The Nitty Gritty of Social Influence for Every Freelancer

Perhaps, you don’t even have to go to the length of stealing customers from your competition if you will only invest in your social influence.  As defined by Wikipedia, Social influence occurs when one’s emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by others.  In short, it will be your ability to influence others to take a specific action and for freelancers, that can mean your influence to get clients hire your services as an expert in your niche.  You may think that this is a popularity contest, but there’s more to numbers than meet the eye, and social influence can simply mean:

Being a Specialist

If you want to develop your influence and be known in an industry, you have to focus on one area and stop being a jack (or jane ) of all trades.  By demonstrating your expertise in a specific field, you will get the respect that helps you gain high profile clients in the long run.  Take note: You don’t simply declare that you’re an expert.  You have to walk the walk, and you can do this through content marketing – by regularly creating content that’s authentic and compelling, which can be shared through various social networks across the Web.

Sharing More, Selling Less

Gone were the days when businesses chase customers by bombarding them with annoying sales pitches.  If you want to earn your social influence right, you can’t simply buy it – no matter how shady sites out there are offering you hundreds to thousands of dummy fans or followers.  There is a big difference between sharing and shilling.  If you find a way to offer genuine help that matters to your target market, you will reap the rewards of not only being seen as a real expert in your niche, but someone they can trust.  And we all know that trust is the final push that makes someone buy a product or service.

Social Partnerships

There’s a wisdom in getting to know everyone worth knowing in your niche.  Who are the influential people in your industry?  Key influencers move people, no doubt, and if they like what you have to offer – they can be a great source of publicity for your personal brand.  This is not an easy fete though and it takes you back to sharing quality content to getting noticed.  Imagine this: An influencer retweets your blog post to thousands of followers that you don’t even have access to.  This means, you have to keep your sharing buttons easily accessible so people can share your brand’s juice, or you may create a bond that builds reciprocation through..

Meaningful Dialogues

It may be tough, especially for freelancers working 40++ hours in a week to monitor conversations about his/her brand on social networks – but if you can spare at least an hour each week, do so.  You may miss opportunities for collaboration and queries from future clients.  Sometimes, they don’t really know what they want to achieve in a project and if you’re quick enough to spot the one-liner question that can lead to a discussion on how you can be of help, you may just land a sweet deal.  The key here is using social media platforms as a communication channel, an engagement tool, and not as an automated mass marketing outlet.

Being Genuine

There are online tools like Klout and PeerIndex that help you know your influence score and other stats.  Still, you must go beyond the numbers that can be gamed and aim for quality leads that can be converted into another freelancing gig.  Keep in mind that the Social Web is not about self-promotion, but the value of community built on relationships.  Yes, there’s no shortcut here and even social media experts will have to agree with me that it’s all about building value on a consistent pace.  This may simply mean being the best that you can be, loving what you do, and spending time to share that passion with your online community.  There’s no need to be someone you’re not.

Social influence may be another buzzword that defines your visibility on the Social Web.  If you want to win in this social media age, you’ve got to be social!  It’s not enough anymore to simply show off your professional credibility. Are you ready to build that bridge between you and your community?

Your Thoughts

Do you think that social influence is important for freelancers today?

Something Interesting:

How Do You Increase Social Influence? Don’t Think About the Score
How to Win Clients and Influence People
The 10 Best Books for Freelancers about Social Media
The New Klout: Cyber Influence Made Flesh?

Freelancing Predictions for 2012:  A Brighter Outlook

The freelance market may have been stagnant in 2011, but online hiring has hit a record high last year – up by over 100% from 2010.  As the demand for talent and flexibility to run an office increases, more businesses will hop in the rising trend of hiring remote workers or independent professionals.  It’s what you can call a freelancing wave – and it can also mean rise in newer technologies or tools to make online collaboration seamless.  Freelancers, brace yourself to another year that will be defined by:

Global Mindset

Work is not anymore defined by a physical office and freelancers must be able to adapt to different cultural settings in order to stay on top this year.  There will be a paradigm shift in how people view work – far from the traditional set-up many have been used to for many years.

