Tag Archives: find a freelancer

Earning a self employed income is easier than you think…

With an increase in UK unemployment figures last week, it is good to know that as a counter measure the number of self-employed workers is on the increase, showing the determination of those who are unemployed to survive, while also illustrating the fact that earning an income is easier than most people think.

With many companies increasingly having to cut fixed headcount numbers through redundancies, many of those who find themselves unemployed are seeking out their own work, opting for self-employment and freelancing instead.

Official figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics revealed a significant increase in the number of people who have chosen to become self-employed and take on freelance projects over the past few months; more than 100,000 people took on self-employed status during this period of time, taking the total number of independent workers in the UK to 4.2 million, according to a report by the BBC.

A separate report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also stated that people from a much wider array of backgrounds and occupations had now turned to self-employment than in previous years.

Online marketplaces allow freelancers to sign up and search for work, which is advertised by companies seeking to outsource business functions to freelancers rather than employee fixed in-house teams. Last year was a particularly buoyant year for freelance marketplaces, as both the demand for freelance services increased , as companies look for flexible staffing solutions, coupled with an increase in the supply of freelancers operating within the UK.

Outsourcing business functions to freelancers has been a lifesaver for many companies in 2011, with this trend towards outsourcing looking likely to continue in 2012.

One outsourcing website in particular that has reaped the benefits of this increase in demand is OutsourceMyProject. With over £1 million worth of projects posted onto the site over the past 12 months, the business is looking forward to what 2012 will bring for them.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of Outsource My Project said: “We are expecting the demand for freelance staff to continue increasing this year, as companies continue to cut fixed overheads and permanent staff numbers, and instead turn to outsourcing business functions to more flexible freelance professionals.”

“OutsourceMyProject offers the perfect marketplace for freelancers and businesses to connect. Businesses looking to find a freelancer or outsource business functions simply advertise their project, which becomes visible to the thousands of freelancers registered on our site who then submit their proposals to win the work.”

Further figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics showed that unemployment has continued to increase, especially in the three months to November, where it reached a total of 2.7 million.

The UK’s unemployment rate stood at 8.4% of the economically active population by the start of November, up 0.3% during the quarter and the highest its been since 1995.

The number of jobless young people between the ages of 16 and 24 also hit another record high, with there now being over 1 million people in this age group out of work.

Via EPR Network
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Increasing interest in mobile app development

The New Year has already brought about a noticeable increase in companies exploring the world of mobile app development, which is becoming an ever increasing way businesses connect with their customers.

This growing popularity of smartphones, and Android devices in particular, is undeniable, with data released last week by US web analytics firm Chitika Analytics revealing that in North America Android devices overtook Apple iOS handsets when it came to mobile web browsing, and is therefore one of the most popular operating systems that people buy into.

Ever since the very first smartphone came into the marketplace, there has always been criticism over the lack of available apps. However, with the mobile app development industry growing and technology ever-advancing, more apps are being launched with every coming week. Companies are now being forced to wonder what benefits they can reap by launching their own app.

The amount of interest developers have had in relation to mobile apps over the last few months is also as a result of an increasing number of businesses investing in new tablet computers. A new survey has recently claimed that it is not just personal use which is fueling the tablet market, as more companies than ever before will invest in several tablet devices for their workplace during 2012.

According to the NPD Group, 73% of companies in America with less than 1,000 employees plan to buy tablet computers over the next few months, showing that it’s not only large organisations investing in such devices. A significant amount of companies have also spoken of their want to invest in iPads in particular.

Not only is this level of interest keeping developers who specialise in mobile app development busy, but it’s also creating a significant amount of additional jobs for freelance developers. This, coupled with the fact that more and more smartphones running the Android operating system are being launched, things look set to only get busier.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject, a marketplace helping UK customers find a freelancer (e.g. freelance web designers and freelance graphic designers), said: “We have witnessed a significant increase in the number of projects being posted on our outsourcing website by those wanting a mobile app for their business. Furthermore, there has been a similar increase in freelancers registering to offer their mobile app development services. This is certainly a growing market and a mobile app is something every business should be considering for the near future.”

