Almost done.

Just designing and formatting the guide now

Link soon.

I’m writing a beginner Upwork guide course that will go with the telegram group.

Starting a 2023 Upwork challenge.

We all start from zero and see where we can end the year at.

Interested?

You can blog with an iPhone 6.

##This post is better read here with useful links and images: https://fredsbites.substack.com/p/the-swipe-file-creator.

Fred's bites is a newsletter for online creators who want to start a side hustle to survive the economic downturn.

———————

In this week’s issue:

- why you shouldn’t start a blog
- instead, why you should build a swipe file
- how to build swipe files
- how to market swipe files
- how to monetize
- tons of examples you can steal from
- an an AI that would rap like Drake with any prompt you give it

Read it here and subscribe: https://fredsbites.substack.com/p/the-swipe-file-creator

Follow me on Twitter @banjoalfred if you want to know when the next issue drops. Next issue: an SEO strategy to publish 50 articles a month in 5 hours.

The internet gives everyone the ability to create a blog in a few clicks.

But with easy access comes competition.

How can you create and scale a blog in a world where 200,000 websites are created everyday?

Last year, I worked part-time as a content manager for a guy that ran and scaled 2 blogs to 100,000 unique visits.

I loved his unique approach to building blogs so I opened a google doc and took notes on everything I learned.

The doc stands at a staggering 12,000 words. I want to share it here and hope it helps anyone trying to start and stand out with their blog in 2023.

I'm editing the doc and should release it in a couple of days.

Tell me what you want to see in the guide so I can make the guide as useful as possible

Every week I curate one great resource to help you navigate the downturn in the economy.

This post is from https://fredsbites.substack.com/subscribe. Join for free to see more posts like this.


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One Random Link

Elon Musk says Twitter is preparing to delete 1.5 billion inactive accounts to free up dormant handles.

If you’ve had to settle for a less than ideal twitter handle for your side project, use https://handle.horse/ to keep an eye on them once the inactive account purge goes into effect.

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The Big Idea

Most people use their iPhones as a life shortening distraction device. But the iPhone could be an incredible tool.

I have used these optimal iPhone settings for 2 years. It’s one of the most profound things I’ve done for my productivity, health and focus.

My best settings from the guide:

→ Turn of all Notifications

→ Hide social media slot machine

→ Disable App Review Request

→ ‘All black background’ wallpaper

→ organize apps alphabetically

→ Schedule night shift 4 hours before going to bed

The guide goes in-depth into 45 hardcore settings, principles behind them, and how to implement them on your iPhone.

Optimize your iPhone -> -> -> https://betterhumans.pub/how-to-set-up-your-iphone-for-productivity-focus-and-your-own-longevity-bb27a68cc3d8

Bump for the evening crowd

The common advice says you need a specific niche if you write online.

No, you don't.

I wrote about an alternative idea on how to start a blog that can pay off in big ways.

It's centered around two ideas that are more important than finding a niche.

This post is inspired by one of my favorite blogs on the internet: 'Wait But Why' by Tim Urban.

You can read it here: https://600ish.substack.com/p/how-to-blog-the-wait-but-why-way

600ish

I share novel ideas for internet creators that want to earn online.

It's free for the first 5,000 subscribers.

- Upwork
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
- Twitter DM (My favorite)

Nicoswit:

Bro, which freelance platform will you recommend for a beginner presently

Nicoswit:

Bro, which freelance platform will you recommend for a beginner presently

I know.

It's so hard earning from Nigeria.

I use an international account.

Sorry, I couldn't be of help.

But I'll help you ask around.

chizidgreat:




Good morning bro

Please, how do I withdraw from Upwork?
The local bank option reduces your earnings to almost nothing
Payoneer says you must have up to $5,000
What other options exist please

I don't know of any other option.

Just Payoneer.

I don't use Upwork again so not in the loop anymore.

I used a foreign PayPal account.

Getting jobs on Upwork is difficult. You could have the skills, a good portfolio and write compelling proposals and still find it difficult getting gigs.

There's a better way.

You don't have to rely on Upwork to get freelance jobs. Infact, there's way more quality clients outside the platform.

So how do you find clients online on your own. How do you position yourself and your work as compelling as possible to get hired fast?

That's what my newsletter is about. Next issue goes out tomorrow.

I'm the next issue, I'm going to talk about how Arbitrage makes the world go round and how you should take advantage of it.

Sign up link is in my signature.

Arkmanbuddy:
Good read.

Thanks Arkmanbuddy. Will love you for you to sub to the newsletter.

Thanks again

Dear Apprentice,

There are two kinds of creators in the world.

The first are the ones you see everywhere

These are creators that believe tomorrow will be no different than today.

Fiat money will always be used for payment and as a store of value, on-premises dining will always be how we eat restaurant-quality meals, taxis will always be hailed by a waving hand on the sidewalk, and so on.

They stick to strategies they have always used to create and distribute their work.

Fixated on how things worked “yesterday”.

