Why Is Digital Marketing So Important

The importance of digital marketing is growing with every passing day. Turn back the clock 20 years you would find the only handful of businesses having their websites, 10 years back the SMEs joined the club and today your next door brick and mortar store have its own website. As you read there are more than one billion websites and still counting. Naturally having just a website won’t offer you the traction you need. To rank high on the search engines you need to run an SEO campaign. If you are planning for the one you have three options at hand – hire an digital media agency like inin.io , have your in-house team or get a freelancer to assist you with the project. Here we take a look at which is the best option for you. Getting Your Work Through Freelancers Let’s start with the cheapest option you have at hand – a freelancer. You will find hundreds of them at LinkedIn, Facebook and Craigslist. So who are these freelancers? They are often former agency executives or students who want to generate a passive income stream with skills they have picked up along the way. While they may promise you services at jaw-dropping prices you need to be a little apprehensive about hiring one. The reason we say so is that for every skilled SEO freelancer there are hundreds of ‘self-rated’ experts. If you get your choice wrong your SEO campaign will go haywire. Secondly, freelancers are often ‘jack of all trades’ and they have basic knowledge in keyword research, content and analytics and you can’t expect the highest level of expertise in different skills that help you achieve desirable results. Third and perhaps the most important is with continuity – a freelancer may take up a full-time job and leave your campaign in a lurch. Making Own Startup As Digital Marketer For starters, one of the most important aspects of digital marketing is effective use of social media. Active and smart use of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+ is a great way to build up your consumer base and interact with them on a daily basis. Marketing through emails in the world is an efficient way to get to your targeted audience and make good conversions. You can even get them aware of your updates and also do branding with those techniques. Important Facts About Digital Marketing Another significant part of digital and social media advertising is website architecture. In any case, most organizations don’t give it the significance it facts. Consider it like this: while your advertising may snatch eyeballs and force individuals to make a move, your web architecture is the thing that normally chooses whether they will make the buy or not. Numerous examinations have presumed that around seventy percent individuals choose the validity of a business based the structure of its site. It likewise affects transformation as changing your site design for a crusade can work well […]

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New-age loan options for gig workers, freelancers and young students

In some cases even without any income you can get small ticket personal loans While it is easier for individuals with decent income proofs and established repayment track to get loans quickly, many people such as gig workers, part-time workers, freelancers or young students, who have never accessed any credit, have been struggling to get loans to meet even small funding requirements. However, technology has facilitated the borrowing options for these people. Many new-age lenders are coming up with innovative tools to provide lending to hitherto unattended segment of borrowers. Credit to all Whether you are a part-time worker without any income document, or a freelancer with irregular income pattern or a self-employed person with inconsistent income, you can still get a loan today. “The majority of our customers are new to credit and we have built our policies and products in a way that it enables smooth experience for these first-time credit users. The range of products that we offer to these new-age professionals is often not available in the market,” says Rajan Bajaj, Founder & CEO, SlicePay. In some cases even without any income you can get small ticket personal loans.”Any Indian college student over the age of 18 is eligible to borrow money instantly using the mPokket mobile app. It’s a very simple process where the user needs to install the application from the Play Store and then do a phone number-based registration. Once he is registered, he/she needs to provide basic documents such as identity and address details. We validate the details entered and then they are ready to take the loan. Our primary target is college-going students,” says Gaurav Jalan, Founder & CEO, mPokket. Also Read: Medical emergency – what are your last minute funding options? Typically the amount needed by students is not bigger so the loan option also comes in small ticket size. “The average ticket size of borrowing on mPokket typically ranges from Rs 500-2000, but the limit could go up to Rs 20,000, depending on special scenarios and emergencies. However, we primarily cater to those who do not have huge monetary needs. This explains why the average ticket size on mPokket is relatively smaller than other players in the market. Borrowers get up to three months to repay their loans,” adds Gaurav Jalan of mPokket. Not necessarily a costly option Revolving credit that is given by credit card providers is one of the costliest forms of credit as it allows you to postpone repayment by paying a high finance charge and a very small part of principal. You get EMI conversion option in your credit card to bring down the interest cost and repay the dues in instalments. Some of these features you can get from these new-age lenders as well. “We have no minimum due concept, unlike traditional credit card companies. Hence, if a customer is unable to pay the whole bill, he can convert them into monthly EMIs. Our EMIs tenures are up to 18 months,” says Bajaj […]

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5 Questions You Always Wanted to Ask About Freelancing

Freelancing is on the rise and getting very popular for all the right reasons. It is providing a great facility to earn for people who can’t leave their houses and who want to make some extra money. There are many freelancing sites where you can register yourself and start working. You can earn good money from freelancing; you have to choose the field of your interest. There are several fields to choose from as per your skills. Freelancing is helping many people to sustain their careers, provide a job so they can make money from it. For someone new to freelancing terms, it is a service that you provide to people who hire you for some task, and you get a certain amount of money in return. It is like a job, but there are no 9-5 timings involved, and yes, you don’t have to leave your home for this job. For a person who is new to this platform, they might have any question, today we will answer the top five questions people ask or want to ask about freelancing. Can we make money by freelancing? All of us have never seen our parents working at home and making money, so this seems very unnatural to all of us. It is not a very traditional way to make money, so everyone will have a question that do we get paid. Many people still doubt that you can earn decent by working from home. So, our answer to all such questions is, YES, you can make money by freelancing if you are following all their guidelines. People are making a decent amount of money by working as a freelancer. Can you do other things at work time? Freelancing is not your regular 9-5 job with a strict office environment. It allows you to work as per your schedule, but a time frame or a deadline is given. Yes, you will have a flexible schedule, and you can do other random work along with your job, and it gives you the freedom to do things as your routine. How does it feel to work without a boss/supervision? Another critical question freelancers get how you can work without any boss or supervisor. It is also not a very traditional way of job; in freelancing, you have to be your boss. You have to work as per your schedule and without anyone supervising you. The flexibility in freelancing is a significant advantage for everyone. Can you get a vacation anytime you want? It is also a common question that comes to freelancers, that you have a free routine, you can get vacation anytime you want. Yes, we don’t get paid for holidays, but we can work from anywhere in the world. Can I start as a freelancer also? Yes, you can be a freelancer, but it is not a piece of cake; you have to be fully committed and honest with your work. If you have some skill and you want to […]

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Four ways work will change in 2020

