In addition to being a place to share information you want people to know about you, social media is still a great place to learn about opportunities for new jobs. Jobvite’s 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey indicates that 35 percent of respondents found job postings on social media, 50 percent heard about jobs from friends and 37 percent learned about opportunities from professional networks. The numbers show how important social networking tools are to your job search.

Assess: Review your social media goals

No matter how much (or little) time you spend using social media tools to enhance your online reputation, assess what you want people to know about you? What is the most important thing for them to learn? What feeling do you want them to have? Is there something you do NOT want them to know? What do you want them to DO when they land on your profile? Take the time to audit your profiles to ensure you’re putting out the right messages.

Ask a friend or a coach what they think when they visit your social media profiles and when they look at your streams of information. Make sure you aren’t missing the mark when it comes to shaping a reputation you want to own.

Google Yourself

At least a few times a year, you should Google your own name. You want to know what comes up when people search for you online. What pictures show up? Are they of you? Is there someone who has your name and comes up before you online, even in LinkedIn? Make a note of things that show up high in search, and make a point to spend extra time making those things the best they can be. For example, LinkedIn likely comes up high in search. Manage your profile there first, before you spend time anywhere else online.)

Update Your LinkedIn Headline

When is the last time you reviewed your LinkedIn profile?  Make sure to include new accomplishments and look over your materials with fresh eyes. LinkedIn made changes that could impact your headline length — it can now be as long as 220 characters. Use the extra space to target your audience and incorporate keywords to attract people to your profile.

Be sure you keep everything consistently updated. If you update LinkedIn, be sure to also update your resume.

Audit Your LinkedIn Profile

Have you updated the image behind your LinkedIn photo? This banner makes an impression when someone lands on your profile. Make sure you customize this with something that makes sense for your expertise. You can create a visual easily by using Canva.com, a free design tool.

If you haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile in a while, you may not have set up the “Open to Work” section that asks about your business information. This is the “bat signal” to recruiters to let them know you are open to being contacted.

Edit this business information by selecting the prepopulated category that matches your expertise. Fill in business focus areas, and then select if you want that information to be public or not. If your profile is public, LinkedIn points out that anyone can see what you selected, which is the whole point of this exercise, after all!

If you choose to allow all LinkedIn members to see your choices, LinkedIn will add the open to work image to your profile picture.

LinkedIn’s “Brag Book”

LinkedIn gives you a brag book area! This “Featured” section is a place to include your best work samples, such as:

• LinkedIn posts that you’ve created or re-shared.
• Articles that you’ve authored and published on LinkedIn.
• Links to external websites, for example, your personal blog or portfolio.
• Media that you can upload, for example, your images, documents, presentations and videos.

Review Your Experience and Skills Sections

The Experience section is also critically important. This is where you list your various job titles and indicate what you have accomplished in each of your positions.

Make the most of the title sections. You have 100 characters to leverage in each job title spot!

Don’t forget to populate your skills section with 50 specially selected skills! You can also take skills tests and add them to your profile.

Audit Your Settings

No matter how much great work you do on your LinkedIn profile, if your backend settings aren’t properly set up, people will not be able to access what you have to offer and to learn about you! To review and update your backend updates, click on the dropdown right below your little photo of you on the right side of the screen on your desk or laptop.

Select Settings and privacy, and review every question! In most cases, the choice that is more “public” and less “hidden” is what you will want to select.

On the other hand, to discourage people from using your LinkedIn profile as a launching point to see other profiles, you may choose to select “NO” for “Viewers of this profile also viewed” – this is one way to help prevent people from getting distracted and jumping to other, likely similar, LinkedIn profiles once they find your profile.

One other thing to watch for under the Microsoft Word setting: you probably do NOT want to allow your job descriptions to auto-populate templates on Microsoft word resumes.

Don’t miss the “Mentions or tags by others” setting. Unless you are famous and might be inundated by tags, it is nice to allow people to mention you in a way that you are notified in their LinkedIn updates and comments.

