Going Pro For someone else... Is it a good idea?
So you think you are ready to "go pro" but you don't have the place or the money to open your own shop. Or maybe you are in a rural location where it is difficult to get clients. So you sit down, and after wondering if you are crazy to want to read tarot for a living, you decide that maybe you can wok for one of those tarot websites. Surely they rake in the big bucks - and then you will be able to build the shop of your dreams.
Before you run off thiking that these sites are the answer, let me let you in on a couple of tidbits that these sites seem to gloss right over. For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on Keen.com, OneSun.com and Oranum.com , three fairly large sites.
OneSun.com
This one I think is my favorite of the three. There is a very detailed application, and you are expected to be able to back up any certifications, degrees, etc with documentation. Like the other sites, you have to set up a schedule for availability, but you can be as flexible as you want. You get better rankings if you are avaialable often and get clients to add time to their reading. You even get bonuses if you end up with repeat customers. You get paid weekly by check. All in all, not a horrible site.
Keen.com
The application process here was a little more lax. They didn't really seem to care if I had any knowledge or certifications, but they also have a much broader range of "workers" so maybe they just don't want to pigeon hole us. The nice thing about this site was that there is an option to sell email readings along with the standard phone and chat services. This is great for me, cause with a three year old screaming like a banshee most of the time, it is nice for clients to to have to listen to that. You get an 800 number and personal extension to advertise with. I really like the overall feel of this site, but in order to get more clients you need to be higher in the ratings and that costs money. So I am happy to sit at #37 (hey, that's still top 50 right?) but that also means that I don't get a ton of clients. I do have some repeats, and for me personally it is just the right pace. You can get paid via check like OneSun or via direct deposit which I love! Again, not a bad site.
Oranum.com
I HATE this site. I wanted to like it, because it gets a lot of traffic. This is another one of those sites that you have to pay to get higher in the ratings. Worse though is that you are REQUIRED to do a certain number of free minutes or discoounted minutes per month, so you get a lot of people who get their freebie and scamper. You are also required to do a certain amount of "on air time" for free. Hence the people staring vacantly into their webcam for hours at a time. They are just really good at fulfilling their requirement while getting other things done. Then there are the creepers. You know who you are - creepy ass people who think just because I have a webcam that I'll take my clothes off for you. Let's face it, I might think about it, but certainly not at what you are paying me on this site! I stayed with this site less then 3 months. I wanted more control over my schedule then I was getting from them.
Overall, I really don't recommend going this route. If you are really serious about going pro, you need your own website. You are in charge of everything from hours to payment method - and can do phone, email or chat. Whatever you are most comfortable with. If you are intimidated by the idea of designing your own site don't be. Shoot me a message and I will get you pointed in the right direction.
Before you run off thiking that these sites are the answer, let me let you in on a couple of tidbits that these sites seem to gloss right over. For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on Keen.com, OneSun.com and Oranum.com , three fairly large sites.
OneSun.com
This one I think is my favorite of the three. There is a very detailed application, and you are expected to be able to back up any certifications, degrees, etc with documentation. Like the other sites, you have to set up a schedule for availability, but you can be as flexible as you want. You get better rankings if you are avaialable often and get clients to add time to their reading. You even get bonuses if you end up with repeat customers. You get paid weekly by check. All in all, not a horrible site.
Keen.com
The application process here was a little more lax. They didn't really seem to care if I had any knowledge or certifications, but they also have a much broader range of "workers" so maybe they just don't want to pigeon hole us. The nice thing about this site was that there is an option to sell email readings along with the standard phone and chat services. This is great for me, cause with a three year old screaming like a banshee most of the time, it is nice for clients to to have to listen to that. You get an 800 number and personal extension to advertise with. I really like the overall feel of this site, but in order to get more clients you need to be higher in the ratings and that costs money. So I am happy to sit at #37 (hey, that's still top 50 right?) but that also means that I don't get a ton of clients. I do have some repeats, and for me personally it is just the right pace. You can get paid via check like OneSun or via direct deposit which I love! Again, not a bad site.
Oranum.com
I HATE this site. I wanted to like it, because it gets a lot of traffic. This is another one of those sites that you have to pay to get higher in the ratings. Worse though is that you are REQUIRED to do a certain number of free minutes or discoounted minutes per month, so you get a lot of people who get their freebie and scamper. You are also required to do a certain amount of "on air time" for free. Hence the people staring vacantly into their webcam for hours at a time. They are just really good at fulfilling their requirement while getting other things done. Then there are the creepers. You know who you are - creepy ass people who think just because I have a webcam that I'll take my clothes off for you. Let's face it, I might think about it, but certainly not at what you are paying me on this site! I stayed with this site less then 3 months. I wanted more control over my schedule then I was getting from them.
Overall, I really don't recommend going this route. If you are really serious about going pro, you need your own website. You are in charge of everything from hours to payment method - and can do phone, email or chat. Whatever you are most comfortable with. If you are intimidated by the idea of designing your own site don't be. Shoot me a message and I will get you pointed in the right direction.