Posts

4 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Freelancer

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | 4 Things to Consider Before Becoming a FreelancerHave you thought about going off on your own to become a freelancer? With the ability to set your own schedule and more freedom, it can be a good set-up for some people. However, being a freelancer isn’t for everyone. Read on for 5 things you should consider before deciding to start a freelance business.

How to Get Clients

The first thing you should consider before becoming a freelancer is how you are going to be able to get clients. Luckily, there are many different websites these days that you can use to find businesses looking to hire freelancers. Businesses will list both short and long term jobs they are needing freelancers to work on. It is likely that when you first start freelancing it will be hard to find a long term position right away. Taking on short term roles with clients helps to build relationships with them and could lead to them offering you a long term position. These short term jobs will also help to build your resume and credibility on these freelance websites. You may also have to take on jobs you normally wouldn’t so companies on these sites believe that you are a legitimate freelancer. Don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than expected to find the type of freelance work that you are looking for.

Finances

You will want to consider all aspects of your financial situation when deciding whether you are able to quit your job to become a freelancer. You should have enough saved up, so you will be financially stable during your initial time building up your client base. Being that this is likely to be your first time dealing with a business’s finances, you may want to consider hiring a quickbooks bookkeeper. To find a bookkeeper who’s a good fit for your business, search ‘quickbooks bookkeeping service’ along with the type of freelance work you will be doing. This way you can find a bookkeeper who has experience working in your industry. A bookkeeper who has expertise working in your field will be a great help to you when navigating through this transition period.

Time Management

Before you go off to start your own business, you should reflect on your own time management skills. When you leave a company, you will no longer have bosses to check in on you to get your work done. When you are a freelancer, how productive you can be will equal how many clients you have and what your paycheck looks like. Unlike a steady paycheck before, your income will solely depend on how successful your freelancing business has been recently. Losing a client will have a direct impact on your salary, unlike when you were working for a company.

Benefits

Along with no longer having the push and support of a company once you are a freelancer, you will also no longer have the benefits you previously had. Before leaving a company, make sure you will be set with health insurance without their benefits. It is also important to note that although you will have more flexibility working for yourself, you will no longer have access to paid time off. If a client of yours has a question about something you are working on, they will expect you to be available to answer it, since you are the only one on your team.

If you have considered all of these things and still want to become a freelancer, there is a good chance it will be a good career move for you. Although freelancing is not for everyone, it can be a great fit for those that are willing to put in the work and are ready to have more flexibility in their schedule.

5 tips for getting things right with your virtual conference

/in /by

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article | 5 tips for getting things right with your virtual conferenceIt’s extraordinary now to think that, as recently as two years ago, holding virtual conferences was a rather niche pursuit for business leaders. However, necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes – and, now, many of these leaders both attend and run virtual events.

This trend has realised a fair few advantages listed in a UC Today article – like the absence of both a commute and having to repeatedly trek across conference centres. However, you should still be careful to follow certain dos and don’ts when delivering a virtual conference.

Decide what you are aiming to achieve with your conference

Maybe you’ve got some news to break to the world, you want to address a specific issue that has long been left lingering or you have spotted an opportunity to generate more revenue. Alternatively, maybe the conference is an annual one usually held in person but you want to digitise it this time.

As a virtual conference isn’t easy to organise, you want to be sure why you are doing it and how it would benefit your audience.

What audience are you eager to attract?

You probably already have a good idea of what the conference’s audience will be if the event will be an internal-only one strictly intended for employees of your company.

Otherwise, though, you should ask yourself a series of questions outlined by UKTN – questions that could help you figure out how to attract the ‘right’ audience. For example, do you want to pique the interest of new customers, and from what age range would you like to draw attendees?

Determine a message or theme for your event

Is there a particular message you would like to be left in attendees’ heads as the conference closes? If so, keeping this message – or what one thing you want the audience to remember from the event – in mind as you organise the conference could help you to keep it streamlined.

