Last year we evaluated 99Designs (and other alternatives), a crowdsourced marketplace that I was a huge advocate of. In short, you pay a fixed price (prize pool) which designers compete for, the designer you select wins the prize pool. When designers compete, we win. Conversely, it provides an opportunity for designers to find work, and designers confident in their ability have an opportunity to score some nice prize pools.
(Editors Note: We’re starting this post with an intro into outsourcing for context, if you want to get straight to the review of TopTal, scroll down to the bolded title, “Toptal Review – What’s this have to do with Toptal?“)
There are plenty of Toptal reviews online, but I feel a lot of them lack context on the outsourcing market, thus spurring the need for Toptal.
The truth is, outsourcing has come a long way. No longer do you have to move your company to a tech-savvy city like Silicon Valley for access to top talent. You can now go online and hire someone from anywhere in the world to write a PHP script or create a brand-new WordPress website, or write a fully blown software application for any purpose imaginable.
Most outsourced projects fail, or at the very least businesses settle for “good enough” out of business necessity. I talked about this in-depth in my essay on why most outsourced projects fail on Upwork. I’ve seen it first hand. I’ve seen it with friends. Clients. Business partners. You name it. But, remote work is the future. According to Upwork Research Studies and Statistics, 50% of the American Workforce have worked from home since May 2020. And although I’ve been highly critical of the current state of the freelance marketplace, it’s not because of Upwork or any other freelance marketplace – it’s how businesses and freelancers utilize the platform. Many want to outsource overseas to save money, but the age old adage remains true, “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.” Read More
We’ve all been there – sometimes the full-time job just ain’t cutting it.
Fortunately, the Internet has opened up new avenues for making money outside your nine-to-five workday. Thanks to the increasing popularity of side gigs, it’s now easier than ever to enjoy an additional income stream.
However, there are so many side hustles available these days that it’s hard to determine which ones will bring you the most profits. With that, here are seven different side gigs that will earn you more than $100,000. I’ll start with mine…
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ToggleI am a portrait photographer based in Las Vegas. I shoot primarily headshots and portraits, but being a popular vacation destination, I also shoot a lot of expos, conferences and events.
It doesn’t require a degree, and has a relatively low barrier to entry (basically anyone who buys a camera), but the market is extremely saturated. However, if you’re skilled and talented (and know how to run a business), it’s certainly can be a lucrative business – and a fun one too! If you’re interested, you can start with this post on the 27-Things You Need to Do to Start a Photography Business.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, freelancing and outsourcing have skyrocketed.
Don’t get me wrong. The freelance and outsourcing industry has already grown exponentially before that, but now companies are finding out that employees can be productive at home, and likewise, many people like working from home.
I’ve previously covered Side Gigs That Pay Over $100k, with photography being the avenue I chose. After all, if you love what you do, it won’t feel like work.
What started out as a hobby, I’ve traveled the world and now call Las Vegas home as a pro portrait photographer, and I also run 1kCreatives.com, a site that helps photographers (and other creatives) earn their first $1000/mo.
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ToggleYikes. I did a Google search for Fiverr Review and I’ve found that most people are far too polarizing. It’s either the best thing since sliced bread, or it’s a scam and a complete waste of time. But we have to remember that’s the typical internet tyranny of the vocal minority, whereas I want to look at this from the perspective from the silent majority.
Case in point, do a Google search for your local McDonald’s or Walmart and you’ll see they’re blasted with 1-star reviews… does that mean they’re going out of business? Of course not. But that’s what we tend to find when the market is driven by price.
The silent majority understand the value of a McDonalds. It’s fast, convenient – I get to throwback a McDouble and fries for less than $5 (and if you don’t like there fries, you can hit the back button right now 😂). You can’t expect McDonald’s to roll out the red carpet for you…
The internet is riddled with mixed reviews of Upwork, and I’m here to help decipher them – and to analyze the problems that still exist. But at the end of the day…
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ToggleHere’s how it is supposed to work: A company crafts a highly detailed job description for a specific project. Contractors write highly detailed and attractive cover letters to capture the attention of the company. The company chooses a contractor from the field of highly qualified, well written contractors. The contractor accepts the job and performs up to spec and within the time frame. The company pays the contractor a fair price for the job in a timely manner. Good reviews of each other’s performances are given out. Everyone is happy.Read More