The important thing is not to pressure yourself. As long as you're enjoying what you're doing, you'll be fine. Of course, don't work for free and try to make a serious business out of freelancing but don't bother with number sand statistics.
I may be wrong, but I seriously doubt he's ever going to pay you. He says he's been rushed into the hospital the night before, but where was he the previous three weeks? That's why you always make a contract and ask for an upfront payment.
Be present on social media and spread the word about your services. You can always visit Elance or Upwork and try to find some gigs there, just to build up your reputation and confidence for that matter.
As I like to say: the moment you even consider going freelance is the moment you already made a decision to at least start. I would say go for it. In your case, you already have a great working history and a lot of experience, so I don't see how freelancing could be a drawback in your career.
It doesn't necessarily have to mean you're not on the next level. Actually, there are many experienced freelancers on Fiverr who work for much more. The thing I don't like is the site by itself and that feeling that you have to ''prove'' yourself to somebody.
1) I am a graphic designer and I am learning web design and SEO at the moment.
2) I used Elance, oDesk and Freelancer but only the first one got me some serious clients.
3) I don't work as a freelancer anymore but when I did, I used to work for about 100 hours a month.
4) It varies. It used to be a minimal rate per hour in the beginning, but I managed to double it and triple it in the end.
5) Not really sure, but I would give it a shot.
6) It depends. Those who seek quality work wouldn't.
7) I'm not really sure what kind of advantage it would provide. If I knew more details I would think about it, but again, it depends on many factors.
Try Elance, it has a bigger customer community and you can definitely find work if you are persistent enough. Just don't work for $3, it's really a rip off and no one should be forced to work for such a small amount of money just for the sake of working. Good luck!
You should most certainly ask your superiors in mentioned companies for proper recommendation letters. I see no problem with that. I don't see how being a freelancer could be a negative. Freelancers are usually better organized and can handle stress and multitasking much better then ''regular'' employees. So I can say your career as a freelancer could only be a plus.
Hey there! Don't get discouraged, If you're sure about your skills and knowledge you certainly shouldn't give up that easily. I was in the same situation. I started on Elance and there was that one client who wanted some spec work in advance, just to be sure that I can deliver the work properly. It ended up with me finishing the work and him never paying for it. As it turned out, he hired a whole bunch of people and gave them different tasks, and none of us ever got paid. That's just something that will happen from time to time. It's on you to recognize the clients that are also scammers. Check their profile, see how much they payed, check their client feedback rating and never EVER do any work in advance.
IF you're interested in working from home you can visit like Freelancer, oDesk and Elance and similar online job platforms, you can easily find lots of clients there!
