PART-3 | FIVERR SIDE HUSTLE SERIES

Success rarely follows a straight and smooth path. Instead, it's often followed by hurdles and setbacks, each serving as an opportunity for growth and learning.

If you're reading this, you might be on your own Fiverr journey or waiting to start one. Fiverr offers an exciting opportunity to turn your passions into a profitable side hustle/business, but, as with any new entrepreneurial journey, it comes with its fair share of challenges.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." — Winston Churchill

In this article, I have gathered two very common challenges one might face along the freelancing journey and ways to tackle them.

1. Decline in sales

Picture this: you've been steadily climbing the ladder, earning more compared to the previous month, making good sales and then suddenly, the winds shift, and you find yourself amid a 'Decline in Sales.' It's a moment of uncertainty and self-doubt that every freelancer encounters at some point in their journey.

When I started on my Fiverr journey in 2020, I witnessed promising growth from the start. Month after month, my sales figures steadily climbed with the increase in the number of completed orders with each passing day.

Everything was good, and then my Fiverr journey took an unexpected turn when I experienced a sudden decline in the number of orders.

My monthly sales decreased from almost $500/month to $190/month. It took me a few months to realize this and then again a few months to get it back on track. My takeaways from here were:

• Continuous Self-Assessment: The importance of regularly monitoring your Fiverr performance. Don't wait for a significant dip before taking action.
• Adaptability is Key: The world of freelancing is ever-changing. Being adaptable to market changes and willing to try new strategies is crucial.
• Client Relationships: Nurture and build strong client relationships. Happy clients can lead to repeat business and referrals. I have shared about this in more detail in my previous article.

• Diversification: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your service offerings and keep your customers informed about the same.
• Persistence and Patience: The road to recovery can be challenging. Stay persistent, have patience, and remember that success often requires time and effort.

2. Negative experiences with the clients

In any freelancing journey, encountering bad experiences is almost unavoidable. Therefore, it's essential to equip yourself with effective strategies to navigate these situations and, more importantly, to draw valuable lessons from them.

To date, I have completed 1K+ orders on fiverr; the clients have always been happy with my services, with excellent reviews and great relationships. Even when a challenging client comes, I try to go the extra mile, thinking it's okay, and do my best to make the customer happy.

Usually, I avoid writing negatively about someone and deal with it myself. However, there was one significant experience that changed my perspective. Despite delivering a perfect order and going the extra mile for the client, they refused to accept it and made unreasonable demands outside the agreed scope.

This incident made me realize how important it is to leave honest feedback so that others can avoid such encounters.

Takeaway

"Dealing with challenging customers can be a part of freelancing, and it can be valuable for our community if you consider leaving an honest review based on your experience. These reviews can assist fellow sellers in making informed decisions, avoid potential conflicts, and better understand the type of clients they may encounter."

My strategy to tackle such scenarios:

• Maintain Professionalism: Most Important.
• Set Clear Expectations: From the start, make sure your client understands the scope of your services, deadlines, and any terms and conditions.
• Stay Calm: When faced with a difficult client, stay calm and focus on finding a solution to the problem. Sometimes, a small adjustment or an extra effort can resolve the issue.
• Offer Revisions or Refunds: If you made an error and are genuinely at fault, consider offering revisions or refunds (if a revision can not fix it).

At last...

Hurdles are a part of the journey; they mould you into who you are today. Try to learn from the challenges and use them to nurture yourself . Keep on upskilling yourself to adjust with the growing market space and also to handle the competition.

Learn from every challenge, and keep reaching for new heights.

Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments and what other challenges you have faced in your freelancing journey.

Happy Fiverring!

If you've enjoyed this glimpse into my Fiverr side hustle journey and would like to hear more stories like this, I invite you to follow me. I'm excited to share more such stories in my Fiverr side hustle series, filled with the highs, lows, and lessons learned along the way. So, hit that "Follow" button, and let's embark on this journey together.

Sayonara!!