How to Become a Freelance Graphic Designer

How to Become a Freelance Graphic Designer If you’ve always had a passion for art, illustration, and other forms of graphic design, then you really do have a marketable skill. Whether you’re looking for a little side gig to earn you fun money through college or are hoping to make a full-time career out of graphic design, you can do it. There are so many businesses and entrepreneurs out there in need of a talented creative mind with the artistic skills that they are lacking. Our guide on how to become a freelance graphic designer will offer everything you need to know to get started turning your passion into a paycheck. Before we get too deep into it, you need to understand that there really is demand for graphic design. It’s always been a need, and it always will be. So if any naysayers are telling you to get a real job, just point them to this list of people who regularly pay for graphic art. Small Business Owners. More than 600,000 businesses launch every year . Do you think that every plumber, roofer, restaurant owner, and retailer has the artistic skill they need to make a good first impression? Probably not. They’ll need a professional who knows what they’re doing for logos, business cards, pamphlets, brochures, and more. Web Masters. If you think there are a lot of business start ups who need your skills, wait till you hear the stats on websites. Almost 400 new websites are created every minute. By the time you finish reading this post, that means more than a thousand new websites will have been born. And plenty of them will need someone to design images, banners, and other graphics. Marketers. Graphic designers are called upon for just about every form of visual marketing you can think of. There are about 341,000 billboards dotting the United States, and you can bet a lot of them had a professional designer behind the scenes. Vehicle wraps, posters, packaging, mailers, and branding materials are similar graphics that marketers employ on a regular basis that require an artistic eye. https://www.legiit.com/ Learning how to become a freelance graphic designer obviously starts with being awesome at what you do. Whether you are self-taught or formally trained, what matters most to your clients is delivering high quality work consistently. For this reason, you need to take an honest assessment of your skills and fill in what’s missing. The wider your skill set, the more marketable you are going to be to clients. For example, if a business owner hires you to design a logo, they may later look to you for help with an infographic or marketing mailer. You want to be in a position where you can say “Yes!” rather than “Let me train myself first”. At the same time, you don’t have to know how to do everything. As a freelancer, you get to pick and choose your clients and the jobs you’ll take on. So if you […]

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How Good Is Freelance.com SA (EPA:ALFRE), When It Comes To ROE?

While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. By way of learning-by-doing, we’ll look at ROE to gain a better understanding of Freelance.com SA ( EPA:ALFRE ). Over the last twelve months Freelance.com has recorded a ROE of 13% . Another way to think of that is that for every €1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn €0.13. How Do I Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit ÷ Shareholders’ Equity Or for Freelance.com: 13% = €4.4m ÷ €34m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders’ equity is a little more complicated. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. You can calculate shareholders’ equity by subtracting the company’s total liabilities from its total assets. What Does ROE Mean? ROE measures a company’s profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The ‘return’ is the yearly profit. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing . That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses. Does Freelance.com Have A Good ROE? Arguably the easiest way to assess company’s ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. The image below shows that Freelance.com has an ROE that is roughly in line with the Professional Services industry average (16%). ENXTPA:ALFRE Past Revenue and Net Income, September 21st 2019 That’s neither particularly good, nor bad. ROE doesn’t tell us if the share price is low, but it can inform us to the nature of the business. For those looking for a bargain, other factors may be more important. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). How Does Debt Impact ROE? Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won’t affect the total equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. Combining Freelance.com’s Debt And Its 13% Return On Equity While Freelance.com does have some debt, with debt to equity of just 0.34, we wouldn’t say debt is excessive. Its very respectable ROE, combined with only modest debt, suggests the business is […]

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Steps to Writing a Cold Email to Get Clients

Getting Clients by Writing Cold Email

Does this describe you?

You have utilized freelancing websites like Upwork.

You enjoy a steady supply of work that has allowed you to develop your skills as a writer.

You have an extensive portfolio that spans many industries, but you have also found a niche that you most recently have focused all your efforts on.

You write all the live-long day, but you don’t seem to be increasing your income.

If this describes you, it may be time for you to be more proactive. After all, you have a skill that few people have. There are struggling business owners who need someone to bring in clients. Instead of waiting for those business owners to come to you, perhaps it is time to sell your services directly to them.

To begin the process of finding such clients, perhaps you want to try a cold emailing campaign.

Here are some things to consider as you attempt to grow your SEO business.

1. Start with your niche.

In the process of developing your business, hopefully, you have found your niche. As you attempt to find higher-paying customers, your niche is the best place to start.

Before you send a copy and pasted email to all the local businesses in your niche, you should develop a plan. Instead of finding new clients who will pay you a similar fee to what you have been earning, why not focus on clients who can pay you hundreds or thousands a month for an effective SEO strategy?

For example, if your niche is lawn care, you should focus your efforts on lawn care companies that could afford to pay a substantial amount for your services. You probably want to avoid the small mom and pop business that can’t afford a large SEO budget. You don’t want to work longer hours. You want to work for more money.

Instead, try to find lawn care companies with regional, state-wide, or national presence.

