If you want to enjoy the benefits of viral marketing, you'll need to incorporate social media into your online marketing strategy. That's why it's a great idea to distribute your news releases through a PR service that includes embedded social media sharing buttons on each published document. After all, making your content easy for readers to share is one of the most effective viral marketing techniques that any business can use.
Understanding the Impact of Social Media
There are several reasons that social media have such a tremendous capacity to be effective. A few of the most powerful benefits of this type of online marketing include:
* Sheer numbers: A majority of consumers actively participate in social networking activities on a daily basis.
* Speed: Information distributed through social media outlets tends to travel from person to person very quickly.
* Credibility: Since people typically only to let individuals they trust into their social networking contact lists, it stands to reason that information passed through these channels is thought to have a certain level of credibility.
* Captive Audience: People who participate in social networking sites are there because they choose to be there. When your messages are presented in this way, they're being delivered directly to the desktops (or laptops or mobile phones) of a captive audience.
* Information Seeking: People who actively engage in social networking tend to utilize the sites and groups they participate in as resources for giving and receiving information. Social networkers who find useful information like to share it with their online contacts, and they also like to seek tips and suggestions from the individuals they network with in cyberspace.
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Sunday, July 18, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Benefits Of Website Leasing
Website Leasing is a great way for small business owners to take advantage of getting their small business website online quickly while not using all of their capital in the process.
The Benefits of Small Business Website Leasing
1. Leasing a website allows you to spend less capital and utilize your capital for other business expenses, saving you money.
2. Leasing a website saves you time. Most companies offer a wide range of services meaning you do not need to seek out different professionals from multiple companies to handle your project.
3. Find a company you can trust! Make sure all of the fees are disclosed on the company website. Select a company that believes in ethical business practices.
4. Leasing a website can give you Flexible End of Term Options. Renew your lease, purchase your website or cancel your service and walk away. No strings attached.
5. By choosing to lease your website you are bundling multiple services and reducing the amount of your monthly expenses.
How It Works
Just like leasing a car, a small busines website lease agreement allows you to have a professional, search engine optimized CMS website built for your company now while giving you the opportunity to pay for it over time. At the end of your lease agreement you are given the opportunity to purchase your site and continue hosting it with your service provider.
How Much Does it Cost?
Different companies have different pricing structures. One of the best deals that we know of nets you a two year website lease agreement for as little as $24.99 per month. There are other costs associated with these types of plans including setup fees (typically a one-time payment).
What is a CMS Website?
A Content Management System (CMS) is used to structure your website's documents in such a way that you don't need to re-enter all of your information agai when it's time to change the look and feel of your site. All of your data is placed inside of a MYSQL database and this allows your data to be accessed quickly. Popular CMS platforms include Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal.
Why Is Search Engine Friendly So Important?
As a small business owner you should realize that 90% of people who use the internet use search engines to find what they're looking for online. Your business needs an online presence to allow your audience to find you quickly and easily.
___
The Benefits of Small Business Website Leasing
1. Leasing a website allows you to spend less capital and utilize your capital for other business expenses, saving you money.
2. Leasing a website saves you time. Most companies offer a wide range of services meaning you do not need to seek out different professionals from multiple companies to handle your project.
3. Find a company you can trust! Make sure all of the fees are disclosed on the company website. Select a company that believes in ethical business practices.
4. Leasing a website can give you Flexible End of Term Options. Renew your lease, purchase your website or cancel your service and walk away. No strings attached.
5. By choosing to lease your website you are bundling multiple services and reducing the amount of your monthly expenses.
How It Works
Just like leasing a car, a small busines website lease agreement allows you to have a professional, search engine optimized CMS website built for your company now while giving you the opportunity to pay for it over time. At the end of your lease agreement you are given the opportunity to purchase your site and continue hosting it with your service provider.
How Much Does it Cost?
Different companies have different pricing structures. One of the best deals that we know of nets you a two year website lease agreement for as little as $24.99 per month. There are other costs associated with these types of plans including setup fees (typically a one-time payment).
What is a CMS Website?
A Content Management System (CMS) is used to structure your website's documents in such a way that you don't need to re-enter all of your information agai when it's time to change the look and feel of your site. All of your data is placed inside of a MYSQL database and this allows your data to be accessed quickly. Popular CMS platforms include Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal.
Why Is Search Engine Friendly So Important?
As a small business owner you should realize that 90% of people who use the internet use search engines to find what they're looking for online. Your business needs an online presence to allow your audience to find you quickly and easily.
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Saturday, June 19, 2010
Do We Really Need Banks?
Imagine for a moment that you did not have a bank account. No debit or credit card, no access to an ATM. No checks, no loans, no savings account. In other words, no access to cheap, reliable, safe and convenient means of saving, borrowing, sending, and spending money.
This situation, which may seem truly frightening to you and me, is a daily reality for more than half the people on earth. The majority of people in emerging economies, and a significant minority in developed ones, are unbanked or under-banked. Even the U.S. is home to 106 million under-banked citizens.
Yet these underserved markets are now availing of financial services offered by an emerging and dynamic ecosystem of non-banking institutions, which include cell phone companies, small technology vendors and non-governmental organizations. By offering basic financial services that deliver more value at lower cost for more users, players in this emerging ecosystem are threatening the monopoly of banks on financial services, and questioning their very raison d'être.
In Kenya, for instance, only 10% of the population has access to traditional banking services. Yet mobile penetration in the country is higher than 50%. Sensing an opportunity, Safaricom, a local telecoms service provider which is 40% owned by U.K.-based Vodafone, launched a service called M-Pesain 2007 to enable people to send/receive and spend small amounts of money using their cellphones.
No bank account is required to participate in these transactions, and today, over 8 million Kenyans have subscribed to M-Pesa (more than double the number a year ago!). The Philippines has a similar cell phone-based micro-payments service which has been similarly successful. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, millions of unbanked rural women have for several years now formed self-help groups to help them save and borrow money to generate income.
Developing nations like Kenya, Philippines, and India are leveraging technological innovations like M-Pesa and organizational innovations like self-help groups to drive financial inclusion without involving traditional banks.
If you were one of the unbanked of Nairobi, Manila or New Delhi what would prevent you from availing of the financial services of a traditional bricks-and-mortar bank? First, you may be illiterate, and intimidated by the formality of signing up to a bank. Second, you may be on a daily wage and not find the bank's monthly fees affordable or worth the expense. Third, there may not be a bank within easy reach of your town or village.
Now let's flip the question. What would prevent traditional banks from reaching out to you? After all, the unbanked represent a huge growth opportunity. In countries like India where over 50% of the population is unbanked, the Central Bank and several state-owned banks have had it as their mission to achieve broader financial inclusion. What has prevented them from making a dent in these figures?
The simple answer is the cost of reaching remote and relatively impoverished consumers. India for instance, has over 600,000 villages. Setting up a bank branch in each of these villages would simply, well, break the bank. But branchless services like M-Pesa could help circumvent this fundamental scaling problem facing traditional banks.
Now that non-financial institutions are encroaching into their territory, what should traditional banks do?
They have two options: fight off these new players or partner with them. While we expect many big banks to keep their heads buried in the sand, nimble banks led by creative CEOs will embrace the "if you can't beat them, join them" principle and plug into alternative banking service ecosystems. In India, for instance, YES Bank — a leading private bank — has partnered with Nokia and Obopay, a mobile payment platform provider, to deliver mobile banking services to even the remotest areas of India. Closer to home, here in the US, Obopay has teamed up with Citi, AT&T, and Verizon to deliver mobile payment services to the 106 million under-banked Americans.
As they recover from the recession, can banks regain their relevance globally? Or will the world increasingly ask: Can we do without banks? We believe that the future of banks depends on their ability to adopt and scale up innovations from nonbanking contexts, and transform their parochial culture and mindset in the process. Only then will banks ensure that the frightening scenario outlined at the beginning of this post never materializes (for their own sake!).
This situation, which may seem truly frightening to you and me, is a daily reality for more than half the people on earth. The majority of people in emerging economies, and a significant minority in developed ones, are unbanked or under-banked. Even the U.S. is home to 106 million under-banked citizens.
Yet these underserved markets are now availing of financial services offered by an emerging and dynamic ecosystem of non-banking institutions, which include cell phone companies, small technology vendors and non-governmental organizations. By offering basic financial services that deliver more value at lower cost for more users, players in this emerging ecosystem are threatening the monopoly of banks on financial services, and questioning their very raison d'être.
In Kenya, for instance, only 10% of the population has access to traditional banking services. Yet mobile penetration in the country is higher than 50%. Sensing an opportunity, Safaricom, a local telecoms service provider which is 40% owned by U.K.-based Vodafone, launched a service called M-Pesain 2007 to enable people to send/receive and spend small amounts of money using their cellphones.
No bank account is required to participate in these transactions, and today, over 8 million Kenyans have subscribed to M-Pesa (more than double the number a year ago!). The Philippines has a similar cell phone-based micro-payments service which has been similarly successful. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, millions of unbanked rural women have for several years now formed self-help groups to help them save and borrow money to generate income.
Developing nations like Kenya, Philippines, and India are leveraging technological innovations like M-Pesa and organizational innovations like self-help groups to drive financial inclusion without involving traditional banks.
If you were one of the unbanked of Nairobi, Manila or New Delhi what would prevent you from availing of the financial services of a traditional bricks-and-mortar bank? First, you may be illiterate, and intimidated by the formality of signing up to a bank. Second, you may be on a daily wage and not find the bank's monthly fees affordable or worth the expense. Third, there may not be a bank within easy reach of your town or village.
Now let's flip the question. What would prevent traditional banks from reaching out to you? After all, the unbanked represent a huge growth opportunity. In countries like India where over 50% of the population is unbanked, the Central Bank and several state-owned banks have had it as their mission to achieve broader financial inclusion. What has prevented them from making a dent in these figures?
The simple answer is the cost of reaching remote and relatively impoverished consumers. India for instance, has over 600,000 villages. Setting up a bank branch in each of these villages would simply, well, break the bank. But branchless services like M-Pesa could help circumvent this fundamental scaling problem facing traditional banks.
Now that non-financial institutions are encroaching into their territory, what should traditional banks do?
They have two options: fight off these new players or partner with them. While we expect many big banks to keep their heads buried in the sand, nimble banks led by creative CEOs will embrace the "if you can't beat them, join them" principle and plug into alternative banking service ecosystems. In India, for instance, YES Bank — a leading private bank — has partnered with Nokia and Obopay, a mobile payment platform provider, to deliver mobile banking services to even the remotest areas of India. Closer to home, here in the US, Obopay has teamed up with Citi, AT&T, and Verizon to deliver mobile payment services to the 106 million under-banked Americans.
As they recover from the recession, can banks regain their relevance globally? Or will the world increasingly ask: Can we do without banks? We believe that the future of banks depends on their ability to adopt and scale up innovations from nonbanking contexts, and transform their parochial culture and mindset in the process. Only then will banks ensure that the frightening scenario outlined at the beginning of this post never materializes (for their own sake!).
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Seven Hints for Selling Ideas
Regardless of how good it is, no idea sells itself. Before getting commitment to proceed with an idea for a new product, process, venture, technology, service, policy, or organizational change, innovators must sell the idea to potential backers and supporters, and neutralize the critics. They must find resources, expertise, and support. They must convince colleagues to advance the idea in meetings they don't attend.
