& the ultimate keys to your success.

Fiverr is one of those magical places online that allows you to post your skills for free while providing you access to a massive network of paying clients and available jobs. Freelancing on Fiverr can be an exciting opportunity to leverage your expertise.

In exchange for a small commission on completed jobs, Fiverr provides a secure, growing platform that allows you to start earning instantly.

In this article, I will break down:

1. Why I almost left working on Fiverr and the one major downside
2. What to expect while taking gigs on Fiverr
3. How to find your winning formula
4. How to maximize your profit and stand behind your pricing

Around this time last year I created a Fiverr profile with absolutely no expectations, but within 2 months I was already making more hourly than I was at my day job.

First impressions.

My first paying job came just hours after I created my first few gigs.

I thought I was off to such a great start.

However, as a professional graphic designer, I knew that not all clients would be peaches to work with.

And I got SOO turned off with my first experience, I almost didn’t return.

If you are an artist, designer, or freelancer of any kind, you’ve probably come across this at least once, if not constantly.

Client: “I need you to make this, here is a photo for inspiration.”

Me: “Wonderful, what would you like me to take from inspiration photo, the style concept, the fonts, the colours?”

Client: “Yes”

And I’ll be honest with you. I am not good in these situations.

Either they straight-up want you to steal (not emulate) someone else’s design, or they’ll be vague, and I hate having to strenuously pull information out of someone.

YOU hired ME to create something for YOU.

I can make suggestions all day about what I think a client needs, but it’s ultimately up to them.

And making decisions, especially when it comes to branding yourself professionally, can be quite difficult.

Which is fine, it’s a big deal!

But long story short, my first hired gig resulted in several revisions over 2 weeks, with the final product being an exact dupe of someone else’s design she had gotten from Pinterest.

UGH, I was sure I was just going to throw in the towel …

But I went back after the first underwhelming experience because I got a request about a rather big job.

It was an infographic, which, if you know me at all, layout design is my sweet spot.

I’m good at it, I’m quick, and I’m ultra-efficient with processing a lot of information at once.

My perfect storm for a high-quality, quick-paying job.

Based on my gig prices and the amount of work required to create the actual infographic, I presented them with my offer.

Here’s the important part,

I instantly regretted it.

I thought there was no way they were going to pay what I was asking, and instantly wanted to message them back, undercutting myself!

But the offer was accepted, and the timer was on.

I got to work and, within about 35 minutes, had a first mock-up for them.

It was a complex design with a lot of information, so I knew there was going to be some back and forth before we nailed down a final design.

But after 3 total hours of my time and attention — an hour of actual work in creating and modifying the design with their revisions, and about 2 hours of overall communication and file sharing, my payment was being processed.

I was mind blown. And instantly hated that I doubted myself.

If they didn’t accept, it wasn’t the job for me because I was charging what I knew the job was worth. If they didn’t agree, there were several other artists they could have chosen from.

But they were happy in the end — they got exactly what they wanted, I got paid, tipped and a 5-star review.

Cha-Ching

I was an instant fan.

I’ve been freelancing on Fiverr for a full year now and I’ll be sticking around, that’s for sure.

Not all jobs pay that well, obviously, and the clients are really what can overall make or break your experience there.

But here’s my ultimate rule to live by:

Charge for the job, not the time it’ll take you.

If you’re a quick and efficient worker, you’ll just make more hourly.

But just because you are quick at what you do doesn’t mean you shouldn’t charge what you think is fair. Oftentimes, you’ll get paid more to be quick!

Tips to have the best possible success:

• You don’t have to accept every job. In fact, if you don’t get a good vibe from a client right off the bat, it’s best not to work with them. It won’t end well, and you’ll regret accepting, especially if it ends in cancellation or a bad rating. Don’t just take or bid on jobs just to get them. Just like any other freelancing situation, good communication and respect are needed from all parties involved.
• While being competitive with other sellers, know your worth and don’t stoop too low just to get gigs.
• If it seems like a scam, it is. Straight up, don’t risk your time in finding out the hard way (like I had to).
• Don’t let clients persuade you off the platform.

Find your winning formula

If you can combine something you enjoy working on and can accomplish quickly with in-demand, paying customers at your fingertips, you’ve found your key to success.

Best of luck to you in your freelancing adventures!

Thanks for hanging out,

Half Pint