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(Art Credit: Andrea Hernandez) Earn up to $500 to work out and $275 for healthy habits each year. Of all the people who make New Year's resolutions, only 19% stick with them.* And, it's not like they stop trying in May. They give up before the end of January. That's less than a month. At MetroPlusHealth, we'd like to help boost that number. By paying you to go to the gym. You read that right: paying you to work out. Making the gym a habit means you get all of its health pluses:
It's also a great place to burn off all of life's worries. This year, you can do it! And we can help you make it stick. Choose a MetroPlusHealth plan, and you can earn hundreds when you join a gym:
Even better, we have a robust rewards program. You can earn points toward gifts just for making time for self-care. Going to the dentist? You just logged 100 points! Getting your flu shot? Boom, another 50 points! All the points let you choose from a catalog of gifts. You will find sports gear, kitchen gadgets, and art kits. There is something for your whole family! Start earning cash for workouts today with our gym payments. And score reward points for healthy habits. Together, we'll kick off the new year in good health. And we'll keep it going strong. Click here to learn about your health plan options. MetroPlusHealth Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-855-809-4073 Since 1985, MetroPlusHealth Plan has helped New Yorkers find good health care at low cost. *Psychology Today, This is why most New Year's resolutions fail, Dec. 31, 2019 via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2022/02/07/going-to-the-gym-would-be-easier-if-there-was-money-in-it/
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(Art Credit: Karen Fischer) As the world develops, data analysis continues to rise, operating at the helm of things across industries. Different companies across the globe are on the lookout to acquire data analysis experts to help them get the job done. Data analytics plays a major role in understanding customers trends, user behavior, thus predicting the future of the business. You can become a freelance data analyst and work with different companies across the globe! Freelancing involves the process of working remotely despite your location in the world. A Freelance data analyst operates their daily duties from the comfort of their location. Data analysis is combined with data science on most occasions, although the two aspects are completely different. Data science is considered a macro field that works as both programming and statistical analysis. Also, it incorporates building algorithms and other predictive mathematical models to process data. On the flip side, freelance data analytics incorporates the statistical analysis of different data sets to develop actionable insights that companies and businesses can use. On most occasions, data analytics focuses on the areas of decision making, marketing, sales product development, and pricing using visualization such as Sankey plot, Likert scale analysis and Scatter plot. Most professional data analysts have a solid background in STEM. Note that the responsibilities of data analysts involve the cleaning of data sets, entering sets of data into various online systems, convert data into readable reports in the form of content and data visualization. It's recommended to learn at least one programming language, such as SQL. Also, you need to have general knowledge in Mathematics, business acumen, statistics, domain expertise and develop an analytical mindset. A competent freelance data analyst has exceptional skills in entrepreneurship, have a good understanding of marketing, branding, lead generation, social networking budgeting, content writing, and accounting. Currently, you don’t need to have a degree in data science to become a freelance data analyst. Tons of free courses and self-learners can help you gain the respective knowledge in this field. Arm yourself with basic computer programming skills in Python, Unix, R, or Statistical analysis. In addition, go ahead and learn something from data analysis nerds, and you will be good to go! When you are dealing with anything to do with freelancing, you need to brand yourself and become unique from the pool of other freelancers. Build an online portfolio that will work as your marketing platform to get started. Update all other accounts such as LinkedIn profiles and ask for referrals from a potential employer. To be safe, set up a website and list all the past projects that you have worked on. Also, include your clients’ feedback and recommendations. Register with different freelance platforms and search for gigs in your niche to find jobs easily. Some of these freelance platforms include: Coding NinjasThis freelance platform runs a fairly reasonable selection process involving a fifteen-minute English test to gauge your language skills. Besides, a live interview and a test project are meant to ensure that every freelancer who joins the platform is up to the standards. Coding Ninjas is mainly meant for individuals with impeccable design skills, data scientists, and web developers. KaggleKaggle is a famous online community explicitly meant for data scientists. The platform has different forms of competition that range from earthquake prediction to audio tagging, especially for sound beats. This platform gives you a chance to win different cash prices and potential long-term clients. UpworkUpwork is among the best performing freelance platforms, with millions of freelancers from around the world. The platform has more than 2000 listings for freelance data analyst-related jobs. To win the jobs posted, you need to submit an online cover letter and prove to the client you have all it takes to execute the job perfectly. There are a series of stages before your account is finally approved on Upwork. You need to craft solid job titles to make your profile stand out and increase your chances of winning jobs. ToptalThis site is popularly known for matching individual freelancers with big brands such as Pfizer, Airbnb, and Zendesk. However, the platform only accepts requests from freelancers with a proven successful track record and years of experience in the industry. To be safe, build your skills on other platforms before branding yourself on Toptal. The screening process for joining this platform includes personality, language, and a communication interview that involves a live screening process. Before any freelance data analyst