Over the last few years, the workplace has changed almost beyond recognition. With an increase in freelancers, more remote workers than ever, and advances in technology all shaping the way we work, the coming year is set to be big. Here are some of the key trends. The gig economy and flexible work The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people taking part in the gig economy by trading in one long term position for shorter-term or more flexible work. Temps, contractors, freelancers and remote workers all fall into this category, often working for companies for shorter amounts of time, on project-based or ad hoc work. For some, this is a way to build a more flexible life, working outside of traditional working hours, or working for multiple companies at once. Intuit actually estimates that by 2020, over 40% of U.S. workers will be independent contractors. It’s not just how people work, but where, that’s changing. There has been a huge shift over the last few years in terms of remote working. A survey by the Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs found that remote work has grown 91% over the last 10 years, and various research has concluded that by 2020, half of us will be working remotely in some form. Some companies now operate entirely remotely, with no communal office space and employees spanning multiple time zones, some companies have one or two remote team members, and some offer all employees the option to work remotely for a day or two per week. This kind of work has a huge impact on HR, from the hiring/onboarding process to company structure to communication practices when dealing with part-time workers. While this undoubtedly means there are challenges to overcome, this ever-increasing flexible working trend isn’t going anywhere. HR leaders need to take a look at just what the gig economy means for their company, and how best to cope with the demands of short-term, flexible and freelance workers. This can be through the increased use of performance management tools, regular team-wide video conference sessions, or revamping onboarding processes. People enablement People enablement was highlighted as one of our 2019 trends and it’s still set to have a huge impact in 2020. This more holistic, less top-down focused approach enables employees to unleash their potential and progress in their own way. The concept relies on three core pillars: Professional growth: accelerating the speed at which managers and individuals learn and grow Clarity and alignment: keeping everyone aligned on strategy, objectives, and process Value and impact: building a culture where everyone feels valued and receives recognition By implementing all three of these things, companies can ensure their people feel in control of their work and progression, increasing overall engagement, growth, and productivity. People enablement has a major impact on the employee experience, something which helps companies outperform those with less people-focused practices. HR chatbots The use of chatbots may already be common in many HR departments, […]

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4 Year-End Tax Tips for Freelancers

As a freelancer, you get to enjoy the freedom of setting your own hours, establishing rates that reflect your effort and talent, and generally calling the shots. But if there’s one drawback to being self-employed, it’s the hassle of dealing with taxes. With that in mind, here are some tips that will help you avoid a world of hassle during the upcoming tax season — and perhaps save you some money in the process. 1. Gear up for your last estimated tax payment When you’re self-employed, you don’t have taxes withheld from your earnings. As such, you’re required to pay that tax as you go via estimated quarterly payments . Though your final payment for 2019 isn’t due until Jan. 15, now’s the time to figure out what you’ll owe the IRS — and whether there’s a way to reduce that number. Keep in mind that the more you contribute to a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan , the more of your income you can shield from taxes. If you’re self-employed and want to cut your 2019 tax bill, you can look at funding a traditional IRA. But if you’re a higher earner, you might benefit from a Solo 401(k) , SIMPLE IRA , or SEP-IRA instead. IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES. 2. Defer some income If you’re worried about owing a lot of money to the IRS on your 2019 tax return, then you’d be wise to not get paid any more money for the rest of the year. Hold off on billing clients for another couple of weeks so they’re not tempted to pay you before the year closes out. And if you have clients you’ve already billed, you may want to pick up the phone and make it clear that you’re happy to be paid in 2020. 3. Rack up some extra deductible expenses The more legitimate business expenses you’re able to write off, the less tax you’ll have to pay on your income. Though 2019 is almost over, if you have supplies or equipment you need to buy for your business, making those purchases in the next week or so, as opposed to early 2020, could work wonders for this year’s tax bill, so stock up on office supplies and any other materials you use in the course of your business. 4. Find tax help if you need it If you’re relatively new to freelancing, you may find that filing your taxes is a more confusing process than you’d like it to be. That’s why it pays to start looking for a tax professional now — and if you wind up paying for a consultation, squeezing it in before year-end will give you one more expense to deduct on your next tax return. A tax professional may also be able to advise you on whether it pays to start an actual business , like an S-corp or LLC, so aim to find someone who works with self-employed individuals and small operations. There’s plenty to be gained by […]

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How to Choose Freelancers: The Building Blocks of Your Startup Business

How to Choose Freelancers: The Building Blocks of Your Startup Business (Photo : pexels.com) After a student graduated from college, the first step is to look for an office-based job. But today, in the period where internet and online transactions are taking over the system of every business , millions of regular employees are willing to give up their careers and startup freelance employment since being a freelancer can give them more flexible time to create the standard of living they want. This kind of desire is kind of impossible because of the unmatched shift and routine that the majority of companies around the world offer. Looking for freelance workers to hire is getting more conventional and striking for many new business entrepreneurs . It promotes career growth that can sustain self-employed laborers. When you already dare to start up your new endeavor as an entrepreneur, contracting freelancers is one of the best options to line up the blueprint of the company. The probability of finding the best workers you needed for a team is high. But how can you tell that the applicant is worth employment? Here are the things you need to know as a new entrepreneur on how to choose freelancers when starting up a business : Concrete framework Every project and assignment given by the client should be designed accordingly to the requirements. Planning ahead of time is essential. We are not living in a fantasy world. Freelancers are not fortune tellers that can get exactly what you want them to do after a few emails and limited information. Giving them the data and guidelines they needed is not equal to “spoon-feeding”. You need to spend time and identify carefully what does your client needs. Doing this will help you find the right person for the job. From the very start, make a list of the skills required and the job description to do to ensure that misconceptions are avoided when it comes to the job seekers. Check your resources Assess your ability to pay. Hiring an employee means paying money. If you like to save pennies or if you have limited funds, you may consider looking for freelancers overseas that you can deal with a reasonable price for a given project and also get results that are skillfully done. You need to find your own balance. Evaluate when you should pay more or pay less. Get things done accordingly in the most practical way. Initial screening. Sometimes the first impression really lasts. You should immediately eliminate those unqualified applicants. Filtering the candidates from the beginning will help you save time when finding the right one. You can proceed to further methods after that if you want. Employers usually require phone interviews and video as well to know more information about the freelancers. You can assess their interest and check if they know even single information about the field that they are applying for. Do they have previous experience of what you need? Some can […]

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60 Million People in the U.S. Are Freelancing: Is It the Future of Labour Market?

