business plan of upwork

The Upwork Business Model – How Does Upwork Make Money?

Executive Summary:

Upwork is an online marketplace that matches freelancers with businesses that seek on-demand work. The company facilitates jobs in the field of accounting, data science, web development, customer support, and many more.

Upwork makes money by charging service fees to contractors, via subscriptions, as well as by allowing freelancers to pay for additional client connections. The company operates on a marketplace business model.

Upwork is the result of a merger between Elance and oDesk that took place in December 2013. The company officially rebranded into Upwork two years later. In 2018, Upwork went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange, raising $187 million in the process.

How Upwork Works

Upwork (formerly Elance-oDesk) is an online marketplace where freelancers can offer various services to private consumers and businesses around the world. Customers can seek help in almost any work-related category, including industries such as:

• Web Development & Software Engineering
• Data Analytics

… and many more. As a freelancer, you upload a profile that includes information such as employment history, skills, education, certifications, a description of yourself as well as the hourly rate charged. Upwork furthermore populates additional data points such as hours worked on the platform as well as the freelancer’s rating from previous jobs.

On the client side, businesses can post a job and name the specific roles and skills they seek. Candidates can then either apply directly or are handpicked by Upwork’s matching algorithms. Upwork will then forward a list of potentially suitable freelancers to the job poster.

Selected candidates will then be invited to make a bid for the job in question. Furthermore, companies can schedule a chat with potential hires to ask specific questions and determine who’s the best fit.

Once a project is started, both businesses and freelancers will gain access to a workplace environment provided by Upwork. Over there, both parties can send and receive files, share feedback in real-time, or use Upwork’s mobile app to manage projects.

As with any online marketplace, Upwork will take care of the whole payment process. That not only means the facilitation of payments, but also features that include invoicing and reporting.

A Short History Of Upwork

The creation of Upwork is a result of the merger between Elance (founded in 1999) and oDesk (founded in 2003) that was announced on December 18, 2013.

At the time of the merger, oDesk had over a million businesses and five million freelancers registered on its platform. They helped to contribute more than $1 billion in transaction volume for the year of 2013.

Elance, on the other end, counted over 800,000 registered businesses and three million freelancers. Furthermore, the company was active in 170+ countries across the globe. Over 1.3 million jobs in categories such as software engineering, design, data science, marketing, were published every year on the Elance platform.

The goal of the merger was to become the indefinite market leader and thereby decrease market shares of freelance.com, their biggest competitor at the time. At first, the two companies continued to operate independently under their separate brands.

Then, on May 5, 2015, the two companies announced what has been heavily speculated soon after its merger: that the two companies will become one and operate under a new brand named Upwork.

To really push the new brand right from the get-go, Upwork made sure to also release a new mobile application, quicker processing of the website, new search algorithms, and a real-time chat service.

The change was announced by Stephane Kasriel, who became the company’s new CEO (and remained so until December 2019 when he was replaced by Hayden Brown ).

The newly founded company continued to grow under the reigns of their new CEO. This culminated in the firm’s IPO in October 2018.

2020, in particular, became one of the most important years for the company. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, which led to massive layoffs as well as a shift to remote work, more and more people shifted to becoming contractors.

As a result, both its revenue and stock price soared to new all-time highs. That shift was led by its new CEO Hayden Brown who replaced the previous chief executive Stephane Kasriel.

The headwind also prompted the company to undergo a severe rebrand in May 2021. On top of that, Upwork significantly beefed up its marketing spend to take advantage of the new remote work trend.

Today, the company counts millions of active businesses and freelancers on its platform while operating offices in Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. On the platform, some freelancers were even able to build businesses that generate millions in revenue, showing the power marketplaces can have when achieving a sufficient scale.

How Does Upwork Make Money?

Upwork makes money by charging service fees to contractors, via subscriptions, as well as by allowing freelancers to pay for additional client connections.

The business model of Upwork is running an online marketplace. That means that the platform needs to ensure a sufficient amount of freelancer supply and match that with the existing demand for talent.

Moreover, Upwork enhances the experience for both clients and contractors by providing them with additional tools such as payroll services or allowing clients to utilize Upwork talent recruiters.

Those additional services ultimately not only increase trust among participants but make the platform more sticky. As a result, both clients and contractors are less incentivized to work together off platform.

So without further ado, let’s take a closer look at each of Upwork’s revenue streams.

Service Fees

As the operator of the marketplace, Upwork charges a percentage fee for every successful transaction it facilitates. More precisely, contractors are being charged a 20, 10, or 5 percent fee depending on the amount they have billed with a client.

To keep supply (i.e. clients and amounts of jobs posted) high, joining the platform and posting a job is free of charge. This ensures that marketplace liquidity, which is the efficiency with which a platform matches buyers and sellers, remains high.

The decreasing fee structure also motivates contractors to stay on. After all, paying 5 percent is very close to the fees that a contractor would pay with traditional payment processors.

Furthermore, since Upwork is also responsible for handling payments, a payment processing and administration fee of 3 percent is applied for every transaction, which is paid by the client.

Upwork, furthermore, provides payroll services to clients, allowing them to hire freelancers as full-time employees. The fee structure is slightly adjusted for those types of engagements.

Subscriptions

Client memberships are subscription plans tailored at the businesses that post jobs on the platform. Upwork claims that these plans allow businesses to hire better candidates at a faster rate.

Next to the Basic plan, which is free of charge and offers features such as verified freelancer work histories or built-in collaboration tools, clients can opt into two premium subscriptions: Upwork Plus and Upwork Business .

The Plus plan comes in at $49.99 per month while the Business subscription costs a total of $849 every month.

Premium features include things such as:

• Dedicated account managers that help with the hiring process
• Project tracking and collaboration tools
• Consolidated billing
• Advanced reporting features

 .. and many others. On top of the subscription charge, Upwork furthermore includes a 3 percent payment processing fee and a 10 percent service fee for Business plan members.

Apart from charging a subscription fee to businesses, Upwork also has a dedicated plan for freelancers dubbed Freelancer Plus .

Freelancer Plus, which costs $14.99 per month, offers a variety of benefits such as being able to keep an active profile during inactive periods, insights into other bids, a customized profile URL, or more Connects.

Contractors that are not on a subscription plan therefore only have a limited amount of times they can bid on a job. If they want to apply for more jobs, they have to purchase so-called Connects, which cost $0.15 each.

Upwork Funding, Valuation & Revenue

According to Crunchbase , Upwork has raised a total of $168 million in 12 rounds of venture capital funding. Most of the money has been injected prior to the merger in 2013.

In 2018, Upwork was able to go public at a valuation of $1.5 billion , raising another $187 million in the process. Upwork is currently valued at around $3 billion.

For the fiscal year 2021, Upwork recorded revenues of $503 million, up 35 percent from the year prior. Gross Services Volume (GSV) grew by 41 percent year-over-year to reach $3.5 billion.

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What Is Upwork, and Is It Legit for Freelancers?

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What is Upwork?

Upwork is a marketplace for freelancers in fields like writing, graphic design, web development, marketing and many other categories of online work. The site helps professionals find projects, communicate with clients and get paid.

Is Upwork a legit way to make money?

If you’re a new freelancer, or just beginning an online side hustle , you can rack up valuable experience without always having to pitch clients cold on Upwork. That makes it legit. But the site is full of new workers who are willing to take work for a lower rate, which can impact your earning potential. That means, as it does with any online business or side hustle, it’ll likely take time, dedication and skill to earn big.

Overall, Upwork makes it easier to look for jobs and make money , but think carefully about which gigs you want to apply for.

What skills are in-demand on Upwork?

Specialized technology skills are popular on Upwork right now. According to a March 2024 press release from Upwork, the latest emerging top skills include:

Generative AI modeling.

Medical virtual assistance.

Executive virtual assistance.

Logo design.

Development and IT project management.

Digital marketing campaign management.

Learning one of those could be a way to stand out. Other more mainstream skills like web design, email marketing and bookkeeping are in-demand and fast-growing too, according to Upwork.

