Freelancefolder

A Fascinating Glimpse Into the Real World of Freelancing

Posted September 21, 2011 in Lifestyle

How much do freelancers earn? How do they really feel about being self-employed? Why do they do what they do? How badly have freelancers been affected by the slowing economy? Would they go back to being an employee if they had the chance?

You won’t find the answers to these questions, or questions like them, in any business publication.

In fact, when it comes to freelancers and their concerns, the popular media seems to completely ignore this critical segment of the workforce! (Which I find baffling, considering how many reporters and journalists are freelancers themselves!)

Policy makers and government officials also have no clue about who we are or what we’re about. The fact that freelancing and self-employment is not part of the unemployment conversation going on right now is shocking.

Well, I’m on a mission to change that! That’s why last month I set out to find the truth about freelancers and the freelance industry as a whole. I surveyed more than 1,200 freelancers in 37 different professions and from every corner of the globe.

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Freelancing Stress 3.0

Posted September 19, 2011 in Lifestyle

Are freelancers more stressed than ever before? Do you feel stress building, building, building…until you feel nearly overwhelmed?

While we freelancers do have some natural stress reduction built into their job (such as no commute, control over hours and projects, not dealing with coworkers, etc., …), there is some evidence that freelancers may be facing more stress than ever before.

If you’re feeling more stressed than ever, you are probably part of this growing trend. You may be facing Freelancing Stress 3.0. Yet, despite the prevalence of stress, we freelancers don’t talk about it nearly enough.

In this post, I’ll explain why you may be feeling more tension now than before. I’ll also gather some resources about handling freelancing stress that you might find helpful.

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Why Crowdsourcing Isn’t All About Spec Work Anymore

Posted September 14, 2011 in Lifestyle, Tools/Resources

There’s always controversy surrounding crowdsourcing. Many people think that it means getting a lot of people to do something for nothing. But as the crowdsourcing industry evolves, there are many companies that look at crowdsourcing as a new way to approach work.

In this post, I’ll discuss what crowdsourcing is and explain how the new hybrid crowdsource agencies have evolved away from the spec model. I’ll also provide examples of four of those new agencies.

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Eating for Energy

Posted September 12, 2011 in Lifestyle

What freelancer couldn’t use more energy nowadays?

I know I sure could!

Imagine what you could do if you had just 50% more energy than you do now. That could mean getting 50% more work done in the same amount of time, or the same work done in half the time.

It could mean being able to pursue your hobbies, launch another stream of income, or simply be much nicer around your loved ones (because you’re not tired and grumpy).

It could mean being able to finish a project even if it means going on two hours of sleep, and still have your creativity intact.

For this post, I did some research on which foods can give us plenty of fuel for freelancing–and the rest of our lives.

I purposefully avoided caffeinated drinks and foods high in refined sugar. While coffee, energy drinks and refined sugar can give us a sudden burst of energy, consuming them in large amounts all the time can have a negative backlash on our health.

Refined sugar and simple carbohydrates, for example, will push your blood sugar level up and give you fuel for awhile. And then, your energy will take a dip and you’ll be sluggish, even sleepy.

So next time you need to work for a sustained period of time (isn’t that every day?), keep these foods in mind.

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