I am always intrigued with alternative and/or new ways to make money from the typical 9-5. It is becoming more apparent to me that the typical 9-5 jobs that many have become accustomed to over the last few decades is probably not going to be as prevalent in the future.
But regardless of whether you are a web-worker or an office manager, many people are looking for ways to supplement their income and so I am excited to share methods for making money as I find them.
Make money designing logos?
The newest income-generator that I found is for designers (or wanna-be’s).
CrowdSpring.com, 99 Designs and a couple other similar sites allow buyers to post a project and how much they are willing to pay for it. Designers then create logos, design elements, or whatever it calls for and the best one wins. Basically it just puts the control back into the buyer’s hands by letting them choose from the multiple entries from various designers.
How much does it pay?
From what I have seen on the site, it looks like the projects pay from $200 to a couple thousand each. Obviously the better paying projects will have more and better competition, but if you are good, it could be a nice income supplement.
Interestingly even the cheap ($200-$400) projects have a lot of entries. So, I don’t think it would be a walk-in-the-park for anyone, but it is definitely a fun way to try to make some extra cash.
Is it worth submitting if I am not a designer?
Possibly, but if you have never designed anything before, it will probably take you a while before you win some. But, one of the cool things about Goalspring is that the buyers often submit feedback to the designers telling them what they like and don’t like, so if you can meet the needs of the buyer better than the others, you might have a shot.
Here is a CrowdSpring review and a 99 Designs review from buyers perspectives.
Has anyone ever used Crowdspring or similar pay-for-design sites?
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not a graphic designer but I do outsource several things I do for my small business. On several occasions, I’ve used elance.com which is a killer website for providers and end-users. Highly recommend checking it out…
I tried this a few years ago on another site (can’t remember the name). If you’re really good and really FAST, it might be worth it, but there’s not a lot of communication as to what the person is looking for. It’s basically like working for free if your design doesn’t get picked.
yea, that is one of the major downsides for the designers… The argument, I guess, is that even if you work for free, you are still honing your skill – right?
Thanks so much for writing about crowdSPRING. We’ve built a platform where designers from around the world can compete for and find new clients, regardless of experience, resume, or portfolio. On crowdSPRING, you choose from among actual designs, not bids and proposals. Over 16,000 designers (from 140+ countries) work on crowdSPRING and buyers from over 40 countries have posted thousands of projects. We offer mandatory escrow, payment services, free legal agreements, and full project management to make the process simple and transparent for both sides.
We invite your readers to take a look.
Best,
Ross Kimbarovsky
co-Founder
http://www.crowdspring.com
I read about crowdspring on Forbes and it really is an interesting concept, especially for talented designers. Bit hard for newbies like myself.
thanks for the link – i’m already making money designing logos at my site linked above, but this might be another way to supplement that income.
Have you found success with crowdspring or other services like that like geniusrocket? Or do you usually stick to making side income by referrals or you own promotions?
I’ve tried it,, and waiting for the announcement…
no reason to do competitive spec work for free when there are real clients who understand the value of design work and are willing to pay for a designer to properly consult them and design a logo (or whatever) that will properly satisfy their needs.
99designs is the other one
Really great stuff!
If i want to get started though, are there any programs i should buy? Is it already online? How do i actually get the logo onto crowdspring.com?
Sorry i’m new to this and am really interested…
I had a terrible experience with crowdspring. I recommend people do not waste their time. I was “awarded” a prize and never paid. When trying to reach a resolution my account was cancelled and they said, “This matter is resolved.” Resolved to who’s satisfaction, not getting paid is a big deal!
Thanks for sharing Ramona, if you do end up getting paid, please let us know in the comments…
We are committed to enforcing our user agreement and rules fairly and consistently in order to protect our entire community – over 12,000 buyers and 65,000 designers and writers from nearly every country in the world. We’ve paid millions of dollars to designers and writers in awards over our two years in business.
In Ramona’s case, our team was closely involved with the issue, made every effort to help resolve it to the satisfaction of everyone, but were ultimately unable to do so. Ramona’s account was indeed terminated – for violating our user agreement.
Ross Kimbarovsky
co-Founder
http://www.crowdspring.com
It wasn’t satisfactory to everyone if the artist wasn’t paid.
Hi mate, Read alot of ur articles, love them
but just letting u know on one paragraph uve put Goalspring instead of Crowdspring, sorry if I’m wrong and it’s supposed to be like tht, but it didnt seem like it was meant to be like tht.
Crowdspring is a scam site.
Their contract is filled with legal language that enables crowdspring to legally NOT pay winners, in the end.
The only people who make money at this site are the unethical site owners.
Do not waste your time at Crowdspring,
Or, better yet, try it yourself for about six months and you will see what a scam it is.
I’m sorry, but I have made a great deal of money on crowdspring. About $10,000!!!
Don’t diss it!
crowdSPRING has paid millions of dollars to thousands of designers and writers around the world. We are transparent with our community – and with others, as you’ll find in our answers to the 25 most frequently asked questions about crowdSPRING: http://bit.ly/cSanswers
Ross Kimbarovsky
co-Founder
http://www.crowdspring.com
Do the research before you do the work. Type in “Crowdspring scam” and see what comes up. Then if you still feel it’s worth it go ahead.
i have made many logos in the past so i think i will give it a shot
{ 2 trackbacks }