How do you get gig on Upwork?

Joining Upwork is a straightforward process, but once you’re in, you’ll need to sell yourself.

Setup up a robust profile

Your profile serves the same purpose as a general résumé for prospective employers. You can’t get work without one, and that’s where you’ll start when you sign up.

Profile essentials include:

A title that spotlights your skills.

Your headshot.

A profile write-up about yourself.

Your hourly rate.

Relevant skills.

Service categories.

Standing out is the name of the game in such a vast marketplace of freelancers. Put some thought into your profile title and overview to give prospective clients a good sense of what you can offer. Enhance your profile with examples of your work in the portfolio section.

Upwork will typically approve your profile within 48 hours, assuming the information is verifiable and accurate. Then you can get working.

Contact potential clients with “Connects”

Upwork offers two membership plans for freelancers: Basic and Plus.

Freelancer Basic is the default free plan. The Basic plan comes with 10 free "Connects" each month, the platform’s internal tokens, which are used to contact clients. You can also pay $0.15 for additional Connects, which are sold in bundles or custom amounts.

Search for jobs on the site, and use your Connects to submit proposals. Proposals include an introductory letter, your desired fee and answers to questions the client included in the posting. You can also send examples of any work you think would be relevant.

Freelancer Plus is the paid plan for those going all in on Upwork freelancing. This plan is $20 a month and gets you 90 Connects per month, plus 10 more free from Upwork, along with a few other perks that might appeal to more dedicated freelancers.

If someone reaches out to you, you don’t have to use any Connects. The more robust your profile looks, the more likely you are to receive job offers from potential clients.

Win a gig and get to work

To get hired, clients will send you a contract to initiate the project. You’ll work with your client, keeping them informed through the platform as you complete the work. Once the work delivered is approved, you’ll be paid by direct deposit, PayPal or one of the other available payment methods.

How much of your fee goes to Upwork?

Upwork takes a 10% cut of your earnings, so you’ll want to factor that into your pricing strategy. The 10% service fee applies to both hourly rate and fixed-price earnings.

If you charge a $100 hourly rate, you’ll earn $90 per hour after the Upwork fee.

If you charge $500 for a fixed-rate project, you’ll earn $450 after the fee.  

Hourly projects

All hourly projects are logged in your Work Diary, which is built into Upwork’s desktop app. With this function on, the app tracks your time in 10-minute billing cycles and records keystrokes, scrolling and clicks and takes screenshots. You can turn the Work Diary’s time tracker on and off at any time, and add work time manually if you have permission from the client.

Upwork bills your client for hours worked on a weekly billing cycle.

Fixed-price projects

Payment for fixed-price projects is more straightforward. The person or company contracting you has to set aside a certain amount of money when you make the agreement. The employer must also set milestones, which are concrete deliverables on the way to the finished job. You’re paid with some or all of the deposit once you hit these checkpoints, and the remainder is paid once everything is complete.

How to do well on Upwork

Like with any client-service business, you’ll want to communicate effectively, deliver work products on time and meet or exceed client standards. Upwork measures your overall performance using a Job Success Score, which is a percentage that ranges from 0-100% displayed on your profile. The score takes into account a variety of factors, such as public and private feedback, contract delivery and customer relationships. TLDR: Do great work, deliver it on time and be pleasant to work with.

Is Upwork the right freelance marketplace for you?

If you’re a freelancer and want access to an open market of clients, it’s probably worth giving Upwork a look. It’s also worth checking similar freelance marketplaces like Freelancer and Fiverr while you’re at it.

That said, the competition and utter vastness of a site like Upwork could discourage some. It’s an interesting option, but not the only way to become a freelancer . If you’re motivated and resourceful enough to find and contact potential clients on your own outside of Upwork, you may be able to secure steady opportunities that don’t require a 10% cut.

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• Business Plus plan

Business Plus is a membership plan that helps you hire more efficiently with access to the top 1% of talent on Upwork and on demand hiring support. There’s no upfront commitment, so you can hire with ease and get work done faster.

You'll have access to the self-serve, intuitive experience of Upwork's talent marketplace, coupled with additional services and features to help clients efficiently find, hire, and pay top talent. Instead of a monthly subscription fee, Business Plus plan members pay service charges of up to 10% on payments to freelancers.

Benefits of Business Plus

Business Plus builds on the additional features and services already available on Upwork's talent marketplace:

• Instant access through search and your dashboard to Expert-Vetted freelancers, the top 1% of talent on Upwork, pre-screened by our Talent Managers and experts in their field
• Curated talent list in two business days
• On-demand services to help you onboard and hire including project scoping support, new user onboarding training, and much more. As a Business Plus client, your team has access to one job post review and one shortlist for each job post
• 24/7 personalized customer support
• Additional reporting and dashboard insights
• Monthly invoicing through Net-30 payment terms that give you flexible payment options, requiring an application and approval

Business Plus fees

There is no monthly subscription fee for Business Plus and you won’t be subject to the Marketplace plan’s Contract Initiation Fees. Instead, you’ll pay Upwork 10% of your payments to freelancers. We offer a discounted Business Plus Fee of 8% for eligible clients in the U.S. who pay with a checking account.

You may be subject to additional fees, depending on how you use Upwork. Learn more about the fees to use Business Plus here .

Change your membership to Business Plus

Only admins on a client account change a membership. If you don’t have owner or admin full permissions, you won’t be able to change the membership plan for your company.

• Go to Settings > Membership Settings
• Choose Upgrade membership
• Select Confirm . Your membership plan will change immediately

Frequently Asked Questions

The Marketplace plan includes:

• Upwork’s global freelance marketplace
• Access to AI-powered features
• Collaboration and project tracking tools
• Standard reporting
• Flexible payment options

Business Plus includes everything in Marketplace, and also:

• Access to Expert-Vetted talent
• Training, project scoping, sourcing services
• 24/7 premium support
• Dashboard and reporting insights
• Monthly invoicing through Net-30 payment terms by application

Enterprise includes everything in Business Plus, and also:

• Dedicated account and program management
• SSO and integrations
• Approvals and custom workflows
• Customized invoicing
• Compliance services subscription

Learn more and upgrade your membership here .

Business Plus is free to join, and when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 8 or 10% Business Plus fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, and bonuses. There is no commitment or subscription fee, plus no Contract Initiation Fees, making it easy for you to start now. Learn more about the fees to use Business Plus here .

Business Plus clients based in the U.S. may be eligible to apply for monthly invoicing with 30-day payment terms . The application process requires you to provide details and documentation about your business, including banking and trade references. 

Upon submission, the Upwork team will review your application and email you with our decision within five business days.

Upwork Business plans give you access to the same elevated level of customer support service as Enterprise. You’ll get expedited responses, plus phone and ticket support.

As you begin, you can take advantage of new user onboarding training for each team member.

You’ll also unlock the opportunity to partner with Talent Specialists, our internal team, to help source and shortlist talent.

To earn an Expert-Vetted badge, freelancers go through a pre-screening process with our Talent Managers that evaluates their expertise and soft skills. Expert-Vetted badges are only available for certain work categories, and the badge only displays to Business Plus and Enterprise clients.

You can find Expert-Vetted talent by using a search filter or on your client dashboard.

• Training and onboarding services can be accessed through your dashboard, on the home page
• Project scoping can be requested as you post a job
• Talent sourcing can be accessed as you post a job, or through your proposal manager in any open job post

Your dashboard, located on your home page, gives you quick access to user and team activity, weekly spend, your active contracts, and more.

Reporting insights, found within the Reports tab of your navigation bar, give you detailed information about your time and spend on Upwork. As a Business Plus client, you’ll have access to talent performance reports and contract audits.

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Upwork Business Model

The Upwork Business Model centers on providing a freelancing platform for companies and individuals to interact with freelancers and freelance agencies providing all sorts of services. Upwork had over five million registered clients and over twelve million freelancers registered with the company, with over $1 billion worth of jobs posted by 2017.

