by: Bonnie Jo Davis
"Hey, I didn't know you were a writer, I thought you were a Virtual Assistant."
No matter how many times I hear this comment it still surprises me. I learned early on that writing was one of the most lucrative services that I could offer in my virtual assistance business, not to mention an incredible means of free marketing.
I have discovered a valuable resource for writing assignments and other types of work. The Freelance Work Exchange is an innovative web site that incorporates nearly every aspect of the freelance process. It features the components with which you are familiar as well as those for which you may not have an accurate understanding, and quite possibly, some aspects about which you have never even heard.
As with most legitimate professional freelance web sites, membership at http://tinyurl.com/3v69r is on a paid basis. In this case, membership is paid on a monthly basis at the standard rate of $29.95 per month. You may feel this is excessive especially since you don't know exactly what the value of membership is actually going to deliver for you.
Since this is the perspective of the average person, me included, the Freelance Work Exchange has a solution for addressing your questions directly. And no, you don't have to submit an e-mail with a list of questions and then wait for a reply. All you have to do is take advantage of the Freelance Work Exchange's valuable test drive.
For only $2.95 you can literally test drive the Freelance Work Exchange with a 7-day temporary membership. Unlike most other trial memberships that offer very limited access and no access at all to members' only features, the Freelance Work Exchange gives you the run of the road. In other words, you don't just get to drive it around the block; you get to actually make a real road trip with your temporary membership.
Guess what? The Freelance Work Exchange even gives you some souvenirs to make your road trip worth your while. Here's what your $2.95 is going to net you, even if you decide at the end of the 7-day trial that one trip was enough for you.
Unlimited 24/7 Access to Professional Members Area
For 7 days, you're going to be able to explore and take advantage of each component of the Professional Members Area at the Freelance Work Exchange. This doesn't mean that you get to read about them, but that you get to make full use of each member's only component.
Freelance Job Report
You will receive immediate access to the current issue of this Freelance Work Exchange professional edition bi-weekly newsletter, which is a paid subscription. Each issue features career advice and strategies as well as hot freelance job opportunities.
The Jobs Database
Okay, so the Freelance Work Exchange has a freelance job bank, but so do other freelance web sites. However, this site actually allows you to use your test drive to go through the process of finding projects and applying for them. This will give you a good idea of how the site works for you without an ongoing commitment.
Categories in The Jobs Database include:
Writing, Editing and Proofreading
Design & Illustration
Programming & Software Development
Consultancy
Administrative & Miscellaneous
Work-at-Home
Million Dollar Freelancing
The Freelance Work Exchange publishes this valuable freelancer's publication feature in serialized format. A perk that you receive as a temporary member is a free subscription offer. You'll receive this innovative publication in chapter-by-chapter format delivered directly to your e-mail address.
If you decide that Million Dollar Freelancing offers no value to you, you can simply discontinue your subscription anytime you choose. The Freelance Work Exchange will promptly remove you from this subscriber list.
Featured Freelance Listing
The Freelance Work Exchange offers all its members the opportunity to purchase a "feature" listing as a freelancer for the price of $50.00 for a 1-month listing or $100.00 for a 3-month listing. This same offer is available to you as a temporary member. If you purchase a Featured Freelance Listing and decide not to continue with a monthly membership, you still have the benefit of having your professional profile featured for the period for which you purchased it.
Freelance Billing Rates
A common issue among freelance writers and service providers is how to determine rates for professional services. Freelance Work Exchange has reduced it to black and white for you. Taken directly from the U.S. Department of Labor is a chart featuring average rates for various professional services. For some specific freelance services, there is an indicated range of from low to high.
True, you can find this information yourself for free at the U.S. DOL's web site, but you will have to dig for it. The Freelance Work Exchange has done the digging for you.
Gold Seal of Professional Membership
As a supportive service to its professional members, the Freelance Work Exchange has published a Freelance Code of Practice for which it has also created an image or graphics design. Your temporary membership entitles you to post this Gold Seal of Professional Membership directly at your own web site, provided that you are also willing to link to the Freelance Code of Practice.
