There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what social media marketing is and what it does out there. For a beginner (whether that’s a new business owner or someone who’s been in business for years) it can be overwhelming to the point of getting tossed into a back corner as “something I’ll look into later when I have the time and energy.”
I just read an article discussing how scammers – you know, those incredibly persistent and enthusiastic people who could probably be millionaires if they put their time and energy into something … I don’t know … legal – well they’ve now turned their attention to freelancers. The article details a growing trend of scammers stealing a real freelancer’s information using sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, websites, associations, etc. and then creating a bogus account on freelance sites like Upwork and Freelancer using that information (including a real picture of the freelancer they stole the information about). I don’t really understand how the scam works though. I know with Upwork a business can dispute if the actual work is not being done and not pay the scammer. The article doesn’t detail how the scam works, if the phony is just trying to get access to the business information and does their damage there or if they’re actually getting paid for work not done. Regardless, as a freelancer keep a close eye on your name/image and brand to make sure it has not been stolen. And for business owners looking to hire a freelancer, make sure you do your homework before hiring someone. […]
Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming. – Richard Branson
There are some statistics coming out now that are not a good sign for freelancers – PRWeek’s study found that half of freelancers are considering throwing in the towel as they’ve lost 60% of their income. (Source: https://www.prweek.com/article/1679652/coronavirus-impact-half-freelancers-consider-quitting-lost-least-60-per-cent-income) On the other end of the spectrum, Fortune writes that, “Remote work could become the norm – Upwork and the Freelancer’s Union believe that the majority of the U.S. workforce will be freelance as soon as 2027. As the new work-from-home reality of corona virus leaves its mark, we could find that number growing even more quickly.” (Source: https://fortune.com/2020/04/15/freelancers-coronavirus-stimulus-package-freelance-work-covid-19-impact-predictions/ ) From my perspective, as owner of two complimentary yet completely different business models, it’s been … an interesting challenge. My speaker company, Free Speaker Bureau, has taken a pretty devastating hit from the pandemic – events are canceled or delayed, there is still so much uncertainty about where things will stand months from now that everything is pretty much on hold currently. At this point it’s a negative balance on the books and if this was my sole source of income, I’d be in trouble. My virtual assistant company, Create 2 Sell, on the other hand has seen both a decline and […]