2. Find large or profitable businesses within your niche that need your assistance.

The next step is to do a Google search for businesses in your niche in a specific area. Instead of picking the companies that appear at the top of your Google search, scan the list to find businesses that appear near the bottom or on page two or three. Again, your goal is to look for large enough companies that can afford to pay you decently, but at the same time, companies that are struggling with their current (or non-existent) SEO strategies.

Besides using a basic Google search to get ideas on who to reach out to, you will also want to spend time with your favorite keyword research software. Whether you use Ahrefs, Moz Pro, or Google Keyword Planner, look for a keyword related to your niche industry. Find sites that have a domain rating between 0 and 10. You may also want to see how much traffic they actually get.

Finally, also pay attention to the companies that appear as a paid ad for a specific keyword. If those companies do not rank organically as well, they may also need the SEO expertise that you can provide.

3. Send a personalized email.

Once you have the names of the target companies based on your research, find the contact info and name of the owner or manager of the company. It is up to you if you want to reach out to the marketing department. These people may not be as open to your services since if they were doing their jobs, the company would rank higher.

Although personalized emails may take more time, it may be worthwhile in the long run. In your short, but sweet, email, mention that you noticed that their company ranked 23rd or 38th when typing in the keywords “lawn services Denver.” You may even want to send a screenshot showing the Google search.

This email doesn’t have to be lengthy but asks if you can schedule a call or a visit to talk about your ideas for a new SEO campaign. You may even want to include a link that would allow them to make an appointment directly from the email.

4. Follow through.

Once you have a scheduled appointment on your calendar, make sure you show up for it. Whether it is a call or an in-person meeting, salespeople fail when they don’t follow through with their clients.

That’s it! Will it take time to complete this process? Of course, it will! But as a result, you could work a lot fewer hours each week and make a lot more money.

This article was originally posted at Freelancing buzz.

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Benefits of Freelance Gig Economy for Employers

The biggest ways the freelance gig economy benefits businesses: What is a Freelance Business Gig ? Workers are the most flexible option for gig employers. They can often level the playing field with larger more well established competition, by providing access to very large, talented, diverse, and highly skilled resources from around the world, at affordable prices. Gig workers allow for flexible scale and deployment opportunities, leading to a more efficient use of working capital. Every new freelance services post (your post) will be linked to thousands of Communal News articles, including the news focused on your area of expertise. https://communalmp.com/ As a paid contractor the business doesn’t have to worry about paying employment taxes or workers compensation. This not only helps save costs, but it greatly reduces the amount of bureaucracies, accounting and regulatory requirements within the company. Accessing gig workers is a way to expand into new markets with lower company overhead, but it also helps elevate the average experience or talent level of your workers, speeding up production time . For those who can’t afford the overhead cost associated with full-time workers, Freelance Business Gigs are an excellent path . This also gives employers the freedom to work in much smaller spaces, even virtually, because they don’t require a work area for in-house staff. Often gig employers are surprised to find that many of the people who offer their services for a short contract (gig), are some of the very best in their fields. Many of these workers have highly competitive skills, but they don’t like the corporate culture and want total freedom. They specialize in specific industries, and they often list their services on a gig platform so they can have total control over their destiny. As the gig professions progress what is rarely discussed is that employers have an early opportunity to secure fantastic offers. Most freelancers go into this work with the goal of building relationship with preferred clients, or at the very least encouraging repeated arrangements. This new gig economy is changing the world . Newest Freelance Gigs Submit Your Ad Here… Due to the freedoms and flexibility freelancing creates, gig workers can select when and how often they work as well as their location. Freelancers set their own schedules, often pick the projects, and never have to ask for time off. For many it’s a dream come true. Most companies start with a quick hire opportunity as their online strategy . However, in our experience employers benefit most from repeated exposure, where you become a “committed employer” as your company builds its own community of repeat “gig” workers, much the way a home contractor might hire many subcontractors prior to a development. You should keep good documentation of every gig and build a primary and secondary list of gig workers based on their particular function and/or skill, that way you even have a quick backup. Plus, you should always be open to upgrading your gig community. This commitment greatly improves your […]

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City publishes first draft of freelance workers protections policy