If you can’t decide on a specific message, at least give the conference a theme for all of its elements to revolve around, enabling people to discern what to expect.

Organise more than one speaker

Speakers you organise for your virtual conference can include managers or employees of your business or professional, industry-relevant speakers from outside your company.

You could even choose to wrap up the event with an inspiring talk from a motivational speaker, leaving the audience feeling encouraged and energised.

Test your tech before the conference proper

If there’s going to be a technical glitch, you obviously don’t want it to happen during the conference itself. This is why, once you’ve selected all of the tech you will need for the big day, you should arrange a test run to make sure all of the required hardware and software works as it should.

To this end, you should utilise a virtual conference software platform from a reliable provider like ON24, and ask guest speakers to check their own audiovisual equipment if they will be participating from their individual homes.

How To Impress An Employer With Little Experience

/in /by

Although you might think that it is impossible to impress an employer with little experience, it is possible. Experience does help, but it is not the only thing an employer looks for during the hiring process.

Here are some top tips for how to impress an employer with little experience.

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | How To Impress An Employer With Little Experience

Do an internship

An internship is a great way to learn your skills while showing off your hard work and abilities to an employer. It is a stepping stone for working for your dream company.

For example, those keen on working in social media and helping brands grow their following might want to consider digital marketing internships. It is a great opportunity to show off your marketing skills and get started in the world of marketing.

An internship will allow you to attain experience and network effectively. When you work in an industry for less pay, you might not attain the greatest income, but it gives you a great insight into the world of work and offers many opportunities to attain a full-time position.

Write a great resume

A resume includes more than just your experience. Therefore, use it to your advantage. You might have achieved amazing certificates at school or you might have interesting passions that could impress your employer.

Your resume should ooze confidence and show off your best abilities. Don’t be shy to be confident or proud on your resume. The prouder you are, the more you will be able to impress the employer.

Ask questions

Although an employer will be asking you questions during an interview, it is important to ask them questions too. Being inquisitive shows that you are interested in learning more about them as well as the company.

The more interest you show, the more interested an employer will be in you. Before your interview, take your time doing your research and find out interesting facts about the company. Use these facts as questions to show off that you have done your research.

Be comfortable

During an interview, it is common to be nervous. Although it is easier said than done, you shouldn’t let the nerves overtake you. You might come across different from what you had hoped if you let the nerves overshine your true personality.

The more comfortable and confident you are in the interview, the more interested the employer will be in you. Employers appreciate confidence as it reflects your confidence in the workplace.

Follow up

After an interview, you might be left in the dark for some time. This is normal as the employer will likely be interviewing other candidates and making their decision.

To show that you are interested and to ensure that they remember you, make sure to follow up. Do not follow up straight away as you may look too keen and seem a nuisance. Nobody wants to hire someone that will be annoying. Therefore, leave it around a week before following up in a call or email. Asking them for feedback is normal and they might use this follow-up email as a way to verify that you are keen, passionate, and the right person for the job.

3 Essential Tips to Launch Your StartUp Venture

/in /by

It’s no secret that starting a new venture can be scary. You’re putting yourself out there, taking on more responsibility, and working longer hours to get your company off the ground. But where do you start? What are some of the best ways to launch your startup?

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | 3 Essential Tips to Launch Your StartUp Venture

1. Develop a Business Plan

Your business plan is your map. It’s a guide to keep you on track and ensure that all the goals and procedures stay consistent throughout your company.

A good, solid business plan can help:

  • Show investors what they’re getting into. This will give them an idea of the time frame for their returns and how much money they should expect to see in return by investing with you.
  • Help get funding from other sources such as banks or venture capitalists. Banks especially like funding businesses that have already done the research and written plans about where they want to go next, so financing could be more accessible when everything is laid out in black and white.
  • Keep employees organized and responsible because people can easily see what’s expected of them and how they’re supposed to be doing their jobs.

