The next pay day is not until next week and you're running low on cash. This scenario has been going on for months now. Somehow, you need to find a way to make up for the remaining days' expenses. But how do you do it? A regular job is the only thing that is financing your needs, and you know the pay isn't quite enough.

Here comes online Freelancing, where you can work on a specific number of hours in the comfort of your own home. You don't need to pass any application; you can start right away by signing up on any freelance website. These websites offer business process outsourcing services to people and companies worldwide. It's like earning more without all the extra physical effort.

Feel a bit excited about the idea? Before jumping right in front of your desktop and surfing the web for freelance jobs, let me fill you in first with the basics of online freelancing.

From the term itself, online freelancing is all about doing freelance or part-time jobs over the Internet. It's different from the ordinary freelancing, since all the negotiations and work will be done in the freelancer's own desktop. This factor can be a great advantage for professionals who want to earn extra cash but do not have ample time to commute from one workplace to another.

Negotiation for payment of freelance work is very flexible online. You can charge it per day, per hour, per project or via value-based pricing, instead of the traditional flat rate. You can request for a deposit fee, and the full payment upon the completion of the project.

You also have the choice of working independently or sign up with freelance websites to help you get projects easily, although many freelancers nowadays go for the former option.

Before signing up for a freelancing website, you need to have the following to make your freelancing venture more productive:

- A website or a blog promoting yourself and showcasing your portfolio
- A landline or cell phone number with the sole purpose of receiving calls from prospect clients and interacting with them
- An e-business card, with all your contact details (cell phone number, Skype account, YM account) to help your prospect clients easily reach you
- A few references would greatly help, but these come mostly from past clients. You can gather most of this when you've accomplished projects already

Now, where do you find freelance jobs online? Actually, there is a vast number of projects that you can choose from. Here are some websites where freelancers look into for projects:

1. Craigslist
2. oDesk
3. Elance
4. Sologig
5. Hour.ly
6. Freelance Switch

The following are outsourcing services that are in demand among freelance websites:

- Music
- Journalism
- Publishing
- Screenwriting
- Filmmaking
- Acting
- Photojournalism
- Cosmetics, fragrances
- Editing
- Photography
- Event planning
- Event management
- Copyediting, proofreading, indexing, copywriting
- Computer programming
- Design, graphic design
- Website development
- Consulting
- Tour guiding
- Video editing, video production
- Translating and illustrating

In a Philippine call center, job opportunities for professionals who opt to work freelance are available. These outsourcing companies hire freelancers for projects that don't need a complete set of workers, but can operate with a lesser number of people for a specific number of hours. The medium of communication is the Internet, where they can conduct online meetings.

In present times, it is not only companies, but also individuals, that do outsourcing. When it comes to outsourcing Philippines is one of the top performing countries that hold a growing number of BPO companies and freelance BPO workers.

Now, have you seen your strength in the BPO industry? Do you think you can build your niche in freelancing? The Internet offers a wide variety of things to do and get money from. It's up to you on how you choose your next project and give it your best performance for you to have an extra income.