is accepted in the forum, they must prove to be excellent in their field of expertise. FiverrFiverr is a successful online freelance marketplace that offers a wide range of services at an affordable rate. The platform involves buyers and sellers with different job descriptions. This is a marketplace where freelance data analysts can secure potential clients searching for their services. This job position gives you a chance to be your own boss. You can work remotely and attend to different clients from various locations. This position gives you an incredible life balance and freedom of choice, as well as creating a flexible working schedule depending on the tasks you have at hand. The main challenge is predicting the flow of work in the long run. This means you need to market yourself constantly to secure a good number of potential clients. A freelance data analyst is an entrepreneur at heart and can provide a healthy income with flexible working hours. Taking the time to acquire the relevant skills and getting started is step one. Once you have acquired the respective skills, the above hacks and platforms can help you sell your services. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2022/02/03/how-to-become-a-freelance-data-analyst/
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(Art Credit: Kathryn Sheldon) This post was provided by Dinghy. Freelancers Union partners with Dinghy and NSM Insurance Group to help freelance writers say hello to peace of mind with liability insurance crafted exclusively to meet their needs. Get a free quote in minutes here. Does your morning start with a jog and a fresh fruit smoothie, or a roll out of bed and reach for the coffee? Do you take your lunch at your desk, or do you take time out, perhaps going for a blissful walk in nature? Would we find you in bed by 9 pm with a good book and some fluffy socks, or up until midnight making the most of the local nightlife scene? Everyone’s working days look different, and that’s especially true of freelance writers. After all, one of the biggest joys of freelance life is that it offers as much flexibility as an Olympic gymnastics final. One downside to freelancing is that it can be that much easier to lose focus, especially when you don’t have a manager breathing down your neck asking where the latest copy is. If you aren’t careful about how you spend your time, you can end up spending hours needlessly procrastinating. This can leave you feeling tired, cranky and unproductive. In this blog, we take a look at how freelance writers can make the most of the time in their day, and work schedules that suit their lifestyles — while still keeping clients happy. Are you an early bird or a night owl?While there’s an image that morning people are uber-productive and go-getting compared to their late-night counterparts, there’s no virtue in keeping any particular pattern of hours. The best hours to work are the ones that work for you. If you’re a night owl, there’s no point in dragging yourself out of bed at 5am to try and write your latest project — it’s just going to leave you weary and burnt-out, with very little to show for it. You know yourself best, so reflect honestly on what your most productive hours are and set those as your work time. This is especially true if you’re tackling complex projects like technical documents or whitepapers that require deep thought and concentration. During your less productive times, you can plan to do something else, or tackle jobs that require less intense mental effort like proofing or emails. Keep your clients in the loopEven though many freelance writers can work when they want, you’ll still need to meet timelines set by your clients and connect throughout the course of a project. If you tend to work particularly unusual hours, it can be helpful to let your client know this upfront so they understand when they can reach you. You could use your email signature or out-of-office autoreply to manage your client’s expectations about when you’ll be available and what hours you work. This is also a polite move if you email them outside of standard office hours so they know you don’t expect an instant reply at 2am! Tackle your least favorite job or writing project firstEveryone, absolutely everyone, has that one piece of work that they hate doing. The kind of job that you put off and put off, making excuse after excuse to not do it. For some writers, it could be that you’re feeling uninspired to write a certain piece of copy. For others, it could be emailing that awkward client back. We only have one piece of advice for this, and you might not like it: suck it up and do it. Do it first. Do it before you do any other jobs. Do it before you have your morning (or afternoon) coffee. That job isn’t going to go away, and the longer you ignore it, the more stress and worry it’s going to cause you in the long run. Tackling the unpleasant jobs first means they’re not hanging over you, interfering with your productivity and holding you back. And, more often than not, you’ll do it and think, “that wasn’t so bad! What was I so worried about?” Start your working week wellAs a freelance writer, your schedule is most likely set by you. Whenever your week begins, we recommend getting it off to a good start. That doesn’t necessarily mean a power yoga session or homemade granola for breakfast (though if that’s your thing, more power to you!). We call it the Monday morning meeting, but it can happen whenever your working week starts. It means making sure that you’re working smartly and strategically, setting your goals for the week ahead and prioritizing your tasks so that you’re meeting deadlines … without stress. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2022/02/02/4-fail-safe-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-day-as-a-freelance-writer/