People whose ideas get traction — that manage get out of the starting gate — take advantage of this practical advice for selling ideas.
1. Seek many inputs. Listen actively to many points of view. Then incorporate aspects of each of them into the project plan, so that you can show people exactly where their perspectives or suggestions appear.
2. Do your homework. Be thoroughly prepared for meetings and individual discussions. Gather as much hard data as possibly to have command of the full facts, and speak knowledgeably from a broad information base. Know the interests of those to whom you're speaking, and customize the message for them.
3. Make the rounds. Meet with people one-on-one to make the first introduction of your idea. It's always a good idea to touch base with people individually before any key meetings, and to give them advance warning of what you and others are planning to say at the meeting. Then they can be prepared (and coached) in your point of view. And you know theirs, so you can modify your proposal accordingly.
4. See critics in private and hear them out. One-on-one meetings are especially important when you expect opposition or criticism. Groups can easily turn into mobs. Avoid situations in which critics can gang up on you, or when a group of people leaning positive turn negative because the listen to a few loud voices. Never gather all of your potential critics in one room hoping to hold one meeting to brief everyone all at once. This kind of event mainly helps them discover each other and their common concerns, so they coalesce as a group united in opposition to the idea.
5. Make the benefits clear. Arm supporters with arguments. You might rehearse them for meetings in which questions about your project will come up. Stress the value that the idea will produce for them and other groups. Remember that selling ideas is at least a two-step process. You sell one set of people so they can sell others. You convince them to back you because you reduce the risk to them by giving them the tools for selling their own boards or constituencies.
6. Be specific. Make your requests concrete, even while connecting your idea to unassailable larger principles. Wait to approach high-level people until your have tested the idea elsewhere and refined your vague notions. The higher the official, the more valuable and scarce his or her time, and thus the more focused your meeting must be. Use peers for initial broad discussions, then ask top executives for one simple action.
7. Show that you can deliver. People want to back winners. Early in the process, provide evidence, even guarantees, that the project will work. Later, prove that you can deliver by meeting deadlines and doing what you promised.
___
People whose ideas get traction — that manage get out of the starting gate — take advantage of this practical advice for selling ideas.
1. Seek many inputs. Listen actively to many points of view. Then incorporate aspects of each of them into the project plan, so that you can show people exactly where their perspectives or suggestions appear.
2. Do your homework. Be thoroughly prepared for meetings and individual discussions. Gather as much hard data as possibly to have command of the full facts, and speak knowledgeably from a broad information base. Know the interests of those to whom you're speaking, and customize the message for them.
3. Make the rounds. Meet with people one-on-one to make the first introduction of your idea. It's always a good idea to touch base with people individually before any key meetings, and to give them advance warning of what you and others are planning to say at the meeting. Then they can be prepared (and coached) in your point of view. And you know theirs, so you can modify your proposal accordingly.
4. See critics in private and hear them out. One-on-one meetings are especially important when you expect opposition or criticism. Groups can easily turn into mobs. Avoid situations in which critics can gang up on you, or when a group of people leaning positive turn negative because the listen to a few loud voices. Never gather all of your potential critics in one room hoping to hold one meeting to brief everyone all at once. This kind of event mainly helps them discover each other and their common concerns, so they coalesce as a group united in opposition to the idea.
5. Make the benefits clear. Arm supporters with arguments. You might rehearse them for meetings in which questions about your project will come up. Stress the value that the idea will produce for them and other groups. Remember that selling ideas is at least a two-step process. You sell one set of people so they can sell others. You convince them to back you because you reduce the risk to them by giving them the tools for selling their own boards or constituencies.
6. Be specific. Make your requests concrete, even while connecting your idea to unassailable larger principles. Wait to approach high-level people until your have tested the idea elsewhere and refined your vague notions. The higher the official, the more valuable and scarce his or her time, and thus the more focused your meeting must be. Use peers for initial broad discussions, then ask top executives for one simple action.
7. Show that you can deliver. People want to back winners. Early in the process, provide evidence, even guarantees, that the project will work. Later, prove that you can deliver by meeting deadlines and doing what you promised.
___
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Problem With The Facebook Culture May Be Fatal
Facebook's imbroglio over privacy reveals what may be a fatal business model. Some people live on Facebook and they are furious at it. This was the technology platform they were born into, built their friendships around, and expected to be with them as they grew up, got jobs, and had families. They just assumed Facebook would evolve as their lives shifted from adolescent to adult and their needs changed. Facebook's failure to recognize this culture change deeply threatens its future profits. At the moment, it has an audience that is at war with its advertisers. Not good.
Here's why. Facebook is wildly successful because its founder matched new social media technology to a deep Western cultural longing — the adolescent desire for connection to other adolescents in their own private space. There they can be free to design their personal identities without adult supervision. Think digital tree house. Generation Y accepted Facebook as a free gift and proceeded to connect, express, and visualize the embarrassing aspects of their young lives.
Then Gen Y grew up and their culture and needs changed. They started looking for jobs and watched, horrified, as corporations went on their Facebook pages to check them out. What was once a private, gated community of trusted friends became an increasingly open, public commons of curious strangers. The few, original, loose tools of network control on Facebook no longer proved sufficient. The Gen Yers wanted better, more precise privacy controls that allowed them to secure their existing private social lives and separate them from their new public working lives.
Facebook's business model, however, demands the opposite. It is trying to transform the private into a public arena it can offer advertisers. In doing this, the company is breaking three cardinal cultural norms:
1. It is taking back a free gift. In order to build profits, Facebook has been commercializing and monetizing friendship networks. What Facebook gave to Millenials, it is now trying to take away. Millennials are resisting the invasion to their privacy.
2. Facebook is ignoring the aging of the Millennials and the subsequent change in their culture. Older Gen Yers want less sociability and more privacy as actors outside their trusted cohort enter the Facebook space in search of information and connection. These older Millennials want more privacy tools for control of their information and networks.
3. Facebook is behaving as though it owned not only its proprietary technology platform but the friendship networks created on it. It doesn't. Millennials believe that ownership of their networks of friends belongs to them, not Facebook, and resist their commercialization.
Facebook, under intense pressure, is belatedly agreeing to streamline and strengthen its privacy tools. That will lower the anger of its audience but increase the anxiety of its advertisers. The brand value of Facebook has already taken a hit and competing social media platforms that promise privacy are beginning to appear.
What lessons can we draw from the Facebook flame-up? Lifecycle changes can trump generational change and cultural values perceived as crucial at the age of 13 can be very different at 20. A business founded on the values of a generation, such as Facebook, has to keep up with, and respect, evolving lives and needs.
Ownership in the social media world of networks is different from selling products and services in the traditional marketplace. Understanding the underlying cultural context of "free," "gift," and "creation" is important to businesses, including and perhaps especially high tech companies. It is not impossible to monetize that which is free. Apple did that with 99 cent songs on iTunes. But it is difficult.
Giving economic value to social networks is the new holy grail in advertising and the media. An army of economists and mathematicians are at work on this task. To date, most of the work has focused on metrics — how many friends, how many linkages, how much influence. Facebook's problems with privacy highlight the need to understand culture as well.
___
Here's why. Facebook is wildly successful because its founder matched new social media technology to a deep Western cultural longing — the adolescent desire for connection to other adolescents in their own private space. There they can be free to design their personal identities without adult supervision. Think digital tree house. Generation Y accepted Facebook as a free gift and proceeded to connect, express, and visualize the embarrassing aspects of their young lives.
Then Gen Y grew up and their culture and needs changed. They started looking for jobs and watched, horrified, as corporations went on their Facebook pages to check them out. What was once a private, gated community of trusted friends became an increasingly open, public commons of curious strangers. The few, original, loose tools of network control on Facebook no longer proved sufficient. The Gen Yers wanted better, more precise privacy controls that allowed them to secure their existing private social lives and separate them from their new public working lives.
Facebook's business model, however, demands the opposite. It is trying to transform the private into a public arena it can offer advertisers. In doing this, the company is breaking three cardinal cultural norms:
1. It is taking back a free gift. In order to build profits, Facebook has been commercializing and monetizing friendship networks. What Facebook gave to Millenials, it is now trying to take away. Millennials are resisting the invasion to their privacy.
2. Facebook is ignoring the aging of the Millennials and the subsequent change in their culture. Older Gen Yers want less sociability and more privacy as actors outside their trusted cohort enter the Facebook space in search of information and connection. These older Millennials want more privacy tools for control of their information and networks.
3. Facebook is behaving as though it owned not only its proprietary technology platform but the friendship networks created on it. It doesn't. Millennials believe that ownership of their networks of friends belongs to them, not Facebook, and resist their commercialization.
Facebook, under intense pressure, is belatedly agreeing to streamline and strengthen its privacy tools. That will lower the anger of its audience but increase the anxiety of its advertisers. The brand value of Facebook has already taken a hit and competing social media platforms that promise privacy are beginning to appear.
What lessons can we draw from the Facebook flame-up? Lifecycle changes can trump generational change and cultural values perceived as crucial at the age of 13 can be very different at 20. A business founded on the values of a generation, such as Facebook, has to keep up with, and respect, evolving lives and needs.
Ownership in the social media world of networks is different from selling products and services in the traditional marketplace. Understanding the underlying cultural context of "free," "gift," and "creation" is important to businesses, including and perhaps especially high tech companies. It is not impossible to monetize that which is free. Apple did that with 99 cent songs on iTunes. But it is difficult.
Giving economic value to social networks is the new holy grail in advertising and the media. An army of economists and mathematicians are at work on this task. To date, most of the work has focused on metrics — how many friends, how many linkages, how much influence. Facebook's problems with privacy highlight the need to understand culture as well.
___
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Recognizing Valuable Search Engine Marketing Services
Many Internet marketing companies are offering search engine marketing services. Not all of these so called services are worth the cost, and in some cases will actually draw unwanted attention to your website. There are a few things to look out for when looking for a search engine marketing company.
What kind of services do they provide and do they guarantee the top listing? If they are, watch out. In most cases what you are paying for is something you already have access to. If a search engine marketing service is guaranteeing that your website will show up at the top of a search page, then chances are you are paying them to sign up on as a sponsored link on a search engine. This is something you could easily do yourself at sometimes half the cost. Another tactic is to offer to have "keyword" articles written, this is different then search engine optimized articles. Keyword articles are usually nothing more then gibberish. They are articles that contain repeated phrases and keywords all published on a website with the aim of making a search engine rank that site highest due to the repetition of certain words or phrases. These kinds of articles can easily get your website completely removed for search listings since it is a violation of most search engines standards. Other companies may send you software that does nothing, but jumble up several key words and do not produce positive results.
These are just a couple of things to look out for when choosing to enlist the services of a search engine marketing or consulting company. In order to make sure that you are getting valuable search engine marketing services, it is important to use an online database that can show what kind of reputation a service provider has gained. By seeing a long history of consistently meeting customer needs up front you can be confident that the search engine marketing company you choose will deliver. Finding the perfect company is easy. Choose AAACBC Inc. and you won't be disappointed with your results.
