The U.S. freelance industry is booming.
The survey found that they prefer the terms independent worker or self-employed.
Its a career choice.
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How to Cash In on the Freelance Economy
Want a piece of that $1 trillion pie?
Heres how to get your footing in the freelance industry.
Build a Portfolio on Freelance Websites
In the budding stages of your freelance career?
You may be most comfortable with freelance platforms, which make it easier to find clients.
And thats a big pain point for those new to the industry, Laura Poole told The Penny Hoarder.
Poole is a non-fiction editor with more than two decades of full-time freelance experience.
She trains other freelancers at conferences and workshops across the nation.
They compound in the long term when a lack of traditional benefits and quarterly taxes are taken into consideration.
Upwork is one of the best-known sites, but it isnt the only one.
Thetop freelance websitesinclude Fiverr, Freelancer and Guru.
All have similar service fees that run between 10% and 20% of each project.
web link Through Professional Organizations
Freelancing is all about networking, Poole says.
The more people you know, the less youre beholden to the ever-growing fees of freelance websites.
Figure out who your ideal client is, she said.
Then go directly to your clients.
Several industries popular with freelancers have national organizations, such as theAmerican Advertising Federationand theSociety of Professional Journalists.
Each organization has local chapters that host events and offer resources to members.
Their websites often post niche jobs and freelance opportunities as well.
Numerous apps specialize in flexible, service-industry work.
The most popular gigs include ridesharing, delivering packages or food and running errands around town.
The Penny Hoarder writes extensively about gig apps.
While theyre not as comprehensive as the freelance platforms, they do compile freelance jobs… for free.
If all else fails, theres always the old-fashioned way, of course.
A cold pitch never hurt anyone.
So find a business or publisher in your field and send them an email.
A polite, cold email can get good results, Poole said.
Thats likely because freelancers tend to be young and highly educated.
Finding Health Care
Health care access for freelancers has been a major issue for years.
In the U.S., employers are major providers of private health insurance.
Working Outside the 9-to-5
Flexibility is surely one of the largest draws to the freelance lifestyle.
But for 46% of freelancers, that flexibility is a lifeline.
Some disabled workers end up in the gig economy not always by choice.
The survey found that 60% of freelancers, a solid majority, are in the field by choice.
But the flipside means that 40% of freelancers are doing so out of necessity.
Relying on income from inconsistent gig or freelance work could be financially dangerous in the long-term.
Rideshare drivers, for example, may love the ability to take fares whenever they want.
Just mind the growing pains.
Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
He specializes in ways to make money that dont involve stuffy corporate offices.
Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.
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