How to Freelance Your Way to Financial Freedom

If you haven’t heard of the gig economy yet, you soon will. The so-called “gig economy” refers to the current rise of popularity and success in short-term, contract, or freelance work. This is in stark contrast to the traditional economy, which primarily depends upon salaried workers and employees with steady jobs. With the job market so uncertain lately, many Americans are finding creative ways to make money and pay the bills. Many people are seeing success with freelancing, taking short-term jobs and contract work, or even starting their own businesses.

Whether you’re working from your bed or the beach, these jobs provide freedom from the corporate world while also paying well and allowing people to make ends meet. Best of all, it is possible to work multiple freelance contracts or “gigs” while also continuing to search for a full-time job, if desired.

If you’re looking to break into freelancing, take the leap away from corporate America, or simply pick up a side job for additional income, keep reading for some tips on how to get started in the gig economy.

Start With Your Talents

When it comes to picking up freelance work, there are limitless possibilities. You may consider starting with what you’re already naturally good at. Do you enjoy art and design? You might consider picking up some freelance design work, which is always in demand. If you enjoy photography, see if you know anyone who would be willing to pay you for headshots or family photographs.

Know What’s in Demand

In addition to considering what you’re good at, you should also consider the demand for the services you’re trying to offer. What services would benefit people in your local area? Is there a shortage of Uber or Lyft drivers, for instance? Do you have a room in your home that you could put up for rent on Airbnb? Ideas for stepping into the gig economy are all around you, if you’re willing to look for them.

Set up a Workspace

Working from home has its advantages and disadvantages. While it’s great to work from a place where you feel the most comfortable, it can easily disrupt productivity if you don’t get organized — and stay that way. With this in mind, it’s important to set up a workspace somewhere in your home that’s dedicated to your job. Consider it your personal office, even if it’s just a corner of an existing room. Invest in some quality equipment, get your supplies in order, and treat it with respect. Keep distractions to a bare minimum and make sure you remain on top of clutter. After all, this is where you’ll be earning your money.

Learn a New Skill

When it comes to finding new work, why limit yourself to skills that you already possess? Whether you’re looking to leave the corporate world and start your own business or test the waters for an entirely new career direction, treat this as an opportunity to learn something new. There are many high-paying freelance or contract jobs that do not require degrees. Why not use this as an opportunity to learn a new skill? You never know; this might open up the doors for you to embark upon an entirely new career path.

Ask Your Friends

When you’re just starting out, it can be difficult to find clients. One way to start making some money is to ask your friends and family if they’d be interested in any of the services you are offering. We live in a world where we’re always connected thanks to social media, mobile devices, and the internet, and social channels are a great way to get the word out about the products or services you offer. Facebook is a great place to start, since it’s free to use and you can connect right away with people you know; check out this ultimate Facebook advertising guide to get started. However you decide to do it, go ahead and put the message out there that you’re offering a service and/or looking for new clients. Perhaps even offer an introductory discount just to get the ball rolling.

Get Advice from Experts

One final note about the gig economy: it’s not for everyone. Running your own business can be hard, and you’ll want to talk to a business lawyer about setting up your business and an accountant to learn about any tax implications. An accountant may also be able to help you decide if you need a small business loan to get the ball rolling, and explain the difference between the options, including startup, short-term, and SBA loans. You’ll also want a mentor and maybe even a consultant to help you streamline your processes. More importantly, the real experts are your customers. Once you get established, reach out to your client base for advice to steer you in the right direction.

That being said, working when you want, where you want, and for whom you want can be deeply rewarding. By following the tips listed above, you can start building your own successful gig-based business.

I saw an article in USA Today by Ashley Wong recently that explained Spotify shares all of its users’ activity with followers and the public. Most other social networks like Twitter and Facebook allow you block your activity history from the public.Spotify accounts are setup to show your listening history.

So what can you do if you love Spotify? The music service has a private session button you can use. You can also setup secret playlists where only you can see them. Finally you could create an anonymous account.

