10 essential websites to help you find more freelance work

Every successful freelancer knows that finding work should be a daily focus. Yes, you might attract potential clients via your website or get some word-of-mouth recommendations – but you can't rely on those channels alone.

Written By: Laura Connelly

16 June 2016

What you need is to follow certain jobs boards religiously and sign up to those freelancing sites that list opportunities you might want to pitch for. Because you never want to miss the chance to win more work and earn more money. Here are ten essential websites that will help you find more freelance work:

1. Upwork

Whether you're a developer, writer, virtual assistant or marketer, Upwork is built on the struggle that businesses face in acquiring talent. And that's where you come in. It is a great place to find like-minded people with a particular emphasis on collaboration. You can charge for work by the hour or set a fixed price for individual projects.

2. Freelancer

Freelancer is a user-friendly website that makes searching for jobs simple. It claims to be the "simplest and safest way to get work done online", and if you're a graphic designer or developer, then it's one for you to try.

3. Guru

Guru is a global network of over 1.5 million freelancers working in the fields of development, creativity and business. It enables users to set up a profile with examples of their previous work, and once hired, the Work Room offers collaboration and document sharing without leaving the website. Once you've got a profile, you'll also receive daily Job Matches.

4. Smashing Jobs

Smashing Jobs will help you find the latest openings in the design and programming industries. It attracts briefs from a wealth of international brands, and although it includes some full-time posts, it's also a useful place to find freelance gigs that you might not have spotted elsewhere.

5. It's Nice That

The It's Nice That jobs board allows you to keep abreast of the latest creative projects as they arise. There's a range of opportunities from some of the world's most prestigious brands, covering part-time work and one-off projects.

6. Art Wanted

This free website allows artists the chance to feature their work to prospective buyers through an online profile. Even better is that users don't pay a commission fee, meaning artists receive 100% from the sale whilst gaining a presence. What's not to like?

7. Authentic Jobs

This well-designed jobs board lets you filter your search to ensure only freelance jobs appear. It's targeted towards designers, hackers, and creative professionals and features projects from a range of international companies that offer the ability to work from anywhere.

8. Design Jobs Board

Yes, this is a jobs board listing more permanent roles, but it does include the odd freelance opportunity, too. With a focus on digital and graphic design, Design Jobs Board always has some great positions on offer. And we also recommend checking out its sister site, Blvckdoor, which aims to bridge the gap between creatives of colour and employers.

9. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour has long been a friend of the freelancer, offering a simple way to browse available briefs from reputable businesses worldwide. Users can keep track of their pitches, proposals and invoices through the handy WorkStream function.

10. 99designs

99designs claims to have altered how graphic design is done through its popular website. From brand identity to T-shirt design and websites, freelance designers can showcase their work and respond to briefs quickly and easily. Through the Projects function, freelancers can work directly with clients to send mockups and receive feedback all in one place – completely eradicating excessive email chains.