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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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.

. . .

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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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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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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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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