So I have developed a Tiktok addiction. I never paid much mind to the platform for the longest time but a friend lured me on it and I was hooked. Aside from the dances, trends and all the rest, there are some really good creators sharing their experience and knowledge. The skill-sharing ranges from content creation all the way to self-help and I came across a creator called Jamie Brindle (@thejamiebrindle) who drops gem after gem if you are starting out in freelancing.
Freelance work is taking over and it’s not just because of the pandemic and remote work. The traditional employment model is coming apart at the seams because people want to be their own boss and be in charge of their own destinies. A study by Upwork late last year found that 36% of the United States workforce are freelancers and this trend looks like it will continue.
Amid a global recession, the freelance workforce remains an essential pillar of the U.S. economy: Freelancers contributed $1.2 trillion dollars to the U.S. economy in annual earnings – a 22% increase since 2019.
More professionals are freelancing full-time: The share of independent professionals who earn a living freelancing full time has increased 8 percentage points to 36% since 2019.
Upwork
And in Zimbabwe, I think its safe to say freelancing and side gigs are a way of life. It might not be in the traditional sense but we have been adapting to what the economy has thrown at us. So back to Jamie Brindle, he posts videos about scenarios that many Zimbabweans have found themselves in. Below is an example about how you can approach quoting your clients.
On top of this he wrote a book/guide called “Freelancer’s Guide to Client Conversations” that is only three pages long but I found it super useful if you are a freelancer or starting your own business. The true beauty of Jamie’s book is the pithiness to which it tackles matters. Its sort of like when you are talking to your mentor and they give you an example of what they would say from their experience in a similar situation.
Since the book is so short, I won’t give anything away and the good thing is that its free and you can get a copy with the link here.
You should also check out
- Local freelance startup becomes Zim’s first to graduate from US incubator
- 5 Freelance Work-From-Home challenges I didn’t anticipate (and how you can prepare for them)
- Local startup launches freelance job site Get Paid
- AfriBlocks, a Pan-African freelance marketplace & collaboration platform
Cover Image Credit: Free Code Camp
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