5 Important Skills for Freelancers

Remote work has garnered lots of attention since the beginning of the pandemic, chiefly because many people have been forced to work from home. We’ve heard common pros and cons coming from work-from-home mothers and CEOs alike, who are failing to adapt to this otherwise beneficial practice. However, these are people accustomed to office work and traditional “work values.” Freelancing is another matter entirely. Let’s discern among the two terms first: Remote work is any kind of work performed remotely. While it doesn’t equal the term “work from home,” it is commonly confused with it. You can work remotely from your home, backyard, a nearby café or from anywhere else on the globe. Freelancing or, more precisely, online freelancing, is a subtype of remote work. The difference between freelancing and other types of remote work is that it doesn’t have to be coupled with a contract with one company. Many freelancers work on a per-project basis, and many more still transform into digital nomads. In this sense, freelancers need to build a reputation to be offered better projects/jobs, meaning they need to continually improve their skills and have decent marketing skills to be able to represent themselves successfully. On top of that, they need to be tech-savvy, no matter their profession, and always have a backup option should anything go wrong. Let’s see which skills are important for freelancers to be successful. 1. Hard Skills The hard skills freelancers need don’t really differ that much (if at all) from the hard skills office workers need to have. These are linked exclusively to the choice of education and vocation. Common occupations among freelancers include writing, editing, tutoring, marketing, customer support, graphic and web design, virtual assistance, photography, sales, bookkeeping, accounting, sales and coaching. Any kind of consultancy is also common. However, freelancers absolutely must be tech-savvy and versed in a variety of online tools, particularly communication tools and at least common freelancing apps (Slack, Asana, Trello and similar). 2. Soft Skills When it comes to soft skills, on top of the usual ones deemed beneficial in any business environment, freelancers also need to learn to be culture-sensitive because, sooner or later, they will find themselves working with clients from different countries and often in international teams, keeping in touch exclusively online. Interpersonal communication and critical thinking, therefore, top the list of soft skills all freelancers should develop, regardless of their profession. Additionally, keep your operations lean , and become an excellent judge at what costs are absolutely necessary, and which are not. 3. Time Management Skills As we’ve all seen during this pandemic, newbies to remote work often have difficulties with time-management skills. The chief reason for this is rooted in the misconception that freelancers tend to procrastinate a lot. This view is not only offensive but is also removed from the truth. No matter where your workplace is, the tasks you need to perform remain the same. That being said, people who decide to become freelancers and have no […]

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Unpacking the Contentious Matter of Testing Freelance Translators

Tests for freelance language professionals get a bad rap, some of it well deserved. The least scrupulous language service providers (LSPs) have been known to save money by disguising their clients’ projects as unpaid “tests” for translators. But some professional translators may also object to tests, paid or unpaid, on principle, saying that their credentials speak for themselves. Both LSPs and freelancers have valid arguments, and the truth is that tests, like any kind of job interview, should be a two-way street. LSPs want some kind of guarantee that suppliers are able to handle the work, and candidates should be able to get an idea of the actual work they would be assigned. Deciding to integrate testing into the recruitment process is not a quick fix; rather, it is an investment in the pool of freelancers who project managers feel they can entrust with projects. When considering — and then designing — a test, LSPs should think about their goals, and why a test is necessary. In some cases, LSPs and freelancers might be better served by implementing a short “probation” period, during which a translator works on a set number of (paid) projects, and will enter the LSP’s pool of vetted and trusted freelancers depending on their performance. SlatorCon Remote returns on December 3, 2020, featuring the best of our proprietary research and network of language industry leaders. Register Now Of course, a test may be necessary as part of a proposal to a high-profile client. In other instances, most freelancers might struggle to follow the meticulous formatting rules required for certain clients, and someone working on a trial basis might submit work that requires too much editing to meet a client’s deadline. Perhaps typical certifications are not available to candidates working in a hard-to-source language, and the LSP needs some way to confirm that candidates are qualified. A Game Plan for Testing The best strategy is to test to as specific a task as possible. A generic test carries the potential pitfall of a candidate later claiming the passing grade qualifies them to translate any and all content. By contrast, a domain-specific test helps LSPs assess the ease with which candidates handle a specific vocabulary and concepts. ( Vendor managers , also known as VMs, are often responsible for creating and maintaining a system in the vendor database that identifies which translators are qualified to handle specialized kinds of work, based on the tests they have passed.) The test should also mimic the conditions of the work itself. If the task at hand is translating medical documents that include handwritten comments from physicians, the test should include handwritten text. Similarly, candidates should have access to the kind of resources freelancers typically have when working on these projects, such as style guides and clear instructions. Who will create and grade the tests? In a classic catch-22, an LSP tests candidates to build a pool of freelancers to handle a specific kind of work; if an LSP lacks at […]