Finally, as you scroll to the bottom of this section, you’ll see that you can block and hide. In particular, I suggest you allow EVERYONE to follow you on LinkedIn to help make your profile more visible.

When you allow people to follow you, it will make any effort you put forth to improve your profile more worthwhile, as it opens the opportunity for more people to access your content on LinkedIn and to see your updates.

Un-follow

Is your LinkedIn feed getting too spammy?  Weed out people you don’t want to hear from. In LinkedIn, you can block people (which means you won’t see their updates, and they won’t see your content, either). LinkedIn won’t notify the blocked people! (Just click on the arrow next to the endorse button on their profile.)

Change Your Password

If you have trouble keeping track of passwords, you can use a password management program such as LastPass. Also, be sure you are using your personal email for LinkedIn; it’s not a good idea to use a work email or an email you never check!

Engage

How are you engaging on LinkedIn?

Post content! LinkedIn rewards people for creating content on the network. You will be more likely to be found in a search via LinkedIn if you are active on the platform. Don’t waste this opportunity to interact with your network. Share useful posts and comment on news and informational articles. Post blogs on LinkedIn if you have news to share or wish to comment on what is going on in your industry. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ and “Share’ updates that members of your network post. This helps get you on their radar screen and can also help introduce you to people who follow them and the comments on their posts.

LinkedIn still has groups, even if they are harder to find than they were in the past. Find groups by typing keywords into LinkedIn’s search bar and selecting “groups” as the search category.

If you could use some help updating your LinkedIn profile to ensure you are well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities and that you aren’t missing out on the chance for employers to find -and hire you – check out my special offer.

The post How to Position Yourself on LinkedIn During a Pandemic appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Statistics detailing social media business opportunities via social networking

The statistics are pretty compelling. GrowingSocialMedia.com featured these numbers in a recent roundup:

• According to Statistica, the number of global social media users is expected to reach 2.5 billion in 2018.
• Pew Research Center found that 90% of adults age 18 to 29 use social media. (Although, that seems low!)
• We Are Social Media found 71% of women are active on social media, compared to 62% of men.
• Perhaps most importantly for business owners: 92% of small business owners who use social media believe social media marketing is important for their business, according to Business2Community.

Neoteric UK compiled more great stats in an info graphic referenced on We Are Social Media. They noted:

• The fastest growing group of new users on Twitter are between 55 and 64 years old.
• 45% of users feel “worried or uncomfortable” when email and Facebook are inaccessible.
• The +1 button (on Google+) is hit at least 5 billion times per day.
• 189 million of Facebookâ€s users are ‘mobile onlyâ€, thanks to smartphones

Does social media propel direct sales?

With these statistics in mind, you may think social media marketing is a great direct line for you to help sell your product or service. Post a few great insights on Facebook, and VOILA! – you’re a selling machine, right?

Not so fast.

Last week, Ad Week  reported about data from e-commerce vendor Custora analyzed between January and March, 2016. Reviewing about $100 billion in sales among 500 million shoppers, researchers identified only 1.5 percent of retailers’ last-click e-commerce transactions that came via social media. Of those, not surprisingly, Facebook dominated 81 percent of sales, while shopping-centric Pinterest generated 10.8 percent.

Why use social media marketing if it doesn’t produce direct-click sales?

Stay top-of-mind / inspire trust / leverage reviews

Why aren’t retailers dropping their Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and other accounts and desperately searching for another marketing tool to guarantee sales? They realize social media isn’t about “selling.” Instead, it’s a vehicle to help stay top-of-mind for clients and customers.

In addition, leveraging these tools helps companies inspire trust in their target audience. Especially if you are a small business or are not well known, if you have a community of social media followers who are engaged and to whom you respond frequently, potential customers may be more likely to take a chance on making a purchase from you.

Social media is a great way to help encourage happy clients and customers to leave a positive review for you, which, in a buying environment where people look for online validation that their purchase is a good idea, is very useful to drive sales.

Teach Google what you want it to know and demonstrate expertise

Another, equally important reason to leverage social media as a business owner. These tools give even the smallest business the opportunity to feed content and information directly to Google and to “teach” the search engine what they want it to know.

