Becoming a Freelance Consultant

Many people dream of creating their own business and working for themselves. Launching a small business often requires a lot of time, money and effort. Most people don’t have the funding or time to dedicate to a whole new business venture. Fortunately, freelancing is a great way to experience self-employment without the commitment of building an entire business. Find a skill that you excel at and start selling your freelance services to different companies and clients. For example, you could become a freelance artist, website builder or cleaner – it’s up to you! You can choose your own hours, location, wage and manage your career. Here are a few tips on how to delve into the world of freelancing. Identify your niche Every freelancer needs a niche within their field of expertise. For example, if you want to become a freelance writer, you need to find your strengths and weakness within the field. You could focus on writing lifestyle blogs or formal documents for a tech company. Research and set up your main goals Without a boss or team behind you, staying motivated and on track for your career can be challenging. You need to find a niche that fulfils you professionally and inspires you to keep working. Set a long-term goal for your professional life and a few short-term goals to help you achieve it. Keep in mind the SMART model when you make these goals – they need to be specific, measured, achievable, relevant and timed. Goals can keep you on track and offer a little motivation when you need it most. Build your network You need a network to find clients, get work and earn money. Finding work is the hardest part of freelancing, and it can become a huge drain on your time. Build a strong contact base to ensure you always have work coming in or the resources to find more if you need it. Do not underestimate the value of a good business card – hand them out at networking events to potential clients and collaborators. Once you have completed a project, ask your client for a reference to add to your portfolio. Marketing, promotion, and task outsourcing Build a social media account for your business to showcase your work and appraisals thus far. You can also use social media to find freelance work by looking out for pitches and job ads. Freelancing can be a tough career to get into. However, it also offers you the freedom to explore your industry and work with several fantastic teams. Business

Click here to view original web page at t2conline.com

The post Becoming a Freelance Consultant first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/entrepreneurship-becoming-a-freelance-consultant/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=entrepreneurship-becoming-a-freelance-consultant
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Why You Should Outsource Your Content Creation

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Great content is a must for any online startup business success. If you wish to dive into the pool of content marketing but don’t have the resources, outsourcing your content creation can be a great way to achieve your marketing goals. As you look at the CMI reports, over 70 percent of brands hire content creation services to make sure the work is professionally crafted. That’s because genuinely good content captivates the interest of search engines and helps develop consumer faith in your brand. When outsourcing content creation, you can work closely with a team of writing agencies or freelance writers who can create genuine content for your marketing essentials. From designing your brand’s logo to writing and promoting your services across different social platforms, these professionals ensure your success. Moreover, many of these experts will create content for you at reasonable prices. Many entrepreneurs depend on their ability to multitask to get ahead in the business. But outsourcing your chores to the pros is the best way to avoid multitasking altogether. If we look at the recent statistics of the global outsourcing market, 84 percent of B2B marketers are outsourcing content creation, and it’s easy to understand why. Emphasis on your core business and more frequent content When you start as an entrepreneur, you’re ready to give it all. But researching, writing, publishing, and updating content regularly is a 9 to 5 job itself. So how will you manage the core focus of your business? Outsourcing these tasks can surely shorten your to-do list. But, these tasks are not tied to your core business functions. So, sticking to the business activities where your strengths lie can help to reap the best results. To create an impact on your audience you have to create a large amount of content. Creating top-quality content takes time. If you do it by yourself, how much can you really write? Google SEO only features well-researched, creatively crafted, and publicized content. According to the reports on Google, the average share of content length starts from thousands of words and ranges to 10,000. These vary on different media platforms. Do you have that much extra time? Of course not, and you don’t want to compromise on quality. For this, you will need professional writers who will keep your website regularly updated. This is one way outsourcing can help you to scale up your business to meet your needs. An adaptable option with a larger audience Outsourcing has another advantage in that it provides an adaptable option. You can hire more than one writer or graphic designer to meet your project’s needs. To create more content in a specific niche, you may feel stuck with one writer. Here’s the solution: You can hire as many writers as you want. Different writers have different styles and tones, so you can opt for the one that suits any particular project’s requirements. And when you choose to outsource content creation, you […]

Click here to view original web page at www.entrepreneur.com

The post Why You Should Outsource Your Content Creation first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/why-you-should-outsource-your-content-creation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-you-should-outsource-your-content-creation
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

5 Easy Ways to Make More Money

Image licensed via Adobe Stock When you’re a salaried employee, whether you get a promotion and a higher salary is ultimately in the hands of your manager. As a freelancer, though, it is ultimately down to you. But what if you’ve been freelance for years and haven’t significantly increased your take-home pay? Then it’s time to do something about it. In this article, we’ll share five simple but effective tips for making more money as a creative freelancer. Follow them all, and you’re sure to start bringing in more money for your freelance work. These tips come courtesy of Studio’s Business Amplifier , an eight-week course designed to increase your income and get you more projects you love. The course, which takes up just 90 minutes of your time each week, includes live workshops, peer mentoring and proven templates. By the end, you’ll have a clear strategy for boosting your freelance income, so over time, the course should more than pay for itself. In the meantime, here are five tips to get you started earning more money as a freelancer. 1. Write a life update As creative freelancers, we’re often looking for help and support from others, including new commissions, referrals or recommendations to new clients, glowing testimonials, and more. But if you don’t want to come across as too pushy and sales-y, there are ways of getting that support without asking for it directly. One method is to send around a ‘life update’ email, summarising what you’ve been working on lately, what changes have been happening in your practice, what you need help with, and so on. As Brian Martinez, one of the co-founders of Studio, explains: “By sending a life update email, you give people an opportunity to check in with you and support you, without directly asking for support. And you can message hundreds of people at a time.” 2. Share your availability on social media Another good way to find new commissions and new clients is by posting on social media that you’re available for work. We all know this in theory, of course. But be honest: when was the last time you actually did so? “Often we’re not receiving jobs because people assume we’re busy, because our social media looks so busy,” Brian points out. “But if we post on our media and let people know that we’re available for opportunities, we open ourselves up to them.” Remember: you’re much more experienced than you were when you first pitched to your older clients. That makes you more valuable as a freelancer, and that value should be reflected in a higher price. 3. Reach out to a select few Writing to people directly, via text, DM or voice message, can sometimes be a little time-consuming. But there are a small number of people we know can make a big impact on our freelance career. And so, focusing on just these select few can pay huge dividends. Brian suggests you: “make a list of five people […]

Click here to view original web page at www.creativeboom.com

The post 5 Easy Ways to Make More Money first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/5-easy-ways-to-make-more-money-as-a-creative-freelancer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-easy-ways-to-make-more-money-as-a-creative-freelancer
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

6 Steps to Becoming a Successful Freelancer

Freelancing allows you to work at your own pace and widen your professional network. This book will equip you with effective strategies and tools to help you reach your full potential as a freelancer and achieve financial prosperity. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Freelancing is not easy. In fact, for as many people who’ve found success in the field, there are just as many people who have failed tremendously. There are a lot of benefits to enjoy with freelancing. Not only does it allow you to work at your own pace, but it also exposes you to a lot of companies, businesses and professionals, widening your social connections. A lot of freelance platforms are available online, like Upwork. Although the website traffic matters in terms of you getting hired, in the end, it all boils down to how you “sell” yourself to employers. So how exactly can you effectively be a freelancer and attract more clients? Here are the six most important steps. 1. Join a freelance platform The first thing is to sell your service in a place full of people who need it. Create profiles on different freelance platforms to widen your connections and get your name out there. This way, companies and professionals will know where to find you, and you’re surrounded by nothing but potential clients. For instance, you can create a professional profile on Upwork. You input all your skill sets, experience, education, portfolio and other basic information. This way, potential clients can go over your profile and decide whether you’re fit for the job they want to be done. Through platforms like this, clients may also ask extra questions to get to know you better before they decide to hire you. 2. Publicize your services Next is to not rely on the platforms you’ve joined. Connect with your social circles and make your services known to those whom you know personally. This way, your acquaintances, relatives, friends and maybe even your friends’ friends become potential clients as well. What’s great about this is that these potential clients will have little to no doubt about your skills and output since they themselves are aware of your capabilities. Never underestimate the connections you have with direct family and friends, as they can be very helpful in bringing you more clients through recommendations and suggestions. 3. Specify your niche Now a common mistake a lot of freelancers make is being too broad when it comes to their skills. For example, placing only “writer” or “graphic artist” is not very attractive to clients, as the majority of them are looking for freelancers who can perform a specific job endlessly. You will not be working on a vague job. Hence, instead of generalizing your skills, try to sell within your niche specifically. So, if you’re a writer, you could go for “children’s blog writing” or “informative article writing.” 4. Be active and responsive You cannot just create an account, then leave it until you get […]

