6 Reasons Every Business Should Hire Freelancers

As a business owner, you should always be looking for a competitive edge in every possible capacity. And while there are a variety of opportunities to gain an advantage, human talent ranks near the top. Get the right people working for your company and the rest will fall into place.

The Rise of Freelancers

While you probably think about hiring full-time employees when it comes to talent management, there’s a growing trend that you need to be aware of: the hiring of freelancers. Once a taboo or alternative approach to hiring, the use of freelancers is now commonplace.

Just consider the following data as gathered by 10x Management:

• By 2020, more than 60 million Americans will be operating as freelance workers.

• 15 to 20 million professionals will leave the full-time workforce in the next five years to become freelancers.

In other words, there’s no shortage of talent if you’re looking to hire freelancers. The only thing holding your business back is an archaic view of hiring.  Stop looking at freelancers as strange and start identifying ways you can leverage them.

Six Reasons to Hire Freelancers

Why should you hire freelancers when you’re doing fine now? Well, it’s less about where you are now and more about where you need to be in three, five, and ten years. Freelancers clearly have a place in the future of business and you don’t want to miss out on this trend.

Here are a handful of good reasons why you need to be hiring freelancers and – in many cases – actually replacing full-time salaried employees.

1. Scalability

Scalability is arguably the biggest employer-side benefit of hiring freelancers. With freelancers, there is no long-term contract, which means you can hire and release on demand. If a new project comes down the pipeline and you need all hands on deck, you can hire a couple of freelancers to help out. Then, when the project is complete, you can inform them that you won’t have any work for them until next month. That’s the beauty of entering into freelance relationships.

2. Flexibility

While your full-time employees probably work a consistent nine-to-five schedule from Monday through Friday, freelancers generally take what they can get. They can work early mornings, evenings, and even weekends in some situations. This allows you to have a 24/7/365 workforce without paying your employees overtime. It also allows you to complete certain assignments over the weekend so they’re ready for you when you get back to the office on Monday morning.

3. Budget Friendly

Many companies enter into freelancing relationships because of the cost savings. When you hire a freelancer, you don’t have to provide all of the benefits that you may be mandated to offer employees. This includes things like health and dental insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans. You also don’t have to provide computers, equipment, office space, and other items that full-time staff members typically demand. This can save you thousands of dollars per employee per year.

It’s also important to point out that there are hundreds of thousands of international freelancers in other parts of the world that can be quickly hired online. The beauty of entering into work relationships with international workers is that you may be able to tap into cheaper labor markets, which is mutually beneficial both to you and the freelancer.

4. Experience and Specialization

Freelancers are often very experienced in their fields. They’ve usually spent years – even decades – working for competitors in your industry and can provide incredible amounts of insight and knowledge that could push your business forward in a fresh direction.

Another added benefit is specialization. Most freelancers have identified a particular skill or trade that they’re talented in and tend to focus all of their energy on it. This enables you to hire freelancers for very specific tasks without tying up future resources.

5. Self-Starting

By and large, freelancers are self-starters. They’re ambitious, determined, and have already taken significant steps to branch out on their own and find their own clients and projects. From a hiring vantage point, this is super attractive. It shows that they’re serious about their work and will do everything possible to ensure you’re satisfied with the end result.

6. Fresh Insights

It’s easy for an organization to become self-centered and narrow-minded. This usually happens when the same group of employees and managers have been together for multiple years in a row. Everyone begins thinking alike and creativity and innovation become stifled.

When you hire freelancers, they have unique perspectives and aren’t burdened by groupthink. They’re able to infuse energy into your organization and bring new thoughts and ideas that otherwise wouldn’t have seen the light of day.

Hire Your First Freelancer

There are obviously downsides to hiring freelancers, too. For example, they can disappear whenever they please and aren’t necessarily loyal to your company. You also have to extend a bit of trust, hoping that they are who they say they are. But the pros significantly outweigh the cons. Freelancers allow you to grow your business without taking on too much risk.

If you’ve never considered hiring a freelancer in the past, now is the time to modernize your approach to talent management. Thanks to an abundance of online marketplaces, you can find your first freelance worker without even leaving your desk.

How’s that for efficiency and cost-effectiveness?