With the workloads of app developers likely to increase throughout the year, it’s no surprise that both developers in this market are getting their very own industry body. The idea for a dedicated industry body is being led by Jon Potter, the former executive director of the Digital Media Association. According to a report by Info World, the aim is to establish an organization that can lobby on behalf of app developers, promoting their interests, while at the same time increasing collaboration, improving education and providing shared product-testing facilities.

Jon Potter, the former Executive Director of the Digital Media Association is leading the idea and said: “Our thought now is that there’s an interesting space in the application developer community that isn’t really organised. We’re going to be at the meetups all around the country, we’re going to be at conferences, we’re going to be talking to folks, we’re going to be polling people.”

Via EPR Network
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OutsourceMyProject Breaks The £1million Barrier

OutsourceMyProject, a UK web based marketplace which allows businesses to outsource work and business functions to freelancers and professionals in the UK and aboard, has just broken a major barrier after having £1 million worth of projects posted on the website since its launch.

OutsourceMyProject launched at the start of 2011 and has already helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses find a freelancer in service categories such as web design, e-commerce, graphic design, copywriting and administrative support.

OutsourceMyProject is a marketplace which connects skilled professional freelancers and professional service providers with UK businesses seeking to use their services. The website can be used to find and work with a variety of experts from web designers to translators, graphic designers to accountants.

Customers simply post their job on the OutsourceMyProject website, which is completely free of charge, and then receive proposals from experts within hours. The site provides the platform to evaluate and manage service providers with concerns over ability and experience of providers being mitigated by the websites comprehensive feedback and rating system. Furthermore, OutsourceMyProject.com also provides a range of web-based tools to ensure confidence in the execution of your project. These include an online payment platform, project management facility and messaging system to ensure open and clear communication between both parties, all within the safety of the OutsourceMyProject.com website.

Loren Holland, Managing Director OutsourceMyProject said: “Breaking the £1 million barrier within a year of launching the website is a major achievement and one we are all very proud of. This achievement is testament to the value proposition OutsourceMyProject offers small and SME businesses and the strength of the UK freelancing and outsourcing markets at the present time.”

The concept of outsourcing and the use of freelancers to provide essential business services have proved to be a lifeline for many companies over recent years, and this looks set to continue as we face a double dip recession. These difficult economic times have made it more important than ever for companies to tighten their purse strings and streamline their operations. Rather than employ new staff on a full-time basis, specific projects can be completed by freelancers, with exactly the right skills and experience, on flexible contracts.

The number of freelancers registering with OutsourceMyProject has tripled over the past six months. The website attracts everyone from unemployed skilled professionals looking to earn a primary source of income to retired workers and students looking to supplement their income. The website is becoming an essential platform for the UK freelance market, helping them connect with businesses seeking their skills and expertise.

One early customer looking to find a freelance web designer on OutsourceMyProject was Manchester based Edge Worldwide Logistics. Director Philip Edge said: “We posted our job on OutsourceMyProject and received over 20 offers to redevelop our company website from specialists in the UK, India and other offshore locations, all at a significantly lower price than I had budgeted for.”

Via EPR Network
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How To Survive A Double Dip Recession

With a double dip recession looking likely, businesses are streamlining themselves more than ever before, in an attempt to ensure the struggling economy doesn’t cause the closure of their business.

Cutting everything from staff head counts to workloads, businesses are keen to reduce costs by re-thinking their everyday operations and processes. One example of the type of change being made by businesses is that they are reducing the number of fixed staff they employ, and are instead working with freelancers. With freelancers working on flexible, short-term contracts, they are paid on a per work basis and are therefore not paid for the times when they aren’t needed, helping to minimise overheads.