Click here to view original web page at www.entrepreneur.com

The post 6 Steps to Becoming a Successful Freelancer first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/6-steps-to-becoming-a-successful-freelancer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-steps-to-becoming-a-successful-freelancer
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Managing Time as A Freelancer

Freelancing can be incredibly rewarding. You have no obligation to wake up at a specific time, stay in the office for a certain number of hours, and best of all, you get to choose who you work with. Additionally, you are your boss and accountable only to yourself. But, unfortunately, this freedom can just as efficiently work against you, making your life a miserable mess with zero organization. Thus, it is critical to managing your time effectively. Here are a few things that every freelancer needs to do: Make a schedule Working whenever you want will feel amazing for the first few months, but it will quickly devolve into something horrible. Before you know it, you’re working at night, during the day, and not getting enough sleep. You need some basic Time management skills to resolve these issues. All you need is a schedule that you follow like a ritual. Separate your work hours from your hours, and do not cross these lines. Use a timesheet There are many exceptions, but most of the freelance work is done on a per-hour basis. The freelancer charges an hourly rate and provides an hour estimate to the client before the project starts. Now, if you are working one client at a time, tracking the hours it took you to do their task isn’t hard. But, as soon as you add even one more client into the mix, things get messy. Luckily, you can use Excel timesheet templates to record and track the time each project took. You can even automate the calculation of the charges based on your hourly rate for that client. Set boundaries with your clients Just remember, you do not have to be available 24/7. As a freelancer, you might get an email from your client in the middle of the night. You do not have to open it right away and respond to them. Set a fixed time for checking emails and texts and let the clients know about it. Just because you can reply instantly doesn’t mean you should. Implementing this habit early in your freelance career will save you tons of headaches in the future. Learn to say no Remember that you are your boss and only accountable to yourself. If a client is asking for too much, or you are already full, but another client wants to hire you, say no. Do not sacrifice your time for some extra work. Sure, you are getting paid for the extra hours you put in, but it isn’t worth it in the long run. Sure, working a little more than average isn’t as bad. If you work eight hours a day, working for nine hours one day to finish a project is acceptable; working for four more hours regularly is not. What is considered normal is also entirely up to you, but remember your wellbeing, health, and free time when building a schedule for yourself.

Click here to view original web page at signalscv.com

The post Managing Time as A Freelancer first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/excel-timesheet-templates-and-other-methods-of-managing-time-as-a-freelancer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=excel-timesheet-templates-and-other-methods-of-managing-time-as-a-freelancer
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

JazzCash for Pakistani Freelancers

The UK-based freelance platform is now offering a new payment gateway for Pakistanis to ensure safe and secure transactions. Freelancers make a total of 1.1 billion out of the 3.5 billion global workforces, with the majority of the workers operating from South Asian regions like Pakistan. Due to a lack of local secure payment systems, clients and freelancers often face problems and have to deal with numerous scams. TaskShift, a UK-based freelance platform , has introduced JazzCash as their payment gateway for Pakistanis to ensure safe and secure transactions. TaskShift believes that one of the most critical problems clients and freelancers face today is scams or frauds. On one hand, clients often end up losing their money to fraudulent scams, and on the other hand, many freelancers remain unpaid or underpaid despite timely delivering the project. Through local payment gateways, such as JazzCash, clients and freelancers based in Pakistan can make transactions through a secure platform, with the added protection and reliability of TaskShift’s Escrow. Clients in Pakistan who outsource work frequently but cannot use Paypal and do not wish to rely on debit or credit cards can feel more at peace while making payments via JazzCash. Similarly, freelancers can also feel secure and confident that their rightful earnings are protected with TaskShift. Revolutionising freelancing globally TaskShift is an emerging UK-based online freelance marketplace that aims to stabilize the global freelance economy by charging only 3% commission. With a market-competitive commission rate, freelancers do not feel the need to charge unreasonable rates for their services, and small businesses can outsource work without breaking the bank. Ultimately, this also allows business owners to execute their dream projects and kickstart new projects. According to TaskShift, the JazzCash payment gateway will only be visible to users in Pakistan. TaskShift representatives further confirm that they will soon be launching local payment gateways for other regions, which are considered the hotspot of freelancers. This content is a paid advertisement by TaskShift and is not associated with or necessarily reflective of the views of Dawn.com or its editorial staff.

Click here to view original web page at www.dawn.com

The post JazzCash for Pakistani Freelancers first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/taskshift-introduces-jazzcash-for-pakistani-freelancers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taskshift-introduces-jazzcash-for-pakistani-freelancers
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Is Upwork Safe to Use?

Working remotely online is a dream for many people. Whether you want the convenience of setting your own schedule or the ability to work from anywhere, freelancing online is an enticing idea. Unfortunately, finding reliable online work is challenging. It is a lot easier to fall victim to scams when predators hide behind a screen. Most aspiring online workers encountered Upwork at one point or another in their career search. The popular platform is a freelancing giant—but mixed reviews deter users from joining the platform. Learning about Upwork and how to use the site safely helps users get a jumpstart on their online careers. What Is Upwork.com? Upwork is an online network that connects freelancers and employers. It’s the largest freelancing marketplace, that was previously two separate companies, Elance and oDesk. Since their merger in 2015, Upwork became the go-to spot for finding potential jobs or people to do them for you. The platform caters to many industries, most notably web design, customer service, programming, statistics, writing, illustrating, and translating. The possibilities are endless. It’s free for anyone to post job opportunities on the site. There are tons of posts, ranging from agencies looking for SEO copywriters to start-ups seeking video game designers to bring their passion projects to life; from students looking for someone to write their homework to even people looking for dating profile managers. Although employers don’t face many obstacles to create accounts, freelancers have to jump through some hoops before making proposals and getting paid. Freelancers now need to apply to create a profile and fit specific requirements to apply to positions. Upwork takes a rather large service fee from freelancers (usually 20 percent to start) plus VAT to European users in addition to a small service charge from clients. Users looking for additional freelancer or employer perks can opt for paid premium accounts, or other “job connects” to actively apply to positions they did not receive an invitation for. Is Upwork Legit? Many clients and freelancers alike find success through Upwork. It is a legitimate site that you can use with peace of mind. Upwork takes many security measures to ensure the safety of its users and encourages all users to follow specific guidelines to regulate activities on their platform. For example, clients must pay out “milestones” for paid projects in advance, which will sit in Escrow until the project is complete. This means that the money waits with a third party in advance upon contract agreements, so you don’t need to worry about clients ghosting you without payment on the platform. They also alert any suspicious activity from clients and warn you to pause work the second something seems fishy. For example, when clients connect payment information to hourly contracts, Upwork notifies freelancers if their credit information expired. Likewise, the platform monitors messages and posts to ban and suspend any suspicious users on their accounts. Despite these efforts, scams are possible through the platform, and if you fall for them, Upwork probably won’t […]

Click here to view original web page at www.makeuseof.com

The post Is Upwork Safe to Use? first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/is-upwork-safe-to-use/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-upwork-safe-to-use
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

