Tag: Freelancing Buzz

Finding work as a designer online

Photo, ConvertKit. Finding website or graphic design work online is actually quite easy, however, the challenge is getting people to select your services, reply to your job applications, and finally hire you to take on the job. In this guide, let’s look at how to find work, and the best tactics to use when trying to land new contracts and build a solid reputation. Photo, Balázs Kétyi. Tools you will need setup specifically for design before you apply for jobs: — A portfolio website — Instagram Account — Twitter Account — Facebook Account — Pinterest Having these accounts gives you a broad reach to your target audiences; when they ask to see you work, you can give them access to your social media profile on the employer’s preferred platform. But, having a portfolio website is perhaps the most important thing because it is the one place where you can really showcase your work and show your potential clients what they would be getting if they hire you. 1. Online Freelance Job Websites: Freelance websites are the very first place to look for design work if you want to work from home or land your company a few small contracts before looking for bigger jobs. ‘Small’ is the operative word here because you will probably only be able to land small contracts to begin with because your freelancer profile will not have any feedback. Therefore, accept that you will need to sell yourself at bargain basement prices and over-deliver. Once you do this a few times, your profile will show positive feedback from multiple customers. One mistake you want to avoid is to demand market rates; this is why most people fail on the website that offers freelance work. Think about this, why would someone hire you at the going market rate when they can simply hire someone with a proven track record for the same rate? Therefore, you need to accept that you will need to invest time for a low return and deliver high-quality work so eventually you can start charging the market rate for web design work once you have an established profile. The next problem is getting someone to put their faith in you when you have no proof that you are an able designer. However, with a good cover letter, persistence, and options for the person hiring to see your portfolio, you can let the employer know that by hiring you he or she is getting great value for money. Lastly, when you apply for a job, be honest; tell them you are an excellent web designer or graphic designer, and the reasons your rates are low is because you want to build a profile with great feedback. Photo, Josefa nDiaz . 2. Freelance Marketplaces: One of the hardest places to get work online is online freelance marketplaces . It is difficult because in general you will not have the option to apply for jobs, while there are some facilities offered on these websites for […]

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The Benefits of Outsourcing and Flexible Staffing

Freelancers will certainly have a decisive role to play in the labor market as businesses wade back toward post-pandemic normalcy. 2019 survey data from the hiring platform giant Upwork found respondents identifying talent scarcity and access to in-demand skills as core challenges for hiring. Subsequent findings from that survey in 2020, however, marked an important paradigm shift: Nearly half of all reporting organizations had implemented hiring freezes, and another 39% had either already laid off employees or expected to do so in the future. Likewise, employers anticipated by then that only 53% of their laid-off workforce would be rehired, while only 10% of businesses reported a hiring increase in light of the pandemic. So what does all of this mean for your business? Whatever your hiring strategy, every operation eventually has to reckon with how to scale properly — whether to grow internal teams and when to outsource. Know that where there is successful expansion, your business will likely find itself having to outsource at least some of its nonessential functions. There are considerations to weigh between both moves (which we’ll cover here) so that flexible talent has the place it needs in your business scaling strategy. Flexible Staffing Solutions by Talent Type Although it might be tempting to take an on-demand hiring approach to reduce company overhead through flexible talent, bringing on the right out-of-house talent should be a front-and-center consideration when it comes to your business operations and strategy. Two of the more common types of talent include: Freelancers: Known also as “gig workers,” all freelancers work on a contract basis, and many prefer it that way. Quality talent from this pool brings valuable and reliable expertise to your operation, and you only need to tap freelancers when you have project work. You might also consider whether permalancers or interns need to be part of your agency strategy. White-label services: Essentially, this refers to a service that you rebrand to make it appear as your own. Oftentimes, you will have a customer who wants a service that is not part of your current service offerings, for instance. In this situation, you can outsource the work to white-label partners who will allow you to put your own name on the service. Overall, white-label partners can provide this service without disruption to your current operations. Even though the benefits of hiring a freelancer are plenty, intentional hiring must always be central to your business operations and strategy, rather than reaching for the cheapest staffing option. Knowing which talent types can do what for your company will count in a big way toward that end. The Benefits of Outsourcing (Beyond Simple Cost-Cutting) It is more than just effective overhead management that agencies stand to gain from a more flexible staffing approach. The common reflex among agencies is to adjust their headcount according to business opportunities as they exist in the moment — or even in the quarter. Although wide, impacting decisions need to be made in real time, this is […]

