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.

_

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

___

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?

___

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!

_

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.

___