This article will help you stop wasting time finding clients through funnels and start making money by letting your clients come to you!

Become an expert in your niche

There are a few different ways to find clients as freelancers. But, you must make sure that you’re in demand before trying any of them. If no one needs your services, you won’t be able to sell them.

The only way to do that is by becoming an expert in your field. You can join online groups (like some on LinkedIn) where people discuss problems they need to be solved, and creating original resources related to your field.

A funnel may not be the best choice

It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s time to stop thinking of marketing as a funnel. The world has changed—do you want to spend your time pushing prospects through a funnel when most won’t buy? Instead, focus on developing an effective selling strategy.

In today’s environment, you need to be able to reach out directly and connect with potential customers. So stop trying to build a funnel and start reaching out directly—that will give you much more success in finding clients!

Have a plan

If you’re looking to increase your freelance clientele, you need a game plan. And no, winging it doesn’t count as a strategy. Even if you find clients without a formal strategy, they won’t be as lucrative or plentiful.

To bring in more work without shelling out money for marketing campaigns, employ these proven tactics: join networking events, engage with clients on social media and use referrals from previous projects to kick-start new ones.

Ask your clients for referrals

Many freelance professionals shy away from asking their existing clients for referrals. They’re afraid of seeming pushy or being perceived as self-serving.

However, referrals are a great way to drum up a new business—and even if your customers are slightly annoyed by your request, they still feel warmly toward you and will be more than happy to help out.

Use social media in the right way

Social media can be a powerful tool when looking for clients. By building up a professional presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, you can expand your professional network and showcase your skills to potential clients.

However, don’t do something that may harm your reputation by going too far on these sites—you don’t want potential clients or employers to see anything inappropriate or unprofessional.

Conclusion

Finding clients is a tricky business. Don’t rely on self-promotion and social media to generate leads. Instead, build good relationships with your existing clients, leading them to want to refer you to other people even without you asking them. This can make finding clients much easier.

The post How Freelancers Should Find Clients appeared first on blog.30mins.com.

You’re not alone if you’ve heard about the gig economy but aren’t sure what it means! This term refers to the growth of temporary positions unrelated to permanent jobs, such as freelance and contract work.

One recent study found that an estimated 57 million Americans work in the gig economy.

In the era of 9-to-5 employment, the idea of being your boss and working independently was fairly rare. However, today an increasingly large number of people are freelancers.

What’s so interesting about freelancing that many people are flocking to it? Here is why!

• Creates Work Opportunities
• Provides Flexibility
• Rewards Effort
• Increase income
• Shifts the work-life balance

1. Creates Work Opportunities

The gig economy has taken off because it allows people to create work opportunities that work with their lifestyle. As a result, you no longer have to sacrifice a social life for work or vice versa.

And, if you’re a morning person, you can get up and be productive at 6 AM; if you’re not a morning person, then noon is just fine.

2. Provides Flexibility

Workers today want flexibility. They need it, too: Many Americans work several hours per week.

As a result, people feel a sense of urgency to start or change their careers for fear that they will miss out on something, whether new job opportunities or higher pay.

Flexibility helps alleviate that feeling of missing out, which is being a freelancer makes sense for so many workers today.

3. Rewards Effort

According to a 2017 poll by Bankrate, more than half of Americans prefer freelance jobs.

The study found that 34% of survey respondents felt they would be rewarded better financially if they were their boss; furthermore, 47% said flexible hours and working remotely were key in their decision to become independent workers.

It turns out that digital nomads aren’t alone—millennials, in particular, have started joining what could be called the gig economy as a permanent part of how they make a living.

4. Increases Income

For some, joining a gig-economy job replaces one full-time paycheck with two or three smaller ones. But others turn to gig-economy jobs for higher income potential.

Statistics reveal that nearly 50 percent of U.S. workers make less than $20,000 a year. However, one-third of these workers earn more than $50,000 by joining gig economy platforms.

So if you have experience and talent in your field, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be taking advantage of online platforms to bring in some additional income in addition to your day job.

For example, if you are a book author. There are not many ways to make money even though you are a subject matter expert. But you can join 30mins.com and make some hours available for paid advice, and 30mins.com advertises you, and clients may setup meetings with you. Thats the beauty of gig economy platforms. They enable you to make money!

5. Shifts the Work-Life Balance 

You’d typically get a good job in past generations and stick with it until retirement. However, working multiple jobs was unheard of because it was challenging to do so in a way that didn’t affect your income.

In recent years as technology has advanced, remote work and freelance opportunities have increased exponentially—and more people than ever before are joining the gig economy.

It’s no wonder why: these flexible jobs allow workers to balance their professional lives with their personal lives.

Wrap up

The shift to a service-based model is not necessarily a bad thing. For example, suppose you work in IT, plumbing, manufacturing, or almost any industry that can be outsourced or automated.

