Here is a free-built path to income

Are you a freelance Web Designer? Looking for some extra cash to help you attain your goal to be financially independent in the near future? No time for more work? If your answer to all these questions is a BIG YES, then read on (Don’t worry, this is not a get rich quick scheme!).

A lot of Web Designers would be delighted to know that they can ‘passively’ earn a good sum of money in the Web. What you are about to read here is not at all a secret for most tenured designers, but can absolutely be a good reference for new Web Designers with budding freelance careers. So here we go with some of the known ways for Web Designers to gain passive income;

Affiliate Marketing – This one is the most known option amongst all others listed here. This is in no way a surprise for most of us because affiliate marketing is viable money making option not only for Web Designers, but also for ‘almost anyone’ who owns a blog. Web Designers have an edge over all others however because they have been gifted with skills to alter a page’s design for an affiliate banner to blend well with the other elements of the blog.

Consulting Services – Offering a service such this is another viable source of passive income for Web Designers. We are pretty certain that a lot of ‘traditionally employed people’ would want to know how you earn at the comforts of your home. Give them a helping hand while gaining monetary benefits in return. Now, you may argue that this is in no way a passive source of income as it will require you to spend time teaching others to learn your craft. You are partly right, but just think of it this way: No matter how busy you are, you’ll need some time off work and you’ll need a social life. Spend some time socializing while still earning by sharing to others what you enjoy doing.

Resell Hosting – Now is the time to see the opportunities right in front of you! You are designing websites so why not consider being a one-stop-shop to your clients? Well, this is not at all too laborious to do. Simply tell your client that you also offer hosting (and make sure you really do!). Saves them time spent on looking for a reliable hosting provider.

Sell themes – Again, you may argue that this option is not at all a source of passive income because you will obviously need to spend hours designing a theme. But hey, we’re certain that once in your career, you’ve done some experiments and you’ve come up with some mediocre work. Why not do some touch up on these designs and sell these themes at an affordable price. Not only will this help you build a brand of your own, but will also help you raise some funds for business expanding purposes.

This list contains the options that will help you gain extra income while keeping a constant and more reliable stream of earnings through freelance jobs. This post not only serves as a resource for you to find more opportunities, but also serves as an eye opener towards seeing the web as a good start for any business endeavor.

The earning opportunities that freelance jobs have offered to a lot of people in this tough time of recession are limitless. These freelancing options have provided us with the ability to cope with the situation despite the lack of job opportunities in our respective locations.

A good example is the people from India or people from the Philippines who have literally lived a night life for quite a long time because of their call center jobs. They are now left to sleep day and night, without any work to do, after the announcement of the global financial

crisis late last year. This is very unfortunate as these people are already equipped with skills and strengths to be able to perform excellently in a customer oriented setting— Filipinos are undoubtedly good in communicating in English while locals from India have their inclinations in technology. There is no question that these people are a good fit for customer service positions and that losing job such this is a major nosedive not just in their individual income, but in their country’s economy as a whole.  Good thing freelance bidding sites are here to rescue—these people can now continue with the kind of work that they enjoy doing.

If you are a part of this good sum of population who have lost their jobs in a snap or if you are someone gifted with the ability to talk things over, then this guide is for you. Read on.

Defining Home Based Customer Service

It is always easy to confuse this position with that of a Virtual Assistant or that of a Telemarketer because of the general nature of the job. Therefore, if your aim is to land a CSR or CCR job, then make sure to identify the differences that it has with that of the two aforementioned positions. Below are the IT IS and IT IS NOT’S of a Customer Service Representative freelance job;

WHAT A HOME BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB IS NOT;

• Very sales oriented
• Pay is performance based
• Outbound calls
• Focus is on sales quota
• Responsibilities: Calling out prospects (outbound), follow ups and documentation

WHAT A HOME BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB IS NOT;

• Absolutely no sales involved
• Pay is on an hourly basis
• Focus is on KPIs such as customer satisfaction and AHT (Average Handling Time)
• Responsibilities: Taking in calls  (inbound) and documentation

This is a relatively short list to describe a home based Customer Service position. There’s a lot more to learn in order for you to enjoy the privilege of working home based while you are also able to do the things that you are good at. You just have to do your homework— by this we mean you conduct a self-initiated research that will help you exhaust all options available for you in the industry. You may opt to utilize the ‘search engine’ feature of www.donanza.com to help you find freelance jobs in this category. Alternatively, you can also visit the following links;

http://www.filcancommunications.biz/career.php

http://www.bsgclearing.com/riskmanagement/voicelogthirdpartyverification

http://www.convergys.com

http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/careers/index.jhtml

http://www.teletech.com/en-US/careers

http://www.overflowusa.com/jobs.html

Happy Freelancing!

The freelance job community has grown from a relatively small group of people enjoying the perks of working from home into a ‘variety of groups of professionals’ in need of opportunities to make good money out of their certified skills. Prior to the outburst of internet usage in business transactions, very limited freelance jobs are outsourced. Now, due to extreme technological advancements, even the most complex office responsibilities can now be taken into the homes of employees from around the globe – accounting and bookkeeping needs of organizations are one of these aforementioned tasks. What could be the reason behind such a surprising trend?