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(Art Credit: Andrea Hernandez "Lunch for Three") Freelance work is a great way to make money. The global average freelance rate in 2021 stands at $21/hour according to Payoneer's 2020 Freelancer Income Report, which means the average freelancer makes around $40K per year, and if you live in the US, Canada, or the UK, the average rates are even higher. However, freelancing can also be a minefield. Not all freelance jobs are created equal, and some freelance clients are downright awful. If you're not careful, you might end up working for someone who takes advantage of your time, pays unfairly, or simply gives you a hard time about everything. Here are six early warning signs to look out for that may indicate a bad client and key tips on avoiding them. Early Warning Signs of a Bad Freelance Client in the Making1. They don’t respect your timeIf you're in very different time zones and they're offering to pay you significantly more than your other clients, it makes sense to stretch your business hours on occasion for certain prospective clients. However, burnout caused by working these long hours has been reported as a part of the emotional overhead of working as a freelancer. If a client demands that you be available 24/7, they do not appreciate you or your time. This lack of empathy and respect is something you should steer clear of. 2. They downplay your skills and experienceIt's not uncommon to find clients who act as if they could do what you do, but they just don't have the time. These types of clients who think they know it all will usually downplay your worth as a freelancer and the value of the work you do. This can bring all sorts of issues that go from not wanting to pay you on time or what you deserve to criticizing every aspect of your work and requesting multiple revisions for irrelevant aspects of the deliverable. 3. They’re bad communicatorsCommunication is one of the most important aspects of your freelancing career, especially if you're working remotely. Studies have shown communication to be the number one competency recruiters look for when hiring new talent, and it's also one of the skills that most candidates lack. This happens to work both ways, and it should also be something you look for in a client, which is why things like responsiveness, setting clear and precise expectations, and providing clear feedback are essential to a successful and productive working relationship. Good clients know this; bad ones either don't, or they choose to ignore it. Picture this: you find a job as a developer to build a crypto exchange app, and the job description seems to suggest that it should also function as a digital wallet, but it's unclear. You ask the client about it, and two weeks later, you get an ambiguous response that doesn't answer your question. This type of scenario is very common and is dangerous territory because if you accept an unclear contract, your client may demand extra work without paying you extra, arguing that it was included in the original contract. 4. They question your rates multiple timesIf a client seems unsatisfied with your rates and keeps questioning them repeatedly, this is another sign that they might not be the best client for you. It's normal for clients to negotiate rates but pushing too much for a lower rate is both rude and unbecoming of a good client. According to the most recent Upwork Freelance Forward Report (September 2020), 57% of freelancers set their own rates, and all reputable employers know it. If you're sure that your work is worth your rate, there's no reason to lower it just because someone doesn't like it. 5. They have unrealistic expectations about outcomes and deadlinesAnother way a client will indirectly downplay your worth is by asking for too much work in exchange for the same rate or by demanding an unrealistic turnaround time. Accepting a client under these conditions means setting yourself up for failure. Once you're unable to deliver, your client will have the upper hand and will likely use it to either offer you a lower rate or, in the worst of cases, refuse to pay entirely. 6. They try to wiggle out of signing a contractOne of the biggest red flags you can find is a client unwilling to put it all in black and white. Contracts exist for a reason: to protect both sides. If a client doesn't want to put your agreement in writing, it's most likely because they don't plan on honoring the agreement in the first place. The same applies when looking for clients in big freelance sites like Upwork or Workana. Some clients will offer to do without the platform's contract and work directly with one another. This isn't only unethical since you're violating the terms and conditions of the said platforms, but it also shows that the client is unwilling to pay fees or to guarantee your payment through an escrow. Tips on How to Avoid Bad Freelance ClientsRaise your ratesThe first tip is to avoid charging the bare minimum since doing so only attracts the worst possible clients. If you think this will drive away good clients, think again. It's a fact that good clients who are looking for good freelancers for their projects will steer clear of freelancers who charge the lowest rates. Additionally, Upwork reports that over 40% of skilled freelancers have raised their rates between 2019 and 2020, so it won’t be unreasonable for you to do the same. Underpromise and overdeliverThis is a great tip for a successful freelance career. By underpromising, you're setting yourself up for success, and by overdelivering, you're ensuring a happy client. Ask all the necessary questionsDon't jump into contracts before being 100% satisfied with your client's expectations and the rate you proposed to them. If there's even one thing that seems amiss, make sure to always ask. Having clarity from the beginning on issues like these will help avoid unnecessary problems later on. Look at past reviews from other freelancersIf your client comes from a reputable freelance site like the ones mentioned above, don't miss the opportunity to check out their history on the platform. Ratings and comments from other freelancers are a rich source of information that may end up tilting the balance in either direction. Trust your instinctsThe warning signs we covered before are only that: warnings, something meant to alert your senses. However, in the end, you should weigh everything you discuss with a client during interviews, in messages and trust what your gut tells you before deciding if it's worth the shot. The bottom lineFreelancing can be a great way to make money, but it's important not to let your guard down and take all clients indiscriminately. The difference between an excellent freelancer and one struggling with bad freelance clients may come down to the early warning signs we discussed in this article. By identifying these red flags upfront, you'll avoid getting into sticky situations that could cost you time or reputation later on when dealing with difficult clients. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2022/02/01/6-early-warning-signs-of-a-bad-freelance-client/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
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