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/larryalton/6-reasons-every-business-should-hire-freelancers/

How You Can Neutralize The Effects Of Workplace Fatigue

The overall cost of workplace illness to businesses is nearly $170 billion each year which is a pretty big amount comparing to the inconsequential efforts you put in to lower that cost as an employee. Workplace fatigue is a very old phenomena and is not just down to conventional distresses like lower back pain or burning eyes due to staring at digital screens for extended periods of time, it’s a whole lot more than that and could serve as big demoralizer as time progresses and you keep shying away from acknowledging that the problem exists thereby increasing the magnitude of the problem you face due to working for extended hours consistently.

While most of us believe that the problems of increased anxiety and stress stem from our workloads, yes it might be true but what most of us don’t know is that we lets these problems aggravate because we don’t take steps to motivate employees neutralize the intense pressure our mind and body was in throughout the day. When at home, we are just to overwhelmed by the feeling of tiredness to think that we have to rejuvenate our spirit for the next day as well which makes trudge and drag ourselves back to our workplaces in the morning. The ideal scenario should be to rise up feeling engulfed by immense energy which would beget the motivation to head to work with a smile on our faces which can be easily created if we follow these valuable guidelines to neutralize the effects of workplace fatigue on a daily basis:

Forcefully make yourself enjoy the time at home:

There might be a lot of things which make you happy but when you get home from work that you don’t allow yourself to indulge in them giving rise to boredom which further multiplies the problem. What you need to do is to make it a point to enjoy yourself every single day even if you to have to force your body to do so, because in the end this activity will not increase the stress of your body but make it applicable to more positive effects which would induce elation at the end of the day, vital for a successful and happy employee.

Do things that you derive happiness from, they can be of any nature like reading a book to bird watching, but the end goal should be that the activity should provide you with happiness and should not be done just for the sake of doing it. Happiness is one of the most powerful phenomenon and it can work wonders to help in regaining passion for the next day at work.

Get adequate rest:

The days are long and tiring and our body has been through a lot which means that it should be given its due right by providing adequate rest to it. Our bodies have a threshold limit, after which they start showing signs that they are not being taken care of thereby giving you a bad mood for the next day which is not a good omen for your productivity. The body needs to stretch itself and lay flat till the next morning and you need to understand that there will be a point in the morning when your alarm is set to go off and you cannot alter those timings, so what you need to do is to pull back the time by which you hit your bed in the night as making this necessary adjustment will re-energize your body for a grueling day at work tomorrow. Remember that even the best mattress brand around cannot help you have adequate rest, only enough time can, help your body with the latter approach.

Spend time with your family:

Most of us keep on living with the feelings of guilt that we don’t give enough time to show our love and care to our families and to immediate acquaintances but do you know that this feeling can increase the depth of your workplace fatigue because you took that guilt home and brought it back the next morning with you reducing your chances of having a great day again.

When you are at home, ensure that your family gets your time and you get close to your family and attention as you listen to whatever stories they have to share with you. You have an important position in their lives and by giving them proper attention; you can develop feelings of strength and passion which would propel you to approach your work with a different mindset the next morning. Your family is an important factor in your work life as if it is happy, then you are bound to carry that happiness back into your office and make way for an immensely fulfilling experience for the entire day at work.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/zyanamorris/how-you-can-neutralize-the-effects-of-workplace-fatigue/

Gift-Giving 101: 3 Tips for Finding the Best Gift for Your Loved Ones

Giving gifts is so much more than a mere exchange of material possessions – it is a way of showing someone that you love and care about them. It shouldn’t be a process of choosing the first item that catches your eye, but rather a process of thorough and careful planning.

You need to really think about the recipient of your gift in order to find out exactly what they need – observation and perceptiveness are the keys to finding the right idea for your gift. You need to truly put some thought into the whole process of gift-giving, so that you can find a gift that is actually meaningful and that will communicate the right kind of message.

Of course, you can ask your loved ones about what it is that they want or need at the moment, but that would take all the creativity and fun out of it. It goes without saying that there would be no element of surprise then, and everyone loves surprises, right? Therefore, don’t ask – get your creative juices flowing and find the perfect gift on your own. Here are some useful tips that will help you master the art of giving gifts and prepare you for every special occasion.

The Power of Observation

No one can tell you exactly what you should get for someone you love, be it your family members, your friends or your significant other. What they can do to help is to provide you with a good piece of advice, but the decision is completely up to you. In order to find just the perfect gift, you need to be able to really pay attention.

Look for clues in your everyday conversations with your loved ones. They are certainly dropping hints every time they talk about something, which is why you must be really observant in order to pick up those hints. If you manage to do that, you can be sure that you will know exactly what the perfect gift for someone is in no time.