In addition, using social media helps business owners demonstrate expertise and leverage credibility, which is especially important for consultants and coaches, but also for people selling products based on their knowledge. For example, if you are marketing a diet product, you’ll want to prove to your audience you know something about health. Similarly, if you’re selling exercise equipment, it will help inspire confidence in buyers if they can easily see your social media stream is full of content demonstrating you are an expert in the fitness field.

Even if you’re already making money online — tap into a bigger audience

Email marketers or those who rely mostly on Facebook ads and webinars to sell products and services may think they don’t need to leverage non-paid social media to get the word out. Certainly, if you can drive people to sign up for a webinar where you can demonstrate your expertise, you’re on the road to success. However, you’ll never know how many MORE people might have taken the time for your webinar or purchased your product if you had a credibility-boosting social profile.

Expand your network and access referrals and assistance

• One new tool I’ve been checking out lately that fits in well with this model is called Brazzlebox. It’s a virtual community for small and home based businesses. Check out their video. Members of the community can easily network with other businesses nearby, and connect up with other businesses in the same industry. Members can post on the network, trade private messages or even give out coupons.

I built my business using social media tools and I LOVE helping people figure out how to make the most of these resources. So, I launched a new program to help other entrepreneurs who want to stop wasting time on social media and start making money. The “Smart Business Ownerâ€s Social Media Help Desk” is a private Facebook group where I teach entrepreneurs how to leverage social media to enhance their reputations, grow their brands, expand their businesses and make more money. Click through to learn more and access the limited-time offer bonuses!

Icon vector designed by Freepik

The post Tired of job hunting? Start a business instead! appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Thatâ€s all it takes, and off I go, explaining how social media isnâ€t rocket science, but itâ€s not intuitive, either. I start ticking off all kinds of tips and tricks to help make it easier to make social media marketing work for his or her business.

For months, Iâ€ve been asking myself, “How can I tap into my passion about social media to help more people?” And, “How can I offer overwhelming value, but keep it affordable, so even new entrepreneurs can get onboard and itâ€s valuable for people who have a good start, but could benefit from some easy tweaks?” I want to provide something thatâ€s so amazing, itâ€s a no-brainer for every business owner. I think Iâ€ve finally figured it out!

Most business owners need a helping hand. Think about it:

Wouldnâ€t it be incredible to have someone to ask the you canâ€t quite figure out how to upload that photo to Twitter? Or, to be able to ask an expert if your tweet looks good, or if youâ€re going to embarrass yourself by publishing it?

YES! I WANT TO LEARN MORE

What about when you want to decide the best hashtag to use for something you post? Who can help? How about if the person there to hold your hand (virtually) just happens to be someone CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business and Forbes ask when they have questions about social media?

Learn everything from big-picture strategy to technical know how:

• Choose the best social networks to connect with your customers and clients.
• Save time while you stay top-of-mind for people who need to know about you.
• Leverage social media marketing to build relationships and increase awareness of your brand.
• Inspire trust, influence buying decisions and make more money.
• Look smarter than your competition.
• Get it all done faster so you donâ€t waste time!

Sound good?

Social media constantly morphs and changes. (Have you noticed how often LinkedIn changes its interface? If youâ€re confused, itâ€s not you, itâ€s them!) A kickstart is great, but youâ€re too busy doing your work to keep up with the latest and greatest on social media. You could spend weeks or months trying to unravel social mediaâ€s complexities, only to find out your favorite network just got an overhaul and itâ€s back to square one for you.

So, this program isn’t based on feeding you a bunch of hour-long webinars. Who really watches all those webinars, anyway? Isnâ€t it better to have your questions addressed directly? You need help putting your social media strategy to work every day.

Join me in a brand new group: The Smart Business Ownerâ€s Social Media Help Desk.

Youâ€ll have 24-hour access to ask your questions, and Iâ€ll be there daily to help you overcome every social media issue, from the big issues (what to say in your profile) to the most mundane. (Is there really a “best time” to post?)