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What kind of services do they provide and do they guarantee the top listing? If they are, watch out. In most cases what you are paying for is something you already have access to. If a search engine marketing service is guaranteeing that your website will show up at the top of a search page, then chances are you are paying them to sign up on as a sponsored link on a search engine. This is something you could easily do yourself at sometimes half the cost. Another tactic is to offer to have "keyword" articles written, this is different then search engine optimized articles. Keyword articles are usually nothing more then gibberish. They are articles that contain repeated phrases and keywords all published on a website with the aim of making a search engine rank that site highest due to the repetition of certain words or phrases. These kinds of articles can easily get your website completely removed for search listings since it is a violation of most search engines standards. Other companies may send you software that does nothing, but jumble up several key words and do not produce positive results.
These are just a couple of things to look out for when choosing to enlist the services of a search engine marketing or consulting company. In order to make sure that you are getting valuable search engine marketing services, it is important to use an online database that can show what kind of reputation a service provider has gained. By seeing a long history of consistently meeting customer needs up front you can be confident that the search engine marketing company you choose will deliver. Finding the perfect company is easy. Choose AAACBC Inc. and you won't be disappointed with your results.
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Freelance Jobs – Great Business Opportunity
One of the most lucrative ways to generate income for living nowadays is through freelancing. You can have this done as your regular source of income or just a par time. The money you can earn is just depending on how much time you can allocate for freelance jobs and how enthusiastic you are to offer a competitive result.
However, if you do not have any experience to help you in establishing foundation in the arena of freelance jobs, this area of endeavor can be daunting to your part. For those who intent to ride on this business bandwagon, you must think it twice and always remember, though, freelancing can be made as your career, not all people who engaged in this area are successful.
Some freelance jobs where you can engage yourself are: freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, freelance graphic design jobs.
Below are some essential tips for individuals who are just starting to step towards freelance jobs. These are surely applicable if you want to join in this venture.
First, bear in mind that establishing contact is really essential for individuals who are just starting. By making contacts, you can have access to potential clients that can give you freelance job assignment. It is important to note that it is very much better if you have done various project in years because this build trust and establish contacts to possible clients. Furthermore, this way gives you the opportunity to be recognized in the arena of freelancing.
It is also of that important that you build a genuine reputation in this particular industry. So, make it sure that every freelance job you do, make it to be the product of your most capacity. Remember, your reputation depends on how you handle jobs assigned to you and how you generate your productions.
Since great things start from humble beginning, it is significant to you to start in small scale freelance jobs. Time will come, when you gain your clients’ confidence, you’ll be able to elevate your work as freelancer. You can still do freelance while still having your regular job.
Werther you are planning to engage in freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, or freelance graphic design jobs, please be reminded always that good reputation is always have an integral part for you to succeed as freelancer. And to have that gain, you must be able to do your freelance tasks at your most upheld standard.
___
However, if you do not have any experience to help you in establishing foundation in the arena of freelance jobs, this area of endeavor can be daunting to your part. For those who intent to ride on this business bandwagon, you must think it twice and always remember, though, freelancing can be made as your career, not all people who engaged in this area are successful.
Some freelance jobs where you can engage yourself are: freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, freelance graphic design jobs.
Below are some essential tips for individuals who are just starting to step towards freelance jobs. These are surely applicable if you want to join in this venture.
First, bear in mind that establishing contact is really essential for individuals who are just starting. By making contacts, you can have access to potential clients that can give you freelance job assignment. It is important to note that it is very much better if you have done various project in years because this build trust and establish contacts to possible clients. Furthermore, this way gives you the opportunity to be recognized in the arena of freelancing.
It is also of that important that you build a genuine reputation in this particular industry. So, make it sure that every freelance job you do, make it to be the product of your most capacity. Remember, your reputation depends on how you handle jobs assigned to you and how you generate your productions.
Since great things start from humble beginning, it is significant to you to start in small scale freelance jobs. Time will come, when you gain your clients’ confidence, you’ll be able to elevate your work as freelancer. You can still do freelance while still having your regular job.
Werther you are planning to engage in freelance writing jobs, freelance photography jobs, or freelance graphic design jobs, please be reminded always that good reputation is always have an integral part for you to succeed as freelancer. And to have that gain, you must be able to do your freelance tasks at your most upheld standard.
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Finding A SEO & SMM Specialist
SEO & SMM is a growing market. As the internet continues to grow and expand, search engine optimization and social media marketing has become much more important. Site owners need individuals to visit their pages, and with the help of a SEO & SMM expert, they can get the hits they need to improve their conversion rates.
What, exactly, though does a SEO & SMM specialist do, though? Some of the best sites, those that are packed with the most information, are buried under pages of results. People end up never seeing the sites that might be most helpful to them because the internet is so crowded. A SEO & SMM expert consults with site owners to find the best keywords for them. From there, the two parties can decide how to best optimize the pages so viewers can find them easily. While some keywords are more and more difficult to optimize for than others, a good SEO & SMM expert will help to find the keywords that will work out best for your site and your budget. Once the pages are optimized, the SEO & SMM expert will help to get your site submitted to the right directories and set up your external linking systems to continually increase your page rank. In many cases, SEO & SMM experts will work with other professionals including freelance writers and web designers to offer you the best overall pages.
Finding the best SEO & SMM consultant for your project, though, can be a bit difficult. Sites like the Equan can help you find the perfect freelance search SEO & SMM specialist to help put your site in the top tiers of page rankings. Hundreds of experts will view your project and post bids for you to choose from. Which is not an easy task, that’s why it is maybe best to hire directly a team of SEO & SMM experts like AAACBC Inc because once you've decided on the best SEO & SMM expert team, you will be on your way to higher page rankings.
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What, exactly, though does a SEO & SMM specialist do, though? Some of the best sites, those that are packed with the most information, are buried under pages of results. People end up never seeing the sites that might be most helpful to them because the internet is so crowded. A SEO & SMM expert consults with site owners to find the best keywords for them. From there, the two parties can decide how to best optimize the pages so viewers can find them easily. While some keywords are more and more difficult to optimize for than others, a good SEO & SMM expert will help to find the keywords that will work out best for your site and your budget. Once the pages are optimized, the SEO & SMM expert will help to get your site submitted to the right directories and set up your external linking systems to continually increase your page rank. In many cases, SEO & SMM experts will work with other professionals including freelance writers and web designers to offer you the best overall pages.
Finding the best SEO & SMM consultant for your project, though, can be a bit difficult. Sites like the Equan can help you find the perfect freelance search SEO & SMM specialist to help put your site in the top tiers of page rankings. Hundreds of experts will view your project and post bids for you to choose from. Which is not an easy task, that’s why it is maybe best to hire directly a team of SEO & SMM experts like AAACBC Inc because once you've decided on the best SEO & SMM expert team, you will be on your way to higher page rankings.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
You’re a Retired Professional Athlete… Now What?
You were a professional athlete. You most likely spent your whole life working towards the goal of earning a living by playing sports. Some might say you were born with a ball (or a pair of goggles, or a joust, or running sneakers) in your hand. You spent your youth playing organized sports, missing out on weekends full of video games with your buddies because you had a weekend tournament, instead. Your whole life has been about sacrifice, for the game you love, and the game that eventually loved you back with money and fame. Now you’re retired, and you’re a little scared, confused even. Where do you go from here?
Some athletes choose to retire, move away from the spotlight, hang out with their family for a while, and make up for lost time. Others (not many) have made enough money in their playing career to support themselves and their loved ones for the rest of their lives without doing much of anything, and are content doing so. However, for most athletes, the money will run out, and more importantly, they aren’t happy just ‘doing nothing.’ Those are the athletes I’m speaking to now.
Building an Online Presence Will Help You Stay Relevant
The eyeballs are shifting. People are spending more and more time on the Internet rather than in front of the television, and that trend won’t change. If you want to stay relevant, maintaining a personal site and building an online presence is the best option. Through social media, you can interact with the fans who supported you throughout your playing career, while earning new fans along the way. The content you create is up to you. If you no longer want to talk about or associate yourself completely with your sport, you don’t have to.
Conclusion
Just because your playing days are over does not mean you have to leave the spotlight. In fact, your retirement is a chance to expand your brand, and to connect with the people who showed you support during your career.
Which retired athletes who’ve left the spotlight would you most like to see online? Which retired athletes have done a good job of maintaining their presence through a personal website and/or social media?
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Some athletes choose to retire, move away from the spotlight, hang out with their family for a while, and make up for lost time. Others (not many) have made enough money in their playing career to support themselves and their loved ones for the rest of their lives without doing much of anything, and are content doing so. However, for most athletes, the money will run out, and more importantly, they aren’t happy just ‘doing nothing.’ Those are the athletes I’m speaking to now.
Building an Online Presence Will Help You Stay Relevant
The eyeballs are shifting. People are spending more and more time on the Internet rather than in front of the television, and that trend won’t change. If you want to stay relevant, maintaining a personal site and building an online presence is the best option. Through social media, you can interact with the fans who supported you throughout your playing career, while earning new fans along the way. The content you create is up to you. If you no longer want to talk about or associate yourself completely with your sport, you don’t have to.
Conclusion
Just because your playing days are over does not mean you have to leave the spotlight. In fact, your retirement is a chance to expand your brand, and to connect with the people who showed you support during your career.
Which retired athletes who’ve left the spotlight would you most like to see online? Which retired athletes have done a good job of maintaining their presence through a personal website and/or social media?
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Concorde Fallacy in Business and Life
In graduate school I knew a lot of miserable people. The academic grind had beaten them down, robbed them of the passion they once felt for their areas of expertise. Not me! I had pushed my chips into the center, giving myself over to my work (math modeling of animal learning and behavior–the specifics are irrelevant to my current topic). I spent long hours in the lab writing and crunching numbers, and then went home to read journal articles. Everything was swell. Then, suddenly, without any particular precipitating event, I began to feel the way many of my colleagues did—tired and depressed, dreading each day.
As I joined the ranks of the miserable, I grappled with the fact that I had moved clear across the country and spent 4 years of my life, hours upon hours, pursuing this topic. I was good at it. How could I now hate it? Clearly, I had too much personally invested to just quit! Surely things would get better when I finished the PhD, or got that first Post Doc position, or the first real academic job, or finally earned tenure some 6 years after that. This pattern of thinking is extremely dangerous and irrational, yet all too common in life and in business. And it took me months to get a grip on it before I packed up and left.
Behavioral economists call this tendency the Sunk Cost or “Concorde” Fallacy (Concorde after the exorbitantly expensive sonic Jet project undertaken by the French and English governments). When making a decision we ought to be concerned with how best to allocate our current and future resources—be they money, time, or effort. However, as is often the case in Economics, oughts and is’s are not the same. Instead of behaving optimally, we tend to focus on decisions we’ve already made, money already spent, time already elapsed. And we make poor decisions.
This concept itself is far from a new one, but I hope my story will resonate for some of you. When you know in your gut that your current course is doomed, gather the courage to combat this fallacy. In my case it was about changing careers, there are options aplenty for anyone who can identify their passion. But I think there is also a broader message for entrepreneurs and businesses. If your website doesn’t convert even though you paid some hotshot a lot of money to make it look snazzy, it’s time to fix it. If you are marketing a product that doesn’t make sense for consumers, move on. If your business model is broken, you know deep down that the little tweaks are not the answer. Re-think it or start anew.
What are you invested in that you ought to abandon?
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As I joined the ranks of the miserable, I grappled with the fact that I had moved clear across the country and spent 4 years of my life, hours upon hours, pursuing this topic. I was good at it. How could I now hate it? Clearly, I had too much personally invested to just quit! Surely things would get better when I finished the PhD, or got that first Post Doc position, or the first real academic job, or finally earned tenure some 6 years after that. This pattern of thinking is extremely dangerous and irrational, yet all too common in life and in business. And it took me months to get a grip on it before I packed up and left.