For instance, a friend who just moved into a new house could certainly use an accessory to spruce up the place. You may have a friend who recently had a baby, in which case anything that will make her relax is a perfect gift, but remember that you are giving a gift to your friend, not to her baby, so leave the baby toys and clothes for some other time.

May Their Hobbies Lead the Way

When it comes to choosing the best gift for your loved ones, thinking about what they love to do in their free time can often show you the way towards the absolutely perfect gift. Everyone has either a hobby or something similar to a hobby that they love to do in their leisure time, so you can find a gift that is related to their hobby.

For instance, your gift recipient may be a book collector, a gardener, a photographer, a musician, or anything else that makes them unique. Therefore, use their interests to think of a perfect gift that will not only make them happy and excited, but also show that you know their unique personality very well and care about them very much.

Set Sail for an Adventure

What better gift to give than to provide your loved ones with an exciting adventure? Material possessions can last a long time, but experiences can last a lifetime. Providing your loved ones with an extraordinary experience will perfectly reflect your love for them, so you should really consider some kind of an adventurous event that will turn their special day into an unforgettable one.

A gift screaming adventure could be anything that a person in question would find interesting and entertaining. It could be camping, skydiving or a nice picnic followed by a wild rollercoaster ride. For instance, a great anniversary gift for your wife could be a cooking class for both of you, where you can have fun and strengthen your relationship. Also, when it comes to a great Valentine’s Day gift for women, you can never go wrong with a romantic dinner, which you can make magical with some fireworks.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to finding the best gift for your loved ones, it all comes down to really knowing them and their personalities. There are plenty of options you can choose from, but what really matters is to find a meaningful gift that your gift recipient will love. Perhaps you have some ideas already, but if you need additional inspiration for the perfect gift, make sure you check out The Eternal Rose, since you can certainly find some of the best gifts there and make someone you love very happy.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/ivandseo/gift-giving-101-3-tips-for-finding-the-best-gift-for-your-loved-ones/

Managed Chat Is All About Converting Leads

If you run a car dealership you’ve likely heard about the growing popularity of live chat and wondered whether it’s right for you. The first thing you should know is that there are services designed specifically for the auto sales industry, a retail vertical in which online sales are not a driving force and that’s much more driven by leads. Given that vehicles are typically a household’s second-largest expense, most consumers still want to “kick the tires” and take it for a test drive before committing to a purchase. That’s why you need a managed chat service that focuses on booking test drive appointments and bringing foot traffic onto your lot.

The days of browsing car dealers on a Saturday afternoon are largely over, and you’ve probably noticed that the amount of foot traffic coming through your business is on the decline. The way people shop for automobiles has changed, and while you have fewer chances for your salespeople to shake hands and get phone numbers in the showroom, you may have noticed how much traffic your website is getting. The majority of car buyers are going online to research their purchases before they even show up on the lot, meaning they have potentially compared dozens of your competitors.

A managed 24/7 live chat is one way to get a live human being in touch with your potential clients while they’re in that crucial research phase. In order to optimize your lead conversation rate from your website, you’re going to want to look for features like proactive chat, something offered by Chatsmart, the live service offered by the customer experience solutions company Gubagoo. Here’s how it works:

• Instead of the window sitting dormant in the corner of the page waiting for a customer to type in a question, a proactive service knows when it’s time to begin the conversation.
• A behavioral intelligence system grades web traffic to determine if the customer is ripe for conversion, so that your website isn’t bothering more passive customers and causing them to bounce.

If you want to improve lead conversions with Chatsmart, features like proactive chat, dynamic scripts, and inventory integration are all going to be key to your success.

Operator scripts are designed to accomplish one of two objectives: 1) capture lead information like an email address or phone number in order for your sales team to follow up with information or 2) turn a lead into a prospect by booking a test drive on the lot. Your dealership’s inventory is integrated into these scripts and you’re part of the process of tailoring the script to your needs when you work with a responsive vendor like Gubagoo. Because they’re on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they take queries when your salespeople can’t; even during business hours they can pick up overflow phone calls.

If you’re not convinced that this is a tool your business can use to grow, take a look at your website traffic and how often those clicks turn into contacts. According to Kissmetrics, this tool gives your website the ability to convert up to 8 times more leads than your website alone. It’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to revolutionize your website.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/michaelsanduso/managed-chat-is-all-about-converting-leads/

A Look at How Businesses Can Use KPIs to Gauge Their Financial Situation

As a business owner or CFO, it’s your job to stay on top of the big picture. This means understanding where the organization is financially, and being aware of the direction in which things are headed. One way you can stay abreast of developments and trends is by keeping an eye on a few key performance indicators – or KPIs.

