How Business Owners Can Better Utilize Freelance Work

Published on: 28 May 2020 Last Updated on: 06 November 2024

Small businesses don’t always have a ton of cash or room to make costly mistakes, so every penny, every asset, every minute, counts.

Often, small businesses will turn to freelancers for certain projects where they need expert help, but that can also take a hit on your bank account, so ensuring the freelancer does good work is crucial.

Sometimes though, the freelance work falls short, leaving the small business low on funds with a deliverable that is unusable. So how do you avoid that? Let’s talk about a better way of finding freelance workers for your business.

Each freelancer can be paid differently. Some are paid upfront or given equity, others are paid a percentage of the final revenue, and some are paid when the job gets done.

Here’s the best thing a small business that is low on upstart funds can do when it comes to hiring a freelancer:

Adopt a revenue-sharing model.

What that means is the freelancer gets paid when you do. They’ll complete the project, deliver all final assets to the business owner, but they’ll only get paid if and when you start making money. There will be a percentage that is agreed upon by both parties before the project begins, and if your business starts bringing in revenue, you’ll then pay off the percentage owed to the freelancer. If your business never makes money, you do not have to pay the freelancer a dime.

Why is this a good idea?

First of all, it decreases the risk for the business by waiting to pay the freelancer until there is secure revenue coming in.

Second, with this idea in mind, freelancers can do some of their best work. They aren’t just getting paid to finish a job, there’s a higher expectation of their work. They understand that if their work is mediocre, there’s a lower chance of them getting paid. It’s in their best interest to do the best work they can, not only to help you as a business owner but to help themselves as well.

Develop a Relationship

Far too often, businesses pay freelancers for work only to be unsatisfied with the end product. Many times this is due to a lack of communication on one or both sides. To ensure that you are getting quality service delivered from a freelance worker, it’s important to have an understanding relationship. Here are a few tips on how to accomplish that:

Describe Your Communication Style

If you’re not sure what your communication style is, it’s not a bad idea to find out or develop a system that works for you. Some people have very blunt ways of communicating while others are timider. Talking about your preferred communication style with the freelancer you hired will help to avoid conflict, assumptions, and hard feelings.

Explain Your Needs

Don’t be afraid to express where there are gaps in understanding. The freelancer is there to be an expert in an area that you may not be familiar with. It’s okay to say things like, “I’m not sure I understand that, could you explain how that works?” The more you can understand the process, the better you’ll be able to communicate and get an end product you’re happy with.

Do Your Part

If you feel there are gaps in understanding, take a step back, and see if there is anything you might have left out in communication with the freelancer. Sometimes we get in our own bubble and assume other people understand what we are talking about when in reality we need to explain certain things in more depth.

Good Luck!

Some of these tips may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how often business owners fail to communicate well with the freelancers they hire. If you can adopt these practices into your business model, your freelancers’ work will improve significantly and you won’t have to worry about an unfortunate loss of precious funds.

