April 24, 2008
photo credit: JohnSeb
This is a business about helping other businesses use technology to get their work done faster and cheaper.
System analysts help business owners assess and buy the hardware and software needed to make an organization run more efficiently.
A systems analyst is part computer technician, part accountant, and part networking guru.
You help businesses look at all their computer needs. As with most freelance businesses, you can choose to focus in different areas.
For example, as bandwidth costs decrease, more and more companies are switching to VoIP (Voice over IP) phone systems. I know this because I too am looking at these systems as an option.
As a VoIP systems analyst, you could work with companies to find the best fit for their budgets. The price tag for these types of systems are all over the place—from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Another option is to work with smaller companies that are in need of enhanced accounting systems. You would do all the research and come up with an installation and training plan. Then you would actually help clients transition from the old to the new system.
As a technology promblem solver, you’ll draw diagrams and charts to show the flow of data, processes, and network configurations. You’ll experiment with several different plans until you come up with something that meets the client’s needs the quickest, easiest, and at the least amount of cost.
Most every business—even home based businesses—will need technology to function properly. Working as a systems analyst, you’ll be able to start locally and reach out to different geographies as the good word about your business spreads.
This is a very low overhead business as most of your expenses will be for marketing and computer upgrades. Once you become well known, you can start outsourcing smaller jobs to other systems analysts.
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April 23, 2008
photo credit: YanivG
I’ve written about how finding a niche can help you grow profits by keeping competitors to a minimum.
But, how do you find niches? Below are 9 ways to do just that.
Business Function - Accounting, sales, human resources, purchasing
Demographics - Age, sex, marital status, income, children
Location - Northeast, United States, Texas, Montgomery County
Interests - Antique collecting, gardening, cooking, music, movies
Life situation - birth, death, newlywed, retirement, selling a business, starting a business
Price - one of a kind, highest quality, best customer service, bargain, cheapest
Problem - Collections, cash flow, finding a new career, getting financing
Company Size - Fortune 500, solo operator, 5 or less employees
Industry - construction, medicine, legal, graphic design, interior design
Sometimes finding a niche can simply be looking at existing clients to locate trends or similarities. I’ll be honest that “niche” preaching has been overplayed. To the point that many people get caught up in searching for that single, “undiscovered” market that they miss the little niches that float by unnoticed.
Developing and maintaining good relationships is a niche. I’ve witnessed this first hand after buying several Websites.
The previous owners had developed such good repoire with their clientele that it took longer to bring sales back up again. I had to start all over—gaining trust until clients felt comfortable buying from me—not from the business—but me.
Don’t let finding the perfect niche stall your marketing efforts. Besides, you won’t know if you’ve found a niche until you’ve tried to market to it!
Posted in Freelance Life 2 Comments »
April 22, 2008
photo credit: Mario Sepülveda
Many of us (most of us?) had a dream to start a business and, at some point, realized the dilemma of balancing a full-time job with home life and a startup life. I don’t think there’s ever a true balance. A tolerable balance but not a comfortable balance.
Most freelance businesses don’t require a heavy equipment investment. Marketing and living expenses will eat most of a freelancer’s budget.
Unless you have a few months of clients lined up, or you’re independently wealthy, you’ll need a plan to support yourself until you can freelance full-time.
The following are eight freelance entry plans…
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Posted in Business Planning, Freelance Success 7 Comments »
April 21, 2008
photo credit: vaXzine
On Mondays, I normally try to cover at least three—sometimes more—freelance business ideas. Starting today (April 21st), I’ll be covering only one. Why? I felt I was rushing through each one. I don’t want to water down an idea for the sake of every other idea in the post.
I hope this suits most everyone’s taste. And I hope you enjoy today’s post.
Creativity Consulting
Ever wish you had just the right product name, domain name, or advertising jingle? Most of us at some point in our businesses will get stuck on producing marketing terms, ebook titles, or service offering names.
If working with a diverse group of clients generating the next great idea for a product, service, or ad campaign gets your blood flowing, then creativity consulting may be for you.
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April 18, 2008
photo credit: nuanc
Freelance success, like most things in life, has less to do with talent and more to do with attitude. If you’ve been a pessimist most of your life, take heart. You can learn how to change your attitude by following these 4 simple success rules.
Rule # 1: Turn Your Doubts and Anger to Motivation
You’ll set yourself apart from 95% of all the other business owners out there if you resolve to stay the course, no matter what your emotional state. There will be times when feelings of doubt, guilt, and unhappiness will threaten to paralyze you.
As Dori says in the movie Finding Nemo “just keep swimming.” Write down the number one reason why you decided to start your freelance business. Whenever you feel like quitting, read your number one reason over and over again.
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Posted in Freelance Success 5 Comments »
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