In that case, you may need to start thinking about your skillset and how it can be adjusted to meet changing demands.

The post Why are so many people joining the gig economy? appeared first on blog.30mins.com.

For many small businesses, hiring full-time employees may seem like the only option to get work done, but there are several good reasons to hire freelancers instead.

Freelancers typically have more flexibility in their schedules, they’re often willing to work longer and harder on assignments, and they generally offer more specialized skills than full-time workers do.

In this blog post, I’ll explain why you should also move away from traditional employee-based business models and start hiring freelancers instead. Here are eight reasons to hire freelancers!

1. Freelancers are more affordable
2. Specialized skills and experience
3. Complete projects within short deadlines
4. No long-term commitment
5. Tailored Communication 
6. Time-saving
7. Flexibility
8. Variety

Alright, let’s take a look at these reasons.

1. Freelancers are more affordable

Instead of paying for a 9-to-5, you can hire someone to work as much or as little as they’d like. Depending on your needs, freelancers can work an hour a day or 30 hours a week, and you can easily scale up and down based on workload.

And because there are no benefits or overhead costs associated with hiring freelancers, it will be easier on your budget than having employees.

2. Specialized skills and experience

Freelancers have specialized skills and years of experience in a particular industry, making them more efficient when they work on your project.

Employing a freelancer means you can tap into their unique set of skills rather than make do with an employee who might not be an expert in what you need them to be.

In addition, since they don’t have to juggle several projects at once, they can give undivided attention to their clients’ requirements.

3. Complete projects within short deadlines  

Short deadlines are a freelancer’s bread and butter—it’s what they do best. Freelancers can provide quick turnaround on almost any task, no matter how big or small, so many businesses choose to outsource their work.

As a result, you don’t have to tie up your resources with a full-time employer. A freelancer can get the job done in less time than it would an employee.

4. No long-term commitment 

Freelancers are hired for a specific amount of time and are paid at an hourly or flat rate. You won’t be paying for someone’s vacation or sick days. If you don’t need them, you don’t have to pay for them.

On top of that, freelancers are easy to let go if they aren’t working out; it costs less to find another freelancer than to fire an employee.

5. Tailored Communication 

Working with freelance experts is a great way to increase communication with your team because you communicate with various people rather than just one or two team members.

You’ll get a broader perspective on your project and may come up with better solutions.

6. Time-saving

An excellent reason you should hire freelancers and not employees is that they are time-savers. Many businesses are going online, and most of them have to deal with many projects.

As a result, they need more employees. By hiring freelancers instead of employees, you can save your time as it will be easier for you to complete all your work as a business owner, and you will be able to concentrate on other things.

You’ll increase your business productivity, which is great news for business owners.

7. Flexibility

Working with freelancers gives you great flexibility. In most cases, you can decide when and how to work.

If something comes up or if there is an emergency, you do not have to cancel all your meetings or appointments. You can reschedule them with your freelancer colleague in a few minutes.

In addition, you do not have to deal with health insurance, sick days, or annual leave.

8. Variety

One of the biggest reasons people prefer freelancers to employees is because you can bring in a variety of talent. For example, say your company makes t-shirts, and you need a logo created.

Of course, you’d have to hire someone who excels at designing and creating logos with an employee.

But with freelancers, you can tap into an entire marketplace full of designers who specialize in only logo creation and others who are experts in designs.

You can hire freelancers of various specialties on online platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and 30mins.com. One big advantage of 30mins.com is that there is no commission if you make the payments directly to the freelancer.

The post 8 Reasons to Hire Freelancers and Not Employees appeared first on blog.30mins.com.

The American workforce has drifted dramatically over the past two decades. Why? More people have decided to go freelancing with sited like Fiverr, 30mins.com, instead of pursuing full-time employment at a single company.

There are many reasons why freelancing is becoming increasingly popular. Yeah, from increased freedom and flexibility to making more money per hour than you would at your day job.

For individuals looking to better their chances of success in this highly competitive field, here are five reasons why freelancing may be the future of the work industry.

A better work-life balance

More and more people choose to take up freelancing because they want greater flexibility in their working lives. You choosing your clients and working when you want (or not at all) offers a great work-life balance.

If you need to pick up your children from school, you don’t have to worry about asking for time off. Also, if you have an emergency with one of your family members, there’s no need to clear it with a boss first.

And as long as you’re hitting deadlines, clients will usually be happy with your flexibility and understanding—they don’t want excuses.

Job opportunities are more

People come and go from jobs much faster than they did years ago. In fact, according to Statista, 46% of workers quit their job within 18 months after they’ve been hired.

In addition, a Deloitte study revealed that 34% of those employees left because they were unhappy with their work-life balance.

