Archive for the ‘Freelancing’ Category

 Thanks to the wonders of freelancing, even if you do not know a single thing about building a website to promote your business to an online market, you can expand to an Internet platform and grow your bottom line exponentially. From the design of the site, to the placement of a shopping cart, to driving web traffic, to the development of page content, contract workers can complete all setup tasks and transform your current shop into an e-business overnight.

 First, you need to know what you would like your site to offer and what kind of experience you want visitors to have. What type of goods will you sell? Would you like informative articles to educate visitors about the kind of products you sell? Should the site make suggestions based on previous product pages the visitor has seen? Once you design the kind of shopping experience you want to offer, you are on your way to navigating the world of e-commerce.

 Though there are a few disadvantages to marketing your products and services online, there are also some clear advantages. The most obvious reward is that you immediately gain a worldwide presence that stretches far beyond your city limits – without you having the expense of outfitting stores in multiple locations. The cost is very minimal to start. Some online businesses cost less than $20 to launch. With such a low overhead and a low barrier to entry for those who do not have a lot of startup capital, merchants are able to sell internationally with little to no fuss. Of course, the low barrier also means that it is fairly easy for anyone to become a competitor, so launching an e-business will require constant monitoring of trends and benchmarks to stay ahead of the game.

 Having such a wide reach in an online business can also create a potential order fulfillment hazard for the small business. It can become very easy for demand to outgrow supply. The mass market that is organic to the online arena will require that a vendor has enough products or enough service time to fulfill orders. Smaller companies sometimes are not able to keep up with all the orders that come in daily. One solution that has worked for meeting costs has been to buy wholesale stock to sell online. Wholesale and dollar items placed on either auction or merchant sites require little investment and can yield great profits if the markup is high enough.

 In addition to cutting costs on the inventory side of an online business, there are some opportunities to cut costs in promoting the site, too. Advertising and marketing in real-time settings always involves some huge margins of error in which the money spent of campaigns cannot be recouped through sales. E-business is designed to be more streamlined because it targets the customers who are genuinely interested in your products. Advertising models like pay-per-click campaigns only require you to pay for promoting to visitors who have actually clicked on your ads. This model cuts waste. Affiliate marketing, in which freelancing bloggers and journalists place your ads on their sites and share profits, is also a targeted approach.

 Zeroing in on the right customers reduces the amount of time spent trying to secure sales that could never happen. Once you have a customer, though, you must do everything in your power to keep that customer coming back. The online world represents a unique opportunity to do that. Customer service in e-business is often more easily achieved than in person because there are simply more tools to meet customers’ needs. The Internet format provides the chance to be personable – just as agents are in real-time sales. Many sites present live freelance agents who chat with customers in a pop-up window to answer all questions and make transactions smooth. 

 Freelancers can assist the customer service process tremendously in e-business. Though you are always the boss, you can hire independent workers to complete the entire order fulfillment process – from answering questions about products to shipping and customer feedback. Imagine starting a business in which your primary role is to dream your dream of e-business ownership and then delegate the minute details to others. Freelancing empowers you to continue building and not be distracted by the many tasks that are required to operate.

 With freelancers in place, your earning potential as an online business is unlimited. You may even be able to accumulate enough free time to start a second or third business. Because it takes time to create a well-oiled machine and grow a business, the profit you can expect to see may not always be immediate. When the profits do finally come in, though, you will have built a business that can be run from anywhere. If you have the right freelancing structure in place, you can be on vacation and still watch your income grow. E-business is one of the most foolproof ways to move into a new income bracket. It is the virtual field of dreams: when you build it through freelancing, the customers will come

Freelancing has become a very appealing option for all. For those who wish to make money online, freelancing has become among the top options not only because it provides a relatively stable income but also because freelance work has become so easy to find over the internet. Online freelancing resources also provide tools that make freelancing simple, profitable, and secure. For this reason, more and more people can benefit from freelancing online. This includes those who are currently unemployed, those who are unwilling to be part of a corporate environment, and those who wish to augment their income.

Because of the depleting global economic situation nowadays, many people have found themselves unexpectedly unemployed. Freelancing becomes a very good alternative for them to make money while they are going through the process of looking for new employment. Finding employment is not as simple as many hope and it often takes some time. Because most people cannot afford to be jobless for any number of weeks, freelancing becomes their best option. They can simply go online and make money while waiting on job interviews. Some of them even end up sticking with freelancing.

