Author: Freelancing Buzz

1 of 7 Photos in Gallery ©DisobeyArt / Shutterstock.com If you made extra income on the side last year, such as by selling an amazing piece of artwork or walking your neighbor’s dog, then you are one of the more than 58 million gig workers, freelancers and other self-employed workers in the United States. Just because you may not be an employee of a company, doesn’t mean that you are exempt from paying taxes. The IRS expects you to pay taxes on your self-employment income just as it expects traditional workers to pay taxes on the income they receive from their employers. But the process of paying taxes on self-employment income can be a lot more complicated than paying taxes on traditional income from an employer. Here’s what everyone who earns gig, freelance or any other type of self-employment income — whether part time or full time — needs to know about federal income taxes. It’s not the usual blah, blah, blah. Click here to sign up for our free newsletter. Sponsored: Add $1.7 million to your retirement A recent Vanguard study revealed a self-managed $500,000 investment grows into an average $1.7 million in 25 years. But under the care of a pro, the average is $3.4 million. That’s an extra $1.7 million! Maybe that’s why the wealthy use investment pros and why you should too. How? With SmartAsset’s free financial adviser matching tool . In five minutes you’ll have up to three qualified local pros, each legally required to act in your best interests. Most offer free first consultations. What have you got to lose? Click here to check it out right now. Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

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Looking to commission a freelance copywriter? Here, we explain why a good brief is important and what information to include Writing a good copywriting brief takes time. But it’s time worth spending to make sure you get what you’re looking for . Otherwise, you may find you need to do a lot of rewriting later down the line, which will take longer. Putting together a copywriting brief helps both the charity and the copywriter. It will help you to clarify what you need the copywriter to do and it will support the freelancer to produce copy that’s on brand. If you’ve never commissioned a freelance copywriter before, here’s what to include in a brief: Let them know about your charity If the copywriter hasn’t worked with your organisation before, make sure you include some information about the charity. Tell them who you are and what you do. Outline the project Give as much detail about your project as you can: Tell them what you want them to write. For example, an annual report to be printed for funders or a series of social media posts to recruit volunteers What the aim of the communication is Explain why you’re producing the communication Tell them the key messages that you want in the communication Let them know approximate word counts What the call to action is. Explain what you want people to do when they read the copy. For example, do you want them to sign up to receive your newsletter or go to your website to donate? Provide a timeline Be clear on when you need the final copy by. If you’re having the communication designed, give yourself extra time to allow for any extra edits . If the copywriter says they can work to the deadline, put together a more detailed timeline with dates for first, second and final drafts (or however many rounds of edits you want to include). Let the copywriter know how you want them to be involved in the project. Do you want them to just write the copy, or would you like their help with other tasks? For example, they could help with putting together a structure (also known as a flatplan) for the communication, such as an annual report. You may also want their feedback on the design and help with proofreading the final communication. Explain who your audience is Tell them who your target audience is so they can keep them in mind when writing the copy. For example, 60-year-old women and above who are motivated by helping others and have time to volunteer. Give them as much detail as you can. Set the rounds of editing Tell them how many rounds of amends you would like them to work on. This will allow them to accurately quote for the work. Give them background reading Send the copywriter your tone of voice guidance , along with the written brief. They’ll be able to familiarise themselves with the way your charity communicates and […]