Delegating work to freelancers in this way is called outsourcing, whereby an outsider is used to provide the product or service needed by the company in question. There are many different business functions that can be outsourced to freelancers, including everything from a company’s finance and account functions, to web design and other IT functions. Outsourcing work enables companies to cut their fixed overheads, by replacing in-house teams with third party organisations and/or freelancers.

The recent economic climate has resulted in potentially the strongest freelance market ever, with many professionals offering their services on flexible contracts, as these skilled individuals look to gain or supplement their income after losing their permanent job, or having their income reduced during these difficult financial times. With today’s society facing such economic uncertainty, freelance work can provide both greater stability and flexibility than a full-time job can offer, which is just one of many reasons working in this way is as popular as it is.

OutsourceMyProject is an ideal site to find freelancers and professional service providers who are capable of undertaking projects and business functions. Furthermore, the site provides a platform to not only find, but also evaluate and manage service providers and projects. Concerns over ability and experience of providers are mitigated by the websites comprehensive feedback and rating system. OutsourceMyProject also provides users with a safe payment escrow service to provide maximum protection to its users.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “Outsourcing is an increasingly popular concept and the benefits have the capability to protect a business during the potential double dip recession. It is essential to operate a streamline business in the current economic environment whilst also maintaining access to skilled professionals who can sustain a business’s front and back office functions. ”

He went on to say: “OutsourceMyProject is a website that connects businesses with freelancers and professional companies looking to offer their services. Customers post their jobs free of charge and receive offers from experts within hours. If you need a freelance web designer or freelance copywriter, to name just a few specialist categories, then we have hundreds of experts waiting to provide their services through OutsourceMyProject, at the most competitive rates. Best of all, posting a job to find a freelancer to complete work is completely free with no hidden costs.”

One recent customer of OutsourceMyProject was Midlands based firm Stephen Gaskets Ltd, who posted their search engine optimization (SEO) project. Rex Baynton the Managing Director of Stephens Gaskets Ltd, said: “We posted our project on OutsourceMyProject and within a few days had received over 20 offers and had appointed a freelance SEO expert. After just a matter of weeks we witnessed a drastic increase in orders via Google, as a result of the excellent work completed by the freelancer we appointed.”

Via EPR Network
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OutsourceMyProject Continues To Provide Freelancers With Work

Several months after first launching, the outsourcing website, OutsourceMyProject, is continuing to provide freelancers with work. Enabling many different businesses to have their work completed by skilled individuals, the work costs significantly less than it would do when sourced from a high street company, which is why the concept has really taken off.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “My business partner and I launched OutsourceMyProject with an aim of providing a platform for UK businesses to engage with the UK freelance workforce, whilst also providing UK businesses with the opportunity to outsource their workload to freelancers abroad.”

He went on to say: “With more freelancers signing up to the website every day, whilst an increasing number of businesses are also posting jobs onto the site, it’s thankfully going from strength to strength. At a time where unemployment rates are continually rising, OutsourceMyProject is the ideal marketplace for unemployed UK workers to not only offer their services, but to be able to put their skills to use and be paid for it too.”

With shocking figures released today by the BBC, a record 1 in 5 people under the age of 24 are currently unemployed. Clearly backing the concept of outsourcing, and more specifically backing the purpose of outsourcing websites such as OutsourceMyProject, now is a great time for people out of work to be able to make money from home.

With a jobless rate of 8.3%, and a figure from October 2011 announcing that 1.6 million people are now claiming jobseeker’s allowance, the unemployment rate is the highest since 1996, whilst the total number of those who are unemployed is the highest since 1994.

To date, the concept of outsourcing professional services has been limited to large companies and organisations. However, OutsourceMyProject is a website that enables small and medium sized businesses, as well as entrepreneurs and individuals to be able to successfully find a freelancer and outsource business abroad.

Helping businesses to work within their ever-tightening budgets, OutsourceMyProject is a concept whereby significant cost savings are generated. This is most commonly through the outsourcing of work to low cost economies that have a highly talented skill base, such as various information technology roles and back office support roles to countries like India.

