Why You Don’t Need Passion to Start Freelancing

Struggling to pick a vocation? Here’s why passion is irrelevant when starting your freelance business, and what to focus on instead. The saying goes, “Follow your passion. Passion will set you free.” I call bullshit. Passion is great. But it can also leave your spinning your wheels and jumping from one area of interest to another. To succeed as a freelancer, you need to build a set of skills that will help you attract clients and projects you love. Passion will come about organically. Here’s why. Choosing the right field can be challenging. Log onto Instagram, and you’ll probably come across a photo of the ocean from your favorite travel blogger’s Airbnb view in Maui. Meanwhile, you’re staring at the dregs of autumn and yesterday’s coffee, and it makes you wonder what your passion is. You don’t know the exact answer, but it sure doesn’t look like this. Besides, Maui is beautiful this time of year. That’s where Mary finds herself on a grey Thursday afternoon. We’re sitting at a low-traffic coffeeshop talking about networking when Mary leans over and asks, “What are you passionate about? Would you rather do marketing or go off and do something else more fun, like tours in wine country?” I pause, midstory. “Wine tastings would be fun, and I love to travel, but I’m sure there are people with way more experience than me doing that,” I answer. “Besides, I’m good at digital marketing.” She leans back. Her eyes twinkle as she confesses, “I’m trying to figure out what I’m passionate about.” She goes on: “I’m a curious person. I like to try things out. So I tried sales, and I was good at that. Customer research, advertising — good at that, too. And this week, going through a whole bunch of life stuff, I’m stuck. I wanna find what I’m passionate about.” We stare at each other. I can relate. Mary assumes that if she can nail down her passion, she can create a business that aligns with what she loves. She’s hoping that her passion will give her an edge as she builds the business of her dreams. It’s a question that almost drove me mad in trying to answer it. “I think you should be asking a different question, then,” I respond. If you, like Mary, are stuck on the passion train, jump off before you hit a wall. Focusing on passion puts the cart before the horse. I liken it to asking the universe to tell you what you should be doing — before you’ve built the skills and experience necessary to do it. You want to jump into something that feels exciting — but you also want to be sure before you leap. So, you sit and stew on questions like: “What’s my meaning?” “What’s my purpose?” “What’s my calling?” These types of questions lead you to analysis paralysis. The reality is passion comes from doing, not from a strike of lightning when you are sitting on the […]

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Ask a Trainer: How Can I Move Into Freelancing?

Tim, I’ve been working as an e-learning specialist for the past few years and I love it! During this time, I’ve realized that I have a true talent and passion for e-learning design and development, and it’s something I know I’d like to pursue long-term. As I’ve been following you and a few others online, I’ve also discovered that there’s a pretty lively community of folks who freelance as e-learning designers full time. I guess I never considered freelancing as a viable option, but it seems I might have been wrong. As a result, I’m now considering what my future career might look like and whether or not I can make the leap into freelancing. I’m curious what tips you can offer for someone, like me, who is looking to eventually make the transition into freelancing but has no idea where to begin. Well, first, let me say how happy I am that you’ve discovered what your passion is and that I and others have inspired you to consider a future in freelancing. I’ll be honest when I say that making the leap into freelancing is exciting and nerve-wracking. And trust me, it really hits home when you get that last paycheck from your full-time job and realize that you’re now 100 percent dependent upon yourself. However, there’s also an incredible sense of freedom knowing that you can do whatever you want. So, while I could write an entire book on making the transition in freelancing, here are some of my top tips. Tip #1: Let It Be Known For you to make the transition into freelancing, even if you’re just starting it as a side hustle, you need to let the world know. This includes your network, your colleagues, and your current employer. I say this for two reasons. First, you’ll never find clients if they don’t know you’re willing to take them. And second, you want to control the narrative to your employer about what you’re doing during your nights and weekends. To do this, create an online portfolio and share your work or consider starting a blog. Participate in online communities and LinkedIn. The more you put yourself out there, the more attention you’ll get, and you’ll eventually get contacted for work. Advertisement Tip #2: Start Small There are a lot of ways you can make the transition into freelancing, but the one way you shouldn’t do it is by immediately quitting your full-time job. You should plan to start small and work your way toward eventually taking your side hustle full-time. What does this look like? Well, pick up one or two clients during your nights and weekends—something you can easily manage between your full-time job and your life. Use these side projects to build your client base, credibility, and savings. It’ll also help you learn the ropes about the freelancing world. Once you’re ready to go full time, you’ll know it. Tip #3: Plan for the Long-Term Jumping off from tip number two, while […]

