We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Will Business Plus Become Upwork's Next Big Growth Engine?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Upwork Inc. (UPWK - Free Report) is starting to look more than just a place for quick freelance gigs. With its new Business Plus plan, the company is going after bigger clients—and it’s working. In the last reported quarter, the number of active clients on Business Plus more than doubled. About 40% of them are brand new to Upwork, which is impressive considering Upwork hasn’t even spent much on marketing the plan. That shows the offer is meeting a clear need.
Business Plus gives clients a smoother hiring experience. They get access to Upwork’s top-vetted talent, help with shortlisting and Net-30 payment terms. These features are helping new customers move faster—from signing up to posting jobs—and spending more once they start hiring.
At the same time, Upwork’s larger Enterprise business is in a transition phase. But Business Plus is picking up some of that slack by pulling in larger, higher-value customers. And those customers are using the new features at high rates. Upwork sees strong early signs that Business Plus fits what these clients want. And it plans to keep improving the offering this year.
For investors, this could be important. If Business Plus keeps growing, it could help Upwork bring in more steady revenue from bigger customers. It’s the kind of shift that might not make headlines—but could matter a lot over time.
Upwork isn’t alone in trying to attract larger, higher-value clients. Fiverr (FVRR - Free Report) is also stepping up its game with Fiverr Pro, which is aimed at teams and bigger projects. Fiverr continues to expand its platform tools, and like Upwork, it's leaning into AI and premium services to boost average spend per client.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) LinkedIn remains a powerful force in the professional hiring space. LinkedIn Recruiting Solutions offers enterprise clients tailored sourcing tools, advanced filters, and AI-driven candidate recommendations. Backed by Microsoft’s ecosystem, LinkedIn is becoming a go-to for companies managing large-scale hiring.
As Upwork, Fiverr and LinkedIn expand their enterprise-facing offerings, Business Plus gives Upwork a more structured way to win over mid-to-large clients directly on its platform.
The Zacks Rundown for UPWK
Shares of Upwork have lost 20% year to date compared with the industry’s decline of 10%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, UPWK trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.25, lower than the industry and its own 5-year average.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Upwork’s earnings has been revised over the past 60 days.
Image: Bigstock
Will Business Plus Become Upwork's Next Big Growth Engine?
Upwork Inc. (UPWK - Free Report) is starting to look more than just a place for quick freelance gigs. With its new Business Plus plan, the company is going after bigger clients—and it’s working. In the last reported quarter, the number of active clients on Business Plus more than doubled. About 40% of them are brand new to Upwork, which is impressive considering Upwork hasn’t even spent much on marketing the plan. That shows the offer is meeting a clear need.
Business Plus gives clients a smoother hiring experience. They get access to Upwork’s top-vetted talent, help with shortlisting and Net-30 payment terms. These features are helping new customers move faster—from signing up to posting jobs—and spending more once they start hiring.
At the same time, Upwork’s larger Enterprise business is in a transition phase. But Business Plus is picking up some of that slack by pulling in larger, higher-value customers. And those customers are using the new features at high rates. Upwork sees strong early signs that Business Plus fits what these clients want. And it plans to keep improving the offering this year.
For investors, this could be important. If Business Plus keeps growing, it could help Upwork bring in more steady revenue from bigger customers. It’s the kind of shift that might not make headlines—but could matter a lot over time.
Upwork isn’t alone in trying to attract larger, higher-value clients. Fiverr (FVRR - Free Report) is also stepping up its game with Fiverr Pro, which is aimed at teams and bigger projects. Fiverr continues to expand its platform tools, and like Upwork, it's leaning into AI and premium services to boost average spend per client.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) LinkedIn remains a powerful force in the professional hiring space. LinkedIn Recruiting Solutions offers enterprise clients tailored sourcing tools, advanced filters, and AI-driven candidate recommendations. Backed by Microsoft’s ecosystem, LinkedIn is becoming a go-to for companies managing large-scale hiring.
As Upwork, Fiverr and LinkedIn expand their enterprise-facing offerings, Business Plus gives Upwork a more structured way to win over mid-to-large clients directly on its platform.
The Zacks Rundown for UPWK
Shares of Upwork have lost 20% year to date compared with the industry’s decline of 10%.
From a valuation standpoint, UPWK trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.25, lower than the industry and its own 5-year average.
See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Upwork’s earnings has been revised over the past 60 days.
Upwork stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has a VGM Score of B. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here