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Writer, Writing Photo by Unsplash Why should you, a local business person, hire a Freelance Writer? Anyone seeking to further their education, grow their business, or perform outreach for their nonprofit now has the choice – hire a real human writer or editor or use the fast growing AI systems that are out there doing some pretty good writing. As a real human writer, I have explored AI. I enjoy it. It is really fun and I’ll admit it, awe-inspiring. The knowledge it has and the speed in which it can put out full articles of content is fascinating. However, of course, as a real human writer, one with a family and bills, and one with decades of experience and the desire to maintain her job, I do have to say that there are two key things that AI does not have: heart and flexibility. We actual humans have heart, this is true. I know I do. My writing is my passion and when I write for clients I put my heart into it because I know that my writing is valuable – to you, and to me! I want the best for you and I want to let you know that I am worth your time and money. I show this to you via having flexibility, adaptability and by truly working with you person-to-person. AI is great, and it probably is part of the wave of the future. But people with our goods and services, our skills and our needs, our hopes and our dreams are the future too. Sitting down over coffee with you to go over your needs as a business or nonprofit and to share my skills as a writer and consultant are things that cannot be done with AI. My academic degrees and my decades of experience as an educator, instructor, small business owner and writer offer things that AI just cannot yet replace. Real humans understanding other real humans is something pretty important, unique and of course, a critical if not the only foundation of our entire society. Being a freelance writer, for me, means freedom to be myself and to follow my heart and to share my passion with others in a way that also provides me with income. Hiring a freelance writer, especially one you can talk to, share ideas with, and get wisdom and insight from is highly recommended for any business or nonprofit writing need!

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Getting started as a freelance software developer can be a bit of an uphill climb at first, but once you’ve established yourself, you’ll find you have much more flexibility over everything from your schedule to your career path. With the right mix of clients and work, you’ll earn solid compensation and focus on projects that interest you. First, let’s define “freelance.” Technically, a freelance software developer takes on short-term development jobs , typically moving from project to project, client to client, possibly several times throughout a year. This is different from, say, somebody who stays at one job for a year or two, whether on payroll or as a contractor. The most important thing to remember about a freelance career is that you’re not only a developer, but you’re also a business owner. The clients aren’t just hiring you; they are hiring your business (even though it’s just you). With that, let’s talk about the business side of it. Marketing This is the part people probably expect to like the least, to the point that some freelancers hope they can avoid it altogether. Spoiler alert: You can’t avoid it. That being said, marketing your software developer skills isn’t as bad as it might seem! By “marketing,” we mean getting the word out about your services and connecting with potential clients. There are several ways you can do this, but the two most important are networking (through sites like LinkedIn as well as meeting people personally at conferences and meetups) and using online freelancer websites where clients post their jobs. Here are the table stakes: Have a strong LinkedIn profile, a great website, and spend time searching for work and emailing people. As a freelance software developer, your portfolio of previous work is one of your key selling points, so make sure it’s as presentable (and comprehensive) as possible. Focus on “qualified leads.” Don’t send out mass emails to random companies that nobody reads. Instead, spread the word about your services through people you know, such as former coworkers, friends, and so on; and watch the freelancer sites for opportunities. Look for short-term contract/1099 positions. The goal is for you to learn about opportunities, and for clients to learn about you and ultimately connect. Plan at least four hours per week on marketing… or even as much as a day a week. This is essential to keep your business alive. And don’t wait until the end of your current contract. You want to spend a few hours every single week marketing, even when you’re knee-deep in building an app or service, so that you won’t have a huge gap in time before the next job. Running the Business and Signing Contracts Although optional, you will likely want to create an LLC. Doing so is quick and easy, and doesn’t cost much. You file the forms with your state and renew each year. You really don’t need to register an S or C corporation, as that’s quite expensive and a lot […]

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It’s officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and you know what that means. Temperatures are warming up. You might be gearing up for a spring break trip when your kids are out of school. If you’re really ambitious, you’re planning a full home cleanup as you put the winter coats into storage and bring out light jackets. But the beginning of spring also marks the end of the first fiscal quarter of the year. And that means that by now, it should be very clear to you what is and isn’t working for your 2023 freelance writing life. Schedule a few minutes to take stock of your work and clear out those New Year’s resolutions that aren’t serving you. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you’re spring-cleaning for your freelance writing. Are you charging enough? It’s always important to charge what you’re worth, and it’s very likely you’re worth more than you think. If you made even one New Year’s resolution, officially written out on a vision board or just a mental note, it was probably about charging higher rates for your work. How has that been going these last few months? Or if you didn’t consider upping your rates in 2023, how does that feel? Are you being paid what you’re worth? Or are you growing resentful of your clients and questioning whether writing for a living is worth it? Sit down with your financial records, both for income and your expenses. Are you making enough money to cover your needs? Are you being paid properly with regards to your niche and years of experience? What about inflation and the rising cost of living? It’s still the first half of the year. Don’t resign yourself to a 2023 that makes you stretch your budget. Three months is more than enough time to decide whether your initial projections for 2023 rates are enough. Ask for what you’re worth. Did you start new projects? Was your 2023 goal to break into a new niche or start writing different kinds of content? What about new clients or changing relationships with old ones? Unlike your rates, three months may not be enough time to make any definitive decisions here. If you’re trying to break into an entirely new market or maybe onboarded at a new part-time position for some stability, you’re still starting out. Things will continue to change as you grow in your confidence and build new connections and skills. However, three months is a good time to check in with yourself. Do you like your new projects? Are things progressing as you expected them to? What has been surprising or disappointing? Where do you think you’ll be in another three months? Take some notes, whether digitally or on paper, and save them somewhere you won’t lose them. As the next few weeks go by, come back and take notes again. Starting anything new is always a roller coaster, and you don’t want to forget how you’ve […]