8 Steps to Start a Small Business From Scratch

Thomas Barwick | Getty Images We do amazing, meaningful things every day, but in small increments. We build a life, a family, a career, a worldview, a legacy — all in bite-sized pieces that are manageable in the moment, yet impactful in the long term. This feeling that the challenge of starting a business is too big is a primary obstacle many entrepreneurs see blocking their road to financial independence. And yet, the basic process of building a business can be as step-by-step as starting your coffee pot in the morning or driving to work. Turn things on, get in gear, find a starting point and go. That’s not to say that it’s easy or that there’s no work involved. But when creating a small business, a series of steps becomes manageable instead of a neverending staircase you have to run up. In the spirit of taking things one productive piece at a time, here are the eight steps we recommend for starting your own small business. 1. Get a strategic business plan A business plan is the living structure of your company. It creates a pathway for success and lays out strategies for revenue, marketing, hiring, profit margins, competition and competitive advantages. You’ll also use your plan to share your vision with potential investors, bank-loan officers and even new company managers and branding experts. 2. Incorporate your company The business formation process can be contracted out to professionals or handled piece-by-piece as you go along. If you work with a company that offers this kind of service, it can also handle many of the tasks in the following steps for you. Unless you plan to work as a sole proprietorship, which has different rules and can often be managed the same way as freelance work, you’ll want to create an LLC or limited liability corporation. You can learn more about which business structure to choose on the Small Business Administration’s website. 3. Get a Tax ID number In most instances, a small-business owner will need to file for a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses to administrate tax laws. It is issued either by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or by the IRS. According to IRS.gov, a tax ID number is not required if you operate a sole proprietorship or an LLC with no employees. However, if you plan to have employees, you will need to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) that they can use for filing taxes. An EIN can be applied for online if your business is located in the United States or U.S. Territories, and you’ll first need to have a TIN to apply for an EIN. 4. Get a business license Your business licensing requirements may differ depending on the city, state or county in which you are doing business and the kind and size of business you plan to start. For example, in some states, sole proprietors do not need to acquire a business license (though certain […]

Click here to view original web page at www.chron.com

The post 8 Steps to Start a Small Business From Scratch first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/8-steps-to-start-a-small-business-from-scratch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=8-steps-to-start-a-small-business-from-scratch
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

9 Best Paying Freelancing Jobs to Pursue

Nowadays, freelancing is very popular among lots of people, especially those who are tired of working from 9 to 5. You can easily find an alternative job in the freelance marketplace and become your own boss. Just choose the right industry for you, create your own schedule, and start working. This is the best way to enjoy a healthy, comfy, and stressless working life. Of course, you want to do a freelancing job with a higher salary. You must be wondering which freelancing jobs are the most lucrative. Well, look no further! Here we will discuss the best paying freelancing jobs to pursue. UX Designer User experience (UX) designers are one of the most popular freelance jobs to pursue. UX designers are responsible for making sure a product provides the user with the best experience possible, from the design and usability of the product, to even the customer service and promotion of the product. Many freelance advertisements are hiring UX designers with bachelor’s degrees in design, but if you have a great portfolio and some experience, you can also become a freelance UX designer and find a fantastic job. Web Developer Another in-demand freelance job is web programming, coding, and developing. Programming freelance jobs, mainly software and mobile app development, are the highest-paid ones. That’s because there aren’t many good coders, as it is a very difficult skill to master. Today, many people want to start an online business, so they need a website or an app. If you are a qualified and experienced professional, there will be many jobs available to you. Both front-end and back-end developers are in demand, especially those who are mastered in coding languages such as Phyton, Java, Ruby, and others. Web designer Web designers are also in demand in the freelance industry. Web designers’ responsibility is to create the design and layout of a website or web pages. You can find a job to create a new website, or to update an existing one. Unlike with web development, you can actually become a web designer without any coding knowledge. You just need to become proficient with one of the many website building platforms available such as Wix or Squarespace, and you can start designing in no time! Copywriter The fastest and easiest way to become a freelancer is copywriting . Copywriting is also considered one of the easiest freelance jobs to start. There is no need for a specialized degree or technical background. Also, this is a great job if you want to earn a lot as a solo freelancer. As a copywriter, you have to use persuasive writing to create content for website pages, blogs, high-quality articles, guides, descriptions for products, services, and so on. The high-paid copywriters are direct response ones. Their goal is to write marketing material to get the reader to take action. For instance, sales video scripts, emails, and online sales pages are aimed to make the potential customer order a product, sign up for a webinar, etc. […]

Click here to view original web page at signalscv.com

The post 9 Best Paying Freelancing Jobs to Pursue first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/9-best-paying-freelancing-jobs-to-pursue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=9-best-paying-freelancing-jobs-to-pursue
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

How Graphic Design Freelancers Can Make Downtime Productive

Regardless of whether it’s optional or inevitable, it isn’t a good idea for freelancers to let downtime become wasted time. Graphic design freelancers, in particular, can be productive during downtime. Graphic design is a robust industry that’s increasingly growing in importance during the digital age. Companies and individuals alike want to invest in their online brands, and visual style is a core concern. Time spent scrolling through everything the internet has to offer is far more likely to be captured by eye-catching visuals than by even the most carefully-targeted copy. For those creative professionals who excel at graphic design and know how to present their services properly, there’s a lot of money to be made. As you might expect, though, supply has crept up to meet demand, and there may be more graphic designers around than ever before — particularly freelancers. Some graphic designers have top-notch reputations and can charge hefty sums. Others are just getting started and looking to prove themselves. The waters are further muddied by the part-timers: the people who have some basic graphic design skills and hope to occasionally supplement their income streams. Even if you’re the best of the best when it comes to graphic design, the sheer variety of professionals around (and the speed at which visual design trends come and go) will ensure that you have downtime on occasion. You might choose that downtime on occasion, of course, not particularly wanting to work hard all the time. But regardless of whether it’s inevitable or optional, it isn’t a good idea to let downtime become wasted time. It can still be productive. Productive Ways to Draw More Value from Downtime To help you squeeze more value from your downtime, then, we’re going to look at four ways in which you can use it more productively. Let’s get to them: Learn to use new tools Maybe the most useful thing for a graphic designer to do during downtime is work on their skills. The better they get at what they do, the more they can raise their rates, and the easier they’ll find it to secure work in the future. Someone who primarily works using Adobe tools like Photoshop and Illustrator might benefit from dabbling in the Coral suite, for instance. There’s a lot of overlap, naturally, but you may discover CorelDRAW better for some things. Additionally, we all fall into repetitive patterns sometimes, and graphic designers are no different. It’s easy to find one way of achieving a particular effect — even if it’s somewhat slapped together — and keep using it in perpetuity. Downtime can be used to try new methods, which may turn out to be more efficient and/or more effective, particularly if they involve macros. Produce educational courses to sell When you have in-demand skills, providing them for a fee isn’t the only way to monetize them. You can also profit from teaching others to do what you do. Since it isn’t specific actions that make you an expert (it’s […]

Click here to view original web page at webwriterspotlight.com

The post How Graphic Design Freelancers Can Make Downtime Productive first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/how-graphic-design-freelancers-can-make-downtime-productive/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-graphic-design-freelancers-can-make-downtime-productive
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

What Is SWOT Analysis?

As your job responsibilities increase, you could face challenges with productivity and career growth. Whether you’re an employee or running your own freelance gig, these challenges can occur. However, by following the SWOT analysis steps mentioned in this article, you can overcome such challenges. A personal SWOT analysis will help you to pick the right job or project for increased productivity. Subsequently, you’ll see yourself prepared for the next level of career or business expansion. The Importance of Personal SWOT Analysis To get to the next career level in a company or expand your freelance business, you need to keep up the productivity while accepting extra tasks. You can only sustain the pace of productivity when your approach is scientific. SWOT analysis is the scientific method that helps businesses increase their productivity and growth. It’s also similarly effective when you need to understand individual capabilities. A SWOT analysis report will help you undertake those tasks that you can complete at a higher productivity rate. You’ll also grow advanced skills and more confidence to move yourself to the next level. The Process of Personal SWOT Analysis There are two phases for preparing a SWOT analysis report. During the first phase, you need to find out the followings that are related to the next career level or freelance expansion: 1. Strengths List down the strengths that distinguish you from your competitors. Domain-specific strengths will accelerate project productivity. It’d help if you try to answer the following questions: What educational qualifications and professional certifications do you own? Are you an expert in any trending technology skill or technique? Do you possess any novel project strategy that’ll add value to the company or client? Which reputed companies or clients have you served? Do you have extensive networking in your domain? Are you able to manage a team endowed with mission-critical projects? 2. Weaknesses To be able to increase productivity and accomplish professional goals, you need to find out your weaknesses. Try answering the following questions to list your weaknesses: Do you lack any trending technical or soft skills that could block your path to a promotion or freelance gig expansion? Do you have any habits like procrastinating , being unable to follow established processes, reporting late at work, etc., that could negatively impact your profession? When communicating with a group of people, do you feel a lack of confidence? Is there any shortcoming in your educational background which could make you feel insecure at work or while handling a freelance project? 3. Opportunities It’s time to list opportunities that will give a push to grow your career or freelance gig. Knowing your opportunities help you to boost productivity at the professional level. Make a list of the answers to the following questions: Do you feel that the latest advancements in your domain are more beneficial for you than your competitors? Do you think acquiring new skills will give you an edge over the others in your industry? Is there a need for skilled […]