The Company’s mission, as stated by Hayden Brown, the CEO, is “…to create economic opportunities, so people have better lives. It attracts people to Upwork who want to accomplish extraordinary things. And it’s the ‘what’ that guides where and how we seek to have an impact.” They have consistently done this, enlisting Upwork among the list of 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 by TIME.

A brief history of Upwork

In 1998, Beerud Sheth, who graduated from MIT, and Srini Anumoli, who previously worked at Wall Street, founded Elance in Jersey City. They grew to have 22 employees and relocated to Sunnyvale, Silicon Valley, California, in December 1999. The first service they offered was the Elance Small Business Marketplace. 

Additionally, in 2003, Stratis Karamanlakis and Odysseas Tsatalos founded oDesk 2003. Even though they intended to make it a staffing company, oDesk became an online marketplace for people to register and use the platform users to find and hire remote workers. oDesk and Elance merged on the 18th of December 2013, to form Elance-oDesk. It later became Upwork in 2015. The company wasn’t only rebranded; it was also upgraded. 

From 2009 to 2014, Upwork was listed on the Inc. 5000 list. It went public on the New York Stock Exchange on April 27, 2019.  

Who Owns Upwork

Upwork Inc. is a publicly traded company with shares available for sale on a stock exchange. It is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange as “UPWK.” Several individual and institutional shareholders, therefore, own the company. The holders with the most significant shares, according to Fintel.io include Vanguard Group Inc, Capital International Investors, BlackRock Inc., Hawk Ridge Capital Management Lp, Baillie Gifford & Co, ATOMVEST Ltd,  NAESX, Greenoaks Capital Partners Llc, — Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Investor Shares, and IWM — iShares Russell 2000 ETF.

Upwork Mission Statement

Upwork’s mission statement is “to create economic opportunities, so people have better lives.”

How Upwork works

Upwork provides a platform for individuals and businesses to find top-level talent and talent agencies for their needs. 

It is for two sets of people:

• The talents (freelancers and agencies); and 
• The contractors (businesses or individuals hiring talent).

Getting started is simple. The freelancer signs up, creates his/her profile, and sends proposals to job postings to find the right job. Upwork provides a platform for the freelancer to communicate and collaborate with his employer. 

For the contractors, the process is as simple — the business/individual signs up on the platform. Upwork then suggests talents that fit the needs of the contractor. The contractor can also make job posts containing the details and description of the job. Upwork provides a platform for contractors to communicate and collaborate with freelancers. Upwork also provides a platform for payment. Once you’ve engaged your talent, use the platform’s tools to communicate, collaborate, and securely pay for your project.

How Upwork makes money

Upwork has proven over the years to be highly profitable for its shareholders. It generated a revenue of about USD 618 million in 2022, according to Macrotrends.net . To generate most of its revenue, the company charges a fee for every completed job on its platform. The fee is charged from the clients and the freelancers. How each customer segment operates is, however, different. 

Here is a list of how Upwork makes money:

Freelancers 

It charges service fees from freelancers based on the type of client they work with. Clients are categorized into:

• 20%  – $500 and below
• 10% – $500.01 to $10,000
• 5% – $10,000 and above
• Enterprise Clients: In this category, individual contracts are negotiated by Upwork per case with these companies. 

The service fee on Enterprise contracts is a flat rate of 10%. Client profiles are designated as Enterprise clients by a badge. 

Clients on Upwork are billed as follows:

• $14.99 per month subscription fee for clients on Upwork Plus;
• Customized pricing based on the service level needed for Upwork Enterprise clients.
• For Payroll Services, 23% is deducted from the employee’s pay — 10% for Upwork and 13% for payrolling costs;
• A compulsory fee of 3% is charged on payments by all clients to cover administration and payment processing costs. 
• Purchase of Connects: Connects are virtual tokens for freelancers to bid for jobs. Some connects are given to freelancers for free at registration. After the initial connects are exhausted, more must be purchased from Upwork;
• Advertising: Like other online services, Upwork sells ad spaces to generate additional income. 

Upwork Business Model Canvas

The Upwork Business Model can be explained in the following business model canvas :

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Upwork Customer Segments

Upwork’s customer segment consists of the following:

• Freelancers: Freelancers on Upwork advertise and provide different services (talents) to clients. Upwork serves to connect talented professionals to jobs. It is a strong marketing channel for freelancers to advertise their services and connect with employers easily. Freelancers enjoy working with quality clients and timely and secure payments. Freelancers on Upwork enjoy flexibility in their work schedules and can work remotely, which is why many professionals favor the platform;
• Clients: Having over twelve million registered freelancers, Upwork provides an excellent platform for individuals and small businesses to source for top-notch talent to work for them. Clients get fast, secure, and quality access to experts for, 10000+ skills across 90+ categories with a direct-to-talent approach. Upwork offers a direct-to-talent approach as a more modern intermediary than staffing agencies and recruiters. It provides high-quality and independent features focused on building trusted relationships and confidence in remote work. Clients on Upwork don’t have to fear remote work, as Upwork is an effective platform for instilling trust. 

Upwork Value Propositions

Upwork’s value propositions to clients, freelancers, and freelance agencies include:

• Globalization : Upwork has a very wide outreach, which ensures that clients and freelancers can connect from thousands of miles away without considering the location factor;
• Access to better and cheaper services : Since clients can connect to freelancers worldwide, they can find the best option. They can hire the most affordable services and experts;
• Diversity : Freelancers are not limited to one client; they can choose to work for anyone worldwide;
• Easy to use: Upwork’s flexibility ensures easy registration by freelancers and clients. Clients can easily access freelancers and choose what suits their businesses best. Also, clients can track improvements in their projects. Freelancers can also be paid using various payment options;
• Wide skill sets and tasks : Employers have access to a wide skill set. They can analyze candidates based on prior work, as they get bidding from multiple freelancers. Additionally, freelancers can access a wide range of tasks and clients from different countries. Upwork verifies good employers, which ensures security for freelancers.

Upwork Channels

Upwork’s channels consist of:

• Social media
• Sponsorships
• Online advertisements
• Upwork blog

Upwork Customer Relationships

Upwork’s customer relationships include:

• Customer Service
• CRM Support
• Quality Assurance
• Back Office
• Lead Generation
• Email Support 

Upwork Revenue Streams

Upwork’s revenue streams consist of the following:

• Service fees
• Subscription charges
• Sale of connects
• Sale of advertisement space

Upwork Key Resources

Upwork’s key resources include:

• People’s methodology and experience
• Global payment and billing system
• Its online freelancing platform 
• 12 million plus freelancers
• Premium talent 

Upwork Key Activities

Upwork’s key activities consist of:

• Ensuring smooth interaction between service providers and service buyers
• Financial management 
• Payment approval
• Dispute resolution 
• Time tracking 
• Project management

Upwork Key Partners

Upwork’s key partners include:

• Freelancers
• Payment Gateways such as PayPal
• DAG Ventures

Upwork Cost Structure

Upwork’s cost structure consists of:

• Legal services 
• Freelancers pay
• Payment processing 

Upwork Competitors

Upwork’s competitors in the marketplace include: 

