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Decorating Your Home To Suit Your Work Needs

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Decorating Your Home To Suit Your Work Needs

Workplace changes influence how you utilize your house. For people who work from home, some may only need a corner of the room or a comfy couch and laptop. Others might need a designated room with a door for privacy while on client calls or quiet to read over documentation. Whether you intend to redecorate your existing space or find a new home that fulfills your work needs, these decorating ideas presented by Local Marketing Center can help you create an inviting home office.

Reinventing Your Existing Space

Create a distinct area that keeps you away from distraction and manages work items. This can be a small desk in your bedroom, an unused corner of the living room, or a free wall in the spare bedroom. When space is limited, think vertical rather than horizontal. Shelving going up the wall will save floor space, and you can add wicker baskets for storage. Utilize natural light, but add decorative task lighting that coincides with the rest of the room.

This is a good time to reinvent your front porch or back patio to provide a special relaxing nook for breaks from work for you and the kids. They then can serve as entertaining areas by adding comfortable outdoor furniture and creative lighting.

Finding New Accommodations

If purchasing a new home is your best option to ensure success in your career, start by researching the housing market in your desired location. Hire a real estate agent in that area that understands the local market and will search for homes that fulfill your parameters and budget. If the market is limited and an extra room is not an option, consider expanding your mindset to sectioning off an extra-large bedroom or refinishing basement or attic space in the new house.

Setting Up Your Home Office

No matter what nook and cranny or room in the house you take over for your office, make sure you are comfortable and inspired to maximize productivity. Studies have shown that productivity can be increased by 20% with well-designed office space, so have fun creating the special hub that speaks directly to you.

Having a tabletop to spread out papers, storage to keep documents safe, a comfortable chair to support your back and appropriate lighting are all high on your decorating list. Aesthetics play a role in inspiration, so hang plants, add family photos, and light a scented candle. Take a break from your desk by sitting in your dependable, super comfortable chair while planning, organizing or drafting. If it is worn or has been damaged, now is the time to consider a furniture upholstery service to recover it with a unique fabric suited for your office design. Search online for “furniture reupholstery near you” and start reading customer reviews. Reach out to discuss your specific needs and get quotes. Depending on the size of the chair, fabric and any customization will influence the cost of upholstering. For example, a large couch can cost between $1,200 to $3,500.

Your work needs and the space you require to be productive and successful will dictate your actions in creating and decorating a home office. Regardless of what storage, privacy, and organization you require, take time to assess the benefit of staying where you are and just cutting out and redecorating or making a move that will provide what you need for inspiration.

The Art of Marketing for Senior Business Owners

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As business owners age, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that what worked for you in the past will work today. If you’re not careful, this assumption can lead to your failure to take advantage of the changing marketing landscape and losing ground to younger businesses with fresher ideas and newer strategies. Local Marketing Center presents some of the most effective marketing techniques that senior business owners like you should start using today to stay competitive in your local marketplace.

Networking 

As a senior, you probably have a network you’ve built over time. People are more likely to do business with you if they like and trust you. Spending time building a relationship with your customers will make it easier when they need something from you. If you’re already networking regularly, don’t let those connections wither away.

Asking for Referrals

People love to talk about themselves, and people love to talk about their business. Referrals from current customers are some of the best leads you can get, as these people have already heard your pitch and were impressed enough to pass it on. They’re a little more qualified than a cold lead, and they come with an implicit recommendation from someone they trust.

Designing a Website

Aesthetics are one of many important factors when it comes to your business’s website. Visitors aren’t just interested in seeing what you do — they want to know how you can help them. Because of that, it’s important to consider every element on your site: Each word on a page, each image and design choice, everything from color scheme to structure can impact whether or not someone decides to click through.

Basic Guidelines For Using Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool that can help grow your brand and generate leads. Decide which social media platforms are best suited to your business. Use consistent branding across all platforms. Keep your content focused on your customers’ interests, not just yours. Post at regular intervals throughout each day, but never spam. Use a strong call-to-action to entice users to go to your website or call you directly.

Local SEO Strategies

If you want to be found in local search results, there are some options:

Giving Something Away Free

If you’re looking to bring in new customers, one great way to do so is by offering something away free. People are more likely to try out your product or service if they don’t have to spend any money upfront—and once they try it, they might become long-term customers.