Behavioral economists call this tendency the Sunk Cost or “Concorde” Fallacy (Concorde after the exorbitantly expensive sonic Jet project undertaken by the French and English governments). When making a decision we ought to be concerned with how best to allocate our current and future resources—be they money, time, or effort. However, as is often the case in Economics, oughts and is’s are not the same. Instead of behaving optimally, we tend to focus on decisions we’ve already made, money already spent, time already elapsed. And we make poor decisions.
This concept itself is far from a new one, but I hope my story will resonate for some of you. When you know in your gut that your current course is doomed, gather the courage to combat this fallacy. In my case it was about changing careers, there are options aplenty for anyone who can identify their passion. But I think there is also a broader message for entrepreneurs and businesses. If your website doesn’t convert even though you paid some hotshot a lot of money to make it look snazzy, it’s time to fix it. If you are marketing a product that doesn’t make sense for consumers, move on. If your business model is broken, you know deep down that the little tweaks are not the answer. Re-think it or start anew.
What are you invested in that you ought to abandon?
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Gary Vaynerchuk - Social Media Diva
Gary Vaynerchuk - Social Media Diva from Art of Talk TV on Vimeo.
The new web connects people - Now you can reach people directly!
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Study: Most Effective B2B Social Media Tactics are IT ‘Lite’
According to a new study involving more than 1,700 small business leaders, companies marketing to small businesses would be well advised to focus on social media tactics requiring little IT investment, such as webinars, podcasts and establishing a presence on top social networking sites, before pursuing more IT resource intensive initiatives such as creating a company-managed online community. The study, conducted by Business.com, finds that that four of the top five most effective social media tactics for engaging small business decision makers do not require significant IT investment or involvement. The exception – company blogs – should be backed by both a strategic content strategy and the resources necessary to create this content on an ongoing basis before it allocating IT resources to blog creation or management.
The small business social media study examined the social networks and other social media resources small business owners and managers turn to for business-relevant information. In contrast to the common perception of social media as inherently “social” or interactive, study participants using social media for business were much more likely to use resources which don’t require interaction, such as webinars and podcasts (67%) or reading product reviews (63%), than they were to participate in online discussions (29%).
The top five social media resources used by small business leaders are:
Webinars / Podcasts – small business leaders consider webinars and podcasts to great resources for professional development, industry research and learning about potentially-relevant products and services, saving them the time and expense of attending in-person training.
Ratings & Reviews – provide useful input into the business buying process, particularly those ratings or reviews provided by other small businesses using the product or service.
Company / Brand Pages on Social Networking Sites – social network participation is now mainstream for U.S. adults, with 46% using sites such as Facebook and 25% participating weekly. Small business leaders are increasingly turning to these sites to find the latest information about important vendors, products and services.
Company Blogs – small business leaders praise company blogs – at least, those that are “well written, current and with good thought leadership articles” – as great sources of information about business-relevant products, services and the underlying character of a company.
Social Media Search – while some of the business-relevant information on social media sites can be found through general search engines, a great deal cannot. Realizing this, over half of small business leaders using social media search for business-relevant information directly on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Business.com Answers, SlideShare and many more.
B2B social media marketing initiatives require Marketing and IT to work closely together to prioritize projects, allocate resources, manage execution and maintain new systems and features. One key implication from this study for companies marketing to small businesses is that Marketing can, and should, actively pursue B2B social media initiatives which require little IT investment before taking on more resource-intensive projects.
For example, rather than placing a company-managed online community the core of the emerging social media strategy – a community where, according to this research, it will be very challenging to build participation by small business leaders – establish a company presence on one or more social networking sites and focus initial community development efforts on those sites. By focusing first on external, IT ‘lite’ social media opportunities, companies marketing to small businesses are more likely to reach a far larger portion of their target audience in the short run, begin developing a following and learn key lessons that inform what social media features and functionality are actually necessary on the company web site.
Learn more about the given opportunities and what’s in it for your business with AAACBC Inc. - just get in touch
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The small business social media study examined the social networks and other social media resources small business owners and managers turn to for business-relevant information. In contrast to the common perception of social media as inherently “social” or interactive, study participants using social media for business were much more likely to use resources which don’t require interaction, such as webinars and podcasts (67%) or reading product reviews (63%), than they were to participate in online discussions (29%).
The top five social media resources used by small business leaders are:
Webinars / Podcasts – small business leaders consider webinars and podcasts to great resources for professional development, industry research and learning about potentially-relevant products and services, saving them the time and expense of attending in-person training.
Ratings & Reviews – provide useful input into the business buying process, particularly those ratings or reviews provided by other small businesses using the product or service.
Company / Brand Pages on Social Networking Sites – social network participation is now mainstream for U.S. adults, with 46% using sites such as Facebook and 25% participating weekly. Small business leaders are increasingly turning to these sites to find the latest information about important vendors, products and services.
Company Blogs – small business leaders praise company blogs – at least, those that are “well written, current and with good thought leadership articles” – as great sources of information about business-relevant products, services and the underlying character of a company.
Social Media Search – while some of the business-relevant information on social media sites can be found through general search engines, a great deal cannot. Realizing this, over half of small business leaders using social media search for business-relevant information directly on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Business.com Answers, SlideShare and many more.
B2B social media marketing initiatives require Marketing and IT to work closely together to prioritize projects, allocate resources, manage execution and maintain new systems and features. One key implication from this study for companies marketing to small businesses is that Marketing can, and should, actively pursue B2B social media initiatives which require little IT investment before taking on more resource-intensive projects.
For example, rather than placing a company-managed online community the core of the emerging social media strategy – a community where, according to this research, it will be very challenging to build participation by small business leaders – establish a company presence on one or more social networking sites and focus initial community development efforts on those sites. By focusing first on external, IT ‘lite’ social media opportunities, companies marketing to small businesses are more likely to reach a far larger portion of their target audience in the short run, begin developing a following and learn key lessons that inform what social media features and functionality are actually necessary on the company web site.
Learn more about the given opportunities and what’s in it for your business with AAACBC Inc. - just get in touch
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
About Yummy-Cebu.com - the biggest food party in the foodland safari of Metro Cebu
Yummy Cebu is a community platform dedicated to finding yummy places to eat in the Foodland of Metro Cebu. The Site was officially launched on December 01st, 2009 and started to rock on December 16th when the first users noticed that there now was an accurate and updated place on the net to voice out.
Today Yummy Cebu is growing and starting to fulfill its purpose we have growing numbers of registered Food Critics who all in their own style take part in mirroring the food safari of Metro Cebu onthe net. At present the entries and blogs linked to our eating places and restaurants are on the first page of Google results and are giving our visitors, the travelers passing through and our fellow Cebuano’s an accurate and updated picture of what is really out there in terms of food and entertainment. As true food lovers and fans of our beloved home Cebu we pledge to you and to Cebu to continue to strive for the best, most fun and most accurate and updated informative and social media site reflecting Cebus Food Safari. So if you wonder where to eat in Cebu – check Yummy Cebu for the answer!
The platform hosts numerous Blog entries, Photo entries, hilarious Videos, an informative rating page and a Food Directory featuring profile pages for Cebus Restaurants bringing the Establishments in connection with their representative Blogs and so with in direct connection with their customers.
Our idea while creating Yummy Cebu was simple – we wanted to create a place on the internet that would allow any potential client to voice out and share his or hers experience no matter if good or not so good. Giving an accurate and honest picture of not only the establishments but the whole City. The platform is free and fun, the community is growing and there is a great sense of camaraderie.
So while Yummy Cebu continues to grow we have decided to add to the concept and create additional sites for those who seek a more complete picture of our Island.
www.gimmick-cebu.com is our platform to keep you posted on the possible past times in Cebu, the vivid night life of the city and the real fun in our tropical paradise.
www.vacation-cebu.com will be launched shortly and will focus on the accommodation possibilities in the City of Cebu as well as the resorts and Hotels along our gorgeous cost lines.
www.shopping-cebu.com will be a place to share your shopping experience in Cebu, share that one spot where you got the latest hard drive for the most competitive price or the hottest pair of Malaysian shoes as well as to show and warn you fellow Cebuanos as well as our visitors to identify the worst service and the most dreadful rip off in town so shop owners be aware Shopping Cebu will be launched April 2010!
Now visit: http://www.yummy-cebu.com
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Today Yummy Cebu is growing and starting to fulfill its purpose we have growing numbers of registered Food Critics who all in their own style take part in mirroring the food safari of Metro Cebu onthe net. At present the entries and blogs linked to our eating places and restaurants are on the first page of Google results and are giving our visitors, the travelers passing through and our fellow Cebuano’s an accurate and updated picture of what is really out there in terms of food and entertainment. As true food lovers and fans of our beloved home Cebu we pledge to you and to Cebu to continue to strive for the best, most fun and most accurate and updated informative and social media site reflecting Cebus Food Safari. So if you wonder where to eat in Cebu – check Yummy Cebu for the answer!
The platform hosts numerous Blog entries, Photo entries, hilarious Videos, an informative rating page and a Food Directory featuring profile pages for Cebus Restaurants bringing the Establishments in connection with their representative Blogs and so with in direct connection with their customers.
Our idea while creating Yummy Cebu was simple – we wanted to create a place on the internet that would allow any potential client to voice out and share his or hers experience no matter if good or not so good. Giving an accurate and honest picture of not only the establishments but the whole City. The platform is free and fun, the community is growing and there is a great sense of camaraderie.
So while Yummy Cebu continues to grow we have decided to add to the concept and create additional sites for those who seek a more complete picture of our Island.
www.gimmick-cebu.com is our platform to keep you posted on the possible past times in Cebu, the vivid night life of the city and the real fun in our tropical paradise.
www.vacation-cebu.com will be launched shortly and will focus on the accommodation possibilities in the City of Cebu as well as the resorts and Hotels along our gorgeous cost lines.
www.shopping-cebu.com will be a place to share your shopping experience in Cebu, share that one spot where you got the latest hard drive for the most competitive price or the hottest pair of Malaysian shoes as well as to show and warn you fellow Cebuanos as well as our visitors to identify the worst service and the most dreadful rip off in town so shop owners be aware Shopping Cebu will be launched April 2010!
Now visit: http://www.yummy-cebu.com
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How a Freelance Writer Can Help Your Revenues Grow
The inherent competitive nature of business, coupled with a tightening economy, forces all entrepreneurs to question how they can grow their revenues during a recession. When consumers are tightening their wallets, how can you set your business apart to win their hard-earned dollars?
In economically stringent times, where consumers are each spending less, expanding your customer base is the best way to increase your revenues. With the help of a freelance writer, you can take advantage of several marketing and SEO opportunities that will grow your customer base. Working with a freelance writer specializing in online content is one of the most effective, yet affordable, marketing campaigns you could implement for your business.
Hiring a freelance writer to improve your web copy
An experienced freelance copywriter can revamp your website content, making your copy more appealing to your visitors. Good freelance writers have an ability to completely understand your branding strategy and portray your message in a highly effective way – often better than you originally visualized.
For example, if you have website that sells holiday gift baskets, your freelance writer can transport the reader into visualizing (and even tasting) the delectable luxuries that satisfy even the most discriminating palate. This is far more powerful than your current website content which reads, “This three-tiered gift basket has many tasty snacks and treats.”