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6 Things Every New Consultant Should Know

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. When I started my communications consulting career, my goal was to get six-month, on-site contracts from big corporations that paid large hourly fees. I would extend the contract for another six months when it ended or move on. I was more interested in getting steady contract work than building a business . It worked out great for about five years. Unfortunately, I got sick, had surgery, and couldn’t work. Hourly consultants don’t get paid when they don’t show up. And I didn’t show up for several weeks. The good news — companies kept calling to see if I was available. The bad news — I couldn’t leave home. Remote work wasn’t an option. My duties required working with executives to gather information to set up internal processes. I didn’t have off-site access to the clients’ systems. During my recovery, I decided to change my business model and improve my processes. It was time to build a business. Most entrepreneurs learn by trial and error. My journey was no exception. Even with extensive industry experience, a mentor and great business contacts, it wasn’t easy to go in a new direction after my surgery. But I needed to survive, and it’s hard to know what works or doesn’t work if you don’t try new things. There are many facets to becoming a successful consultant. I’ve perfected my process and believe these six things helped scale my business. 1. Consultant or freelancer? Freelancing and consulting are two very similar but different entrepreneurial paths. One title is not more prestigious than the other, but prospects and clients may disagree, preferring freelancers for short-term creative work and consultants for in-depth industry expertise. When you are starting out, it’s easy to use the titles interchangeably to describe who you are and what you do. Your goal is to get new clients and if prospects are looking for a freelancer, you are happy to be one to land the business. This can be a mistake. Most companies hire freelancers for projects that require creative skills and often consider them gig workers. They hire consultants to help restructure their businesses or implement company policies and procedures — and they’re willing to pay for it. Freelancers and consultants may provide identical services and charge the same fees, but it’s better for your brand to choose the right title to land the right clients. As a new consultant, you are the brand. It’s important to remember that at all times. 2. Pricing your services Pricing is more art than science. Large consulting firms know the value they bring to their clients, and they charge accordingly for their expertise. You should, too. To stay in business, you need to know what it costs you to do business. That means understanding your business margins. Most novice business consultants don’t know their margins and work for low project or hourly fees. This strategy may get you a client, but it won’t keep you in […]

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Making It As A Freelance Writer

Getty getty According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 131,000 individuals in the US who call themselves writers . This was a surprise to me, because I personally know more than that many frustrated novelists! My disbelief was vindicated when other categories of people who write are added. For example, the 118,000 editors who plan and manage content, the 52,000 journalists now employed or freelance, the 58,000 technical writers, and the 274,000 PR specialists who primarily earn their daily bread through a pen and keyboard. Writer.com estimates between 650,000 and one million souls world-wide who write as their principal source of income, but I think that we might easily double that when additional writing-centric roles like technical trainer (writing how-to manuals), proofreader, and translator are added to the list. The data also point out that the profession is bifurcated. Traditional roles are shrinking, for example, with writer losses at 2% and journalism shrinking by 11%. On the other hand, new media and digital demands for people-who-can-write continue to grow: PR specialist growth is estimated at 7%, and technical writers are growing by a similar percentage. A recent research report “Web Content Management: Global Markets” introduces its findings this way: “The web content management market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The market is mainly driven by the rising demand for outsourced content writing and the growing trend of web-based marketing.” Moreover, the report reminds us that word based communication is a growing part of a rapidly expanding communications ecosystem that is feeding the demand for content. Organizations are speaking to customers as never before, and customers are expecting and demanding ever more information on which to make purchases and investments. To feed that increasing demand for the electronic word, we’ve seen the development of a global network of freelance writers, editors and designers, as well as full stack marketing teams. Writing agencies, networks and marketplaces face a mixed future: a boon, but also a dilemma. On the one hand, it democratizes opportunity, making it more possible for a freelancer’s work to be seen by a larger audience. And, platforms like Patreon offer freelance writers the opportunity to build a subscription business of “patrons” that may provide them with a good income. But, along with the good is the challenge: more writers without equivalent demand growth means that pay is in danger of becoming a race to the bottom. In that scenario the top 10% of writers make 90% of the income. What to do? These are the issues that led me to ask relevant CEOs and thought leaders the question for this survey: “What are the key opportunities and challenges facing writing / communications freelancers over the next few years? What advice would you give writing/communications professionals who are considering a move into full-time freelancing?” Here’s what our CEOs and thought leaders had to say: Matt Mottola, Founder VentureL . “30% of our network are writers, and we’ve noticed that their key challenge […]