In the modern world with an incredibly high level of technological development more and more people use tech benefits in building their careers. Instead of daily commuting to and from work, they choose to freelance. Some are quite skeptical about such a way of earning money and believe that freelancing is more about something you do when you can not get a real job. However, they are wrong, and we are going to prove it. Freelancing is a fast and affordable way to start earning an income from home. Freelancers can serve every demand that a business venture might have. Besides, they are supposed to be at the same time the owner, director, and the financial manager. They bring their specialized skills in social media marketing, copywriting, and publicity. All you need to earn money in this way is a PC, Internet access, and, of course, some skills that you will use to offer your services. The list of perks accompanying freelancing is endless: an ability to work from any part of the world, flexible working hours, excellent opportunity for advancement, continuous learning through work, and more. Upwork, a platform for freelancers that connects businesses with talented professionals, has made up a list of the highest-paying freelance jobs that allow making as much income as $90,000 per year or even more. The list is based on the recent research conducted by Upwork together with Freelancers’ Union and an independent research company Edelman Intelligence. Named “Freelancing in America: 2019”, the study shows how freelance fits within the overall U.S. economy, finds out the reasons people choose freelancing, gauges the challenges that freelancers face, and makes some predictions for the future of freelancing. The concept of freelancing appeared not so long ago, but there are more freelancers than you may think. As it was reported by CNBC, in the U.S. alone nearly 60 million people freelanced in 2019, which is about 35% of the American workforce. About 45 million are part-time freelancers and 15 million freelance full-time. It is notable that every 5th of them earns more than $100,000 per year. Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, stated: “People should look at this list and think a little differently about the freelance economy. There’s too much focus on a narrow corner of the freelance economy and lower-skilled workers. This report shows how diverse this segment of the economy is and how much of it is high-skilled work.” The experts believe that the upcoming 2020 will be successful for freelancers and open new perspectives to them. The list of top freelance jobs expected to be in high demand next year includes intellectual property attorney, corporate legal counsel, contract drafter, litigator, general counsel, IT specialists, economics and statistics experts, marketing specialists, and more. Steve King, a partner at California-based research firm Emergent Research, commented: “High-end professionals are going to have a great year next year, whether they’re freelance or not. The job market is just so tight, and those skills are really hard […]

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Going Freelance? Here’s How to Keep Your Budget Afloat

Flamingo Images / Stocksy She Makes Money Moves is a new podcast from Glamour and iHeartRadio. Hosted by Glamour editor in chief Samantha Barry, the podcast shares intimate, unscripted stories from women across the country along with advice from financial experts to help guide those women—and women everywhere—forward. Download a new episode every Tuesday, then visit glamour.com/money for an article like this, with more insights from that week’s expert. 57 million Americans are freelance workers. That’s 35% of the U.S. workforce. And according to a survey from Upwork and the Freelancers Union , more people are beginning to view this work as a long-term career choice than ever before. While freelancing has a multitude of benefits—flexible work schedules, for one—it can also be tough to navigate from a financial standpoint. Money is hard enough when you have a W-2 income with regular paychecks. Adding the volatility of freelance life to the mix makes it that much more complicated. This week’s guest on the podcast has been a full-time freelancer for two years. While she loves the freedom it provides her, she’s about to have her first child. So she’s currently evaluating the trade-offs of the freelance lifestyle compared to working in an office to determine what’s best for herself and her family. To help her weigh her options Barry welcomed Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, founder of the Fiscal Femme , back to the podcast. Here Feinstein Gerstley offers five tips to maintaining a stable budget in the freelance economy. Set aside money for taxes. One of the most common pitfalls I see freelancers (and all entrepreneurs) make is that we don’t put money aside for taxes and we end up with a big tax bill at the end of the year. This can wreak havoc on our cash flow and cause us lots of financial stress. The good news is that taxes are something we can plan for. Freelancers can create a fund for taxes by opening a separate online savings account and labeling it “taxes.” You can either put aside a percentage of every check you earn or a percentage of your profit each month, but regardless of your approach you want to get it into your tax fund as soon as possible so the money is there waiting when it’s time to pay taxes. Charge what your work is worth. I’ve found that many freelancers aren’t charging enough for their services. One of the reasons is that when we price out a project, we only take into account the hours we are physically working on it. We don’t consider the administrative tasks that goes into working on that project, the cost of gaining the expertise to be able to take it on in the first place, and all of the work in between. This can leave us with a much much lower hourly rate than we anticipated. I’ve found one of the most helpful resources is to band together with a group of people in a similar field. […]

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2 Growth Stocks Capitalizing On The Gig Economy To Buy In 2020

Freelancers account for 36% of the American workforce, according to a recent study by Edelman Intelligence. Freelancers are also referred to as consultants or contractors. Some do it on the side while also employed at a full-time job, others freelance as their full-time job, and some freelancers only work part-time. McKinsey, a U.S.-based consulting firm, projects that 50% of the American workforce will be freelance by 2027. Freelancers who have in-demand skills like data analytics, machine learning, and programming can charge high rates and have flexibility, which will increase the demand for gig economy marketplaces. A sweet spot in the gig economy is to act as a matchmaker, connecting freelancers to clients looking for temporary or permanent assistance with projects. The main freelance work platforms in this space are Upwork ( NASDAQ:UPWK ) and Fiverr ( NYSE:FVRR ). Both of these tech stocks are trading at lower prices from their 52-week highs, are small-cap growth companies, and have minimal debt. Investors seeking exposure to the gig economy should consider buying these today. Image Source: Getty Images 1. Upwork Upwork is the largest freelance marketplace site and companies can find contractors from around the world who specialize in writing, video editing, web design, digital marketing, and more. It was originally founded as Elance in 1999 and merged with competitor, O-desk, in 2013. In 2015, this merged company was rebranded as Upwork and it IPO’d on Oct. 3. 2018. It also has over 12 million registered freelancers and 5 million clients, which could grow over time with the expansion of the freelance economy. This site has many sources of revenue, including charging a percentage of freelancers’ earnings, requiring freelancers to purchase “connects” to apply for jobs, and assessing administration fees on clients. Clients can choose to pay either 2.75% of their client spend or a flat fee of $25 per month for unlimited payment transactions. Upwork has an enterprise selection for large companies that includes additional upgrades like compliance offerings, custom reporting, exclusive access to top freelancers for a monthly or annual fee. The stock is trading around $10, which is toward the 52-week low of approximately $9. It has a positive free cash flow of $7.07 million, but it hasn’t turned a profit yet. Negative earnings is common for smaller cap stocks that have recently IPO’d. However, Upwork has manageable debt with a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, significant cash reserves of $131.56 million, and annual revenue that has grown over 76% from $164.45 million in 2016 to $289.31 million in 2019. Investors may be tempted to buy Upwork when evaluating its revenue growth, profitability, the rise of freelance workers, and debt management. But they should also consider the risk of investing in recently IPO’d firms with negative profitability and that Upwork’s CEO Stephane Kasriel is stepping down. Hayden Brown, chief marketing and product officer, will take his place and there was no reason given for this change. Despite changes in leadership, investors looking to add growth stocks to their […]

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A Freelancer’s Guide to Taxes

Taxes can be stressful and burdensome for every freelancer. This will help relieve some of the pain. Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash As you are considered self-employed as a freelancer you get the advantage of tax deductions but also the disadvantage of keeping track of these expenses — proving to the IRS that each deduction is accurate and appropriate. Each freelance check you receive should set aside 25% to 30% for taxes — which should be put in a separate savings account to use when it’s time to pay Uncle Sam. There are a few reasons why the range to set aside is so high, mainly because of the self-employment tax. As an employee, Medicare and Social Security are taken out of your paychecks automatically with the employer paying one-half of 15.3%. Unfortunately, as a self-employed individual, you are expected to pay the entire 15.3%. If you do not receive a 1099-MISC — a form that companies use to report payments to nonemployees — and received more than $400, you probably were paid through PayPal or another online payment system. If you don’t receive a tax report, understand that you aren’t off the hook come tax time. You should also receive a 1099-K if you were paid more than $20,000 or more than 200 times, however, if you don’t qualify for a 1099-K, you can use the Schedule C tax form — which serves as an overall tax report for your income and expenses. Schedule C summarizes your 1099 forms into one form, which deducts your expenses from your income. If you had $5,000 or less in expenses, the Schedule C-EZ may be best for you to choose from.