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News The biggest challenge for freelancers in 2023 is… By Katherine Steiner-Dicks Last updated Mar 26, 2023 Freelancers are seeing a rising demand for their services but to survive the cost of living crisis they have to act fast on certain things to survive Almost half (46%) of freelancers across the globe have reported an increase in demand for their work compared to 2021. That said, they are still faced with challenges, having to think bigger and globally to survive Be informed, be Freelancer Informed! | Freelance Informer Freelancers are stressed about having enough income each month to pay for rising living costs. For some, financial worries escalated, with over half (52%) of respondents admitting that they considered either full-time or part-time employment in the past year. However, for the most part, they not just worrying about it, but doing something about it. They are “taking action”, said the Payoneer report, which stated that 41% of freelancers surveyed are raising their rates and 32% are expanding to new geographies. While some freelancers find work through word of mouth or recommendation, the bulk 70% of freelancers surveyed find most of their work through online marketplaces. Some 38% of freelancers are combining hourly rates with project-based rates to provide businesses with flexible payment options. What is the biggest challenge for freelancers in 2023? It would seem that 73% of respondents identified finding new clients as their biggest challenge. The fields of programming, marketing, project management, and web design saw the most significant increases in demand over the past year. The gender pay gap is narrower in freelance work, said the report, but men are still more likely to charge higher rates. Women are 8% less likely to increase their rates and men’s rates grow faster over time than those of female freelancers. The average hourly rate for female freelancers is £18 compared to £19 for men. To some, that gap may seem small, but when you add up the £1 hourly rate difference over an 8-hour working day over a month, that’s equivalent to a utility or mobile phone bill (£160). Over a year that’s a difference of £1,920! The report, however, said this pay gap, was “significantly smaller than the gap reported in the general workforce population, suggesting that businesses that hire freelancers have the opportunity to further level the playing field for working women by ensuring fair pay policies for their freelance workers.”

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Photo by Chris Ainsworth Careers in the music industry are often maintained through freelance and self-employed roles. Just 10% of working musicians are in salaried full-time employment , making the industry an increasingly competitive space for grassroots artists. Whether you’re only just starting out as a performing musician or supporting someone who is, it’s important to know that freelancing requires dedication, patience, and a strategic outlook. It’s not always easy to feel optimistic, but once you’ve learned the best tips for building opportunities. Starting out: Building a portfolio career Every freelance musician should build a portfolio career. It’s a term that might sound lofty and far-reaching for newer artists, but it’s just used to describe earning money through various sources of income. With a portfolio career, you’ll never rely entirely on one sole line of work. For a musician, a portfolio career could look like solo performing, private tutoring, lecturing, composing, and many more. For self-employed musicians, building a portfolio career is essential for a few reasons: Freelance work isn’t guaranteed You can work remotely You won’t be tied to one location or employer Getting to grips with taxes Once you’ve committed to a few roles as a freelance musician, you might start earning enough to necessitate paying taxes. If you’ve never had to deal with HMRC before, try not to panic. Even though the admin. can feel overwhelming, support is readily available. However, the Income Tax Act states that you’ll be entitled to claim for expenses incurred for the purpose of your work. Therefore, it’s helpful to know that you might be able to claim on essential expenses such as your musical instrument insurance policy , especially if you’re regularly required to travel for performances. Finding work as a musician Opportunities can be harder to come by if you’re just starting out. In previous years, this might’ve meant hanging out at local gigs and events, music shops, and taking every live performance opportunity available. Busking and open mic nights can still lead to opportunities, so don’t count them out completely. However, connecting online is invaluable for upcoming musicians. If you frequently share new work on Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, or other streaming services and outlets, you’ll be able to continually reach new audiences. If you’re open to general or commercial work, you could offer your skills to create personalised songs, and jingles, or as a musician to hire for events. The most crucial thing is to constantly stretch yourself to expand on your experience, knowledge, and skills. How to increase your income as a musician Don’t just limit yourself to playing live performances and gigs. Instead, you should look at gaining streams of income from as many sources as possible. A few sources of income could include: Selling music, digitally and physically Selling merchandise on your website and at gigs Building your website and social media presence Posting regularly on YouTube Teaching or tutoring music Songwriting Music Production Signing with a record label How to attract and retain a […]