If you find that your sales are slumping with the economic times, it may be appropriate to hire a freelance writer to improve the conversion of your website content – helping you to capitalize upon the traffic that is arriving at your website and maximizing the value of each sales ticket.
Choosing a freelance writer to improve your content’s SEO
Not all writers are created equal; some are strictly trained in journalism, while others have solid experience in copywriting. When it comes to maximizing your online presence and revenues, it is critical to choose a freelance writer that understands SEO. Even if you have the world’s best web copy, without visitors to your website, those compelling lines of prose do not help your bottom line.
Your freelance writer should understand how to eloquently use your keywords, sprinkling them into the articles to boost SEO standings, while still ensuring that your website content sounds very natural to the “human” reader. A 3% to 5% keyword density is what your article writer should utilize, and your content writer should also understand other important SEO content considerations, such as latent-semantic indexing, or LSI.
Employ an article writer to build your backlinks
The most affordable marketing campaign is one that is free. And if you can increase your natural search engine listings, then you have the most powerful marketing tool in the world – yet it comes completely free. Having a solid SERP is akin to enjoying a storefront in Times Square, yet without paying any rent.
To the end of raising your search engine results page ranking, hiring an article writer is one of the quickest ways to boost your SEO. An article writer who is versed in SEO will create compelling, valuable content that will not only increase your website’s SEO, but your online expertise as well. You can submit these articles to directories, ezines, and blogs, as well as publish them on your own website. The backlinks these articles will create are an excellent way to build your search engine rankings, especially in the specific keywords your freelance writer optimizes.
Your freelance writer is one of your most powerful marketing tools. Whether you want SEO articles, powerful web copy, intriguing blog posts, or newsletters that will develop a loyal readership, your freelance writer can help you grow your revenues – even in economically stringent times.
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Monday, March 15, 2010
Freelance Jobs: Gain Maximum From Global Demand for Talents
This is the age of globalization and an Information Technology enabled world. The demand for freelance jobs has increased multifold in the global market keeping the strategic needs and economy of the companies in mind. Freelance jobs are possible in a huge variety of fields like customer relationship management, data mining, marketing initiative and web-based offerings. The information technology industry and companies have deepened their roots all over the globe offering a variety of services in the fields of medical transcription, market research, data processing, banking industry, insurance companies, financial institutions, customer interaction, shares, education and so on.
The growth of the services businesses and software industry is reaching new heights and are in the ascending way. This has lead to the new generation of freelance jobs that can be done from the leisure and comfort of homes. Such home-based jobs can be found on the Internet and everyday new ones surfacing. There are many home-based jobs that are interesting and at the same time have attained online success. The person looking for freelance jobs should research the Internet and choose the one, which is suitable for him and can provide him great success. There are many online directories such as online jobs, work from home options, work at home, home business ideas, work, typing jobs from home, data entry positions online, free data entry jobs, free typing jobs at home, affiliate programs and so on.
There is no need to have any prior experience in order to get into freelance work. The person is required to have some working knowledge on the computers and the knowledge to access the Internet and get information from it. When a person does a freelance job, he is in control of his job and working hours. If the freelancer wants to earn good money, he needs to spend more time doing freelance jobs, as the earnings are directly proportional to the quantity and quality of the work done. Freelance jobs are mainly taken up by students who would like to earn an extra income or by mothers at home who had worked earlier but are not able to go for work due to the arrival of their child or by retired people who cannot commute to work daily or by handicapped people and so on.
As far as the freelance jobs are concerned, they are not different from the ones done in the office premises. Freelance jobs are done in order to earn money. It makes the dream of becoming an entrepreneur as all the profits earned through freelance jobs are kept by the freelancer himself. Many women are doing freelance jobs and are committed to the work done from home and for making this decision they also enjoy many rewards. Work done from home too are not void of any struggles as they may be in the form of disturbances like attending the phone, answering the persons at the door, taking care of the kinds at home during work, carrying out the household chores and so on.
Monday, March 1, 2010
AAACBC Marketing Consultants - Business Marketing Professionals
Do you need to promote your business but lack the proper resources or staff?
Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed, or just don’t know where to begin. Perhaps you know what needs to be done, but you lack the time to do it all yourself. The solution is hiring a freelance marketing consultant. A freelance marketing consultant can help you promote your business online and off, through press releases, social and media networks, blogs, printed pamphlets, online newsletters, and many other methods.
Before a freelance marketing consultant can get to the actual work of marketing and promoting, your consultant will need to learn about your business, evaluate your goals, and get inside your customers’ heads. The secret to good marketing is to know your customer base. Freelance marketing consultants work hard to get to know your target customers, learn what they’re needs are, and find out where they can be found and how to reach them. For example, if your business operates entirely online, and your target customers are teenagers, you won’t want to waste your money placing advertisements in senior citizen magazines. An experience freelance marketing consultant will not only be able to put himself in your customers’ shoes, but also know the best way to communicate with customers in order to sell your product. Your consultant will be able to devise the best marketing plan for reaching your customers and increasing your sales at the best possible price.
If you’re on a tight budget, a freelance marketing consultant can recommend the most cost-effective promotional methods. Often, marketing online is the most practical, low-cost choice. A freelance marketing consultant specializing in your industry will likely have connections to get your online and offline marketing needs implemented at a reasonable cost.
Although marketing consultant firms like AAACBC can often execute your marketing plan more quickly, the cost for employing such a firm will cost you more than hiring an independent freelance marketing consultant but it's worth it!
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Hedging with FX options
Corporations primarily use FX options to hedge uncertain future cash flows in a foreign currency. The general rule is to hedge certain foreign currency cash flows with forwards, and uncertain foreign cash flows with options.
Suppose a Philippine manufacturing firm is expecting to be paid US$100,000 for a piece of engineering equipment to be delivered in 90 days. If the PHP strengthens against the US$ over the next 90 days the Philippine firm will lose money, as it will receive less PHP when the US$100,000 is converted into PHP. However, if the PHP weaken against the US$, then the Philippine firm will gain additional money: the firm is exposed to FX risk.
Assuming that the cash flow is certain, the firm can enter into a forward contract to deliver the US$100,000 in 90 days time, in exchange for PHP at the current forward rate. This forward contract is free, and, presuming the expected cash arrives, exactly matches the firm’s exposure, perfectly hedging their FX risk.
If the cash flow is uncertain, the firm will likely want to use options: if the firm enters a forward FX contract and the expected USD cash is not received, then the forward, instead of hedging, exposes the firm to FX risk in the opposite direction.
Using options, the Philippine firm can purchase a PHP call/USD put option (the right to sell part or all of their expected income for peso at a predetermined rate), which will:
- protect the PHP value that the firm will receive in 90 day’s time (presuming the cash is received)
- cost at most the option premium (unlike a forward, which can have unlimited losses)
- yield a profit if the expected cash is not received but FX rates move in its favor
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Internet is for Freelancer
The Internet is a true blessing for a lot of people. A world of opportunities opens before hard working persons or companies who want to make themselves heard or useful to others. Some choose to benefit from e-commerce. Others simply want to make a statement so they build their own websites for the whole world to see. Also, thanks to the Internet, freelancing was born. Skilled persons who know how to work with computers, who love programming, translating, writing, designing templates and logos – they all got working opportunities and the chance to earn supplementary incomes. Their success is due to websites that facilitate their connections with webmasters who need providers, which improve the safety and speed of online transactions and to websites that promote technology and simplify the work for computer lovers. We will further explain why the possibility to use freelance payment systems and any notebooks shop is a fortunate thing for any freelancer.
Freelance payment system like Paypal is an advanced online payment system that facilitates transactions on freelance sites like equan.us . As the people who work on these sites are hired for certain projects and don’t have an established salary, they need to be paid each time they complete their work. The payment has to be safe for both parts – webmaster as well as provider – and freelance payment system helps in this direction as it uses the standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) when the data is transmitted. Via freelance payment systems, the users give away only their credit card numbers or bank transaction information. The financial data is not available for misuse as it remains protected by the freelance payment system. Another important aspect is that the transfers are irreversible reassuring the providers that the money won’t be retracted from their accounts.
When someone sends the funds into the provider’s account using a freelance payment system, the money appears in real-time and an email notification is also sent confirming the transfer and alerting the receiver. The payment is therefore prompt and secure. So freelance payment systems very advantageous because it allows electronic payments, accepts credit cards as well as bank payments and sends the money instantly wasting no one’s time.
An additional positive aspect is that there are no fees for joining in. The freelancing sites of equan.biz are free of charges for the provided services as well, this means that practically no costs are involved. If you use a freelance payment system, there are no fees required to operate the account. Everything is favorable for users, they just take a fee on transactions.
As far as the financial aspect is concerned, freelancers don’t need to worry if they use a freelance payment system. So, one might be tempted to admire the wonderful life freelancers have as they don’t worry about anything except their work. Well, this is not entirely true. They are interested in how they deliver the project to their collaborators and this implies they possess the knowledge to do so, but also the instruments. Without the necessary equipment, their work may not be worth anything. They need high-tech equipment, meaning the latest computers, laptops and notebooks out there. With their help, the freelancers can do their job anytime and anyplace.
As already mentioned, the equan platforms are a freelancers’ best friend. Without upgrading the tools that are practically the basis of freelancing, the work the provider offers has little chances of being the best on the market. The freelancing services need to be supported by easy to travel with laptops and notebooks that keep the business going. Being part of equan is therefore imperative for people who want to be up to date and offer themselves the best services on freelancing job openings.
In conclusion, the Internet does offer everyone exactly what they need, even freelancers. The trick is to know where to look and to find the best services that can help you be useful to others as well. In the freelancers’ case, a freelance payment system like Paypal, a good freelance job portal like equan.co.uk , patience and skills regarding what they offer their clients are the things they need to be successful and they can find it all right where they work – online.
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Freelance Writing Tips to Ensure Your Success
Make the right business connections in the world’s fastest-growing freelance marketplace Equan.
Whether you’re a new or experienced freelance writer, you’ll have to work hard at staying on top of your game if you want to have steady work. You’ll have to work hard at writing, but you’ll also have to dedicate some of your time to building your business, learning new skills, networking, and keeping up with your competition. The following freelance writing tips will help ensure your freelance success.
Have a website and a blog.
Your website and blog can work for you as an online portfolio. Make sure to incorporate keywords into your website so that potential clients can find you in their online searches. For example, if you specialize in SEO copywriting, you might include the keywords “seo copywriting” “seo copywriter” “seo copywriting services” and similar terms folks seeking an seo copywriter might search for.
Embrace online networking.
Get to know other freelancers, not just so you won’t feel lonely or isolated working from home, but also because other freelancers can be great sources of work. Freelance writers often get overloaded with assignments, and when they do, they can refer some of their clients to you. Or, if someone approaches them about an assignment that isn’t within their area of specialty, if they know you do that type of writing work they can recommend you for the job.
Actively seek work, even when you don’t need it.
As experienced freelance writers know, you have to do a lot more than slap up a website and hope the freelance work will come to you. If you want to ensure yourself a steady paycheck, you’ll have to actively seek freelance jobs. Frequent freelance writing job boards, message boards and forums on a regular basis, even when you don’t need the work. You’ll be glad you did when some of your assignments end and you find yourself without enough work to get by on.