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How SMBs can build an effective team with freelancers

Most leaders of small and mid-sized businesses would agree that people are the backbone of their businesses. But how can they build effective and complementary teams that play to each other’s strengths and lifts their business up? Mathias Linnemann, co-founder of talent matchmaker Worksome, elaborates on how to build ‘super teams.’ One of the problems that small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) face in putting together super teams is the talent shortage. According to Manpower research, 45% of mid-sized organisations report that they are struggling to attract the right skills to their business, while the same is true for 23% of small businesses. IT is, not surprisingly, the most in-demand skill-set across industries. And the need for IT skills is not decreasing any time soon. A Future of Work report by the Consumer Technology Association revealed that 92% of employers said they will need more employees with technical skills in the future. Adding to that, companies fear that the talent shortage problem will only get worse once – or if – Brexit is finalised. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Because while there is a talent shortage in the traditional workforce, the flexible workforce, consisting of freelancers, independent consultants, and contractors, is booming. And it’s ripe with talent. The UK has over 2 million freelancers and the number will, on the back of the gig- and on-demand economy, continue to rise in the coming years. There’s no talent shortage in the freelance economy Since 2009, the freelance economy in the UK has grown by 25% and generates an estimated £109 billion a year. And according to the Office for National Statistics, flexible workers now account for around 15% of the working population in the UK. These flexible workers work in project-based roles and provide their skills to companies to solve a specific task. They often work on-site and on project teams alongside full-time workers. It’s particularly the highly skilled and well-educated who choose to freelance, according to an IPSE study with freelancers with competencies in IT leading the way. Consequently, more UK employers are sourcing for talent in the flexible workforce. As many as 87% of UK employers intend to increase or maintain their use of freelancers in the next three months. At the outset, this may seem just a temporary solution until a permanent position can be filled. But that’s not quite the case. That is because freelancers are actually a crucial part of any SMB’s super team. Building an effective team Numerous studies have shown that the shift towards using freelancers as a strategic asset can help push companies ahead of the competition. For example, one study revealed that the most successful businesses use flexible workers more often than low performing businesses. And there’s good reasons for doing so. In today’s ever-changing business world, it’s crucial for SMBs to be flexible, agile, and nimble to stay competitive in the face of a turbulent business environment. Utilising freelancers allows a company to scale staff up […]

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Which is the better grammar checker? Grammarly or Hemingway?

To be a successful freelancer, you must run all your text through a grammar check system.

Maybe you earn your living completing webpage designs. Do you still need a grammar checker? If you communicate with your clients through the written word, then yes, you do. You may be losing jobs with your poorly-written proposals. You are being judged for your bad grammar, and this may be affecting your bottom line. 

Perhaps you are a crotchety, old English teacher whose grammar is so impeccable that you even know when to use the word “whom” correctly. You still need a grammar check. Even if your grammar is perfect nearly all the time, a good grammar check will tell you when you are wordy, redundant, or too formal.

Before we dive into the differences between Grammarly and Hemingway, let’s answer another common argument some people may have against using grammar checkers. Some assume that the grammar check offered through Google Docs or Word is good enough to catch most of the errors in your writing. While those programs should find most spelling errors, a good grammar check will do so much more. 

In this article, we will discuss Grammarly. Look for our discussion on Hemingway in our next installment of Freelancing Buzz.

How much does Grammarly cost?

Grammarly offers three plans. The annual program is $11.66 per month, and you are billed a one-time payment of $130.95. The quarterly plan is $19.98 per month, and you are charged $59.95 quarterly. The monthly plan is $29.95 per month. As you can see, it makes the most financial sense to purchase the annual plan if you plan to keep plugging away at your freelancing career for the next year.

How do you use Grammarly?

One of the coolest things about Grammarly is that it is alway lurking quietly in the background, waiting for you to make a significant error. Whether you are writing a casual post on Facebook or a job proposal on Google docs, you will see the green Grammarly wheel continually turning in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. 

Once you are finished with your piece, log into your Grammarly account and watch as the magic happens. 

Grammarly allows you to upload any .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, and .rtf documents. Or you can simply copy the text in your document and paste it into Grammarly. 

So Grammarly can better serve you, you are asked to rate the audience, formality, domain, tone, and intent of the piece of writing. If you are writing a piece of technical writing, Grammarly will asses that style differently than it would a casual essay. 

