How to Freelance Internationally

The factors to address to successfully freelance on a global scale.

However, gig workers need to be aware of various factors especially when freelancing on an international scale. In this guide, we discuss the various challenges that could hinder your growth as an International freelancer and the approach that you can take.

Advantages of Freelancing Internationally

From managing your operations at your comfort to receiving payments in higher denomination currencies, there are various advantages to establishing as a freelancer on a global scale. Let's take a look at some of the advantages freelancers have while working with international clients.

1. Global clients and companies

Freelancing exposes you to global clients and companies, giving you a diverse set of job opportunities to choose from. In such a scenario, you're more likely to find a favorable space that helps you sharpen your skills by working with multiple organizations in different parts of the world.

2. Higher opportunities and a bigger market

Working on an international scale exposes freelancers to a bigger market filled with higher opportunities than working locally. Moreover, it helps gig workers to leverage their skills towards their niche markets. Industries like blockchain technology or data analytics have higher markets in developed countries. Freelancers working in such niches can gain greater opportunities from other countries.

3. Chances for Networking

Freelancing internationally helps you expand your network to a much wider scale. Furthermore, networking helps develop a deeper understanding of your markets on a global scale. Some of the advantages of networking on a global scale include connecting with clients, branding your work, opportunities through references, and more.

4. Payments in higher denomination currencies

As you work with global companies from countries with higher denomination currencies than yours, you can earn in currencies including U.S Dollars, Euro, Pound, and more. Payments in different industry standards facilitate you to work at your convenience with the added advantage of higher contractual payments.

How to Find International Freelancing Opportunities

Finding work online is not as tough as it used to be anymore. For a long time, freelancers were burdened by hours of searching and finding companies that may or may not want freelance work. Moreover, even once these details were cleared out, many could go wrong when deciding upon payments.

Online services like Fiverr and Upwork provide an effective way for freelancers to connect to an international clientele. However, one of the subsequent drawbacks to this is that providers charge high fees in exchange for providing their services. Additionally, one of the challenges faced by gig workers from working through freelancing platforms is that it takes days or weeks for payments to be credited into their banking account. The credited payment is also deducted with foreign exchange and banking charges.

Alternatively, established freelancers also create their own websites to directly connect to global clients. Moreover, FinTech tools help them to easily connect payments online. For instance, gig workers can easily integrate XanPay into their existing infrastructure. This benefits freelancers to directly collect payments without any third party platform charging a fee as high as 20%. Also, XanPay connects you to over 50% of the world's population from a single software stack. By partnering with over 20 payment service providers (PSPs), XanPay allows you to collect your payments at a much faster pace.

Another advantage of integrating XanPay is that you can enable real-time payments with a fee of less than 2%. You can also work with overseas clients in their preferred method of fiat currency. In other words, you can also ask your client from Singapore to pay in SGD and route your INR into your bank account without any hassle.

How to Expand Your Freelancing Services

Having your personal website can go a long way when it comes to enhancing your network. By implementing some basic SEO, you can also make your services available to a global audience.

For freelancers who want a more convenient way of working, social media has done a great job, implementing specific channels where you can go to to find work. You will find dedicated groups on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, which routinely post freelance work requirements. If you choose your groups wisely, you could tap into an international group with clients from various countries.

You can also consider networking with your peers or your clients to receive more opportunities. By constantly providing quality work, clients are likely to rehire and provide you with references. You can also update your LinkedIn profiles with reviews from your past clients. By showcasing your skills and past success, you can better your chances of landing work with different organizations.

Final Words

The opportunities with freelancing and the gig economy have expanded. Moreover, international companies and leaders are keen to give preferences to skill-based gig workers. The global conditions have also made work from home the new normal. Such factors facilitate freelancers to leverage global opportunities more than ever before.