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10 Ideas to Becoming a Successful Freelancer

Being in work for yourself as a freelancer can make you decide when to work and when to play. And that’s something most people do not have; the freedom to decide not to work or to work.

However no matter how appealing freelancing might look it’s most times real hard work and could even be harder work than a 9 to 5 job. If you however plot your strategy, do stellar work and build a reputation freelancing can become an enjoyable way to live your life as your own boss taking vacations when you wish.

Starting With the Right Idea

Freelancers always earn money doing something they are good at and possibly love doing. Almost any skill valuable enough for others to want to pay for it can be turned into freelance work; photography, writing, web and mobile development/programming, web design, editing, graphics design, public speaking etc. The list goes on with your imagination.

Starting a freelance gig must start with rendering a service in an area of strength in return for money. You will have to decide what exactly you are going to be freelancing on.

Think of the Market

Not every thing you are good at or love doing has the right market to sell to. There has to be a problem yo are solving with a big enough market of prospects willing to pay for the solution or services you offer.

Find out who your target market is and where. That way your promotional activities can be better focused.

Take Your Reputation Seriously

If you are going to do freelancing online you should know the growing importance of online reputation. How you are perceived will have a reasonable influence on your success as a freelancer.

Become an authority or a very good source of information on your freelance area. If for instance you are a freelance web marketer you really need to put in the effort to learn all you possibly can about web marketing and be ever ready to share your knowledge in online fora.

Answering questions from other people in relevant forums and producing useful content focused on important issues in your area of expertise will project you more and help you build the kind of reputation that will be easy to monetise. Build your reputation by sharing knowledge, helping out and providing valuable answers.

Discipline and Staying on Track

If you have ever worked for yourself you would know that one of the greatest challenges is that of discipline. It is much difficult to keep yourself on track and avoid non-work related distractions when you have no boss breathing down your neck and dictating your work time/schedule.

As a freelancer it falls on you to set your work timetable and keep to it. To succeed as a freelancer in anything you have to put in the hours and work hard enough. There is simply no short cut to successful freelancing; let nobody tell you otherwise.

Time Management

When it comes to time management forget all you were told. Time management for a freelancer isn’t different from time management for a CEO of a medium sized company. Effective time management is devoid of fancy, confusing strategies. Effective time management is kick-ass simple and unattractive and to become a good freelancer pulling in top dollar you have to manage time effectively and be highly productive.

Learn the Art of Self Promotion and Branding

As a freelancer you are your own brand and a bit of self promotion does’t hurt. You must learn the art of promotion. Freelancers who have succeeded in setting themselves apart from others in their field earn top dollar.

Join relevant forums and contribute meaningfully. Team up with others in symbiotice joint ventures and enhance your profile.

Build and Expand Your Lead Funnel

To succeed as a freelancer you must have a way of constantly feeding your funnel of prospects. The more automated this funnel is the better. This means you must have channels where your work will attract potential customers/clients. From your lead funnel you convert a few to customers.

Keep Your Clients Happy and Coming Back

You need not be schooled on the importance of stellar, quality work as a freelancer. If you keep people the best possible quality of work as a freelancer you can be sure to have enough referrals to grow your freelancing income. if you can keep clients happy and satisfied as a freelancer and always actively request referrals you may not need to spend money on expensive marketing to get as much work as you can handle.

Manage Your Finances Like a Wizard

When you work as a freelancer your finances may not be in great shape all the time. You need to be very smart with your money and invest in tools that will help with your work and make you more money.

For more of this story, click on www.entrepreneurshipmag.blogspot.com

Have You Got What It Takes to Start Your Own Business?

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Have You Got What It Takes to Start Your Own Business?

Boss starting to get on your nerves? Well, have you ever considered working for yourself?

It may not be as easy as it sounds, but every year thousands of people make the break and start-up their own business.

Whether it’s because you’re fed up with your job or just because you have a great idea that you think will make money; there are many reasons that people decide to work for themselves.
Here are a few things to consider of you are considering taking the plunge and going it alone.

Come up With a Good Idea

In order for any business to succeed it’s vital that you can come up with a service or product that will work. Don’t start a business purely on a whim – just because you can cook, it doesn’t mean you can run a successful restaurant. Make sure what you intend to offer is viable and will attract enough business to make it worthwhile; otherwise the venture is doomed from the start.

Do Your Research

Before going any further you’ll need to do plenty of homework. This is where you’ll get the chance to examine the current market, any potential gaps in that market and any competition who are currently offering a similar service. Don’t leave any stone unturned, as results of your research could ultimately affect your decision – better to realise the idea is not financially viable now than further down the track.

Make Sure You Register Your Idea

This is a vital stage in creating your own company. You don’t want to come up with a great idea; only to find that someone else has beaten you to it. Once you establish that your idea is unique, discretion is the key. You then need to look into a patent for your business or copyrighting the idea before someone else does.