A bonus for members? As the group grows, in addition to my expertise and targeted advice, youâ€ll also have access to opinions and ideas from your fellow business owners. Members will be invited to share opinions, ideas and best practices. Thereâ€s strength in numbers, and an empowered, well-informed group of business owners is a great asset.

What do you actually get?

Whether youâ€re just getting started, or youâ€re ready to ramp it up, there will be useful information for you.

Access to a group where you can ask and get answers to all of your social media marketing questions. Weâ€ll house everything in a private Facebook group (since thatâ€s where you likely spend a lot of time).

• For a limited time, a free, 30-minute, one-on-one preliminary social media coaching session over the phone. (Sign up before I decide I don’t have time for these free sessions!) My initial social media consultations normally start at $300. For anyone who joins The Smart Business Ownerâ€s Social Media Help Desk now, Iâ€ll include it for free.
• Daily Help Desk Hints – 6 weeks of  social media pointers that you can easily implement in 15 minutes or less. Learn how to strategically and efficiently target your audience, create appealing visuals and plan your social media calendar in advance.
• Iâ€ll regularly share actionable tips in the group you can implement to generate better results from your social media marketing.
• Youâ€ll always be up-to-date. Youâ€ll have the latest information when a network adds new features or makes changes that could affect your business.
• SHORT (5-8 minute) webinars with tips, tricks and trends you can apply toward your own social media marketing. Topics include “How to write great professional bios,” “How to find your customers or clients online” and “The best tools to use for social media success.”
• Checklists to help you solidify your social media business strategy – and ongoing, up-to-date information to keep you successful moving forward.

Interested? Learn more about how to make the most of your social media marketing by joining TODAY!

The post Social Media Tips for Business Owners appeared first on Keppie Careers.

If you don’t know about Animal, you should! He runs the “greatest recruiting show on earth,” and he’s been doing it forever. He’s been podcasting since way before podcasting was “the thing to do.” When I first came on the social media scene, he was always very welcoming and supportive, and even invited me on his show. He was one of my early friends on Twitter, and one of the people who made using Twitter worthwhile for me.

My earliest memories of Animal include emails where he invited me to argue with him publicly online. He also gave me information about his research about LinkedIn for my first book.

On the outside, he’s a little….shall we say…abrasive, but he’s always there with an offer to help. In fact, Animal recently started his “good recruiter list.” He says, “There are…recruiters…working in the trenches who are good at what they do and could offer lots of good advice but they never turn up on these lists because they don’t work at creating a public profile. This Good Recruiter List is going to make them visible too.”

See, Animal is always lending a hand.

I’d share other nice exchanges I’ve had over the years, but I’m afraid Animal might yell at me for sounding too sentimental or mushy.

But, it’s safe to say he’s one of the good guys. Even though he may yell at you. He only yells because he cares.

Whether you’re a job seeker, a recruiter or anyone in the HR world, you should check out Animal and keep up with what he has to say. Look up Animal’s show and find him online…You won’t be sorry! And, please share and post about @Animal and #timsackettday. Spread the love!

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Running a business on the side can be a great way to supplement your income, but you want to be careful not to jeopardize your day job while you start your own business if you’re not ready to quit and be on your own full time.

Here’s a list of what not to do when you start your business if you want to be sure to keep your job:

Do not work on your side job while you are on the clock at your full-time job. This is a big “no no.” While it is challenging to accomplish everything you may want to do for your own business after hours, if you use company time, equipment or resources, you are asking for trouble. Use your lunch hour wisely and consider taking advantage of your vacation or leave time to manage important tasks for your side business that cannot be done after hours.

Even if you use a company phone or computer for personal use, do not use it for your side business, or you may be in legal hot water in the future.

Do not ignore non-compete agreements. Assuming your new business is related to what you do at work, be aware of any legal agreements you have with your current company. In the future, if your consulting business takes off, it’s best to make a clean break and maintain your relationship with your employer; you don’t want to gain a reputation of building your business on stolen clients. If you are lucky, the company where you worked will become a client, especially if you’re an essential employee they can’t do without.

