Hypothesis

So you are ready to start your freelancing. Where do you get projects? You need not go to foreign countries or meet your clients. There are many freelance sites offering virtual market(bidding) where Programmer and the Project stock holder can communicate. They can be termed as freelancing sites or bidding sites.

You are normally termed as service provider and they are service buyer.

I will list out the sites where you can bid the projects. There are many freelancer will bid to get the project.

Beware of Cheating:
I did the mistake initially as I had to pay security deposit to get the work. I paid 50k. But I did not receive work or any earnings. The company I paid vanished in the internet. If you are in urge and tense to get the project, there are chances you may be cheated.

You need not to pay any money to get the project. I heard few incident as people lost money to get project. If you are asked to deposit money or provide your credit card details, there are chances you may be cheated.

Registration:
You need to register in the bidding site. There may be different level of membership in the freelancing sites. Everywhere there should be free membership available. With the free membership you can start bidding the projects.

If any sites demand money for registration or membership(no free membership) please ignore the site. The market is very vast. You can find a bidding site with free membership.

Once you are settled down and start getting business from the site, upgrade membership if you are satisfied with the add on features provided.

Commission Rate:
Every bidding site deducts a commission/percentage from your earnings for their service. Please be aware of the commission percentage of the site you registered. You should be convinced with their deductions.

Payout Process:
Please be aware of the payout method practiced in the freelancing site you register. Your earnings in the freelancing site will be credited into your site account(not bank account). You have to withdraw your earnings.

When can you withdraw your earnings? What is the minimum amount to be eligible for withdrawing? How do you withdraw your money - wire transfer to your bank account, transfer to your paypal account, cheque delivery via courier, and etc. Let the payout process should be easy.

Create your Profile:
You have to create your profile. Your profile need not be like your resume. Make it little bit self descriptive. It should convey your experience and skill set exactly and precisely.

No need to convey your hobby, attitude, goal like in your resume. You are not seeking job, you are now a sort of business man. Your profile should give the feel of a freelancer, not a resume or company profile. Many project owners prefer freelancer than a company or employee due to cost effectiveness.

Please refer other freelancers profile to create your profile.

You must upload your photo. A decent photo, not for fashion show, but for your first appeal to the clients.

Site List:
There are hundreds of bidding sites available in the Internet. I have listed the bidding sites where me or my friends are active and we receive the payment regularly and promptly from them. If you are a freelancer and the site you are active is missing in the list, please send me the details I will update here and please make sure you receive your earnings from where you are active.

Here is the list of freelancing sites:

www.getafreelancer.com
www.rentacoder.com
www.liveperson.com
www.guru.com
www.elance.com

I will keep adding more sites.

You may not get project from all the bidding sites. Once you start trying the sites one by one, soon you will be settled down any one or two sites. You will receive your first project soon.

For example: If you are active and started getting projects in liveperson.com, never waster your time for bidding in other sites. Do not think you will miss the projects posted in other sites. The fact is, project owner post their project in all the leading bidding sites.

In my experience, I have seen the same project is posted in various bidding sites. The same project is posted by various fake users in the same bidding site too.

So, once you are settled down in any one or two bidding sites, do not try in other sites.

There are hundreds of new bidding sites coming everyday. But do not waste your time and energy there. Do not think like if you register early in the new bidding site, you will have less competitor and more projects. The new or old, less number of bidders or more... these things are nothing to do in winning the project.

New bidding site or established bidding site... It is your choice. No advantage in new bidding site or no disadvantage in old bidding site.

Wanna know

how to win the bidding and won the project, click here.