Did you know there are people all over the world who will do virtually anything for you online for roughly ten dollars? I do — and I know exactly how to find them. In this Fiverr review, I’ll show you how I found freelancers for graphic design, research, translations and creative writing who work for as little as $5 per task. And here’s the best part — you’ll learn how to hire them too.
You can find online experts for absolutely everything
When I first read The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss, I completely skipped the chapter about virtual assistants.
The idea of having someone on the other side of the world doing everything for me — from graphic design to booking concert tickets — felt so far-fetched that I didn’t give it a second thought.
Drowning in tasks you don’t have to do — and frankly DON’T WANT to
But as time went on and I started working on my first side projects, I realised that a huge chunk of my time was being eaten up by tasks that someone else could handle perfectly well. And quite possibly even better. So I started looking.
There are plenty of platforms where you can find micro-service providers, but the absolute best one I’ve come across (and believe me, I’ve tried others) is Fiverr. Thousands of potential freelancers are waiting for your brief, and prices genuinely start at five dollars.
Need someone to write an essay for uni? Looking for a professional logo for your new start-up? Or maybe you just can’t be bothered to write that article you’ve already been paid for? Fiverr has you covered — and the freelancers there are happy to help.
What services are available on Fiverr
Essentially anything that can be delivered over the internet. Most commonly, these are smaller gigs (tasks) such as:
- Graphic design — logos, posters, websites, app design
- Creative writing — articles, copywriting, headlines, ghostwriting
- Design services — turning plain text into a stylish ebook, product prototype design
- Viral videos — wild characters who’ll write whatever you want on their bodies
- Language services — translations, interpreting
- Virtual assistant — get an assistant who takes care of everything for you
- Research — buy ready-made databases or commission brand-new ones
How to choose the right freelancer on Fiverr
What matters most is the number of reviews, completed orders, and whether you actually like their work.
A freelancer with 1,000 ratings and 20 public portfolio samples will almost certainly be a safer bet than one with only 5 orders in the last six months. But watch out! A high review count doesn’t always guarantee quality — so always ask for additional samples.
Ask for portfolio samples
If you’re looking for a graphic designer, there’s nothing easier than browsing through their previous work.
It’s trickier with research or creative writing, which is why I always recommend asking the seller for samples of their work. Most writers also have their own books or ebooks on Amazon — ask them for links and check how they’re performing there.
Experiment and find your favourites
You certainly don’t want to hunt for a new freelancer for every small task. Do what I did — find the ones who suit you best and work with them repeatedly. After a while, I found my go-to people. It just takes a bit of trial and error.
How to brief a task on Fiverr
Be specific with the details
The quality of your brief makes or breaks the quality of the final product. I’ve learned this the hard way. A vague brief once resulted in a useless database that I still had to pay for.
Take enough time to clearly specify your requirements and, above all, describe what the end result should look like. For example, when commissioning a logo design, let the designer know where you’ll be using the logo.
Don’t be afraid to push back
Most freelancers offer a certain number of free revisions. I routinely send back annotated deliverables for rework, even when I quite like the first version. More often than not, the second attempt is even better.
Your money is protected
The freelancer doesn’t receive payment until the delivery is complete and you’ve confirmed you’re happy with the result. So there’s no need to worry about losing your money.
Real examples of tasks I’ve outsourced on Fiverr
1) Book cover for $5
I needed a simple e-book cover designed. The designer delivered in exactly 3 days, and for just $5 we got two professional book covers using stock photos I’d selected (the designer covered the photo cost).
2) Logo for $10
We needed a logo for our new product — sunglasses. For $10 we received 3 concepts and picked one. The deliverable was a vector graphics package with the logo in various colour variations.
3) Ebook design for $5
All I sent as input was a file with the finished text. The brief was simple — convert my text into a polished, readable PDF that I could publish online. I requested two revisions in total, and the entire process took three days.
4) Email translation from English to Italian for $6
On Fiverr you’ll find translators for practically every language combination imaginable. This time I needed a quick turnaround, so I found a freelancer who translated my email (132 words) into Italian within two hours of placing the order.
5) Finding 30 quality business contacts of companies potentially interested in our services
It took roughly three days and two revisions, but in the end the freelancer delivered a solid database of 30 business contacts in a country where English isn’t even spoken.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