2. Secure the Necessary Funding

A lot of people are under the impression that you need to have millions to start a company. This isn’t necessarily true; however, it can be helpful if you do happen to have several million dollars at your disposal. Of course, there are other ways for entrepreneurs who don’t have quite as much money on hand. These include:

  • Personal savings: Put up some cash from your bank account and use it towards building or buying what’s needed for your business venture. It might take months before things begin turning around, but this is certainly better than not trying at all!
  • Crowdfunding: Ask friends, family members, neighbours — anyone willing -– to invest their hard-earned money into making your dream company become a reality. This can make the difference in getting enough funds to purchase things like office supplies and marketing materials when you’re starting.
  • Gaining investors: If you’re unable to secure enough personal savings or crowdfunding, then try investing your time into seeking out investors who are willing to support your cause. These could include venture capitalists like Jorge Hank, angel investors, or even family members who believe in you and what you’re trying to build.

3. Build a Responsive Website

The internet is a massive resource for people looking to find new companies and buy products online. Whether you’re selling T-shirts or physical goods, having a unique eCommerce website will do wonders for your business’ success. It’s how customers communicate with you and where they’ll be able to choose their orders as well as track shipments down the road. Having a responsive site also ensures that all of your visitors can easily see what’s going on whether they’re using smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop devices – it doesn’t matter! You want everyone across your company to have access to information about what you offer, no matter where they are in device usage.

In conclusion, starting a new company can be scary, but it’s also an exciting time. With the right amount of funding, knowledge on what you need to do, and being patient with your business as it takes off — you’ll have plenty of success stories in no time!

Talking Shop – What Your Ecommerce Site Can’t Do Without

/in /by

If you’re reading this then you know that the future of shopping is well-and-truly online. But not every shop is created equal. The ecommerce businesses that keep the tips below in mind are going to see much more success with their customers.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article

Focus on the user experience first and foremost

This should be a given for any site but in the world of ecommerce, it’s actually easier to lose customers. Beyond categorization for products that makes sense and smart advanced search options, take an in-depth look through the whole process of buying items on your store. Think about where you can trim the fat, where another page or another click might not necessarily be needed. Putting customers through too long a process puts you at real risk of shopping cart abandonment. Another way of fighting it is by using breadcrumb navigation that shows customers at what stage they’re at through every part of the process. User friendliness must be your first and last concern.

Work to your product

No two ecommerce systems should work alike. In fact, if they have different products and different target markets, they should be wildly different. Beyond good navigation, you need a focus on the value proposition of the site and the individual products. For instance, the front page should be loud and clear with the deals on some of the most popular product types on the site. A front page that says nothing about the products is going to result in a lot of confused visitors. But attention to detail should go deeper than that. For instance, writing great product descriptions depends wildly from product to product. Lifestyle and fashion products, for instance, rely more on greater visual detail. Meanwhile, tech like computers and TVs need the technical details up-front. We’re talking resolutions, gigabytes, and compatibilities. You can’t sell two different kinds of products on the same selling points.

Have a site that works with you

Even worse than a site that’s confusing to customers is one that’s confusing to you. Not just in terms of design but management. Nowadays, there a lot of ecommerce hosting options that make it a lot easier for site owners to choose a platform built specifically for hosting ecommerce pages, with all the various sub-pages that go with it. Continuous, never-ending testing of the site is essential, too. Not just to make sure all pages are working. Methods like A/B testing also help you better understand how to make the site much easier to use for the customer.

Watch and learn

One of the best things about running a shop online as opposed to in the physical world is how much easier it is to store data on not just your customer base, but individual customers, too. Measuring the whole gives you a finger on the pulse of the market, seeing the trends from the customer’s’ point of view that can help you decide on which new stock might work best for the business. Building individual customer profiles, however, lets you go even further. You can specialize offers and create a bespoke browsing experience for each user that makes them a lot more likely to see something they’re tempted to buy.