Those who are unwilling to be part of any corporate environment, on the other hand, find joy in freelancing because they can work as they please. Because of freelancing, they can work on their own and make money according to their output. Apart from not having to show up at an office on a daily basis, they could also choose to work on things that they enjoy and they are only answerable to themselves. They also would not need to put up with office politics. Although freelancing many not provide an income as stable as they would if they were paid on a monthly basis by a corporation, the benefits are well worth it. With freelancing, they simply need to discipline themselves and they can make even more money that they would if they were hired in a corporation.

Those who wish to augment their income with freelancing are often those who have regular jobs and are paid on a monthly basis. However, they may feel that what they receive from their day job is not enough to cover their monthly expenses or they wish to earn some more in order to save. No matter what their reasons are, freelancing can be a good option for those who wish to augment their income because it does not necessarily have to take up much of their time. Even if they had to work a regular day job, they can simply set aside some time to make money online either during the evenings or the weekends.

Freelancing is a good money-making option for all because it allows people to make money online no matter how much time they have on their hands. Freelancing work is also very easy to find as long as you go to the right site. It may be best for you to stick with one in order for you to build up your reputation quickly so it is important for you to choose the right freelancing website. When you look for freelancing work online, choose the site that provides you with simplicity as well as security and you should be on the right track.

Are you one of the unfortunate workers who got kicked out of their jobs due to cost cutting procedures in many industries worldwide? Are you currently unemployed right now and intent on using your skills and interests to gain enough money for your daily needs? If so, then you have reached the right article because if you read through the rest of the page you can learn how to turn unemployment into an entrepreneurship opportunity.
Learn to practice your marketing skills by following a few entrepreneurship tips below:

Research and plan . First of all, any entrepreneurship endeavor requires appropriate research and planning so you won’t lose money that your will invest when you do business. Research about the buying behavior of your target market such as the people in your neighborhood, teen population, online consumers, or any type of market population you wish to cater to.

Once you have identified the type of market you wish to sell products to, you need to craft a concrete plan on how you go about selling your items. Create a good name for your shop, one that accurately describes the services you are selling.

• Use the internet to sell your items. Ebay.com is one of the most popular online shopping sites over the internet, thus make use of this advantage and create your own Ebay shop. This is pretty simple as you can register for free and you only need to have a Visa, Amex, or Mastercard to be able to verify your credibility and set up an Ebay shop.   You can sell all types of usable items over ebay such as clothes, antiques, used shoes, cards, used books, and any other product that sells well over the internet. Remember to do some research and sell products that are on demand over the internet.

• Use your creativity to widen the range of products that you can offer to the public – You can design unique shirts with catchy phrases as an entrepreneurial activity. People nowadays love to wear shirts that have unique prints along with catchy one-liners or phrases that allow them to speak their mind with their choice of clothing. You can print unique designs on mugs and customize other printable items to make them look engaging and aesthetically beautiful.

• Sell products from Affiliate marketing sites . While you are on it, try to learn something about popularizing your websites or blog so you can successfully post desirable products from affiliate marketing sites that you are a member of. You can get large commissions of up to 80% when you join and successfully sell products from affiliate marketing sites.   There are lots of items and products to sell in your local neighborhood and even on the internet. All you need to do is to research on the most popular products and make a concrete plan on how you are going to manage your finances afterwards. Patience and effort will do you well, especially if you want to earn big bucks despite being unemployed.

freelance writters

By Michael Rosenthal

For those of you who are struggling to make your mark in the Freelance Writing Industry, whether just starting out or experienced, no doubt you are well aware of the fact that rates of compensation have literally gone in the toilet over the past year since the US economy took the nose dive it did in the 4th quarter of 2008.

The harsh reality is that good quality freelancers are now getting raped by a huge variety of cheapskates and deadbeats out there – pure and simple.  For the sake of the situation at hand, I decided to speak my piece and divulge a few things that I have learned over the past several months.

Dredging through the Deadbeats

I recently came across a brilliant piece of prose composed by Angela Hoy of Writer’s Weekly (http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/003628_09132006.html) entitled ‘Do You Owe Writers Money? Advice For Deadbeats!’ and I highly recommend that any freelance writer novice or experienced  read this.  In this article, she defines the three different types of deadbeats and I am quoting her exact words:

‘Deadbeat #1‘- someone who is actually not a real deadbeat. This is someone who started a business, got in over his or her head, and is desperately trying to earn the money to pay off the mounting bills.

‘Deadbeat #2‘ – someone who had good intentions initially, but who now thinks he doesn’t have to pay his bills because he’s not making any money.

‘Deadbeat #3‘ – a true criminal who may have started out like deadbeats number 1 or 2, but who now intentionally hires freelancers with no intention of paying them at all.

