born again designer

abdesigns

abdesigns

New Member
After a bout of illness, I have once more taken to the field of design though lost many old contacts and agencies. I now work from home and am looking to work further afield but online.

Does anyone know of a fairly relaxed site that has clients looking for design. I've checked out peopleperhour and not particularly impressed, looks like a lot of clients wanting jobs done almost for nothing or proposals and detail on finance required before really seeing the brief!

Maybe I'm wrong but would be interested in how other designers managed their online clients
 
I don't really know any freelance sites that aren't like peopleperhour or any of the other crowdsourcing models.

They all seem to be people wanting something for almost nothing and designers willing to give it to them.

You're competing with 'designers' from places like India and such.

I think it's just a case of building things like contacts and clients and getting yourself out there.
If anyone else knows of a fast track way then I'd be very happy to know it. ;)
 
All I can say is get networking.

Reach out to local business, drop in business cards, leaflets, flyers etc. and then have a website to back up all the details you've dropped in to them.


Maybe try to get some companies that require your skill as a subsidy to what they do - like find a local printers that only do printing and have no design capabilities. And offer to help them with print/design needs as they come up.

If you got 10 local companies to agree to send you on the bits of work that they cannot do, like perhaps editing a PDF to add bleed, or design a brochure for one of their customers etc.


The internet is great - but it's flooded with people willing to work for nothing. And by that I mean that they steal designs, software, ideas, and all other sorts of things to turn over a cheap buck.
 
I'd probably avoid pretty much every freelancing site out there. In the past, I've likened them to outside a Greggs where pigeons flutter about, pecking and fighting over crumbs and scraps. You quote a reasonable rate for a job that takes into account your time, skill ,experience and value to a client, only for a load of pigeons to fly in with their lowball offers that makes you seem like you're taking the piss. Probably 99% of my work comes from clients I already have, with 1% coming via my website, so having contacts will probably always be the best way of getting new work. It might be worthwhile trying to find some of your old contacts on LinkedIn or somewhere and get back in touch. People hire people so it's a good idea to not have to try and start again from scratch.

Check out the Tenders section of the forum if you haven't already, we often get people looking for work, a lot with hardly any budget because, hey, this is the internet where everything is available for free, but once in a while there'll be a decent looking job. If you have an online portfolio make sure it's up to date, and if you don't have one definitely get one. Hank's suggestion of finding someone you can offer support to is good too.

I've used PeoplePerHour in the past to find someone with a specific coding skill I needed so it does work. You might have luck with sites like that if you offer skills that are hard to come by or often done incorrectly, things like producing print-ready artwork. If you have a particular skill or experience that you can push rather than just 'designer' you stand a better chance of standing out from the flock.
 
LOL! I really like that pigeons metaphor.
SO TRUE!

You even finished with "standing out from the flock".

Nice touch Paul. :D

flock-of-pigeons-locked.jpg
 
I've had to think about starting again a couple of times.

First off, my first big client was a tech start-up in Silicone Valley.
I used to work for them pretty much full time.

It went a bit quiet one time which wasn't unusual so I used the down time for the non design things I needed to do.
Turned out they'd gone under and no-one thought to tell me and I didn't find out for a month.
 
Thank you Guys,
that was most helpful, and pretty much what I felt with a lot of these online freelance outfits. I guess I still pine for the days when I can just sit down and get on with the work and new jobs just keep on piling up on my desk, and the money is good! After all these years I still dislike knocking on doors, but dropping in a mailshot will get me out on my bike.
thanks again
 
I'm no good at knocking on doors which is why I don't do it.
Probably the reason I'm eating 2 min noodles for lunch too. ;)
 
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