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Here in Los Angeles, I can barely walk down the street without tripping over someone’s side hustle. Selfie-snapping influencers. Freelance photographers. Sign flippers. That girl who sells crystals at a card table near the entrance to Runyon Canyon. Everyone has at least one side gig in the City of Angels these days, if not more. In this economy, however, you certainly can’t fault people for trying. Cost of living spikes persist, and with the American worker’s median income parking at just over $54,000 last year, it’s going to take more than thoughts and prayers to afford that $7 carton of eggs. A side hustle or outside venture might be your best next step. The financial challenges of today are amplified for queer people. LGBTQ+ adults are 51 percent more likely to have federal student loans than their nonqueer counterparts, according to research from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. And two-thirds of queer Americans “carry a high amount of financial stress,” per a survey from the Motley Fool in partnership with Debt Free Guys. Not cute. I get it — personal finance isn’t that much fun to talk about unless you have extra money sitting around to begin with. That’s why, for many of us, the better use of our time and willpower is to explore creating a new stream of income rather than tighten our budget to the point that our quality of life takes a dive. Four in 10 Americans now have a side hustle, according to a report from Zapier, a marketing automation company. If you want to bring in extra cash this summer, here are five ideas to consider. 1. Offer a service Any time you’re trading dollars for hours, you’re offering a service. In some cases, the easiest foray into being a service provider is to offer a skill you already use at your day job. This could include things like consulting, graphic design, or administrative help. Be sure you have the green light from your employer to offer outside services — you’ll need to confirm there’s no conflict of interest to stay in the clear. Look into an online platform like Fiverr, Upwork, or LinkedIn Services Marketplace to showcase your skills and get matched with people who are actively looking to hire help. “We see a lot of people starting their own businesses so that they can be their best and most authentic self,” says Chris Davidson, head of . Growth Lab is facilitated by the nonprofit organization StartOut, which has built a free online community of over 25,000 queer people and allies since its inception in 2009. “What we like to say is that, if you show up authentically, and you have love and support behind you, you can do amazing things.” You can even get paid to have good taste. If you cultivate a popular playlist on Spotify, platforms like and will pay you to listen to their artists’ songs and consider adding them to your mix […]