City officials and local freelancers hope the proposal will help increase client accountability. Hailee Schievelbein As more people turn to the gig economy as their main source of income, city officials are looking to help independent workers hold stingy clients accountable. Building on protections laid out by wage theft legislation on both the city and state levels earlier this year, city of Minneapolis officials published the first draft of an ordinance Sept. 12 that would outline protections for freelance workers. While still in its early stages, local freelancers hope the policy will help retrieve payment from clients who fail to pay for their services. As a companion piece to the city’s wage theft policy that will go into effect in January, the freelance workers protections ordinance would provide steps for the city to take if employers fail to compensate freelancers for their work. City officials first announced their intent to draft the proposal at a City Council committee meeting in June. “As we are seeing our economy shift, it’s really important that we as a governing body adapt to these changes,” Ward 4 City Council Member Phillipe Cunningham said at the meeting. “I’m grateful to be able to be a part of this work.” The policy, co-authored by Cunningham, Ward 13 City Council member Linea Palmisano and Ward 3 City Council member Steve Fletcher, requires employers to establish a written contract for potential independent workers. Employers who violate the agreement will have to pay compensatory damages to the freelancer, in addition to the unpaid wage, and face a fine of up to $3,000 by the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. Metropolitan State University student and freelance photographer Awa Mally said the possibility of untimely payment is something she considers before agreeing to work with every client. The policy would make getting compensation from clients for unpaid work much easier, she said. “Just messaging people doesn’t work because they’re not accountable to anything,” Mally said. “If the City gets involved, and it’s a law, then people have to respond and be liable for the agreements that they made.” Seventy-one percent of independent workers have trouble getting paid on time by clients at least once in their careers, according according to a 2015 report from nonprofit organization Freelancers Union. The same report says the average freelancer loses up to $6,000 per year from unpaid work. Hibak Mohamed, a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and photographer, said she hasn’t always been paid on time for her work in the past. “I’ve had instances where I’d get paid really late, like I’d do a project and then I’d get paid for it like three to four months afterwards,” Mohamed said. “That’s like a really big issue within the freelance writing community.” The Minnesota Legislature passed a wage theft bill late last session that would make minimum wage violations and withholding tips a felony. New York City’s 2017 Freelance Isn’t Free Act was the first policy on the city level to penalize employers for failing to […]

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One of the Best Markets for Freelance Business is Gig Publishing – Allowing Writers to Offer Their Work Direct to Business

Writers and journalist have possibly experienced the biggest single employment disruption since the Internet entered our lives. It has displaced the entire traditional paper publishing business as we know it. Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, yellow pages, the entire market is either gone or just a fraction of what it use to be. With our tremendous viewer leverage, we believe Communal Marketplace will achieve the network effect even faster than Communal News, and we don’t know of any platform that has this level of news-driven, enterprise-wide, free promotion directed solely so our clients can achieve a significantly higher level of success. https://communalmp.com/ What are writers to do? The need for good writers has not disappeared by any means. However, the platforms and the manner of publishing has seen a massive tsunamis of change. Articles claim: “reporters become bartenders and baristas while looking for work” and also, “in most industries, employers can’t find enough people to fill the jobs they have open but in news, it has been the opposite story. And it seems to have been accelerating.” Writers need to look ahead to the next business cycle instead of focusing on the past. Yes, many people still want that big corporate job, but it involves playing the game of musical chairs for decades and, over time, most workers lose. It’s time to look ahead, to a way of riding the Internet wave. How about posting your services on a freelance business gig platform ? If you understand the theories of disruptive technology, it’s much harder to stay in a dying industry then it is to grow within the new dynamic industries that are causing the disruption. One of the most robust disruptions is coming from the freelance gig service for business. You can start out reading about freelance business gigs for beginners here . You might consider specializing in writing for micro fields, where you become an expert. Start by offering 450 words for a set fee. Start low to build a clientele and a reputation. It doesn’t have to be a specific topic; it might be a type of writing. Focus on one area: Green Energy, Social media writing , religion, money, finance, even writing for blogs, websites , or news articles , ect. Whatever you choose, work hard to become an expert. The only cost in the beginning is your time. The effort to market yourself as a writer is also very low. You can do this while you’re bartending or being a barista and transition until it’s full-time work. The pay will not be the same as the corporate job, nope. That is part of the major technology disruption. This is a gig market and only over time, providing good work, will you gain trusting clients. But some have become very successful, especially the high skilled writers who understand regulatory documentation, cannabis and cannabis regulations, global governess, compliance polices, etc. There are countless ways to be useful to people running businesses . Many companies are looking for that […]

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Learn how to build your own freelance business and become a ‘solopreneur’

TL;DR: Become your own boss with this entrepreneurship training bundle — just $39 in the Mashable Shop. Pivoting from traditional employment to being a freelancer is good in theory, but it’s not as easy as what others make it out to be. Sure, you’ll get to manage your own schedule and do what you love every day, but you will still need a lot of guidance if you want to survive on your own. And you can get that from this online class on how to become a solopreneur . Comprised of 10 courses, this bundle lets you in on what you need to know to build a self-employed empire from scratch — and it will only set you back $39. Here’s a quick sneak peek of what you’ll learn: Freelance Bootcamp: The Comprehensive Guide If you have nary an idea on how to develop your freelancing business, use this guide as your springboard. From creating a portfolio to crafting proposals to even designing a marketing system that generates leads, it details the exact process of building and launching a lucrative freelance venture. The Modern Digital Marketing Master Course Being savvy with digital marketing is useful when it comes to helping clients gain exposure, but especially for growing your own business. This course is designed to help you grow your own digital marketing business through its comprehensive curriculum of over 140 video lectures. Expect to learn the ins and outs of modern digital marketing, including selling on Amazon and generating traffic that drives sales. Modern Copywriting: Writing Copy That Sells in 2019 Let your words do all the heavy lifting for you. This course is dedicated to training you to craft copy that can make people take action. Whether you’re writing a headline, sales copy, or social media posts, this training will fill you in on the persuasion techniques that stir up emotion in your reader, as well as the formula to writing copy that draws people in. Microsoft Excel: Data Visualization with Excel Charts and Graphs We hate to break it to you, but handling your own business means that you’ll also be dealing with numbers. Lots of them. That sounds icky, we know, but you can at least make it bearable by doing the number crunching in Excel. This course will help you gain a deeper understanding of the ubiquitous spreadsheet app and equip you with the data visualization skills needed to run a business. Master of SEO The bundle also includes a comprehensive SEO course, in which you’ll understand just how useful and powerful it is. You’ll get a primer on Search Engine Marketing, learn what works in the inbound marketing realm, and understand what it takes to convert leads into paying customers. When purchased separately, the courses in the bundle would set you back nearly $2,000, but for a limited time, you can take home the entire set for only $39 . The Become A Solopreneur Expert Bundle — $39 See Details