Click here to view original web page at www.makeuseof.com

The post What Is SWOT Analysis? first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/what-is-swot-analysis-how-it-can-help-with-your-personal-growth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-is-swot-analysis-how-it-can-help-with-your-personal-growth
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Freelancers: 10 Steps To Set Boundaries

In the growing gig economy, there’s fierce competition in many freelance markets. Far too often, contractors will try to earn repeat work from a client by going the extra mile and taking on extra work only to not get properly compensated for it. As business professionals, it’s important for freelancers to stand up for themselves and their work and get the compensation they deserve. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared their advice. Below, they discussed what freelancers can do before or after taking a job to ensure that they don’t get taken advantage of by their clients. Young Entrepreneur Council members offer tips to freelancers for setting boundaries with clients. 1. Get The Contract Signed Before Starting The Job Make sure to have the written contract or statement of work signed by both parties before starting the job. In this contract, make sure to clearly list out the scope of work and how the out-of-scope work would be handled. For instance, out-of-scope work would be done at an hourly rate of X, etc. This will protect the freelancer from scope creep as well as provide a written document to go to in case of any potential legal involvement. Also, have a conversation at the beginning of the job with the client about what is in the scope of work so both parties are on the same page. Frequent communication throughout the job would also minimize potential scope creep. – Meeky Hwang , Ndevr, Inc 2. Consider Productizing Your Services Freelancers should consider productizing their services. Productizing a service means packaging a skill into different packages. For instance, a website designer can offer three different pricing tiers with different scopes of work for prospective clients to choose from. This ensures the freelancer gets paid for all the work they do, and if a client needs extra work, the freelancer would be able to bill for it. – Kristin Kimberly Marquet , Marquet Media, LLC 3. Track Your Time Track your time—especially if you’re getting paid on a per-project basis. Clients are often unaware of how “small” tasks pile up. They may also be unintentionally ignorant of how long specific requests take you to complete. If you accurately document where and how you’re spending your time, you’ve got solid evidence when it comes time to have “that talk” with a client. A reasonable customer who seeks a mutually beneficial working relationship will usually be open to discussing solutions, whether that’s paying you more money or delegating you fewer tasks. As any freelancer knows, not all clients are reasonable. In that case, it’s crucial to be firm about what work you’re willing to do under the terms of your agreement. If that harms your relationship, you might be better off without them. – Mark Stallings , Casely, Inc. 4. Create A Professional Brand Image For some businesses and people, the term “freelancer” doesn’t convey the same degree of professionalism as an established company might. This is a bias […]

Click here to view original web page at www.forbes.com

The post Freelancers: 10 Steps To Set Boundaries first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/freelancers-10-steps-to-set-boundaries-and-ensure-you-get-paid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=freelancers-10-steps-to-set-boundaries-and-ensure-you-get-paid
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

How to Become a Freelance Data Scientist?

The Best thing about becoming a freelance data scientist is you can establish yourself as a brand. Data science is a steadily growing field. More enterprises keep on depending on innovation for collecting and following up on fundamental data, which increases the demand for data scientists in the market. But getting a work opportunity that meets your requirements can sometimes be a challenge. In that case, becoming a freelance data scientist is an ideal option for you. Freelancing is rapidly turning into a mainstream choice for experts. Indeed, LinkedIn is carrying out another component explicitly for assisting freelancers to find work. With this development, it is the best opportunity to get into data science freelancing. Now the question is how to become a successful freelance data scientist? Build Your Presence The initial step of building your presence in the market is to build your website, job listing, and LinkedIn page. Utilize your site to flaunt your abilities. Put an arrangement of pertinent work experience you have, and update it as you effectively help more customers. Keep in mind, a site should be not difficult to explore and make it simple to reach you and get the data that people need. Then, update your LinkedIn and utilize the new marketplaces component to publicize yourself as a freelancer. This final venture will help you consider every contingency for attracting organizations or people searching for data scientists. Learn New Skills Data science changes with the occasion. New abilities become possibly the most important factor, and you should stay aware of the requests of the work. Luckily, data science is an expansive profession — you can apply abilities you mastered for cybersecurity to AI calculations . You can likewise go to online courses to acquire the abilities you need to learn. You can add the specialization certificates to your site, boosting your allure and capabilities for any data science-related work. As a freelancer, you should know the essentials of the work, insights, programming, data visualization , machine and deep learning , and computer programming. These abilities will give you a balanced way to deal with all work. Utilize Online Resources Internet is one of the best human creations. As a freelance data scientist, you can use it to create connections and expand your network with the help of online resources like: Upwork and Toptal are two freelancing explicit stages that will assist with interfacing you with your customers. Gitter is a Slack people group where you can cooperate with different engineers, assisting each other with excursion your tasks and objectives. Kaggle is an across-the-board stage for mastering new abilities and discovering a local area of comparable experts to assemble a customer base. Data Science Stack Exchange is a data set of gatherings where information researchers can pose inquiries and refine their skills. Resolve the Details When you make a work connection, you will need to work out some of the last details. Think about your hours, contract commitments, and pay rate as you […]

Click here to view original web page at www.analyticsinsight.net

The post How to Become a Freelance Data Scientist? first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/how-to-become-a-successful-freelance-data-scientist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-become-a-successful-freelance-data-scientist
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

How to Track Your Expenses as a Freelancer

There are many perks of working as a freelancer, one of the best being that you set your own schedule and work anywhere in the world. But the least favorite part in any freelancer’s career is tax season. Tax season means needing to keep track of all your business expenses and make an estimated tax payment each quarter. You’ll also have to calculate your exact income if you’ll be subjected to income tax and self-employment taxes. It’s bad enough that you pay the full amount of self-employment tax since you’re both the employer and employee, but at least you’re entitled to tax deductions. If you keep a good record of those, you might end up saving up to 50% of your tax liabilities. Navigating tax season with less stress comes down to how well you track your expenses and taxes, so here are a few tips on how to do it. What counts as an expense? Any money you spend to keep your business afloat counts as an expense. However, these expenses must be ordinary and common, which means they are recurring and related to your business. For example, a website that displays your services as a freelancer is considered business-related, so any paid fees are business expenses. But if you’re using the website for personal matters, then it shouldn’t be recorded as an expense. It’s better to separate your personal and business finances to avoid any confusion. Other expenses include your rent, for example, but there are things to keep in mind. If you’re working from home, you should calculate the percentage of your home dedicated to your business. That way you’ll be able to easily calculate a percentage of your home bills and count them as a business expense as well. Extra expenses like phone and internet bills, insurance premiums, office supplies, travel expenses, and entertainment such as business dinners can all be counted as business expenses, which can be deducted from your gross income to calculate your taxes. How to track your expenses Ideally, you’ll write down, or somehow record every expense as you go to avoid piling them up until tax time. A simple spreadsheet is sufficient to keep track of your expenses and income. You can also use accounting software for a more automated approach. Some keep all receipts in a box and, better yet, take photos of them regularly and store them in a folder on the computer. Many receipts are sent by email, so it helps to keep them all saved up in a folder as well. Having digital copies of all your receipts is a good backup to ensure you don’t lose any of them. Keeping all these records organized and in one place will come in handy while calculating your taxes. Tracking your taxes Remember to set aside some money for your taxes; paying a little amount every month is a lot better than making a hefty payment in tax season. You can hire an accountant to keep track of […]

Click here to view original web page at theapopkavoice.com

The post How to Track Your Expenses as a Freelancer first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/how-to-properly-track-your-expenses-and-taxes-as-a-freelancer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-properly-track-your-expenses-and-taxes-as-a-freelancer
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

