Tag: gigeconomy

Should you go freelance?

With industries announcing hiring freezes and the work-from-home movement in full swing working in the gig economy is hotter than ever. However, if you consider taking on freelance work either full-time or as a side gig, you may need help with where to start.
First of all, you must take a step back and consider how you work and whether your preexisting work habits would coincide with the freelance culture:
Ask Yourself these questions.

If you concluded that yes, you are the correct type of person to go solo, then read on the freelancer starter checklist.
Before taking the plunge, you should get your finances in order. Start by making a budget to ensure you put money aside as a safety net when you first start. You will also need to set up a financial bookkeeping system to have a strategy for organization from the outset, which goes hand in hand with opening a business bank account to keep track of incoming and outgoing payments specific to your business.

To prepare yourself for success, create a schedule and stick to it. Rookie mistakes include burning out from working too much or sidetracked by less important tasks.

A social presence is vital for any freelancer as it’s how you promote yourself. Use social media as a tool to promote your work as well as build connections. Having potential clients lined up will make the transition easier, so along with Instagram, make sure your Upwork and other gig sites are up and running and you have begun reaching out. For Networking, Linkedin is a no-brainer.

Fill your toolbox with everything you need to succeed. Freelancing is a one-person show, so you must cover all your bases. Do you need Adobe Creative Suite? Canva? Whatever programming it is, get your ducks in a row.

Create yourself a workspace or decide upon a public one. In metropolitan areas, you can throw a rock and hit a WeWork. Since the pandemic, several other options for co-working spaces have arisen, but if you plan to work from home, creating a quiet, organized, designated area for you to be productive will be critical to your success.

Lastly, When you decide to leave your corporate 9-5, you’re also preceding your employer-sponsored benefits. With gethealthee.com, you can access affordable health benefits with no employer sponsor and no open enrollment, meaning you pay on a monthly or quarterly basis and can hop on or off anytime, making it the ideal platform for freelancers to shop for coverage. Before becoming a full-time freelancer, you should schedule a call with a HealthEE advisor to deduce the best range.

Sources:

Thinking of going freelance? Here’s 8 things you should consider

 

 

24% of gig workers are uninsured, & missing from your book of business

With the influx of people switching to freelance or “gig” work, there seems to be a component missing from everyone’s “how to join the gig economy handbook” on accessing benefits. Employer Benefit News reported that a survey conducted by Stride Health found that of the 4,000 independent workers spoken to, 24% are currently uninsured. To break it down further, 80% of those cited believe coverage costs more than $100 a month per family member. This belief that coverage is unattainable leaves many not even considering having coverage an option for them.
The solution to this misconception is to spread information. As employers and employees lean into the gig economy, employers find it easier to hire freelance workers during economic uncertainty, and employees want more control. More freedom benefits can feel like no man’s land when providing access to coverage has always been challenging for employers. Employers can offer their part-time and gig workers benefits at no cost with the HealthEE by HBG online benefits store. Independent contractors, freelancers, and anyone under the “gig economy” umbrella has access to these benefits and can choose to receive them with an employer or on their own with gethealthee.com. Spreading the word about these benefits is a win, win. Employers need to differentiate themselves to retain and attract talent, and HealthEE by HBG can do that with no cost to the employer. On the employee’s side, everyone needs benefits. No one is immune to needing the occasional doctor’s visit or teeth cleaning, and drivers for Uber, Postmates, Doordash, etc., can only get by with auto coverage.
In a time of information overload with “insurance” generating millions of search results on google, providing clarity is valuable; give this value to your part-time workers, contract workers, freelancers, and everyone you know in the gig economy today.

Sources: 

https://www.benefitnews.com./news/24-of-workers-in-the-gig-economy-are-uninsured-how-can-employers-help