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Brexit-Proof Your Freelance Business By Asking These 5 Questions

In the UK , it feels like no one knows where they stand when it comes to Brexit . As the clock runs down on negotiations, few answers about legislations, regulations, or whether we’ll leave with a deal are forthcoming. That Brexit will affect all of us in different ways is certain but how, and even when, remains to be seen. Professionals can feel the effect of uncertainty in many industries, but what can freelancers do to protect themselves? There are ways not only to shore up your profits and revenue streams, but to make the transition work for you. For the next few months at least, Brexit confusion seems set to continue. But the first thing freelancers can do to give themselves certainty is to stay informed. How will Brexit affect my international clients? We know that businesses most likely to be affected by a departure from the EU are those dealing in imports and exports . As such, the UK government tax department HMRC is providing guidance. Reading up and getting ready for the worst outcomes can only stand your business in good stead. The Irish government has also launched Prepare For Brexit , a website offering information to businesses about how they can best manage Brexit’s impact. The guidance focuses on the Irish perspective (from within the EU) so it’s useful for those with European clients, but is still applicable in many ways to those in Britain. Beyond official government advice, business expert Erica Wolfe-Murray recommended paying attention to what’s happening in your clients’ industries. She explained, “It’s about being inventive around what you do, looking at who you’re supplying, thinking about what’s impacting their markets, who else could step into that marketplace. You’ve got to constantly have your radar on.” Should I anticipate changes in clientele because of Brexit? A dramatic shift in client base is something freelance content writer and photographer Matt Mason has experienced first-hand. “My e-commerce client base collapsed this year. I no longer have work from online web retailers despite them being [around] 80 percent of my client base just four years ago. I put its severity down to the value of the pound and import prices,” he said. Mason’s experience shows the value of understanding not just what’s happening to your clients, but what’s happening with businesses further up the food-chain. “Small tech businesses rely on investor and partner funding from SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) and in turn, they from larger businesses,” he explained. “As big businesses pull out, SMEs lose work, [meaning] fewer opportunities for start-ups and much less writing work. Start-ups are doing this in-house already, I suspect, and turning to people like me only when they’ve grown enough.” But keeping informed about what might be affecting revenue shouldn’t stop at your clients. Financial coach Linda Davies Carr said it’s worth seeking expert advice for your own business during times of uncertainty, particularly about financial aspects likely to change like VAT. She added, “Ensure you are […]

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How to Write a Freelance Proposal that Will Get You Hired

Writing Freelance Proposal and Get Hired

You may be the most skilled computer programmer or the best content writer on the planet. Maybe you are willing to work 18-hour days and are happy to complete any project. None of that matters if you can’t write a good freelance proposal.

If you have sent out a ton of requests for work, and all you have heard back is crickets, it’s time to up your game. Try some of these strategies and see if they increase your hire rate.

Experiment with wording. Keep track of the proposals that get responses.

Every customer is different, but some of your proposals may be more attractive to business owners than others.

Look back at the proposals you sent to your previous customers. Is there a pattern with the wording? Do you start with your work experience rather than your education?

If you do see a pattern, use those proposals as a starting place to create a template.

Keep it concise.

Those hiring freelancers are probably inundated with proposals. They don’t have the time or energy to wade through paragraphs with six or seven sentences describing every job you’ve ever had.

Get to the point quickly. Mimic a haiku rather than Moby Dick, unless the job posting is written like Moby Dick. More on that later.

Address the client by name.

If you work through Upwork or some other freelancing website, you may have access to the name of the client. Often this can be found in the client’ recent history. Other freelancers may refer to the person by name in their reviews.

Using your client’s name will tell him or her that you are willing to go that extra mile to make your work exciting for your audience. Plus, people like seeing their names in print. It makes them feel important.

Answer the client’s questions.

Many times, a client will hide something within a job post that says, start your cover letter with the name of your favorite color. Although this seems like a silly request, it’s actually quite a brilliant maneuver.

Your client wants to make sure you are able to follow all of the directions for a job. If you don’t submit articles correctly or on time, it wastes your client’s energy and time. They can weed out those who can’t follow a simple direction easily if their proposal is not formatted correctly.

