Community Forum

Is freelancing a viable primary income source, or should it just be a side hustle?

Some folks swear by freelancing full-time, saying it gives them freedom, flexibility, and the chance to make serious money without the 9-to-5 grind. They argue that with the right skills and clients, you can totally replace a traditional job and even surpass your previous salary. Plus, you get to be your own boss and work from anywhere. Sounds like a dream, right?

But then, there are those who think freelancing is too unstable to rely on as a main income. They say the feast-or-famine cycle, lack of benefits, and constant hustle to find new clients make it more suited as a side gig to supplement a steady job. They argue that having a traditional job provides more security, health insurance, and a predictable paycheck.

Let's not forget freelancers often have to compete with other freelancers offering similar or the same services for cheaper money. It's not fair at all and I can only recommend you need to know what you're worth. It's stressful but at the same time, for many of us, being a freelancer is what we do, and what we love.

I’m curious where you all stand on this. Have you tried freelancing full-time? Did it work out, or was it a nightmare? Or do you prefer keeping it as a side hustle while holding onto a traditional job for security?

Hi all,
I’ve pushed a handful of upgrades across the community to make everything feel more organized, flexible, and easier to use.

🔖 New Prefix System
Topics can now be labeled with colorful prefixes to help you quickly spot what a thread is about. You can click any prefix to filter topics, and this will take you to the dedicated prefix page showing richer topic cards with previews, author info, and stats. You can even expand posts with Show more to read the full content without leaving the page.



🖼️ Image Support + Full Editors for Listings & Providers
Listings and provider profiles now support images and come with a full editor so you can format your content exactly how you want.

📧 Expanded Email Digest & Notifications
Stay updated with daily or weekly summaries. Pick what you want included and manage your settings easily at your notification settings page.

📊 Customizable Dashboard Widgets
Drag and drop your dashboard layout and choose from widgets like stats, listings, notifications, messages, and transactions.

👤 Provider Profile Enhancements
Providers can now upload showcase images and format their directory descriptions with the new editor.

More updates soon! 👍

I have pushed a small batch of improvements across the community this week:

• Profile hover user cards are now live, giving you a quick snapshot of member activity without leaving the page.
• Fixed an issue where usernames were adding “%20” to profile links, making a few profiles impossible to open — those links are now behaving properly.
• Recent topic replies will no longer get chopped to two lines. You can now read the full topic and replies directly from the page.

A few additional polish tweaks and quiet fixes were included as well — nothing flashy, just keeping things smooth.

More updates soon! 👍

Hi everyone,

You can now create and showcase your Portfolio on AdminCollab!

It’s a big step forward in helping you show off your work and skills to your next potential customer. A full project, a redesign, or something experimental — you can feature whatever you like.

Customers can view and like your portfolio items, and your portfolio is automatically linked to your Provider Directory page and profile for better visibility. You can also feature specific items to highlight your best work.



We’ll be rolling out drag-and-drop reordering soon, along with a few refinements to make your portfolio look even better.

As always, we’d love your feedback — jump in and help us shape what comes next!

If you offer services to other community owners — design, setup, writing, management, development, or anything else — how do you decide what to charge?

Do you have a set rate, or does it depend on the project and the person?

Pricing can be tricky in this space since budgets and expectations vary so much. Some people prefer flat rates, others go hourly, and a few even trade services or run collaborations instead of cash deals.

How do you find that balance between being fair to yourself and affordable to others?

AdminCollab is all about connecting people — so let’s see what everyone brings to the table.

Are you a designer, developer, writer, marketer, or community manager or something else? Maybe you specialize in forum setup, theme design, or web/plugin development. Whatever your niche, drop a quick post about what you do and how others can collaborate with you.

Feel free to include examples, links, or even your rates if you offer paid services.

You never know who might need your help on their next project.

When it comes to working with other admins or creators, do you prefer paid collaborations — where everyone’s time and effort are compensated — or volunteer partnerships built more on passion and shared goals?

Both approaches can work, but they attract very different kinds of people and outcomes.

Paid collabs often bring accountability, while volunteer ones can feel more flexible and creative.

What’s worked better for you, and why?

When two (or more) admins team up, it can either go really well — or fall apart fast.

So what actually makes a good collaboration between admins?

Is it about clear communication, shared goals, trust, or just finding someone whose workflow matches yours? Have you ever teamed up on a project, event, or even merged communities — and what did you learn from it?

Let’s hear your experiences and thoughts. What makes a partnership between admins actually work?

I'm curious — what brought you here? What do you expect from AdminCollab?

Everyone joins for a reason. Maybe you’re here out of curiosity, looking to connect with other community owners, or hoping to collaborate on new projects. Or perhaps you want to offer your own assets, skills, or services and make a bit of money while doing it.

Whatever your reason, I’d love to hear what you’re hoping to get out of this place. What would make AdminCollab a win for you?

We’re just getting started, and there’s plenty more on the way. Here’s a glimpse at some of the features planned for the future in no particular order:

• Auctions – Buy, sell, and bid on domains, themes, and digital assets directly through AdminCollab.
• Design Contests – Compete or host community challenges for logos, themes, and creative work with rewards and recognition.
• Reputation System – Build trust through feedback, ratings, and successful collaborations.
• Verification Badges – Verified providers and trusted members will stand out with a badge of authenticity.
• Portfolios – Showcase your past work, services, and achievements all in one place.  Implemented!
• Badges & Levels – Earn badges and climb through levels as you contribute, collaborate, and grow within the community.

We’re building AdminCollab to be shaped by the people who use it.

If there’s a feature you’d love to see added, feel free to suggest it and help shape our future.

It’s always possible to expand our Provider Tags and Marketplace Categories.
If you feel that our current options are too limited, or you’re unsure where your offer fits, feel free to suggest new ones — we’re always open to ideas.

Current Marketplace Categories:

• Collaborations
• Services
• Buying & Selling
• Skill Swaps

Current Provider Tags:

• Theme Design
• Custom App Development
• Community Management
• Website Development
• Content Writing
• Graphic Design
• SEO Services
• Marketing
• Consulting
• Hosting
• API Development

Thanks,
AdminCollab team

For ages, I’ve had this idea quietly brewing in the background...

What if creators, freelancers, site owners, developers, content creators, and community builders had a single place to collaborate?

A place where swapping ads or guest posts didn’t require cold emails. A place where you could trade skills—design for development, SEO help for content writing—or even sell digital assets like domains and forum themes and offer your services.

A place built for us.

Today, that vision finally has a name:

AdminCollab.

As you can see AdminCollab isn’t a reskinned marketplace script with a logo slapped on top. Every page, every component, every mechanic has been hand-built from the ground up.