• Fiverr: Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelance services. Like Upwork, Fiverr provides a platform that connects freelancers to businesses or individuals looking to hire talents providing services such as simple graphic designs to website development and design. One difference between the two platforms is that freelancers on Upwork can send proposals in response to job postings, while on Fiverr, the freelancers have to be contacted by the clients. This can be seen as a disadvantage for the freelancers, as the Fiverr freelance market is large, and they might get lost. Fiverr derives its name from the $5 asking price attached to all tasks when the company started in 2010 in Tel Aviv. Nowadays, sellers charge much more, and many freelancers have earned a lot on the platform. Freelancers create their profiles for free and market their services by building their profiles and setting their prices. Buyers can skim through the various profiles to choose who suits them best. Upon completing a job, the amount is immediately charged from the buyer’s account. After, a 20% commission is deducted, while the remaining 80% goes to the freelancer. It requires 14 days to withdraw the money, depending on the freelancer’s level. Withdrawal methods include wire transfer, PayPal, or debit card;
• Toptal: Toptal seeks to connect the world’s top talent with the world’s leading organizations. Toptal was officially registered in November 2011. Toptal also acquired Skillbridge, an innovative platform in the business talent space. It became the world’s largest fully remote company in 2020. Unlike Upwork, which is relatively easy for freelancers to join, Toptal has a rigorous screening process that identifies experts in their domains with passion and drive. Of the thousands of applications that Toptal receives each month, fewer than 3% are accepted.  Toptal is a freelancing platform that is a bit more complicated than the others. The website requires freelancers to take tests to confirm their expertise. To be verified as a freelancer on Toptal, you have to pass five steps, which include English evaluation and project assessments.  Upon passing the tests, freelancers can now be connected with hiring companies. If you don’t pass the tests, your profile as a freelancer can be held up for a few months. Through Toptracker, which tracks time and invoicing, freelancers receive full payment and withdraw money using bank transfer, PayPal, or Payoneer;
• Credo: Credo was established in 2013 by John Doherty out of inspiration to create a company that would help companies find and hire search marketing and SEO professionals. The digital search marketing and SEO professionals are pre-vetted using the company’s 3-step and 28-point vetting process before the professionals can join the platform. Since 2013, they have helped thousands of businesses find the right marketing partner. They are different from Upwork in that they provide specific services;
• Freelancer: Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing marketplace according to the number of users and projects. They connect over 64 million employers and freelancers from over 247 countries, regions, and territories. Through Freelancer’s marketplace, employers can hire professionals in various areas, from writing, design, and data entry to engineering, the sciences, accounting, and legal services. Its operation is similar to Upwork. Registered clients post projects or contests, and freelancers send proposals for the post. The clients can then browse the freelancers’ profiles, compare proposals and chat with them in real time to select the appropriate freelancer. The platform also handles payment to ensure that a freelancer receives payment only when the client is satisfied with the work;
• PeoplePerHour: PeoplePerHour is a platform with 3 million Freelancers covering 8,766 skills. PeoplePerHour started in 2007 to connect clients to their community of expert freelancers available to hire by the hour or project, providing flexibility for work and enabling people to live their work dream. Freelancers can join the platform by completing an application form, which is reviewed and approved by the moderation team. Successful freelancers can then send proposals to clients’ job posts. 

Upwork SWOT Analysis

Upwork is a product of a merger of two companies. It has a long history of providing opportunities for freelancers and business owners. Below, there is a detailed swot analysis of Upwork:

Here are its strengths:

Upwork Strengths

• Large Network: Upwork is one of the largest freelance talent marketplaces. It boasts over 12 million registered freelancers and over 5 million clients, creating an enormous freelance network for its global users. Over 6 billion job postings have been made on the platform by its members in animation, architecture, accounting, art, business development, copywriting, customer support, design and illustration, engineering, electronics, finance management, marketing, and other areas;
• Pricing structure:  Upwork provides services at the lowest cost-per-hire of all the leading freelance marketplaces, making it preferable for many freelancers and clients (small businesses and individuals). The cost of transactional services for freelancers and clients in Upwork is a fraction of the cost of other freelance marketplaces. By doing so, the company has a competitive edge over rival freelance marketplaces;
• Efficient intermediary: Within the freelance marketplace industry, Upwork Inc. is the most consistent and effective driver of new business. The company helps clients by connecting them with freelancers that match their work needs. They also help the clients hire talents and communicate and collaborate with them. The company’s website is also a platform for registered freelancers to showcase their skills, add portfolios, create projects for the project catalog feature and sell/hire services to clients;
• Revenue generation: Over the years, Upwork has maintained a strong financial position, consistently increasing its gross revenue. Its asset base has remained unmoving, while its liabilities are within the normal range. Upwork Inc. can afford higher levels of Return on Capital Expenditure than its competitors. This is because the company generates most of its revenue from its transactional services for freelancers and clients, which cost less than those provided by other freelance marketplaces. Its efficient operations and low operational costs make these reductions in transactional services possible;
• Improved market: Upwork has a track record of consistently improving its business process. This has led to an improvement in the quality of its services over the years;
• Advanced technology: Upwork uses advanced technology in all its businesses, making them more efficient. Most of the manual, repetitive procedures in its businesses are automated through a tightly controlled process. This allows it to manage more transactions using fewer resources and employees;
• Talented employees: Upwork benefits from qualified and experienced employees and can leverage its skilled human capital. These dedicated people have been able to help Upwork Inc. to reach millions of users successfully;
• Continuous expansion : Upwork keeps expanding its offerings, maintaining a competitive advantage within the work marketplace industry;
• Social media support : The company uses social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to inform its customers about new products and services. The company also interacts with its customers for feedback through these channels;
• Effective partnerships : Upwork has a range of partnerships that allows it to provide various services for its customers. These partnerships also add to Upwork’s resources;
• Well-developed website : This serves as a platform to showcase its services. It also allows its freelance members to showcase their skills and sell/hire services to clients. The website has a blog for sharing information about its products and services, serving as a medium to attract new customers;
• Diverse product portfolio : Upwork has a product portfolio that consists of multiple products and services, which allows it to offer a diverse range of solutions for its customers;
• Low commission : The commission charged on every completed transaction is lower than other competing freelancing websites. Clients with premium accounts are charged lesser fees.

Upwork Weaknesses

Despite its strengths, Upwork isn’t without its weaknesses. Below are some of them: 

• Financial loss: Although they generate much revenue, they also record losses. Upwork has recorded a lot of cash flow problems that resulted from spending more money on marketing than it generates from transactions;
• Inefficient hiring and assessment methods : Hiring freelancers can sometimes be strenuous. Also, the process of assessing them to detect fraud is not efficient enough
• Low R & D: The research and development, when compared to the competitors, is low. The resources and space for research and developing products are available, but not put to use;
• Less Diversity : The main focus is on freelancers based on technology, which limits the level of Upwork’s diversity compared to its competitors;
• Low turnover rate : Research shows a low level of turnover rates from its employees, which has reduced the output of the company toward its clients.

Upwork Opportunities

• Diversity of revenue streams : Upwork can add more products to its current offerings to make more money;
• System improvement : They can improve the fake profile detection system and method of payment;
• Innovative pricing plan : Even though Upwork’s pricing plan is among the best in the marketplace, it can still improve to secure market share;
• More lucrative packages for non-IT inclined freelancers : A larger revenue is generated from freelancers attached to the IT sector. However, other means of revenue can be generated by providing lucrative packages for freelancers in other sectors;
• Continuous investment in research and growth : To sustain and even accelerate its pace, Upwork must continuously invest in research and development. 

Upwork Threats

• Similar business models : Competitors can develop similar business models, thereby undermining Upwork’s hold in the marketplace. Additionally, there is currently stiff competition from other freelancing websites with similar services and pricing structures;
• Record of losses : The losses recorded by Upwork are threats to its growth, as such money could have been utilized to expand its offerings and user base.
• Macroeconomic factors : Upwork can be affected by macroeconomic factors such as inflation, fiscal policy, and pandemic restrictions.

Upwork is a platform for freelancing that enables freelancers all over the world to connect to top clients. Freelancers create profiles where they market themselves to clients. Clients can also post jobs for hire or choose to hire automatically created services from the project catalog. For Upwork, the more you earn, the lower the commission you have to pay. Currently, it is one of the leading freelance platforms in the world. However, there is still room for it to improve its offerings, increase its market share and accelerate its growth to stay ahead of its competitors.

Who is Daniel Pereira ?

I love understanding strategy and innovation using the business model canvas tool so much that I decided to share my analysis by creating a website focused on this topic.

More About Me

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Upwork Proposal Samples that Get Interviews (2 Templates)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 2, 2023

Freelancers

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

I recently posted a job to Upwork.com and got 63 proposals overnight. There’s a TON of competition. So you really need a good Upwork proposal if you want to get any interviews at all. Fortunately, I’m going to walk you through the exact steps (and proposal templates) I used last year as a freelancer to make thousands of dollars per month on Upwork.

