5 Great Resources for Freelancers

So, I finally did it! I gave up the 9-5 life for the work 24/7/365 life. Okay, I don’t actually have to work every day. Sometimes, though, it feels like I do. As a freelance writer, work is never guaranteed, making it hard to ever say “no” to new projects or ventures. If I didn’t stay organized and focused, I would completely lose it. With so little consistency in this line of work, I must constantly help myself out by figuring out ways to make it all a bit easier. In this journey, I’ve found these five resources that have each truly been a lifesaver.

1. The Penny Hoarder

This website is all about budgeting, debt, finances, credit, and ways to make money. It’s a one-stop shop for all the information I’m looking for when it comes to managing my income and outcome. Much of their content is created for freelancers and people with inconsistent money to learn how to find stability. Plus, there’s tons of content about side gigs, investing, and passive income to fill in the gaps for when freelancing work goes on the lower side. It’s a great place to learn how you can control your finances when you don’t know what your income will be each month.

2. Aja Dang

Okay, more financial info! Freelancers need all the help we can get, honestly. Aja Dang is a freelancer in every sense of the word. She’s a life coach, actress, YouTuber, consultant, blogger, business owner, dog sitter, and probably some other things too. The primary way I get information from her is her YouTube channel. She gives practical financial advice that she’s learned from experience and actively applies to her own life. Her perspective is useful to others living the gig lifestyle and she shares everything down to her personal monthly budgets. The reason I connect with her so much is that her biggest push is helping people to stop feeling overwhelmed and manage their financial situation no matter the circumstances.

3. Wix

I’ve redone my website several times on multiple different sites, but I wasn’t quite happy with it until I tried Wix (again). This time, with renewed appreciation for their fabulous templates, I created something I’m proud of. Essentially all my work is remote, meaning all communication about my qualifications is online. With an informative and well-rounded website, new clients can easily see my work history, writing samples, professional associations, and contact information all at once. Having a good website saves everyone a lot of emailing back and forth and that means I can get to work faster!

4. Rev

There are presumably mixed reviews online about this company, but my experience with them has been completely positive. I had tried other transcribing sites, but either the set up slowed me down or I disagreed with how payment worked. Rev magically came to me in a Facebook ad one day and it became an awesome side gig. Rev does transcriptions and captions, so there are always plenty of clips to complete. Once you get the hang of it and figure out how to do it quickly, there’s good money in the transcribing business. Rev is definitely one of the most straightforward and reliable sites if you’re looking for some extra cash.

5. Constant Content

I found so many job posting boards similar to Constant Content in my search for work as a freelance writer. Many of them either charged a monthly fee or didn’t have reliable employers on them. I decided to focus on Constant Content because they allow me to submit my own articles to their database and pick up projects from their listings. The site is easy to use, and payment is simple. The variety is also a great perk of this site, featuring everything from universities needing marketing content to small businesses needing blog articles. Turnaround per article is also pretty quick from submission to acceptance. It’s a reliable site I can count on for decent projects to pick up every month.

Being a freelancer is like running a business wherein you are the boss and every employee; it’s often nonstop hard work. Being able to choose, however, when it does stop is priceless. It's always tempting, but making your own schedule doesn’t have to mean that you work every day. Use these resources and research what others may work for you so that you can live the freelancer lifestyle full of the days off and vacation time that those 9-5ers think we're getting.