How to freelance in the UK

;;;;;q;;;;;;;How to freelance in the UK – a beginner’s guide 1 By Dave Chaplin , is CEO and founder of contracting authority ContractorCalculator and the author of The Contractors’ Handbook – Third Edition . As the economy recovers from the impact of Covid-19, now might be the perfect time to go it alone as a freelancer. For risk-averse businesses in this current climate, the immediate access to key skills that freelancers provide presents a more economically viable recruitment solution than a permanent hire. If you possess an in-demand skillset, you are well placed to capitalise. Dave Chaplin is CEO and founder of contracting authority ContractorCalculator , and the author of The Contractors’ Handbook – Third Edition , which provides essential guidance to freelancers and contractors, whether they are new to freelancing or experienced old-hands. Though other key concerns include deciding upon a business model, registering with HMRC and enlisting an accountant, this article shares Chaplin’s advice on setting a contract rate, marketing yourself and finding work. Setting your contract rate Setting a contract rate is a careful balancing act. You want to establish a competitive rate that ensures you receive a good return for your efforts without risking pricing yourself out of the market. There are useful sites online that share survey results of the standard rates that specific skills command. However, while these sites provide useful guidelines, they don’t account for the combination of skills or the level of experience required. Therefore, you should create a baseline rate based on a multiple of up to twice your current salary, assess the results from your research, and ask around. Otherwise, lack of clarity over your market value could leave you vulnerable to poor negotiation. Ask other contractors. ‘Human intelligence’ is a good source of information. Talk to as many colleagues and friends as you can, but do so discretely, especially if you’re currently permanently employed. Existing freelancers and contractors, as well as permanent employees who have worked with freelancers, understand the work and recognise the value of specific skills. If you can, speak to an experienced freelancer who has similar skills and experience to your own. Market conditions can also significantly impact freelancer demand. Browsing contract advertisements online can therefore help you create a clearer picture of the rates you should command in the current climate. Covid-19 did result in market rates dropping, as firm sought to save money, and off-loaded their freelancers. The new Off-payroll reforms also had a considerable effect on the market – large numbers of freelancers, some of whom were perhaps operating as “deemed employees” moved to permanent employment. Brexit also saw contractors move out of the UK. The market may take a year or two to bed back down, and as it does market rates will return to a level where the potential earnings, if you can secure ongoing work, will be lucrative. Marketing yourself Your CV and LinkedIn profile have one purpose: getting an agent or client to speak to you on the […]

Click here to view original web page at www.globalbankingandfinance.com

The post How to freelance in the UK first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/how-to-freelance-in-the-uk-a-beginners-guide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-freelance-in-the-uk-a-beginners-guide
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Growing From a Freelancer to an Agency Owner

Many freelancers struggle to keep their businesses afloat. They often work on a per-project basis, which means that they continually have to hunt for new projects. One way to solve this issue is to grow into a small productized agency that completes projects instead of billing working hours as a freelancer. Those who enjoy the flexibility of working on their own time often realize that the elephant in the room cannot be ignored any longer: the constant hunt for new projects. Not only does it take many hours away from work that could’ve been spent on projects, but it also takes a lot of time and effort. On top of that, freelancers are often stressed out that the next month might not be as fruitful as the previous one. The constant fear of not knowing if the cash will run out dampens the joy of working from home at your own pace. Transitioning from freelancing to managing an agency One thing needs to be clear: nobody can start an agency overnight. You can slowly grow into an agency, or launch a product. Let’s look at both paths to find out what kind of challenges await you: Many freelancers would like to take on more projects, but simply lack the resources to do so. What they can do is outsource a part of their tasks, or start hiring part-time help at first. Launching a product is much more complicated. It can be a course, an ebook, or a software. While the passive income dream sounds good, most people are not successful. That being said, it’s certainly not impossible to launch a successful product. Those who are successful often combine their services with products. Let’s look at an example from this list containing productized services examples : Dropship For Sale mainly sells turnkey dropship websites that can be customized with your own logo and domain. The only thing you have to do is purchase one of the ready-made templates. While this is the core business, they also offer custom store designs as a service at a higher price point. Productizing your existing services A much better option to make the switch from freelancing to building and scaling an agency is called productizing. Productization is not just about putting a price on services and selling those as an a-la-cart product. It’s all about niching down your core services, optimizing your processes, and running an efficient business with a high return on investment. A big advantage of running a productized agency is that you: know who your ideal client is, and that you can easily build marketing campaigns. This eliminates the need to constantly hunt for projects/new clients as they should find you via your marketing efforts. Marketing can be anything from a referral system to content marketing and paid ads. One thing that is uncertain is which marketing strategy works best for you. However, you can take a look at competitors, and then experiment with the chosen strategies. Deciding what to productize […]

Click here to view original web page at digitalagencynetwork.com

The post Growing From a Freelancer to an Agency Owner first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/growing-from-a-freelancer-to-an-agency-owner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=growing-from-a-freelancer-to-an-agency-owner
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Copywriting Can Be a Very Profitable Side Hustle

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. The gig economy is officially in full flight. About two-thirds of Americans already have a side hustle and another quarter plan to start one this year. Why? Pick a reason. Wages aren’t high enough, remote work has given people more time to focus on additional work, entrepreneurs need a secondary stream of income while launching a business. Whatever the reason is, one thing is consistent: Copywriting remains one of the most profitable and simple side hustles available. Freelance copywriters make an average of $55,000 per year . Imagine that as your secondary income. In The 2021 Become a Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle , you’ll learn how you can get to that level. This updated, 14-course, 30-hour bundle will teach you absolutely everything you need to know to launch a profitable copywriting side hustle. Through these courses, you’ll understand what copywriting is and why it’s important to every business. You’ll learn how to write effective copy that sells for any medium, from social media and email to full-scale landing pages. Not only that, but you’ll also learn how to effectively monetize your work. You’ll learn how to discover sites that want to pay you for content, learn strategies to double ebook royalties, and make yourself stand out through side hustle communities like Fiverr. Perhaps most importantly, however, you’ll learn how to increase your efficiency, confidence, and productivity as a writer. With classes rated as high as 4.6/5 stars, you’ll discover exercises you can practice to improve your writing skill, learn how to find your voice, understand how to tap into your most productive drive, and much more. By the end of the courses, you won’t only have the skill, but you’ll also have the drive to become a successful freelance writer. Start a profitable side hustle today. Right now, The 2021 Become a Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle is on sale for just $29.99. Prices are subject to change. Read Now | 50 Profitable Side Hustle Ideas Looking for an additional source of income this year? Read this article to explore 50 side hustles—from driving for a ride-sharing app to starting a blog. Find the side hustle that’s right for you and start earning extra money today! Read Article >>

Click here to view original web page at www.entrepreneur.com

The post Copywriting Can Be a Very Profitable Side Hustle first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/copywriting-can-be-a-very-profitable-side-hustle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=copywriting-can-be-a-very-profitable-side-hustle
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Become a Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle

Today’s highlighted deal comes via our Online Courses section of the Neowin Deals store where you can save 98% off the 2021 Become a Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle . Earn money while doing what you love! Skill success gives you 30 hours of content on copywriting, proofreading, productivity, creative writing and more. This bundle consists of the following courses: Turn Words to Passive Income with Copywriting 101 Convert More Leads to Customers with These Simple Writing Tips The 7 Best Ways to Get Paid as a Writer Transform Your Written Content into More Royalties Become a Confident & Effective Writer Level Up Your Productivity, Confidence & Creativity Introduction to Working as a Freelance Writer or Ghostwriter Discover The Exciting World Of Freelance Writing And Ghostwriting 10 Writing Exercises for the Modern Writer Practice Writing Every Single Day with These 10 Awesome Writing Exercises! Writing with Impact: How to Be a Confident Writer Know the Secrets to Writing Blogs & Business Docs that Enthral Readers Secrets of a Freelance Writer Gain the Skills Necessary to Thrive in the Freelance Writing World Save Money with Proofreading for New Writers Learn the Basics of Proofreading & Saving Money Productivity: Be Hyper Productive When Working from Home Develop Key Profit Disciplines of Working From Home Creative Writing for Beginners Learn Creative Writing in a Fun, Informal Style Super Fast Writing Hacks How to Open Yourself Up to a Raging River of Content Naturally Copywriting: How to Be a Crazy Good Copywriter Develop the Mind of a Copywriter & Break Down the Art of Crafting Professional Copy in 3 Hours Write Copy that Sells with Modern Copywriting for 2021 & Beyond Strategically Deliver Words that Get People to Take Action Using the Art & Science of Copywriting The Complete Freelance Writing Course Build an Impressive Portfolio, Find Ideal Clients & Become a Valuable Freelancer Here’s the deal: This 2021 Become a Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle normally costs $2,400 but it can be yours for just $19.99 , a saving of $2,355.01. For a full description, specs, and instructor info please click the link below. Get this Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle for $29.99 Save, Share & Enjoy Even Your Largest Files Quickly & Securely with pCloud. Get pCloud Premium Plus Cloud Storage for just $29.99 (list price $95) Not for you? That’s OK, there are other deals on offer you can check out here : Disclosure : This is a StackCommerce deal or giveaway in partnership with Neowin; an account at StackCommerce is required to participate in any deals or giveaways. For a full description of StackCommerce’s privacy guidelines, go here . Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site , and it all goes toward the running costs.

