Freelance

Freelancing has become an affordable solution to employers and great benefits to homeworkers. Learn where to find the jobs, how to bid on projects and what you need to succeed. Expert Net Surf will be adding on more resources in the coming days to help you succeed in your search for home employment

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BIDDING ON PROJECTS

As a bidder, you're not only putting your skills up on the block, but also yourself. Sellers want to know that they're going to be working with a professional and courteous person, and one who can meet all their needs - not just complete the project. So how do you get yourself and your proposal noticed?

1. Read the RFP Carefully

When you do, ask yourself some questions: Can I provide the services requested? Can I do it in the specified timeframe for the estimated cost? Make sure you can say yes, and then re-read the RFP to get the specifics.

Don't hesitate to ask the seller for more information - the better your understanding of the request, the better prepared you'll be to present your proposal.

2. Review Your Resume

It's important to do this before you post your bid, because once you make yourself available the investigation begins. Go through and remove any outdated or unnecessary work experience; your resume should be clear and concise. What you're really interested in is making sure your proposal gets the attention it deserves, so strive for a resume that makes you look like a sound choice and a true professional.

Get help if you need it. There are scores of websites around that provide examples of good resumes and writing tips, so do some legwork. If you don't have time, cosider having someone do your resume for you - it's a good investment.

3. Update Portfolio

Past examples of your work will play a big part in your selection for a project. If your portfolio is small, don't fret - there are other ways to entice a seller (see first time bidders). Make sure all your best and current work is included online or in an uploadable format. Remove references to work that is no longer available or not functioning properly; if you built an amazing website, but the server is down four days out of five, DON'T LIST IT. Asking a seller to visit a broken link can be seriously detrimental to your chances of winning.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Revisit your portfolio frequently and make sure you're staying on top of things. If your projects are getting old, consider revisiting them - it's also a great way to drum up some more work.

4. Write Your Proposal

Once you're all done preparing the "backend" of your proposal, it's time to write. There are a lot of things to remember when writing your proposal, and most of them are common sense - but that doesn't make them unimportant. Tailor your proposal to the seller; you'll be able to discern the expected tone and style you should follow by looking at the RFP. Make sure that you keep the proposal business-like, and address all of the seller's concerns. At the end of the bid, thank the seller for the opportunity to work with them.

Check your grammar and spelling. No one is impressed by error-filled proposals no matter how quickly they're posted or what kind of portfolio or resume backs them up.

5. Revise Your Proposal

Don't use the first draft of your proposal - there's always something that can be improved, and it's critical that you present the best text possible. Correct spelling and grammar errors and try to "jazz up" your copy: vary sentence structures, use interrogatives, be descriptive. Your goal is to grab the seller's attention and make them want to hire you; your goal is to write a proposal that makes the seller forget anyone else bid.