Don’t work for free.
Online job boards are full of start-up magazines and websites seeking writers but offering experience and exposure in lieu of payment. These types of folks prey on new writers trying to build their portfolios. They hope a few suckers will fall for their free writing assignments so they can launch their magazine or website without having to spend a chunk of their budget paying for professional quality. If you’re a new freelance writer, don’t get caught in this trap. Writing for free for such publications doesn’t lend you any credibility. Such clips don’t look good on your portfolio. In fact, any professional editor who sees you’re gullible enough to give your work away to these substandard publications will most likely be very turned off to see this type of “work” on your resume. If you insist on writing for free to build your portfolio, write for a respected non-profit or charity.
Write articles and submit them to article directories.
One exception to the writing for free rule is writing articles and submitting them to article directories. Why should you do this? Not only will the backlinks in your bio box benefit the page rank of your website, people who read your articles might be in the market to hire a freelance writer. Many freelancers get gigs directly from articles they’ve written for directories.
Need freelance writing work? The Equan job boards are full of freelance writing jobs, freelance editing jobs and freelance blogging jobs. Whether you’re just starting out or simply seeking additional assignments, Equan can connect you with lots of profitable freelance opportunities and Equan is for FREE.
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Monday, February 15, 2010
Finding Jobs As A Freelancer
Freelance work has gained tremendous popularity today. Freelancing has long been recognized as a reputable profession and freelance workers are sometimes valued more than regular, permanent staff members. With the internet’s help, more opportunities for freelancers are available at once. More people are able to work at their homes and more companies and organizations are able to contract out their projects instead of hiring regular employees.
According to recent studies, freelance jobs account for 20 percent of contracted graphic designs, web designs and software development in the world. To go freelance is a career choice and freelance jobs offer freelancers with plenty of opportunities and benefits.
Freelancers, especially the “internet freelancers,” always report satisfaction in their work due to several factors that freelance jobs offer. They are able to choose the job they want from a variety of freelance jobs and projects that are widely available in the internet. There is also faster turnaround of projects and freelancers can move on to another project as soon as the current one is done.
Freelance jobs also allow for freedom and more flexibility and freelancers can take on two or more different jobs simultaneously. Freelance jobs also offer higher income rates and help freelancers improve their saving capability. There are several types of freelance jobs, and the following four are considered the major classification.
* Telecommuting. Also known as e-commuting, teleworking, or working from home. It is a work arrangement wherein workers have limited flexibility with their work location and working hours. Freelancers who are telecommuters or teleworkers work while connected to a central telecommunication system such as teleconferencing and video conferencing.
* Consulting. A consultant provides expert advise in his/her particular area of expertise like accountancy, law, human resources, finance and public affairs. Sometimes, a consultant is not one person alone, but a group of people who are all part of the consultancy.
* Offshoring. This refers to the relocation or transfer of business operations from one country to another country. China, India or Philippines are three prominent countries that companies target for their offshore operations. Lately, India has been emerging as a top destination for trade in services, which refers to sale and distribution of services between the producer and consumers. Offshoring works best for areas related to production, and manufacturing.
* Outsourcing. This freelance arrangement refers to the transfer of management controls and decision-making aspect of the business to another person or groups of persons. Companies usually outsource operations to a group of individuals who specialize in that type of operation. Outsourcing is known to help companies reduce production costs and conserve energy.
Fields and areas where freelance work is acceptable and diverse and varied. Among the most common and highly-demanded freelance jobs are found in the fields of journalism, computer programming, graphic design and consulting.
According to studies, following are the most frequently sought after freelance jobs in the United States:
* Accountancy experts/Bookkeepers * Animators (for film) * Cartographers * Computer programmers * Consultants (political, architectural, sales, marketing, etc.) * Culinary jobs (chefs, wine connoisseurs, etc.) * Data encoders/Data processors * Editors/Copyeditors * Engineers * Events planners (corporate planning, party planning, etc.) * Financial planners * Florists * Grants writers * Graphic designers * Inspectors * Interior designers * Landscape artists * Massage therapists * Photographers * Private investigators * Seamstresses * Telemarketers * Translators and interpreters * Tutors * Upholsterers * Web designers * Writers
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Demand For Freelancer
The word “freelance” was first coined by Sir Walter Scott, a renowned Scottish historical novelist and poet, in 1819 when he wrote his novel Ivanhoe, to refer to a medieval mercenary warrior. The term has then shifted into more figurative meanings. In the 1860s, freelance became a figurative noun, and in 1903, it was officially recognized as a verb by etymologists like the Oxford English Dictionary.
Today, the word “freelance” has changed into different forms: as a noun, freelance or freelancer; as a verb, a photographer who freelances; and as an adverb, he works freelance.
Working freelance has become a career and lifestyle choice. It has given more people a variety of benefits and these people feel that there is no better option than the ones they have due to the flexibility of work.
More people today choose to leave the security of their day jobs and engage in freelance work due mainly to the following factors:
* Variety of jobs. More people are drawn to go freelance for this reason alone. Freelance work offers a greater variety of assignments compared to regular employment. And with the internet offering more opportunities, freelancing becomes a mine for those who seek good opportunities and better projects, not to mention higher paying jobs. A freelancer can also take on different jobs at one time. He/She can write feature articles while designing a website.
* Fast turnaround of projects. Most freelance jobs are time bound. These jobs are usually done fast and allows freelancers to move on to new projects as soon as they finish the job.
* More freedom, more flexibility. Going freelance can give a person the freedom to choose the place, date and manner in which to do work. Though some freelancing schemes require contracts, freelance still spells a no employer-no employee relationship. Freelance work offers more freedom for someone who does not want to be confined in an 8 to 5 or 9 to 6 work scheme. The freelancer is free to choose his working hours and be his/her own boss. Because of the freedom in work schedule, freelancing gives a person more time to pursue other interests or take on more jobs. Other freelancers also consider the fact that they can even take care of their family better as soon as they start working freelance.
* Improved income and savings. Freelance workers can usually command higher income rates for their projects because they are hired for their specific talents and skills. This is a big plus because they are paid high but do not have to work full time. Though income rates for freelancers vary, most of them still benefit from the setup. They charge either by the hour, by the day, or on per-project. Others use value-based pricing methods instead of imposing a flat rate. Payments are arranged based on the agreement, and could be done upfront, percentage upfront, or paid whenever the project is completed. For others, a staggered payment scheme may be agreed upon.
Today, freelancers can easily find work through the internet. The internet has been a good facilitator of freelancers and employers around the world. These jobs can range from writing short articles to language tutors to architectural designs. The demand to complete projects through freelancing is still very high, as shown by the thousands of projects posted in the Internet on platforms like www.equan.us or www.equan.co.uk or www.equan.de or www.equan.hk or www.equan.in or www.equan.ph check it out and register to set-up your profile – it’s all for FREE for freelancer but also for project provider.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
Offshore Outsourcing: Freelance the Past, Virtual Employees the Future?
The internet has enabled the freelance sector to grow exponentially in recent years. Freelance work over the internet has mainly grown in fields such as software development, website design, advertising, proofreading, law, accounts and copy editing. The work consists of short term projects that can generally be completed within a few weeks or months. The vast majority of freelance work done over the internet in these sectors is offshore outsourced to freelancers and freelance companies based in India and more and more in the Philippines.
The offshore outsourcing of freelance work to remote freelancers in countries such as India is undoubtedly a profitable practice. Companies and individuals can have their projects completed by freelancers from India, for a fraction of what the cost would be in the USA or UK. Furthermore, there is no compromise on the quality of work, for the freelancers have the same qualifications and skills as their equivalents in the USA. For these reasons it is not surprising that companies alone from the West have increased their freelance outsourcing by 28.35% over the internet in the past five years.
Although, a very productive strategy the limitations of freelancing are clearly evident. For companies or individuals that have on-going work they need to outsource, using the freelance “route” would not be appropriate. This is where aaacbc.com and its Virtual Employees take over from the freelancer as the new future of the offshore outsourcing industry.
aaacbc.com enables employers from around the world to employ their very own full time dedicated employee from Cebu/Philippines. The advantage with this model is that you can reduce your costs significantly and unlike freelancing, continuously outsource your work. As a result, the Virtual Employee will serve a new offshore outsourcing market, one which will not eradicate but certainly reduce the dependency on the freelancer.
How Does it all Work?
aaacbc.com is a Philippine company and is the crucial third party that makes it possible for employers not only to outsource but to also actually employ their very own employee from Cebu Philippines. From start to finish aaacbc.com is present to make it possible for you to employ your own employee.
To begin with, the aaacbc.com recruitment department actively searches and then shortlists several candidates for the position you seek to fill. We then submit to you the shortlisted candidates resumes and you can then interview/employ any of the candidates. aaacbc.com can provide you with an employee in any office field, from programming, law and accounts to data entry, admin assistants and call center agents.
The infrastructure and facilities a Virtual Employee will have at his/her disposal will be far superior to those available to freelancers working from home. This is because once you select a Virtual Employee to start working for you; your employee will work for you from our office. aaacbc.com will provide your employee with fast broadband internet connection, a new PC, TFT monitor screens, scanners, fax and any software required, (including Microsoft office 2007)..etc. Furthermore our office is maintained to international standards with A/C, large work stations for the employees, our own generator for non-stop electricity supply…etc. We also provide your employee with a telephone which will have a local telephone number from your country, (a US/UK/Aus ..etc telephone number) thus making it very easy for you to call and speak with your employee. This in addition to instant messengers, email, Skype and video conferencing makes it possible for you to communicate, work with and collaborate with your employee. With sufficient technology employees can work remotely for you from anywhere in the world; working physically from the same office is no longer necessary. aaacbc.com creates an office environment whereby your employee can work directly for you despite your employee not working directly from your office. When freelancing or working with a freelancer the same level of infrastructure and facilities cannot be matched or assured.
When freelancing although one can outsource in a vast number of office fields there is certain limitations. For instance, one could not hire a call center agent freelancer or a nuclear physicist freelancer. Unlike with freelancing, with aaacbc.com there is no type of office employee you cannot hire. The reason for this is because firstly aaacbc.com itself recruits the employees and so locating/providing any type of office employee is of no difficultly. Secondly your employees work from our office where they are provided with all office facilities they need to work, e.g. a telephone with local US number from a call center agent. Thirdly, because the aaacbc.com business model is to provide full time employees a lot more employees in a lot more office fields are willing to work as Virtual Employees, (as opposed to freelancers) because of the job security. Hence, whilst hiring a freelancer to work as a call center agent is logistically unfeasible, aaacbc.com has the infrastructure to make this possible. Furthermore, where a nuclear physicist would not work as a freelancer because of lack of job security, with aaacbc.com such an employee can be provided.
Employer-Virtual Employee working relationship:
The aaacbc.com business model is that your employee works for you and with you just like an employee who works from your office. The only difference of course is that your Virtual Employee works for you remotely as opposed to physically from the same office as you. Thus your Virtual Employee will take instructions from you, report/submit their work to you and interact/collaborate with you. aaacbc.com simply manages your employee on your behalf. We pay your employee, provide all office space and equipment, monitor them whilst they work, provide any technical assistance if required and ensure they have everything necessary to work. aaacbc.com is furthermore a source of support for both employer and employee; on call and present at all times to ensure the whole outsourcing process runs smoothly.