Don’t forget to familiarize yourself with company policies regarding side businesses. Read your company’s manual. If there is a rule against having a side business, even if your business is not related to your current work, be prepared for the consequences. If you choose to move ahead and your new business is successful, it may be difficult to keep it a secret. On the other hand, if your side business does not compete or seem to interfere with your day job, you may face no resistance at all. Even if there is no rule against it, if you are building an empire similar to your current employer’s, and you can’t make a case for how your personal success helps the company, be prepared to be shown the door if your employer accidentally runs across your new website or reads an article about you online.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

Never share proprietary information from your current company to grow your own business. Can you say, “lawsuit?” You don’t want to launch your new business with the prospect of legal action against you. Be mindful of ethical rules as well as specific guidelines your current company expects you to adhere to so you won’t be in trouble later.

Don’t forget you can still look for opportunities to learn new things at work to help your future business. Plan ahead. It may be a long time before you are ready to leave your day job, or you may choose to continue to work for someone else while you maintain your business on the side. Think about how you can learn new skills while on-the-job. Volunteer for projects and position yourself to meet people who will be good contacts for you in the future.

Appeared on AOLJobs.com.

The post Avoid these mistakes when starting a side business appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Follow these eight steps to create an ebook you can use to market yourself:

1. Choose a topic
It sounds obvious, but this is probably your most important and crucial step. Choose a topic that is specific enough to showcase your expertise in your industry, but isn’t so niche that very few people would be interested in reading it. Remember, your goal is to demonstrate your expertise as it relates to the job or gigs you are trying to win, so keep focused on that concept when you identify your topic. How can you identify ideas and concepts that will interest your audience? Do your research. Visit all of the online sites for organizations where you want to work. Do they focus on any topics in your realm of expertise? View details from your professional conferences online – especially national events that bring in big-name speakers. What are the keynote topics for your professional associations? What obstacles will experts discuss and try to solve? Those problems are great fodder for your ebook. If you can provide useful information, advice and solutions for people in your field, you likely have a great ebook topic.

2. Identify what others say about your topic.
Google is a great resource, as you can search for what other people have written about your topic. Decide if you agree or disagree and take a stand. Then, incorporate specifics into your ebook that will help other people who want to solve the same problem.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

3. Plan what you want to say.
There’s nothing worse than an ebook without a point. Make sure you choose a topic with a clear focus and don’t stray from the topic. When you write something too general or unfocused, your ebook won’t help you demonstrate your expertise. Write your thesis statement or title and outline what you have to say to prove your point. Consider listing out chapter titles in the form of an outline. If the concept of a book overwhelms you, consider focusing on one chapter at a time, but never lose sight of the big picture.

4. Have a target length in mind.
Once you know what you want to say, you should be able to identify how long a book you want to write. Be realistic, but keep in mind, if you want a significant product at the end, you’ll need to write many thousands of words. Don’t obsess about the length, but when you have a goal in mind, it will help you keep on track.

How should you determine your length? Your book should be short enough to inspire people to read it, but long enough to make the point that you know what you’re talking about, can organize your ideas effectively and have a solution to the problem you’re addressing.

5. Organize your time.
It’s unlikely you’ll finish an ebook of any worth without allocating time and dedicating your time and resources to keeping pace to finish before it’s time to start to re-research topical concerns in your field. If possible, allot time every day to write, or select bigger chunks of time and write every other day. When you put your book aside and come back to it after more than a week, you’ll need to spend time getting reacquainted with what you wrote, and you’ll waste time you could otherwise spend putting more words on the page.

6. Ask someone to review and edit your work.
Before you publish anything for other people to read, make sure it’s well written and not peppered with typos and errors. It’s difficult to self-edit, as you’ll likely miss mistakes you initially introduced. If you can’t afford to hire a professional editor, ask a talented friend to review it.