Innovation Meets Excellence

You probably have encountered this word the nth time, but in order to stay on top of the freelancing game, you have to know that it takes openness to innovation and creativity which will set you apart from those who are merely doing what was asked of them – where you have the chance to exceed work expectations by focusing on quality, not on quantity.

Social Partnerships

Social networking is on the rise and we’ve seen how quick changes are last year, when Google+ entered the social media scene.  Because more collaboration tools are on the making, we are more likely to see combined forces among freelancers, as well as building relationships beyond the tip of the iceberg – where freelancers will break the ice between their brand-customer relationship.

Virtual Teams

By being open to working across multiple online platforms with various persons across the globe, we’ll definitely see more virtual teams formed.  Contrary to popular belief, we’ll see them work more productively as they collaborate to succeed on their projects.  This will also include a much deeper engagement level and sense of responsibility among the team.

Outsourcing

Businesses, large or small, will outsource work to experts who can fill in their needs.  From rural sourcing to offshore outsourcing, this can only mean good news for freelancers who want to find new prospects and capitalize on plenty of freelance portals on the Web.  Cost will always be the number one driver for companies to consider outsourcing, but there are also other factors involved, like the speed of service and the ‘hire it when you need it’ mentality.

These are predictions based on freelancing news and events from last year.  No, we are not playing it like Nostradamus – just the sort of predictive analytics anyone can use and it’s not a rocket science either.  If there’s only one thing we can agree on, it’s that 2012 is a promising year for freelancers and career shifters out there.  Perhaps, we can look back to this post sometime near 2013 and say, “Hey, we’ve told you so!”  Are you excited to work in this age of hyper-specialization?

What’s In Your Mind?

What do you think will freelancing look like this year?  Share your own predictions on the comment below.

The Future of Work 2.0

Something Interesting:

13 Useful Tips to Get your Freelance Business Started in 2012
What are Your Predictions for 2012?
Give Yourself a Raise in 2012

If you can’t even start to map out your goals for the new year because of all these holiday rush, have no fear.  I’m sharing with you a list of resources that can inspire you to come up with your top X list for 2012.

Whatever your goals are, may you be blessed with inspiration, hope and optimism to become successful in your niche.  All of us from Ajeva is wishing all freelancers in the world a bountiful new year to come… and all of the good freelancing stuff!

Here’s a list of buzz-worthy resources to help you succeed in your goals for 2012:

Ajeva’s Hot Pick:  Top 10 Sites Worth a Freelancer’s Visit

Freelance Folder
Freelance Switch
Men With Pens
The Savvy Freelancer
Freelance Advisor
Guerrilla Freelancing
Escape from Cubicle Nation
International Freelancers Day
Freelance Zone
The Urban Muse

Ajeva’s Hot Pick: Top 10 Freelancing Books Worth Reading

The Principles of Successful Freelancing
Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business
Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money
My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire
The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle
Freelancing For Dummies
Freelancing – The First 30 Days – 2010 Edition
The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less
The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube
The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success (The Renegade Writer’s Freelance Writing series)

Ajeva’s Hot Pick: Our Top 10 Blogs for Year 2011

The New Rules of Marketing Yourself as a Freelancer
Steve Jobs: A Freelancer’s Inspiration
10 Cool Infographics for the Savvy Freelancer
How Freelancers Can Have a Global Mindset for Success
50 Freelancing Tips in 140 Characters or Less
How to Survive the Recession While Freelancing
How Freelancers Can Stop Doing Too Much With Too Little Time
If Freelancing is a Game, These are the Rules
Why Freelancers Work Hard But Earn a Little
Freelance Writing: How to Get Hired if You Have No Clients?

That’s all!  And as Oprah Winfrey said, ” Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right! ”

Your Turn

Anything we’ve missed?  Please feel free to share your discoveries in the comment below, thanks!

Seth Godin Challenges You To Fail

Something Interesting:

Here’s Your 2012 Marketing Plan
New Year Goals Got You Paralyzed? Tiny Steps Win the Race
10 New Guidelines for Web Designers for 2012

Does Content Marketing Mean Copywriting?