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Five ways for freelance trainers to get more leads

Reading time: 6 minutes One of the challenges when you’re a freelance trainer is that if you spend all day training clients, it doesn’t leave you much time for marketing your business. So if you want to get more leads for your business, you need to implement smart marketing strategies which can be working for you round the clock even if you’re busy delivering a course or a workshop. Fortunately, in the digital age, this is easy to achieve if you know what you’re doing. And it doesn’t need to be expensive either. In this article I’ll be sharing five tips that freelance trainers can use to generate more leads and, ultimately, get more clients. 1. Define your value proposition Before you can market yourself effectively – whether online or offline – you need to have a clear and compelling value proposition. Your value proposition is a statement (usually one or two sentences long) which sums up what you do and what makes you different from, and/or better than, your competitors. One of the main places that a value proposition should be used is on your website. A well-crafted value proposition will ensure that when people land on your website they immediately know where they are, what’s on offer, and why they should read on and find out more about your training services. Here’s an example of a value proposition for a fictional social media trainer: Practical, fun and affordable social media training that pays for itself Our courses have a 100% satisfaction rating and are proven to help you get new clients If you don’t already have something like this for your business, check out this step-by-step guide to creating a value proposition . 2. Turn your website into a lead generation machine Most freelance trainers have websites which don’t generate them any business whatsoever. But you don’t need to be one of them. If you expect a first time visitor to your website to contact you straightaway, that’s the equivalent of expecting someone to marry you after meeting you once for half an hour The biggest mistake most trainers’ make with their websites is that they try to turn first time visitors (known as cold traffic) into leads too quickly. You wouldn’t expect to meet someone in a bar and marry them the next day – there’d usually be some form of courtship (a series of dates, moving in together, etc) between meeting someone for the first time and asking them to marry you. If you expect a first time visitor to your website to contact you straightaway, that’s the equivalent of expecting someone to marry you after meeting you once for half an hour. It could happen, but it’s unlikely. What you need to do is find a way to get that cold traffic to subscribe to your mailing list so as you can send them regular follow up emails to nurture the relationship until they are ready to buy. The best way to do this […]

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This is how insurance is changing for gig workers and freelancers

This is a preview of a re search re port from Business Insider Intelligence , Business Insider’s premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here . Business Insider Intelligence The gig economy is becoming a core element of the labor market, pushed to the fore by platforms like Uber and Airbnb. Gig economy workers are freelancers, such as journalists who don’t work for one publication directly, freelance developers, drivers on platforms like Uber and Grab, and consumers who rent out their apartments via Airbnb or other home-sharing sites. Gig economy workers are not employed by these platforms, and therefore typically don’t receive conventional employee perks, such as insurance or retirement options. This has created a lucrative opportunity to provide tailored insurance policies for the gig economy. A number of insurtech startups – including UK-based Dinghy, which focuses on liability insurance, and US-based Slice, which provides on-demand insurance for a range of areas – have moved to capitalize on this new segment of the labor market. These companies have been busy finding new ways to personalize insurance products by incorporating emerging technologies, including AI and chatbots, to target the gig economy. In this report, Business Insider Intelligence examines how insurtechs have begun addressing the gig economy, the kinds of policies they are offering, and how incumbents can tap the market themselves. We have opted to focus on three areas of insurance particularly relevant to the gig economy: vehicle insurance, home insurance, and equipment and liability insurance. While every consumer needs health insurance, there are already a number of insurtechs and incumbent insurers that offer policies for individuals. However, when it comes to insuring work equipment or other utilities for freelancers, it’s much more difficult to find suitable coverage. As such, this is the gap in the market where we see the most opportunity to deploy new products. The companies mentioned in this report are: Airbnb, Deliveroo, Dinghy, Grab, Progressive, Slice, Uber, Urban Jungle, and Zego. Here are some of the key takeaways from the report: By 2027, the majority of the US workforce will work as freelancers, per Upwork and Freelancer Union , though not all of these workers will take part in the gig economy full time. By personalizing policies for gig economy workers, insurtechs have been able to tap this opportunity early. A number of other insurtechs, including Slice and UK-based Zego, offer temporary vehicle insurance, which users can switch on and off, depending on when they are working. Slice has also developed a new insurance model that combines traditional home insurance with business coverage for temporary use. Other freelancers like photojournalists need insurance for their camera, for example, a coverage area that Dinghy has tackled. Incumbent insurers have a huge opportunity to leverage their reach and well-known brands to pull in the gig economy and secure a share of this growing segment – and partnering with startups might be the best approach. In full, the report: Details what the gig economy landscape looks […]

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The Freelancer’s Guide to End-of-Year Tax Prep

I started preparing for next year’s taxes in October of this year. By the first week of November, I sent my CPA a prepared document listing my current business income and expenses (aka a “profit and loss statement”) as well as my anticipated income and expenses for the remaining two months of the year. I also provided my CPA with additional tax-relevant numbers, including: The money I paid in Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums, and the subsidy dollars claimed The money I contributed to my HSA, and the money I withdrew from my HSA for qualified medical expenses The money I contributed to my traditional IRA and SEP IRA My estimated federal and state tax payments I closed this document with a list of questions, including: What is the maximum amount of money I can contribute to my SEP IRA this year? (Unlike a traditional or Roth IRA, which are capped at specific dollar amounts, SEP IRAs are capped at a percentage of your net self-employment income—which, when your taxes are as complicated as mine, might require a CPA’s assistance to help you calculate.) Is it possible to open a Solo 401(k) in addition to my SEP IRA, to funnel more money towards retirement and reduce my taxable income? (I am pretty sure the answer is no, but the good thing about having a CPA is that you can double-check.) Will I need to adjust my fourth-quarter estimated tax payment to compensate for over- or under-estimating my first three payments? Will I need to pay back any health insurance subsidy dollars, or did I claim the right amount? If you’re a freelancer, side hustler, or gig economy worker, it’s not too late to start thinking about your own taxes—and, as Laura Saunders at The Wall Street Journal reminds us, there are a handful of tax-related tasks that need to be completed before the end of the year . These to-dos include: Opening a health savings account Opening a Solo 401(k) Increasing your withholding on your W-2 income (that’s the paycheck you get from a traditional employer; if you increase the amount of tax you pay on your W-2 income, you might not have to pay as much quarterly tax on your freelance income) Saunders also lists some record-keeping tasks that don’t necessarily need to be completed by December 31, but are still good to complete in advance, including: Tallying up all of the income you’ve received from your various freelance/side hustle/gig economy sources (remember, you need to pay taxes on all of this income, even if you don’t receive 1099 forms from each of your individual clients or gig economy employers) Tracking your tax-deductible business expenses Calculating depreciation on any assets you use for your freelance business (like a car, or a laptop) I’ll leave you with one more freelance tax-related tip, directly from my CPA: if you’ve been thinking about making a business-related purchase, whether it’s a new computer, new furniture for your home office, or tickets […]

