Todays little ramble was brought on whilst I browsed through the forums of my favourite freelance website.
When did we start expecting someone else to do our work for us? Do we want everything handed to us on a plate? Are we so lazy about setting our own pay-rates that we want someone else to do it for us? And when did running your own freelance business become someone else’s problem?
Seemingly, the tide has turned on what used to be a most enjoyable place to spend a half-hour. While there is still a fantastic community of freelancers sharing their views, there is also a darker side creeping it’s way in and messing with the heads of those, who all along never once doubted their calling to run their own business.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the place, but less so as the days go on. I see threads on low rates being offered on certain jobs, so called freelancers screaming for management to intervene and people constantly complaining about one thing or another. I’ve tried to address some of these issues with my own take on things, but to no avail. So, this is my space and I’ll address those issues here!
Today I’m ranting about the great rate debate:
Firstly, if you have taken it upon yourself to become a freelancer and run your own business, whether that be as a writer, a designer or any other genre. You and only you are responsible for the way you run that business. YOU are master of your own destiny. YOU decide if you’re going to work through an online market such as oDesk and YOU (the most hotly debated topic) set your own rates.
I have had it up to my back teeth listening to people complain about the rates on freelance online marketplaces. You made the choice to work through that marketplace, now you need to make the decision on whether to bid for those projects. What most of these so called freelancers don’t understand is that oDesk is an online, open marketplace, you cannot and I repeat cannot sell yourself on price, there will always be someone who will bid lower than you… always! Sell your skills, sell your services but for god sake don’t sell your soul. If you know your worth then there should be no questions about what rates are high and what rates are low. A low rate in my Country (Ireland) would I’m quite sure constitute a very high rate in a lot of other Countries. But at the same time I’m not willing to drop my rate for anyone (well maybe Robert Downey JR. If he asks nicely).
For those of you that are curious like me, I’ve done a bit of research over the past week and have come up with this. There are a minimum of 55 Countries that have a minimum wage that is less that $00.50 per hour, so I’m pretty sure if someone offered these guys .75c per hour there would be almighty celebration. You cannot compete with that. SO DON’T. Should these jobs be removed from the marketplace? Definitely not! If there is a market there for them then they will continue to be posted. The ideal situation would be if people stopped bidding on these low price jobs, then eventually prices would rise. However this is never going to happen so don’t be getting your hopes up.
I could go on and on about this and the debate would never end, so I’m going to cut it short by citing a fact that cannot be argued with:
Open Market definition:
Globalisation (or globalization) describes an ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network. Where price of goods and services is governed by the forces of demand and supply, and not by manipulation by cartels or government policies. See also free market. BINGO!!
This last point which mentions demand and supply, is where the great rate debate loses its momentum. As mentioned by other posters on the forums that share the same views as me, if no one bid on these very low rate jobs, then they would cease to exist. Demand and supply is the key to an open market.
My parting words on this are simple (they’ve got to be I’m starting to ramble). For those of you who consider yourself a freelancer, there is no such thing as a minimum rate in an online global marketplace. If you wish to work within a market where there is a minimum rate then you need to go back to your day job or join an online community that operates strictly in your geographical area. At the behest of sounding like an overbearing preacher, I cannot say it enough, do NOT sell yourself on price. Know what you’re worth and work only on the jobs that reflect that. Set your rate and stick to it, ignore everything else and remember that YOU decided to work in this medium, so YOU have to figure out how to make it work.
Until tomorrow…..
Well said, Jo!
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the bit about "should these jobs be removed from the marketplace". If somebody is giving jobs to people who live in countries where the minimum wage is less than $0.50 per hour and they're paying them a bit more than that - more power to them. Some of the employers may actually be based in countries where wages are that low and that is all they are able to budget for the jobs. My point of view is that they're giving work to people who need to earn money (however little it seems to some of us in countries where minimum wage is higher than that).
I'm lucky enough to have been working on a long-term assignment for the past 9 months and this has really set me free. My dayjob in the UK is in a library and last February I had my hours cut from 30 a week to 20. I work in public services and earn just enough to pay my rent and council tax (ironically, it all goes back to the local authority that I work for!). Without what I earn on oDesk, I was facing being unable to do regular food shops, let alone pay my internet bills.
Working on oDesk has made a huge difference to me and it's giving me much better prospects for the future than my dayjob does.
I raised my rate recently (in my long-term job I'm still working for the starting rate that I posted on oDesk)and I get several invitations to interview each week at that rate, so people are obviously willing to pay those rates.
Like you say Jo, we're responsible here for setting our own rates and asking for what we feel we're worth.