Your client may ask you to address other specific qualifications. Make sure you answer those questions. Your client will wade through dozens of proposals. They may not want to take the time to ask you again whether or not you have written for a particular industry or not.

Start with a template, but mimic the tone of the job posting.

As a freelancer, you may be writing dozens of proposals per week.  Once you have found a great opening line, you will want to use it for all your clients. That’s why having a template is essential. It will save you time and allow you to write proposals faster.

But this doesn’t mean you should simply copy and paste proposals. As mentioned in the previous tip, you need to make sure you answer the appropriate questions that are listed in the job listing.

You may also consider mimicking the tone of the writer of your job posting. If the job posting is quick and to the point, consider writing your proposal in that style as well. 

If the job listing is full of flowery language and speaks to the more emotional side of writing, write your proposal in this style.

Look at the company’s website.

Sometimes clients will give their company’s name or website in the listing. If they did, use this as an opportunity to learn more about the company. Mention specifics from the website in your job proposal. Again, this will make you look as if you are willing to go above and beyond the ordinary freelancer.

Be careful not to offer too much criticism or feedback about the content you would be replacing on the website. You don’t know who wrote the previous material or designed the current site. It could be the person reading your proposal.

Always give examples of your work.

If you are a beginning freelancer, you may not have a lot of work samples. This makes landing those first jobs difficult. In fact, you may have to work for next to nothing until you have some experience under your belt.

Upwork allows you to attach up to 10 examples to a job proposal. Try to have ten cleaned-up, beautifully edited pieces to attach.

Freelancing can be a tough gig. Make sure your unprofessional proposals aren’t keeping you from getting hired.

This article was originally posted at Freelancing buzz!

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Tech, freelancers help businesses work with fewer staffers

NEW YORK (AP) — Using technology to run her practice lets defense attorney Susan Williams give clients the time and attention they need. Williams decided years ago she didn’t want a large staff that would require her to increase her caseload simply to have the money to pay her employees. She has one part-time assistant and uses software for tasks like scheduling and sharing documents with clients. “I never want to have a practice where people feel like their lawyer is being spread too thin,” says Williams, who is based in Charleston, South Carolina. Small business owners who want or need to limit hiring have developed strategies that allow them to work more cheaply. Many have embraced software and apps that do administrative tasks, make manufacturing more efficient or provide quick customer service. Many owners use freelancers or independent contractors rather than employees; companies save money on employment costs, and also have more flexibility when they need specific talents or expertise for a project. These trends have contributed to the often erratic pace of small business hiring since the Great Recession. Last week, payroll company ADP said its small business customers created 66,000 jobs in August. That was after adding just 1,000 in July and cutting 11,000 in June and 34,000 in May. Williams uses technology to keep her overhead down, but her practice management software also makes communication with clients easier; it sends messages, shares documents and has a calendar that lets clients, witnesses and other attorneys know about court dates, meetings and other events. Taking on more clients to pay for more staffers would detract from Williams’ ability to give each case the attention it needs. “Clients are facing difficult, possibly life-altering scenarios with their case outcomes,” she says. “Quality is far more important than quantity when the stakes are this high.” Expect small businesses to keep automating. A report from the Brookings Institution released in January said that approximately 36 million people, or a quarter of the current U.S. workforce, could see the majority of their work done by machines that use current technology. The savings at any company depends on how much it pays staffers. Office workers, for example, earned a median salary of $32,730 last year, according to the Labor Department. Add in expenses including benefits, payroll taxes and state-mandated costs like workers compensation insurance, and it’s a considerable expense for a small business. Money and efficiency aren’t the only factors when owners rely on technology rather than humans. Not all business owners have the time or inclination to be managers. Moreover, some find that with a larger staff they have less flexibility when it comes to saying yes or no to new business; they must bring in revenue so they can pay employees. At some companies, the transition has occurred as technology has changed how society works. Tom Nardone’s company used to have two or three customer service people to answer the phones, take orders and field questions. But most customers now prefer […]

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I’m a Good Writer So Why Am I Struggling in the Freelance Market?