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Want to be a freelancer? Here’s all you need to know

In the last couple of years, the term ‘freelance’ or ‘freelancing’ has gained more popularity in our country. Several years ago, Indians started breaking away from regular norms of working in just one company or one sector or the entirety of the career and off late have started ‘freelancing’ A freelancer is someone who chooses to work for themselves and chooses not to exclusively associate with one company. This allows a freelancer to work on several different projects and work provided by different companies, entities and/or individuals. These freelancers are not bound to any subjective norms of a regular job, for instance working from 9 to 5, reporting to a supervisor, etc. They can take up as many projects as they want and are masters of their own workload. Contrary to popular belief that freelancers are always burdened with work, it is up to every freelancer on how much work they want to take up. How does freelancing work? The freelancing project set-up can typically be — work on one project at a time or remain associated with several projects over a period of time. From time to time, companies are usually in need of freelancers to complete certain projects and are always on the look-out for relevant freelancers. But mainly freelancers reach out to companies offering their services or are referred through word-of-mouth by other clients. Once a connection is established, freelancers and the company can discuss terms and conditions such as working timelines, project costs and payment terms. Freelancing jobs The most typical freelancing jobs include blogging, vlogging, photography, online teaching and tutoring, content editing, web development and design, copywriting, content writing, community management (especially social media), translating, data entry, proofreading, etc. The beauty of freelancing is that you are not bound to any particular industry. You can take all of these types of work and take it to brands to source for work in industries such as healthcare, fashion, financial services, management, technology, hospitality, trade, education, etc. Freelancing v/s working a job Freelancing comes with its own set of pros and cons. However it is completely up to you on whether you perceive these points as positive or negative. Unlike working a regular job, freelancing will allow you to work from anywhere you want and reduce commuting from one place to another except for meeting with clients. You can mutually set a timeline for the project with your client and work at your own pace without micromanagement or constant monitoring. A diverse set of projects can help you become highly productive and expand your learning curve. There are a few negatives that, once again, are subject to each person’s individual situation. Freelancing, at least in the beginning, does not guarantee regular work. There is risk of delayed payment as it is not a salary. Some freelancers can be socially cut-off as this at least begins as a lonely job. But hey, these problems can also be easily dealt with by setting up payment terms in advance […]

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How to Become a Freelance Writer and Double Your Income

If you want to be a financially successful freelance writer, now is the perfect time to start. Freelance writing is a great way to express your creative side while helping businesses make more money. Good copy is in high demand, and you can make a great living as a freelance writer. In this post, we’re going to show you how to become a freelance writer so you can double your income. What Does a Freelance Writer Do? A writer’s job is to create compelling, informational pieces for blogs and websites that inspire people to take further action. That ultimate action is usually to buy something, but it can also be to engage more with the brand, like follow them on social media or watch a video with additional tips from the brand owners. A good freelance writer knows how important it is to know the brand’s audience and to keep that audience’s psychological trigger points in mind. This is how one writes effective content. All content must have an end goal, and a freelance writer gets paid to attract and lead readers to take action towards that goal. To double your income, you need to master the specific elements of written content that draw readers in, keep them on the page, and inspire them to follow your lead. You will need to be able to effectively craft the following technical elements on a regular basis to achieve the goal of each piece: Title – You must grab readers’ attention straight off the bat and provide enough information to encourage people to read the piece. Headings – You need to explain the contents in brief so that a reader can get the gist of the piece without having to read every paragraph. Images or Illustrations – These are supporting elements that help break up the text and aid comprehension. All visuals need to be relevant to where they are placed within the text and can have descriptive captions to further support the content. Visuals are not part of the writing, but they go a long way to keeping readers’ attention focused, supporting your headings, and providing an attractive overall layout. Calls-to-Action (CTAs) – You can’t just write a piece without telling readers what the next step to take is. All content must point readers to do something, whether that’s to add an item to their cart, sign up for a webinar or newsletter, download a guide, call a number, or any number of other possible actions that take them down the sales funnel. How To Double Your Income as a Freelance Writer As a freelancer, you can literally make as much money as you want. But you have to produce content that’s worth the price, as mentioned above. You also need to be known well enough for businesses to recognize the value of your content. Below are the steps to get there. Pick A Niche The key to making a name for yourself as a freelance writer is to have […]

