Pre-Conference Workshop - The Gig World

SOLOPRENEUR, REDEFINED. | www.bothpro.com

THE GIG WORLDA.D. Frazier LLC

All Rights Reserved – BOTH Properties, LLC 2

What is Crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing enables users of

INDIVIDUALS to go to communities and offer

specific tasks from a pool of on-line workers.

Source: Startups


Logo, Graphic and Website Design

Crowd-Spring.com99designs.com

Source: Startups

Product RedesignRedesignMe.com

Transcription

CastingWords.com


Data Entry and Other Similar Tasks

Amazon Mechanical Turk(mturk.com)

Source: Startups

VoiceoversVoice123.com


Monitoring photos uploaded online to ensure that sites don’t have copyrights violated or offensive photos posted.

CrowdFlower.com

Source: Startups


Who is Satisfied?

39% of self-employed workers are completely satisfied with their jobs compared to 28% of salaried workers.

Approximately 11% of the 16+ million workers in U.S. are self-employed, and that percentage is expected to change in the next decade.

4% of workers under 30 are self-employed.

15% of workers 50-64 are self-employed.

25% of workers over 65 are self employed.

Self-employed workers have satisfaction of being “the Boss” but are not immune from financial stress.

Source: Pew Research 2009


Freelancing Your Talent

Approach employers as a specialist with a talent and desire to work on certain types of projects. Don’t make them guess how to use your skills. Tell them. Be specific.

Approach multiple users of your services not “applying for a job” but offering to do a “project”. Small firms are more likely hot spots. Cold Call.

Offer to work part time or in peak periods.

Source: Startups


Freelancing Your Talent

Be buttoned up on the requirements of working independently. Know the various forms of temporary employment and the financial risks to you AND an employer for drifting outside the lines. Business.gov or call BOTH. Both will provide the advice for free. Employers are more likely to deploy a “compliant” independent worker than one whose status is uncertain.

Create a “website brochure”. Use the social media. Best for business is Linkedin. (opinion) Inexpensive, and absence from this forum sends a message in itself.

Source: Startups


Co-working

New Venues that provide temporary office space so that solo workers can be around others – or just get out of the house or hotel room to work.

• Regus (U.S. BOTH Partner)

• www.conjunctured.com (Austin, TX)

• www.Hiveat55.com (Manhattan)

Google for locale. Prices range from $20/month for 5 hours to $2,000 per month for unlimited use.

Source: Startups


Consulting / Solo Practitioner

Need a contact list

Consider pro-bono work to get references.

Become an “expert” – focus

Build network of expert advisors to support your business so that you don’t have to. (BOTH can bundle)

Ask Professional Resources (Attorneys, Accountants, Tax Advisors, etc.) for references and referrals.

Source: Startups



Young Firms among the fastest growing generate 10% of all new jobs (Kauffman foundation).

Small companies hire consultants regularly. Less bureaucracy than large firms who have “approved vendor” lists.

Particularly fast growing: biotech, financial services, healthcare and not-for-profit. Find them on the web and call them.

Source: Startups



Realize that there really is a “digital divide” between younger wage-earners and wage-earners over 50.

It takes the latter group 7-10 weeks longer to find another “job” than the younger cohort.

Boomers are the new entrepreneurs. The number of people ages 55-64 who started businesses increased 36% in 2008. In all more than 80% of all startups in 2008 were by people 40 years and older.

Source: Startups



Realize: 20% failure rate…

but that means 80% SUCCEED

Source: Startups

SOLOPRENEUR, REDEFINED. | www.bothpro.com

THANK YOU – Q&AA.D. Frazier LLC

Pre-Conference Workshop - The Gig World

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