You knew you were born to be a writer. So, you leaped into freelancing. But it’s been harder than you thought it would be. Being a good writer isn’t enough; you’re an entrepreneur now. You looked all the right freelancing forums and job boards . You’ve niched down. You follow Neil Patel religiously. And you pitch. And you pitch. And you pitch. But you’re still struggling. And seeing other new writers out there killing it isn’t helping your confidence . You find yourself thinking, “What the heck am I doing wrong? What do they have that I don’t?” Chances are, you aren’t thinking like a BOSS. It might be time for some tough love. Being a good writer isn’t enough; you’re an entrepreneur now. You own your own business. Let that sink in for a minute. You aren’t just a writer you are a business owner. Because that’s what this is, even if you only devote a few hours a week to it. It’s a business. And if you aren’t treating your freelancing as a serious business, you can’t expect potential clients to either. So, in the words of my girl, Lizzo, it’s time for you to “Boss up and change your life.” There are plenty of resources out there to help you with the administrative aspects of running a business ; this post is all about making the mental shift necessary to succeed when you are in business for yourself. It’s hard work and demanding of your time and energy, but let me tell you, it feels so damn good when you start to see YOUR business grow. You’re the Boss Now – Ditch the Employee Mindset It’s up to you to make the decisions. And I mean ALL the decisions, big and small. Working at a full-time job, you have a time that you are expected to show up, eat your lunch, and go home for the day. You may not have a heavy-handed manager, but your boss generally dictates what you do at work and when. Not so anymore, my friend. It’s all on you now, and it’s up to you to make decisions that will move you forward on your entrepreneurial journey! It’s time to get used to wearing all the hats. (They look good on you anyway.) Time management is going to be critical here. Again, as an employee, someone else is managing your time. As a freelancer, time management is on you. And working from home often means you are dealing with more distractions than just the lure of Facebook and your coworker telling you what they did at the bar last Saturday night. There’s housework that needs to be done, a friend that wants you to go out for drinks later, and the kids still aren’t in bed. The distractions are non-stop. Some ways that I have found to manage my time and avoid distractions: Prioritize what’s important to you. Get crystal clear on areas of your life where you can stop […]

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The Five Types of Freelance Workers:

Don’t miss another episode of Truth In Data! Click on the red bell in the lower-left corner of your screen to receive notifications as soon as the episode publishes. Data for today’s episode is provided by Mercator Advisory Group’s viewpoint – Payments for Work in the U.S. Gig Economy . The Five Types of Freelance Workers: Independent Contractors, who work on a ‘temporary or suppliamental’ basis, are tied for the largest single category of freelance workers (31%). Diversified Workers, who use a mix of traditional and freelance income, are tied for largest with 31%. Moonlighters make up the the bulk of remainder (26%), who have a primary traditional job plus freelance work. Freelance buisness owners make up a 6% minority who consider themselves both freelancer and business owner. Temp workers also share a 6% minority – with a single employer, client job, or contract. A recent Gallop poll estimates there are 57 million freelance workers in the U.S. According to Gallop, 43% of those workers rely entirely on that type of work, while 57% perform gig work in addition to traditional work. About the Viewpoint The gig economy encompasses a growing percentage of the U.S. population and shows no sign of retreating. From the casual “side hustle” to freelance work that represents a worker’s sole source of income, the gig economy is presenting some interesting challenges and opportunities for banking and payment providers.

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Online Part-Time Jobs for Students

Are you a college student or even a high schooler who wants to work online? Working online in college was how I afforded to pay my rent and tuition, so I’m a huge supporter of online part-time jobs for students. Why part-time jobs? I’ve already written a full guide to the best online jobs for college students that could be full-time gigs, so why part-time? Basically, as a college student, you need time to study, make friends, and just be in college. A full-time job is really demanding, so it’s best to avoid it until you graduate! In this guide, I’ll share the best work online jobs for college students that won’t demand all of your time. In general, you’ll only need between 10-20 hours a week to make good money online with one of these gigs. Why Work Online Part-Time in College? As I said before, college students need time to just be students! Working full-time in college is hard to keep up with, and it can get in the way of your academics. In addition, working one of these part-time online jobs in college has some surprising benefits: Build real-life job experience Get references to use when applying to “real” jobs Learn more about what you want to do If it wasn’t for my own experience working online in college, I don’t know that I would have ever discovered my passion for writing for the web. Now, I’m so happy for the time I spent working online part-time as a student. It changed my life! 1. Freelance Writing First, one of the easiest online part-time jobs for students is to become a freelance writer. While you will need to know how to write, there’s no experience necessary. You don’t even need to be studying English! As long as you’re a strong writer and you know a few things about how to write for the web, you can get paid to write. To get started, check out these 20 websites that pay writers for their work. In addition, check out my free downloadable guide to working as a freelance writer in college. As a freelance writer, I create online content for businesses. I write mainly about marketing and technology, but you can write about just about anything. 2. Virtual Assistant Another great way to make money online part-time is as a virtual assistant. As a virtual assistant, you’ll act as a digital administrator, helping with tasks and duties like you would in an office. Who hires virtual assistants? Bloggers, professionals, and even small businesses. You can either pitch clients yourself, or you can use a company that hires freelance virtual assistants. Here are a few popular options: Belay – Belay hires independent contractors who work from home as virtual assistants. You’ll be paired with a client that matches your availability and experience. Time, Etc. – Similar to Belay, Time, Etc. hires virtual assistants as long as they’re able to work 3+ hours each week. While you’ll mainly be […]

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Diverse workplace is key to attracting freelancers

