Got skills? Get Paid!

Got Skills? Get Paid!Thriving ON part-time, Freelance and Temporary work
Carrie Netzer Wajda, Independent Info Pro & Freelance Writer

You are not alone!
14.6 million are currently unemployed.
The jobless rate is 9.5%.
2.6 million marginally attached to the labor force.

Long-Term Employment Trends
Spiraling health care costs suppress wages even in good times
Shift away from pensions to defined benefit retirement plans (aka, 401k – you shoulder the risk)
Businesses only want to pay for the services they will actually use (the “just in time” economy)
Sounds awful, right?

Freelance (aka, self-employment)
Part-time
Contract/Temporary/Project-based
Combination of any of the above
Good news: You have options.

Thinking About Self-Employment?
Join the club!
“On average 2,356 people go into business for themselves every day. Their firms account for 78 percent of U.S. businesses and $951 billion in receipts.”
This data is from 2007. That’s pre-recession.

Horizontal: Creatively apply your skills to nontraditional areas.
Vertical: How do I get back on the career ladder?
Think horizontally about your skills – not vertically.

Think Outside the Career Path
What have I already done?
What am I good at?
What are my interests?
Education, training, work experience
Research, customer service, organizing, unicycle tricks, crafts – everything counts!
Groups, associations, friends

Ideas For Librarians and Library Staff
Research services. Love digging for answers? Know how to find things fast? Businesses need your skills!
Organization. People have more Stuff than they know what to do with. Help them figure it out – and get paid!
Artistic or technical skills. Can you design websites? Nearly half of small businesses don’t have websites! Help them market their wares and services – and make bank!

Freelance or Part Time…or Both?
Find your own clients
Pay your own taxes (including all of your Social Security tax)
Work virtually, from home, according to your own schedule
Usually on-site
Less flexible schedule
Sometimes non-traditional hours (weekends, evenings)
Reliable
Freelance
Part Time

Contract, Temporary & Project Work
Contract – usually set hours, onsite.
Temporary – just like a regular job, only sans benefits in most cases.
Project work – a set project with a specific timeline for completion. Make sure the budget and timeline are reasonable!

Thriving on Multiple Income Streams
Combining part-time, freelance and passive income streams can smooth your income and reduce the risk of losing any single client.
Find an “anchor client” that covers your monthly bills.
Part-time work – can be contract/temporary/project
Freelance projects – more lucrative, but variable in intensity
Passive income streams – can be websites, books, digital media

Making It Work
Get frugal:
Cut expenses
Eliminate debt
Track spending
Organize your finances
Find support

Why It’s Worth It

Finding Clients
Tell everyone you know that you are in business.
Publish that article/story/book you’ve always wanted to finish.
Attend local business meetings and professional events.
Establish a web presence, but don’t overlook offline opportunities.
Networking is just telling people you meet what you do.

Managing Money
“Treat yourself the way a good employer would treat you.”
– The Money Book for Freelancers, p. 110

Selected Resources:
Building & Running A Successful Research Business, 2nd ed. Mary Ellen Bates. Information Today, 2010.
The Money Book For Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed. Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan. Three Rivers Press, 2010.
Web resources:
Association of Independent Information Professionals www.aiip.org
Freelancers Union www.freelancersunion.org
Full list available at www.writetocarrie.com/blog

Got skills? Get Paid!

by Carrie Netzer Wajda

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