7. Select a format.
Once your ebook is ready for readers, you’ll need to get it into a format that makes it easy to distribute and share. There are many options for ebook publishers and choices you’ll need to make regarding formats and distribution channels. While you want the book to be attractive (having a professionally designed cover always makes a book stand out), you want to focus on the content first. Consider getting started with steps one through 5 and when you are comfortable with what you write, begin to explore options to make sure your finished product will look professional.

8. Let people know about your book.
Include information about your ebook in all of your job search marketing materials. Include a mention in your resume and incorporate details in your online profiles. When you are using an ebook to help market you for a job, it’s best to share it widely and make it available for free. Upload it to your LinkedIn profile, have a link to find it in your email signature and offer to send it to networking contacts who may be interested in the topic.

If your book is impressive and contains useful and actionable ideas, you are likely to get somejob leads as a result.

More from Miriam Salpeter
Traits of most valuable employees
How to make a great impression at work
Best employee qualities

Originally appeared at AOLJobs.com.

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True job security does not exist. Even government workers, long considered “safe,” have begun to experience the layoffs and uncertainty long common in other fields. Creating new income streams for yourself is prudent, forward thinking and goal-worthy. However, until you are able to be self-sufficient with your MOXIE gig, you don’t want to endanger your day job.

Here are some tips for anyone thinking of starting a business while currently employed:

Do not work on your side job while you are on-the-clock at your full-time job. 
This should go without saying, but depending what you’re trying to do, it can be difficult to accomplish all of the tasks for your business after hours. Use your lunch hour wisely and consider taking advantage of your vacation or leave time to manage important tasks for your side business. Depending on what type of business you are growing, you may find yourself in legal hot water if you planned your successful side gig on company time or property. Be careful not to use any company equipment or resources when you are growing your new business.

Be alert to non-compete rules you may need to consider. 
It’s not wise to grow your side business at work with the plan to steal clients from your existing company and quit, although clearly, people do this all of the time. Ideally, you’ll be able to make a clean break when you are ready and maintain a strong relationship with your current company. In many cases, the company will become your first client, especially if you’re an essential employee.

Don’t ignore the possibility that you can grow a passion or interest business on the side that has nothing to do with your current employer. MOXIEs in that situation often have an easier time maintaining both their 9-to-5 and traditional job.

Never share proprietary information from your current company to grow your own business. 
Can you say, “lawsuit?” You don’t want to launch your new business with the prospect of legal action against you. Be mindful of ethical rules as well as specific guidelines your current company expects you to adhere to so you won’t be in trouble later.

Look for opportunities to learn new things at work to help your future business. 
There’s nothing wrong with volunteering for projects or asking to take classes that may help you in your future endeavors. Be alert to ways that you can put yourself in situations that benefit you as an employee and may also help propel your own business later. It’s up to you to seek out these win-win opportunities. You’ll be glad you did when you’re able to solve a problem on your own or can rely on your past work experiences to handle an issue when you’re working for yourself.

Tap into social networks. 
In Social Networking for Business Success, we explain in-depth how employees can use social media to help them effectively grow their networks and business opportunities. Key things to remember: social media is free, you can use it at all hours of the day or night – including early in the morning and after work hours – and it allows you to easily tap into resources and information that can help you grow your business.

Use tools such as a personal blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ to demonstrate your expertise and meet new people. It’s not easy, and there is no magic wand, but you don’t need a million fans; all it takes is a few great contacts who are willing to take a chance on you to launch a new business endeavor.

Save your extra money. 
You may need that income if you unexpectedly need to leave your current job, so if possible, plan to create a fund that will help you more easily leave your day job if that becomes necessary.

Be aware that your successful side business won’t be a secret for long. 
While it’s possible to grow something without people finding out your plans, once you begin to succeed as a MOXIE, expect you’ll need to face your employer and come clean about your moonlighting. Be aware of company policies regarding earning income outside of office hours, and be prepared to answer questions about whether or not you are using company materials or property to grow your side business.

If having a business puts your full-time position in danger, be prepared to face the consequences. You may want to have a heart-to-heart with your boss before people start gossiping about your side gig around the office. Keep in mind, if your side business does not compete or seem to interfere with your day job, you may face no resistance at all. If you are building an empire similar to your current employer’s, and you can’t make a case for how your personal success helps the company, be prepared to be shown the door if your employer accidentally runs across your new website or reads an article about you online.