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The new war for talent: Why you should consider offering benefits to freelancers

The growing war for talent , especially millennial talent, is prompting employers to get creative and offer a new wave of benefits like pet insurance, telemedicine and college loan repayments. Unfortunately, the fastest-growing part of the employment economy, freelance and contract workers, almost always find themselves left out of that conversation. The latest Freelancing In America survey from Freelancer’s Union and Upwork, showed the number of US freelancers grew by 7% in five years to 56.7 million, with 35% of American workers freelancing last year. The entire gig economy may actually be much larger. Benefits to freelancers? It is easy to see why companies tap into freelance and contract workers. They often bring specific skill-sets and experience that full-time staff lacks. Employers can access workers from other geographies, for example, who have unique specialties. By the same token, contract workers are often drawn to the flexibility of hours , location and employers or gigs. Although there are advantages to freelance work, including the potential to make more money, there are some obvious drawbacks. Mainly, the lack of consistent income and access to company benefits including health insurance, causing stress and concerns about accessibility and affordability. That said, I think freelance workers will soon become the leading drivers in the talent war. The best of the bunch are demanding more and more from their clients. Smart companies that want to continue benefiting from them will need to treat them better and offer incentives. It is time to start thinking of making employee benefits available to contractors. Extending benefits to freelancers? In California, a new bill has proposed that gig-economy workers, including those who work for Uber and Lyft, be considered employees, thereby making them eligible for basic health insurance. However, it must be noted that not all freelancers want to be employees. I know that the subject of advocating extending employment benefits to freelancers, may make some HR leaders bristle. Freelancers are known to carry multiple jobs at a time, so the question of liability or responsibility for any single contract worker, may come into question. Administering and managing coverage for full-time employees is challenging enough, with individual coverage plans often being uniquely configured for them and running for different terms. Even when working for the same employer, some workers may be eligible for benefits one month and then ineligible the next, based on hours worked. The burden of adding and removing these workers falls entirely on an employer and adds more complexity, liability and cost to the equation. The solution may be found in the new wave of tools that are automated, flexible and intended to manage the fluctuation of freelancers who meet eligibility requirements. Since failure to remove an ineligible worker from your list may be a breach of terms with your plan provider, hypervigilance offered through such software is necessary. Employers may start by offering freelancers access to voluntary benefits. Pet insurance and student loan repayment can be a flexible and manageable way to add value to […]

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Freelance Art Director/Senior Designer

Triple Eight is seeking a talented senior designer/art director to work with our team on a freelance basis. We are looking to find a candidate who combines conceptual and creative excellence with experience in design. Duties: To conceptualise and, using your visionary design skills, craft and produce award-winning creative work within the scope of the brand and creative brief supplied. Mock up design ideas across a number of elements. Work closely with the creative team and, as directed, by the creative brief. Manage deadlines and large workloads efficiently and effectively. Ensure effective communication and management of teams’ expectations. Work with the Creative Team to understand the clients’ brand and manage projects in a way that will support the delivery of the brand. Manage and take ownership of projects from origination to completion. Accurate recording of work time. The responsibility of this role vests in the attitude, behaviour, determination and accountability of the candidate to pursue all avenues in order to ensure that the end-product/design craft is of a high standard. By taking ownership and making use of all available resources, the end-product/design craft should showcase a keen attention to detail. Requirements: A critical thinker with exceptionally fast conceptual skills. Thorough understanding of promotional activities and experiential marketing disciplines. Finely-honed graphic design skills and latest techniques. A portfolio that demonstrates these skills beyond a shadow of doubt. Capability to take on campaigns with multi-element tasks which require a concept and thought-through process. Fully literate in all relevant programs. A Photoshop genius – someone who can take visuals from average to exceptional! Qualifications: Degree or diploma in art direction (Or a degree in visual communication/design/fine art etc. that shows competent visual skills). Minimum three to five years’ experience as an art director. Essential Personal Attributes: Team player Hard-working, conscientious Creative thinker – cross boundaries to conceptualise Ability to work under pressure Goal-orientated achiever Pro-active thinker Key Responsibilities (broad description): The purpose of the role is to produce artwork and art layouts by developing art concepts that support the development and promotion of client strategies, business problems and briefs. The Art Director will be responsible for the layout of artwork for the concepts. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain and push the company’s standard for creative excellence, by developing engaging, high-quality artwork in line with the creative brief and in a timely manner. Working under the guidance of the Creative Team, the Art Director will amongst other things, understand client strategies, business problems, briefs and the message the client is seeking to deliver and translate this into high quality artwork, creative solutions and executions. Please submit a relevant portfolio of work as a link/PDF along with your CV on application. Should you not receive a response within a reasonable time frame, please consider your application for this specific role unsuccessful.

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Editors Don’t Need Perfect Writers, Just Reliable Ones

( Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash ) Before I was a freelancer, I was a managing editor, and one of my biggest problems was finding reliable, quality freelance writers. That sounds unbelievable: Just look at how many writers are contributing content here, and how many freelancers are working across the online world. Yet I couldn’t find many writers to create the content that my technology publication needed. In some cases, their news writing skills weren’t very good. But some freelancers passed us by completely because they knew little or nothing about the market we covered and thought we wouldn’t choose them based on their lack of knowledge. The truth was that I needed freelancers with a good grounding in news and feature-writing. I didn’t need another technology expert or market analyst — I just needed a dependable, professional writer. The experience is something that I’ve taken with me into my freelancing career — inside knowledge of what editors are looking for in a freelance writer. This may surprise you: Top writing skills are not at the top of the list. An editor for a niche publication who’s looking for a freelance writer needs three things: A good attitude. A willingness to follow editorial direction. Good, not perfect, content writing skills. If a writer meets these requirements, many editors will help them learn to write for that market niche. In six years of recruiting new freelancers, surprisingly few writers met all three of the items above. Those who did became writers that we relied upon regularly — and paid above market — to craft news articles, features, and marketing copy like whitepapers and ebooks. The best of these writers have continued writing within this industry area. I see them regularly at trade shows, covering product announcements for various publications. They command top dollar for their work. And they are usually booked up for the year. I’m giving you this insider information to awaken you to a huge opportunity. Niche publications need freelancers. They need reliable people who will produce a well-written copy on time. They need people who can put their ego to the side when they get editors’ feedback. They need people who keep their eyes open and never stop learning. Trying to find your first freelance job is frightening. Moving into a subject niche that you don’t know much about can induce even more anxiety. Do not let this anxiety stop you from moving into a new subject, and don’t let it affect the way you respond to feedback from an editor. If you’re asked for more information, for a more detailed query, for different writing samples, or for extensive edits — respond professionally. If despite your best efforts, an assignment doesn’t work out, you will move on with much more knowledge about that area than you had when you started. It will be worth the work, no matter what happens. A couple of years into my managing editor job, I met a writer who’d been recommended […]

