5 Ways to Freelance for More Cash

Who couldn't use some money in their pockets these days? Whether you're working full-time andeager to supplement your income or you're job seeking and in need of part-time cash whilesearching, there are several Web sites that may help you do just that.

Many of these new openings are jobs in fields that were outsourced overseas but are now comingback.

Click here for all of the "GMA" Make Money in May ideas and then here to head to Tory Johnson'sJob Club for more employment tips.

Sales

Sales is often thought of as an "in-house" position, but Elance.com sees growth in this category asbusinesses are eager to boost revenues by hiring freelancers to assist with sales tactics from coldcalling to writing sales materials. This is an area where U.S. workers have an edge over overseascompetitors.

Solid communication, writing and language skills, plus an understanding of the domesticmarketplace and current business climate help drive results. You can make $15 to $50 an hourdepending on sales skill level and expertise.

Web Sites: Elance.com, Livesalesstaff.com, oDesk.com

Technical Expertise

oDesk.com is an online marketplace on which businesses post freelance projects, and anyone canapply. The site connects technology service providers with people who want to hire them.

There is significant competition from overseas workers, but American service providers do very wellin in positions including software programmers, Web developers, search engine optimizationspecialists and Web-savvy writers who create compelling content for English blogs and Web sites.

The average pay for this work on oDesk is$21 an hour.

A few key tips to keep in mind when biddingfor work on online sites:

Create a thorough profile. Respond to everyquestion, check for typos and propergrammar, and carefully complete the skillsassessments in your area of expertise. Link toa portfolio to showcase your previous work.Sample work is a powerful selling tool. If youexpect to land a writing assignment, thenwriting samples are a must.

Research the competition. Review theprofiles of other service providers, paying particular attention to their rates and their experience.This helps you determine what's realistic to charge. You might opt to lower your rates to land yourfirst few assignments, but don't try to be the lowest because someone can and will always undercutyou. Instead, to get going, aim for the lowest rate within your skill set and level of expertise.

Cover letters and phone interviews count. Don't be generic; treat it as professionally as you wouldtreat in-person conversations.

Use social media to attract interest in your skills. Your Facebook, Twitter, VisualCV and blogs shouldpromote your skills. Post comments on related blogs and message boards touting your knowledgetoo.

Sites: Elance.com, RentaCoder.com, oDesk.com

Graphic Designers

Freelance graphic artists and Web designers who create logos, Web sites, letterhead, business cardsand so on are competing for projects on the site 99Designs.com.

Each month about $125,000 in business from the site goes to U.S. designers; the average payout is$350 per designer. Even more importantly, many designers use this as a springboard to find newclients and develop long-term relationships to build up their freelance business.

Sites: 99Designs.com, Guru.com

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