Earning an MBA

In many industries, an MBA can serve as a gold-standard business credential. Getting your master’s degree can help you understand all aspects of running a company, from profit and loss statements to managing a team. Consider an online MBA program if time or location is an issue. An online course gives you the flexibility to balance your existing schedule with learning. Things you can learn are:

  • Economics
  • Accounting
  • Marketing
  • Strategic Planning

Ever-Changing Marketing Technology

Effective marketing is imperative to running a successful business. As a senior business owner, you’ll need to keep up with ever-changing marketing technology. Visit Local Marketing Center for more business and marketing help. You can get ideas from this link: https://creately.com/blog/marketing/how-to-do-a-competitive-analysis/

 

Written by Carleen Moore 

Top Success Tips for Aspiring Solopreneurs

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Becoming a solopreneur and pursuing business on your own can be thrilling. You have to make your own decisions and put everything on the line for the success of your new business. This can be nerve-wracking as you don’t have a partner to support you through different challenges. Between utilities, startup costs, paying bills, and gadgets, it can be shocking to think that you have to find the money to market your services to the world.

 It’s important to understand how to market yourself without spending a lot on traditional marketing. These guidelines will help you get started as a solopreneur. Make sure to visit Paul and Sarah’s blog for more marketing insights.

Know Your Passion

First, it’s important to do what you love to be successful as a solopreneur. Running a business solo requires a lot of sacrifices. Forget about achieving a work-life balance, as this will be nonexistent in the initial stages. Follow market trends, so ensure this is something you’re passionate about. Doing something that drives you will give you a better chance to succeed.

 

Be Confident

Another successful tip for a solopreneur is to be confident. This may sound generic, but confidence is the foundation for success if you’re running the show solo. It’s one of the characteristics of every successful solopreneur. This is the one thing that will keep you going when things don’t turn out as planned.

It’s a prerequisite for starting out as a solopreneur. You don’t expect anyone to invest in a dream you don’t believe in. If you have confidence in the project you’re pursuing, other people will do too.

 

Hire Freelancers

One of the ways you can make it easy to manage your business as a solopreneur is to collaborate with freelancers. The internet offers opportunities to connect with experts from different parts of the world. You can use job boards to find professionals who can help you in different aspects of your business.

While hiring freelancers from countries like the Dominican Republic, know that you must find the most convenient payment channels. Options like wire transfer are cost-prohibitive, so opt for low-cost services like Remitly.

Build a High-Quality, User-Friendly Website

Websites are a channel you can use to connect with your target audience. Having a high-quality website is a necessity if you want to succeed as a solopreneur. To get started with building a website, you don’t need coding skills. There are drag and drop platforms you can use to build an impressive website for your business. Most of these platforms offer ready-to-publish templates, and you also have a content management system. All you need is to fill in the blanks with content and titles and the website will be up in no time.

Social Media Marketing

Marketing is a core aspect of running a business as a solopreneur. You need to share with the world about your business by using the different marketing channels. As a solopreneur, social media marketing is something that will bring your goods and services to millions of people. Social media gives you no-cost networks you can use to target audiences. It makes it easy to showcase your content via videos, photos, and written posts. For your social media handles, use your brand name to make it easily memorable for people. Using these platforms helps you maintain a presence across all outlets. 

 

 

Photo by Tyler Franta on Unsplash. (img:)

Automate Via Apps

If there are tasks you want to complete, you can find an app for each. Some of the apps you can use to save time include content scheduling tools. These are programs like Hootsuite that help you to upload content, which is auto-posted to social media at specific dates and times. This means you don’t need to stay online all the time. When you use automation tools, you get the time to focus on other business needs. It’s a good solution as you don’t need to neglect your social networks to make your business a success. In addition, automation tools offer real-time dashboards for audience insights and other statistics.

Conclusion

It’s possible to succeed in running a business as a solopreneur. You need to show confidence in your project and pick a niche that offers you a chance to explore your passion. If you want to make things easier, collaborate with freelancers for different tasks. Also, embrace automation to improve efficiency and save time.

Slippery Customers: How to Handle Late Payments Productively

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By Courtney Rosenfeld

 

In any sales-based business, you will inevitably encounter a customer who has not or will not. The way you handle this tricky situation can have an effect on your customer relations and even the long-term ethos of your business. You’ll need to show patience and smart thinking to ensure your late payments are managed productively. Local Marketing Center presents some tips for handling those late payments in a professional manner.

Preventing

The best way to handle late payments, of course, is to avoid them altogether. If a client is clear on how much and when they have to pay, they’re more likely to pay on time. To convey this information clearly, you’ll need to properly format your invoices or even use a customizable template. A good invoice should look professional, include your company name/information, and mention the payment terms.

