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Image: Flickr, Nick Keppol
Today's career landscape is bizarre by Boomer standards: 23-year-olds
are CEOs, working parents are running businesses out of their living
rooms and work-from-home opportunities abound in almost every industry.
Given these recent trends in the career industry, it's unsurprising that more and more employees are considering becoming their own boss — and many get the opportunity to do so. The "virtualization" of jobs, the influx of startup culture and the rise of the gig economy are all contributing factors to increasing opportunities for self-employed workers.
If you're thinking about leaving behind a nine-to-five to freelance or embark on an entrepreneurial business venture, below are a few helpful resources to give you a leg up.
1. LinkedIn groups and mobile apps
We'll get the most obvious out of the way first — for professionals, and particularly professionals who are entering the world of freelancing, startups or contract work, a presence on LinkedIn is a must.Simply creating a profile doesn't do much for your professional goals, however. Self-employed workers will find an active presence on the platform exponentially more fruitful.
LinkedIn Groups are a helpful resource for connecting with like-minded professionals, networking and potentially drumming up business opportunities. We've written extensively about how to use LinkedIn Groups to your advantage; below are a few helpful articles to get you started.
Image: Mashable composite.
Cost: A basic account on LinkedIn is free, but self-employed workers may want to consider upgrading to a Premium account. Be on the lookout for free trials of LinkedIn Premium, which the company frequently offers existing users. Currently, the "Business" Premium account on LinkedIn costs $23.99 per month.
2. MyNetwork
Networking is a tough — yet essential — part of self-employment.MyNetwork is a new contact-management platform that creates visualizations of each users' social connections pulled from their LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts. The platform helps users tap into their existing networks, and offers suggestions and optimizations for establishing contact with these connections.
"The average person has well over 1,000 contacts across their different networks," says Andy Fine, founder of the company. "We know that actively managing every single contact is impossible." To make social networking online a little more manageable, MyNetwork creates what Fine refers to as "the first truly immersive way" to view your connections. In addition to visualizations that display factors such as length of time since your last conversation or follow-up with a contact, the platform offers a few other helpful features: The Intelligent Messaging System makes writing "request" emails (or LinkedIn InMail) a little less stressful, and "SmartReminders" help optimize communication with new contacts.
"People are your number one asset, as cliche as it sounds," says Fine. "Your contacts and relationships can open doors to a world of opportunities. If you have thousands of connections across your social networks, but hardly talk to anyone except when you need them, your network loses value." Cost: Membership to MyNetwork is currently available for $4.95 a month, or $49.95 annually, and free 30-day trial memberships are available for first-time users."People are your number one asset, as cliche as it sounds,"
3. The QuickBooks Self-Employed Network
Another new network that provides helpful advice and resources to self-employed workers is the QuickBooks Self-Employed Community."Self-employed professionals are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy, and [experts predict] more than half of the private U.S. workforce will have spent time as independent workers by 2020," says Gina Bianchini, CEO and founder of Mightybell.
"The life of a successfully self-employed professional is different from that of someone who goes to work every day at a company. It's about creating your job, not finding one." The community offers strictly non-promotional advice and support from other self-employed workers, who use the network to share their experiences about building a company, pricing services, goal-setting and navigating various business dilemmas."The life of a successfully self-employed professional is different from that of someone who goes to work every day at a company. It's about creating your job, not finding one."
"We believe that there is a unique need in the market for self-employed folks to support, encourage and learn from one another," says Bianchini.
Cost: Membership to the network is free — interested parties can sign up at howtobeselfemployed.com.
4. Freelancer-specific sites
There are a slew of sites that cater specifically to helping freelancers and independent contractors find work. Some of the most well known sites include Freelancer.com (which just released its new app for Android), eLance and oDesk. Craigslist may also prove helpful, though it's important to keep a sharp eye out for scams, which run rampant on the free site's "Jobs" section."In my opinion, the freelance revolution is transforming the way we work," said Nikki Parker, regional director of North America at Freelancer.com, in a previous interview with Mashable. "I think it will be one of the single biggest changes that we see to the way we work globally for decades to come." Taking freelance efforts online, in particular, presents countless opportunities. "People have a global portfolio; they're able to work with some really great, global businesses, which they wouldn't have had the opportunity to work for had they just freelanced locally.
Being able to work online can open you up to, literally, a world of opportunity." There are also niche, industry-specific sites that can help match freelancers to employers and contract jobs: GetACoder (for programmers and web designers), Experfy (for data-related fields), 99designs (for graphic designers), journalismjobs.com and many more. Google searching for your specific industry and "freelance opportunities" can help you narrow down these niche sites.Being able to work online can open you up to, literally, a world of opportunity.
