I completed my first contract on Upwork! And what I learned from it

I finally got on the ball and started submitting proposals on Upwork. Of the first two submitted, one was accepted! The client first asked me a few questions via messaging and then also requested a phone call. My proposal was accepted shortly after the phone call. The job was to transfer an existing website built about 15 years ago to WordPress, as well as provide some tutoring via screenshare for the client to learn how to navigate WordPress. The client ultimately decided to move to another format because WordPress wasn't easy enough to use. So we decided to end the contract early. The client seems happy though and said I did a great job.

Here are a few things I learned and that I'll implement going forward:

• Set milestones or deadlines, even if the client says they don't want to. While this client at first said there was no rush and didn't want to set a deadline, that changed and there was a sudden urgency to get things done. Setting up expectations from the beginning would've eliminated any questions.
• Remember that answering project questions counts as work, and so the timer should be running when doing so. There were several occasions where I was responding to messages about the project and I should've been getting paid for that time. I didn't notice until I had been working for quite a while and by that point I couldn't remember what time I'd started.
• Don't wait until a current project is finished to start bidding on new work. You really have no idea when a project is going to end, so you should always have some business in the pipeline.

I can't find the words to express how exciting this freelancing venture has become. I really can work from anywhere as long as I have an Internet connection! I thought I wanted an office job as a front-end developer, but I can't imagine doing that now. I haven't applied for a job since I started getting regular order on Fiverr. And now that I'm learning to master Upwork, I see no reason to work for anyone else ever again.

Freelancing via Fiverr is working out!

Looks like redoing the gigs paid off because as of today I've completed six orders on Fiverr! Three were accepted and received 5-star reviews and three are waiting to be accepted. I also have one new order that is due in two days. This is so exciting! It's what I've wanted for a long time - a business I can do from anywhere as long as I have an Internet connection.

Fiverr feels like the ebay of the freelancing world. You can offer pretty much any service and someone will probably buy it. It almost feels too easy.

In my quest to dominate on Fiverr, I purchased a udemy course (on sale of course) that's supposed to show me how to maximize my income on Fiverr. I'm about two-thirds of the way through the course and so far it does have some useful information. But let's just say I'm glad I didn't pay the "regular" price of $216. I will implement all of the optimization tips for my profile and gigs, then move onto Upwork (which I also purchased a udemy course for).

Fiverr gigs are revised!

I just spent a few hours at Whole Foods revising my Fiverr listings into web development gigs and I feel super accomplished.

Now I'm researching freelancing sites and plan to be fully setup on one of them by tonight. I need to set a limit to the number of freelancing sites but I haven't decides that yet.

Fighting shiny object syndrome

There are so many wonderful-sounding money making ideas I want to try. Some of them are pretty easy to setup, many are free to start. So I start to think that I should diversify and add one more potential stream of income.

And then I realize that shiny object syndrome has struck me again. I look at my browser and notice I have about 10 tabs open and I'm bookmarking everything. I have to stop! I find myself praying a lot more often for the will to stay focused.

When I first started school my goal was to become an expert web developer so I could own a web development business. So everything I do should be focused toward that goal and that includes my side hustle ventures. I looked at the seven gigs I listed on Fiverr and realized that only two of them were related to web development. Why? Because I discovered some graphics programs that made me want to create stuff other than websites. So I'll edit those remaining five gigs to offer web development services instead.

All side hustle ideas that are not related to web development are on pause until I max out the Fiverr and Etsy listings with web development services. Then I'll also open accounts on freelancing sites to be able to place bids to win web developer jobs there as well.

Shiny object syndrome must lose so that my goals can win. With God's help it will happen.