To avoid a situation where there are disagreements over the amount due (which will ultimately result in later payments), it’s important to track employee time efficiently. A time tracking calculator can make all the difference in this regard, especially when it integrates with payroll software. A calculator will allow you to quickly and accurately quantify employee work hours so that you won’t mismanage breaks or omit overtime pay. It will also mean that any time billed to the customer/client is digitally documented and clear to see.

Incentivizing

 

To encourage your customers to pay on time, it sometimes helps to offer incentives. This is not just about offering rewards but also structuring your payments easily. You can do this by providing a number of methods to pay, making sure invoice line items are clear, and communicating regularly to ensure any questions are answered. Convenience can play a big part in the compliance and contentment of your customers.

It’s also possible to use incentives to improve customer loyalty. With the right rewards, your customers will not only want to pay on time but will actually want to pay you. Consider attaching early-bird discounts, providing events/connections (which in turn encourages good business etiquette), or even using coupons/vouchers. All of these ideas can help increase the chance of repeat interactions and, in the long term, improve sales.

Chasing Up

In the occurrence that someone has outright failed to pay, you may need to take action and chase up. Deciding how long to wait before doing so can be a matter of legality — if there wasn’t an agreed due date, then the payment is late only 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or the goods/services are delivered. The first consideration is to be polite and friendly in your email — some customers may even appreciate the reminder.

If your customer still isn’t responding, it’s time to switch up the method of communication. If you want to start with a more light-hearted reminder, use an online flyer maker to put together a notice that’s nice but firm, as well as eye-catching. Phone calls, meanwhile, are harder to ignore than emails or flyers and can be useful for clarifying the situation. You may want to accompany your phone call with a warning email about late fees — it is fair to charge late fees but you should aim to notify the customer before they are incurred. 

If all else fails, you may need to escalate the issue to a higher authority. It’s true — sometimes late payments can result in a visit to a small claims court. But by planning ahead and taking the steps above, you can make this outcome unlikely.

Need Freelancers for Your Business? Use These Tips in Your Search

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By Courtney Rosenfeld

The term “gig economy” has become an increasingly popular buzzword, as more workers make a living by relying on freelance, contract, and short-term jobs rather than traditional employment models. While experts are divided over whether this shift is beneficial or detrimental to gig workers, most agree on at least two things: First, that the gig economy is not likely to disappear anytime soon; and second, that it benefits business owners.

 

If you want to take advantage of what the gig economy has to offer your business but aren’t sure where to start, read on for some top-notch tips.

 

  1. Assess Your Needs

First, figure out what sorts of projects your business needs help completing. This could mean broad areas such as tax preparation or cybersecurity, or specific tasks, such as drafting social media posts or designing a new logo. Create a list of what you expect a freelancer to do for your business, as well as any skills or traits that the ideal candidate should possess.

 

  1. Find the Experts

Once you have a solid idea of what you’re looking for in a freelance worker and what you’re willing to pay, it’s time to jump into the candidate pool and start finding the right person for the job. Some of the best places to find expert freelance workers include:

  • Your network and contacts: A great way to start your search is by checking with other people in similar industries to see if they have any recommendations. Professional contacts on social media are also a good source for suggestions or referrals.
  • Freelance websites: Online sites specifically focused on freelance work are another excellent resource for finding quality freelance candidates. 
  • Industry-specific job boards: In addition to wide-ranging freelance websites, you can also try sites specific to the freelance position you want to fill. From freelance writers to graphic designers and other creatives, there are freelance job boards that target most niches.

 

  1. Select the Best Applicant

Given the competitive state of the freelance market, you’ll likely receive more applications than you expect. Fortunately, if you’ve already made a list of qualities you’re seeking, narrowing the field should be simple. Depending on the nature of the position, you may want to interview the top three or so applicants via phone or video call. A trial assignment is another great way to determine whether a candidate is a good fit.

  1. Set Up Your Payment Arrangement

Once you’ve chosen a freelancer to hire, you’ll need to figure out how to pay him or her in terms of payroll taxes and withholding. While most freelance workers qualify as independent contractors, this is not true in every case. This distinction is extremely important in terms of proper tax treatment, so be sure to review the rules carefully.