Click here to view original web page at www.neowin.net

The post Become a Freelance Writer Bootcamp Bundle first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/save-98-off-the-2021-become-a-freelance-writer-bootcamp-bundle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=save-98-off-the-2021-become-a-freelance-writer-bootcamp-bundle
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Money Management for Independent Stylists

For a variety of reasons, more and more traditionally employed people are moving to freelance and contract gigs. In other industries, some are doing so out of necessity—company downsizing and layoffs, especially in brick-and-mortar businesses, have become more prevalent in the digital age. For stylists, the pandemic accelerated that effect as some salons shut their doors during COVID lockdowns. But some workers are doing so out of choice. As the pandemic began to ease, people were quitting their jobs at a record rate—nearly 4 million in April 2021 alone. Others, having become accustomed to the greater freedom offered by working remotely, said they’d look elsewhere if they weren’t allowed to continue working from home. But freelancing has its drawbacks, too. There are no automatic income tax deductions, so you have to keep closer track of your income and file quarterly taxes. And your income is more likely to fluctuate from month to month, so you’ll have to work harder at budgeting. Managing your money doesn’t have to be a nightmare, though, if you follow a few simple principles. Set a good baseline It can be tempting to use your best-income month as your baseline. If you got into freelancing because of the “free” part (freedom), you might want to think you’re earning more money than you are. Since income can fluctuate, it’s better to average out your income for the year, taking into account seasonal changes, and use that as your starting point. You may even want to drop below that number a bit to be conservative. Set aside the extra money you make during more profitable months to cover your expenses during leaner times. You’ll have to continually readjust, too, based on new data. If your business grows, this means you’ll have more money to spend or invest back into your business. Keep your finances separate Create separate accounts for your business and personal finances. This will make it easier to track what you’re keeping for yourself and what you’re investing and reinvesting into the business. Of course, it will require two separate budgets. Fortunately, there are some good budgeting apps that work well for freelancers. There are also apps like Square, Trim, and CountAbout, that can facilitate bill payment for you and your clients. One option worth looking at is registering your business as a legal entity. But weigh the pros and cons. This will cost you extra money at the front end for filing fees and paperwork, but it will also provide you with credibility. If you register as a sole proprietor, you’ll receive all the profits, but creditors will be able to go after your personal property to satisfy business debts. Bolster your credit standing Good credit is always desirable, but even more so when you’re running a small business. You’ll need a good credit rating to qualify for loans you may need to make investments as your business grows. You don’t have to go into debt to build good credit. One strategy you can […]

Click here to view original web page at www.modernsalon.com

The post Money Management for Independent Stylists first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/money-management-for-independent-stylists/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=money-management-for-independent-stylists
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

3 Ways Reedsy Can Help Your Freelance Editing

Editing and proofreading are creative but challenging paths, especially as a freelancer. Reedsy , the leading publishing marketplace, offers many opportunities for freelance work, but also insights into different aspects of the industry. Here are three key areas Reedsy can help with, from starting out to building a client base. Make the most of its resources and you’ll be a successful freelancer in no time. 1. Starting Out In Freelance Editing and Proofreading Before you do anything, make sure you understand the difference between proofreading, copy editing, and developmental editing. You can start with the first two and build up to developmental editing when you’re more experienced. Reedsy’s guide for starting a freelance editing business clarifies these terms before listing steps you should take to launch your new career in the best possible way. First, determine your niche—a corner of the literary space where you know almost everything there is to know. Then, manage your business with smart techniques like time tracking. 2. Setting Your Editing and Proofreading Rates Your experience will determine your going rates, as will the niche in which you work, and also your confidence. Once again, the more you know about the publishing industry, the easier it is to find your place in it. According to Reedsy’s guide on freelance editing rates , for example, copy editing business and self-help books can cost $0.022 per word on average, as opposed to $0.015 for romance novels. Proofreading rates tend to be lower—reflecting the relative time commitment required for a proofread. Whatever your direction, coming up with the right rates takes research, careful planning, and support from resources like Reedsy’s pricing tips for proofreaders . 3. Finding Editing and Proofreading Work Landing good jobs is an important milestone in your freelance career. At first, you’ll need to show some flexibility in terms of what gigs you accept, so you can gather experience and reviews, but stay on the lookout for exciting opportunities to take your brand to the next level. To help, Reedsy lists sites for editing jobs . While its marketplace is worthwhile, you can join several platforms for a range of opportunities. Fortunately, there are plenty of options for all editing tastes, if the 26 places offering proofreading jobs that Reedsy suggests are any indication. Think about what kind of work you’re looking for and zone in on the best options. Do you want quick, low-effort gigs or high-end jobs? Do you want a platform with lots of user-friendly tools or just a profile to promote and work from? These are all important factors you can sort through with patience and Reedsy’s resources. Explore Resources for Writers Too As a freelance editor or proofreader, authors are your target audience, so learning more about what it takes to write well can be helpful to both of you. You can help with manuscripts, while also offering career advice. Showing that you care is a great way to boost your reputation and nurture wonderful relationships with clients. A […]

Click here to view original web page at www.makeuseof.com

The post 3 Ways Reedsy Can Help Your Freelance Editing first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/3-ways-reedsy-can-help-your-freelance-editing-and-proofreading-career/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-ways-reedsy-can-help-your-freelance-editing-and-proofreading-career
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

The Pros and Cons of Freelancing

It’s no secret the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated technology adaptation — making virtual work the norm and boosting freelance work opportunities. A survey by Upwork found that the proportion of the workforce engaged in freelancing is up to 36% of total workers. The global pandemic isn’t the only reason behind the boom in freelance workers. Freelancers consistently report higher job satisfaction and often even greater earnings than traditional employees. According to CNBC , skilled service freelancers earn a median rate of $28 an hour — which is more per hour than 70% of workers in the overall U.S. economy. Between a flexible schedule, the ability to pick and choose which projects you want to work on and being your own boss — freelancing offers a ton of benefits. However, with it comes several drawbacks. The Challenges Facing Freelancers Freelancers are entirely responsible for tracking, managing and footing their own tax bill. On top of this, they also face health insurance expenses, lack of standard employee benefits and sporadic pay. Thankfully, freelancers can tap into ways to lighten the load and manage responsibilities more effectively. It comes down to using the right tools — such as Lili. Lili is the banking app designed exclusively for freelancers. Lili features tax tools, automated expense tracking, savings tools and even early paycheck deposits. Lili Pro takes things even further. The advanced subscription account offers additional invoicing tools, cashback rewards, advanced expense management, fee-free overdraft and 1% interest on savings. Lili helps alleviate some of the major challenges freelancers face, such as: Taxes: Freelancers are responsible for paying additional self-employment taxes — and they don’t have an employer that automatically deducts a portion of income. It’s up to you to estimate, save and pay on your own. Lili makes this easier — with a free tax estimator, integrated savings tools and automated expense reports. Expense Tracking: One way to offset the burden of paying additional self-employment taxes is by claiming expense deductions. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to keep track of expenses —- unless you’re using Lili. Lili allows you to sort and categorize your expenses on the go and in real-time, straight from your smartphone. Sporadic Pay: It’s not always easy to find consistent work as a freelancer. Clients may end a contract early or shift priorities. Some will even fall behind on invoices. All these factors can lead to a sporadic pay schedule. To make things easier, Lili offers paycheck deposits up to 2 days earlier and fee-free overdraft up to $200. Invoicing: On top of managing work, clients and day-to-day business responsibilities, freelancers are also responsible for creating and sending out invoices. Not only is this time-consuming but also requires extensive attention to detail. Lili makes things easier by allowing you to create, manage and organize invoices directly from the Lili app. Banking for Freelancers When the Delta Surge Could End, and What Comes Next In the U.K., where the highly contagious Delta variant struck first, the number of new cases […]

Click here to view original web page at finance.yahoo.com

The post The Pros and Cons of Freelancing first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-freelancing-and-how-the-right-tools-can-bring-balance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-pros-and-cons-of-freelancing-and-how-the-right-tools-can-bring-balance
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Top 20 Sites That Pay (up to $1 per Word)