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How to Start a Freelance SEO career?

There are many reasons for which you can start a freelancing career. From having more income to flexible working hours, freelancing can be of great help for you. SEO freelancing is about learning and developing relevant skills of Search Engine Optimization and finding clients who will pay you for optimizing their sites. Though it may sound very easy, SEO is not very easy and the initial growth in the field is very slow. Firstly a certified SEO expert is always preferred so completing courses related to SEO can be of great help. You can find plenty of SEO courses online that will not only help you to develop a new set of skills but will also help you to understand the importance of SEO in the field of digital marketing. Initially, gaining more and more knowledge about the field is very important if you are starting as a freelancer. Hard work and constant determination are a must in the field. There are certainly other factors that will surely help you to boost your career. Some of them are as follows, Boost up your skills: As mentioned above, it is always better to enroll in a course that will help you to develop a great sense of the field. You should know the algorithms of different search engines and the basics of optimizing a site. Writing Skills: Writing skills are very important in the field as they will certainly help you while writing descriptions, meta-descriptions, titles, and other components of a website that are crucial for SEO. Building up your network: TO start off with your career, you would need clients. This is the reason you would need a good network to increase your reach so that you can get more and more potential clients. SEO Tools: SEO tools are very important and will make your work easy. Being skilled in using these tools will not only help you but the results will make the clients happy too. Many courses are also offered about various SEO tools that you can use. Analytical Skills: SEO experts are supposed to present detailed reports to the clients about the performance of the site. Google analytics, SEMRUSH, etc. will help you to make these detailed reports. One should be familiar with these tools before starting with a freelance career in SEO. Google Webmaster Guidelines: One should know the Google webmaster guidelines, which are the set of quality standards that are important for ranking a website. These are just a few fields that you need to work on before starting a career in SEO. SEO experts play a major role in the ranking of a website that directly influences the reach and profits of the company or businesses. If you want to start a career in this field, it is strongly recommended for you to opt for a course that will help you understand how SEO works. If you are really passionate about the internet and tech-savvy, you can opt to be an SEO expert. […]

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Freelance Junior/Mid Graphic Designer

We’re looking for a freelance junior-mid graphic designer ready to start asap. You will be part of a team of creative minds that will assist in delivering impactful online content from informational videos to gifs for social media to website banners and interactive mailers. Non-negotiables: A minimum of one years’ industry experience. Relevant degree or diploma. Competent in Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects or similar (Experience in Figma a Bonus!) Excellent ability in creating quality animations and video in After Effects. Understanding of HTML5/Responsive design. A keen interest and knowledge of digital marketing, especially social media. You will be required to: Create new concepts, infographics and animations that communicate complex ideas and concepts in a simple and clear manner. Execute and ensure an efficient and coherent branding system is adopted throughout the performance marketing channels Frequently review brand assets across the board to ensure the highest quality and alignment. Familiarity with design techniques (e.g. prototyping and print design) Understanding of visual elements and basic design skills (layout, type, and fonts) A keen eye for detail especially when it comes to design and layout. Advantageous skills: Experience in CSS Competent in WordPress CMS Basic SEO Personal attributes: Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Self-motivated. Masterful time management, productivity and organizational skills. Creativity and problem-solving aptitude. You must have contactable references and a portfolio. Please only apply via email using the subject reference #Freelancedesigner

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Ways a VPN Can Increase Productivity as a Freelancer

