Freelancers live the dollar dream

Goutam Kumar, a Delhi-based freelancer, is working longer hours today than he did in his last full-time job three years ago. But the 27-year-old web technology expert isn't complaining. "The margin is good these days. When I started three years ago, I received about Rs 20,000 per assignment after currency conversion. But with the rupee taking a tumble, it has gone up to Rs 30,000 with the present day rates," says Kumar. A number of entrepreneurs, students and homemakers across India are actually benefiting from the rupee slide, having chosen careers as freelancers sourcing work from online staffing platforms. Elance.com claims Indians are among the top freelance service providers, second only to the US. Rich Pearson, chief marketing officer at Elance, says, "India ranked as our second-highest freelance earning country last quarter with about one lakh freelancers and another one lakh Indians offering jobs." He adds that hiring of Indian freelancers is growing at a healthy 46 per cent annually. From writing software to design jobs like illustrations, banners and logos; powerpoint presentations, report writing and accounting to simple tasks like PDF conversion, there's a variety of work available on staffing websites like Freelancer.com, odesk.com, etc. There are several factors contributing to why Indians are so successful at freelancing, skill being the topmost. "On Elance, your skills are your currency. We offer over 400 free skill tests that enable you to win jobs ranging from programming and mobile app development to graphic design and writing. With over five lakh businesses hiring on Elance, freelancers can earn a good living," Pearson adds. Businesses prefer hiring freelancers to contracting agencies as it's cheaper but more importantly, it offers them the chance to choose from the best talent across the world. Freelancers pitch for work, but clearing the tests available on the sites (for English language, programming skills, translation skills, design, etc) boosts their site ranking. Most Indian freelancers are keen on international assignments, for the dollar fee. Batchmates since their school days, Kumar and his business partner Rajni Kant Sinha claim their average freelance assignments range from $500-$1,000. For a $500 project, they get $450 in hand after deductions. "We are not bogged down by the falling rupee because, at present, we are happy earning that little extra dough. No doubt the economy is taking a hit, but competition in the exports and outsourcing sector will increase, which is good. We are now trying to complete assignments before time so that we get that little extra from the 'rising' US dollar," says Kumar. While on May 15, 2013, the rupee was Rs 54.73 to the dollar, by August 30, it was Rs 67. Delhi-based Pankaj Sarma, a 30-year-old mass communication postgraduate, started working as a freelancer in 2008. "As I started getting assignments, I went part-time at my regular job. But when I began earning more freelancing than my monthly salary, I quit my job," says Sarma, who makes over Rs 1 lakh monthly from content, advertising and script writing as well as internet marketing assignments. John Hingkung, a BCom student at Loyola College, Chennai, has been a freelancer since 2004. "I got serious after I launched by own blog and since then have been earning a stable income with regular search engine optimization (SEO), content writing and freelance assignments on iwriter.com," says Hingkung. While sourcing work from established sites, payment systems are efficient and streamlined as the websites act as guarantor for both client and freelancer. Some websites also have a milestone system where payments are released at different stages in the project. Freelancer.com's regional director (Asia), Evan Tan cautions e-job shoppers about pitching for work promoted by spam ads. "Using trusted platforms and reviewing the terms and conditions carefully will help keep people away from fraudulent get-rich-quick schemes like those," he says. Long-term, freelancers see themselves as entrepreneurs. And while most are in it for the money, there are also those for whom being their own boss is the big attraction. Praveen T, a 32-year-old software programmer quit his job a year ago, dissatisfied with his deskbound day. As a freelancer, he finds life more exciting, as it allows him to work at his own pace and make new friends while working on projects that are fulfilling. "Now I have time to cook with my mother. It's wonderful being independent," he says.   TOI