Competition gets high when it comes to freelancing these days and it’s not enough anymore to have a portfolio website or be active in social networking sites.  Think of content marketing as harnessing the power of information to show off your knowledge and expertise.  You may give out free stuff without asking for anything in return, and the value of the content you’ve shared will help you generate qualified leads.  This is achievable through blogs, white papers, slides or viral videos.  Copywriting on the other hand is getting readers to take an action from what you shared, and you can see this in many sales pages on the Web.  Still, copywriting skills will come in handy when writing a good content, as you want to have that WOW factor that will attract your readers to your headlines, compelling them to read what you’ve got to offer.  The next thing to ask is: Do you have what it takes to share valuable, juicy content?

How to Master the Art of Content Marketing

Just because you’re not into writing doesn’t mean you can’t take a dive into content marketing.  It’s all about the adage: ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ and you can always start with finding content that will solve the pain of your potential clients.  You can:

Stay Up-to-Date With the Latest News and Trends in Your Niche

Take advantage of many RSS feeds on the Web, so you get  fresh news about your industry on a daily basis.  This gives you a competitive edge over other freelancers, helping you gather important data that your target audience will find useful.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

The only way you can share great content is to become a master in what you do.  You’re a writer, so, why haven’t you written a book yet?  If you’re a graphic designer, aim for excellence in your work.  When you push yourself beyond your limits, you can share your unique experience with others – and they’ll take your word for it!

Grab Their Attention

The key to attracting your audience is having a compelling title to your content.  Think of it as a thick icing over your birthday cake.  You want to create that interest and desire for your audience to eat what’s beneath.  You don’t have to sound like another salesman making a pitch; just think of your content as something that’s good enough to share.  Ask yourself: What benefits are you offering in your content?

Convert that Attention!

Good writers know the art of capturing attention, but not everyone knows what to do after they have done so.  This is where consistency comes in, where you share content to build trust with your audience.  You can always insert a call-to-action, like inviting your readers to subscribe to your blog, or sending them a killer email.

Give Freely Without Advertising

People these days have mastered the art of avoiding the pitfalls of traditional marketing.  If your content looks more like your favorite billboard ad, it will be thrown away in a split second.  You may not like working for free, but sharing free content will help you build your personal brand and rapport, minus the salesy feeling that turns clients off.  Think of it as good karma..

Content marketing doesn’t have to be all about writing; you can share stunning infographics, podcasts, or videos on the Social Web.  So, how does it really work?  After you’ve posted your content, you can share it with your peers on social networks… and let them do the talking for you.  Is it worth doing so?  In a world of content scrapers and time wasters, quality content is hard to come by – If you do share one, you’ll surely get more than the big chunk of traffic on the Web; you’ll get fans and customers instead.  Are you ready to walk your talk?

What If…

You share content so good that some folks may be doing the work themselves, instead of hiring your services?  It can happen, no doubt, and these people may not have enough budget to hire you.  You don’t have to worry about them.  Your ideal clients will see your worth through the value of what you shared… and the word will spread like a plague, a good one, that is.

Just Sharing

We love Content Rules by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, where content marketing is explained crystal clear.  Do you have any other favorite book on the subject of content marketing?  Please feel free to share, thanks!

Content Marketing and the Power of Story

Something Interesting:

How 3 Companies Took Content Marketing to the Next Level
5 Content Marketing Strategies for Small Business
Use Your Voice to Attract More Ideal Clients

Six Ways Freelancer Can Master the Art of Innovation

Innovation, by definition, is to renew or change – or simply put, it refers to the creation of a better or more effective YOU.  The trouble with many freelancers is that they don’t let their clients know just how innovative they are.  Learn that with the tough times, hiring strategies change and so should yours as a job seeker.  Companies are looking for candidates who are innovative – who can solve problems, who are efficient and ruthlessly creative.  If you don’t have the confidence factor to put the ‘innovative’ badge on your chest and be the next freelancing icon around, you can:

Accept Uncertainty

When you are certain of things, it somehow limits your ability to grow your skills.  Sure, we always wanted that warm feeling of knowing what’s next and that your freelance career is safe.  This is a myth!  Know that though change is inevitable, it is not always comfortable.. so brace yourself for the unexpected, challenging experience that might push the door of opportunity wider for you.  With new things come change.  Are you ready for the adventure of your freelancing life?  The last thing you need right now is a bore-out.