They spend majority of their energy on being better and outcompeting their counterparts fearing there isn’t enough to go around.

These are creators that compete with each other for a larger slice of the same pie.

The second kind of creators are invisible to the general public - unless you know what you’re looking for.

These are scrappy creators that carry with them a simple secret. A secret wrapped in a simple concept. A concept lost on almost everyone else.

Arbitrage.

They understand that Arbitrage makes the world go round.

They understand that your ability to identify and act upon arbitrage opportunities is the single highest leverage skill that underlies the premise of value creation itself.

They are not betting on the world being the same in the future.

These creators do not believe that fiat money will always be used for payments and and a store of value.

They believe, in their future, money will be digital.

They believe, in their future, you won’t always need to eat restaurant-quality food on premises - they can be delivered right to your doorstep, every week, with the cost automatically billed to your payment card.

They believe, in their future, cabs won’t always be hailed with a waving hand—they’ll be hailed with a smartphone and GPS-pinged location.

In short, these are creators that create the future.

They have no interest in competing.

They will spot things others miss, try things others won’t try, and make money other people won’t make.

These newsletter is dedicated to the art of permissionless apprenticeship, and is intended to provide creators with a new way of seeing the world.

It is my belief that permissionless apprenticeship is the secret to career growth, feeling fulfilled and emotionally connected to your work.

Life is more fun when you’re creating.

And life is more rewarding when you’re an apprentice.

P.S. This is the first issue of my new permissionless apprenticeship newsletter. If you like what you just read, you can subscribe through the link in my signature. it's free.

I stopped freelancing on Upwork last year. Did my last gig and deleted my account.

Getting jobs consistently was becoming a chore. Competition was getting intense and clients only cared about who could get the job done cheaper.

I knew I could provide more value and capture more of it outside the platform by going at it alone in the wild.

But how am I supposed to get my own clients? Freelancing on Upwork has it's advantages. You don't need to look for clients yourself. The platform provided the clients and all you had to do was pitch them.

First couple of months after I left upwork it was a struggle to get clients. It was so tiring I almost went back to Upwork. Until I stumbled across an article that changed it all for me.

The article was about Permissionless Apprenticeship. A strategy that made sense intuitively but I had not been practising. It was so stupidly simple that I hit myself on the head why I had not tried it all along. This was the solution to getting my body of work noticed. This was the solution to generating opportunities that could change my life.

And it did. Last month I closed the biggest contract of my life. Permissionless Apprenticeship made it possible. I could never have closed such a contract on Upwork. It was 10x the bigger than the biggest contract I did on Upwork.

Permissionless Apprenticeship should be taught in schools. It's a travesty it's not.

That's why I created a newsletter centred around the strategy and I want to introduce it to as many freelancers as I can.

I have corresponded with 1000+ freelancers in the last two years. And everyone had the same problem and question.

How do I get clients consistently so that I could leave my 9-5 and live life on my own terms?

Permissionless Apprenticeship is the closest answer I have found to that question.

It almost always works. At least better than any strategy I have seen.

First issue goes out on Friday. It's going to be a wild journey and my goal is to put as many freelancers as possible on their path to freedom and working for themselves.

Interested?

Sign up to the newsletter in my signature.

The internet is big.

4.5 billion people have access to the Internet. As a creator, access to an audience is not the problem. We can knock on any door we like. But the only way to connect with an audience is to provide value.

A lot of people think the market is too saturated, but the Internet is just getting started.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a go-getter, motivated, and engaged. You are the perfect person to leverage the Internet.

The Internet rewards productive people who can create their own work.

Things you don’t need:

Permission

Certification

Six-figure tuition

Things you do need:

Patience

Practice

Skill

Consistency

I have created a newsletter centred around Permissionless Apprenticeship. Every Friday I will send you everything you need to know about the strategy to generate opportunities for yourself on the internet.

If you are interested sign up for it in my signature. Refer a friend or two you think also needs this.

First issues goes out on Friday.

See you then

First drop is coming your way on Friday.

If you have 1-2 other friends that would be interested in being part of this, send them the sign up link in my signature

Zenzu01:
Hello boss, I noticed you sent me pm. My nairaland email is no longer available oo.

Please you can reach me on adesojimichael007@gmail.com

Thanks

Going to PM you.

Sign up for my new Newsletter in my signature

6 reason why you need to stop using Upwork

- You can’t seriously build a business inside another business over which you have no control

- Rigid payment option

- Client can't refer you outside of Upwork (word of mouth is a big growth lever for a freelancer)

- Upwork requires freelancers to spend a tonne of time hunting for, and applying to projects, 98% of which proposals will turn out to be crickets. The freelancer is spending more time applying than they do working, studying, and upgrading their skills.

- Risk of suspension or permanent ban

- Racism and discrimination (even harder to get jobs if you are from a third world country)


what to do instead?

I have spoken to 1000+ freelancers over the last 2 years.

And the biggest problem that keeps popping up is getting freelance work consistently.

To solve this, I want to introduce the Permissionless Apprenticeship strategy to as many freelancers as possible.