When freelancing, one does not have the same level and interaction/collaboration with a freelancer. This is because freelancers work for clients on a short term basis and often work for several clients at once. Furthermore freelancers may not have all the office equipment and office infrastructure, (e.g. fast broadband internet connection) necessary to interact and collaborate effectively with a client virtually.
Accordingly aaacbc.com and Virtual Employees are the future of offshore outsourcing. The aaacbc.com business model creates an offshore outsourcing first, by combining the ability to outsource whilst also being able employ your very own employee. Hence employers now have another option to freelancing, as with aaacbc.com employers have the low cost that comes with outsourcing and the high effectiveness that comes through hiring your very own employee.
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Sunday, February 7, 2010
A Freelance Sales Force Can Make The Difference
Make the right business connections in the world’s fastest-growing freelance marketplace.
Freelance sales are the perfect answer the agencies’ toughest questions. How can I get a talented sales force when I need it? You can’t exactly train someone to be a great salesman. The ability to relate to customers and instantly gain their trust is something that just doesn’t come naturally to most people. To those that it does come naturally to, they will usually prosper in a sales career.
Freelance sales agents can fill positions in just about any job that requires salesman. Used car lots often use freelance car salesman to produce results during slow times of the year or even just to boost sales on an as needed basis. Some firms may find it necessary to actually hire freelance sales reps when involved in the service industry. Different from used car salesmen, freelance sales reps and agents are a lot more involved in gaining and retaining clients. Holding meetings and writing up proposals are some of the tasks that a freelance sales agent will complete. These are the same tasks that a dedicated sales rep would handle, just without the commitment. By contracting out to freelancers, a company can choose a short of long term contract that doesn’t require the same kind of commitment that a full time employee may require. If work is slow, a dedicated or full time sales rep may still have to get paid. With a freelance salesman, they would not get paid.
In some cases there may be a necessity to sign a freelance sales rep to an exclusivity deal, which means they cannot sell a competing product. Basic protections like this make it much more simple to deal with the freelance sales agents. Equan is a great way for companies interested in global sales to extend their sales force into new markets with freelance sales agents.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
Breaking the Fear: Why Even You Can Freelance Successfully
First let me introduce myself. I’m John and I’ve been a freelancer in marketing for the better part of 12 years now. I won’t sit here and tell you that those 12 years have been a breeze. Truth is it has all been one big learning curve that I’m still climbing today. Plus I started from absolute zero knowledge of what I had to do to survive as a freelancer.
I can tell you that if you have a skill and do it well then finding freelance work and earning a decent income is easier than you think. The biggest obstacle in freelancing is actually you.
How is that? Well, you do need to be a hard worker and have a little mental toughness to succeed. By mental toughness I mean not giving up when times seem bad (it does happen). Often, lacking in just these two things is what dooms most new freelancers. These can’t be taught. You either possess them or learn to develop them on your own.
Once you learn the fundamentals of freelancing, though, you can be well on your way to starting out. The best part is that they aren’t complex. I’ll outline just the basics you need to get started freelancing through the internet.
First, Don’t quit your job just yet!
Many of those thinking of freelancing usually get stuck in the “still thinking about it” phase. Most of have jobs they may or may not like but earn a comfortable income. This almost always becomes the deciding part of whether to take the plunge or not.
The best way to get into freelancing is to try it out in addition to your job. That free time after your workday and weekends is plenty to working a part time freelancing gig. This way you can try freelancing virtually risk-free and still have an income to rely on. This is also the easiest way to tell if freelancing is the right fit for you or not.
This does have a major downside, though. You are giving up your free time and you will realize how valuable it is to you when your freelance work starts to eat it up. Therefore it is a major cost/benefit decision to weigh. There is always some sacrifice that has to be made when becoming a freelancer though.
The best option financially is to try it out in your spare time and see how it goes. It only costs that coveted free time. If you can afford to reduce your hours at your current employment and your employer is willing this may be a better option.
Where Do I Find Work?
One of the best places to immediately find freelance work is the freelance work exchange platforms in the web like www.equan.co.uk . These are websites bringing together freelancers and businesses looking to contract freelancers for a service. What they do is allow you to set up an account with your resume and search through a huge database of projects or job positions that you can apply for.
One major advantage of the FWE is that they offer many projects in a wide range of fields, but competition for projects is rather minimal. You still need to create a good resume and decent portfolio on any FWE to win these projects. Some small tricks, however, can simplify this and you’ll be working on projects in no time.
FWE’s usually require a membership fee, which can range from $15 to $75 a month which can be a very worthwhile investment, Equan on the other hand is for FREE but you can earn your fees back from projects rather quickly. Two of the largest and most reputable FWE’s are EQUAN platforms, oDesk.com, GetaFreelancer.com, Guru.com and Elance.com.
Professionalism and Hard Work
These will be your bread and butter in freelancing. The only way to grow as a freelancer is through your reputation and knowledge. That means you must do the following:
1) Do your job to the best of your ability and meet all deadlines.
2) Do not become complacent in what you do. Take on projects/positions that challenge your skills and force you to learn while you are doing them. The key, though, is to not to get in over your head. Know your limits, but stretch them a bit.
3) Always be in communication with your clients/employers. Never leave them in the dark on anything. If you make a mistake, admit it and apologize, fix it and move on. This does happen on occasion especially when first starting out.
Always Be Looking
You may hear that all freelancers suffer through slow periods, which is true to an extent. A big mistake is to be happy and comfortable working on a project only to find at the end of it there is not another one to continue on.
You must always be looking for future work, even if you already have it. Time should be set aside on a daily or weekly basis to look for projects to work on. Keeping a steady stream of work keeps that bank account happy in the end.
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Of course there are many other tips and pointers to be listed but if you do the basics above, your freelance career will take off before you even know it. It will be a learning process, not only with the concepts of freelancing, but in your own career field as well. In a relatively short time you, however, can become an independent professional earning the income you want.
Good luck with it
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Freelance Bookkeeper – Better Than Hiring Your Own Bookkeeper
Freelance Bookkeeper is a good idea if a company wants to have more time to do their product enhancement and company building. Companies in America may prefer them over others because of proximity. But location doesn’t really have to be a problem though. New technology can now afford a freelance Bookkeeper to serve all areas of the world.
Hiring a freelance Bookkeeper would be good for the company because doing so frees them up from organizing their financial records. They will not need to get a bookkeeper for the company anymore so additional employee is hired. They no longer have to train new employees. They just contract a freelance Bookkeeper to do everything for them and that’s it.
The company has so many choices of freelance bookkeepers. But the company must choose one that they can trust not to misuse company financial information. A freelance Bookkeeper would be a good choice if he can do the job well and he has the expertise in the industry that the company hiring him belongs to. In effect, expertise is what the company gains too when they opt to outsource bookkeeping. They no longer have to train their employees and they immediately get the expertise when they hire a good freelance bookkeeper.
Another advantage of hiring a freelance Bookkeeper is that people who are doing freelance are usually very conscientious on their work because they know their success depends on it. Employees, on the other hand, may slack on their work at times. By hiring a freelancer to do the company bookkeeping, the company actually does avoid such situations. In effect, the company is able do away with waste and inefficiency. The company can hire a lean group of personnel and concentrate on producing their products and serving their market better. They would be able to serve their customers better and make them happier as a result.
A freelance Bookkeeper would generally be eager to please the company on their requests as long as they are on reasonable terms. This again facilitates easier and smoother business operations. Company decision makers will have the reports on time and also when they need them. So they will be able to do a better judgment in their positions when decisions are called for.
Freelance bookkeepers would also tend to update more often so this again presents savings on the part of the company. They don’t have to provide regular trainings for their staff because these bookkeepers are already doing it on their own and on their own expense. If the bookkeeper is able to integrate to the company’s way of doing business and the company accepts the style of the bookkeeper they contracted, benefits would definitely surface. The company would realize the savings they are aiming for. In turn, more resources would be allocated for product development, marketing and even customer relations. The company will be able to operate with least cost and in optimal ways. The company would have greater chances of growing and achieving company goals.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Is Hiring a Freelancer Right for Your Business? (three Reasons Say “yes”!)
Who are they?
Freelancers work in almost every industry: construction, translation, finance, management, sales, design and many, many more. They’re your neighbor, your friend, the nice lady down the street, the man in the coffee shop always typing away on a computer. Many surveys indicate that most freelancers are male (according to Labor Statistics, by 2005 about 65% of the freelance population) and over thirty years old.
While many independent contractors work from home, just as many go to physical locations to work, either a private office or wherever the hiring company needs them. They are professionals just like you and I; a large percentage received on the job training or went to college to do what they do. Several hold degrees. Many stayed in typical work environments for over ten years before working for themselves.
In short, freelancers are business professionals who chose to, not work at home, but work for themselves. They are as trained and skilled as an employee would be, if not more so in some instances, and serious about their business.
Is hiring a freelancer right for your business?
Many business owners think hiring a freelancer just won’t work for their particular company. More than a few really do believe that independent contractors are a waste of time, money and resources. However, if this were so, if that basis of thought were true, would there really be over ten million freelancers running around? Would anyone who performed contractual jobs even have a business? For that matter, why are freelancers so in demand?
Reason #1: Cost
Monetary considerations are usually in the forefront of any business owner’s mind. Can we afford this? What are the initial costs? What’s the ROI? These thoughts come to mind in every area of business, including hiring a freelancer, but you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
How much a particular freelancer will cost you depends on several factors: length of the project, difficulty of the project, location of the freelancer and level of technology are just a few. For instance, a freelance web designer may charge US$20 an hour or US$1,000 for a project no matter how much time they put in. As in any hiring situation, you’ll find those that cost less and those that cost more.
However, the difference between employees and contracted individuals is that the individuals can afford to charge less, and often do. Freelancers usually don’t have to worry about transportation, gas, or clothing (for work) costs. Business owners will not have to pay employee benefits or wage taxes.
In addition, freelancers come from all over the world. Depending on your monetary needs, you can use offshore outsourcing (contractors from out-of-country), national outsourcing or homesourcing (contractors are in your locality).
Reason #2: No direct employees
It isn’t normal practice that a business is built with nothing but freelancers, but it does happen. More than a few Internet-based businesses use strictly freelancers, either on a by-project basis or as a loose-knit company.
One of the main reasons is the lack of direct employees. There are no reason to worry about. If a contractor doesn’t perform as expected, there are no hire/fire policies to follow; you just don’t use them again. The working “atmosphere” tends to be more relaxed, while still maintaining professionalism. You are not their boss; you’re their client. It does make a difference.
In addition, there’s no need to hire office space; the Internet is the office space. With collaborative software, VoIP capabilities, email, messenger and many other online programs, it’s extremely easy to create a working atmosphere without the need to be physically there. There are no office politics and no personal dynamics between employees to deal with; the only “requirement” is that they get along with you.
Reason #3: Broad spectrum of specializations
There is, quite literally, a freelancer out there to meet any need. Freelance web designers who offer SEO/SEM as well; copywriters who also provide logos; virtual assistants who perform sales work – the list goes on.
Specialization is an excellent tool. Someone who knows web design forwards, backwards and inside out is an excellent resource; if you have all your content, this is the person to hire. If you have the design but need copy, a specialized copywriter will fit your needs. However, if you need website design, copywriting and SEO/SEM, you need a company – or a freelancer who has decided to learn as much as they can of fields related to their chosen area.