As more people quit their jobs searching for balance and new experiences, opportunities for freelancers will continue to grow. That is because employers seek more flexibility in their workforce.

Higher income potential

You can charge more for your services when you’re an independent contractor rather than an employee. If you have specialized skills, you can usually command a higher hourly rate as a freelancer—and your overall income will probably be higher than if you’re a low-level employee.

Higher hourly rates mean that it’s easier to earn significantly more money from contracting in less time—especially because employers are often happy to pay per service instead of requiring contractors to work full-time hours every week.

In addition, contracting allows for more time off. Many workers feel like they don’t get enough vacation days, but freelancers don’t have to worry about any potential repercussions when they need a break.

Fewer impacts from artificial intelligence

As artificial intelligence improves, jobs that rely on these skills will be less valuable. For example, if you can program a machine to do your job perfectly, why would you want to keep doing it?

Similarly, machine learning is progressing quickly in healthcare — doctors are already using these tools to determine patients’ diagnoses faster than ever before.

And if computers start making all of our medical decisions for us? We’re going to have a lot more free time! That’s one reason freelancers are so popular right now — they can adjust their hours based on their own needs.

Better chance of freedom

In today’s work industry, there’s a high demand for flexibility. According to a recent survey by Global Workplace Analytics, full-time employees are looking for more control over their time at work.

In some cases, that mean they want to set their hours, while in others, it means they want more than one job and an option to move from one position to another.

Either way, freelancers have much greater freedom than traditional employees when choosing how and when they work.

As a result, countless people work day jobs but supplement their income by working remotely for clients or businesses as freelancers on side projects or during free time after business hours.

The post Why is freelancing the future? appeared first on blog.30mins.com.

In the last decade, freelancers has exploded in popularity. According to recent estimates, over half of the U.S. workforce will be freelance by 2025.

And with the rise of freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork, there’s no doubt that this number will continue to grow in the coming years. But why? What’s causing more people to opt-out of traditional full-time jobs?

What’s driving this change? What are the benefits of choosing this lifestyle? And how can you choose to go freelance if it seems like an option that might work well for you?

Here at 30mins.com, we believe you’re made for much more. This article will look at all aspects of the freelance lifestyle and why more people choose to pursue it.

Flexibility

You’ll find that freelancers have more flexibility in their work hours and work-life balance. Time management is often easier for freelancers because you can be as busy or slow as possible.

You’re also not tied down by job requirements or tied into a permanent contract, so it’s easier to build a schedule around your life instead of having your life revolve around your work.

For example, you can if you want to cut back on freelance writing for a few months and travel. There’s no need to fret about being let go or finding another client; if you don’t feel like working, don’t. It’s all up to you—and isn’t that a nice change?

No office politics

The days of cutting your teeth at a corporation and doing anything to reach a corporate ladder are long gone. But when you work remotely as a freelancer, there are no politics.

You get to spend your day how you want to. For many people, being able to make their hours is very important.

Office politics aren’t only uncomfortable; they can be a threat to your career. Think about when you left your last job, if not because of office politics and office unpleasantness in general.

The fact that they don’t have someone watching over them makes it even better. You will find that being a freelancer is one of the best ways that you can live the lifestyle of your dreams.

Growth opportunities

Your career is yours to shape, so why not try a job that offers more opportunities? Unlike working for someone else, freelancing means there’s no ceiling on how far you can go.

You can freelance forever (or until retirement) or find new opportunities every few years—either way, you’re in control of your fate.

And while your pay will likely vary throughout your career, remember that growth opportunities and exciting challenges don’t pay much.

But, they do come with benefits like increased visibility within an organization, flexible hours, and often a greater sense of fulfillment than monetary compensation.

Networking opportunities

One of the fabulous things about freelancing is how varied it can be. You get to work with people from different parts of the world, on different types of projects, and in completely different industries.

Depending on your clients and projects, you could work on multiple projects. You could be writing a project one day, performing research for a marketing campaign another day, or brainstorming new business ideas for a startup.

This variety keeps me intellectually engaged while letting me spend most of my time doing something I love—and it’s more than worth it if it means I get paid fairly.

Wrap up

The freelance lifestyle isn’t just a trend. It’s an option for anyone who wants to live in control of their destiny. You don’t have to be tied down by strict rules and regulations or commute for hours. If you think you’d be happier as a freelancer, go for it! 

As more people jump into freelancing, it becomes clear that it’s not just a lifestyle choice—it’s an empowering career path worth exploring if you want more freedom than what comes with working for someone else.

The post Freelancers Are Living Their Preferred Lifestyle appeared first on blog.30mins.com.

It’s no secret that freelancing or freelancers has grown in popularity over the past few years. Thanks to sites like Upwork and Fiverr, it has lead people not yet in this system to wonder how much freelancers earn.