Have you done an inventory of the technology you need in your apartment? Recently we stumbled upon a great article that breaks down the top 100 plus items you need.

Top 10 items you need in your apartment:
1. August Smart Lock
Reliable, affordable keyless door locks are here! It’s activated by your smartphone so you can be anywhere and unlock the door for your mom, your dog walker or a trusted delivery service.

2. Blink Camera
It gives you peace of mind knowing you can have a 24-hour live feed of your apartment streaming into your smartphone.

3. Sonos One
It’s sort of like an Amazon Echo, but with top-shelf sound quality.

4. Echo Dot
The Echo Dot is another compact speaker system which works with Alexa voice control, but it also makes and takes calls, and it’s compatible with all of the other smart devices in your apartment.

5. Nest Learning Thermostat
This thermostat will actually save you money after a while. It also creates a cooling and heating algorithm for your apartment based on your movements.

6. Belkin Wemo Switch
Turn any switch on in your apartment through an app on your tablet or phone.

7. Furbo Full HD WiFi Dog Camera
Speaking of pets, the Furbo dog camera is the next best thing to hanging out with your dog all day. It also sends your phone alerts of what your dog is doing, and it even allows you to throw them actual treats.

8. Netgear Orbi
It is a super-charged router that speeds up your connectivity and eliminates your apartment’s dead spots.

9. Smarter Fridgecam
It pops on your fridge door and sends you photos from the inside. It also learns what you like and sends you reminders.

10. Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19
This lighting system allows you to control the color and brightness of multiple light bulbs at once through Alexa or your phone.

Check out the full list here
ttps://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/technology-you-must-have-in-your-apartment/

Which iPhone do you have? I found this handy list on Apple’s website if you are deciding what phone you have or need.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201296

Did you know that Google offers an abundance of classes for tech & business professionals? Localization Essentials class is one of my favorites. The free class on localization essentials is about making products work for users worldwide. If you want to expand your horizons, check out Udacity. It offers classes from the top big technology companies.

https://www.udacity.com/

Al Wasco is a teacher and a philosopher. If you are looking for inspiration once a month, you should sign up for his newsletter. I always walk away with something insightful and thought provoking.

https://theviewfrom32.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe

Are you a musician? Do you need help selling your music online? Then you should check out Link Fire. They help create intelligent links that route fans to the music they love, in the apps they love. They do it automatically. I recently received a link to check out new tunes from an artist and I landed on a page that redirected me to many music services.

If you are a musical artist, discover Linkfire to promote your music.
https://linkfire.com/

I’m guessing that like us, you too have noticed there is no shortage of information about the numerous scholarships available to students. In the course of our research, Reviews.com found a common pain point among students was finding tools to sort through all the available scholarships to find those that would be most applicable to their situation. They spent over 200 hours researching 17 of the most popular scholarship search platforms that are currently available. They analyzed and audited them using five core metrics to identify key functionality, research tools, and useful student resources.

http://www.reviews.com/best-scholarship-search-platforms/

Do you need help getting your kids back to school supplies together? We are all busy during this season with the mad rush back into the swing of things and Target is trying to solve the problem with School List Assist. The site will help you put together your list for you. Here’s what you have to do.

School List Assist

1. Choose your delivery method – free 2-day shipping or pick up at your Target store.
2. Find your school’s list – first enter your school’s ZIP Code, then choose your child’s class. They’ll instantly match that list to items you can buy now.
3. Add the items to your cart with a tap – then check out!

https://www.target.com/c/school-list-assist/-/N-ojfyt

Do you need an easy way to provide online signatures? Have you heard about Signing Hub? You can easily integrate with any web or mobile app or use standard connectors for popular CRM/ERP apps. You can also deploy fully on-premise or private in-country hosting or public cloud service. It has an advanced PKI capability that is transparent and automatic.

http://www.signinghub.com/