The rise of the pandemic this year dramatically upended the world’s workforce and economy.
With more businesses than ever encouraging or requiring employees to work from home, remote working is now a standard for new normal business.
In addition, the lockdowns and pandemic restrictions involved everyone in a family. Children were suddenly homeschooling or doing distance learning. Everyone needed to adjust to the new normal dynamics quickly–from parents who must work from home and juggle between homeschooling kids and working to even caring for the elderly that are the most at-risk in this health crisis.
The effects of the pandemic are manifold. Whether the virus afflicts you or not, you are probably just like everyone else, trying to find ways to survive and thrive in these changing and challenging times.
Employers and managers need to give the best support to their teams. New normal business strategies also have to be innovative for businesses and organizations to thrive amid uncertain times, manage and interact with workers, and successfully transition into another level of operations.
With more and more individuals realizing the benefits of managing home and career efficiently in a tough time, businesses in the new normal now see remote employees and freelancers taking center stage in the workforce.
In fact, 53% of remote employees and freelancers believe that demand for this sort of work arrangement will rise post-pandemic. And it’s not only to mitigate the risks of a raging epidemic. Other concerns such as traffic, workplace distance, security and safety, and scheduling flexibility are just a few of the numerous considerations prompting parents all over the world to attempt freelancing.
Let’s see some of the challenges that freelance and remote workers may be going through in 2021:
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Remote Workers and Freelancers Current Situation
Today, freelancing is a burgeoning sector, accounting for 35% of the working population in the United States. In 2019, freelancing contributed $1 trillion to the US economy. That’s pre-pandemic.
However, as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc worldwide, remote workers and freelancers face difficulties.
A good number of them also experienced the loss of jobs or projects as businesses worldwide struggled to survive. Remote working and freelancing are lucrative careers, but the blows of the pandemic on the economy were massive. Those who lost their income sources had difficulty finding work, closing a deal, or recovering fees for tasks that have already been completed.
However, all hope is not gone. If you are one of the countless millions who have been hit hard by the crisis, now is the time to maintain a positive and open mindset. Here are some ideas to assist you in getting through this situation.
Remote Working Success Is Possible Despite the Pandemic
1. Keep Connections Alive for Long-Term Success
While everything is on hold and there is no definite end date for the pandemic, you may use this as an opportunity to interact with other freelancers, existing clients, and prospects.
Maintaining your relationship with your clients is critical to ensuring that you will still have customers when your freelancing business can resume operations.
While this comes at an unfortunate moment for some, you may utilize indirect marketing to keep your audience’s attention. You can continue to send email marketing or publish on your social media channels. Although you may want to advertise your business or services, you should avoid doing so in a way that seems pushy or insensitive .
Your content should provide helpful information such as pandemic updates, recommendations to assist companies during this difficult time, or how to withstand this type of crisis. A live webinar may also be held on your social media, and a clip of your knowledge could be shared. By employing this technique, you can boost your brand visibility, engagement, and consumer trust.
2. Improve Your Website
Now that you have a lot of time on your hands, it’s time to put it to good use. Visit your website while you’re at it. As a freelancer or remote worker, your website serves as an online business card in addition to your social media accounts. Use the additional time to edit your content, publish a blog, submit your most current works, or refine your profile.
Many individuals stay at home, and most of them are online, either working or just relaxing. It is a fantastic opportunity to use this platform because there is a good possibility they may come across your online profiles or website.
3. Complete Your Administrative Tasks
Pre-pandemic, there may have been administrative tasks you have left undone. As a freelancer, you may be a one-person team, making these behind-the-scenes activities even more tiresome.
Today is the perfect moment to confront these issues and fight your way through bills, receipts, and other vital paperwork to your organization. Organize your files and contacts.
When everything was still normal, your administrative tasks may just continue to pile up because of your busy schedule. These backlogs may have already invaded all your office drawers or are already screaming in your computer.
As a freelancer, you may be a one-person team, making these behind-the-scenes activities even more tiresome. Now is the perfect moment to confront these issues and fight your way through bills, receipts, and other vital paperwork to your organization. Organize your files and contacts.
4. Learn A New Skill
There is no better time to brush up on your abilities than now when you have the extra time. These days, the internet is saturated with numerous webinars designed to assist freelancers like you.
Make the most of your time by exploring interests outside of your field of expertise. Learn how to design websites, creative artwork, or even how to cook your favorite food. The list goes on and on.
While some may be entirely out of touch with your current knowledge, this is the perfect moment to develop your skills. This opportunity will assist you in becoming the greatest in your field, allowing you to pursue additional significant possibilities once this is completed.
5. Share Your Knowledge to Others
While this challenging period may generate concern about your skill and money, alternative methods can earn a fair living. While this may not cover all of your expenses, it will suffice.
You may offer paid webinars for your followers using your expertise. For a small charge, you may share your knowledge with others. Remember not to overprice your product or service as this may turn off potential customers. Be generous while you’re still developing your reputation.
Giveaways such as business forms or other takeaways for your audience that might be useful to them will always go above and above. This chance will assist you in developing your brand’s reputation and online authority. As you continue to share your knowledge, your audience will see you as a thought leader in your field.
You can also provide advice and mentorship services, depending on your specialization. Being a consultant entails sharing your knowledge and thoughts to provide value to a certain firm. Mentoring entails assisting a business in planning for the future and validating business-related decisions.
Aside from webinars, suppose you wish to advertise yourself. In such a scenario, you can also record a video showing the behind-the-scenes of your work and publish it to your website or social media platforms, notably YouTube. Though this will not make you rich overnight, it has the potential to do so if you stick to it and continue producing fresh content.
Conclusion
No one can tell when a worldwide pandemic will finally come to an end. It is not something that everyone can plan for in advance. However, even if you worked in a decimated sector when an epidemic struck, you may still discover tools to assist you in weathering this crisis.
Being a freelancer and remote worker should not be a barrier. Pivot your way to a more productive outcome and possibilities to improve yourself and your business.
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Related posts:
- How the Pandemic is Affecting Freelancers and Remote Workers in 2021 - August 6, 2021
