Are you a freelancer working on freelancing platforms? If you are, then you understand that apart from paying to submit proposals, between 10% and 20% of your earnings go to the freelancing platforms. Such fees can be a turn-off especially, for startup freelancers who may not afford to pay for their proposals.
Some not very Exciting News
The bad news is that paying for proposals does not guarantee you the job. As a result, many freelancers are seeking other cost-effective methods of working without losing track of their time.
We recently interviewed Lenie, a virtual assistant who also specializes in transcription. She sources a big percentage of her clients from a freelancing platform. While she admits to making some good money, the idea of having to surrender part of her earnings to the platform is discouraging. She said she would appreciate sourcing clients elsewhere to evade the fees and get her full pay. However, doing so would present an additional problem.
The Problem at Hand
One crucial reason why Lenie and other freelancers would choose to stay in freelancing platforms is the time tracking system. A time tracker allows freelancers to pay attention to their tasks and monitor their progress without halting their progress. Time management tools operate in the background collecting insights and data that the freelancers can review after completing the task.
An App that allows Freelancers to Track their Time when Working outside a Freelancing Platform
Lenie says she currently uses the DAD time tracker to monitor her time whenever she works outside the freelancing platform. We sought her honest views about the app, and she said:
“It’s very great. The freelancing platform I currently use takes screenshots even when I haven’t hit 10 minutes. Sometimes they will charge me for 10 minutes even when I have worked for only two minutes. However, the DAD tracker app tracks the exact time.“
Why is Lenie not Happy about this?
Imagine working on a project for five minutes, only for the freelancing platform to charge you for 10 minutes. “How do I recover the money? That forces me to pass the same charges to the client, which I do not think is right.”
From this conversation with Lenie, we figured out that she would prefer getting referrals from her existing clients within the freelancing platform. She would be glad to work directly with the referrals outside the freelancing platform. Doing so would allow her to bond and grow together with her clients. This way, she will also avoid the hefty fees.
The Proposal
After listening to Lenie’s pain point and her expectations, we gave her a proposal. In our line of work, we interact with numerous clients seeking qualified virtual assistants. We could recommend her to them and let them know that she prefers working outside freelancing platforms. Lenie was happy about the proposal because then, she could use the DAD tracker app to track her clients. With this proposal, Lenie will save almost $200 per month. What else does Lenie like about the DAD tracker app?
She appreciates that she can create invoices with ease using the DAD tracker app. The app comes with a reports page that features a breakdown of the total number of hours you spent on a specific task. You can also view the amount of work you have completed. With these features it’s easier to copy the details directly from the app and paste them on your invoice. The good news is that you can use the DAD tracker app for different clients.
What Additional Features does Lenie want to see in the DAD Tracker App?
While you may have a great tool, it takes your clients to point out improvements they would love to see. Today, customer’s expectations are high, especially with the evolving technology. As a service provider, you should strive to determine and provide solutions for your customer’s needs.
In this case, Lenie said she would appreciate it if she would view a separate report speech for each month. She mentioned that she could only view her report speech for one month, although she had been using the app for over two months.
Lenie also highlights the fact that she is still learning her way through the app, and there seemed to be a lot more that she could not figure out. According to her, including a wide range of video tutorials could go a long way in helping users navigate through the app with ease.
Why an Effective Tracker is Crucial for Freelancers
Freelancers require discipline and motivation to remain focused and complete their work on time. While they can choose to manage their time, avoiding distractions without a proper time management strategy can be a difficult task. This is where a time tracker becomes necessary. Every freelancer must know where their time goes and how it affects their work to be successful.