What we’ll cover:

• How to write an Upwork proposal  that gets interviews
• 2 word-for-word Upwork proposal samples you can copy
• The mistakes you NEED to avoid if you want to get jobs on Upwork

Let’s get started…

How to Write a Winning Upwork Proposal

1. how to start your upwork proposal.

Within the first sentence, you want to show you’ve read their job posting. This is ultra-important. It’s more important than your name even. I see a ton of proposals that start like this: “Hi, my name is Michael and I’m a ___”. They don’t care. That’s boring and what everyone else does.

I’d start like this instead: “Hi. I just read your job posting and it sounds like you need ___”. This is so much better, and if you just make this one single change you’ll get more job interviews, I guarantee it. 

Talking about their needs and their job posting before talking about yourself is also powerful because it immediately shows them you read their job posting. Most freelancers just cut and paste the same garbage proposal to every client, and clients delete it immediately. So the sooner you can show this proposal is really for THEM, and not a generic cut & paste message that’s going to bore them half to death, the better.

2. How to Write the Middle of Your Upwork Proposal

There are two key pieces to the middle or main body of your Upwork proposal. First, you’ll want to share a bit about your background, and ideally how you’ve helped other clients solve the same problem or do the same thing in the past. But keep this brief. Four or five sentences are enough. You don’t want to tell your life story; they don’t care. They care about how you can solve their problem. That’s it! Then, the second part is you want to show you’re the expert here. You can do this by making a recommendation and pointing out the opportunities you see. Or you can do this by asking a question. For example, you might say, “I’d be curious to hear if you’ve tried ___. I recently implemented that with another client and the result was ___.”

Either way, you need something to show them you’re the expert. Why else would they hire you?

3. How to End Your Upwork Proposal

If you followed the steps above you’ll have a great Upwork proposal. It should be very brief, too. You should NOT be doing a ton of writing or sending out big bulky paragraphs. So now, how should you end the proposal?

There are two good options for how to end an Upwork proposal:

The first option is to ask a question about their project/needs. If you haven’t already asked a question in your proposal body, you can say something like, “Do you have a website so I can understand this more?” This is a good way to get a response and be able to find out more info about the project. The other option is to have a more traditional “call to action” telling them to reply or asking them when they’re free to talk. Examples:

• “Reply to this message and let me know when would be a good time for us to connect this week.”
• “I have a couple more ideas I could share as well. When is the best time for us to connect this week?”
• “Are you free Wednesday or Thursday to talk briefly? Let me know what works best for you.”

4. Mistakes to AVOID in Your Upwork Bid Proposals

Here’s where so many people on Upwork go wrong:

• They write big, bulky paragraphs without enough spacing. The reader immediately dreads reading your proposal after they open it
• They cut & paste the same proposal to everyone without customizing it for their posting. Nobody is going to hire you if you do this. It’s dead-obvious when you’ve done this. I know because I’ve hired a lot of people on Upwork myself (along with landing high-paying jobs on Upwork as a freelance writer ).
• They write about themselves too much, instead of writing about the prospective client and their needs

Now that you know what to do, and what not to do, you should be able to avoid these mistakes in any future proposals you send.

5. How Long Should Your Upwork Proposal Be?

I made tens of thousands of dollars on Upwork within a few months of starting, and got multiple interviews each day that I applied for jobs. And I tried to explain above how short your proposals should be in order to do this! (Really short). But sometimes it’s difficult to get this across via words.

So I did something better…

I just counted the words in my most recent, successful Upwork proposals. Here’s what I found:

I just glanced at my Upwork account and here are the exact word counts of 5 recent successful proposals: 83, 91, 87, 116, 87.

That’s an average of 93 words per successful Upwork proposal. That’s very short. Use this as a guideline and keep it brief if you want to start getting interviews on Upwork. Remember, prospective clients get 50+ proposals within the first eight hours of posting a job typically.

Do you think they want to read a giant block of text in each proposal?

So keep it short, save your time and theirs, and get far more interviews.

6. CRUCIAL Step Before Sending Your Proposal

Before sending out your proposal, you want to make sure it’s about them and their needs, not about you . I mentioned earlier – the average job seeker on Upwork is talking all about themselves in their proposal, and the client doesn’t care. It’s boring and generic. So before sending, do CTRL + F (or Command + F on Mac) and search for the word “You”. Count how many times you said “you”. Then search for the word ” I ” (put a space on either side so you don’t see each “i” in the middle of words. You only want to see the actual word “I”. Now that you’ve counted these, you should be saying “you” at LEAST as much as you’re saying, “I”.

If not, edit it or rewrite it until this is the case.

7. Best Time of Day to Send Upwork Proposals

I’d recommend only sending proposals for jobs that have been posted within the past 24 hours. This is another place where most people go wrong on Upwork. Don’t waste time/proposals on jobs that are 48-72 hours old (or more). This means you’ll need to apply for jobs on Upwork multiple times per week, since you’re only going to be applying for jobs posted within the last day. Your exact schedule will depend on your timezone, the timezone of your ideal client, and your schedule/availability. I usually applied mid-day (11 AM or noon) in my ideal clients’ timezone (US Eastern Time). I also experimented with applying at 8 p.m. in the evening, and that worked fine as well. And I did this Monday – Friday each week.

As you get more clients and don’t need as many interviews, you could switch to Mon/Wed/Fri if you’d like, and skip Tue/Thurs. I started doing this once business picked up! But while ramping up, do it every day! Get a system in place in terms of keywords and search filters you use (I’ll cover this in a future article), and just repeat it each day. It’ll become habit and will be super easy to do after a few weeks.

Quick tip: I’d recommend grabbing a free account at Calendly for scheduling. It’ll save you hours of back-and-forth scheduling with clients and it’s amazing if you have clients in different timezones because it converts the timezones automatically.

8. How to Decide What Rate/Price to Put in Your Upwork Proposal

If you have an hourly rate, that should be consistent, so pricing your proposals on Upwork is easy. Things get more complicated if you do mostly flat-rate projects, though, like I did. I’d personally either have set prices for services you offer, and propose whatever your set rate is.

(For example when I did email marketing I charged $200 per email. Flat rate. So it was very easy to price out projects). Or, you could propose at or near the top of the client’s stated budget. For example if they say their budget is $2,000, I might either propose $2,000 or $1,800. Sometimes going a tiny bit lower is good, so they don’t just think you proposed their maximum after seeing it. So I’d probably do $1,800 in that example. But you don’t want to try to be the cheapest option, ever. Don’t compete on price. That’s what the people who struggle are doing.  I always aimed to be one of the most EXPENSIVE proposals a client got. Because I wanted to work with clients with great budgets who want quality. These clients are often easier to work with, believe it or not.

If you’re really unsure how much to propose in terms of your flat rate, you can also add a “P.S” at the bottom of your Upwork proposal mentioning that you’d need to discuss the project more before determining the exact price.

P.S. – the proposed cost is an estimate. I could give you an exact figure, timeframe, and what I expect to be able to accomplish if we talk. If any of the above sounds interesting, reply to this and we’ll set up a time to talk this week.

That way you at least won’t be ruled out based on the proposed rate. They’ll see that and even if you proposed a number above their budget, they’ll consider talking with you. I don’t use this all the time but it’s a good tactic if you’re worried.

9. Sell the Call, Not the Service

This is an Upwork tip (and a powerful sales tip in general) that most people don’t know: You should only be selling the next step in the process.

Here’s what I mean:                                                                                                                

The only goal of your Upwork proposal (and profile) is to get clients on the phone to discuss their project. Then your goal on the phone call is to sell your service and get them onboard (by paying an initial invoice, signing a contract, etc. – depending on your setup). The mistake a lot of people make – especially people who are new to sales – is trying to sell everything at the same time. They write their Upwork proposal trying to convince the client to pay to work with them. All you should be doing is selling them on why it’s a good idea to get on a call with you. That’s MUCH easier.