Change Your Name

Your freelancing job title, that is.  So long as the word ‘freelancer’ is attached to your resume, there is little room for growth.  Think of yourself as a small business owner or an entrepreneur.  That widens your horizon then.  Take for example the case of Nathalie Lussier who founded Raw Foods Witch.  She started with freelancing, without any bigger business in mind.  After sometime, she realized that she can go beyond her knack for writing and translating as a freelancer… and jumped into a business offering coaching and producing products out of raw foods.

Read Beyond Your Fears

Know that everything starts with fear and it can be anything, really.  You may fear competing with freelancing giants, fear big clients, fear the feast-or-famine syndrome we all face as freelancers and many more.  Face your fear and hear what it’s trying to tell you.  Most of the time, what you resist persists because it is a sign that you must do something about it.  All you have to do is let go.

Take Action

The only remedy to fear is to do something about it.  Worries and doubts only bring you a step away from truth and the chance to know is to experience the thing you fear itself.  This is where brainstorming can help you in your quest to conquering your fear.  Before I started out in the writing field, I have this insane fear that my skills weren’t good enough.  If I hadn’t tried writing down my first few words into the first article I’ve published online, I might not have known what it feels like to write for a living.

Revamp Old Concepts

There’s an adage that the best way to innovate is to imitate.  You may blame it on the poor economy why it’s tough to find freelance gigs today, but you have to look closer to your tactics instead.  Are you promoting skills which are in demand?  Can you find new ways of presenting your skills that will make you shine from the rest of the freelancing crowd?  Are you letting your potential clients know that you are innovative enough to solve their problems efficiently?  Take a cue from these questions.  Sometimes, you don’t need to learn a new skill; you just need to present yourself in a totally new package.

Compare and Conquer

It always makes sense to keep an eye out for your competition, no doubt.  But you can also compare what category is right for you:  a freelancer, a consultant or an entrepreneur.  As  a freelancer, you offer deliverables while being a consultant means you are an expert in your niche.  As an entrepreneur though, you are running and selling a business.  Which category do you fit in?  No matter what you do, take courage to stand for what you believe in and be brave enough to face uncertainties.

As Steve Jobs said, ‘innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower’.  These tips can only help nudge the door of success; it is up to you to push further and step into the limitless possibilities of your freelancing career.  Are you ready to innovate and take that bold step?

How Mistakes Drive Innovation

Something Interesting:

Do You Want to Rock Your Business Results in 2012?
Imitate, then Innovate
Freelancer, Consultant, Entrepreneur: Which Are You?

Five Things You Can Learn from Steve Jobs

Truth must be told, I’m one of the many who admired this person.  Perhaps, it’s because his struggles resonate many of ours and the only difference is: he turned these trials into a whopping success.  Just when you think you’re about to screw up, think of this iconic man and remember that:

Believing in Yourself is the First Step Towards Success

Jobs always have this practical idea about time, that we should not waste it to be living someone else’s life.  Who will believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself?  Don’t let self-doubt mislead you to following other people’s opinion about what you are good at.  Be brave and follow your passion.  Jobs won’t be where he is today if he hasn’t.  And when you do, you can say as he did, “..I want to put a ding in the universe.”

Innovation Transcends Leadership

He used to say that ‘innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower‘.  There’s no doubt that Steve Jobs created more than just a brand; but a cult.  By surrounding himself with people who share that passion for design, customer experience and excellence, he led Apple into a phenomenal high that no one has ever imagined possible.  Being a freelancer, competition just gets tougher each day and by being a visionary, you can be just as notorious in the arena of freelancing excellence.

Doing What You Love is the Ultimate Key

“Why join the navy if you can be a pirate?” Steve Jobs said.  There’s nothing that will beat you towards achieving your goal if you love what you do in the first place.  Because when you do, you will do everything in your powers to get things done today; not tomorrow.  Did you know that Steve Jobs earned a measly $1 paycheck?  He never really did it for the money and according to a SEC filing, he earned a total of a dollar’s worth of compensation in 2010.

