Website Review #10 - Workana.com

Hi everyone! Before I begin I would like to apologize for not posting my review as planned yesterday as it was my birthday and I was spending time with friends, family and ate some delicious cake! Anyway I am back now so I'd better get a move on.

Today I will be reviewing Workana.com, another interesting freelancing site that I found out about recently and has quickly become an instant favorite for looking into freelancing/remote work. Let me tell you a bit more about it:

For those of you that don't know, Workana is a freelancing network that is based out of Latin America, however it has since branched out internationally to appeal to a wider audience of freelancers worldwide. It is a relatively little known compared to similar sites, although fairly popular in Latin America, but it definitely has it's hidden advantages that would stand out amongst the much bigger platforms such as UpWork, Fiverr and AirTasker. 

Workana.com Homepage - Simple presentation with no mess, just a clean design and a claim
that is truthful and legitimate. 

Workana works just like any other freelancing site with it's bidding + proposal policies, the ability to find jobs that suit your skill set and the opportunity to communicate with clients via the built-in instant messaging systems. Now I would like to trace back to a statement that I made regarding the whole bidding and proposal setup that I mentioned in my review about Hubstaff Talent, where I wrote about the typically important idea of placing bids for projects and preparing standout proposals being seen as a difficult, time-consuming task which might not lead to a response from potential clients. This particular opinion that I had turned out to be a fairly incorrect due to my constant misunderstanding of the idea, as I have since registered for the larger-known sites (including Workana) to test out it's bidding strategies and proposals; turns out that it wasn't as hard as I thought because all I had to do was write the proposal in a similar style to a cover letter and think of a price that falls within the client's budget. That's it. It's still a 50/50 chance as to whether you would receive a response or not but I guess standing out against the pack is important in the 'gig economy'. Now that I have tried out the bidding + proposal system for myself, I can definitely say that my opinion has changed slightly.

Workana works as in a simple and basic fashion without many complex instructions, and signing up is as easy as 1,2,3. In the onboarding session, you register your details as per usual and read through the general policies. After this, you are required you to take a little quiz in order to help you understand the policies and your rights as a freelancer. I like that Workana does its best to push their policies as the top priority on the list, as it is extremely important that you work appropriately within the grounds of the website and keep your contacts private. Workana has an extensive job board that houses projects that are suitable to your skills and experience, just like any other freelancing platform. However applying for a job on Workana is surprisingly easy; their bidding and proposal system is actually the simplest one that I have come across so far. So if you ever have trouble with coming up with a standout proposal, there are helpful instructions located on the right hand side of the page that will guide you step by step on demonstrating your skills/experience, your preferred timeframes for the project and the most important part, planning a deadline (due date) for the project completion. It is actually an easy setup that I didn't even know about the first time and I am very pleased to say that for the first couple of projects that I applied for actually received responses from clients! That's right, I finally received a client's reply to my proposals and this is exactly how a freelancing platform should work, where both clients and freelancers can communicate freely without any restrictions or concerns. Excellent stuff!

Here is Workana's job board with some examples of available projects in data entry,
accounting, admin support etc.

These are just some of the advantages that Workana has in store for the modern freelancer, however I do see some room for improvement on the site in the future. I have noticed that the profile page is quite basic and adds little substance, which can be improved by possibly adding more sections such as educational background, more skills, certifications or the option to add your resume. There is no specific section for building a portfolio on Workana compared to the other platforms, as it says that you need to import it from a site called Behance (which from what I read is a portfolio creator for designers/artists). It would be nice if there was a way to show off your previous work in a built-in portfolio system on the site. Another thing I would like to add is that some of the projects on Workana's job board do not have as much information about deadlines or time frames and there is little to no substance on the job descriptions, but I understand that it is the client's responsibility to prepare easy-to-read project info and suggest appropriate time frame options.

Overall I think that Workana definitely has the potential to go forward in the freelancing market and compete with the bigger platforms with some improvement. It is a very simple website that cuts out all the complex instructions and really claims to be the better underdog. The site works like a breeze, and shows off a smooth, positive and colorful presentation yet keeps it's professional manner without being too out there. I would recommend Workana to the freelancers who are looking for basic, starter projects.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

That's it guys I hope you enjoyed reading the review today! I will be back tomorrow for another one to finish off the week! Just a reminder that my affiliate promotions and links are still available if you are interested. See you then!