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Jobmofy—New Freelancing Platform

Jobmofy.com Hire Remote Worker – Sell your service on our marketplace Jobmofy has launched its new freelancing website which caters to both employers and job seekers. The website is an all-in-one freelancing platform that offers employers the opportunity to work with people from all over the world and vice-versa. Through Jobmofy, employers can hire freelancers to do work in areas such as web and mobile development, graphics and design, digital marketing, sales, writing, video, virtual assistance, and more! Freelancers looking to find full-time or part-time work only need to create an account. Verified accounts have a better chance of getting noticed and thus, freelancers are highly encouraged to verify their accounts as soon as possible. Registration for freelancers and employers is free. Simply visit the website https://jobmofy.com and create an account. Managing A Team Is A Breeze Jobmofy provides both employers and job seekers a way to easily manage work! Verified company and user profiles means that the platform is populated by real people. This means, no scams! Job seekers on the platform are also highly-skilled and proficient in English, so communication will never be a problem. Employers can easily manage and monitor tasks through the built-in task management tool—no need to look to other programs! Time tracking is easy, too. Especially with Jobmofy’s built-in time tracker tool. Lastly, Jobmofy’s very own invoicing tool allows employers to directly pay employees. Jobmofy also provides a hiring service for employers who cannot seem to find the time to do their own hiring process. “We will hire your people for you. So, for example, you’re telling us that you need a designer, we’ll have a short call so you can tell us what you need and we will look for someone for you,” Jobmofy CEO Ben Schneider elaborated. With Jobmofy’s hiring service, employers can skip through the complicated and sometimes tedious process of looking through applicant profiles and performing interviews. All the employer needs to do is to decide on who to hire, based on a narrowed-down list of successful applicants that will be provided by Jobmofy’s very own hiring team. About Jobmofy Jobmofy is a global freelancing platform for business owners to connect with freelancers and other service providers. Whether you need someone to help with simple tasks such as data entry, to more complex jobs such as handling an ecommerce store or building your own website from scratch, Jobmofy can provide you with the talent. If you’re an employer, you can hire remote workers in less than 24-hours after your job posting. What else are you waiting for? Visit https://Jobmofy.com and sign up today! Jobmofy Benjamin Schneider Am Kalkofen 9 86845 Großaitingen info@jobmofy.com Jobmofy is a global freelancing platform for business owners to connect with freelancers and other service providers. Whether you need someone to help with simple tasks such as data entry, to more complex jobs such as handling an ecommerce store or building your own website from scratch, Jobmofy can provide you with the talent. If you’re an […]

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Most Efficient Ways to Run Marketing For a Logistics Company