So, are freelancers right for you? Are they right for your business? The only person who can answer that is you. However, if you’re looking for ways to tighten the budget, narrow down the issues and broaden that bottom line, look into freelancing. You never know, you may just end up hiring that nice lady down the street.
Hire your freelancer on equan platforms – us – uk – de – in – hk – ph – just register publish your project, it’s all for FREE
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Monday, February 1, 2010
The Benefits of Working as a Freelancer
The term freelancer or freelance was first coined in the Medieval Age by Sir Walter Scott in Ivanhoe, while referring to “mercenary warriors”. Nevertheless, this term has acquired different meanings over time and nowadays one can easily associate it to the following definition: a person who pursues a profession without establishing a long-term commitment to any employer (overseas or within the country).
The phenomenon of the Globalization in which the World Wide Web can be located also brought something new to this term’s definition, since a freelance worker no longer deals with geographical constraints. It is then possible to freelance without being physically present: the freelancer can work to a one-time employer living overseas still they are only a click away.
As freelancers became more and more dependant on the Internet, and western companies increased outsourcing, virtual marketplaces such as equan ( www.equan.ph or www.equan.in or www.equan.hk or www.equan.us or www.equan.co.uk or www.equan.de ) started coming into light. Equan brings together hundreds of employers and freelancers from all over the world, who work on a per-project basis. This facilitator system accelerates the whole market process and provides key competitive advantages to both parties involved. It is a win-win situation both to employers and freelancers. Employers get good quality work at lesser costs and freelancers get paid a considerable amount for the project completed.
By going to these outsourcing platforms, freelancers can enjoy a wide variety of assignments, allowing them to choose the ones that better suit their areas of expertise. Examples are freelance writing, freelance graphic design, freelance programming and many other freelance opportunities. It should be noted, however, that greater emphasis has been placed towards the field of Information Technology but equan also provide job opportunities in other activity areas.
Monetarily speaking, the freelance activity can become a secondary income or even the first: one can earn some extra money in the spare time or go full-time instead. Recent studies have shown that part-time freelancing has become rather popular because it helps people paying their bills, as the cost of living is increasingly high. In addition, part-time freelancing enables to practice one’s profession, i.e. one can earn some extra bucks for doing what one does in the regular job.
Freelancers that decide to work via equan can soon take full benefit of the free escrow payment system FREE of charge, which has proved to be a brilliant idea. Basically it works like this: employers will put apart a particular amount into an escrow account on equan, for a certain freelancer; and both parties are able to view the payment in the escrow account. This payment system gives each party half of the control and the assurance that their welfare is protected. On one hand only the employer can release the amount from the escrow account, on the other hand only the freelancer can cancel this escrow payment.
Becoming a freelancer brings many other advantages at the personal level, since freelancers do not have to deal with some of the daily hassles regular workers usually face, such as: a fixed agenda, traffic, irritating colleagues and a cranky boss. By working at home, freelancers have more freedom to choose their work schedule, as well as their clients. Moreover, contrarily to what is generally believed, freelancing does not need to be a lonely activity, given that freelancers can decide to form agencies. The agency model is quite effective as it allows freelancers to accept larger projects that require skills outside the scope of one individual.
So, we invite you to weight up the benefits of becoming an online freelancer and doing pressure-free jobs that only take some time and effort…all from home.
Escrow payment system soon to come on equan platforms – what do you think about it?
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Start Your Career With Freelance Engineering Jobs
Make the right business connections in the world’s fastest-growing freelance marketplace.
If you’ve left an engineering job at a big company and you’re looking to build a career as a freelancer, you’ll soon be checking out the many, many websites that advertise freelance engineering jobs. Finding the right job means sifting through the ads to find the ones that really have legitimate engineering jobs and which ones are scams to be avoided. If you intend to telecommute, for example, make sure the ad you’re answering is really for a telecommuting job. Sometimes employers will check a box for “telecommuting is OK,” and leave it active, even if the job requires you to work in the office. Also, listen to your instincts about a freelance engineering job. If an ad gives you a strange feeling, don’t apply. If an advertising employer asks you to do something that sounds fishy, don’t respond. Your intuition can be your greatest tool in your search for freelance engineering jobs, if you listen to it. Think about the traditional classified job ads you’ve seen and compare online ads to those.
You can also request an investigation into any company by doing an Internet search for the company’s name or website address plus the terms, “scam,” “fraud,” and “ripoff.” You can also check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Online or RipoffReport.com. Scammers find new ways to rip people off every day, though, so just because you don’t find anything, that doesn’t mean they’re legitimate.
Once you’re ready to apply for freelance engineering jobs, put on your best professional attitude and follow the application process to the letter. There are countless people looking for work – and, believe it or not, some of them are chemical engineers, civil engineers and college-educated mechanical engineers – who can’t figure out how to properly fill out a job application. So just showing that you know how to follow instructions will put you well ahead of the game!
Here’s another tip if you’re seeking a freelance career – don’t have a silly e-mail address. Being “bunyjoe7766″ or “gogofan” may be cool in chat rooms, as a professional your e-mail address is your identity. So go to Hotmail or Gmail or another free e-mail site and get yourself a handle that befits a professional freelance engineer.
There are lots of freelance engineering jobs available – stick around Equan and read further, and you’ll find plenty of tips on getting a great start on the new freelance career!
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
All About Freelance SEO Writing Jobs
Ever since people realized they need the right keywords in the right places to rank their websites high in search engines, freelance SEO writers have had work - and plenty of it.
SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization." Search engines (like Yahoo! and Google) scour webpages for certain words and then order them accordingly on the "Search Results" pages. The higher a website reaches on the "Search Results" page, the more searchers will notice it.
Companies hire SEO writers to turn their websites into marketing tools that increase their sales, and they're willing to pay good money. Depending on the company and your skill level, you can earn anywhere from $10-$50 per 500-750-word original article. If you can also host the company's site, write all their content, and monitor their visibility on search engines, expect a $250 to $3,500 monthly salary range. If you're just editing to incorporate keywords, expect only a few dollars per 500 words.
Who offers SEO writing jobs and what's involved?
Anyone with a business website can benefit from a freelance SEO writer. This is especially true when there's much competition, such as in the travel or real estate industries. If people can't find these companies on the first page of search results, then potential customers are unlikely to visit their websites.
That's where you come in. A great SEO freelancer will seamlessly integrate a couple of search terms or keywords into the pages of a website so search engines can easily find it.
The key here is "seamless." A website's text still must flow naturally despite adding keywords. You shouldn't use too many keywords (no more than a couple per page) and you shouldn't write an entire paragraph just to incorporate a keyword.
How can I find freelance SEO writing jobs?
The best place to start is freelance job websites like equan.us just post your job openings on the six equan freelancer platforms. You can also market yourself on these websites as a freelance SEO writer and bid on the SEO writing jobs. These sites receive new SEO job postings almost daily, so you'll always find freelance SEO work to bid on.
If you have experience in SEO freelancing, you can command top dollar. You should establish your own website to market your freelance services. If you can build your own website that attracts prospective clients, then it's a good indicator you can help others find their websites too!
How do I respond to an ad for an SEO writer effectively?
Put yourself in the shoes of the person who's looking for an SEO writer. What does he or she want to know?
Here's the answer: anyone looking for an SEO freelance writer wants to know three things: 1) you have a proven track record; 2) you have excellent grammar; and 3) you are creative enough to not make their keywords stick out like a sore thumb. If you can show those things, you can create an enticing bid and convince clients to hire you.
Another key is providing a competitive quote. Freelance job websites make this tricky because you will always find someone who will bid less than you. The best advice is to make your bid equal your skillset and experience. If you don't have much experience, then use the opportunity to under-bid slightly to get the experience you need. Gradually your resume will grow and you'll be able to ask for more money.
An example of an SEO freelancer ad:
Below is a sample ad that you might come across on one of the freelance job sites. See if you can figure out how to respond so the client would want to hire you:
I am a real estate agent with a large client base but very few find me via my website. I would like to update my website so it attracts more people and has more visibility on the Internet. I would prefer someone who knows how to use SEO words effectively.
This ad gives you the idea the realtor doesn't know much about SEO. In your response you'll want to assure him that you can handle SEO in his industry. A good tactic is to suggest certain keywords or keyword phrases he could use to rank his website higher. You'll also want to assure him that you'll optimize his content not just for search engines, but also for his readers. Remember, good SEO writing is not just about keywords - it's also about creative and effective marketing in general.
___
SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization." Search engines (like Yahoo! and Google) scour webpages for certain words and then order them accordingly on the "Search Results" pages. The higher a website reaches on the "Search Results" page, the more searchers will notice it.
Companies hire SEO writers to turn their websites into marketing tools that increase their sales, and they're willing to pay good money. Depending on the company and your skill level, you can earn anywhere from $10-$50 per 500-750-word original article. If you can also host the company's site, write all their content, and monitor their visibility on search engines, expect a $250 to $3,500 monthly salary range. If you're just editing to incorporate keywords, expect only a few dollars per 500 words.
Who offers SEO writing jobs and what's involved?
Anyone with a business website can benefit from a freelance SEO writer. This is especially true when there's much competition, such as in the travel or real estate industries. If people can't find these companies on the first page of search results, then potential customers are unlikely to visit their websites.
That's where you come in. A great SEO freelancer will seamlessly integrate a couple of search terms or keywords into the pages of a website so search engines can easily find it.
The key here is "seamless." A website's text still must flow naturally despite adding keywords. You shouldn't use too many keywords (no more than a couple per page) and you shouldn't write an entire paragraph just to incorporate a keyword.
How can I find freelance SEO writing jobs?
The best place to start is freelance job websites like equan.us just post your job openings on the six equan freelancer platforms. You can also market yourself on these websites as a freelance SEO writer and bid on the SEO writing jobs. These sites receive new SEO job postings almost daily, so you'll always find freelance SEO work to bid on.
If you have experience in SEO freelancing, you can command top dollar. You should establish your own website to market your freelance services. If you can build your own website that attracts prospective clients, then it's a good indicator you can help others find their websites too!
How do I respond to an ad for an SEO writer effectively?
Put yourself in the shoes of the person who's looking for an SEO writer. What does he or she want to know?
Here's the answer: anyone looking for an SEO freelance writer wants to know three things: 1) you have a proven track record; 2) you have excellent grammar; and 3) you are creative enough to not make their keywords stick out like a sore thumb. If you can show those things, you can create an enticing bid and convince clients to hire you.
Another key is providing a competitive quote. Freelance job websites make this tricky because you will always find someone who will bid less than you. The best advice is to make your bid equal your skillset and experience. If you don't have much experience, then use the opportunity to under-bid slightly to get the experience you need. Gradually your resume will grow and you'll be able to ask for more money.
An example of an SEO freelancer ad:
Below is a sample ad that you might come across on one of the freelance job sites. See if you can figure out how to respond so the client would want to hire you:
I am a real estate agent with a large client base but very few find me via my website. I would like to update my website so it attracts more people and has more visibility on the Internet. I would prefer someone who knows how to use SEO words effectively.
This ad gives you the idea the realtor doesn't know much about SEO. In your response you'll want to assure him that you can handle SEO in his industry. A good tactic is to suggest certain keywords or keyword phrases he could use to rank his website higher. You'll also want to assure him that you'll optimize his content not just for search engines, but also for his readers. Remember, good SEO writing is not just about keywords - it's also about creative and effective marketing in general.
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