Whether it is in the field of accounting, journalism, writing or teaching, freelancers have managed to get hired and at the same time link with the millions of other professionals in their area of expertise.
Through technology that is specific to their career needs, remote freelancers can easily overcome challenges that were once experienced by self-employed people, and earn a living from any location.
Connecting with clients
There are many websites and tools that help a freelancer connect with clients easily. Professional platforms such as Linkedin can be used by freelancers to network and inform people on what they do by uploading detailed profiles of themselves and what they do. There are also career specific websites that freelancers can use to build their client base. A website like Dribbble helps freelance designers get their work in front of a global client base, and also fellow designers from all over the world. This helps them grow in their individual careers as well as develop each other.
No more physical offices
Through software development, the cost of running a physical office is eliminated. The freelance creates a virtual office by the use of online platforms. They can work from home from any part of the world and they can also work for clients across the globe. This saves both remote freelancers and clients a lot of time that would otherwise be used to travel to their respective offices to make inquiries or to seek and render services. Face-to-face is sometime invaluable, but with so many great video conferencing solutions available, this problem is being nullified. The projects updates are easily made visible during the project and after completion. This can be done using online project management tools such as Basecamp.
Scheduling
With technology advent, it is now easier for freelancers to create their own schedules and keep track of their time and projects. There are web-based tools that can integrate a freelancer’s to do list with other applications on their smart devices. The software automatically generates reminders to the freelancer based on their calendar, the files on their computers, their GPS and functions from their productivity apps. With this kind of software, a freelancer is assured that they effectively plan their schedules and that they do not leave out any projects.
Ease of processing payments
With the rise of the FinTech industry, freelancers gain the advantage of possessing a digital wallet. With these smart applications, a freelancer can easily, and in a timely fashion, process invoices, make or receive online payments. Such software is also used to keep track of credit card transactions for effective reference. These features have led to an increase in freelancer owned businesses since they enhance the entrepreneur’s professionalism.
Enhanced brand presence and monitoring
There are software tools that a freelancer can use to market themselves as well as keep track of the effectiveness of these marketing activities. The software analyses the freelancer marketing strategies, how well they score in terms of influence, report how the clients think about the freelancer’s brand and reports any alerts in real time. This kind of feedback helps the freelancer make the best decisions based on their brand’s reception in their intended marketing niches.