Managing your payroll is easier if you plug into online services like QuickBooks. They have features like built-in time tracking, free direct deposit, and auto check generation, making it far easier to ensure accuracy. They’ll even file your payroll taxes for you. By finding a service that takes on the bulk of the grunt work for you, you’re in a better position to focus on building your business.

Hiring outside help is an excellent way to boost your business. Examine your situation for gaps in your knowledge or duties that bog you down, and find expertise to fill in the gaps. With a good plan of action, you can find and hire the right people and services to help your company flourish.

 

 

 

Are Billboards and Traditional Forms of Advertising Still Effective?

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In today’s digital landscape, most modern businesses use tools like social media, PPC advertising, blogging, and SEO to help them reach their target audience and grow their operations.

However, we used practically none of these advertising technologies if we looked back only about twenty or thirty years ago.

Or, more precisely, we were using them, but with nowhere near the same prevalence we see today.

Back then, advertisers and marketers had no choice but to rely on more conventional advertising mediums, such as billboards, newspaper ads, TV commercials, and business cards, to get their names out there.

That said, many of you are probably wondering if these traditional forms of advertising are still influential today.

Below, we’re examining how the advertising industry has changed over the past couple of decades.

What Exactly Is Traditional Advertising?

Traditional advertising is most often used to refer to any form of mass media where a commercial message is distributed to a broad audience.

Generally, traditional advertising forms are used by businesses to push their products or services in front of an audience, regardless of their interests or any other demographics, such as age, gender, interests, etc.

The most common forms of traditional advertising include billboards, posters, flyers, brochures, TV commercials, business cards, and direct mail advertising. 

While these methods for advertising products or services have never been entirely ineffective, they do lack many qualities that are today found in digital forms of advertising, which has led to the prevalence of PPC advertising on platforms like Google or Facebook.

The Rise of Digital Advertising

Without a doubt, digital advertising has become the clear leader in the world of business advertising and marketing.

Nowadays, more businesses than ever before are investing billions of dollars every year into digital advertising, proving that digital advertising is more effective than traditional advertising.

One recent study by Medium on ad spending in the US from 2000 to 2020 showed that all traditional forms of advertising had seen a significant decline in the past 20 years.

For instance, newspaper advertising is down from 30% in 2000 to about 6% in 2020, whereas digital advertising was up from 3% in 2000 to a staggering 44% in 2020.

Why Is Digital Advertising So Popular?

Unlike traditional advertising, digital advertising tends to be more targeted, which means that marketers can fine-tune their process to show ads only to the people who are most likely to interact with their brands.

On the other hand, when you think of a billboard, sure, it might get thousands of views per day.

But there’s no guarantee that the people viewing the ad will be interested in the product or service on display.

With digital ads, marketers can create highly targeted campaigns. Their ads are only shown to people within exact demographics, including targeting ads based on age, gender, geographic location, hobbies, interests, and more!

Are Billboards And Traditional Forms Of Advertising Still Effective?

In short, yes, billboards, business cards, TV commercials, and radio ads are still effective at promoting products or services. 

However, they’re not nearly as popular or as effective as they once were.

And as an increasing number of businesses and brands continue to flood the internet to reach their target audience, we should only expect to see an increase in digital ad spending in the coming years.

It will also be interesting to see how new, developing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), will be leveraged in the coming years to increase the effectiveness of digital advertising.

Regardless, while traditional forms of advertising are still being used today, digital ads offer far better results and better ROIs for investors! Here more information about billboard statistics: https://www.cellphonedeal.com/blog/20-mind-blowing-mobile-ecommerce-statistics

Written by Jason Foley

How To Optimize Your Marketing Budget

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There are plenty of guides about spending your marketing budget on and how to choose the different strategies you may want to use. 

That is only half the battle, however.

It would be best if you also considered how exactly you’re going to manage your budget and be completely clear and concise with your employees and teammates about what you want to invest and how you want it done so that you can see the most return on your investment.

Below, we’re looking at how to do that and set budget parameters so that your marketing strategies are more likely to succeed.

Improve Project Management Strategies

This might not seem relevant, but rest assured that just like a fine-tuned clock, everything is connected.

It would help if you had efficiency and proper communication whenever you take on new projects, from the leaders to the planners and the person who makes the presentation visually appealing. 

Improving the way you handle and work on projects with your team will transfer to your marketing strategies.

Successful businesses use digital platforms like Monday.com and Asana to ensure that everyone is clear on their tasks and setting reasonable timeframes for completion. 

You can even use these to plan out your marketing budget once you get the hang of how the platforms work.