Why Do Financial KPIs Matter?

On the surface, a KPI may seem like just another metric to waste your time and further confuse your team. But if you feel this way, then you more than likely don’t have a correct understanding of what KPIs are, and the value they afford savvy businesses. One way to better understand KPIs is by thinking about them in terms of medical diagnostics.

“Doctors use KPIs to measure our health and wellbeing. Our body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and cholesterol level are all KPIs that have a specific medical meaning,” points out Xero, a leading provider of accounting software. “In the same way, business KPIs carry specific meanings too. Debt/equity ratio, receivables days and gross profit percentage are all measures that have specific meanings in a business context.”

With the right KPIs in place, your business can analyze everything from marketing campaign efficacy to the true cost of customer acquisition. But perhaps the most useful KPIs are those involving your organization’s financial health. By reviewing KPI examples and studying the purpose of each, you can get a better idea of what goes into the process.

Three KPIs You Should be Tracking

When it comes to your company’s financial health, there’s a lot that goes into determining whether or not things are moving in the right direction. By tracking a few specific KPIs, you can get a better feel for where you are. And more importantly, you can understand where things stand on a minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day basis. No more waiting for quarterly or year-end reports. Suddenly, everything you need to know is right at your fingertips.

• Gross Profit Margin

One of the first KPIs to start with is Gross Profit Margin. This data point shows the percentage of total sales revenue remaining after taking into account the cost of producing the good or service. It helps you see exactly what is contributing to the profitability of the organization.

• Aging Accounts Receivable

For businesses that send invoices to clients, it’s imperative to have an accounts receivable aging report on hand. By digging into the data and understanding which clients are paying bills on time and which ones are dragging payments out, you can identify cash flow problems and determine what needs to be done to speed payments along. You may also discover that it’s actually more profitable to let certain clients go.

• Operating Cash Flow

The Operating Cash Flow KPI will allow you to analyze the overall health of your organization. You should compare it against the total capital employed to see if you’re in a good place. As CompuData says, “This analysis allows you find out if the operational aspect of your business is producing enough cash to sustain the capital investments that you are putting into your business.”

Put KPIs to Work for Your Business

It’s never been easier to collect, track, and analyze data. From free analytics tools like Google Analytics to robust business intelligence platforms, gathering data is a breeze.

This is the good news. However, the bad news is that you still have to sift through the data. The key is to maximize the value of this data by focusing on the right insights. Put the right KPIs to work and you’ll be amazed by what you can learn.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/larryalton/a-look-at-how-businesses-can-use-kpis-to-gauge-their-financial-situation/

Protect Your Business: 3 Steps for Minimizing Potential Risks

When you are running any kind of business organization, you need to think about a lot of components that you need to implement in your business strategy in order to make sure you achieve your goals and reach the level of success you strive for. You need to take a lot of actions to ensure both you and your employees complete every single business operation with flying colors, so that you don’t risk losing revenue. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation when you have to start considering closing your business.

Nevertheless, just as there are areas in your business that you can control, there are also those that can very easily slip through your grasp and cause great damage to your entire organization. That is why you need to be fully prepared in advance, so that you can ensure that any mishap that may occur is properly managed. Take a look at the steps you should take in order to minimize any potential risk and protect your business against any harm.

Protect Against Business Interruption

As it happens quite often, not everything goes according to plan when you are running a business. Some unforeseen circumstance can cause you a great loss in revenue and, before you know it, it may even force you to close your business. Do you have a plan to protect your business against such circumstances? If not, you should get on that as soon as possible and develop an effective contingency plan that will help you mitigate any potential damage to your company.

You must protect your business against disastrous events (fires, floods etc.) that can cause great physical damage to your business property and thus cause an interruption, during which you need to repair the physical damage and purchase new equipment, not to mention maintaining the payroll.

This is why you should get business interruption insurance, also referred to as business income insurance, so that your company doesn’t suffer an even greater loss in case of any potential disaster. Speaking of insurance, make sure you explore other types of insurance for your business needs and get appropriate coverage to protect your company, your employees and yourself.

Protect Against Security Breaches

In today’s digital world, where almost all business operations are handled on computers, it is of the utmost importance that you make sure your data is secure at all times. Data security is not only crucial for you and your business, since it can protect all of your sensitive data, but it is also vital for your clients, since their personal information might get stolen if a data security breach happens.