Getting paid to write may sound easy, but the reality is a little more complicated. Freelance writing can be hard to break into, and the pay can be low (or nonexistent) for beginners. The trick is to get your first few articles or creative pieces published and then use them to score bigger clients and better pay. And even if long-term freelancing isn’t your goal, building a portfolio that showcases your published work can bolster your career as a writer or subject-matter expert. However, publishing those first few pieces is typically the hardest part of your writing journey. To help, we’ve compiled several places where you can get paid to write now. We’ve also included tried-and-true techniques to allow you to grow as a writer and, ideally, make more money writing in the long-term. If you’re new to freelance writing, one of the first things you may notice is how opaque the whole process is. Websites, blogs and publications often rely on armies of freelancers, but their contributor guidelines and pay are often nowhere to be found. Instead of diving straight into negotiations with editors about assignments and pay, first try to find a site or publication that has a straightforward process for contributors so that you know exactly what they’re looking for and how much they’re paying. (We’ll cover pitching and negotiating further below.) Ready to make money writing online? Here are 20 sites to try pitching: Copyhackers is a content company based in Canada. It provides educational materials to help new copywriters as well as paid opportunities for writers to publish lengthy articles on Copyhackers’ blog. Its submission guidelines are clear: You should be well versed in the topic that you’re pitching. And you should expect to be writing blog posts that are 2,000 words or more “unless it’s extremely wonderfully amazingly readable reading.” Pay : $300 to $1,000 per blog post Categories/Topics: Advertising, branding, UX (User Experience) or marketing concepts; freelance lifestyle or advice; entrepreneurship As its name implies, Listverse specializes in listicles aka list posts. These are highly clickable posts where each main point is part of a numbered list (sort of like the article you’re reading right now!). To narrow that down ever so slightly, the website is broken into several topics: bizarre, entertainment, general knowledge, lifestyle, science, society and more. Your articles should roughly pertain to those areas. Note: Listverse will only pay freelance writers via PayPal. Pay: $100 per list post Categories/Topics: Bizarre, entertainment, general knowledge, lifestyle, science, society and more. To understand what type of articles Narratively publishes, look no further than its tagline: “Human stories, boldly told.” All sections of the website are open to submissions. Just be sure that your story is longform, gripping and has strong narrative elements. For an in-depth breakdown of the different sections and story types, read Narratively’s submission guidelines . You’ll need a Submittable account to send in your draft. Pay: $300 to $400 per article Categories/Topics: Personal essays and reported articles with a […]

Click here to view original web page at www.yakimaherald.com

The post Top 20 Sites That Pay (up to per Word) first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/get-paid-to-write-top-20-sites-that-pay-up-to-1-per-word/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-paid-to-write-top-20-sites-that-pay-up-to-1-per-word
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

5 Best Free Proposal Management Tools for Freelancers

Freelancers are often faced with the difficult task of writing proposals from scratch for every client. Using free online proposal management tools will offer you relief. Creating a new proposal for every client takes up a lot of your time as a freelancer. Instead, using online proposal tools helps you spend this time finishing your existing projects and finding new gigs. Check out the following apps for proposal management, so you can always give your best to a new client. 1. Proposify This free online proposal tool is particularly suitable for freelancers who need a quick tweak to proposal templates to customize for different industries. Creating, sending, and managing proposals are now simple and quick. Proposify offers options to add text, images, and videos to the proposals. The interface of this tool allows drag-and-drop so that you can add various sections to the proposal document without much effort. You can also modify the text boxes, tables, sidebars, and background colors in its layout editor. Moreover, its robust analytics features let you know the section of your proposal that got the most views, the number of times the proposal got viewed, the duration of the views, etc. It offers you the facility to embed YouTube and Vimeo videos into your proposal with ease. Its Online signature tool allows faster signing of proposals once the client agrees to do so. With the help of Proposify, you can further track the performance of the proposals you send. Thus, you will have a better idea of the proposals that benefit you and the areas where you should improve. Download: Proposify for Android | iOS (Free) 2. PandaDoc This online proposal app is also a smartphone-based tool that works fine on both iOS and Android. PandaDoc lets you create customized proposals by quickly filling in the document fields of the template proposal. As you can build any template document here, sending any other necessary information with the proposal to your client is just a few clicks away. The custom notification feature of this tool empowers you by spontaneously informing you about some actions. For example, you can enable notifications to know when the client opened the document, the time they spent reading the proposal, and the time of signature. The two major resources of PandaDoc are templates and a content library. You can create templates for the proposals and include images or formatted copies to brand them as per your freelance business . You can save your portfolio for any particular industry or terms of work in the content library. Whenever there is a need to customize the proposal, add information in the square brackets. ‍This tool offers easy integration with various CRMs. It is also useful to create proposals that include collaboration. Download: PandaDoc for Android | iOS (Free) 3. Bonsai While working as a freelancer, a proposal is not the only thing you worry about. You need to manage your clients, calculate task time, prepare invoices, and many more. Bonsai offers you […]

Click here to view original web page at www.makeuseof.com

The post 5 Best Free Proposal Management Tools for Freelancers first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/the-5-best-free-proposal-management-tools-for-freelancers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-5-best-free-proposal-management-tools-for-freelancers
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

7 Side Hustles That Earn $1,000 a Month

Image source: Getty Images Almost any skill can be turned into a profitable hustle. An easy way to improve your financial situation is to boost your income. You can pay down debt faster, rest easier with a well-funded emergency fund, boost your retirement account — the options are endless. While you can ask for a raise or switch jobs to make more money, those options aren’t always available. That’s where a good side hustle can fill the gap. But not all side hustles are created equal. Any extra income is great to have, but sacrificing your precious free time should come with a proper boost to your bank account . The following seven jobs all have the potential to bring in $1,000 a month or more in side-hustle earnings . And chances are you have already cultivated the skills or hobbies needed. By submitting your email address, you consent to us sending you money tips along with products and services that we think might interest you. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please read our Privacy Statement and Terms & Conditions . 1. Tutor or consultant If you have a useful skill, you can probably monetize it. Whether you’re an ace at algebra, play a mean tambourine, or can boost a company’s bottom line, someone out there can likely benefit from your experience. How much you can make tutoring or consulting will depend on any number of factors, including the rarity of your skill or experience. If you’re tutoring young students, you can expect rates around $15 to $25 an hour. At more advanced levels, tutors can easily charge $30 to $50 an hour. And a top-level consultant can bring in $100 an hour or more, depending on the industry. 2. Virtual assistant Most of us lead busy lives, but some folks are better at it than others. If organization is your skill, consider becoming a virtual assistant for someone who needs a hand staying on track. Virtual assistants do anything from keep schedules and send errand reminders, to scheduling business meetings and overseas travel. The amount you make will generally vary based on the hours you work and the complexity of the tasks you perform, but $15 to $25 an hour is common. 3. Freelance writer Anyone who has a way with words can work as a freelance writer. It helps if you have both a good grasp of grammar and a strong knowledge about a specific topic. Experts in niche markets will make the biggest bucks. Even if you aren’t the best writer, you could put research skills to work compiling listicles for popular websites. And folks with a knack for pithy social media posts can offer their skills to companies looking to boost their reach. Writers get paid in a few ways, including by the word, by the project, or by the hour. Rates at the bottom of the ladder aren’t great, but those with a bit of experience can easily make $15 to $25 an […]

Click here to view original web page at www.fool.com

The post 7 Side Hustles That Earn ,000 a Month first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/7-side-hustles-that-earn-1000-a-month/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=7-side-hustles-that-earn-1000-a-month
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Earn $1,000+ With This Free-to-Start Side Hustle