It is obviously Deadbeats #2 and #3 that I am the most concerned with where my fellow freelancers are concerned.  My website partner and I have a client who is currently walking that fine line between #2 and #3 because he is no longer responding to our requests for payment with much more than lame excuses that even a 5th grader can see through.  His excuses fall somewhere between blatant lies and just a big pile of manure.

My advice here is exactly what Angela Hoy wrote in her article, regarding Deadbeats #2 and #3, and I quote:

If you are deadbeat #2, you should know that what you’re doing is wrong and, depending on your actions, maybe even illegal. You can’t hire someone and then simply decide not to pay them because your income has dried up. You can learn a few things from #1. Be respectable, have integrity, and don’t ruin your reputation or get dragged into court because you made a mistake. Clean up your mess respectably by apologizing and paying your bills and then move on.

If you are Deadbeat #3, know that we and our fellow writing websites, discussion lists, and forums are all over you. If you think you can hire one of our own and not pay them, and get away Scott free, think again. We’re going to alert everyone we can of your deadbeat status. We’re going to publicize your website, your publication name, and your name as well. Once that happens, you can bet your name will forever be synonymous with the word DEADBEAT because that’s exactly what you are.

The point I’m trying to make is a simple one  BE CAREFUL in your business dealings.  My advice is to try and get a 50% on any new business that comes your way.  At least you get some kind of compensation if they turn out to be Deadbeat #2 or #3 above.

Compensation is in the Crapper

Those of you who have gone to online freelance bid boards to find consistent work have probably witnessed how badly freelance writing rates have declined.  Not only are the rates of pay at an all time low, they are just demeaning.  The sad part about all of this is that writers are stooping to new lows and prostituting their talents for worse than slavery wages in the process.  This hasn’t helped the issue either.

In fact, it only makes things worse when people are willing to work all day for only $5 or $10 and sadly, that is exactly what has been going on.  If you’re in that boat, I highly recommend you bail and swim for shore because you are not helping the industry better itself.  In fact, you are only hurting your fellow writers so let your conscience mull that one over for a while.

The Bottom Line

Remember first and foremost the #1 rule in the freelance writing industry PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS!  The following is a list of 6 steps to always perform anytime you are working for a client, especially if this is a first-time project and new client:

• Never let that potential client know that you are inexperienced or just starting out – I cannot stress the importance of this enough.  Conduct yourself in a manner that says you have the experience and the talent to produce top quality content for that client.  Letting that client know that you are an amateur empowers them and enables them to walk all over you throughout your project.

• Never allow any major changes in the midst of a project – as ruthless as this may sound, if the client decides to change the content or scope of the project, charge them a fee.  The amount of the fee will depend on deep you have gotten into the project.  I always employ the 50% rule from the very beginning.

• A Revision does not mean Re-writing the entire content – I’ve known freelancers who just let clients lead them around by the nose on this one.  Revising an article or revisions to the content should be anticipated.  It’s just the nature of the beast with freelance writing.  However, depending on the number of words involved, you never want to rewrite more than 20% of the content without charging an additional fee.  The average article is typically 400-500 words in length.  So that means revising would entail rewriting 80-100 words.

• I want to bring up a critical point about this.  You may need to be very forceful about this with some clients, but you definitely need to make this known right up front before that client ever sends you that first assignment or project.  Remember that it is the client’s responsibility to give you concise directions and critical need-to-know information in the initial instructions.  Clients are notorious for not being specific about what they want and then you wind up rewriting an entire piece because you didn’t do the job correctly.

• Never begin a new project for a client if they haven’t paid you for the prior one – I have experienced this so I can tell you first hand that you need to be firm when it comes to getting paid on all prior work.  I had a client when I was first starting out that would have me do 3 to 5 short articles at a time and paid religiously.  The first time I took on a bigger project of about 20 longer articles, I never saw my money despite providing him with all that content.  So you need to protect yourself on this, also.

• Never be afraid to ask for 50% up front.  If the client flakes on you, at least you will have gotten some compensation.  Additionally, if they are slow paying clients, you may want to think about asking for 100% payment up front.  In the meantime, if you feel that you will be risking losing a client, then you should also be scouting around for a replacement client so you don’t lose out altogether.

• Start firm in the beginning and remain firm throughout the project – this relates to all of the above suggestions.  If you don’t that client will find every opportunity they can to just walk all over you, so state your terms from the beginning and make the client adhere to them all the way through the project.  Most importantly – NEVER, NEVER, NEVER let the client talk you down on your fees.

