Tag: Freelancing

Freelancing and Brexit
Freelancing

Freelancing and Brexit – @davidhowell

On Forbes.com, David Howell has some thoughts on what Brexit might mean for sovereign professionals in the post-Brexit landscape.

The key is to understand your precise needs. If you are a business, ask yourself what skills your enterprise needs today and how these could change over the next five years. Freelancers due to their flexible working practices can enable your business to tap into the skills it needs perhaps just for short periods of time. Not having the cost and time associated with hiring full-time staff, could be a way forward for your enterprise to create the dynamic workforce you need to weather the Brexit storm.

Read the full article, here.Read the full article, here.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Leonardo da Vinci - ultimate sovereign professional
Uncategorized

Leonardo da Vinci, ultimate sovereign professional?

I find I don’t know nearly enough about Leonardo da Vinci.

About a month ago, on Execupundit, Michael Wade recommended this YouTube video of Walter Isaacson discussing his latest book, Leonardo da Vinci. It took me a little while to get to it but if, like me, you haven’t got any closer to reading the book than buying it for a friend, I heartily recommend it.

Continue reading “Leonardo da Vinci, ultimate sovereign professional?” →
Freelancing

Gig economy vs. talent economy?

I’ve never been wholly comfortable with “gig economy” as an umbrella term. Too often it’s hijacked by those who want to paint independent workers as a new type of oppressed; in need of rescue from uncaring capitalism.

The reality is far from that, as successive research has shown. Independent working is most often a freely made choice.

Here’s an interesting article from Jon Younger on Forbes.com. Talking generally about adoption of the freelance economy model (is it as explosively disruptive as the hype suggests?), Younger makes an important distinction between types of freelance work:

Continue reading “Gig economy vs. talent economy?” →
Tools & kit

Banking and freelancing – @WellsFargo

Wells Fargo meeting the needs of non-traditional incomes.

Via the wonder of the web, an article in the Spokane Journal caught my eye.

In November, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. launched a new phone app called Greenhouse, which is being marketed to gig economy workers, as well as to people who are just getting started in learning how to manage their finances.

Continue reading “Banking and freelancing – @WellsFargo” →
Freelancing

Uncertainty – the freelance / gig economy destiny

Are freelancers and independents preparing for the future?

You just can’t trust the future. That’s certainly been clear over the last couple of years. We seem to be contemplating the previously unthinkable, every day.

An accidental No Deal Brexit in the UK? A prolonged government shutdown in the US? Those things could be hard on a freelancer, contractor or other independents.

Traditional employment offers an illusion. Maybe that’s part of the deal: the regular pay cheque implies continuity, that the future is someone else’s concern. But, if you work for yourself, the future comes into sharper focus. Self-employment requires a more active engagement with tomorrow.

Continue reading “Uncertainty – the freelance / gig economy destiny” →
Work

Brexit and lessons for introverts

An Economist article on the current state of the Brexit debate carries lessons for introverts.

Not simply “shy”, introverts gain their energy from introversion – thinking and alone-time. In contrast to extroverts, they find people-time – parties, events, discussions and arguments – draining. Often, they keep a small group of deeply-trusted friends.

Continue reading “Brexit and lessons for introverts” →
Freelancing

Gig economy, portfolio career or side hustle?

The BBC reports on research from Henley Business School:

The 28-year-old is part of a generation of “side hustlers” – entrepreneurial young people who work on their own projects alongside their main source of income.

Running a second business or sideline is becoming increasingly common.

One in four workers run at least one side hustle business, Henley Business School estimates, half of which were started in the past two years.

Those aged 25 to 34 are most likely to be involved, with 37% thought to run a sideline of some kind.

Continue reading “Gig economy, portfolio career or side hustle?” →

Freelancing

Predictions for the freelance economy – @Forbes

Over on Forbes.com, Jeff Wald has some interesting predictions for  2019 freelance economy (in the US).

The rise of mechanisms to access and filter the freelance market is inevitable. I can definitely see large businesses deploying both Freelance Market Systems and “Alumni Labour Clouds” to manage a bench of available talent (predictions 1 and 2).

Continue reading “Predictions for the freelance economy – @Forbes” →

Freelancing

What does a freelancer look like? Survey from @FlexJobs

FlexJobs has surveyed 1,000 (US) freelancers and found, yet again, that these are not desperate and abused individuals forced into abusive contracts by uncaring, capitalist overlords.

In fact, as TechRepublic summarises:

the average full-time freelance worker is a female Gen Xer working in the writing, marketing, editing, or creative career fields. This person works primarily for small companies and individuals, and juggles two to three jobs at a time, the report found. The average worker freelances by choice, and has been doing so for at least three years, and envisions continuing this type of career for the long-term, though they have worked at traditional companies in the past.

Continue reading “What does a freelancer look like? Survey from @FlexJobs” →