In the current days, marketing has become an essential tool for every company that searches for steady growth. No matter what business you’re in, your next client will probably have searched for your services on Google and checked on your reviews on Yelp. So, having said that, is your company prepared for this? Here we will tell you some of the best ways to start your next marketing campaign and get the advantage of so many opportunities out there. When we talk about marketing, the most traditional thought is the newspaper or magazine that you used to buy in a physical store. Of course, today, you think about marketing as the position on a search engine or a video ad. It’s crazy how marketing evolutes and how innovation is difficult to follow. That’s why sometimes you need to dedicate some of your budgets to invest in talents or outsource your marketing. Most probably, specialists will bring all the knowledge you need to sell more and increase your clientele. Here we list a few alternatives for you to start your marketing the right way: A marketing agency, a marketing consultant, hire your own team, or a freelancer. Marketing and Advertising Agency Marketing and advertising agencies are the most common way to start your marketing activities if you don’t have a team dedicated to it. The advantages of working with agencies are more related to the fact they have a full team in different marketing roles and responsibilities that can help you speed up an integrated marketing campaign. Either you can run Google Ads or start your social media channels; they will be there to support your company. Hiring a marketing agency can sometimes be tricky, especially when you are in a specific niche requiring specialized knowledge. For that reason, the learning curve of agencies can take some time. Therefore, if you go for that option, make sure they have already experienced working with logistics and supply chain companies. Marketing Consultant Some companies hire marketing consultants to create a marketing department, hire talents, organize and develop processes, and strategize the marketing investments and budget. Among all the important functions the marketing consultant performs, one of the most important is to give the right marketing strategic orientation for your company. In some cases, marketing consultants can have their own team and be hands-on, working similarly to a marketing agency, but in most cases, they serve as the north your company needs to make efficient marketing spends. Hire Talents That’s an obvious option, but is it the easiest one? It depends on your company’s goals. If you’re planning to develop specialized knowledge in marketing and plan to have this function as a competitive advantage against the competition, then you should think about having your own team. Among your team, you should have people who can talk to your target consumer and are used to communicate with your niche audience. A marketing internship program, for example, can be an efficient and worthy solution for […]

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53% of People Predict More Demand For Freelancing

The pandemic has been good for freelancers. As weird as it sounds, businesses need to get things done no matter what, and freelancers typically mean less risk (even if the upfront cost is a bit higher in some cases). And the freelance industry is only growing, with predictions saying a majority of the US workforce will be freelance by 2027 – and this study was done pre-COVID. The pandemic has only accelerated this trend. Post-pandemic, 53% of people predict more demand for freelancer services, with a lot of freelancers turning to freelancing platforms to earn money. So when it comes to getting work as a freelancer, should you use major platforms or should you go it alone? Let’s dive into that, cause the answer isn’t necessarily simple. Option 1: Freelancing platforms The promise of freelancing platforms is they bring the clients to you. No sales, no marketing, no fussing about – just clients coming to your door. As a thank you for this, they take a slice of your revenues. A few of the major freelancing platforms are: Upwork. Task Rabbit. Fiverr. Freelancer.com. TopTal. People per hour. Pros of freelancing platforms The main pro is that the work comes to you, saving you a lot of time. This means you can focus on either working more or working your way up the value chain with experiments (this is a key law to successful freelancing ). Cons of freelancing platforms Freelance platforms like Upwork typically have two main cons: you can’t control the quality of clients and the prices are often pushed much lower than true market value. Let’s tackle the problems in order. You can’t control the quality of clients because the marketplace is so big. Further, many marketplaces (like Fiverr, for instance) were founded on the idea of getting cheap things done quickly, which can attract lower quality clients. The second thing is pay. Because the marketplaces are so huge – and there is always someone willing to undercut you to win the deal – it pushes all prices downward. Even high quality freelancers may need to lower their rates to seem competitive on major platforms. Option 2: Going it alone When you go it alone, you’re an entrepreneur with a business of one. You may call yourself a freelancer, but you need to think of yourself as a whole business. You are the CEO, VP sales, head of customer success, finance manager, and office manager all in one. This can be daunting or exciting, depending on your personality. Pros of going it alone When you go it alone, the clients are yours, the relationships are yours and, most importantly, the profit is yours. This is powerful because it not only gives you more control over who you work with (instead of taking whatever the platforms provide), but it also gives you opportunities to find efficiencies in how you run your business so you get even more profit and free time. Cons of going it alone The big […]

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Consider these things before starting a side gig as a freelancer

