freelancing

When starting a freelance career, there can be numerous hurdles to overcome on the way to having a successful business – the biggest probably being time and knowing where to start. However, it’s an excellent opportunity for anyone with a marketable skill and some extra time to spare. Freelancing enables you to do something you love at a professional level, maybe a passion that you haven’t had the opportunity to follow.  Here’s a quick and easy guide on how to start your freelance career off in only five hours a week — one hour every day of the week.

Teams are the typical building blocks of an organization: They provide companies with the means to combine the various skills, talents and perspectives of a group of individuals to achieve corporate goals. In the past, managers used to colocate team members because of the high levels of interdependencies that are inherent in group work. Today, though, more and more companies organize projects over distance, with teams increasingly consisting of people who are scattered over various offices and locations. While virtual teams provide a number of benefits, it can be quite challenging to manage them efficiently. Following the five- step program on Inc.com will help you manage a decentralized workforce.

1. Clear Understanding of Project Objectives – One of the greatest challenges facing any virtual team is a clear understanding of what they need to accomplish.

2. Communication – While communication is imperative for any project to be completed, it is of even greater importance when you have a decentralized team.

3. Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities – Problems are sure to arise when members of the team are unsure about the role they play and what is expected of them.

4. Don’t Rely on Nonverbal Communication – Oftentimes managers become over-reliant on emailing, texting or other forms of written communication.

5. Flexibility – Because virtual teams don’t have the same access to managers from afar, it is advisable to be lenient regarding work hours, deliverables, and timelines.

This interesting post on Forbes discusses why flexible work arrangements are becoming more and more widespread and what strategies successful freelancers use to stand out from the crowd:

“…the old way of matching available jobs with qualified employees is riddled with inefficiencies. Companies are limited to employees who live close enough to commute, and workers are forced to adapt their unique skills to whatever opportunities they happen to find in the local help-wanted ads. Employees and employers alike end up trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.”

Be human - Every hiring decision is a personal one, so make sure your personality comes through when you contact potential employers.

Highlight your product – The traditional resume is dying. Talented professionals can’t do justice to their skills on a single sheet of paper, which is why many are turning to digital portfolios that go well beyond the written word.

Build your reputation – Contingent, project-based work allows freelancers to assemble a varied work history with verifiable feedback from past clients. It’s never been easier to show off your track record of meeting or exceeding your clients’ needs.

Don’t be shy – As a freelancer you can’t sit back passively; instead, be proactive and contact the job poster to ensure you are considered for the positions you want.

Embrace the new job marketplace – The Web is a tailor-made platform for freelance workers. Online employment sites, such as projektwerk, effectively connect contractors with companies in need of specific talents, allowing freelancers to secure a relatively steady stream of work

According to Ruth Mantell, a repoter for MarketWatch, networking requires strategy, research and social grace. Because competition for jobs is intense, there is a lot that we can get wrong when trying to build business relationships and generate business opportunities. First and foremost networking is about building relationships – not simply selling yourself. In that sense, here are 5 important networking “don’ts”.

• Don’t misuse the Internet – Don’t rely too much on email and networking websites such as LinkedIn. Nothing beats meeting face to face.

• Don’t be vague – Tell networking contacts about specific ambitions for your career or professional growth so they know how to support you

• Don’t stop – Keep networking, even when you’re not looking for a job. That way, your network is in place when you do need it.

• Don’t be selfish – Networking solely for your own goals is a mistake and doesn’t work. Also help your contacts.

• Don’t misuse your network – Distributing your references’ contact info too frequently can lead to burnout. Don’t abuse your network with too much contact either.

This interesting article on deskmag discusses the German government’s plan to force freelancers to pay a compulsory retirement ‘contribution’. Will it kill off entrepreneurship and destroy millions of independent careers? At least that’s the opinion of Tim Wessels, an IT specialist from Hamburg who has launched a petition against the so-called “Rewarding Life’s Work” law. With this law, provided it is passed, Freelancers will be forced to pay €350+ a month to support the broken pension system, on top of the €300-€600 they must already pay for health insurance (plus other taxes). Demanding that entrepreneurs fork out at least €650 a month in contributions before they earn a single cent will end innovation in Germany…

Hi all,

today we released a small membership account, called the “Starter” membership!

With this release we have added an additional, flexible membership option to projektwerk.