More advice:
Quitting your job? 10 things to do before you leave
Break out of your job search rut
3 reasons employers won’t hire overqualified candidates

Originally published on AOLJobs.com.

The post How to start a business on the side while working appeared first on Keppie Careers.

1. The sheer number of independent projects. According to MBO Partners’ Third Annual Independent Workforce Report, up to 50 percent of the private workforce in this country will be employer independent, that is, providing services as free agents to more than one client. With this level of projected growth, workers can assume a greater volume of work will be emancipated from full-time positions and into project roles, creating sustainable opportunities for those who go solo.

2. Independents can work from anywhere. Location is not a barrier. The proliferation of mobile and Internet-enabled work led to an environment where contractors can safely and securely work from any location, emancipating workers from the need to sit at a desk to perform knowledge services. Zaino notes: “This, in turn, led to a virtualization of work, a trend that when placed alongside the projected growth of the project economy, leads to an even greater sustainable stream of work services independent of full-time roles.”

3. Independent workers are not specific to any generation or age group. Independent workers come from all demographic age groups, and are split 50-50 between men and women, suggesting this is not a niche trend, but a role that those in all age groups find appealing for different reasons. Some independent workers appreciate the flexibility they earn when taking on contract work, and others recognize that cultivating different sources of income can actually be more stable and secure than drawing a paycheck from one company.

4. Support for independents is growing and thriving. “There are a host of innovative solutions and systems supporting the rise of solo workers, including health care, insurance, marketplace tools and co-working facilities that are joining together to make it fun and easier to be an independent professional,” Zaino explains. As more people earn their livings as freelance workers, both social and technical support communities grow to help enhance the independent worker community.

5. Social media tools make it easy to showcase expertise and grow your network and business. Years ago, to start a business likely required an actual storefront and a large marketing budget to get the word out about your services. Today, social networking tools such as LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook make it easy for any expert to highlight what he or she knows to an exponential number of people. Potential freelancers and independent contractors can use these networks to indicate they are well-versed in their fields. With a focused effort, motivated professionals can become go-to thought leaders in their fields simply by connecting with the right people online and sharing useful news and information.

6. Independents won’t go back. Zaino says: “Regardless of the reasons they chose independent work in the first place, the majority of independents won’t go back to traditional roles, even if they face challenges being out on their own.” The MBO Partners’ report reveals only 1 in 7 independent workers ever wishes to return to traditional employment, and most are overwhelmingly satisfied with their current work life.

“The average independent has already spent 10 years in this work style,” Zaino explains. “Together, this successful and satisfied self-employed cohort is contributing $1.17 trillion to the economy, and hiring (via contract work) the equivalent of 2.5 million full-time workers. Further, 14 percent want to not just stay independent but go on to build a bigger business, suggesting the self-employed are the country’s economic engine.”

Consider pursing freelance opportunities; you may find they’re satisfying ways to earn a living.

Originally published on U.S. News & World Report.

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You’re in good company. Surveys indicate that the freelance workforce will continue to grow in the next decade; it may be the perfect job for you. According to Intuit, by 2020 more than 40 percent of the workforce will be freelancing. Temporary placement service provider, Adecco, predicts temporary workers will eventually comprise 25 percent of the global workforce as employers replace many jobs with contract workers. Mavenlink says that the number of self-employed, independent service firms, “solopreneurs” and temporary workers will grow to approximately 65 million American workers by 2020.

There’s no time like the present. If you get started by creating a business now, you will be ahead of the curve and therefore more competitive for opportunities now and in the future. Companies prefer to hire contractors who are set up as official businesses with websites and processes in place that help them function as independent businesses. Even if you are not sure that you want to start your own business and be your own boss, if you begin to create a digital footprint, including your website and social media content demonstrating your expertise, you will be ready to attract interest and attention online when and if you do need to rely on freelancing for your income.

