This document discusses various aspects of freelancing and consulting as a solo practitioner. It outlines different crowdsourcing platforms that individuals can use to find work such as design tasks, transcription, data entry, and content monitoring. It also notes that 39% of self-employed workers are completely satisfied compared to 28% of salaried workers. Additionally, it discusses co-working spaces that provide temporary offices and services targeted towards freelancers and solopreneurs, as well as strategies for building networks, finding clients, and managing the financial requirements of independent work.

1. THE GIG WORLD A.D. Frazier LLC

2. What is Crowdsourcing? Crowdsourcing enables users of INDIVIDUALS to go to communities and offer specific tasks from a pool of on-line workers. Source: Startups

3. Logo, Graphic and Website Design Crowd-Spring.com 99designs.com Product Redesign RedesignMe.com Transcription CastingWords.com Source: Startups

4. Data Entry and Other Similar Tasks Amazon Mechanical Turk (mturk.com) Voiceovers Voice123.com Source: Startups

5. Monitoring photos uploaded online to ensure that sites don’t have copyrights violated or offensive photos posted. CrowdFlower.com Source: Startups

6. Who is Satisfied? 39% of self-employed workers are completely satisfied with their jobs compared to 28% of salaried workers. Approximately 11% of the 16+ million workers in U.S. are self-employed, and that percentage is expected to change in the next decade. 4% of workers under 30 are self-employed. 15% of workers 50-64 are self-employed. 25% of workers over 65 are self employed. Self-employed workers have satisfaction of being “the Boss” but are not immune from financial stress. Source: Pew Research 2009

7. Freelancing Your Talent Approach employers as a specialist with a talent and desire to work on certain types of projects. Don’t make them guess how to use your skills. Tell them. Be specific. Approach multiple users of your services not “applying for a job” but offering to do a “project”. Small firms are more likely hot spots. Cold Call. Offer to work part time or in peak periods. Source: Startups

8. Freelancing Your Talent Be buttoned up on the requirements of working independently. Know the various forms of temporary employment and the financial risks to you AND an employer for drifting outside the lines. Business.gov or call BOTH. Both will provide the advice for free. Employers are more likely to deploy a “compliant” independent worker than one whose status is uncertain. Create a “website brochure”. Use the social media. Best for business is Linkedin. (opinion) Inexpensive, and absence from this forum sends a message in itself. Source: Startups

10. www.conjunctured.com (Austin, TX)

11. www.Hiveat55.com (Manhattan)Google for locale. Prices range from $20/month for 5 hours to $2,000 per month for unlimited use. Source: Startups

12. Consulting / Solo Practitioner Need a contact list Consider pro-bono work to get references. Become an “expert” – focus Build network of expert advisors to support your business so that you don’t have to. (BOTH can bundle) Ask Professional Resources (Attorneys, Accountants, Tax Advisors, etc.) for references and referrals. Source: Startups

13. Consulting / Solo Practitioner Young Firms among the fastest growing generate 10% of all new jobs (Kauffman foundation). Small companies hire consultants regularly. Less bureaucracy than large firms who have “approved vendor” lists. Particularly fast growing: biotech, financial services, healthcare and not-for-profit. Find them on the web and call them. Source: Startups

14. Consulting / Solo Practitioner Realize that there really is a “digital divide” between younger wage-earners and wage-earners over 50. It takes the latter group 7-10 weeks longer to find another “job” than the younger cohort. Boomers are the new entrepreneurs. The number of people ages 55-64 who started businesses increased 36% in 2008. In all more than 80% of all startups in 2008 were by people 40 years and older. Source: Startups

15. Consulting / Solo Practitioner Realize: 20% failure rate… but that means 80% SUCCEED Source: Startups

16. THANK YOU – Q&A A.D. Frazier LLC