As a “Starter” you can use projektwerk for only 8€ a month, enabling a more extensive use compared with the “Basic” membership. The “Starter” membership probably suits you if you wish to proactively contact other users now and then and want to publish projects or profiles on a small scale.

Your benefits as a “Starter” user:

• Contact up to 3 project partners proactively each month – instead of having to wait for requests as a Basic member
• View complete project descriptions and profiles
• Receive detailed matching information on suitable project partners
• Bookmark interesting projects or profiles

More:

• Publish one profile or project at a time
• Receive daily updates for interesting new matches
• Refine your matches with location and relevance filters

Mobile job searching is on the rise, according to a recent survey by Kelton Research. While smartphones are mainly used to browse the Internet, take photos/video, check email and conduct general search, there is a growing number of people who use their devices to search for work. According to the study, some 86% of smartphone owners said that they would use their phone to find a job; nearly 50% reported that they would even apply to jobs via their mobile phone if they could.

This JIBE infographic shares additional Kelton Research survey data and reveals that jobseekers are increasingly using downtime to hunt for jobs. Unlike traditional methods, mobile job searching can be done anytime and anywhere: Respondents specifically mentioned portability and immediacy as major benefits of applying to jobs via mobile.

What does the rise of mobile job searching mean for businesses? With smartphone usage increasing rapidly – this is definitely a recruiting pool too big to ignore. Companies can attract these tech-savvy jobseekers by optimizing online job boards and making the application process simpler to complete via mobile phone.

Check out the infographic on mashable.com. Would you search for your next job or project with your smartphone?

Many freelancers operate as just another anonymous resource in the crowded market. Their services lack an identifying mark that stands for something. It is therefore not surprising that, at times, it can be very difficult to prevail in a highly competitive freelance environment. In that sense, building a distinctive image and lasting reputation for your freelancing business can be very beneficial.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that having business cards, a logo, a website, a social media presence, or a slogan for their business means that they have a brand. But they are wrong. Those things, in and of themselves, are not a brand, but they can help build a brand. They serve as a reminder of what your freelancing business stands for. In a nutshell, a brand is what your clients think of when they think of you and your work. Simply being known as a good designer or good programmer is no longer enough. You should rather be known as a designer who provides elegant yet simple work or a programmer who is known for his/her exceptional ability to solve tough problems. Developing a strong brand takes time and effort. Besides exceptional work, building a brand usually requires significant and consistent marketing and PR.

Having a strong freelancing brand can mean the difference when pitching for a project or job. What do you think?

European accelerator Startupbootcamp launched in Berlin last week:

Startupbootcamp (or “SBC”) is a three month business startup acceleration program that runs quarterly during the year for startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses across Europe to get ready for funding, launching and scaling to European and global markets. By locating startup teams to one of Startupbootcamp’s program offices in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Dublin, the accelerator focuses on exposing and connecting startups to an expanding community of key mentors and advisors that provide expertise from a multitude of verticals, industries and regions vital in growing a business. Take your startup to the next level and follow in the footsteps of fellow European startup successes such as Skype, XING, Spotify and SoundCloud.

Startupbootcamp – a European startup accelerator from StartupbootcampTV on Vimeo.

Google+ provides some interesting tools for freelancers, including Google+ Brand Pages. Another aspect of Google+ that freelancers should consider is the Hangouts feature.

Google+ Hangouts is a very interesting social media tool – especially for freelancers. It is one of the unique Google+ features that helps to distinguish Google+ from other social media tools.

If you’re a freelancer, you should think about the various ways that Google+ Hangouts can benefit you as a freelancer. Google+ Hangouts offers a great opportunity for freelancers to connect on a more personal level with individuals they would ordinarily not be able to interact with on a face-to-face basis. Google+ Hangouts are easy to use, versatile, and free of charge.

Here are some ways that freelancers can use Google+ Hangouts:

• Hosting a conference call
• Brainstorming
• Training
• Holding a status meeting
• Networking
• Building a community
• Discussing potential projects with prospective clients (instead of sales calls)
• Collaborating on a group project
• Holding “office hours” for clients

Google+ Hangout sessions can also be recorded, so a team meeting can be shared with absent members at a later date. Also, this means that a training session could potentially be used over and over. In fact, there are countless possibilities for using hangouts. Can you think of Google+ Hangout uses for your own freelancing business? Currently, the only downside is that Google+ Hangouts is limited to ten people (including the person who initiated the hangout). So, if you have a need to connect with more people, you’ll need to use another method of communication.