The Permissionless Apprenticeship strategy is the most profound thing that has happened to my career in the last five years. It's changed everything for me.

I have started a newsletter centred around the strategy for freelancers and creators to engineer massive opportunities for themselves on the internet.

the radically different - who want to see, design and claim the future.

Topics Include

- How to engineer opportunity on the internet using the Permissionless Apprenticeship strategy

- How to build a body of work that attracts the brightest mind on the internet and make them want to work with you

- Case studies from people who have successfully leveraged this strategy to connect with people they admire, land paying positions, and raise venture capital

- Exercises for determining Permissionless Apprenticeship experiments to run, and how to measure their success

- The mental frameworks you can develop to consistently spot new opportunity and produce things that make your work more valuable with time


Check the link in my signature to sign up if you are interested. First issue goes out on Friday. Don't miss out.

1. Beautiful pictures of black people: www.nappy.co

2. Drag and Drop website: build.mmm.page

3. Rich screenshot app (with features like scrolling capture, area screenshot, object removal, annotation and more): https://shottr.cc/

4. Black Avatars: https://www.bavatars.co/

5. Easy landing page creator: www.tilda.cc

6. Take website screenshots entirely: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/take-webpage-screenshots/mcbpblocgmgfnpjjppndjkmgjaogfceg?hl=en

7. Make beautiful PDFs: www.attract.io

8. Start a newsletter with optimized SEO for Free: www.letterdrop.com

9. Free illustrations: https://icons8.com/

10. Write and schedule twitter threads: https://getchirrapp.com/

11. Record, edit and share videos like a pro even if you are a newbie: https://www.kapwing.com/

12. Wordpress forum template (your very own nairaland - no code required): https://bbpress.org/

13. 57% of visitors will abandon a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Compress all your images before uploading them on your site. Use: www.tinypng.com

P.S. I'm creating a discord community for freelancers who want to make their first $1 online. Send me a PM if you want me to send you an invite link.

If i had to start from zero again as a freelance content writer, here's what I'd do:

Step 1: Pick a social Platform

I pick twitter.

Say I want to be a crypto freelance content writer. I search 'crypto' on Twitter and look for high performing content.

I start curating high-performing content, building out my profile.

Showing off my skills.

Step 2: Offer my skills for free.

After curating high-performing content, I introduce myself to top creators.

Tag them or DM.

Anyone who responds, I offer my services for free.

'Let me prove what I can do.'

Someone will say yes.

Step 3: Prove I'm a good writer, then charge $$$

The first project is a test.

- test for me, to see if i can achieve the goal
- test for them to see if they're someone worth working with/for

If I'm successful, they'll want more ($).

If I'm not, no harm no foul.

Step 4: Keep curating, keep writing

As I'm getting my feet wet working for free, I keep writing...

I keep curating...

I keep building in public, showing the people in my category on Twitter I am actively participating.

I'm playing the game.

Step 5: Leverage, 1st client to a 2nd client

When the first free project is a success, client will want more.

Now, I charge (a modest amount).

But I also ask for an introduction:

'I'm passionate about writing. Anyone else you know who might need a content writer?'

Step 6: Scale, scale, scale

My twitter is growing...

My 1 client is making an intro to a 2nd client...

My curating other people's content is leading to more outreach...

Now, I have 3 different streams bringing me opportunities.

Each new client I take on, I raise my prices.

Step 7: Reinvest $$$ into productizing myself

Once my client roster is full and 80% are paying full rate, and I've raised my prices as high as they can go, the only way to scale beyond is through products.

I start turning my knowledge into:

- Books
- Courses
- Software

Step 8: As product revenue increases, I shed clients

I look at the revenue of each client, and when a product starts making me the equivalent ($$), I let the client go.

Time invested in client work scales linearly.

Time invested in products scales exponentially.

Step 10: The goal is to flip client revenue with product revenue

Eventually, I get to a point where what I'm earning from products has 90% replaced what I'm earning from clients.

This is what I would do to rebuild myself as freelance content writer.

It's the fastest path to profitability.

And it's also the biggest hedge against risk.

Every step builds on the previous one.

Anyone can do this.

And anyone can execute all 10 steps in less than a few months.

Maybe even less than 30 days.

P.S If you are on Upwork and looking to close clients fast check my signature for what I have used to close 200+ clients

[quote author=Birkin post=105215296][/quote]

Hello, Birkin. Sure. Send me a PM.

knowhowk:
. Using it to market my products

What's your experience with it?

How are you taking payments?

Platforms like Ecwid are good to quickly validate that people want what you are selling. They shouldn't be long term platforms. They are not as customizable as say Shopify for example. And they lack tools you can use to make people convert easier.

Also, have a backup of all your data. One time, Ecwid deleted my site without any warning.

knowhowk:
Any Webmasters good at Helping one to sell his stuffs on Ecwid,Google ad...Check my Signature

Used Ecwid once to quickly spin up an ecom site for gift ideas. Later moved on to shopify.

What do you wan to know?