Website Review #8 - Savethestudent.org

Hello readers! Welcome to my first review of February! This month I am going to try changing things up in regards to content for the blog as well as providing more affiliate promotions for you! In my last review I did promise to take this blog to new heights so be sure to keep an eye out as I will be updating every few days and weeks of this month via social media and on the blog as well! Anyway let's move on to the review!

Today I will be reviewing Savethestudent.org, another fun website that is dedicated to students but with a different focus. I really enjoy the concept of this site and I am excited to tell you more about it.

Save the Student is a UK-based information service which solely specializes in financial advice for new and graduating students. The website's content stretches from typical money-related topics such as small businesses, banking and taxes to general career advice and housing information. But that's not all, it also features special student discounts which can be redeemed at various retail outlets and even competitions that students can participate in to be in the draw to win some great prizes! Another thing that is great about this site is that the content produced here is condensed and simplified in a way that young students can understand without having to read through unnecessary jargon or complex information. At Save the Student, you can get your financial problems answered without any hassle. There is no need to create an account for this site as it is free for anyone to use, however if you would like to enjoy a helpful bonus in the form of a money cheat sheet, I suggest you go ahead and register you email as you can get a simple step-by-step instructions on how to make and save money right in your inbox! That's right, you basically get the whole package, all of the information here on this site is designed to help you with your money matters and put you back on track. With almost every financial topic under the sun, Save the Student is packed with some of the best advice that money can't buy! (Do you get it?)

When you go into the website, you can see that it is presented in a neat, easy-to-navigate format. Scrolling down the page gives you a deeper insight into the various topics that it represents in regards to finance, not to mention all of the latest deals and competitions under the one roof. For such a small site, there is heaps of exceptional advice at hand for the curious students who are finding their way around the world of money management. This proves that the site strongly believes in teaching students about finance before they become old enough to manage it on their own, which in my opinion, is very important for future reference. Let's be honest, finance is an extremely broad umbrella with hundreds of sub-topics in between, so it may take a while to get your head around it; but with Save the Student, you can find the most relevant financial advice that can guide you during student life and beyond. Obviously, there are many ways that you can make money as a student, be it planning a small business on the side of your studies, searching through various 'side hustles', taking up special cashback offers at the bank or just simply saving up your cash for something special like a new car or house. You can find all of this information right here at Save the Student!

Save the Student Homepage - An excellent display of various finance info, clean
and tidy presentation and exciting design.

Another thing I would like to point out about Save the Student's content is it's interesting introduction into the topic of 'matched betting', which according to the site is the easiest way to make tax-free money by simply taking advantage of bonuses from betting bookmakers and placing opposing bets on a particular sport, keeping in mind that it isn't related to real gambling as you win either way. This was surprisingly one of the first topics that I came across when looking through the website for the first time a while ago. In my study break from university, I was desperately searching for simple ways to make money online as a side hustle during the holidays besides participating in survey programs and somehow stumbled upon this mysterious topic and instantly wanted to learn more about it. I was basically drawn in to the idea of matched betting that I thought I would give it a try later on. Obviously it is not for everyone and takes a bit of practice but with a bit of confidence and patience you could apparently be earning as much as you thought you would. I personally would like to thank Save the Student for their simplified info about matched betting as I have learnt quite a lot about it and can't wait to try it out in the future! Now that's another money-making bonus that I'm sure a lot of you have not heard about but it's a real hidden gem in the never-ending rabbit hole of money making strategies! I would also like to say that I have benefited from the wonderful finance info from Save the Student and have learnt a lot of new things about managing money!

Aside from general financial advice, Save the Student also offers helpful information relating to student employment and accommodation. Its careers section offers advice on various employment-related topics such as graduate programs for recently graduating students, part-time positions complete with a specialized job search engine, employment rights, tax counselling (for UK only) and the usual CV/Cover letter/job interview trifecta. For the accommodation section, there is advice on paying rent, finding student housing, dealing with housemates, home insurance and tenancy rights. This is basically every basic piece of advice handed to you so it would be better to follow it wisely and not get left behind.

