A Young Team Entering Upwork
Vestov is a Kyiv-based web development and staffing outsourcing company founded by Ihor Polkin and Volodymyr Shapovalov. With just five people on their team, they describe themselves as a small but ambitious company, specializing in staffing solutions for web development projects, with a strong early focus on WordPress.
When they first joined Upwork, they had been on the platform for about a year to a year and a half but were only actively working there for several months. Their account was completely fresh, with only one client feedback. They had no track record and no systematic process for finding clients.
Initially, Upwork wasn’t even part of their growth strategy. The founders planned to invest their efforts into building a high-quality website, launching outreach campaigns on LinkedIn, creating a presence on Clutch, and running email marketing to a targeted list of WordPress agencies in the US. But as often happens, plans met reality: the website took much longer than expected to finish, and these channels were slow to generate results.
Our strategy was to build a website, focus on LinkedIn, focus on Clutch, and do email marketing. But a website takes a lot of time if you want something with a wow effect. At some point, Igor suggested, ‘Let’s try Upwork’, and that’s when things started moving.
Challenges Before GigRadar
Like many new Upwork sellers, Vestov faced several challenges from the start:
- A brand-new account with no credibility beyond one review.
- Low conversion rates, typical for beginners.
- No dedicated resource for consistent proposal sending.
- Limited time to manage outreach manually.
- Strong competition from more established profiles.
They understood that sending proposals consistently was key to winning contracts, but they also knew they couldn’t commit the hours it required. Hiring someone to handle bidding was an option, but it came with human limitations: time zones, breaks, and potential inconsistency.
The Decision to Try GigRadar
The turning point came when Ihor attended a Kyiv Top Rated Club event, where other professionals explained how to set up a strong Upwork profile. Around the same time, their partner Florian discovered GigRadar.
From the very beginning, Vestov made the decision to skip manual bidding entirely and start their Upwork journey with automation.
We love everything that works systematically. You put some money in, and it does the work for you. I didn’t see any real competitors at the time, so it was a quick choice.
While they considered hiring someone to send bids, they quickly realized automation had major advantages:
- Proposals could be sent instantly, even at night.
- AI-generated proposals could mimic manual writing without relying on fixed templates.
- The volume of bids could be scaled without adding workload.
- Costs would be lower than a full-time bidding assistant.
Building the Foundation & Profile Optimization
Vestov knew that automation alone wouldn’t guarantee success. They invested in optimizing their Upwork profile to build credibility faster:
- Added a profile video to show they were real people.
- Obtained a verified badge to build trust.
- Purchased the Availability Badge for extra visibility.
- Selected a professional avatar that stood out among competitors.
- Narrowed their niche to WordPress and aligned all descriptions, portfolio items, and even GigRadar filters with this specialization.
We tried as much as possible, a video, verified profile, availability badge, nice avatar, and narrowing the niche. At that time, we were focusing on WordPress, so the portfolio, description, and even the video were all about WordPress.
Changing the Game
GigRadar became their primary way of finding clients. With automation handling proposal sending, they were able to bid on many more jobs than would have been possible manually. They particularly valued two features:
- Automated proposal submission — ensuring they were among the first to apply.
- AI-crafted proposals — allowing each application to feel personalized.
It’s better to have 10 leads with lower conversion than one lead with super high conversion. Automation gives you volume, and volume brings results.
They started with small contracts, sometimes as low as $150, focusing on collecting positive feedback to improve their profile reputation. This was a deliberate decision, as they knew better feedback would open doors to higher-value contracts later.
From $300 to $12,000 a Month
One of these small contracts changed everything. Vestov accepted a $300 landing page project that, on paper, didn’t look significant. Over time, this client evolved into a long-term partner who now pays $12,000/month for three developers. The collaboration started at $5K/month and steadily grew to the current level.
If we had set a filter to exclude clients under $500, we might never have found this one. You never know where a small project can lead.
This experience reinforced their belief that on Upwork, long-term value matters more than short-term profit.
Measurable Results
Since implementing GigRadar, Vestov has achieved:
- Multiple small projects that built profile credibility.
- A long-term retainer worth $12K/month.
- Around $40,000 in revenue in the last 12 months from an investment of about $2,000 (GigRadar + connects).
- Faster profile growth, making it easier to win higher-value jobs.
The initial investment paid off within a few months, even with a brand-new account. Their focus was never on immediate profitability but on building relationships with high-lifetime-value clients.
Why GigRadar Works for Them
For Vestov, GigRadar was not just a convenience but a core part of their strategy. It replaced the need for manual bidding, saved hours of time, and allowed them to focus on client delivery and business growth.
Nobody could give me a real reason not to try GigRadar. What’s the risk? You put in a small investment, and if you use it correctly, it works for you.
They also noted that while AI-generated proposals are now more common, this doesn’t reduce their effectiveness, especially if the work behind them is high quality.
Hopefully clients understand that behind AI proposals there are still real professionals doing the job. Not using AI is worse than using it badly. It’s just a tool. It depends on how you use it.
Advice for Others Considering GigRadar
Vestov’s key recommendations for other agencies and freelancers:
- Don’t expect instant results, think in terms of client lifetime value.
- Optimize your profile with video, badges, and niche positioning.
- Use small jobs to build trust before targeting high-value projects.
- Let automation handle outreach so you can focus on delivery.
Of course, use it. Don’t wait for instant profitability. Most of us on Upwork are looking for long-term clients, and GigRadar is a systematic way to get them.
Conclusion
By combining smart profile positioning with GigRadar’s automation, Vestov built credibility fast, scaled their outreach, and landed a life-changing long-term client. From a $300 landing page to a $12K/month retainer, their journey shows how strategic use of automation can transform a new Upwork profile into a thriving business channel.
Ready to find your own long-term clients?
Book a free demo with GigRadar today and see how automation can power your growth on Upwork.
