Fiverr

What: Fiverr allows you to advertise your services for just about anything –write, edit, design logos, do voice-over work, provide digital marketing, animation, advice. 

Expected pay: you set it

Husl$core: $$$$

Commissions & Fees: 20% 

Where: Nationwide

Requirements: Be over the age of 13; have an email address and a computer

Review:

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that allows you to advertise pretty much any legal service. There are web designers; graphic designers; actors; animators and editors — not to mention kids willing to endorse your product or make silly videos. 

The challenge for side hustlers who listed here is that the site started out with the concept that any job would be done for $5. And, for a long time, most of the gigs listed here still started with a $5 to $25 price. So if what you’re selling is going to take much time, you could be working for peanuts. 

Big changes

However, over the past few years, the site has made some big changes in how it operates, creating “rising star” and “pro” designations. These signal to clients that the freelancer is highly skilled and charges more. (Pros, in fact, cannot charge less than $100 for their basic service.) Indeed, Fiverr suggests that freelancers post three levels of service — a cheap “basic” package; a more expensive and comprehensive “standard” package; and a premium package. In most cases, premium packages are priced at rates that compensate freelancers well for their time.

In addition, the site boosted its customer service staff and got rid of its money transfer fees. Now Fiverr takes a straight 20% of what you make. 

Smart strategies

That said, it remains important to frame your offer clearly with what is and isn’t included. For instance, one voice-over artist offers 100 words for $10. But, if you want worldwide rights to that recording, she charges another $40. Need more words? Buy multiple “gigs” to accommodate the number of words you want. For 500 words, you’d buy 5 gigs at $10 each. This is the type of strategy that works to make a good living with this site.   

Fiverr also is a good place try out your own business, adds Cecily Jamila, who launched her website consulting business — WordPress Queen — by offering to answer Word Press questions for $5.

Biggest complaints

While you set your rates and are in control of your offer here, some customers expect free services and they can manipulate the algorithm to blackmail you if you refuse. Specifically, the site’s algorithm emphasizes the number of jobs you’ve completed on time, reviews, and your acceptance rate. If you cancel a job that’s been booked, that goes against you; if you get a bad review, that does too. So clients sometimes book your services, knowing that they need more than what they’re paying for. If you refuse, you get nicked for cancelling the job. If you deliver what they paid for and no more, you can get a bad review. 

There’s no sure-fire solution to this. However, freelancers who successfully navigate Fiverr maintain it’s important to keep all communication with clients on the platform and in writing. That gives you evidence that you’re being unfairly manipulated by a bad client. Customer service will remove bad reviews, if you can prove the client was manipulating the system to get something they didn’t pay for. But reaching customer service remains a challenge.

What their workers say: 

“You have to really figure out what you are going to do for $5. And realize that you are really not getting $5. You get $3 something after their commission. If you can do it quickly, it really does add up. But you have to have a strategy. It’s a good place to get started, but when you have a regular clientele, you’re better off going out on your own where you can get to keep 100% of what you earn.”     –interview with Cecily Jamila, WordPress Queen

These reviews from SiteJabber are edited for space and grammar.

For 2018 they’ve started a new MONTHLY REVIEW of your account activity and they check everything from sales, response time, reviews, income etc. So if you’re not making up to the standard they set in sales your account would be automatically demoted and subsequently have to remove any gigs to fit into the new lower category. 

Sellers can still contact you when you are on vacation, if they are past clients. And if you don’t respond, your response time gets lowered and buyers are less likely to choose your services. Fiverr can also delete your gigs without even discussing it with you first. I had a gig up for 1 whole year, received a fair amount of work and a large amount of money from it. All 5 star reviews, and Fiverr removed the gig without any warning, saying it was a violation. 

I was with Fiverr since the very beginning (where it was still cool) until my account was disabled for no reason a couple of weeks ago. To make things even better, all funds on your disabled account are frozen for 90 days and I highly doubt I will see any of that money ever again. Fiverr is swamped with sellers from 3rd world countries who can throw parties for their whole village once they earn five bucks (four after 20% fees). If you are in a Western country, you do not want to compete against them. Trust me. You’re better off working minimum wage for McDonalds.

Try Fiverr