This is an excerpt from an article in the Finance category. Easy to read information and quick links
on the side of the page make it a convenient experience.

Just a reminder that the website is primarily based in the UK so you might find some unfamiliar words or slang terms in the articles. Also their discounts and competitions are for UK students only as they use pounds for currency so unfortunately no international students can participate due to being outside of the country. The part-time job search engine mostly services UK jobs so you would not find any luck with looking for jobs in other countries here.

Overall, I think that the Save the Student does an excellent job in providing the necessary financial tools for students which will be extremely helpful in the future. I really enjoy the condensed and simple web design of the site as it runs very smoothly without any bugs or viruses. There is an exceptional amount of content on offer and has great functionality. I would recommend this site to any student who is struggling with money matters and would like to get back on track, because the advice at Save the Student is excellent and deserves some recognition! 


Final Rating: 9/10


That's it everyone! My first review of the month has finished! Catch me again on Wednesday as I serve up another one! Bye!

Website Review #4 - Myopportunity.com

Hello again. I am back on schedule with my fourth review of the month!

Today I will be reviewing Myopportunity.com, which is another website focusing on a serious topic; this time in the form of business networking. This is a relatively new site that I found under a list of alternatives to professional platform LinkedIn, let me tell you a bit more about it:

Opportunity is a business networking website which works in a similar way to LinkedIn, however it is much more different in terms of generating leads and finding like-minded professionals to interact with. The website is described as a great option for individuals to build business relationships, find employment opportunities and even connect on a personal level. When compared with LinkedIn, Opportunity is an easier platform to work with and has its features spanned out across various categories rather than being crowded all over the place, and the site itself has a strong focus on building professional relationships so you don't even need to create a large profile to gain traction or stand out from other individuals. That's too much work for someone who just wants to communicate freely with anyone without any fuss!

The Myopportunity.com homepage - The presentation is as professional and positive as it gets. How inviting is this for the user? 

When you register with Opportunity, you just need to answer a few general questions such as preferred industry, locations, interests, and your current skill set. It's a simple process that won't take very long and once you enter the account portal it's all yours! You can edit your profile at any time if you want to change any details. As an additional bonus, you can also add your LinkedIn profile link or invite your LinkedIn contacts to join if you want to increase exposure. One of the best features in the Opportunity profile is the 'networking pitch' where you explain more  about your current employment, your role at work and interests outside of work. The networking pitch is important as you want to attract the right professionals with the same pathways as you and they will most certainly want to be interested in what you have to offer.

The main section of the account portal is the lead generation page, where there is a long list of professionals compiled together based on the interests and industry experience that you add to your profile. Feel free to contact as many professionals as you like as there is no boundaries for communication here. My first experience with contacting someone from Opportunity was actually quite good. A few months ago I interacted with a guy who worked in an IT company and talked about where we were at in terms of business and professional life. It was a very normal, short conversation and it just goes to show that these individuals are very serious about maintaining business relationships and they are not playing around. With Opportunity, you are basically interacting with the right people at the right time.

The Opportunity account portal and leads page, where you can build relationships with your leads based on experience and personal interests. (Names, pictures and locations of individuals have been blocked out for privacy reasons.)

Now before I finish I would like to remind you that some of the features on Opportunity are part of an extensive PRO upgrade that requires payments every month or so. Some special PRO features included in the upgrade include extra profiles for employment, dating and sales, mass messaging to all your leads and profile verification. You can even interact with special professionals who have a PRO upgrade and verified profiles! If you would like to go the extra mile and get the full package then I suggest you go ahead and try it for yourself. I haven't bought the PRO upgrade myself but I am thinking of doing so in the future. It would be nice if there was a free trial for the PRO features so you could try them out before paying for the full upgrade.

In conclusion, I believe that this website is an excellent platform for business networking and works as a great companion piece to LinkedIn. The professionals that use Opportunity for business relations are real, legitimate people and there are no fake profiles found. Anyone who is willing to maintain strong business relationships and build their professional image can use Opportunity to their full advantage. It has a clean web design and professional presentation, good functionality and interactive nature. 

Final Rating: 8/10

That's it guys! Another review done and dusted! See you on Wednesday for the next one!