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10 Ways You Should Be Using Freelancers More Strategically

Getty Readers often ask how I became interested in writing about the freelance revolution. Way back in 2013, I was a partner in a boutique consulting firm RBL Group, working on a human capital strategy for McKesson , the big pharma company. McKesson’s CHRO Jorge Figueredo asked me to help him and his team understand the emerging trends that were shaping HR in future. Much of the data I reviewed focused on tech: AI was beginning to appear as a factor in talent management and Workday was demonstrating the potential of the “cloud” in HRIS. But I was interested in another cloud: the “talent cloud”. Early digital talent marketplaces were forming, and firms like Accenture and Deloitte claimed that more and more companies were depending on freelancers to augment full-time staff, and lend expertise the organization did not own. A bunch of articles followed, then a book Agile Talent written with Norm Smallwood, then an interview and a series of articles in the Harvard Business Review , and I was hooked as a chronicler of the freelance revolution. Which brings me to the current state of freelancing. One obvious measure of the growth of the freelance revolution is the sheer growth of freelancing . A more interesting indicator is a broadening of how freelancers are asked to support companies in a more strategic way, an area where greater progress should be evident. Hence the topic of this piece: what are more strategically impactful ways that freelancers can contribute to an organization? There are certainly new platform innovations that promise a more strategic contribution. For example: · Coaching talent platforms like AceUp , offer company executives, hi potential young managers and senior technical leaders executive coaching services in dealing with critical developmental needs · Expert access platforms like CleverX provide organizations with access to on demand expertise in a wide range of areas; the experience of these experts helps companies to increase the odds of success in new areas PROMOTED · Independent management consulting platforms like Business Talent Group in the US, Outsized in Asia, Flexing It in India and Expert 360 in Australia, give startups the chance to work with top management consultants on a freelance basis There is a greater good possible. As organizations become comfortable with a flexible, blended workforce, smart executives see greater potential to work with freelancers in more strategic ways. Here are 10 ways to get more from your investment in the freelance revolution: 1. Lubricating the executive imagination . At National City Bank , the HR head brought in freelance futurists to broaden executive thinking during the planning process; 3M regularly brings in outside experts to its R&D leaders for the same purpose. Are there freelancers or independent consultants working with your organization that might lubricate the creative juices of your leadership team? 2. Part of the strategy team . What about including freelancers as part of the team exploring a new investment in a market, product or capability. For example, Halliburton brought […]

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The Beginner’s Guide To Side Gigs

Long gone are the days of having one source of income . Considering many college grads of the last decade or so entered the job market during an economic recession and many are currently entering into an unforgiving and unstable workforce, having varying revenue streams has become a tool of survival. We are also pursuing our dreams and using side hustles to fund them. A side hustle is simply a separate gig one takes on with the sole purpose of additional income, and/or experience. This isn’t yet a full-time role or position, it is simply work done on the side of your day job. Side hustles can be quite lucrative if done correctly and can be a great source of additional income and who wouldn’t want a few extra coins? Ahead, check out a few of the most popular side hustles. 1. Freelance Work No matter your industry, from actors to writers, there will always be work for freelancers. Freelance work, simply means work offered on a temp, or non-contractual basis. This is work based on the need of the employer, not in a salary or full-time position. Freelance work is great for anyone with extra time, looking to make some extra money all while pursuing a passion. If you’re a creative of any sort, freelance work is a great way to network with professionals and build out your professional portfolio. If you’re looking to showcase your skills and make some money try sites like Upwork.com or Fiverr.com . 2. Ride-Share Driving Uber? Lyft? Via? Take your pick. Ridesharing companies have not only changed the way we travel in cities around the world, they’ve also become a reliable source of side gig income. In just 2018 Uber grossed over $11 billion dollars in revenue with Lyft not far behind with over $2 billion . Rideshare companies have become the new wave of transportation throughout the nation growing in popularity and income. If you’re looking for quick, easy money, and a side hustle with a flexible schedule, this might be the gig for you. 3. Meal Delivery From UberEats, PostMates, Seamless and so many more, there is no real reason you couldn’t be making extra income. According to Deliverect.com the food delivery industry is worth over $80 billion dollars and continues to grow as new restaurants surface. If you’re looking for extra income, all you need is a car and some free time to earn a few extra dollars throughout the day. 4. Airbnb If you’re a homeowner or renting an apartment and happen to travel often, you might want to look into becoming an Airbnb host for the times that you’re away. Becoming a host simply means, providing accommodations for travelers looking to save money while on vacation. According to Priceonomics.com Airbnb hosts are making more than anyone else in the gig economy, earning over $900 monthly. 5. Start a Business Starting a business will probably be the most difficult, yet most rewarding of all the gigs listed. The […]

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Finding the Best Paying Freelancer Jobs in 2020: Fiverr vs. Upwork vs. Symposium

So, you’re ready to start offering your experience to the masses as a freelancer. You’ve realized that your skillset is valuable, and you know there are people out there who want and need what you have to offer. The only problem is that you’re not exactly sure where to start. Freelancing can be a tight market to break into. Sometimes it seems like it’s about who you know, as opposed to what you know, that makes or breaks your leap into working for yourself. Finding great freelancing jobs can seem daunting. The good news is that there are a ton of people out there who are thinking like you. They’re ready to take control of their schedules, workload, and pay rate. Ready to become masters of their own destiny, if you will. And like you, they’re looking for clients who are seeking the skill sets they have to offer. So, now what? The internet is booming with sites that offer freelancing gigs, but which ones should you use? More importantly, which one is the best? You don’t want to entangle yourself with scams, or with jobs that are going to lead you to dead ends. We were you not too long ago, and, from our experience, we know you need to start your freelance work off on the right foot. So, we’ve broken down the top three freelance job posting sites. We’re going to give you the ins and outs of using these platforms and which sites you should focus your efforts on. Finding Freelancer Jobs From our perspective, there are three outsourcing sites you should include in your freelance work search. These sites are Fiverr , Upwork , and Symposium . If you’ve followed our site in recent months, you’ve heard us talk about Symposium before. However, you must understand all three of these websites, so you can make your best, educated decision on how you’d like to move forward. Clearly, we’re going to give you our opinion on the topic (don’t we always?). Despite that, we recognize that you’re taking the reigns on your professional life, so we want to give you the freedom to take the wheel here, too. Fiverr vs. Upwork vs. Symposium Fiverr, like the other platforms, is a two-sided website. On one side of their offerings, Fiverr allows individuals to post available job opportunities. These positions may come from employers, entrepreneurs, or hobbyists who are looking for some side help with their passion. The Marketplace (or the virtual “job board” on Fiverr) is full of opportunities in many fields. Some of the positions need an individual with an immense amount of experience and expertise. Other opportunities need some administrative support. The bottom line is that whatever void an employer needs to be filled (within reason) is permissible to post. On the other side of Fiverr’s offerings are individuals who are seeking work opportunities. These are the people who are looking for a side hustle or people who may want to make a career […]

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Part II: Which is the better grammar checker? Grammarly or Hemingway?