So keep it dead-simple, take it one step at a time, and you’ll get more clients.

10. Make Sure Your Upwork PROFILE Backs Up What You’re Saying!

Your profile is different than your Upwork proposal, but it’s very important. It’s what the potential client sees if they click your name and view your whole profile/bio. If you’re writing a great proposal, making suggestions, asking questions and sounding like a true expert, you need your Upwork profile to confirm that you’re an expert who they NEED to talk to.

I’m going to write another article soon focused just on how to write an awesome profile, but here are some tips to help you right now:

• Be a specialist, not a generalist. People want to hire an expert in the one thing they need. You’ll actually get more projects if you go after fewer TYPES of projects.
• Just like your Upwork proposal, your profile should be more about THEIR needs, and less about you.
• Start with something interesting to catch their attention. I personally started by quoting a testimonial I had received from a past client. That’s far more interesting than the typical, “Hi, my name is ___ and I’m a ___.”
• Have a “ Call to Action ” at the end. I put: “Send me a note with a bit about your company, your track record, and your project. If it seems like a good fit, we’ll schedule a call to talk.”

Notice in that last bullet I’m implying I’m not the right fit to work with everyone. This is how you should be positioning yourself… Show that you’re selective and careful about who you work with! Stop acting desperate. Stop chasing projects that aren’t a good fit for your specialty.

11. And if you don’t have a specialty yet, definitely go choose one…

You can always change it later if it doesn’t work out. But you’ll get far MORE work by specializing, and each project will be easier to complete because you’ll be able to create systems/templates, etc. All the broke freelancers I know say things like, “well, I don’t want to limit myself”… or, “I don’t want to cut off my options.” They’re going to stay broke, unfortunately.

The freelancers I know who are making $5-10K+ per month consistently all niched down and specialized.

They became true experts.

FYI there are two ways you can niche down:

• You can niche down by service offering (I started as a general writer/marketer, and niched down into just writing marketing emails for B2B companies. That’s a very niche service).
• Or you can niche down by industry. You could offer a service just to real estate agents. Or just for restaurants.

You can also do both, eventually. If I had kept going I would have eventually taken my B2B email marketing service and focused on just a few industries. But fortunately, my passive income from this blog – CareerSidekick took off and I stopped having to take any freelance work.

Proven Upwork Proposal Samples

The following are REAL Upwork bid proposal samples that I sent out and used to get clients when I was active as a freelance copywriter on the platform (after I had niched down into email marketing in particular).

Upwork proposal sample 1:

Hi there, I just read your posting. It sounds like you need an expert in cold emails to advise you on everything from the content to the overall strategy. I have a background in email marketing and have been doing this for 3 years. Cold emailing in B2B is what I specialize in. I can work with you to write the content and subject lines, recommend the best technologies for you to use, and more. Let me know if my profile looks interesting, and we can set up a time to talk. Best regards, Biron Clark

Upwork proposal sample 2:

Hi! Just read your posting. Sounds like you need an email expert to advise you on a few things… from funnel setup and strategy, to what you should offer to get signups in the first place. I have a background in funnels and email copywriting and have been doing this for 3 years, including for some other subscription/membership businesses. I can work with you to come up with a great strategy and high-converting emails to turn your prospects into paying customers. And I can help you get more email signups going into this funnel, too. If any of the above sounds interesting, let me know when you’d be available to talk this week. Best regards, Biron Clark

These are both real Upwork proposal samples that I sent out and got jobs from. Feel free to use these Upwork proposal templates for yourself… however, this blog gets a lot of visitors now, so I’d highly recommend customizing this. You aren’t going to be the only freelancer reading this article. 

Upwork Freelance Proposal Tips – Quick Review

• Use the first line to show that you’ve read their profile and understand what they need (instead of saying your name and talking about yourself ).
• Introduce yourself and explain why you’re an expert in what they need.
• Make a recommendation or ask a question to reinforce the fact that you’re an expert on this topic.
• Close with a Call to Action to get them to reply. Either ask for a website to learn more, or ask them when they’re available to talk.
• Sign off with your name.
• Keep everything brief. Aim for less than 120 words in your Upwork proposal. 85-100 words is ideal.
• Use great spacing; you should only have two to three sentences MAXIMUM per paragraph in your proposal.
• Only send proposals for jobs posted on Upwork within the last 24 hours. You’ll be more likely to get the interview if you do this.
• Commit to sending out proposals five days per week (Monday – Friday) for at least a month to build up your leads on Upwork.
• Price yourself near the top of the client’s range. Never compete on price and never try to be the cheapest.
• Make sure you have a great Upwork profile that backs up everything you’re saying in your Upwork proposal.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

Continue Reading

How to Start Freelance Writing (No Experience Needed)

The best side hustles for introverts (16 ideas), are side hustles worth it, what i learned self-publishing an ebook on amazon: pros and cons, 3 upwork bio examples to win jobs, 25 lucrative side hustle ideas for 2024, 12 good high income skills to learn in 2024, 40 thoughts on “upwork proposal samples that get interviews (2 templates)”.

Thank you very much for your advice and your templates. This really helps

I found this article very helpful, and please keep on updating us on various aspects which are related to Upwork proposals, and Transcription as well. Thank you very much.

Beautiful words… I’m in for it.

I am beginner in Upwork (Digital marketing) and I find this article helpful, given I’m struggling in writing proposals.

Please provide me example of accounting related proposal sample.

This is so insightful. Thanks

Your article was indeed quite helpful and impressive. Could you provide me with an example of Audio transcriber proposal.

Honestly, this article just gave me a boost to my optimism, I want to do this. thank you, much appreciated.

Thanks for this Biron! Definitely worth the read for upcoming freelancers. My question though is, why did you leave Upwork? Couldn’t you have combined it with blogging? You seem like a master of both…

That’s a good question! I wanted to focus 100% on the business model that could scale/grow to a large size. And that was blogging. It was absolutely the right choice, too. It just took a while to grow. But I didn’t want to keep trading my time for money, which is what freelancing is. I think you need to be able to say “no” to some opportunities in order to reach the goals that you’re really passionate about. You can’t say “yes” to everything.

Hi Biron, Thank you for sharing your experiences on How to write winning UpWork proposal. I really enjoyed reading your blog and will definitely include these tips in my searches. I will look forward to reading your blogs in the future. Thanks, Rosy

This article is an eye-opener!

I love it! Thanks Biron

Wow, Great. The only thing I can say is “Wonderful”. Thank you.

I did a search on writing proposals to get jobs on Upwork. I found your article listed in the top results. I am glad I read this article. It is very helpful and I will be trying your tips. I have even bookmarked it to refer to in the future. I look forward to reading more of your articles.

Thanks for writing this. I highly recommend it for those of us who just recently joined Upwork.

Helpful information. I am new to freelancing. Thank you very much.

please guide me the right way how to write translation proposals .

This was quite insightful! Thanks for the piece.

Thank you! The only valuable article I’ve read in a long time.

please provide me proposal sample for Mobile app development, wordpress, website, logo, marketing collateral,

Great article, I’m a beginner at upwork, I have a question to ask, before submitting a proposal I want to have a clear understanding about the connections. I saw something like “You have 4 connection remaining if you submit your proposal”. Can you explain to me what it means.

Hi Esther, you’ll need to check Upwork’s information/resources for more info about this, or ask their support. It’s always changing. When I was freelancing on the platform, I think I paid around $10 a month for premium and it got me 60 “Connects” per month approximately, and most jobs required 2 connects to submit a proposal.

But then, right before I left the platform, I remember reading about upcoming changes, and the idea that some jobs would require more connects. So to get accurate info that’s actually up-to-date, you’ll need to check with Upwork directly.

I found this very helpful and I really appreciate. I’m a beginner at upwork. Could you please help me with creating a profile for upwork?