• Whenever possible, prepare a contract that is legal and binding – I cannot emphasize this enough.  Without this tool, you have no chance of ever getting paid.  Granted, the legal process involved with this can oftentimes be lengthy and tedious, but at least you will have some leverage for getting compensated.  There are no guarantees that you will get paid, but having a contract is good insurance and just makes sense.

Virtual Assistants

Since the advent of Internet there are so many changes that have taken place in the business world. People started upgrading their infrastructure and they have also made many changes to the way they work. Internet has played a major role in revamping the entire world and it is now the most widely used means of communication. E-mail, instant messengers, video chatting, etc have redefined the way humans communicate. Further to this advances in software and hardware have replaced the traditional manual processing and analysis of business data.  Today Business Intelligence (BI) and decision support systems are able to automatically collect correlate and analyse tons of information.

Virtual assistants are one such new innovation through which a company can make most use of their employees and available resources.

“A Virtual Assistant (or simply VA), is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients–usually to other independent entrepreneurs and solo and small business practices, such as that of a lawyer or realtor. Virtual assistants work from their own office (hence “virtual”), thus making it a fairly popular (and growing) profession. Source: Wikipedia “

Businesses both start-ups and established ones have a need for administrative employees to assist them in organizing their day to day schedule. Such assistants are really important to any business. They are able to receive the customer’s calls, answer to emails, and organise/cancel meetings schedules.  In many occasions a good, polite assistance is what can make a sale happen.

For International Businesses which have offices all over the world, employing good assistants, for every country they operate can be extremely costly. The same stands for start up businesses which usually operate on a small budget and thus the cost of employing good experience assistant could be prohibited

Virtual assistants came to reduce such costs. VA’s are people, which work from home, and perform all functionality that a normal corporate assistant will do. For example the virtual front desk Assistant will sit at his home and he will take calls from customers of a client company and answer them accordingly.  Customers will never know if the assistant is located locally or on a different geographical area. Technologies like Virtual Numbers, VoIP, IPBX and call re routing/diverting ensures that such operations are performed transparently.

Most of the virtual assistants are freelancers and they follow the fly in fly out kind of working. Freelancing has become the latest trend in employment due to the fact that is significantly improves improved the quality of the work done.  As a Virtual Assistant you will be working for a company, but you will not need to go to the office like the regular employees do. Such flexibility significantly reduces the expenses of the Virtual Assistant (i.e. car expenses, ) and thus reduces the cost to the employers. Further to this a Virtual Assistant may be able to work for more than one company (i.e. depending on the contract), and thus greatly increase his income.

This concept of virtual assistant has become so famous that now it is estimated that there are more than 50,000 to 80,000 virtual assistants in the entire world. These numbers are fast-growing, and it seems than in the near future most companies will employee at lease on VA. Being a virtual assistant has many benefits and also it has its own quota of demerits. The merits are in that you can work from home and select your working hours. This doesn’t mean that you will have the authority to think and act as you want but you will have a bit more freedom than the regular employees of the company. Another advantage is that since a VA works from the comfort of his home, productivity is usually increased. In short the advantages of working as a VA are:

• Choice of working hours
• Working at home
• Better Salary
• A better level of freedom
• Ability to work for  more than on customer

Working as a VA has also its disadvantages. The worst usually is that they do not get the chance to socialise with co workers. In short the disadvantages of working as a VA are:

• Have to work alone
• Socialisation is a problem
• No superior to guide you
• Requires Self Motivation

Virtual assistants require higher levels of professionalism and motivation. They must have the ability to identify their shortcomings and mistakes and corrected by themselves. This is a vital requirement due to the fact that these persons do not have superiors supervising them no fellow workers to spot their mistakes. This is the reason why people with more experience are selected for the roles of virtual assistants.

Today many Companies do not hide their preference in working with Virtual Assistants. The reasons for this are many.  Most notably  corporations can save large amounts of money from the expenses required to accommodate for normal office employees (i.e. computers, offices).  The amount of money saved can be invested to improve the quality of the services and/or products they provide. Further to this, reducing the employees’ operation expenditures means that more money can be invested in deploying marketing and sales campaigns.

Working with VAs’ also greatly helps corporations and reduced the training expenses required without sacrificing the quality of their offered services. Instead of spending thousands of Euros to train people on specific technologies (or processes) for a project, the company can easily hire VA’s which are already competent with the skills required by the project.

References:

• A great list with tools that can be used by Vas:  http://www.homeofficewarrior.com/virtual-assistants/tools-of-the-virtual-assistant-trade/
• International Virtual Assistant Association: http://www.ivaa.org/
• Virtual Assistants Forum : http://www.vanetworking.com/
• AssistU, Information and certification for Vas: http://www.assistu.com/