Focusing on Client Experience Will Always Have Huge Returns

Building the perfect client-freelancer relationship is like walking on a tight rope for many freelancers, but understanding them is what it all takes to do so.  Jobs has ditched conventional wisdom and built a product that’s centered in giving a flawless user experience that people are simply willing to pay more for it.  Keep in mind that your clients don’t always know what they want when they hired you to help, but you can give them what they want.  As he said, “..be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

Keeping Things Simple and Beautiful Works Best

What made the Apple products a big hit is not only because of its simplicity, but beauty as well.  Jobs love for using the ordinary to come up with something extraordinary made his speeches powerful than ever.  I recall this New iPod Nano video in 2009 where instead of blabbing technical jargons, he just showed a wonderful presentation.  Just as same, when you’re freelancing, you need to walk the walk; show, don’t just tell.  Apple’s way of presenting its signature line, beautifully and elegantly, only tells that if you want people to commit with what you have to offer, you have to stop being sloppy and keep things beautiful – or more like, professionally desirable.

Perhaps, my top favorite quote from Steve Jobs is: “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”  When things go wrong, a sincere apology can help, coupled with resolutions on how to solve the issue.  It did work for me, all the time.

I bet there are more things we can learn from this visionary who WOW’d the world.  Feel free to add your own in the comment below and become a source of inspiration as well.

CNBC Titans: Steve Jobs

Something Interesting:

Tech Insider: Steve Jobs Is an Inspiration
What Was Steve Jobs’s Most Influential Product?
5 Things President Obama Can Learn From Steve Jobs

Just how popular mobile devices are? With the rise of apps and cloud computing, how do freelancers utilize these tools in facing the new era of the global workforce?

Via: Socialcast.com

2. The Freelancer’s Game of Life

Freelancing is full of ups and downs, no doubt. Just how easy or hard life is for a freelancer these days?

Via: Freshbooks.com

3. Why Do People Become Freelancers?

Just what makes freelancing so appealing with all the risks involved? You might be surprised at the answers you will get.

Via: Freshbooks.com

4. The Mobile Workstyle

When the concept of work is changing these days, just how do mobile workers empower their business to compete in a global marketplace? Gist brings you the juice on mobile productivity. Click HERE to view infographics.

5. The Evolution of Web Design

Just where will web design be… in 20 years? You can take a peek at how web design evolved and let your imagination wander in the data provided. Kissmetrics takes you down on a memory lane. Click HERE to view infographics.

6. The Freelancer’s Guide to the Galaxy

Freelancing is like taking a journey to outer space and beyond. Just what exactly will you need in order to make this quest a success?

Via: Freshbooks.com

7. Our Freelance Future

What’s the future of freelancing? Technology has the power to create a major shift in the work economy and everyone’s talking about the future of work: Freelance. Solvate brings you what tomorrow will look like to freelancers. Click HERE to view infographics.

8. The Mobile Worker Movement

There is a prediction that by 2012, most of us are doing e-commerce via a mobile device. What does this mean to the mobile worker? Dell has this and more in how easy it will be for us to get more work done with mobile consumer devices. Click HERE to view infographics.

9. The Virtual Dilemma of Working from Home

Do freelancers become more productive when they work from home? Just because your job is legit doesn’t mean you are not free from the temptations of idling away your time. Should employees be given a chance to work from home then? Silicon Angle gives you intriguing answers and more. Click HERE to view infographics.

10. Business Motivations and Social Behaviors of In-Person and Online Events

Humans are social animals, no doubt. Just how do we share information online is crucial in becoming the netizen of the future.

Via: Virtualedgeinstitute.com

Hope you enjoyed this list? Anything we’ve missed? Please add them on the comment below, thanks!

Why Freelancers Will Love Google Plus

Yes, like any other new platform, Google+ may take some time getting used to, especially when they have created a fresher format that many users find appealing.  I wonder what Mark Zuckerberg has to say about that, especially that he’s the top user with many followers on Google+.  So, here’s what I think freelancers will love about Google Plus:

Better Privacy for Users

If you’re familiar with Diaspora, you’ll definitely love Google+ take on sharing your content with your circle of peers, family, friends and colleagues.  Google+ uses Circles that let you share information with the right people… fuss-free.  It takes only less time to get familiar with this feature and once you get the hang of it, it’s much easier to share content and target individual circles.  There are many folks who are not really happy with Facebook privacy settings and sometimes, even sorting a list can be quite a hassle to many ( myself included ).

