 "Danyal Saleem")
There’s a large population of freelancers in Asia, with countries like India, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Bangladesh constituting the majority of this community.
The potential freelancing offers in socioeconomic progress and labour force participation has also been recognized by the World Bank.
Danyal Saleem, who lives in Pakistan, is an example of how hard work and perseverance can reap rich rewards when bidding for projects online. The graphic designer works exclusively on an online freelancing platform and has earned, on average, $20,000 per month for the past several months. But this isn’t a story of overnight success – Danyal has had to work hard to differentiate himself and stay true to his goal.
“I was introduced to freelancing by my cousin back in 2012 but was initially put off by the low prices clients offered to pay,” Danyal tells Tech in Asia. “However, I was in college at the time studying engineering, and I saw intense competition in the job market, which is why I decided to give it a shot.”
It was a full year later, in May 2013, when Danyal finally decided to jump in. He signed up for one of numerous sites that connect designers or coders with people or companies that have small projects, like designing a logo or building a website.
He had already started a small business to help pay for his college education, so he was nervous and apprehensive about the decision. “I gave myself two or three months at most. If I didn’t succeed, then I would go back to running the business as it was showing potential,” he says.