This is why it is paramount that you invest in the best possible data protection software that will help you keep your data secure, as well as effectively recover all of your data in case of a potential security breach. Cyber attacks happen more often than you may think, so don’t underestimate the power of proper data security.

Protect Your Software

As a business owner, you certainly rely on at least several software packages in order to make sure your every business operation runs smoothly. In order for any type of software to keep working perfectly, it needs to be updated and maintained on a regular basis.

However, what happens if your software developer goes out of business or some other unforeseen circumstance takes place that prevents you from even using your software? In case of such an event, you need to have access to the source code in order to keep using and maintaining your software.

In order to protect not only yourself and your business, but also your software developer, you should seriously consider source code escrow. By taking out an escrow agreement for the software you are using, you will make sure your business is protected should any potential risk take place.

Final Thoughts

There are many more steps you can take in order to make sure your entire business organization, including your employees, is protected against any potential risks that may occur, but the aforementioned ones are definitely the most crucial that you should take care of. Also, you need to make sure your clients are protected as well, and these steps will help you keep your clients coming back. They will enable you to remain as reliable as ever and to always provide the best possible service.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/alexf/protect-your-business-3-steps-for-minimizing-potential-risks/

Tech 2016: 6 Interesting Devices That Deserve Your Attention

With so many breakthroughs in the world of technology, it became very hard to keep up with it all. The leading trends in consumer technologies are gadgets and smart devices – phones, watches and home improvement gizmos. But, we also see that this year, virtual reality was in the spotlight along with car technologies.

For me, it was always interesting to test or experience new technologies and devices in any available way. They year is coming to an end, and I have decided to put together a list of interesting devices and technologies that definitely deserve your attention.

Fitness Watches

We live in an age when staying healthy and maintaining physical activity is an imperative. This need was recognized by many companies, so we have witnessed many gadgets that help people track their physical activity and their improvements. There are many excellent smartwatches you can choose from but here are several fitness watches that have caught many people’s attention.

Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is one of the best fitness gadgets out there. It’s very simple and functional in terms of design and it will help you access various pieces of information in real-time – 24/7 heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, steps and sleep monitoring, etc. The battery life has been extended a whole week. It is water resistant, but it lacks the swimming mode; a bit confusing if you ask me.

The Fitbit Blaze shines when it comes to design and features. It has a simple UI, accessible via a colorful touch screen. You can monitor your heartbeat and count your steps, but you will also be able to pair it with your phone in order to answer phone calls, receive updates and notifications from your calendar, and you can even read text messages. It also features stainless steel bands and stylish leather.

Moov Now is a device that really excels when it comes to helping you get better at sports. It can be paired with your smartphone and it can help you improve and track your running, swimming and cycling efforts. The ability to increase levels of difficulty is a feature that really pushes this device up to the very top of the fitness gadgets ladder.

Drones

Drones have become very popular and people have found a purpose of using them in many different situations. While drones can be a very fun hobby, they are also used by professionals, especially the ones in the filming industry. We have seen many improvements in the past and this year, especially when it comes to battery capacity, maximum altitude and the capabilities of carrying heavier loads of additional gear.

But, there is one drone that certainly deserves to be mentioned and that is the Ehang passenger drone. Ehang, a Chinese drone manufacturer, stands behind this drone that is capable of transporting humans. Its spacey and elegant design really catches attention. The maximum speed of this drone is 100 kilometers per hour and it packs batteries that allow it to fly for approximately 23 minutes. It also packs additional redundant equipment to ensure safety in bad weather.

Virtual Reality

The HTC Vive Pre is a virtual-reality headset that comes from HTC. One interesting feature that it packs is the front-facing camera. With this cam, users will be able to experience the real world as they are immersed in an impressive virtual one. It actually blends real-world elements into the virtual world. With the Chaperone guidance system, you will be kept safe within the boundaries of your play area.

The Oculus Rift VR headset is also another powerful VR solution that offers a unique experience to its users. It is real to the point that you will actually feel like you have been transported to another dimension. Digital entertainment defiantly entered a new era with Oculus coming to the stage. Users can now experience time and space travel within their cozy homes.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of interesting developments in this field. By now, the technology has entered almost every aspect of our lives. Needless to say, it seems that this trend will only continue in the future. In case you want to read about more new advancements in this field, feel free to go online and keep tabs on popular technology blogs, as well as field experts on social media.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/aleksandarilic/tech-2016-6-interesting-devices-that-deserve-your-attention/