoft, LG, and Starbucks.
DesignContest
Another design-centric platform, DesignContest is a crowdsourcing website that offers creative solutions at an affordable price. All applicants go through strict qualification testing before are able to join the website, and each freelancer is handpicked by clients. The site offers maximum security and also features a voting option for client buyers in case they can’t decide upon the best design.
Freelancer
Proclaiming to be the largest outsourcing website in the world, Freelancer is an Australian company which principally helps employees and employers find each other, regardless of their field of work or their occupation. Freelancers can apply to projects or contests posted by clients, they can showcase their talents, and search for relevant projects in their field on a simple and user-friendly platform.
LocalSolo
An online talent marketspace connecting solopreneurs to local employers, LocalSolo is mainly available in the United States and large European cities. Clients can browse through a list of freelancers that are ranked by recommendations, relevance, expertise, and other factors.
Nexxt
A privately-held company with nearly 20 years of experience in the hiring space, Nexxt is a platform where large companies can post jobs for freelancing individuals. It’s basically a matchmaker between job-hunters and employers with results based on location, relevance, and profession.
People Per Hour
People Per Hour is yet another hiring platform where professionals are paid by the hour (hence the name). On this platform prices can be fixed or negotiated, collaborations can be made with ease, and freelancers are rated by performance and reviewed thoroughly.
Source: Shutterstock
Remotive
Remotive handpicks the best remote jobs on a daily basis and classifies them into 6 major categories: software development, customer support, design, product, marketing and sales, and other jobs. Completely unattached to any set location, these projects can be completed by freelancing individuals from virtually any corner of the world.
SimplyHired
A job search engine that collects various job listings from all over the internet, SimplyHired functions not only as a website, but as a mobile application and an online recruitment agency as well. You can browse for projects based on location, salary, and companies which post relevant jobs in your profession.
Skyword
Skyword is an online platform with a specific niche by specializing in building brands through the art of storytelling. If you’d like to unleash your creative potential, you must join the community and deliver top quality content to your employers.
UpCounsel
Another company that only targets certain groups of professional service providers, San Francisco-based UpCounsel offers work for legal advisors, lawyers, and attorneys. So if you’re working a grueling office job at a local law firm, this online platform might serve as the perfect solution where you can do what you love and work for yourself.
Upwork
Similarly to Freelancer.com, Upwork is also one of the largest websites of its kind, offering remote project-based jobs to freelancing individuals from all around the world. The website charges your account a 10% service fee on all payments and a 3% payment processing commission while offering a wide range of membership packages to employers. You can get a better picture of how the platform works by taking a look at Time Doctor’s comprehensive review of Upwork.
WriterAccess
WriterAccess couples content writers, translators, editors, and content strategists to various ad agencies and major brands. Freelancers can succinctly showcase their expertise, build up their profile, and match with relevant writing projects and jobs.
99Designs
The online platform 99Designs’ main mission is to connect clients with graphic designers. Remote workers generally specialize in one of these categories: logo and identity, video and animation, web and app design, business and advertising, clothing and merchandise, along with art and illustration.
