Dumping prices on freelance exchanges. Problem solution
Increasingly, I notice a growing number of people willing to make a project for very low prices. It would seem that IT is the fastest growing area with a large shortage of specialists, but at the same time, freelance exchanges give orders up to 1000 rubles for 3-5 days of work. And there are freelancers who continue to throw off the price, just to get this project.
Many will think that such a customer, after crookedly done work, realizes that his fault for all of his greed will draw conclusions. But I often encountered the opposite - the customer made a conclusion regarding freelancing as a whole. And after that in his circles he shared the sad experience of cooperation in freelancing.
There is a possibility that the tendency to dumping will only increase, as there is a constant influx of new freelancers who will only dump the first reviews and projects. There will also be desperate freelancers, which will support the new low prices, as they will not have the patience to look for a project with a reasonable payment. In the end, the customers themselves, having seen a sufficient supply of relatively low prices, will think that now this is the equilibrium price level. Many will say that this is normal, supply and demand determine prices, but why then OPEC, consortia, trade unions and antimonopoly committees? Apparently, no area of the economy can do without regulation.
The saddest consequence of dumping is that it changes the public perception of freelancing. For a very low payment, no normal freelancer will try to properly, improve their professional level. And this will significantly reduce the quality of services on freelance exchanges and will form the idea of freelancing among employers as a low-quality employee environment.
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The only way out of this situation is collective efforts. In the West, this approach was successfully applied by various trade unions, although their methods, strike and strike, are not entirely applicable to freelancing. Here we need a different approach - the association of freelancers, which will limit the lower prices, but make it reasonable and attractive. How to achieve this? You need to create a community in which every freelancer does not lower prices, while manifesting that he is part of the community that eliminates throwing, people without the necessary experience and level of professionalism. That is, the community is a self-regulatory organization that seeks to maximize the quality of services. Make it elementary, because unlike employers, any experienced freelancer can determine whether another freelancer has the necessary experience and knowledge in 15 minutes of Skype communication. Also, it eliminates any long and meaningless tests, like in Odessa or Elanse, which anyone can do with Google. The community will benefit from an increase in the overall level of services, knowledge and standards. In turn, the employer receives minimum guarantees of the quality of work, the reliability of the employee and the fact that having common standards, the project can later be completed / redone by another employee.
All the advantages that studios have over individual freelancers can be realized in this community. But at the same time, to keep the main plus of work on freelancing - no one will tell anyone what project to do, will not limit appetites (wage level) or search for orders. The only restriction that membership in this community will impose is not to dump and not to tinker.
I think the separation of freelancing development paths is inevitable. Someone would prefer to work a little, but very high quality, achieving enthusiasm in the work, someone - to work, like the Indians, a lot and somehow. But all that separates the first category from the second is the words that we declare about ourselves, and therefore this separation does not always work as we would like. But it is easy to fix, you need only time and collective efforts.
It is collective, because the larger the team, the more it will be considered.
In general, if someone is interested, ready to discuss and implement this idea.
Thank you for your time.
Many will think that such a customer, after crookedly done work, realizes that his fault for all of his greed will draw conclusions. But I often encountered the opposite - the customer made a conclusion regarding freelancing as a whole. And after that in his circles he shared the sad experience of cooperation in freelancing.
Causes of dumping
There is a possibility that the tendency to dumping will only increase, as there is a constant influx of new freelancers who will only dump the first reviews and projects. There will also be desperate freelancers, which will support the new low prices, as they will not have the patience to look for a project with a reasonable payment. In the end, the customers themselves, having seen a sufficient supply of relatively low prices, will think that now this is the equilibrium price level. Many will say that this is normal, supply and demand determine prices, but why then OPEC, consortia, trade unions and antimonopoly committees? Apparently, no area of the economy can do without regulation.
How does dumping affect freelancing
The saddest consequence of dumping is that it changes the public perception of freelancing. For a very low payment, no normal freelancer will try to properly, improve their professional level. And this will significantly reduce the quality of services on freelance exchanges and will form the idea of freelancing among employers as a low-quality employee environment.
')
What can you do about it?
The only way out of this situation is collective efforts. In the West, this approach was successfully applied by various trade unions, although their methods, strike and strike, are not entirely applicable to freelancing. Here we need a different approach - the association of freelancers, which will limit the lower prices, but make it reasonable and attractive. How to achieve this? You need to create a community in which every freelancer does not lower prices, while manifesting that he is part of the community that eliminates throwing, people without the necessary experience and level of professionalism. That is, the community is a self-regulatory organization that seeks to maximize the quality of services. Make it elementary, because unlike employers, any experienced freelancer can determine whether another freelancer has the necessary experience and knowledge in 15 minutes of Skype communication. Also, it eliminates any long and meaningless tests, like in Odessa or Elanse, which anyone can do with Google. The community will benefit from an increase in the overall level of services, knowledge and standards. In turn, the employer receives minimum guarantees of the quality of work, the reliability of the employee and the fact that having common standards, the project can later be completed / redone by another employee.
Advantages and disadvantages
All the advantages that studios have over individual freelancers can be realized in this community. But at the same time, to keep the main plus of work on freelancing - no one will tell anyone what project to do, will not limit appetites (wage level) or search for orders. The only restriction that membership in this community will impose is not to dump and not to tinker.
findings
I think the separation of freelancing development paths is inevitable. Someone would prefer to work a little, but very high quality, achieving enthusiasm in the work, someone - to work, like the Indians, a lot and somehow. But all that separates the first category from the second is the words that we declare about ourselves, and therefore this separation does not always work as we would like. But it is easy to fix, you need only time and collective efforts.
It is collective, because the larger the team, the more it will be considered.
In general, if someone is interested, ready to discuss and implement this idea.
Thank you for your time.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/286128/
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