Multiple income streams are all the rage. You can’t assume one employer will be there for the long haul. If you work for one company, organization or person and you lose your job for any reason, all of your financial eggs are in one basket. When you cultivate a variety of bosses and projects, you don’t lose everything when one company or industry goes sour.

Stretch your geographical limits. In many cases, freelancers work remotely and do not have to worry about location concerns or traffic. As an independent worker, you may be doing work one day for a client in Los Angeles and the next day for someone in Boston -– all from your home base in the Midwest.

Tap your creative juices. When you freelance, you have more opportunities to follow different professional paths. By necessity, you’ll probably need to take on a lot of roles yourself: chief marketer, IT expert, financial officer. You name it, when you freelance, at first, it’s probably your job. This is great for people who felt trapped in one role in a traditional job and for anyone who loves learning new things.

Win flexibility. When you freelance, you decide what jobs and projects to take on and you set your own schedule in many cases. For example, unless you need a lot of interaction with clients, you may be able to work late at night and have flexibility to do other things during the day. While you may initially accept any work to generate income, eventually, your goal will be to control your own schedule and work stream. When you are successful, you will spend more time doing work you enjoy.

More from Miriam Salpeter:
How to launch a new business online
Break out of your job search rut
3 reasons employers won’t hire overqualified candidates

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

The post Why you should freelance appeared first on Keppie Careers.

It’s not always easy to start thinking about a new business when you’re working full time. After eight years in the Navy, Vinay Chadha transitioned to a civilian job in Veteran Affairs at the Office of the Inspector General, but always had plans to open his own business. When he came across Maui Wowi Hawaiian, a coffee and smoothie company, he began cold calling local venues, and was offered a vendor contract to sell at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Since Chadha was only a franchisee for three months, he didn’t have so much as a blender. He had to quickly acquire two more mobile carts, hire employees and purchase products, all while staying afloat at work. Now he operates his franchise at least three times a month at Qualcomm.

Chadha suggests the following for those considering starting a business while already employed.

1. Be prepared for the unexpected. Chadha found himself needing to purchase extra supplies to meet the demand at the stadium. You never know when you’ll need extra capital to fulfill orders or to take advantage of an opportunity. Sometimes, time will be the resource you need, not money. Do what you can to plan ahead, but consider saving up your vacation time in case you need it to take care of a project on the fly.

2. Find a business model that is compatible with your lifestyle. “I think one of the worst decisions potential business owners can make is to invest in a business that they are not truly passionate about,” Chadha says. Since you’ll spend a lot of your free time, not to mention money, growing your business, you want to choose carefully before jumping in with two feet. “Additionally, it just makes good business sense as you will be more involved and motivated to make your business succeed,” he notes.

3. Tap into the Small Business Administration and other small business owner resources. Chadha suggests accessing resources via SCORE, a nonprofit business counseling association. If you’re a veteran, there may be additional resources targeted to you. The SBA provides a wealth of information anyone considering owning a business would benefit from knowing.

4. Have realistic expectations. No one said owning a business is easy. Once you launch your new venture, you essentially hire yourself (at least at first) to handle everything that needs to be done. You’re the IT support, chief marketer and customer service specialist. It can be difficult to effectively manage all of these roles, so you’ll need to try to pace yourself until you get a firm handle on your customers and their needs and gain access to the resources you need to serve them. “Research, patience, hard work, drive and persistence will always be a business owners most valuable assets,” Chadha explains. “You may not see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe me as a new business owner that is the way I sometimes feel.” Your investment will eventually pay for itself if you put the time, effort and energy needed into it.

5. Have a plan with an end goal in mind. As simple as it may sound, knowing where you want to be and having a road map to get there is extremely important, Chadha says. Don’t be the business owner that has a fully functioning ship in the middle of the ocean with no navigation system. Your plan should include consulting your networking contacts and making sure to extend yourself to your network as a resource at the same time that you may ask for help. When you coordinate your goals and your activities, you’ll succeed much more quickly than if you try to wing it.

Originally appeared in U.S. News & World Report.

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