Once you give Grammarly your parameters, you will see editing suggestions pop up on your document. Keep in mind that Grammarly already caught all your significant errors while you were writing your text. These editing suggestions are meant to fine-tune your piece. 

How does Grammarly make you a better writer?

We would expect that Grammarly would check our punctuation, grammar, and spelling. For the most part, the program accurately catches common errors such as comma splices, errors in subject/verb agreement, and missing articles. 

Your piece goes from good to great when Grammarly suggests using a different word than one you previously used in the preceding paragraph. Grammarly also makes suggestions on how to tighten your writing. It tells writers when they are using overused words. Finally, it also is on a constant look-out for passive voice.

Of course, Grammarly is not right all the time. There are times a writer may choose to use a sentence fragment to emphasize a point. Sometimes Grammarly will not recognize items as a list, and the program will recommend that you add or take out necessary punctuation.

What is a Grammarly score?

As Grammarly is checking your document, it assigns you a score in the upper-right corner. The rating is based on correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery. Once a week, you also receive an emailed report from Grammarly that rates your writing ability for the week. 

Some users who miss their old English teachers may appreciate receiving a score from the app. This user thinks that the score and weekly email are slightly gimmicky and somewhat useless.

For what it’s worth, the above text was run through Grammarly. It pointed out several instances of passive voice. Grammarly thought the paragraph about pricing was boring. The program also suggested I use a different word than “crotchety.”

Reading this document would take 2 minutes and 50 seconds. Speaking this document out loud would take five minutes and 28 seconds. My word length is 4.7; my sentence length is 14.5; and I received a readability score of 66.

My Grammarly score for the entire piece? Of course, it was 100/100. My crotchety, old English teacher would be so proud. 

This article was originally posted at Freelancing buzz.

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Taking the leap to go freelance? Emma Gannon offers her top 8 budgeting tips

Paul Storie Author and broadcaster Emma Gannon lets us in on the secrets of staying money savvy in the world of self-employment In a modern climate of hyperconnectivity and a closer corporate focus on emotional wellbeing, the world is rapidly adapting to the concept of flexible working. In fact, according to research carried out by NatWest (in partnership with cross-party think tank Demos), since 2008, the number of highly skilled female freelancers has grown by 67%, as increasingly more of us are trading in our traditional nine-to-fives’ to join the ‘liquid workforce’ – a group including anyone that chooses to dip their toe into the exotic sea of self-employment . Although making the move to freelance is an exciting process, it’s hard not to get bogged down by concerns that you needn’t consider in the traditional workforce, such as figuring out how to pay your own salary or finding the right pension scheme for you. Here to ease your freelance woes is Emma Gannon, host of award-winning podcast, Ctrl, Alt, Delete. Emma, a freelancer of four years, has linked up with NatWest to launch a new guide for freelancers to help them work out their next move. Covering everything from time-management, to personal finances and ‘finding your tribe’, here are Emma’s top tips on leaping into the unknown territory of freelance employment… 1. Open up a business bank account ‘The first thing I did after going freelance was set up a company – as it’s a great way of having both a business and a personal account. I have my personal account, which covers all my personal finances, and then all my work-related payments go in and out of my business account. Keeping separate accounts will allow you to have the work/life separation that you can sometimes lose when you’re self-employed.’ 2. Pay yourself a salary ‘Once you’ve separated your business and personal bank accounts, pay yourself a monthly salary into your personal one. Even if you’ve worked with a big client and had a good income that month, it’s important to keep the amount consistent to even out the ‘lumpy’ salary that many freelancers are all too familiar with. If you’d like to book a holiday or treat yourself and pay more one month, then even it out by paying yourself less the following month to stagger the amount out throughout the year.’ 3. Enlist help with invoices ‘Working out your own invoices will eat up a lot of valuable time. When first starting out, you mightn’t be able to hire an accountant for your invoicing, but there are some great tools available to help you out. You can open a digital business account with Natwest called Mettle, which helps you create and send invoices. Software such as FreeAgent is also available to automatically chase overdue invoices, so you don’t have to worry about tarnishing any relationships by constantly chasing for money owed. Remember to remind contractors of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act (1998), which means […]

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RealtimeCampaign.com Gives Tips for How to Handle Taxes for Freelancers