The pay may not be as consistent as if you had a full-time job with one company, but with some hard work and dedication, you can make more money as a freelancer than you would in any other employment arrangement.

Read on to learn how much money you can make as a freelancer and what you need to do for a consistent earning.

Earnings for a newbie freelancer

New freelancers typically make between $20 and $40 per hour or between $15,000 and $40,000 annually, depending on their niche. The number of freelancers who earn over six figures annually has grown substantially.

That said, you shouldn’t expect to reach those earnings right away. According to 30mins.com, it takes most people three years to go from making around $30K per year to reaching that six-figure mark. But, of course, your rate will improve with experience.

Average earnings for an experienced freelancer

The average earning for an experienced freelancer is $45K-75K per year. It depends on your niche and where you reside.

For example, if you are a designer living in San Francisco, California (one of the most expensive places), and your earnings will be much lower than someone living in Nashville, Tennessee. The experienced median salary for freelance designers who work out of their homes is $50K.

If you work for an agency or other third party that does all of your marketing/management for you, then your salary would be higher depending on how much they take from each job and how many clients they are juggling at any given time.

How to make good earnings

1. Be organized: Many freelancers are disorganized and spend more time looking for files than actually working on projects. A good place to start is making folders for each client, with subfolders for each project.

2. Charge what you’re worth: If you want to make a lot of money, you have to charge accordingly – that means charging at least $25 per hour or more if you’re good at what you do and can demonstrate your value to clients.

3. Take it like a business:  If you’re not treating your freelance work as a real business, you will have trouble making money. This means setting goals and milestones for yourself, tracking your hours and expenses, and keeping good records. It also means creating systems for repeatable tasks so that you can scale up when things get busy.

4. Be a networking expert: If you want to earn in freelancing, you have to market yourself and build your reputation. It means getting out there and connecting with other professionals in your industry, starting with your network.

Wrap up  

The amount of money you make as a freelancer depends on many different factors. The more advanced your skills and position in your career all play into how much money you can make. As with any job, these factors also help contribute to how much you get paid per hour.

Although it varies from person to person and business to business, there is no reason why you can’t be earning $100 an hour or more.

However, when everything comes together for an experienced freelance programmer or developer, top companies are willing to pay top dollar for those that can provide great services efficiently and quickly.

The post How Much Do freelancers earn? appeared first on blog.30mins.com.

We all want to be the person everyone turns to when they need help with something, especially when it comes to our expertise. But what makes some individuals freelance experts in their field? The answer may surprise you! 

Expertise isn’t just about how much you know about your topic. But, how well you can communicate that knowledge and deliver results people appreciate and find useful. 

If you want to know how to monetize your assets as a well-known expert in your field, read this post. It reveals how you can monetize your expertise into your business strategy today!

Provide consultation

Though several perks come with being well known, experts are generally compensated for their time and expertise. So if you’re well known in your field, it may be worthwhile to consider starting a consulting business. 

Experts can charge anywhere from $200/hour depending on experience and reputation. But, more established experts tend to charge more. 

For example, well-known experts in Artificial intelligence or quantum computing like Ajay Malik charge as high as $1000/hour for a phone consultation. 

Also, if you’re well known in your field, it may be worthwhile to consider starting a coaching business. 

Coaching is similar to consulting, but coaches charge for individual sessions instead of charging by the hour. For example, suppose you’re a personal trainer looking to make money online. 

In that case, you might start an online personal training business. You can offer video consultations and exercise routines over Skype or Google Hangouts.

Offer Books or courses

While a well-known expert in your field can make money through one of these activities alone, most experts choose to combine several income streams. 

For example, James Altucher has built an impressive portfolio of business by combining his podcast with his courses. His podcast offers free content while he sells access to his courses (where he teaches more in-depth). 

Another example would be Ajay Malik. Malik does not only offer free and paid call consultation but is also he is also an author in his field with books on RTLS For Dummies, AI for Wireless Networking, and Augmented Reality for Dummies. 

It’s about creating multiple income streams with your assets as an expert. 

Have an Online Presence 

If you’re trying to make money as a well-known expert in your field, you first need to have an online presence. It doesn’t matter if it’s a website, a Twitter account, or an Instagram profile—having some form of internet presence will allow you to connect with others and be found by your target audience. 

This is especially important because having an online presence often makes someone credible enough to charge for their expertise. The better your reputation, the more likely people will pay for your services. 

That said, don’t expect that people will start paying attention right away just because you’ve started building a following on social media. 

You need content that can catch their eye and convince them that you can help them solve their problem or achieve their goal, which is why we recommend investing in a platform like 30mins.com to connect easily with experts.   

The post How Freelance Experts Make Money In Their Field  appeared first on blog.30mins.com.