Whether you are a freelance coder, writer, or even graphic designer, you only need to have a decent laptop, a steady internet connection, an ergonomic workstation, and probably a fresh brew of coffee. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a vital requirement for any avid freelancer, asides from the aforementioned essential freelancing requirements. Besides providing top-notch privacy protections that put cybercriminals at bay, a VPN confers plenty of other benefits, which enhance your productivity as a freelancer. As you’re busy living the freelancer dream, here are several ways a VPN can increase your productivity. What Are Virtual Private Networks? As the online space continues to grow, online security has become one of the biggest concerns for the virtual workspace. With increasing security issues such as Firesheep and Wi-Fi spoofing, it’s now more vital than ever to keep your online activity secured. There is no better way to do this than by using a VPN. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a network of private servers that allow users to connect to the internet through a safe and encrypted tunnel. In simple terms, a VPN is a technology that will enable you to create a secure network connection while using a public network or even some unsecured private networks. With a VPN, you can anonymize your online activity on a network, hide your IP address, browse the internet without worrying about being tracked, and most importantly, ensure that your connection is always secure. That said, here are several ways a VPN can increase productivity as a freelancer. 1. Increased Bandwidth One of the most significant benefits of using a VPN as a freelancer is automatically increasing your internet speed thanks to the additional bandwidth. As a freelancer, you’re most likely working from home or a café using a private network supplied by a local internet service provider (ISP). ISPs usually throttle the bandwidth of their users during congestions or whenever they deem necessary. This action leads to a slow internet connection, significantly affecting a freelancer’s efficiency and productivity. Using a VPN, you’re assured of additional bandwidth since VPN clients use faster servers that surpass the bandwidth cap and speeds put in place by the internet service provider (ISP). With an increased internet connection speed, you’ll be able to get many tasks completed in less time, translating to increased productivity. 2. VPNs Make Connections More Secure As a freelancer, you may at times find yourself working in public places such as airports, libraries, shared workspaces, hotels, or your local coffee shop. You’ll need to use public Wi-Fi in such areas, given that mobile connections are much slower. However, public Wi-Fi connections are not often secure and are usually an easy target for cybercriminals preying on unprotected devices. A VPN allows you to use public Wi-Fi networks securely and without worrying about cybercriminals in public places. As such, with a VPN, you can take advantage of public networks and get the work done in time wherever you are. 3. Bypassing Filters and […]

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Seven high-tech freelance jobs

If you’re a freelancer, you can generally work when you want, where you want, and you choose how many hours you put in. IT is well placed as an industry to absorb the growing numbers of freelancers, especially as high-tech freelance jobs are on the rise. A range of companies are looking constantly for these type of workers to fill long-term or temporary voids. As of 2020, 57 million Americans chose to take this route instead of working a full-time job from an office, making up a huge 35% of the workforce. Moreover, there was an ever-higher density of freelancers in a number of tech-focused specialities, such as computers and mathematics, as according to the numbers 42% were freelancers. There are a wide range of reasons as to why workers prefer freelancing to heading into an office every day. In order to make this switch, you’ll need the ability to get your work done independently and reliable high-speed Wi-Fi. You should also be able to work from home or while on the road. Does your partner need to travel somewhere for an important business meeting? You can now accompany them without missing a thing. If you choose, you can work on a sandy beach or by the swimming pool while sunbathing. Feel free to switch a stuffy suit and tie for a pair of comfy sweats, too. Plus, if you need to get some work done around the house in the middle of the day, your freelance gig should be able to give you the freedom to do so. What’s more, even though you’ll have this newfound freedom, it’s not essential to sacrifice your wages. Read on to find out about seven high-tech freelance jobs with all the freedom you want and the great salary you need. Web development and design Average Hourly Rate: $61-$80 Useful Certifications: Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) $60 Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) $450 New websites crop up by the minute, and many companies prefer hiring a freelancer developer instead of shelling out a salary and benefits for a full-time employee. If you know what website users want and how to code, and you have experience as a website developer or designer, there a deep pool of potential clients looking for a worker just like you. You’ll need to know HTML, coding, and some Javascript . It also doesn’t hurt to invest some time and money into a few certificates, including the Microsoft Technology Associate and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer certificates. The more you can put on your resume, the more available jobs you can land. Internet security specialist Average Hourly Rate: $40-$55 Useful Certifications: CompTIA Security+ $349 Certified Informations Systems Security Professional (CISSP) $699 If you are looking for an in-demand position, look no further. Securing data, networks and computer systems is a top priority for companies of all sizes. Some may prefer to bring in a freelancer rather than keep a full-time person on the books. If you have skills in networking and […]