Taxes are confusing for just about anyone. For some people, taxes are just more complicated than they might expect, and filing everything properly is difficult. However, issues when filing can snowball into much larger issues down the line. For freelancers, the following tips can make filing taxes easier and help them save more money in the long run. Look Into the Home Office Tax Deduction For those who work from home, the home office tax deduction can be a huge help. According to RealtimeCampaign.com, most people aren’t aware they can take the home office tax deduction or how much it can help them. This is typically easy to do, and most people who use part of their home exclusively for business can use this deduction. Keep Careful Track of Freelance Income Tracking income is not as easy for freelancers as it is for those who work a typical job. Freelancers Are Changing The Way We Do Business , and with these changes comes the need to track everything more carefully. Freelancers should keep careful track of every source of income throughout the year as well as the total amount so this information is easy to access when it’s time to do taxes. Keep Track of All Deductions Freelancers can use a lot of deductions to reduce their taxable income. Some of the most common deductions include office supplies, computer equipment, business travel expenses, and utilities. The home office is one of the biggest deductions for a freelancer to take, but they should look into all possibilities to save as much money as possible. Keep Up With Quarterly Payments Many freelancers will need to make quarterly tax payments. Those who make more than a few thousand a year will want to look into this as it can help them avoid having the full amount due at the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, it may be required by the IRS if they’re going to owe a sufficient amount of money when they file their taxes. Freelancers can check out this resource to learn more. Get Help Before Filing the Taxes Despite excellent record keeping throughout the year, filling out the appropriate tax forms for freelancers can be difficult. This is why many experts recommend that freelancers get help before filing their taxes. A professional like Dave Burton can help ensure everything is accurate and enable them to maximize their deductions to lower their taxable income. This could make a huge difference in how much they need to pay. If you’ve just started freelancing, filing taxes might be difficult at first because it’s very different than someone who has a typical job. Follow the tips here to maximize your savings and to ensure you keep track of everything throughout the year. This will help make taxes easier. If you aren’t sure about taxes or tax-related topics, be sure to speak with a professional right away. They can answer any questions and make sure you’re ready to file at the end of […]

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Krios.io Freelancer Platform Ready For Signup and Hiring

The freelance web platform, Krios, is now open for signups by skilled freelancers and companies searching for specialized service providers. The advanced web platform assists businesses and provides freelance professionals with full support as they communicate with hiring companies. Krios Logo Many people search online to learn about the freelancing economy and how it affects them. Krios.io web platform was designed for ease of use by freelancers and companies. Not long ago, the virtual assistant became known as a viable and respected online profession. Many of the world’s top administrative and executive assistants have since joined the online workforce, which saved them from commute times and accruing transportation costs. Steps to getting signed up: visit http://www.Krios.io if you are a freelance professional posting your skills or a company representative that hires freelancers. Click on the Register button. The signup experience includes adding a profile image or logo and is completed in just a few moments, by verifying account information and answering profile questions. A list of current categories that a freelancer could list and offer includes: Graphics & Design, Writing & Translation, Programming & Tech, Video & Animation, Music & Audio, and Business & Marketing. With sub-categories of White Paper Writing, Viral Videos, Logo Design, 3D and 2D Models, Freelance Graphic Design, E-Commerce, Machine Learning, Lyrics & Music Videos, Video Editing, Voice Over, Virtual Assistant, SEO and many more. Once a freelancer is hired, they manage their tasks and communications through the Krios dashboard. On the successful completion of the job, the freelancer is rewarded and paid. Both freelancers and companies can provide their feedback on the experience and review of the results. The company wanted to optimize the platform to create a seamless registration process. Additionally, Krios is the first and only crowdsourcing platform that allows payment in fiat as well as for cryptocurrencies, which showcases the KRI token. In a June 2019 press release, the acquisition of Krios by The Digital Track was complete. Before the acquisition, the company offered web services and would fulfill marketing campaign requests. Technology milestones from the company have already included an updated token, rebranding, a token swap, and adjusting the business model from marketing to freelancing. As the development team continues the build and refinement, during the next several months, Krios will undergo updates. Further actions and another announcement from the Krios offices are expected in December 2019. About the Company: With offices located in Georgia, USA, Krios is a global digital platform that connects employers with freelancers to provide a unique, results-focused partnership. At the http://www.Krios.io crowdsourcing marketplace, employers can hire skilled freelancers to complete tasks such as web and mobile app development, SEO, social media marketing, content writing, graphic design, administrative help, and many other marketing or technical projects. The Krios platform offers a fast, simple, and cost-effective connection to locate, hire, collaborate with the best professionals anywhere. Contact Information: For press inquiries, please contact (Dwight Ringdahl / dringdahl@Krios.io) or call to (866) 687-2251. Pdf Print

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