I wrote an article about this, that you can read here:

https://careersidekick.com/upwork-profile-examples/

I am a beginner and I was almost giving up because I have been sending proposals to clients for one month but now I know my mistakes. Thank you

Great advice thanks. One question though – were all of your clients US based. The reason I ask if I don’t think the wording of you sample proposals would work in the UK as to us Brits it comes across as a bit flippant and slightly cocky. I don’t mean that in a bad way, and being married to an American I have come to realise that Americans tend to be extremely informal in such things, whilst I suspect we Brits find that feels a bit “spammy” and we expect things to be slightly more formal (but not old fashioned, stiff upper lip formal!). The Germans too are considerably more formal, stemming from the fact their language has formal and informal elements to it and traditionally it is unacceptable to address people informally until they allow you to do so.

What are your thoughts/experiences on this?.

Fair points. I think I had a few international clients, but mainly US. You do always need to adjust formality for industry and region. You’re right.

However, don’t be too quick to write something off based only on your opinion. Send it and test it. What you prefer, or what you find to be “too much” in a freelance proposal, might surprise you in terms of how others respond. So I always say: Test it and try it. But what you’re saying makes sense, and I do agree that this depends on region and country.

Your article is interesting but contradictory. Therefore, the post lost its value and credibility.

For example, you recommend starting a proposal with something interesting to catch their attention. The article states “That’s far more interesting than the typical, “Hi, my name is ___ and I’m a ___.” You provide the example of using a testimonial from a past client. However, your proposal examples use what you recommend against.

I would strongly recommend using examples that match up with your recommendations to make the information valuable, credible, and truly helpful.

I agree. In fact, if you count number of “I”, you’ll actually see there are little to no “You” in his proposals.

His examples are contradictory but recommendations are fine.

Thanks for pointing this out. I edited the first template to have a better balance of “you” vs. “I” to reflect the instructions in the article. It should be better now.

thanks for sharingthis very insightful article and insider tips

Thank you so much for the insight. Can’t wait to makeover my proposal!

Hi, I found your tips on writing proposals very useful. Do you have any words of advice for people like who have just begun their freelance careers?

My tip: Get one successful project done as soon as possible. One piece of great work that you can point to when talking to new potential clients. Make a case study, or have an example of that work that you can show. And ideally, a testimonial. After that, it’s the same as any freelancer… new or not. Just get that one project. Even if it’s volunteer work. And in the case of Upwork, you’d want to get that one project completed on Upwork if possible so you can get a review and so that you don’t look like a brand new profile.

found this and a previous article about profile building to be very effective. To be honest, I had applied for upwork a couple of months ago but with traditional sentences like “I am _____ and from____”. Obviously didn’t get a job, but with the help of your article, I was able to get my profile accepted on Upwork. Thank you so much

Awesome, I’m glad to hear this helped! Thanks for sharing your story.

Thanks for posting this article.

Wow! Am a beginner at Upwork (Internet Research & Data Entry speciality) and obviously struggling getting clients…but this article just raised my optimism. Thank you.

I actually found this article very helpful and promising thanks keep up the content very insightful for noobs like me haha.

That’s really perfect. May you please provide me a Translation proposal.

Please provide me example of web development proposal.

Comments are closed.

How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:59am

Table of Contents

Brainstorm an executive summary, create a company description, brainstorm your business goals, describe your services or products, conduct market research, create financial plans, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

Every business starts with a vision, which is distilled and communicated through a business plan. In addition to your high-level hopes and dreams, a strong business plan outlines short-term and long-term goals, budget and whatever else you might need to get started. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a business plan that you can stick to and help guide your operations as you get started.

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Drafting the Summary

An executive summary is an extremely important first step in your business. You have to be able to put the basic facts of your business in an elevator pitch-style sentence to grab investors’ attention and keep their interest. This should communicate your business’s name, what the products or services you’re selling are and what marketplace you’re entering.

Ask for Help

When drafting the executive summary, you should have a few different options. Enlist a few thought partners to review your executive summary possibilities to determine which one is best.

After you have the executive summary in place, you can work on the company description, which contains more specific information. In the description, you’ll need to include your business’s registered name , your business address and any key employees involved in the business. 

The business description should also include the structure of your business, such as sole proprietorship , limited liability company (LLC) , partnership or corporation. This is the time to specify how much of an ownership stake everyone has in the company. Finally, include a section that outlines the history of the company and how it has evolved over time.

Wherever you are on the business journey, you return to your goals and assess where you are in meeting your in-progress targets and setting new goals to work toward.

Numbers-based Goals

Goals can cover a variety of sections of your business. Financial and profit goals are a given for when you’re establishing your business, but there are other goals to take into account as well with regard to brand awareness and growth. For example, you might want to hit a certain number of followers across social channels or raise your engagement rates.

Another goal could be to attract new investors or find grants if you’re a nonprofit business. If you’re looking to grow, you’ll want to set revenue targets to make that happen as well.

Intangible Goals

Goals unrelated to traceable numbers are important as well. These can include seeing your business’s advertisement reach the general public or receiving a terrific client review. These goals are important for the direction you take your business and the direction you want it to go in the future.

The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you’re offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit in the current market or are providing something necessary or entirely new. If you have any patents or trademarks, this is where you can include those too.

If you have any visual aids, they should be included here as well. This would also be a good place to include pricing strategy and explain your materials.

This is the part of the business plan where you can explain your expertise and different approach in greater depth. Show how what you’re offering is vital to the market and fills an important gap.

You can also situate your business in your industry and compare it to other ones and how you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Other than financial goals, you want to have a budget and set your planned weekly, monthly and annual spending. There are several different costs to consider, such as operational costs.

Business Operations Costs

Rent for your business is the first big cost to factor into your budget. If your business is remote, the cost that replaces rent will be the software that maintains your virtual operations.

Marketing and sales costs should be next on your list. Devoting money to making sure people know about your business is as important as making sure it functions.

Other Costs

Although you can’t anticipate disasters, there are likely to be unanticipated costs that come up at some point in your business’s existence. It’s important to factor these possible costs into your financial plans so you’re not caught totally unaware.

Business plans are important for businesses of all sizes so that you can define where your business is and where you want it to go. Growing your business requires a vision, and giving yourself a roadmap in the form of a business plan will set you up for success.

How do I write a simple business plan?

When you’re working on a business plan, make sure you have as much information as possible so that you can simplify it to the most relevant information. A simple business plan still needs all of the parts included in this article, but you can be very clear and direct.

What are some common mistakes in a business plan?

The most common mistakes in a business plan are common writing issues like grammar errors or misspellings. It’s important to be clear in your sentence structure and proofread your business plan before sending it to any investors or partners.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.

Writing an Impactful Upwork Proposal for Business Plan Writers

.css-1iey7k4{font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-heading);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);font-size:2rem;line-height:1.33;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-4);margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-4);}@media screen and (min-width: 48em){.css-1iey7k4{line-height:1.2;}} Writing an Impactful Upwork Proposal for Business Plan Writers

Writing an effective Upwork proposal is essential for any business plan writer who wants to be successful on the platform. Upwork is a global freelancing platform that connects employers and freelancers from around the world. It provides an ideal platform for business plan writers to showcase their skills and talents, and to find clients that need their services.

The key to getting hired on Upwork is writing a compelling and engaging proposal that captures the client’s attention and showcases why you are the best fit for the job. In this blog post, we will discuss how to write an impactful proposal that will make you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of being hired.

The first step to writing an effective Upwork proposal is to research the client’s needs. As a business plan writer, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the project scope, timeline, and budget. Taking the time to research the client’s needs will help you tailor your proposal to their specific requirements.

The next step is to write an engaging cover letter. This is your chance to make a great first impression on the client, so be sure to use this opportunity to showcase your best qualities and explain why you are the perfect candidate for the job. Keep the letter concise and to the point, and make sure to address the client’s requirements directly.

Once you’ve written the cover letter, it’s time to focus on writing a high-quality and value-driven proposal. Make sure to highlight your relevant experience, provide samples of your work, and demonstrate your professionalism. A well-written proposal will make you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of being hired.