1. Statistics show an increase in demand for accountants and bookkeepers who can excellently perform in their field of expertise. In fact, if you are to check your local classified ads, you will definitely see a huge ‘ad’ which will prove this notion. How is this fact related to this kind of jobs getting outsourced? Simple. An increase in demand will require an equal increase in supply hence a witty action from employers – freelance bidding sites exploration!
2. The global financial crisis has also led a lot of business owners to look for cost-effective ways of meeting their business needs. Getting their accounting and bookkeeping needs outsourced as freelance jobs is one of the viable ways to find/hire people with cheaper rates and those who won’t cause much maintenance (read: benefits and office needs consumption).

The aim for this enumeration of the top two reasons for the sudden increase of freelance job opportunities for accountants and bookkeepers all over the web is simple: to get the word out that accountants and bookkeepers can now enjoy the same advantages freelance writers, programmers and web designers are able to enjoy – and this is an undeniable fact!

How to get started?

If you are a full time employed accountant looking through the option of finally practicing your profession within the comforts of your home, getting started in the virtual world of freelance jobs will no longer be as difficult as it is for a new graduate. This is primarily because freelancing as an accountant or as a bookkeeper is simply a matter of knowledge and experience. In fact, freelance jobs of this kind will be very much similar to the job that you have in the office (sans the boss, of course). Additionally, buyers will appreciate excellent ‘real world’ work experiences if you are to work on an assignment for them.

However, for the starters in both their profession and freelancing, succeeding in this pursuit is still very much possible. There are considerably few great deals for a buyer to gauge your capabilities and skills. This fact is in both ways advantageous and disadvantageous for you. You will no longer need to defend your lack of experience, but you will also lack much skills required to perform excellently which will hit your feedback score big time in the long run. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you take certifications which will both enhance your skills and your profile as a freelancer. Furthermore, those who have much to offer (relevant studies and work experience) are able to enjoy higher pay rates and interview invitations. Finally, freelance job opportunities have indeed grown into almost all employment verticals. So, should you wish to move out of your comfort zone, turn your life around a bit and skip your nine to five work schedule.

Happy Freelancing!

Having these said, it is also undeniably true that most jobs are already being outsourced. An in-house writer is almost no longer necessary for some small and medium sized businesses as skilled writers for hire already abound the web. This same fact holds true for customer service representatives, programmers, web designers and a lot more. Needless to say, almost any kind of job can already be outsourced, and this is a great advantage for people who are skilled enough to make it through the world of freelance jobs.

Plunging into the waters of freelancing is never easy though; there are a couple of hoops and loops that one has to go through in order to succeed. And as part of our advocacy of bringing you the best freelance jobs all over the web, we will be providing you with your monthly dose of ‘how-to-get-started’ posts that which will help you (especially if you are a newbie) jumpstart your career on the particular freelance job that you chose to do. This month’s highlight will be on new freelance graphic designers. In real life, the how-to’s may not be that easy at all, but they are not that too complicated either. Read on and up your knowledge on your new career a notch higher.

Preparations for a freelance job pursuit

As in most jobs, you will be required to do some preparation in order to be able to be competitive in your chosen field. You are not the only freelance graphic designer in town; and you are still a newbie! What needs to be done?

As a freelance graphic designer, you are expected to be able to deliver quality outputs. This freelance job requires skills on art and its basics. Computer literacy and knowledge on updated design software are also necessary. Therefore the first step is to make sure that you have the required skills to do the job. If you are a self taught designer and you feel you still need to formally attend a short term course or a degree course on graphic designing, then do so! Not only will it help you with future projects; a formal education is also an eye catching qualification that clients look at. However, this is not to say that a formal education is your sole chance to learn— watching free video tutorials will also help. These are available on websites offering online courses on graphic designing or on websites recommending graphic design softwares. Take advantage of them.

After ensuring that you are already equipped with the knowledge and skills to do freelance jobs in this field, it is now necessary for you to do some hardwork and create samples for your portfolio. Your portfolio may be displayed in a hard copy, but the best and more result-driven is a portfolio that is displayed online. Building a website for your work samples is therefore a necessary investment in your pursuit for a career in this kind of freelance job.

Finding freelance job opportunities

Perhaps the best way to jumpstart your career in freelance graphic design and on any freelance job for that matter is to apply on freelance bidding sites. oDesk, Elance and Scriptlance are some of the choices you may consider, but there is a whole lot more. You may also check out www.donanza.com for some search engine feel (and efficiency) in your search for projects.

Your website may also help you gain business. Since your portfolio is already on display there, interested clients may contact you anytime if they like your work. Therefore, make sure to have your contact information posted on your site and also make sure to check your page daily.

Everything is actually as easy as how I made it appear here. It may take some time and effort, but any business and career of any kind will require the same investments anyway! One final note to make— those who are able to make it big in the world of freelance jobs are those who are available for any project possible. Freelance jobs for graphic designers vary, so you might get hit by a feeling of incompetence— never underestimate yourself! All of them are surely still within your scope. Bear in mind that freelance jobs may really be all too customized based on the industry needing it. Jobs which may appear indirectly connected with your expertise such as being a creative director for a publishing company may not ring a bell on you, but it may be a possible project. Therefore, take time to go through each freelance job and to read their descriptions. More choices will always give you better options and better possibilities.