Increasing chances of winning bids on freelancer

New to freelancer, I would like to obtain help from an experienced user with skills in business, accounting, management. Until I have made some income through freelancer, I am not ready to pay for the multiple certifications and account upgrades that they offer. Your proposal and advice have to take this into account. I expect an honest synopsis of the problems that you went through when starting on freelancer, the multiple actions that you undertook, and the strategies that you now use to win bids.