Finally, take the time to create a unique profile that reflects your personality and showcases your skills. Choose an engaging profile picture, write a convincing overview, and focus on relevant skills. Demonstrating professionalism and providing samples of your work will help you make a great impression on potential clients.

By following these tips, you will be well on your way to writing an impactful Upwork proposal that will make you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of being hired.

.css-127uure{font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-heading);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-2xl);line-height:1.33;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-4);margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-4);}@media screen and (min-width: 48em){.css-127uure{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-3xl);line-height:1.2;}} Writing an Effective Proposal

Writing a successful Upwork proposal can be a daunting task, but if you follow a few key steps you can make sure you’re putting your best foot forward. When writing a proposal for a business plan writer, you need to keep in mind the client’s needs and goals. Here are some tips for crafting an effective and impactful proposal.

First, research the client’s needs thoroughly. What are their goals? What do they need from you? Knowing this ahead of time will help you tailor your proposal to their specific needs.

Next, write an engaging cover letter. Introduce yourself, explain why you’re the perfect fit for the job, and provide a few examples of your past work that demonstrate your expertise.

When writing the body of your proposal, focus on quality and value. Showcase your experience and explain how you’ll be able to help the client achieve their goals. Be sure to highlight any relevant skills or qualifications that make you the ideal candidate.

Finally, make sure your proposal is clear and concise. Avoid long-winded sentences and stick to the facts. Try to keep your proposal to a few key points and make sure they’re easy to understand.

By following these tips, you can ensure your Upwork proposal is both professional and impactful.

Demonstrating Professionalism

When writing an Upwork proposal for business plan writers, it is essential to demonstrate professionalism. This is key in helping to build trust with the client and showing them that you are the right person for the job. Here are some tips on how to do this.

First, provide samples of your work. This will allow the client to see your writing style and the quality of work that you produce. If you have written a business plan before, include a sample of it in your proposal. If you have not, you can include samples of other work that you have done that is related to business plans or writing in general.

Second, be sure to respond to any questions that the client may have. Show them that you are willing to take the time to answer their questions and that you are committed to the project. This will help to build trust and show that you are a reliable and trustworthy freelancer.

Finally, follow up with the client to ensure that they have all the information they need. This will show them that you are organized and professional and that you take the project seriously.

By following these tips, you will be able to demonstrate your professionalism and help build trust with the client. This will set you apart from other applicants and improve your chances of getting the job.

Creating a Unique Profile

An effective Upwork profile can be the difference between getting hired and getting overlooked. Your profile is essentially your resume and cover letter rolled into one, and it should present you as a professional, experienced, and skilled business plan writer.

When creating your profile, the first step is to choose an engaging profile picture. Select a professional-looking photo that clearly shows your face, and make sure it looks natural and friendly. Avoid awkward poses, overly-edited photos, and pictures with other people in them.

Next, you’ll need to write a convincing overview of your skills and experience. This is where you can show off your expertise and convince potential clients to hire you. Write a few sentences that demonstrate your knowledge, highlight your best qualities, and explain why you’re the perfect fit for their project.

In addition to your overview, you’ll also want to focus on relevant skills. Make sure to include all of the relevant keywords that potential clients may search for, such as “business plan” and “strategy consulting”. This will help make sure that your profile is showing up in the right searches.

Finally, be sure to demonstrate your professionalism. Use proper grammar and sentence structure, proofread for typos, and avoid using overly casual language. This will show potential clients that you take your work seriously and that you’re the right person for the job.

Creating a unique and effective profile on Upwork is essential to finding success as a business plan writer. By following these tips, you’ll be able to create an engaging profile that will help you stand out from the crowd and get the clients you want.

Writing an effective Upwork proposal can seem like a daunting task, but with the right preparation, you can make sure your proposal stands out and makes a lasting impression on the client. In this blog post, we discussed the importance of researching the client's needs, writing an engaging cover letter, focusing on quality and value, highlighting relevant experience, writing a clear and concise proposal, providing samples of your work, responding to questions, following up with the client, choosing an engaging profile picture, writing a convincing overview, focusing on relevant skills, and demonstrating professionalism.

These tips can help you create an Upwork proposal that is sure to make an impact and demonstrate your value to the client. By researching the client’s needs, you can tailor your proposal to their specific requirements and show that you are knowledgeable and experienced in the field. By focusing on quality and value, you can demonstrate your commitment to providing the best possible work. And by creating a unique profile, you can make sure that the client sees the full range of your professional skills.

By taking the time to craft an effective Upwork proposal, you can make sure that your proposal stands out from the competition and gives you the best chance of being chosen for the job. The benefits of Upwork for freelancers are numerous, and with a great proposal, you can ensure that you make the most of this amazing platform.

If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to write winning proposals on Upwork, try Proposal Genie. Our AI-powered tool helps you create tailored proposals that are optimized to match the specific job opportunity and your skills and experience. Proposal Genie makes it easy to stand out from the competition and increase your chances of success on Upwork. Sign up now at proposalgenie.ai and start winning more gigs today!

Generate AI Proposals

Warren Buffett's death plan dodges taxes and will make his kids 'philanthropic titans,' says wealth inequality guru

• Warren Buffett's riches will go to a charitable trust controlled by his three children when he dies.
• He's avoiding taxes and making his kids into philanthropic titans, a wealth inequality guru says.
• Vast personal fortunes distort democracy and suggest the system has failed, Chuck Collins told BI.

Warren Buffett lives a simple life, steers clear of politics, and has gifted more than half of his vast fortune to good causes, promising that virtually all the rest will follow.

Yet even the 94-year-old investor who runs Berkshire Hathaway is cutting out the taxman and setting his children up to wield massive influence once he's gone, an expert on wealth inequality tells Business Insider.

Chuck Collins is the director of the inequality program at the Institute for Policy Studies, and the author of "The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Spend Millions to Hide Trillions."

He told Business Insider why $100 billion fortunes are dangerous, how they could be cut down to size, and why even Buffett shouldn't be let off the hook .

Collins' responses have been edited for length and clarity.

There are more than a dozen people each worth more than $100 billion. What do you think about that?

These concentrations of wealth are a reflection of a system failure. A healthy capitalist and democratic society must put some brake on the concentration of wealth and power to prevent it from distorting democracy.

Forty years of tax, wage, and other policies have funneled wealth to the top — rather than see it broadly distributed through higher wages for workers or paying a fair share of taxes.

What do you think about someone like Warren Buffett, who lives a relatively simple life and has pledged to give virtually all of his vast fortune away?

Related stories

Buffett is not a conspicuous consumer. Even his private jet was initially named the "Indefensible." And Buffett does less to aggressively wield his power and influence in the public sphere. You don't see his name on the list of big political donors. And he and Bill Gates started The Giving Pledge to encourage other billionaires to give to philanthropy.

But most of Buffett's wealth will flow in the form of donations to the tax-exempt family foundations run by his three kids, rather than paying estate taxes or taxes on appreciated gains. On the positive side, he's not creating private wealth dynasties. But his children will become philanthropic titans by wielding taxpayer-subsidized private power through enormous charitable foundations upon his death.

Buffett has gifted Berkshire stock worth billions to his children's charities since 2006. He plans to give almost all his remaining $140 billion fortune to a charitable trust when he dies. His three kids will be the named trustees and will have to agree unanimously on how the money is used.

How would you tackle the problem of wealth inequality at a scale where individuals can amass net worth of $100 billion-plus?

As a society, we should adapt several public policies to discourage such democracy-distorting levels of private wealth:

1. A progressive annual wealth tax , with rates becoming steeper as wealth goes above $1 billion.

2. A meaningful inheritance tax , taxing wealth transfers at death. For this to be effective, we have to crack down on the massive wealth-hiding industry.

3. A cap on the charitable deduction so that wealthy people, like Buffett, don't get to opt out entirely of paying taxes.

Watch: The man Clarence Thomas raised 'as a son' arrested on drug and weapons charges

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