Create a Business Plan

Every successful business starts with a plan. This needs to clearly show the results of your customer research and explain how you can turn your idea into viable business. You will need to present your business plan to any bank or lender who you approach for possible funding. The plan is not just for the banks and lenders; it’s your statement of intent and can be used to lure potential employers and partners that may help you with this challenging process.

Look for Financing

Firstly talk to your own bank if you’ve had a good relationship with them in the past. Ask about what kind of business start-up loans they offer and how they can benefit your business. By using a bank you already know, they will have easy access to your financial records and will be more confident in investing with you. If the bank cannot help or the loans will not be enough, look into local investors. There may be a local entrepreneur or wealthy individual who would have a vested interest in seeing you succeed. Acquiring the services of a financial expert or accountant is also advisable at this early stage.

Secure a Location

Whether it’s working from home or a case or acquiring a shop or office; you’ll need somewhere to house your new business. Working from home will certainly help keep costs down, but this isn’t always possible. Remember, your premises will say a lot about your business from the very start. Working out of a dilapidated workshop or back street garage may be a turn-off for customers and investors alike. You will also need to make sure that whatever premises you decide to use have the correct legal coding to house such a business.

Be Prepared for Setbacks

Without wanting to sound negative, very few businesses get through their early stages without setbacks and disappointments. The best thing you can do is be as prepared as possible. This includes making sure you have the correct insurance and having funds to cover those unexpected bills and costs that are bound to crop up. Dealing with disappointment is a huge part of running your own company – if you don’t deal with knocks well; you should ask yourself if the venture is right for you.

Get on With It

Advice is always valuable for anyone venturing into the world of self-employment. But if you spend all day worrying about things and looking for potential hurdles; you’ll never get anything done. Follow your instincts and go for it. It’s the only way you’ll find out if your business will be a success or not.

DAILY NEWS EXTRA

How to Build Your Small Business Customer Base

As a business owner, you should always be on the hunt for new customers and seeking methods to bring them to your door. If you are not consistently looking for opportunities to build your customer base, your business could fall off of the growth track. There are lots of ways to reach your prospects. I offer you these tips that will help you keep your business out in front of your target customers:
Start using one new social media site. If you have been spending all of your time on Facebook, it might be time to branch out to Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or LinkedIn. It all depends on whom you are targeting for business. Figure out where your best target customers spend time online, and go become part of the conversation, too. Share generously and remember content is your currency. Go for the relationship, not the sale right away.
Do more face-to-face networking. It might be surprising, but old fashioned in-person networking still works well. Why? Because people do business with people they know. Your goal at any networking event should be to develop five quality contacts. Don't be one of those drive-by networkers trying to give your business card to everyone. Arrive at the event on time for the reception, and have a plan for who you want to meet. Keep in mind, everyone is worth your time. If you build a relationship with someone, you can quite possibly turn them into a customer or a referral. You never know who they know or who their brother is in business.
Consider using one of the daily deals sites. Using Groupon or Livingsocial is a great way to cultivate qualified leads for a small business. Think of a valuable, but low cost upsell to make the deal work a little better for you financially. Customers don't usually balk at a $15-$25 foot scrub upgrade with their massage coupon. The cut you will pay to the website service should be considered part of your monthly marketing budget.
Activate Your Unpaid Sales Force. Send out an e-mail blast to your existing customer base asking for referral and offer a 10 percent or higher commission on any business that is closed. You also want to make sure that your most recent clients hear from with within two weeks of making a purchase. Use the opportunity to check in and make sure they were happy with the service and use the opportunity to ask them for a recommendation on LinkedIn or Yelp depending on what kind of business you have. Be sure to include the link, if you make them search for it they will not do it. People do not have time.
Create a free download offer on your website. Create a special report, white paper, product sample, or a free evaluation so that you can build up your email marketing list. Social media is great, but e-mail converts better than any other form of customer communication. It is also a great way to educate a new customer or demonstrate your expertise.
Give a Free Speech. Organizations are always looking for speakers who do not charge, especially because experts like me charge thousands. I have done my fair share of free speeches and you would be amazed how often I get paid business from them after the fact. You will want to make sure that you only speak in front of audiences of target customers otherwise it could be a waste of time. Always prepare a great leave behind that tells people how to hire you and have special offer at a free speech to upsell attendee your products and services.
Craft a "Fan" Only Special. An exclusive promotion for people who visit your website to grab a special code for a discount or free item makes them feel like they've won a prize. Promote it through your e-mail contacts and social media accounts with the purpose of building more website traffic. If you can, purchase Facebook or LinkedIn advertising to help successfully drive your project.
For more tips on how to start or grow your small business subscribe to my
www. http://entrepreneurshipmag.blogspot.com

Forbes Names Dangote 23rd Richest in The World

DAILY NEWS EXTRA

Forbes Names Dangote 23rd Richest

in The World

Foremost Nigerian industrialist, Aliko Dangote, on Monday made history by becoming the first black man to break into the rank of top 25 richest people in the world. His wealth jumped to $25bn from $16.1bn in 2013, according to Forbes magazine’s list of the richest people on earth.

