Freelancing, BPO & Global Perspectives:

A freelancer is a self-employed person who offers services, often working on several jobs for multiple clients at one time. … Skill Profiles usually earn money on a per-job basis, charging hourly or daily rates for their work. Freelance work is usually short-term.

And a freelance job is one where a person works for themselves, rather than for a company. While freelancers do take on contract work for companies and organizations, they are ultimately self-employed. … Skill Profiles are not considered “employees” by the companies they work for, but rather “contractors.”

BPO- Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the practice of contracting a specific work process or processes to an external service provider. The services can include payroll, accounting, telemarketing, data recording, social media marketing, customer support, and more.

Back office BPO refers to a company contracting its core business operations such as accounting, payment processing, IT services, human resources, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance to outside professionals who ensure the business runs smoothly.

What is a freelance marketplace and how does it work?

A freelance services marketplace is an online platform where businesses can find and hire individual contractors to do some work remotely. Websites like Upwork/others  are very popular among digital businesses. They act as an intermediary providing a safe and convenient way to contract remote experts for one-time projects.

As a customer, you can use a platform to look for freelancers and agencies that deliver a wide range of services, such as design, marketing, copywriting, and software development. Upwork uses big data algorithms to analyze a job you’ve posted and offers you a selection of likely candidates before you hit the Search button.

For service providers, Upwork algorithms offer matching jobs based on their profiles. Skill Profiles and agencies can also search for projects and respond to client invitations. As the number of successfully completed projects increases, so do the chances of service providers to attract more clients.

Online freelance marketplaces can vary depending on the type of work (one-time projects with fixed rates or ongoing hourly projects), services provided (engineering, design, copywriting, etc.), engagement models, geographical preferences, and so on.

Some examples of reputed marketplace:

Skill Profile.com

• Toptal
• Guru
• PeoplePerHour
• Fiverr
• CloudPeeps
• 99designs (a freelance online platform for web designers)

Top IT-enabled  skills required by freelancing industry/marketplace:

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and with a new year comes the latest, most in-demand tech skills. In the current competitive climate, both the employers and candidate’s need to take notice of the skills that can help them recruit the right person or land the perfect tech role. Having the right skills can help candidates secure the most rewarding roles, therefore it’s essential to invest in acquiring the right skills. 

• Developer (coder, programmer) Programming has been, and is currently, one of the most in-demand careers in the world.
• Digital Marketing ( Facebook, Google, Linkedin…….
• Designer. …
• Writer or copywriter. …
• Marketing. …
• Translator. …
• Photographer/Videographer. …
• SEO professional. …

If we list out advanced ICT skills areas that will take lead in the near future then below list fit first-

• Cybersecurity
• Cloud computing
• Data analytics and data science
• Networking and wireless
• Software development
• AI and machine learning
• Project management
• Programming
• IT service management
• Virtualization

Most demanded other sectors including ICT  in Freelancing now-

1. Marketing

Marketing is a widely recognized necessity for every business — 63% of business owners say marketing is the most important expense to grow their business. An effective marketing strategy will comprise of a holistic multi-channel approach including email, content, social media, automation, and search engine optimization (SEO). 

2. Blockchain

Already leveraged by several major enterprises including IBM and Samsung, blockchain’s digitized, distributed, and secure ledger is said to be reshaping the future of tech.

3. Writing & Editing

The writing profession is largely romanticized as the starving artist or creative hermits, holed away from society while working on the next Great American Novel. That may be true for some fiction writers. But there’s also a massive world of commercial writing that includes everything from web content to technical manuals to journalism, grant writing, and advertising copy writing. And all of this has to be arranged and corrected by editors.

4. Graphic Design

If you are in the freelance design business, you can feel good knowing that the growth predictions are bright. Jobs for graphic designers are estimated to grow 13% by 2020, with the digital segment set to grow by an incredible 61%. Much of this growth will be specifically targeted at freelance designers with companies and startups looking for strong, reliable talent that is willing to work on-demand.

5. Web Designer

Web designers create the look and layout of web pages. Their skills are in-demand in many types of organizations, from charities to startups, giving you flexibility to work on high-impact projects.

6. Photographer

Sure, everyone has a camera on their phones. And even though the demand for photographers in traditional media has declined, there’s still a high-demand for commercial and portrait photographers. In fact, there’s been a 37.2% increase since 2014.

7. Accountant

While there is plenty of accounting software available, tax codes and deductions remain complicated and incomprehensible for most, keeping accounting an in-demand skill.

8. Customer Service

Customer support jobs are naturally suited to remote work and moonlighting in the gig economy since the work is primarily completed via computer and phone, and many opportunities are available for off-peak working hours.

9. Excel

While most people are familiar with this Microsoft software staple, manipulating data beyond simple SUM formulas often requires the work of a professional. If PIVOT Tables and VLOOKUPs are your jam, you have a great opportunity to get hired to tutor or crunch, analyze and glean fruitful results from complex queries for clients.

10. Virtual Assistant

Business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs are using virtual assistants to help them handle tasks like responding to emails and scheduling appointments from a remote location.

11. Bookkeeper

For many small and medium sized businesses, the decision to relieve themselves of their bookkeeping tasks is a major milestone. Allowing for a qualified professional to step in and take over these tasks gives the management team an opportunity to focus more on the day-to-day activities, and more importantly, how to take their business to the next level.

12. Sales

For many brands, utilizing independent sales reps is a key part of their sales strategy. For some, it’s not cost-effective to employ in-house reps, or they simply need to get feet on the ground quickly without having to put resources into establishing a salaried team. Others recognize the depth of the existing networks and relationships an independent rep may provide, which can open up new business opportunities in existing markets, and provide access to new territories. Whatever the reason, businesses often look to hiring independent sales representatives as an alternative to way to build a sales force.

13. Career Coach

Career coaching is going through a “great awakening.” As more and more people are searching to balance work they love with a healthy lifestyle, we are seeing an increase in the demand for professional advice to help professionals find their next job or switch fields, and provide guidance through job searches, interviews, resumes, promotions, and everything in between.

14. Courier

Local independent on-demand couriers offer a number of benefits when it comes to their services including providing the freedom to have tasks done to your specifications rather than following guidelines of big name carriers.

15. Web Developer

The world of web development experiences demand constant transformation every year, whether it’s related to tools, services, coding, languages, or designs. And with every year, new trends and technologies emerge to evolve the way developers work. Independent web developers are far more likely to re-skill, and provide expertise in emerging development trends including artificial intelligence, voice search integration, and chatbots.