 

Choose Which Social Channels You Need

Businesses make one common mistake when planning out how to use their marketing budget, and it’s often marketing on a platform that their customers don’t even use.

It’s essential to do your due diligence and do the proper research into which platform your customers spend their downtime posting and sharing. 

You shouldn’t just automatically gravitate to Facebook because you think posting an ad will reach the most people.

Depending on the type of business you run, Linked In might be more critical to your marketing efforts, or if you sell to a younger audience, TikTok or Instagram might be the best choices. 

Once you figure out where your customers are, you can target them more effectively and find out what they like to see when an ad pops up on their timeline.

 

Learn What The Experts Are Doing

Observing similar tactics used by other small businesses or even bigger companies does not necessarily mean that you are admitting defeat.

Looking at how other leaders in your industry reach the right people and persuade them to act on their calls to action demonstrates that you want to grow as a business and care about doing well for your company and your employees. 

Don’t feel like you’re being judged if you’re attending a business seminar or outright asking another owner (provided they’re not your competitor) for advice.

Pictures Speak A Thousand Words

If Martin Luther had access to a modern graphic design, his 95 theses might have reached even more people and evoked a more positive reaction.

My point is that in this day and age, you can have flyers that are covered in compelling arguments about why people should buy your products or services. 

However, people don’t like reading walls of text or being told what to think. And there’s even a well-known acronym for the reason why we often refuse to read through advertising copy: TLDR or Too Long, Didn’t Read.

Therefore, try adding relevant pictures or images to show potential customers the range of your skills and to hopefully, entice them to inquire more for themselves. 

Also, make sure to include your business logos with your marketing materials to ensure people will remember you. 

Check your FREE business logo with Logo Creator. Check it out here: www.logocreator.io

Getting More Bang For Your Buck

It doesn’t matter if you have a thousand or a hundred thousand dollars for your marketing budget. 

If you don’t make wise decisions in planning and implementing it, you will suffer more losses than gains.

These are tips so that you can get the most out of your budget and so you can have a clearer image of the people you’re trying to sell to and how to present your company to the public better. 

Once you succeed in this venture, it will become easier to deal with other aspects of your business and make the most of your bottom line! 

Credit for this goes to Karl Lee

3 Ways to Expand Your Knowledge for Better Community Leadership

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As a leader in your community, lifelong learning is crucial. And by furthering your education, volunteering with a local nonprofit organization, and taking steps to strengthen your leadership skills, you can become the effective leader your community members need and rely on. These resources from Paul & Sarah Edwards will help you to do it!

 

  1. Further Your Education

 

Effective leadership and lifelong learning go hand-in-hand.

  1. Volunteer in the Community

 Volunteering teaches you important skills in empathy, self-awareness, and self-regulation — helping you to become a more well-rounded leader in the community.

 

  1. Improve Your Leadership Skills

 Most leadership skills can be taught, learned, and improved on if you’re motivated to succeed.

To be a great leader in the community, it’s important to challenge yourself as much as possible — and never stop taking in new information. Whether you’re learning from other leaders and followers, furthering your college education, or volunteering in the community, you’ll be expanding your knowledge for better community leadership!

 This blog was written by Courtney Rosenfeld

Immigrants: Consider Opening a Business

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By Vivek Mukherjee 

Image via Pixabay

Immigrants to the United States come with many questions, not least of which is: “How will I earn a living?” While jump-starting a career in a new country can take a lot of extra effort, many immigrants are clearly meeting the challenge, given that they make up a significant percentage of the workforce. In fact, according to recent research, the number of immigrants filling high-skilled jobs is rising.

Immigrants also are well represented in the entrepreneur demographic, so if you are an immigrant arriving here and thinking about a career path, don’t rule out business ownership. Of course, getting a business off the ground while also working to integrate into a new community isn’t easy, but the statistics show that it is eminently possible.

If you’re planning to take the leap into entrepreneurship, we hope the following guidelines can help you start your own business as an immigrant to the United States.

Choose a business that suits your aptitude.

Immigrant-run businesses are exceedingly diverse — restaurants, IT companies, franchises, and construction are just a few of the business ventures that work well for immigrants. Whatever you opt to do, make sure you have the skills for it or the aptitude to train for them easily. Pick a field you will enjoy and one in which you know you have much to offer.

Research available visas and choose the right one.

