Are Freelance Platforms Causing Wage Dumping?

This is a totally legit question to ask. However, if you are pointing an accusing finger at freelance websites, then you will never solve the biggest problem of the freelance industry.

I’m not saying that as a freelancer who wants to defend goLance or any other freelance platform out there, but rather as someone who has spent and plans to spend a lot of time as a part of the freelance world as both a client and a freelancer.

We have reached the critical point where the freelancers from all over the world provide their services and work for the unreasonably low prices. The clients expect to get the work done almost for free. This has to change. Otherwise, there will be no one left to work in the freelance economy.

Instead of a race to the bottom, we should apply a race to the top approach.

How?

At the very beginning, as an original concept - freelancing used to be such a huge promise of the great new things. What happened?

Freelancing didn’t betray us, we betrayed freelancing.

Just think about it for a moment. There are freelancers who’re willing to work for the lowest price imaginable. Just like there are clients who aren’t interested in the quality of work, but rather only for the low prices. This attitude has to change.

Truth to be told, we have freelancers who’re playing their own game. They’re not willing to accept to work for peanuts. Just like there are clients who ask questions about the quality first and then about the price. Unfortunately, these high-demanding freelancers and high-paying clients are the "minority report" of the freelance industry. This also has to change.

So, don’t blame the freelance platforms, but rather spread the word among your fellow freelancers that this pointless race to the bottom has to stop eventually for the sake of all of us.

Freelancing is surprisingly fair in all of its unfairness. That's something worth remembering

There are so many freelancers, clients, and projects out there that anyone can find his most suitable price to work for or pay for. That's something worth believing in.

What is acceptable for one freelancer in terms of pricing can be totally unacceptable for another and vice versa. The same applies to the clients. That's true, but it's also true that somewhere we have to draw a line.

There's no need for a blaming game. There can't be a winner in this game. So, my fellow freelancers, instead of looking for someone to blame for low prices, you should stick to your freelance guns and raise the standards in the freelance industry.

"Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul."
-Mario Quintana