News & Events

The Age Of Self-Employment – Could You Work For Yourself?

There was once a time when the self-employed were considered to be a minority. They were either the entrepreneurs with their big companies and multi-millions, or they were smaller, white-van-man type characters just moving where the work took them, one job at a time.

However, the financial crisis changed all that. Now self-employment has become a normal form of employment. Many who found themselves out of work had no other option but to go out and find what bits of work they could. Now, as the economy recovers, those with niche skills are now enjoying the freedom of being able to pick and choose their next project, getting the chance to work with businesses on key projects for short term periods in consulting roles.

Want to try your hand at self-employment? Here’s what you need:

Skills

Skills are one of the main reasons that employers are now looking to employ people on a freelance basis. They can access valuable skills as and when they are needed without having to offer a full-time contract and all the added tie-ins.

Areas such as marketing, particularly digital and social media marketing, and content creation for online use are popular when it comes to freelance work. Being able to craft website or blog content and create marketing strategies for use online are profitable skills to have.

An Understanding of Technology

Technology plays a large role in this new self-employment trend.

Meeting the new contacts that lead to projects is largely done through the internet. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn are vital for those looking to put themselves out there to find new projects. Check out our recent article on using LinkedIn to find work.

There are also work-finding platforms such as PeoplePerHour.com that allow people from around the world to share their skills or the projects they need working on. These sites offer a safe, protected way for people to find genuine skilled workers and for freelancers to ensure they get paid for the work they do.

Working for yourself does have its risks and downfalls, as does any job, but in the post-recession climate more and more companies are looking to protect themselves from having to make further redundancies. This means bringing in the skills they need when they need them, making self-employment the best option for making an income.