In our first installment of this article, we discussed how most people desperately need a program to help them with grammar. Your clients are judging you on your ability to write a proposal, and your writing may be affecting your bottom line. In our last article, we took a close look at Grammarly. 

 In this article, we will look at Grammarly’s competitor: Hemingway.

How much does Hemingway cost?

Hemingway has a free web version with limited features, but the full version will allow you to work offline. The MAC and PC versions are both $19.99, and once you purchase the software, you have it for life.

How do you use Hemingway?

You can get started with Hemingway immediately. Visit the website, and you will find text already in the editing field. Replace that text by copying and pasting your document on the editing screen. Click the “edit” button in the top right corner, and you will immediately see the color-coded suggestions.

The blue-highlighted text tells the writer the number of adverbs he or she used in the document. To ensure readability, the creators of Hemingway suggest using a limited number of modifiers in a text. The amount you should use is based on the word count of the document.

The green-highlighted text points out the passive voice. Sometimes passive voice is almost impossible to get rid of without the sentence sounding ridiculous. Most of the time, though, you can turn passive voice into active voice relatively easily.

 Do you see the pink-highlighted text? The color pink indicates that you may have used a more complicated word than necessary. Hemingway will give you a suggestion of a more straightforward word.

Yellow-highlighted sentences are relatively hard to read, and the orange sentences are very hard to read. This is based on the number of words, phrases, or clauses in the sentence.

How does Hemingway make you a better writer?

Hemingway’s primary focus is readability. If you struggle with writing long, complicated sentences, bogged down with lots of descriptors, you need to use Hemingway today.

Hemingway is also the perfect choice for someone whose writing always sounds academic or formal. The app points out when you can use a one-syllable word as opposed to a four-syllable word.

How does Hemingway score your document’s readability?

Hemingway assigns your document a grade level that corresponds loosely with the American grading system. For example, if your text is labeled as appropriate for Grade 6, that means the average 12-year-old could easily understand your writing.

The app also takes it one step further by telling the writer how long it would take the average person to read the text silently to themselves.

How does Grammarly compare with Hemingway?

First, let’s discuss the pros and cons of using Hemingway.

Hemingway is cheap. You can’t get much less expensive than “free.” Hemingway is also a useful tool for people who tend to be wordy and use complicated words.

On the other hand, sometimes the one-syllable word isn’t the right choice for what you are trying to say. Descriptive words can add depth to your writing, so adverbs shouldn’t be outlawed. Also, Hemingway sometimes leaves documents as choppy-sounding shells of what the article once was.

Grammarly will tell you when you are using a complicated word and may suggest a simpler one. At the same time, Grammarly may also give you a more-nuanced word as a suggestion to replace a simple word. Grammarly will tell you when your sentence structure is too repetitive as well as being too complicated. Also, we like when Grammarly politely nudges you as you write to notify you of glaring errors.

We think that the Grammarly scoring system is rather silly. What does it mean that your text is rated an 89/100? That bit of data means nothing to an average writer, except it may be a fun comparison tool.

Grammarly or Hemingway? Which tool is better?

Grammarly is, by far, the better choice. We feel as if it improves writing better than Hemingway. It makes writers sound more intelligent while Hemingway often leaves documents sounding as if a fourth-grader would have written them. 

By the way, Hemingway dinged me for using nine adverbs in my text, none of which I changed. I used two words that had simpler alternatives. Five times my verbs were passive voice, which I didn’t care enough to change either. 

And my grade level? Hemingway said this text would be appropriate for a seventh-grader. This may be true, but I’m not writing this blog post for 13-year-olds.

This article was originally posted at Freelancing buzz.

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Freelance economy: Why part-time workforce is new normal for entrepreneurs to cut cost, attract talent

Create YoureCommerce WebsiteYou’re the Boss. Create aProfessional Website or OnlineStore With Weebly Today. Ad closed by Report this ad Why this ad? Ad covered contentAd was inappropriateNot interested in this adSeen this ad multiple timesThanks. Feedback improves Google adsAd closed by Time-bound contracts are the answer also for smaller firms and startups that may not be able to afford regular employees or professionals with specialised skills. By Dilipkumar Khandelwal Corporate roles and structures, industries, and even economies are experiencing what I view as creative destruction. One of the major reasons for this is the introduction of new technologies that allow talented professionals to farm out their skills to several companies instead of being attached to only one. This phenomenon is what we know as the ‘gig economy’ (freelance economy). I have read that there is a significant rise in the number of ‘gig workers’ in India, aided by technology that has made remote working common. One indicator of this is the mushrooming of co-working spaces in urban centres. Here, professionals and businesses can connect to forge mutually beneficial bonds. Win-Win Model Given its growing popularity, I wouldn’t be surprised if the gig economy becomes all-pervasive. That would be a boon for India, given that four million people enter our workforce every year. With businesses cautious about adding to their rolls, the gig approach could result in gainful employment for many. Companies benefit too because they can, based on client requirements, take on merely a temporary workforce – saving big on administrative and overhead costs. Time-bound contracts are the answer also for smaller firms and startups that may not be able to afford regular employees or professionals with specialised skills. The professionals benefit by getting to choose from a wider array of part-time employers and varied projects. This is a win-win model. Let’s not forget this is an experience-driven generation that doesn’t want to be tied down to fixed corporate structures and norms. In return for professional freedom and a wider choice, it is willing to take a certain level of risks when it comes to earnings. In a study this year by NobleHouse, a platform that connects companies with talent, 73 per cent of respondents said they would prefer freelance work to a full-time job. A study two years ago by Ernst & Yong on the ‘Future of Jobs in India’ claimed 24 per cent of the world’s gig workers are in India. Also read: Not only Amazon, Flipkart, banks, brands too part of ‘unholy’ nexus of discounting, CAIT to Piyush Goyal Why Gig Economy? What this tells me is that there is an entire value chain being built – from platforms that connect gig workers to businesses, to those that manage workflow and payments. It also tells me that the old models of employment are changing. As an extension of this argument, remote teams connected by technology will be the dominant trend of the future. Here are some characteristics of the gig economy: The biggest advantage for a […]