Freelancers firstly sign up to OutsourceMyProject, upon which they are then able to create a freelance profile and use the fair and transparent bidding process to secure the work that appeals to them, such as opportunities to become a freelance logo designer or as freelance graphic designers. With companies able to cherry pick the exact talent they’re looking for, and consequently choosing the freelancer they feel can carry out the job to the required standard, it’s a great way to build up strong working relationships, and is a concept that encourages competitive bidding from both UK and global providers.

With any cost saving method being essential in combating the ever-struggling economic climate in today’s society, it seems that outsourcing is an ideal concept not only for thriving businesses facing budget cuts, but also for companies who simply wouldn’t be able to survive without these savings in place.

OutsourceMyProject provides a sought-after service that helps UK businesses to cut fixed employment overheads whilst also cutting the costs of service providers too. For example, sourcing a competent web designer on OutsourceMyProject is considerably cheaper than sourcing someone at the same level from a high street company.

Thanks to the concept of outsourcing, the freelance jobs workforce is growing, with the possibility of working from home and making a living for yourself being much more of a reality today than it has ever been before. With the digital world growing too, as well as the increasing capabilities of technology continuing to pleasantly surprise us, perhaps this is the way of the future and something we will see a lot more of over the next year or so.

Via EPR Network
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Freelance Workers Are On The Increase

With an increasing number of companies struggling and having to make staff redundant and put recruitment on hold, it’s no surprise that more people are choosing to become freelancers, and that outsourcing the services they offer are in demand now more than ever before.

Simon DeGale is a freelance web designer who uses outsourcing marketplaces to source work. After leaving his full-time job in London to become a freelance web designer, Simon has never looked back. Not only does he now have an ideal work/life balance, but he also gets to spend time with his two young daughters; something he wasn’t able to do as much whilst working in London. Working in the freelance industry has also allowed him to take charge of his own workload and to secure exactly the type of work he wants to be doing.

One particular website Simon DeGale uses is OutsourceMyProject, a UK based platform that offers various different professional services within a freelance marketplace. To date the concept of outsourcing professional services has been limited to large companies and organisations, but OutsourceMyProject enables both small and medium businesses, as well as entrepreneurs and individuals to successfully outsource business both home and abroad.

OutsourceMyProject helps businesses decrease their costs significantly, through outsourcing work to freelancers and/or low cost economies that have highly talented skill bases. OutsourceMyProject works by offering both a transparent and competitive bidding process on each project, which results in competitive bidding from UK and global service providers.

With any savings that can be made being a lifeline for many companies at the moment, outsourcing is the ideal concept to use to make such savings. Companies and individuals that use OutsourceMyProject can perform their due diligence on each service provider by viewing each their unique profile and portfolio, along with analysing their ratings and feedback for past projects. With complete freedom and flexibility in customers appointing their preferred professionals, both parties are able to work on agreed terms.

With improved communication and technology making this type of work arrangement possible, freelancers are able to improve their offering. Last month’s employer survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), JobsOutlook, revealed that the UK economy has discouraged permanent employment, leading more business owners to seek freelance, contract and temporary workers instead.

According to the report, 83% of employers said that their use of temporary workers will rise or remain the same during the next year, whilst four out of five of them said this will happen within the next three months. Only 49% said they expect to add to their permanent workforce within the next 12 months, and this is compared to 66% in the previous month. However, short-term permanent recruitment expectations currently stand at 67%, compared to 74% previously.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “These figures show that employers are waking up to the wealth of flexible human resources available to them. Rather than take on new staff on a long-term or full-time basis, specific projects can be completed by sourcing people with exactly the right skills and experience for each task. Whether a business is large or small, or even if someone working alone is looking for one-off assistance with a particular project, it’s possible to find a freelancer to offer invaluable support.”

