A question for experienced sellers - how did you figure out what to do?

[Guest stitchingamy]

How long did it take you to come up with a profitable gig? And I don’t just mean “popular” when I say that . . .



I’m new at this, and I’m having a heck of a time coming up with ANYTHING that I can possibly do that isn’t already being done a million times over. I don’t have a video camera (except for the one on my phone, but that one sucks.) I have no photographic ability to use the camera that I do own. I have no cute pets. I have no computer skills or abilities to speak of. I can’t draw worth anything. I only speak one language, and typing this post drives me nuts, so I can’t imagine volunteering to write an article, no matter what I’m getting paid, lol.



Everybody says, “find something you love.” Well sure. That’s great advice, as long as you can turn the things you love into money. So far, the only thing I’ve come up with is a craft project that takes me a couple of hours to complete. I don’t mind doing it, but with the time invested, and the the cost of materials, I’m not really coming out very far ahead when I earn only $3.92 a pop for a couple of evenings worth of work.



I’m just frustrated. What little I can come up with to do takes a lot more time and materials than I seem to get out of it, which doesn’t seem like a smart way to do business. Especially since I’m not really taking business by storm anyway. So how long did it take you guys to come up with an actual, workable idea?



Thanks for any advice (or rather, encouragement) you can give!

[hotwebideas]

Hey @stitchingamy, Here is some encouragement: Don’t be frustrated. We all go through this. I believe that everyone on Fiverr can make money doing what they love whether they realize it or not. Everyone has a talent.



What you have to ask yourself is this: What do your friends and family rely on YOU for and really appreciate you for, because whatever that thing is, this is the gig you can make money with. I think everyone is known for being good at something and usually when people are good at something they love it and it shows to everyone around them.



Wherever you love doing, you can make money posting fliers around town and I see college kids all over Fiverr doing well with this. I am sure you can go around town doing this. If you have a computer and access to the internet (and you obviously do), you can make money posting comments on blogs (no drawing or cameras required LOL).



You can review anything on the website, comment on blogs, etc. There are so many things you can make money with here. Just look around at some of the bizarre things people do really well with here.



I personally have a few Google Chrome apps and I always look for people to review them on Fiverr, so you can have a gig titled “I will review your Google Chrome app” or “I will comment on your blog”. The list, my friend, is amazingly endless.



Bruce

[hotwebideas]

Also, I forgot to add that making $5 for a gig is great and it adds up, but if it takes you hours to do, it may not be the right gig idea for you. My longest gig takes me 15 minutes to do on Fiverr and sometimes I make up to $65 per gig on gig extras, which is something you will have the privilege of when you move up the ranks as a seller.



Bruce

[Guest stitchingamy]

Reply to @hotwebideas:



Thanks for the encouragement. I’ll guess I’ll come up with something eventually. I hope. But to be honest, I’ve just about given up. I’ve even enlisted my friends and family to try to come up with things - with no luck. Anything they can come up with is even more time consuming than what I’ve already got.



My problem is that everything simple I can come up with already has a couple hundred people with perfect feedback doing it. By the time anybody gives me a chance, I’ll be old and gray.



And trust me, I’ve already considered the flyer idea. Unfortunately, I’m nowhere near an area populated enough for that to be a viable option. And when I say that, I mean that I live 25 miles from the closest stop light. I’m not exaggerating.



But thanks for the encouraging words. And for trying to help. I really do appreciate it. 🙂

[vicmazonas]

Don’t worry so much about the large number of other people working on here.



I’m offering writing gigs. There are THOUSANDS of those on here, but I got my first sale the very first day I joined. One of the benefits of the low price on here is that it’s fairly low risk - buyers can take a chance on a buyer and test the waters. I know a couple of my regular buyers got their first gig from me as a test and, when they were pleased, collected my gig and started ordering more.



Make sure your gig is well-written, explained clearly, has relevant photos or, more ideally, a video, and has appropriate tags.

[Guest cust0mcr3ationz]

it just happens naturally. That’s all I can say. if you create the gig they will come.

[Guest mrspanda]

Let me point out something:



-You know how to spell and your use of grammar is something that people subconsciously seek. I can see that you’d be a good seller to communicate with, versus someone that typez like dis yknowww??? There, you already have a leg up on thousands of other people.



-Don’t look at the value of $4. I have a full time online job that allows me to make nearly four figures a week, but I HATED the job. I actually gave it up to pursue my dreams on Fiverr, where I am barely making three figures a week. I am making so much less, but I feel so much more fulfilled. That is how you need to look at your gigs. I worked for $30 an hour before Fiverr and now I work for probably $4 an hour, but I am much happier. Forget the money.



-Don’t compare yourself to others either. I’ve said over and over again that the user blondey is DOMINATING my gig category (Tarot) but in just a little under a month, I went from nobody to rank 5 (if you click ‘ratings’) just because I delivered more than anyone else and I delivered faster. Make THEM feel the pressure of you moving up, not the other way around. Show the Fiverr community that you are a force to be reckoned with.



-Don’t beg. I have seen great gigs that I’ve thought about purchasing but after seeing some sellers beg continuously for buyers on the forums and seeing the seller post a different “why isn’t my gig selling???” thread every day, I get really turned off. I’ve also had people I’ve bought from message me asking for feedback less than 24 hours later, when I have barely had time to sit down and get on my computer to even see it. Have some pride in your work. It takes time to build up feedback but once you get the ball rolling, it will keep rolling! You might hit a rock here and there but that’s expected.



-I know I personally check out gigs from active forum members and I’ve purchased a lot of them just because I feel that if they care enough to post and contribute to the community, they must put the same care into their work.



That’s just my two cents. Don’t put yourself down for not having the same output as some of the veterans here because they’ve been here for a LONG time. I know I’ve only been here a month and I make nowhere near as much as some of these guys!

[kiffinyjean]

I was searching online for voiceover work… when I read a thread that mentioned Fiverr. I already had the gig… I just didn’t know where to find the platform. Good luck!

[Guest soldierdollar]

“don’t beg” that’s the greatest tip

[musiclover]

Sometimes ideas come from a personal need. Well t least for me. I came up with an idea that could benefit me, then I thought to myself, “I bet this could help benefit others as well.” So I offered it here, created a landing page for it, ranked #1 google for it, and boom…the rest is history. Something will eventually come to you. Not everyone has graphical or computer skills, you just gotta think of something you can do, that others are too busy to do themselves. Research, data entry, posting flyers, etc.

[Guest stitchingamy]

Reply to @musiclover:



I’ve been thinking about what you said - “you just gotta think of something you can do, that others are too busy to do themselves” - and I just want to say thanks. That’s a new way to look at it, that just because other people can do something doesn’t mean they want to. It’s a new way of looking at things so maybe it’ll help me come up with something. Thanks for the advice (and the encouragement)!

[Guest stitchingamy]

Just wanted to say “thanks” to everyone for the encouragement. I’m coming to the conclusion that I’d have been much better off if I’d come looking for Fiverr because I already had an idea. It seems like that’s what worked for everyone who has a success story to tell. Very few of them found Fiverr first and then managed to come up with something.



Oh well. I guess I’ll keep the gigs I have going but look elsewhere for some way to earn a couple of extra bucks every month. Thanks for the kind words!

[musiclover]

Reply to @stitchingamy: Yep. I know how to change my own oil, but I pay a shop to do it for the convenience. That’s what most people do. I actually came to Fiverr as just a buyer. I initially needed help with homework and then I needed a website built. After awhile, I started to think about what I could offer. I started off offering instrumentals I’ve made, then started gradually offering other things. So its best not to force ideas, just wait til it comes to you. 🙂