it takes hard work and dedication to get your freelance business up and running. These seven online tools will help. This article was created by StackCommerce. While Postmedia may collect a commission on sales through the links on this page, we are not being paid by the brands mentioned. So, you want to be a freelancer. You know your specialty and you’re determined to kick the nine-to-five habit. Before you go legit and cut the full-time ties, there some things you need to know. It’s true, there are a lot of perks to working freelance, but it takes hard work and dedication to get your business up and running like a well-oiled machine. Here are seven things that will help you break free from your tired office routine and reap the benefits of working freelance successfully. Separate your business life Separating business from pleasure is a must for freelancers, and the best place to start is with a separate business line for your phone. This will make you look professional and help you prioritize work. Hushed Private Phone Line allows you to manage all your communication from a single app, and what’s even better? The lifetime subscription gives you a new number without the cost or the nuisance of another long-term phone contract. Simple and easy to use, it’s a freelancer’s first step in the right direction. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content continued Organized and tidy to-do lists Staying focused and productive can be tough for newbie freelancers. Sure, you’ve set your schedule and those deadlines seem way off in the distant future, but working from home can be a gauntlet of distractions. The best way to keep yourself on task and productive throughout the day is with a streamlined focus management tool that turns your to-do list into an organized schedule. That’s where Focuster Productivity App comes into play. This organizing assistant helps you work more efficiently by prioritizing tasks and auto-scheduling them in your calendar, tracking your progress, and utilizing smart reminders so you work more efficiently and stay focused on the tasks at hand. Article content continued Automate invoicing You’ve done the work and submitted it for client approval. Now, the tricky part—invoicing. Not everyone is an administrative guru, and that’s why every successful freelancer needs a reliable and automated invoicing system. Invoice Crowd is an electronic invoicing software system that not only organizes your invoices but also creates compelling and winning proposals and can systemize your entire accounting function. Now you can spend less time administrating and more time actually working. Streamline your scheduling Being a freelancer means you’ve got to do it all. You need to find timesavers and dependable platforms that help you work efficiently and effectively, so you can focus on the tasks you do best. Setting up meetings with clients or other team members can be time-consuming and all-encompassing. TimeSync Pro is the only online meeting scheduler that allows you to keep tabs […]

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Freelancing: All There Is to Know

The gig economy has opened a whole new realm of business opportunities around the world. Freelance work happens to be one of the many business opportunities the digital age is providing. The UK economy has witnessed a massive influx in the freelance career over the last few years. Young graduates are taking the freelance journey either to get rid of the shackles of full-time jobs or to earn and save more money on top of their regular salary. An independent contractor in the UK makes an average of £13.77 per hour. What is freelancing all about? Freelance business means providing expert services to multiple potential clients and firms under a contract. A freelance business is free to provide any type of service ranging from content writing, IT development to subject specialised coaching and accounting. These individuals can also be referred to as independent contractors. According to the statistics revealed by Micro Biz Mag, there are currently over 2 million freelance businesses operating across the UK. Almost 89% of these workers are pursuing freelancing full time. At the same time, the other portion of these independent contractors takes part in freelancing as a second job. It has also been revealed that these freelancers currently contribute about 125 billion pounds to the UK economy, which makes them very important and valuable members of the entire UK workforce. What trading structures can be used when freelancing? The freelance career allows you to either operate as a sole trader or establish your own limited company. The primary difference between the two is that if you go as a sole trader, then there is no legal separation between you and your freelancing service. At the same time, if you establish your own limited company, then your company holds a separate legal entity, and you have no personal liability in that company. As a sole trader, you’ll be personally required to manage your expenses, debts, and you’ll have to work out your annual taxes all by yourself. For limited companies, self-employed individuals have their specific legal and statutory obligations which they required to fulfil as a director of the company. Tax implications are different for both types of business structures. Therefore, a potential freelancer seeks advice from expert business advisors to help them select the best trading structure for their freelance project. What are the types of freelancing you should consider? The freelance gig economy has extended its platform of endless opportunities to people so that they can utilise their talent and skills to develop their own small business and enjoy more freedom in their daily life. In this section, we will shed light on the different types of freelancing and the roles they can take in the modern-day industry. App development We live in the digital age where the internet has become a necessity of daily life. More people are now learning IT-related skills to introduce new mobile applications in the virtual world. Due to the increased demand for IT development, freelancers have more […]

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The personal finance tips every freelancer should know

The personal finance tips every freelancer should know – Shutterstock Draw up a budget – Shutterstock Separate your bank accounts – Shutterstock Set aside money for taxes…in a savings account – Shutterstock Slide 1 of 21: If you dream of having the flexible schedule of a freelancer, it’s important to remember that this career path requires excellent management of both professional and personal finances. Here are 20 top tips that any freelancer or self-employed worker should put into practice.

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