Which freelancing sites have the most unnecessary fees? - Response to a Quora question

It’s not uncommon for Freelancer platforms to charge a small fee to the freelancer when they find a client through their platform. It’s reasonable for them to expect that the freelancer who is benefiting from their platform should pay a fee for gaining access to that client. They wouldn’t find that client otherwise.

The percentages that the platforms take vary as well as depend on the type of job you are doing (hourly vs project-based for example)

There has been, however, a change in how some of the more notable freelance platforms charge freelancers to even submit bids on projects that clients post. What this means is that as a freelancer, you used to only give a percentage of your earnings from a project back to the platform; now you have to pay just to try and get a client. You’re being charged before you start and after you finish as a freelancer. Is this fair?

An example of this is Upwork, one of the more widely used freelancing platforms:

“Starting in May [2019], each Connect will cost $0.15. You’ll need between one [to] six Connects to submit a proposal for most job posts”

So you may have to pay almost $1 for every job you submit a proposal to unless that business invites you to submit a proposal. The rationale Upwork has behind why these “connects” (what you need to submit a proposal) are necessary is as follows:

“top freelancers and agencies say it can be difficult to truly stand out on Upwork...As we recently shared, Upwork is focused on professional freelancers and prioritizing efforts that encourage higher quality projects and client relationships.”

It’s fair that Upwork wants to keep its platform professional and offer high-quality freelancers and agencies to the businesses posting projects. This strategy is clear though, in that it wants the best freelancers and agencies to rise to the top.

The problem is the competitiveness of these platforms. Where does the early-stage freelancer go, or the person who is relying on the gig economy to make ends meet?

How does someone get started freelancing when the platforms that are supposed to help them create barriers to entry straight from the get-go?

It seems contradictory.

It may be that freelancer platforms are maturing and becoming more saturated with experienced professionals. These professionals go to established platforms as a way to explore what a career outside of their 9 to 5 may look like. Because of this, it makes it really hard for the 20-year-old to try to gain experience using these platforms.

Freelance platforms make it clear that they don’t want the new, eager to learn users bidding for projects on their platforms. They want professionals.

It reinforces the age-old problem of “I can’t get a job because I don’t have the experience, but how do I get experience if no one will give me a job?”

Companies like Acadium are coming to fill the vacuum that has been created for these early-stage freelancers. They are providing them the necessary first step in becoming a freelancer or starting their careers.

By following a similar model of matching talent with business needs, Acadium is allowing the recent grads and the inexperienced to get started.

The early-stage freelancers (referred to as apprentices) create a profile the same way as any other platform. The difference is instead of bidding on projects they match with a business based on interests and skills they have or want to develop. They also aren’t charged to connect with these businesses - it’s entirely free.

It’s free on the condition that the apprentice agrees to work for free for 10 hours a week for 3 months with the business they match with.

In exchange for the value, the apprentice provides they get mentorship, network connections, and (most often) the possibility of paid work after the 3 months. Most importantly they are gaining the experience and skills needed to succeed in today’s job market.

You can learn more about what 10 things you should know before signing up for Acadium by reading this blog.

This solves the “need experience to get a job, but can’t get a job” problem mentioned above. Acadium and other platforms like them have moved to help the underserved market of recent grads, early freelancers, or career transitioners with taking the first steps necessary to kick-start their careers.