Dangote, who was number 43 in the top 100 world billionaire list last year, moved up 20 spots to retain his position as the richest person in Africa and also number 23rd in the world.

The Chairman, Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga, was the next Nigerian on the list with a wealth of $4.6bn to maintain the 325th position in the world.

 The Executive Vice Chairman, Famfa Oil Limited and fashion icon, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, retained her position as the world’s richest black woman and the 687th in the world with a fortune of $2.5bn; while the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, BUA Group of Companies, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, was ranked 1372th in the world with $1.2bn.

The former Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates, is back on top after a four-year hiatus, reclaiming the title of the world’s richest person from telecoms mogul, Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who ranked number one for the past four years.

Gates, whose fortune rose by $9bn in the past year, has held the top spot for 15 of the past 20 years.

Spanish clothing retailer, Amancio Ortega, best known for the Zara fashion chain, retains the No. 3 spot for the second year in a row, extending his lead over Warren Buffett, who is again in the fourth position.

The year’s biggest dollar gainer was the Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune jumped by $15.2bn to $28.5bn, as shares of his social network soared.

Technology, and more specifically Facebook, helped to propel numerous fortunes lately.

The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, joins the ranks for the first time, as does the Facebook’s long-time vice-president, Jeff Rothschild.

Also, thanks to a $19bn deal (including restricted stock) with Facebook; WhatsApp founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, join the ranks of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest for the first time.

They are four of 26 newcomers whose fortunes come from technology; 10 of whom are American, including Dropbox CEO, Drew Houston, and Workday cofounder, Aneel Bhusri.

The United States once again leads the world with 492 billionaires as a result of the technology boom and strong stock market, followed by China with 152 and Russia with 111. But wealth is spreading to new places.

For the first time in the history of the Forbes rating, billionaires were found in Algeria with Issad Rebrab, who is into food business with $3.2bn worth of fortune; Rostam Azizi from Tanzania with $1bn; and Sudhir Ruparelia from Uganda with $1.1bn.

Copyright PUNCH.

 

SMEs Development: SMEDAN Empowers Budding Entrepreneurs

DAILY NEWS EXTRA

SMEs Development:

SMEDAN Empowers Budding Entrepreneurs

Participants at a two-week intensive training program for budding entrepreneurs anchored by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in Abuja, were upbeat at the opportunities the training provided them. They commended SMEDAN for the training programs, and urged the Agency to do more of such to give direction to the teeming number of unemployed in the country.
Some of the participants rated SMEDAN high in its training programs designed for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and described the programs as “all-encompassing, intensive, enlightening and educative.”
Mr. Ibrahim Najira, an elderly poultry farmer and owner of Najira Poultry Farm in Bwari Area Council in Abuja, said the training had afforded him much more information than he ever hoped to get about developing a small business. “In fact, most of the questions I had lined up for the resource persons were answered long before I asked them during the training,” he said.
While commending the Agency for the well thought-out areas as they affect SMEs in a harsh business environment like Nigeria, he added: “I urge others like me who want to know anything about owning successful businesses to come to SMEDAN for a complete package. With more of these types of training, more Nigerians would break free of poverty and would be financially fulfilled.”
A second participant, Ozigi Christianah Hajara, who is into soap-making, said the training was an eye-opener in the areas of developing a business plan and book-keeping, which a lot of business owners took for granted. “I have learnt that as an entrepreneur, I should be able to use a third of my money to buy materials for my business, a third to pay myself and keep a third in savings,” she said, adding that SMEDAN was doing excellently well with its training programs.
Echoing their satisfaction with the program, Samson Emmanuel and Naomi Michael, both poultry farmers called for more participation by youths who need guidance on setting up their own businesses and how to access loans from financial institutions. “The idea of forming cooperatives to access loans as advised by the facilitators is a good one going by high interest rates on loans and having to provide collateral, which many of us do not have,” Emmanuel said.
“I thank God for SMEDAN and their dedicated staff. I have learnt that with hard work, commitment and focus, I can take my business to greater heights. I pray that others will follow and reap tremendous benefits from these training exercises. As for me, I am already seeing a difference in my life, having just been blessed doubly with the fruits of the womb after a long wait,” Naomi Michael added.
The program, targeted at forty entrepreneurs in the fields of poultry and soap-making was divided into vocational training in the first week and entrepreneurship classes in the second. Some of the courses designed for the participants include Personal and Business Visioning, The A-Z of Starting Businesses, Marketing, Legal and Regulatory Issues, Book-Keeping and Preparing a Business Plan.
Meanwhile, the facilitators had in their different presentations pointed out the importance of paying taxes, the requirements for business registration with various government bodies such as NAFDAC, CAC and FIRS. They also advised against diverting loans for other purposes than it was intended; encouraged saving culture, packaging bankable business proposals and forming cooperatives to ease their access to financial credit facilities.