Image source: Getty Images Many people are starting side hustles or are thinking of doing so. A recent study conducted by The Harris Poll found that 61.1 million Americans plan to start a side hustle in 2021. A side hustle can allow you to maximize your income potential and expand your skills. There are side hustles that work well for all kinds of interests. Freelance writing is one popular side hustle that is free to start, and it can bring in $1,000 or more per month. Yes, that’s right, people and companies pay others to do their writing for them. Whether it’s a press release, a web page, an article, or a brochure — someone wrote it. You can start your own freelance writing business providing web content for others and can do it without spending any money. While you may see some side hustles advertised that require money upfront before getting started, freelance writing isn’t one of those opportunities. So if you’re interested in bringing in more money and want to do so through writing, check out the following tips for better success. By submitting your email address, you consent to us sending you money tips along with products and services that we think might interest you. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please read our Privacy Statement and Terms & Conditions . Choose an area of focus Many writers pick an area or a couple of areas to focus on. When you write about any topic in general, it can be hard to stand out against the competition. Choosing a niche allows you to write about topics that interest you, and it helps you establish yourself as an expert. Whether you want to write about fitness, health, business, real estate, travel, or finance, pick something that you enjoy, and pick a focus that you already know about or that you’re willing to learn. If you choose a topic you don’t find interesting, you may end up giving up on your side hustle. Practice, practice, practice! Don’t let a lack of experience keep you from pursuing this side hustle. If you don’t yet have a lot of writing experience, take the time to practice and learn! The more you write, the better you will get. You’ll also feel more confident in your abilities. Create some practice pieces and then use these pieces as samples to show prospective clients. Set your rates Make sure you set your rates so that you’re getting paid fairly for your work. Your time is valuable. If you set low rates, you’ll have to work a lot harder and spend more of your time writing to reach your income goals. Plus, you may not have enough time to find additional clients who pay better because you’ll be too busy. By setting your rates higher from the start, you can maximize the income that you bring in and feel good about the time that you’re spending writing. If you’re unsure where to start, join writing […]

Click here to view original web page at www.fool.com

The post Earn ,000+ With This Free-to-Start Side Hustle first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/earn-1000-with-this-free-to-start-side-hustle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=earn-1000-with-this-free-to-start-side-hustle
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Looking for Fiverr alternatives?

Freelancing is a great way of earning money. And if you are good at something you can earn a handsome money from it not just pocket money. Older generation doesn’t considers freelancing as a good career choice while younger generation love freelancing because it gives much more freedom than any 9 to 5 jobs. Fiverr no doubt is a great platform for freelancers and it has a huge customer base. But, competition is also high on Fiverr. It’s really hard for a beginner to get deals from Fiverr. So you might think is Fiverr the only option we have? Answer is no.. There are many platforms for freelancers. And here are some Fiverr Alternatives you can work with. FlexJobs FlexJobs makes it simple to discover an outsourcing gig that you need. They extend to huge loads of dependable open positions, the genuine gigs that can guarantee you that your abilities are great. With FlexJobs, you do not need to stress over unlimited promotions, broken connections, rehashed postings, or tricks. FlexJobs can liberate you from those issues. They will make your gig search experience more secure than other Fiverr other options. Pros FlexJobs is the best site for discovering incredible, hand- screened, proficient, and confided in low maintenance occupations. There are 5,460 organizations utilizing FlexJob administrations with 29,275 positions accessible for gig searchers. Since they are hand- screened, you have a tremendous chance to secure the best- quality positions with simpler advances. There are around 50 gig classifications accessible for you, from independent to full- time, neighborhood to worldwide, anything you need, and you can discover what accommodates your profession field. Cons Quality comes at a decent cost. Not the same as different destinations like Fiverr that offer free types of assistance, FlexJobs is not free. SolidGigs On the off chance that you esteem your time more than anything, SolidGigs may be a decent decision. SolidGigs will give you day by day cautions of the absolute best 1% of occupations accessible on the site. These positions are hand- picked by the SolidGigs group and individual specialists. SolidGigs likewise has more than 127 courses, recordings, exercises, instruments, layouts, and different assets to assist you with improving your abilities and up level your independent profession. Pros Every day work ready will save a great deal of your time. You do not need to go through hours of your day just to look for an appropriate occupation posting. Beside the work postings, SolidGigs likewise assists you with improving your abilities with different sorts of mastering materials. Cons To join SolidGigs, you should pay a membership charge of around 19 USD/ month. Upwork Like Fiverr, Upwork is perhaps the biggest commercial center for consultants on the web. In case you are looking to employ, you simply need to mention to them what sort of venture you have at the top of the priority list and the Upwork group will help coordinate you with the recommended master. You can peruse their profiles and work then, […]

Click here to view original web page at eastofseattle.news

The post Looking for Fiverr alternatives? first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/looking-for-fiverr-alternatives/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=looking-for-fiverr-alternatives
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

Why BH Network is the Future For Freelancer Marketplace

Digital currencies are taking over the world by storm. Small scale businesses right through to full-fledged brands are now looking for ways to adapt to the growing trends. However, while those people are looking for freelancers, the options they have are bleak. The enormous fees that current freelancing marketplaces charge are a huge deterrent. The problem is, there are no other alternatives. People are forced to pay those massive fees (sometimes up to 20% of the purchase cost), and there was nothing anyone can do about it – until now. BH Network wants to change the freelancing marketplace norm, and the team is already on track to do so. What is the BH Network? One of the primary issues people within the online business sector face is that buying and selling digital goods has enormous fees. It is challenging to track the delivery of the product compared to physical items dispatched through standard mail routes. The BH Network is a team of freelancers and business owners who have set out to build a reliable and safe online marketplace to help you buy digital goods and services with digital currencies. Their plan includes escrow services alongside existing Elrond blockchain technology to dramatically reduce fees, increase transaction speed, and minimize delivery and chargeback queries. Why Should you Trust BH Network? The BH Network team comprises global freelancers and entrepreneurs who have spent many years building and maintaining online businesses buying and selling digital products and services and have faced the issues that everyone does with the current marketplaces. The idea and execution of the BH Network marketplace come from their requirement and passion for change alongside understanding the needs of the global freelancer workforce. Furthermore, there are always team members available on their Telegram group ready to answer questions that you may have.

Click here to view original web page at in.style.yahoo.com

The post Why BH Network is the Future For Freelancer Marketplace first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/why-bh-network-is-the-future-for-freelancer-marketplace/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-bh-network-is-the-future-for-freelancer-marketplace
via https://freelancingbuzz.com

How to Get Started on Fiverr

Are you a creative person who likes to design websites but are committed to your 9-5 corporate job instead? Or, do you know more than one language, such as English and Spanish? Maybe you like to write content but never gave it a shot? Well, Fiverr allows you to earn money by advertising your skills and finding buyers for them. Let’s dive into how you can start using Fiverr to launch a career as a freelancer. How Do You Make Money on Fiverr? Fiverr allows you to make “gigs” and list them on their website. A gig is your advertisement that you create, explaining what you are offering in exchange for an amount of money. People who want your services will contact you and pay you the amount you ask for. For example, as I mentioned above, if your native language is English, you can list an advertisement (a gig) for “translation from Spanish to English” or vice versa.” It’s a great way to jumpstart your freelance career, or to simply earn extra cash on the side. How to Get Started on Fiverr Ready to get started? Here are the steps that you need to follow before you can start your freelance career on Fiverr and start earning money: 1. Sign Up to Fiverr You will need to create an account on Fiverr using any of the following ways: Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Continue with Apple Enter your E-mail ID and a new Password After that, you can begin setting up your profile. 2. Set Up Your Fiverr Profile Go to the top-right corner of your desktop/laptop screen and click on the circle. You will find your “profile” as the first option on the dropdown menu. You will see a few options on the left side once you open your profile. Fill in the details and update these sections. You will see the following sections: 3. Enter a Description of Yourself Write a short description of yourself. Your potential gig buyers will read this and decide whether you and they are the right fit for each other or not. Pro Tip: Write about your experience and skills here. Tell people why they should choose you to do the job that you have listed. 4. List Your Languages List the languages that you speak here. You can choose the level of proficiency that you possess in any language. Fiverr gives you the option to add up to four languages in this section. Pro Tip: List all the languages that you know. The proficiency levels help us to list the languages that we aren’t fluent in as well. Levels of proficiency: Basic Conversational Fluent Native/Bilingual 5. Link Your Other Accounts In this section, you can connect or link your other social media accounts. You should connect all your other accounts as this shows social proof and adds credibility to you as a seller. Fiverr gives you an option to connect the following accounts: Facebook Google Dribble Stack Overflow Github […]

Click here to view original web page at www.makeuseof.com

The post How to Get Started on Fiverr first appeared on Freelancing Buzz.

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/how-to-get-started-on-fiverr-and-list-your-first-gig/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-get-started-on-fiverr-and-list-your-first-gig
via https://freelancingbuzz.com