TaskRabbit and Fiverr, though not freelancer-specific, also offer opportunities for skilled workers to earn some extra cash "gig economy"-style, by running errands or performing specialty skills for users who want to outsource such tasks or chores.
Cost: Freelancer.com is free for users to create profiles and bid on projects (with an initial limit of eight bids per month), with optional "bid upgrades" available for a fee. For fixed price projects, there are additional "project fees" that are relative to the bid's value. Find more information on fees and charges here. Elance, which is also free for freelancers to sign up and use, deducts an 8.75% service fee from all invoices submitted; this fee is added onto the client's bill. On oDesk (also free to join), a 10% fee is deducted from each payment a freelancer receives — so price your services accordingly.
5. about.me
Creating a personal website is an excellent way to increase SEO, impress potential clients and add to your personal brand. Before you spend potentially thousands of dollars — and hours — on a professional website, consider going the simpler route by creating an about.me page. Though not as involved as a full-fledged site (the platform refers to itself as "your personal homepage"), you'll be able to display enough information to pique interest from potential employers, and set-up is a breeze.
Image: about.me
Cost: It's free to create a homepage — and you don't need to know how to code.
6. Continued education opportunities
One of the greatest advantages of a job as head honcho is that it (usually) allows for a more flexible schedule than a typical office job. (It's important to note that "flexible" doesn't necessarily mean "fewer hours.") Educational opportunities that you can access online or locally can help you develop skills you may not have learned in the traditional workplace or throughout your education — and you may find that picking up a hobby or learning a new skill introduces you to a new network that may provide lucrative business connections.Regardless of your motives, there's a lot of merit to lifelong learning. A few resources worth checking out include: General Assembly, CodeAcademy, Allclasses, Thinkful, Coursera and classes at your local community college, rec center or other organization.
Cost: These platforms and various classes all range in cost, but many are affordable or can be completed for under $100. Keep an eye out for promotions, deals and giveaways that offer free introductory courses or discounts (setting up a Google Alert can help you score deals as soon as they're available).
7. IRL networking groups
"We're more connected than ever before, yet so disconnected," says Fine."In a world in which impersonal forms of communication have taken over, we've lost a bit of the human element." While the Internet makes it easier for us to connect, nothing beats face-to-face communication with other professionals: There's only so much networking that can happen behind a screen."In a world in which impersonal forms of communication have taken over, we've lost a bit of the human element."
MeetUp is one of the most prolific companies helping establish real-life communication among like-minded professionals. The platform allows members to find and join groups that align with their interests, hobbies or professional goals. Getting started is as easy as signing up and searching for MeetUps in your area — though the company is based in New York, it currently operates in 177 countries, with an astounding membership of nearly 19 million.
As another option, if you went to college, check to see if your university offers an alumni group in your city. (Chances are, it does.) Joining and attending these events is another great way to connect with professionals with whom you've already got something in common: Your alma mater. Who says networking can't happen over a pitcher at your city's resident sports bar, while you watch college football?
In addition to these more general networking groups, be on the lookout for organizations aimed toward a particular niche, such as YJP (Young Jewish Professionals) or Femfessionals, an organization for women entrepreneurs and leaders.
Violette de Ayala, founder and CEO of Femfessionals, strongly believes in the merit of IRL networking. "Starting an entrepreneurial venture for the first time or as a side hustle can be incredibly disorienting," says de Ayala. She iterates that, by nature, entrepreneurs are "game-changers" — their inherent "go-getter" attitudes can be hugely powerful when combined with the efforts and brainpower of other similarly minded individuals.
In terms of networking, de Ayala offers the following advice: "Go out of your regular circle, meet new people and expand your business 'rolodex.'
Once you have connected, give something of yourself — whether its advice, a tip or an introduction to a stellar contact. Give twice as much to a new connection, especially before an 'ask.' The last component is to maintain a new relationship often, without overdoing it. Don't let them forget you; be one of the first few people they think of when a business opportunity arises." There's strength in numbers. Being an entrepreneur is tiring and ever-evolving, says de Ayala, but finding a network of continuous support can be a tremendous morale booster. "It takes time to get it rolling, so be sure to stay focused and don't lose sight of your vision," she says. "Above all else, be sure to help one another out."Once you have connected, give something of yourself — whether its advice, a tip or an introduction to a stellar contact.
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