The demand for talent is at an all-time high, and companies need to focus on building out robust and effective diversity and inclusion strategies that attract both permanent and contingent talent, according to new data released by Randstad Sourceright. According to results from the firm’s 2019 Talent Trends survey (registration), 72 percent of permanent talent and 71 percent of contingent talent find it important to work with a company that emphasises creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. The gig economy in the US is growing exponentially, and with projections of freelancers making up almost half of the US workforce by 2027 , employers are keen on engaging this talent pool. As employers consider the total workforce ? including a combination of traditional permanent employees, independent contractors, freelancers, statement of work (SOW) talent and others ? companies need to highlight how they meet the needs of all workers to attract top talent. Globally, 87 percent of human capital leaders have committed to making diversity and inclusion a priority for their organisations, according to a PwC survey on global diversity and inclusion, and this commitment is starting to translate into action. In just two years, the total number of companies with greater than 30 percent diversity increased from 64 companies to 75 companies between 2016 and 2018. Companies that invest in diverse workforces have shown to perform better financially than those who do not What organisations have failed to realise, however, is that their diversity and inclusion strategies are not only important to their full-time hires, the report argues. Diversity and inclusion initiatives are becoming instrumental to company recruitment and retention efforts and must be universal in a time when our workforce is undergoing rapid change. Permanent talent wants an organisation that recognises the value of everyone’s perspectives and allows them to create and build a long-term career. The gig economy, on the other hand, is already so diverse and is seeking employers who emulate that same sense of acceptance and community. Companies that invest in diverse workforces have shown to perform better financially than those who do not. A McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for gender and ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 15 percent and 35 percent, respectively. “The expectations employees have of their employer are evolving and our latest survey shows just how important diversity has become to prospective hires,” said Rebecca Henderson, CEO, Randstad Global Businesses and Executive Board member. “Employers looking to attract top talent must focus on communicating how much they value people and diverse perspectives, not just the financial value they provide.” “With an overwhelming majority of respondents calling for more diversity and inclusion strategies, human capital professionals should be proactive in disclosing their talent and growth strategies and be transparent in how they plan to achieve those goals,” said Cindy Keaveney, chief people officer of Randstad Sourceright. You may also like…

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How to Find Your Freelancing Niche

Choosing Your Freelancing Niche

Some freelancers are like brick and mortar business owners. They enter the freelancing world with a business plan, contacts, health insurance, retirement plans, and clients.

Others. Not so much.

If you began freelancing without much of a plan, you may have started accepting work without having a freelancing niche. Before you spend any more time beating your head against the wall, trying to increase your income, let’s discuss the importance of finding focus in your work. And how you go about doing that.

The Importance of Finding Your Niche.

You could work for years accepting work from any client who offers a tidbit of money. The freelancing sites will keep you busy with that kind of work. With the right work ethic and perfect customer reviews, you could probably even find work that will keep you busy seven days a week, twelve hours a day.

Working that much can be problematic. You began freelancing because you wanted a flexible schedule. You wanted to work from home so you could spend more time with your family. You wanted flexibility so you could travel more. Perhaps you needed to help an aging family member, so a 9 to 5 job wouldn’t work for your lifestyle anymore.

Instead of working longer hours, your next goal should be finding higher-paying projects that will allow you to work fewer hours during the week. Or, you need to find projects that don’t take as long, so you can complete more of them per day to earn more income.

The answer to both scenarios is for you to become an expert on something or, in other words, to develop a niche.

Can you pick a niche from your previous experiences?

Some would say that to develop a niche you need to think about your previous work experiences. Perhaps you worked in a restaurant, and you formed a sophisticated palette from your experience as a server. Maybe you could write content for restaurant websites or design menus.

Maybe you were a teacher, and you spent a lot of time developing lesson plans and creating units. Perhaps you could draw from this previous experience to ghostwrite blogs for administrators or work for test prep websites.

If that previous history brings high-paying clients to you, congratulations. You have made it as a freelancer.

But what happens when your previous work doesn’t develop into a niche? For example, the last two industries, restaurants, and education are full of people who will write about those subject matters for free. Teachers and administrators blog and share ideas. Every suburban neighborhood has two or three wanna-be chefs who write each night about what they made for dinner.

You may not be able to make an income writing or designing about things you love or experience.

Instead, you may need to pick a subject for your niche strategically.

How to pick a niche?

Peruse the freelancing job boards. Perhaps you see a lot of high-paying work from lawyers who are seeking someone to write blogs who have experience with the bankruptcy, lemon laws, or real estate laws.

Maybe you find high-paying work for designers and home builders, who want people to write about house trends or create a website to showcase their model homes.

Even if you know little about those subjects, you can learn. Start reading the best design blogs in your free time. Learn about the basics of bankruptcy law. Take low-paying jobs with those subject matters and start building a portfolio.

Maybe you have created a niche on accident. Look through the work you have completed so far. Have you written a ton of resumes for computer programmers? Then maybe that is your new niche.

Have you written hundreds of Amazon listings for someone with a plumbing supply company? There is a ton of work for people with knowledge of blue-collar trades.

You could have a niche and not even know it.

Once you have decided to focus on a particular industry, either by choice or by fate, seek out higher-paying clients. Plumbers will pay more for content written by someone who obviously knows what they are talking about. Physical therapists will pay more for people who can write a persuasive essay on how seeing a PT will reduce the chance of patients needing surgery.