Not every visa that will allow you to reside and work in the U.S. will also allow you to launch a business, so take your time, do your research, and make sure you are applying for the visa that will give you the freedom you need to pursue your venture. Several visas have been created specifically for immigrants who demonstrate exceptional talent or are highly educated. You may also look into one of the investment visas if you have considerable capital to start your business.

Secure funding.

Even if you are unable to finance a business project, there are many loans and grants that will help you do so. Grants are available from the government on a federal, state, and local level. Some of these grants exist to help businesses enrich the community, while others are created for specific types of businesses or to serve immigrants from particular regions.

Put together a business plan.

A business plan is important if you intend to woo investors or enter collaborations. But it is also useful for you to make sure you have planned for every aspect of your business so you can stay organized and on target. A good business plan, at its most fundamental level, will include an executive summary, a financial overview, and a marketing plan.

Register your business.

Business formation is the process of making your business a legal entity and registering it for tax and other official purposes. Depending on the size and scope of your business, you will want to form it according to one of several structures common in the U.S. economy. Owners of smaller businesses may want to choose a limited liability company format, while those with larger stakes might look into forming a corporation. To register your business, consider using a SAAS formation service so you can make sure you’ve checked all the boxes.

Though starting a business is a lot of work, especially for an immigrant, it is also incredibly rewarding. If you think running your own business is right for you, start planning and attending to all the steps toward entrepreneurship as soon as possible because you have it in you to be a success story.

For more insight into marketing and navigating life as an entrepreneur, be sure to subscribe to Local Marketing Center today.

How to Hire Top-Notch Freelancers for Your Small Business

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By Courtney Rosenfeld

When the time comes to hire help for your business, freelancers may be the perfect solution. According to Business Wire, there are over 50 million people in the U.S. who freelance, and other countries are quickly catching up. Tap into this extensive talent pool to find the expertise you need at a price you can afford.

When you’re ready to start looking for quality freelance candidates, consider the following tips and tricks from Local Marketing Center to flesh out the best talent and help your company thrive.

Develop a Solid Communication System

Communication is vital in any team environment. When your team includes people who work remotely, it’s critical to develop a great communication system so that everyone is always on the same page. Miscommunication can cause all kinds of business problems, from missed deadlines to low morale. Avoid these issues by taking advantage of team collaboration apps like Slack and Trello. You can also keep your freelancers in the loop by having call notes transcribed and sent out to everyone on your team.
 

Know Where to Find Freelancers

There are several ways to find freelancers online, from classified ad sites like Craigslist to freelancer platforms like Upwork. Message people on LinkedIn, create posts on remote job boards, and peruse industry-specific sites. Online job boards help you connect with expert freelancers, whether you’re looking for help in sales, SEO and marketing, web development, or customer service. You can even look for freelancers on social media or ask for recommendations from other business owners in your industry. You don’t have to limit yourself to the U.S. either. There are plenty of freelancers around the world in countries like India, the Philippines or Serbia who can provide the expertise you need.

Make Your Expectations Clear

In your job ad, make your expectations extremely clear. Ensure that your freelancers know exactly what you aim to accomplish with their help. Give potential candidates context by explaining the big picture—not just the specific scope of work and time frame. Also, make sure you detail the skills you’re looking for and how you intend to apply these to your business.

You may also want to let your freelancers know what kind of availability you expect from them. Should they be able to hop on calls at any time? Do you require tight turnarounds, or can they complete work at their leisure? When your applicants know what you expect, they will be better prepared to meet your needs.

Lastly, clearly state how you will pay your freelancers, whether it’s through your payroll system, online payment platforms or remittance services. If you opt to hire foreign workers, you’ll need to have a plan for how to send their payments, which may not work with your payroll setup. For example, if you have a freelancer from the Philippines, using a transfer service can be more affordable and easier than Paypal. 

Screen Your Applicants Thoroughly

Screen your initial applicants based on their education, skills, work experience, or portfolio samples. As you go through your candidates, select your top picks and schedule an interview. The interview is important for avoiding incompetent freelancers who sound good on paper.

Ask your candidates tough questions about how they approach deadlines, how they respond to criticism, and what they think quality work looks like. Be sure to also ask about their availability. Many freelancers have more than one client and may not be able to dedicate all of their time to your company. Finally, request a paid test project so you can get a feel for the freelancer’s work quality, communication skills, and ability to meet deadlines.

It may take time to build the perfect team of freelancers for your business. It’s a good idea to start looking for candidates well before you need them to do any work. Be picky and don’t stop searching until you find freelancers with the expertise necessary to help your business prosper.

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