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SEO or Search Engine Optimization tools are one of the top ways to improve the ranking of your website in SERPs, and search engine results in pages . Also known as organic search marketing software , these tools help the organization with the most relevant information through numerous features and formulating the best strategies to favour their website’s search relevance. Majorly used by product and marketing teams, which more often than not, also include SEO specialists, these tools determine improvement sections in the website which could boost search relevance. Credits – Naukri.com A recent report published by Freelancer.com says that freelancers with SEO skills earn the highest among others, around $2,463 a project in India. Followed by SEO-learned individuals, internet marketing, structural engineering, Swift, and mobile app development are the most sought-after freelancers in today’s time. Gaining popular liking are skills in graphic design, PHP, HTML, website design and photoshop. Advertisement The aspect of improving the search relevance of a website, that is being an SEO specialist, enlists a variety of positions, ranging from hiring freelancers and writing SEO-friendly content to website audits and optimizations. The COVID lockdown and recent recession in countries have prompted the majority of individuals in making income through freelancing. According to Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelancer.com, the report suggests that while part-time and full-time employees make up 10.9 percent and 12 percent each, 30.5 percent are students taking up such jobs. The report surveyed over 90K users on the platform and found that over 63.5 percent of users held a bachelor’s degree or higher. As the offices return to work full-time, Matt Brie sees a rise in freelancers working outdoors, which at the moment is not very prominent. At present, work-from-home has a tighter grasp on culture, due to which the Freelancer.com report shows 75.3 percent working indoors. The future of SEO in 2023 Credits – The Enterprise World One of the major issues seen as a trend in the report was the fact that very few individuals are interested in building long-lasting businesses. Top concerns among Indians include a lack of a proper capital amount to begin with, unclear future plans – as to what they want to do in the coming years, and loss of motivation to move forward and take the right steps for the same. Indian entrepreneurs also cite the fact they do not have enough time to invest in starting a new business or are already occupied dealing with family businesses or jobs. One in three entrepreneurs finds it difficult to work on a start-up either because they are too comfortable in their current places or are unable to stick to a long-term plan. Freelancer.com saw a domino effect in 2022 due to major companies’ tech layoffs worldwide. This pushed thousands of skilled workers into freelancing within weeks, as they found themselves scrambling to keep a job. Post that, in a few months, the website saw many hiring individuals looking for niche tech jobs, such as hiring highly specialized […]

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g-stockstudio / Getty Images/iStockphoto The number of Americans participating in freelance work is growing. According to a recent report from Upwork, 39% of the U.S. workforce, or 60 million Americans, performed freelance work in the past year. $2,000 Quarter? Check Your Pockets Before You Use This 2004 Coin More: How to Guard Your Wealth From a Potential Banking Crisis With Gold If you’re looking to join the growing ranks of freelancers, either to replace your full-time gig or as a source of side income, it’s useful to know which types of jobs are in increasing demand, and which jobs are becoming less popular to hire for. Here’s a look at the freelance jobs that are on the rise — as well as those that are becoming less popular — as identified by FlexJobs . martin-dm / iStock.com Top Freelance Jobs on the Rise Jobs in these categories saw an increase in job postings of at least 28% from January 2022 to December 2022, FlexJobs reported. GrapeImages / Getty Images 1. Communications Job growth from January to December 2022: 71% increase AndreyPopov / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2. Bookkeeping Job growth from January to December 2022: 66% increase ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com 3. Graphic Design Job growth from January to December 2022: 33% increase Take Our Poll: How Much Salary Would Buy You Happiness? miodrag ignjatovic / Getty Images 4. Accounting & Finance Job growth from January to December 2022: 30% increase Shutterstock.com 5. Marketing Job growth from January to December 2022: 28% increase elenaleonova / iStock.com Top Freelance Jobs on the Decline The number of job postings in these categories decreased over the past year, so are likely not the best options to pursue if you are starting a new freelance career. Drazen_ / Getty Images 1. Education & Training Job decline from January to December 2022: 26% decrease katleho Seisa / Getty Images 2. Customer Service Job decline from January to December 2022: 21% decrease gorodenkoff / Getty Images/iStockphoto 3. Medical & Health Job decline from January to December 2022: 20% decrease LightFieldStudios / Getty Images/iStockphoto 4. HR & Recruiting Job decline from January to December 2022: 13% decrease GaudiLab / Shutterstock.com 5. Project Management Job decline from January to December 2022: 6% decrease More From GOBankingRates 7 Florida Cities That Could Be Headed For a Housing Crisis Do You Have a Tax Question? Ask a Tax Pro Safeguard Your Retirement From Economic Turbulence Here’s How To Build a 6-Month Emergency Fund This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : 5 Freelance Jobs That Are on the Rise — and 5 That Are Becoming Less Popular

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