Plumbers, lawyers, and physical therapists want to spend their day working on their trade. They don’t want to write blogs or design websites. Many times these well-compensated professionals will pay for someone to complete those pesky online tasks that they don’t enjoy and can’t do on their own. Be ready for those jobs.

Good luck with developing your niche. Who knows what industry you will be an expert in six months from now?

This article was originally posted at Freelancing buzz!

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22 Top Websites To Get Writing Gigs In 2019

null Getty How can you make decent money as a freelancer if you aren’t a coder or graphic designer? The answer is freelance writing! If you have a ‘thing for words’ and some skills in digital marketing, there are plenty of companies who may be interested in hiring you to help with content creation. To get started, you just have to find decent paying writing gigs. Granted, there are plenty of places to look for freelance jobs but the noise can get too loud on generalist sites like Upwork and PeoplePerHour. Below is a list of 22 top job boards specific for freelance writers. 1. Clearvoice.com Clearvoice is a content marketing marketplace, allowing writers to join, create a portfolio/CV and apply to work with brands. You can either participate in group pitches or apply for individual jobs, pitched to you via the platform based on your skills and niche. The great thing about Clearvoice is that you can create a filter for job alerts and only respond to gigs that match your domain expertise and pay rate. 2. Skyword.com Skyword matches writers and visual content creators with top brands that need their services. The company has a pretty big roaster of international clients and a steady stream of assignments for experienced writers. They pay on a per-assignment basis and the compensation is fairly decent. 3. Contently.net Contently is another global talent platform for writers, where you can secure top paying gigs from well-known brands. Anyone can register and create a portfolio on the platform, however, their editorial team is really selective about picking writers for ongoing work with brands. 4. Problogger.com Think of Problogger as Indeed for writers. It’s a well-established writing job board where you can find regular posts from companies. Work here is varied. Gigs include blogging, writing fiction, even content editing. The compensation can be hit or miss as well and will have to be negotiated directly with the employer. 5. Ndash.co Ndash is a bit of a middleman that connects writers with clients. This platform is a great option for subject matter experts who also happen to be skilled writers. As a freelancer, you can seek out brands that require the kind of content in which you specialize, or pitch brands with your own content ideas. 6. CloudPeeps.com CloudPeeps is a gig platform where brands and individuals can hire professionals for one-off jobs that may turn into long term engagements. Writers can register on the platform to search job listings and create profiles highlighting their skills, rate, etc. and wait till they get contacted by someone. 7. eByline.com If your expertise leans towards journalism, eByline could be a great option for you. To qualify, you simply create your profile and submit published clips from nationally recognized media outlets. If your application is successful, you can then apply for assignments from brands. 8. Zerys.com Zerys is another freelance marketplace for writers. The application process involves creating a profile and submitting a writing sample. Once you are […]

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Five essential apps for freelancers and self-employed people

Designers reviewing and discussing plans in office More people are ditching the nine-to-five to work for themselves, with almost 5 million self-employed people in the UK, according to the latest labour market statistics. Yet while self-employment offers a number of benefits that a desk job might not – like avoiding the morning commute – it’s not always smooth sailing. You get the freedom and flexibility to set your own hours and decide your own workload, but it can be a challenge to keep on top of irregular payments and invoices, as well as multiple deadlines and clients. Thankfully, though, there are some handy apps to help you organise your work, finances and more. FreeAgent If you’re planning to go freelance or if you just need a little more help organising your finances, FreeAgent is an excellent accounting app. You can find out what your clients owe you, what you owe your supplies and what your expense balance looks like, as well as create expenses on the go and store your receipts. You can create and send invoices while on the go and check your bank balance and statements. FreeAgent also allows you to set reminder notes so you don’t forget deadlines. It’s available for free for 30 days and then prices start from £9.50 a month plus VAT (although the price goes up after six months). It’s available for iPhone and Android. Toggl Time-management is always important, but it’s even more crucial when you’re self-employed. Whether it’s knowing how long a project takes or how much time you need to update a spreadsheet, Toggl is a helpful app. It’s a time tracker that logs the time it takes you to complete certain tasks, so you can always stay on top of your workload. Toggl then produces detailed but easy-to-read weekly reports that can be viewed from the dashboard, exported to a spreadsheet or sent to your email account. The app also allows you to break down your hours by projects, clients and tasks to see what’s making you money. You can also set up alerts so the app tells you when you’ve spent too long doing something. Prices start from £7 a month. GoSimpleTax Doing your annual tax return is every freelancer’s nightmare – especially if you aren’t the most organised when it comes to storing invoices. Although there is plenty of general advice about filling in your tax return, it can still be confusing. The GoSimpleTax app is available on iOS or Android and can save you hours of valuable time and prevent the stress of doing your taxes. The app takes your specific account information and processes it according to the rules that apply to you. Once completed, it then sends this data directly to HMRC. It also calculates whether you should be paying less tax. You can try the software for free for 14 days, so you can test to see if it’s right for you. Pricing starts from £30 per tax year. Focus booster Everyone […]

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