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Build and Manage Your Next Marketing Team

eCommerce is changing the way the whole world shops. The COVID-19 crisis has sped up this whole digital transformation. Online sales increased in North America by 129% year over year in April 2020. In response, companies are ramping up their marketing efforts. According to Statista, digital advertising will grow between 2019 and 2024 by 83%, and marketers are poised to spend more than $350 billion on digital marketing worldwide next year. To avoid getting left behind, companies need to adjust their marketing strategy quickly, identify what needs to be done and find the most efficient way to implement it quickly and successfully. It boils down to transforming traditional work processes and finding the right experts to get the job done smoothly. Those that manage to scale their business by saving time and money are coming out on top. This explains why along with the need for effective digital marketing is a growing number of freelancers that are specialized in a specific area. This has been a blessing and a curse for businesses. On the one hand, freelancing platforms, such as Fiverr and Upwork, have thousands of potential candidates. On the other hand, you need to put in the hours to sort through the lists to find the right match. One of the main goals of hiring freelancers is to access top-quality marketing talent. But to hire the right fit for your business requires you to spend hours sifting through candidates who may or may not be the right fit for the job. Sometimes you may find a decent candidate only to feel frustrated at the inability to monitor their performance. This can keep your marketing campaign from reaching its true potential. Perhaps it is more accurate to say your company doesn’t need freelancers but experts. But aren’t these experts hard to find? Here is the good news, it isn’t difficult at all if you become familiar with the concept of Deep Job Platforms and what they can do for your business. Transformation of the Workplace and What This Means for Building High-Performance Marketing Teams The way we work in the 21st century is entirely different from any time in the past. Most people no longer expect to work for the same company for decades and then receive a gold watch at retirement. Companies are tightening budgets and find it more efficient to hire part-time staff or freelancers instead of in-house workers. Also, workers are looking for more flexibility. They may feel that their level of expertise is unappreciated if they remain employed by just one company and feel they can offer more value if they focus on a niche and market that skill to a multiplicity of clients. This development has allowed companies to construct high-performance marketing teams, and this has been resulting in the highest ROI. However, on regular job boards and freelancing platforms, it can be challenging to locate the right person with the expertise you need for particular needs. For instance, you may find marketers who […]

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What freelancers should know about navigating gig economy

In this episode of In The Know’s Getting Rich, financial expert Carmen Perez chats with certified financial planner Brittney Castro on everything freelancers should know about the gig economy. The gig economy refers to freelancers, contractors or anyone with a specialized skill set including graphic design, home repairs and web development. But freelancers have to consider things full-time works may not have to, like the cost of private insurance and setting aside taxes. When you’re self-employed understanding personal finance can make or break you but it can also offer you freedoms a nine to five can’t. “The main feature of this type of work is freelancers get to take on as much or as little work as they want, set their own pay and generally work across a variety of different industries,” Perez said. A common misconception Castro, the founder of Financially Wise Inc. , runs into with freelancers is the belief that creatives can’t handle the financial side of things. “Creativity is so valuable with finances and wealth creation. If you just stop saying that and take the time to learn and get yourself empowered, you’ll probably be really good at managing money,” Castro said. So to ensure you get all those sweet freelancing perks, you’ve got to be prepared. “Make sure you have a separate account for taxes. All and any money that you make, [make sure] you’re setting aside the right amount of taxes for that,” Perez said. Keeping records in one place whether it’s QuickBooks or a notebook, will make things that much easier on tax day. Another piece of advice from Castro was to think of yourself like a business from day one. “Separate your business and personal checking accounts right away. Have a business name, have a business entity,” Castro said. “Maybe you have to learn bookkeeping, maybe you have to learn health insurance, learn about benefits. It can be frustrating and challenging but with those learning curves you get empowered and you keep going.”

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