A report published at the end of 2009 by Enterprise Nation, in association with British Telecom, found there were more than 2.8 million businesses operating full time from home in the UK, which represents a 16% increase from the prior year. Furthermore, home businesses contribute around £284 billion to the annual UK economy. Technology was cited as a key factor in enabling people to start and grow a business from home, with 81% of the Enterprise Nation survey respondents stating that technology is critical to the success of their home business.

These improvements in internet access have lead to a dramatic increase in the number of company employees working from home. Businesses are more flexible to staff working from home given the improvements in technology and business tools which give staff full access to servers and files from their home, such as cloud computing and drop box application.

Via EPR Network
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OutsourceMyProject – An Essential Money-Saving Tool For Every Kind Of Business

With many businesses trying to carry out their everyday work with a limited budget, it’s no surprise that each day brings the unfortunate closure of another company, whether it be a struggling design company with an unmanageable workload, or a well-known company failing to make ends meet.

In today’s society, everything costs money, and these costs seem to always be on the increase, which makes every new day a struggle for many businesses. However, a company called OutsourceMyProject (OMP) looks set to turn everything around, with an aim of being an essential source of skilled labour and a money-saving tool for every kind of business, no matter how big or small.

Many companies would jump at the chance of being able to outsource some of their business functions to specialist service providers for a small fee, and that’s exactly what OMP allows businesses to do. As a result, over the past year a steady flow of companies have taken the time to learn about outsourcing, whilst also taking advantage of the benefits they themselves have been able to reap from the concept.

It’s no wonder that outsourcing marketplaces, such as OutsourceMyProject (OMP), have therefore helped to keep many companies afloat when they would have otherwise crumbled. OMP prides itself on helping businesses find specialists with the skills they require at an affordable rate, in what is undoubtedly a financially straining economy.

Cedar Falls Care Home, based in Walsall, is just one company that’s saved a significant amount of money by outsourcing their work through OMP, and has gone from strength to strength since first signing up to the website. Managing Director of Cedar Falls said: “We read about OutsourceMyProject in the news and thought it was a great way to find experts who could provide the services we needed at affordable rates. We loved the idea of posting one project and then sitting back and receiving multiple proposals in a competitive environment.

“We’ve used OutsourceMyProject to find several experts to help with projects; the main one being a web developer and SEO expert, who helped to build and promote our company website. We posted our project on OutsourceMyProject and within hours we received several great offers from experts in the UK, as well as other low cost economies, such as India. We went on to find a freelancer based in Wales, who built our website for 50% of our original budget!

“We’ve used OMP for the past 12 months now and have found freelance experts ranging from web developers, to PR consultants, and freelance graphic designers, who have all provided their services at a fraction of the price we were previously quoted from high street companies.”

During their time with OutsourceMyProject so far, Cedar Falls has not only found a website designer for just £350, compared to the high street quote of £1000, but they’ve also enlisted the help of a freelance logo designer, who turned out to be 83% cheaper than the quotes received from the high street. And, it’s not just a database of designers that OMP offers, as many content writers, admin support freelancers, and those with a solid understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) are registered on the site too, saving Cedar Falls 67%, 60%, and 50% respectively.

By realising the potential of OMP, Cedar Falls successfully found freelancers to fulfill their business needs; all for a total cost that would only have paid for a website design on the high street. It’s no surprise that through using OMP, Cedar Falls have saved a total of 64% to date.

The case study of Cedar Falls illustrates how OMP can not only help businesses directly, but it’s also an aid in helping entrepreneurs to launch their business ideas at a significant saving. OMP makes it both easier and cheaper for business ventures to be launched, whilst also providing companies with what is sure to become a essential aid.

Through OMP, businesses can not only find the most suitable professionals to complete their work, but they can also make all-important savings along the way. In turn, this has allowed businesses to consequently become leaner, whilst also making it feasible for them to reduce their overheads, through the use of both freelance and online workers. This is, of course, perfect not only in a difficult economic climate, but perfect for the digital world as a whole, paving the way of the future.

Via EPR Network
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