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How to Start Your Writing Business with These 15 Sites

Are you a unicorn writer looking to share your writing talents with the world but you’re not sure where to start? Maybe you’re looking for a way to make a little money on the side of your main gig. If you’re a writer of any skill level, you’re in luck — there are numerous online websites and resources for you to share your writing — and get paid for it. Keep reading to learn more about 15 of my favorite freelance writing jobs for beginners. 1. Hire Writers At Hire Writers, you can apply to write articles and other content for various websites. With the free writer membership, you can write about what you want by picking from a number of different topics based on websites’ needs. You can also write when you want, creating your own work-from- home schedule. If you don’t feel like writing, there are other jobs to choose from, as well, including research, proofreading, and idea generation. The best part — this freelance writing job pays weekly. 2. Online Writing Jobs This freelance writing job is focused on content and SEO writing, so if you’re a writer with a marketing background (or an interest in marketing), this is the site for you. The free application process to become a writer for Online Writing Jobs includes a unique writing sample that you get paid for. Once accepted, your work will earn you $15 to $50, depending on your skill level and the complexity of the content. 3. iWriter If you’re looking for a freelance writing job but don’t want the hassle of sending bids or proposals or looking through a ton of available jobs, you’re in luck. At iWriter, people, websites, and companies select you from a list of writers. They then present the work they need completed, and you get a freelance writing job. 4. Writer Access Writer Access is another great resource if you want a freelance writing job but don’t have the time to sort through businesses, clients, and projects. After applying and passing Writer Access’ proficiency test, the site uses artificial intelligence programs to scan your sample work and match you up with the best brands and agencies that you can write for. 5. The Content Authority The Content Authority is a more in-depth resource for freelance writing jobs. But you can still be a beginner. In fact, this website uses a tier system for their writers. Every new writer begins at Tier 1, which includes a probationary period during which the writer can begin creating a small portfolio. After the probationary period, the work is analyzed and the writer can be promoted to a higher tier. Once officially a writer for The Content Authority, you will be paid weekly, if you have a minimum of $25 in approved articles. 6. Textbroker Textbroker is a great resource for beginners looking for a freelance writing job because it accepts writers with varying levels of experience. The site includes resources for improving your writing […]

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A Brilliant New Focus For The Freelance Revolution: Age Tech

null Getty It was my birthday this week, and I confess that I’m into my sixth decade. By no means am I slowing down in my writing or enthusiasm for the freelance revolution and the potential for remote work. But there’s a new focus area with amazing potential for the freelance revolution – something that creates extraordinary opportunity for freelancers. And, it’s hardly received the publicity it deserves. It’s what my mentor and solopreneur par excellence Keren Etkin calls Age Tech . Keren has become an important global influencer and a unique thought leader both in mobilizing interest in age tech, and identifying new areas combining both service to the elderly and significant commercial prospects. More about Keren in a moment, but here’s what age tech means for the freelance revolution. In every area of tech, and broadly across professional disciplines, there are large and growing opportunities for freelancers to participate in a new area that combines technology innovation and financial opportunity. Here’s the bottom line as described by investor Dominic Endicott in an interview with my Forbes colleague Tina Woods: “Age-Tech spending is poised to grow fast. Older people are the fastest growing demographic group; digitization is growing across all sectors and digitization in aging is converging towards the global average. I project the global Aging Economy will reach $27 Trillion in 2025, with digitization at 10%, for an Age-Tech potential of $2.7 Trillion by 2025. This would imply 21% annual growth in the global Age-Tech market.” In other words, significant rewards are available to those freelancers who help build the age tech economy. Wood’s article describes a number of areas where age tech is growing fast: PROMOTED 1. Services purchased by older people . Services used by seniors are in many cases not just purchased by the elderly, but they are significant beneficiaries. Ride sharing is one example: Lyft, for example provides access to their network through a partnership that doesn’t depend on senior comfort with smart phones. Or Amazon and other companies that assembles all medications to improve convenience and safety. A study by Charles Schewe of the University of Massachusetts points out the importance of services to the elderly: “(t)he physical and life style changes of the elderly produce an emphasis on services over goods … the need for such services as home security, car maintenance and repair, and lawn care and also found high interest in “no-frills” products and services.” On demand services from Task Rabbit to Instacart are of particular value to seniors and individuals with physical limitations, and in future can be customized to the needs of elderly customers. All Trails , for example, provides hikers with information on children friendly paths. It would take little effort to provide hiking trail intel that was more specific to seniors. 2. Services offered on behalf of older people . Technology is rapidly expanding both the breadth and quality of services provided for seniors. Healthcare is an obvious area for innovation. As a recent article […]

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I’m a full-time freelancer, and there are 3 things I’m doing right now to recession-proof my finances

I got laid off from my job at a tech startup in 2015 and decided to go full-time freelance. Since then, I’ve built up a steady roster of clients and feel confident about my career. But I still need to prepare financially for the possibility of a recession. To protect myself, I’m building up my emergency fund and finding new ways to make money so I’ll be relevant no matter what. Read more personal finance coverage . There are a lot of perks to being a freelancer, from working with a variety of clients to working from home in pajamas (if you feel like it). But with that kind of flexibility comes some tough-to-swallow realities, such as the fear of losing all your clients around the same time or budgeting enough money to pay for benefits that full-time employees receive (i.e. health insurance and retirement contributions). After I got laid off from my job at a tech startup in 2015, I decided to enter the world of freelancing. For the past four years, I have enjoyed the ups and downs of working with clients and growing my career through new types of challenges. But one thing that’s been on my mind this year, with talk of a possible recession on the horizon , is how I’d survive the freelance game if the economy took a major dip — and so did the budgets of businesses that are hiring people like me. With that fear in the back of my mind, I’ve been working hard to figure out ways to recession-proof my finances . Here’s what I’ve been doing to get a head start on the what-ifs that could be caused by a recession in months or years to come. Building an emergency fund Whether you’re a full-time, salaried worker, business owner, or freelancer, a recession is stressful — you don’t know what the future holds for your finances. In my case, I want to protect myself against the slow loss of income that could occur if clients start to end their contracts with me. One actionable step I’ve been taking since January is contributing monthly to an emergency fund . That way, if I lose my clients and struggle to find new ones, I have a savings fund to tap into to pay for my immediate needs (housing and food) while I consider my next move. Diversifying my clients When I started freelancing in 2015, I worked with only two clients. I quickly realized that it can be risky to rely on income from just two clients, because if they both end their contracts with you, you have to start from scratch with business development. That’s why Andrea Travillian, a business coach , recommends diversifying your clients. “If all your income is dependent on two or three customers, it will be harder to keep going if one of them goes under. Or even if they just need to cut back. Start building up a larger base of clients,” says […]

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