Collaboration Heaven for Web Workers

It’s tough enough for remote workers to collaborate with their team, their clients and for many, coworking may just seem to be a dream in the clouds.  Just imagine if you’re working completely with a virtual team of six.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you can all share ideas about the project and view videos as well ( and see each other’s faces )?  Having freelanced for years, I’d say Google+ nailed this one with their feature called Hangouts.  Just as the name implies, you can even use this in those unplanned meet-ups, like you’re just hanging out in your office.  Google says it’s almost as good as teleportation and I’d say this is the next best thing ever that clients and freelancers will truly love.  My only wish?  I hope to see a mobile version of this application.

Nerding Out Becomes Fun

It’s quite sad that we don’t get to see those threaded conversations we love about Friendfeed as it gets overshadowed by Facebook.  With Google+ Sparks, you get to show your circle of friends what you’re interested at so the next time you’re free to take that break from all those freelancing work, there’s always something to look at ( and share, if you wish to ).

Group Texting Helps You Stay Connected

I think that Google+ will definitely make a huge hit in the mobile arena, especially when they’re boasting of instant uploads of images or videos you took from your phone.  Now, there’s this feature called Huddle where you can send messages to a group and if you’re a freelancer-on-the-go, that would be great in keeping everyone updated… even when you’re off to your dream vacation.

I can’t really wait for Google Plus to go public as many opinion leaders have been writing good stuff about this service.  With demand rising, it’s even ludicrous that people are selling invites on eBay.  Please beware that there have been reports of scam invites and even if you buy one, Google is currently limited to a small number of users.  This means that you may just have to wait as they’ve temporarily exceeded their capacity right now.  You may not be an insider yet, but here’s how you can check out what people have been posting – Just type this in Google:

site:plus.google.com post

Are you excited to be a part of the Google+ Revolution?  Share your thoughts in the comment below.

The Google+ Project: Hangouts

Something Interesting:

The Most Popular Google+ User? It’s Facebook’s Zuckerberg
Mashable’s Parr Says Google+ May Threaten Facebook

The Ugly Side of Payment Guarantee Exposed

A couple of months ago, I’ve encountered an interesting story about one freelancer’s mishap by accepting credit card transactions through Paypal.  Many of us hate to bother with legalese and reading the fine print is already time consuming, on top of our gig hunting days and deadlines.  It was even a big surprise for me to learn that Paypal only protect delivery of tangible goods and if you’re selling services, you need to save all the proof you need ( and cross your fingers for good ol’ luck to help you out ).  The truth is that even with countless policies you encounter on many big online marketplaces, those who are in the business of getting work for free will always find a loophole in the system that they can take advantage of.  Now, if you are working for an offshore client, things can get really complicated, time-consuming and not to mention – expensive.  Getting legal counsel alone can cost a lot.  You can be done with two or more freelance gigs and still, your issues may not be resolved.  If you think that I’m writing this post to scare you, that’s a good start.  I want to raise your awareness that payment protection policy is a myth these days, unless you live in the state of NYC where freelancers get a safety net under the Freelancer Payment Protection Act (S4129/A6698).  The move started when a study estimated that nearly 900,000 independent contractors are having trouble getting paid – amounting to $4.7 billion in loss. ( Take note:  That’s just one state! )

If No One is Guaranteed Payment for Freelance Work, How Can You Stay Protected?

There is only one answer that will summarize everything that a freelancer can do:  Build TRUST.  We read this advice countless times and it’s something easier said than done.  No one can build trust overnight, that’s a fact… But, you can build one over time.  It will all start with yourself through personal branding, where you build a name for yourself as a leader in your niche.  Think about your brand as a product you market to potential clients out there.  You can always reach out to social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter to build conversations with people – later on turning into relationships that count!  Bear in mind that anyone can be a freelance client so always put your best hat online.