What better way to declare your professional status than by associating yourself with a highly recognizable Gold Seal of Professional Membership? It will add a significant recognition factor of your professional expertise.
Searchable Newsletter Archive
Not only does your 7-day temporary membership grant you access to current newsletter content, but it also grants you access to all the archived newsletters as well. Simply enter a keyword search to find a listing of relevant articles that you can actually read.
Categorized Newsletter Search
If a keyword search is not your preferred method of finding information on a particular subject, Freelance Work Exchange features a categorical listing from which you can search for an article on a particular topic. Immediate access is provided to this feature with your temporary membership. You can read an unlimited amount of articles with seven days about any category that interests you.
Priority Resume Bank
The Freelance Work Exchange gives you a genuine first chance opportunity for consideration with its recurring employer client base. It has established many solid relationships with employers for whom they provide freelance referrals as needed. As a temporary member, you are invited to submit your resume and/or other professional credentials via its online form for their review and inclusion in its exclusive group of professionals whom they refer to various employers.
There is no additional fee for reviewing your resume and maintaining it in the Priority Resume Bank for employer consideration.
Freelance Job Finder
The Freelance Work Exchange features a meta search tool that you can use to do a quick search for freelance opportunities currently posted at all the major online job markets. This is an incredible timesaver that gives you an instant overview of what is available instead of having to go to each major employment web site and do an individual search.
The Big List
For convenient viewing, the Freelance Work Exchange maintains a current listing of over 100 freelance markets grouped categorically. It's a deep goldmine of places for marketing your services.
Totally Free Software
The only thing better than free software is software that is free and useful to you. The Freelance Work Exchange reviews the benefits of several premium freelance software products to which it has linked directly for easily downloading. Again, you can find this information and the free downloads yourself on the Internet, but you'll invest more than $2.95 worth of your valuable time searching for it.
E-Mail Support
The Freelance Work Exchange publishes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page in which it details specific information about the various features it offers. If you need assistance beyond what is provided there, it will gladly provide additional support for you via e-mail.
Your Free E-Book on Viral Freelancing
Immediately upon purchasing a $2.95 membership, you have access to this innovative publication. Simply download it and save it to your desktop.
This valuable e-book is filled with easy how-to ways to boost your freelance earnings. Even if you decide not to continue your membership after the 7-day road trip, you still get to keep Your Free E-Book on Viral Freelancing. This feature alone is worth a considerable purchase price.
Special Report - The Formula For Success
A proven reality, the Freelance Work Exchange gives you immediate access to a simple 5-part business plan for achieving success as a freelance professional. This intriguing report is delivered via download in Adobe Acrobat or PDF file and makes genuine common sense from what can be a complicated prospect.
Simply download the file and save it to your computer. You get to keep this valuable report even if you decide to cancel your membership your 7-day road trip.
Post Your Own Job
The Freelance Work Exchange offers an online job submission form that allows you to submit your own specific job for inclusion in The Jobs Database. This valuable feature is available free of charge during your 7-Day membership period. It is a perfect opportunity to find an editor, a ghostwriter or simply an extra pair of hands to assist you as needed.
For the members' only fee of $20.00, you can upgrade your job to a Featured Job Listing for placement in the Freelance Job Report Newsletter. This is a very nominal fee considering that the subscriber base of the newsletter currently exceeds 120,000. That means more than 120,000 talented freelance professionals are actually paying to see your job posting.
Featured Members Specials Offering 30% Discount
During your Freelance Work Exchange road trip, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a 30% discount on Featured Member Specials such as professional resume writing services and web design services as well as other valuable resources such as the Work At Home Success Kit.
Okay, so that's the map to your 7-day Freelance Work Exchange road trip. The final destination at which you arrive is yours to determine. Answer one question though before postponing your temporary membership purchase... just one. And my question is...
What previous $2.95 investment has ever netted you as much professional mileage?
(c) 2004, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights in all media reserved. Permission for reprint granted to all venues so long as they are opt-in.