Trust is something that’s tough when you are working for a client for the first time and so having a contract helps, where you both agree to certain tasks, responsibilities and limits.  One of the major fail of newbie freelancers is asking details about the project before they are awarded the work.  Because they are not experienced in the art of negotiation, more often, they become the victims of exploitation and non-payment issues.  Those who are in the business of scamming know how to play this weakness and so they would take advantage of it, like asking for spec work.  The lure of getting paid alone can make someone rush through the work without thinking twice.

Why Nurturing Your Clients Matter… a Lot!

Have you ever Google’d a potential client before accepting a contract?  It’s a favorite habit that I’m addicted to, especially when the closest thing I get to meet the person is through a tiny pop-up window on Skype.  There’s really nothing wrong with making a small research about the person or company you’ll be working for.  Why is this important?  Because you can come up with topics for your small talk with your client that will set him/her at ease.  I’m not saying that you fake the conversation here, but by having a friendly and professional chit-chat, you will trigger the ‘green light’ of trust, one step at a time.  This is why no matter how you hate sending out emails to keep your clients updated, you have to do your share in opening that line of communication.  Always keep in mind that they are humans too and by constant nurturing through ‘keeping in touch’, you might turn them into your loyal clients ( or even your friends ).

In the end, your payment guarantee will come in the form of trust and you don’t have to pay a ‘middleman’ in the usual online marketplace that gives you a false sense of security.  If you will only go the extra mile to engage with your clients better, you might just as well be paid for your hard work… on time!  What you need is not a cut from your paycheck, but a Freelance Revolution that gives you freedom to do business the way freelancing is meant to be done.  Your rules, your tools, your pay… Your Way!

Something Interesting:

How to Win Clients and Influence Visitors : A Freelancer’s Story
12 Practical Ways for Freelance Designers to Increase Leads
Freelancers Beware of Receiving Payments via Credit Card through PayPal

“A revolution is a fundamental change in power that takes place in a relatively short period of time.”

Ajeva is announcing a revolution for freelancers everywhere. A change of power is in order. Away from traditional marketplaces and back to the freelancer.

Over the past few years, the world has moved towards more freelance and contract work, and in this time many freelance marketplaces have come up to serve the need of a global workforce. The trouble is that these marketplaces have adopted a very old-school business model of being a ‘middle-man’ in the transactions. This fundamentally takes power away from the parties as there are now protectionist measures in place to preserve their ‘cut’.

We are making a bold move, and announcing a first ZERO COMMISSION, ZERO FEES Marketplace.

In our conversations and observations over the past several months while in closed beta, we learned that while we are a ‘middle-man’ we can not be aligned with the goals of our users. There was always fears of disintermediation, and a protectionist attitude comes naturally out of that. From this then comes restrictions on how we serve our users, in particular our Freelancers.

It is for this reason we are making a commitment to be fully in-line with our users, and focusing on success of their objectives. We want to help you succeed.

Here are the services and tools that will be available to ALL of our users:

1. Find Work engine, that brings together all freelance work available across the web.
2. A service profile that does more. Marketing, Collaboration, and Statistics built-in.
3. Proposals that make you stand-out.
4. Fully integrated project management and collaboration.
5. A Universal Project Inbox to track all project and task communications.
6. Powerful time tracking.
7. Invoicing, with direct payment (no-middle-men, and no-commissions).
8. An Open Reputation and Ratings System.
9. Advice and Best-Practices to create a successful freelance business.
10. A community to help answer all of your freelancing questions and challenges.

We are launching with many of the above feature, and rest are coming very soon.

Also starting now, we are no longer in ‘Beta’. All features we release are ready to use, and come with full support and commitment.

So, the big question – how do we plan to earn?
We are now a service business, here to provide you with our service and tools to help you succeed as a freelancer. We have a “Free Forever” plan that is very generous and more than enough for most freelancers working part-time or getting started. Once we can prove to you that we can help you succeed, then you may choose to use our “Pro” account with an affordable and fixed-monthly fee that is far less than what you may pay in commissions elsewhere.

The plans and fees are outlined below. Our goal is to keep them very simple, and to provide most of our features to ALL users Free or Paid.

 

The Power is Now Shifted to Freelancers. Ajeva gives you complete control over your business, your customers, your earnings. We are only your support team providing you with best-practices, advice and awesome tools to make you successful.