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Mold Inspection And Testing

An initial visual mold inspection is the ideal way to quickly detect potential issues with moisture-rich areas in your home and identify those that need further investigation or sampling. Mold testing can be accomplished using various approaches: air testing, bulk sampling (tape lifts and swab samples), laboratory analysis, or both. Lab results may sometimes be vague and misleading. Moisture Mapping Moisture is key to mold growth, and managing moisture is therefore one of the cornerstones of mold prevention or remediation plans. Mold spores can aggravate the respiratory systems of people who are sensitive, leading to symptoms ranging from congestion to wheezing. Some fungi also release toxic compounds which can be hazardous for humans, pets, and livestock - thus it is critical that any suspected mold problem be addressed promptly in order to stop its further spread and the formation of toxic colonies. You can click here for more information on these health concerns. Mold spores float freely through the air and when they land on moist surfaces they quickly form an active colony that threatens both structures and human health. When left unchecked this can create serious structural and health issues; mold inspectors employ various tools to identify mold and moisture problems. These tools include moisture meters for structural components; non-invasive thermal imaging technologies; borescopes to visually identify problem areas inside plumbing pipes or other components; as well as various mold testing kits which enable them to determine type concentration levels of mold in an area. Inspectors often utilize a moisture mapping system to gain an accurate and detailed picture of moisture levels within structures. This tool offers a straightforward method for tracking changes in building materials' moisture over time by comparing temperature with water absorption rate at each point - this way they can easily spot areas with high or low levels, and gather vital data necessary for managing drying processes more effectively. An inspector conducting a mold inspection will examine for moisture in unexpected places - such as behind walls, under sinks, attics, crawl spaces, and basements - where mold typically hides out of sight and often signals something is amiss. You can visit this homepage for more information on this testing. Furthermore, a visual inspection must take place to detect mold hiding behind ductwork, on windowsills, and in other difficult-to-reach places. Air Sampling Air testing can be an invaluable asset in finding and eliminating mold issues, but it should not be seen as the sole tool in an inspector’s arsenal. A visual inspection, other types of testing and taking surface samples should all be used together for effective mold investigation and elimination. Air sampling provides spore counts from various species of mold or mildew; however, results may not always reflect accurate representation; there can be many factors which skew results and alter them over time. Some factors are easily controllable, like weather conditions at the time of sampling. Windy conditions can alter air pressure differences inside and outside a building and thus alter how quickly mold spores enter it, potentially misdiagnosing any mold problem. Rapid changes in barometric pressure can similarly lead to inaccurate readings due to rapid air movement between rooms; similarly, these fluctuations may alter mold growth rates within buildings as well as alter spore loss rates. You can visit this helpful site to learn more about barometric pressure. Also important in air samples is the length of chains of spores left intact in them, as these chains will normally dissipate as they travel through the atmosphere - giving a good indication of the size and direction of the source(s). If too many chains remain intact they could provide misleading data, giving a false reading on the size and direction of the source. Surface samples may be collected using a tape lift, sterile swab, or by taking pieces from suspect materials. This allows an inspector to identify the genera of mold present, assess the spore count and pinpoint possible reservoirs where mold has yet to become airborne. Related: Mold Growth At Home: What You Should Know And What You Can Do Surface Sampling Assorted methods exist to test for mold spores on surfaces, including bulk, swab, and tape samples. When taking bulk samples from suspect surfaces and sending them off for analysis in a lab, bulk sample removal and lab analysis are both done simultaneously; when taking swab samples against those surfaces a sterile swab rubbed against it collects microbes which is subcultured to growth media such as Trypticase Soy Agar. These methods of testing mold can identify some of the more prevalent types of mold; however, they may miss or undercount spores that don't grow on an incubation medium used during testing. Experienced inspectors understand their limitations and will avoid using such tests in situations when they're inappropriate. Homeowners typically arrange for mold inspection prior to buying an older home while newcomers might request one after experiencing problems with moisture or mold in their new residence. Testing for mold does not indicate whether it is harmful, will grow, or how many spores will need to enter a person's system for health problems to occur; that depends on their susceptibility and exposure levels. Because of this, an experienced inspector should conduct assessments and report on any visible mold present in a space. Laboratory Testing Laboratory-based analyses specialize in testing biological specimens and provide written reports with their findings, which help determine both genus and species identification of any found molds. Some companies sell Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mold testing kits, but these can often lead to false positives and should only be performed by certified mold inspectors. It is strongly advised that those conducting mold tests in their home or business contact a certified inspector for these assessments. 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7 Things You Must Know About Dow Jones Stock Market Chart

Dow Jones Stock Market Chart has made investment research easier and more comprehensive. The world of the stock market is quite enticing and, inspired by the movies or a real-life story, most of you must have thought of investing in stocks. Eventually, people give up the idea and continue watching the movie or reading the newspaper. The most common reason behind the dropping of the idea of investments is - people generally think of investments as a really complicated matter, which is completely untrue. Investments are not complicated but they need a bit of practice and you have to be good with numbers. Various Stock Market charts like Dow Jones Stock Market Chart, have made investments a lot easier. Now, stock market indexes have made the trend analysis more numeric than imaginative. So you have a number to trust on, rather than your instincts or other such unreliable figures. One of the most popular and most used stock market indexes is - Dow Jones Industrial Average or DJIA. Securities Research can help you benefit from your stock investment. DJIA is a collective price-weighted index that uses the share prices of its 30 component companies to weigh the fluctuations in the US Economy. Dow Jones Stock Market Chart is one of the oldest stock market index and is still is one of the most used indexes, in spite of various criticisms. So, let us understand this stock market chart by knowing various facts about it. Here are 7 things to know about Dow Jones Stock Market Chart 1. The Component Companies: Currently, DJIA takes into account its 30 component companies. This includes the current business-leaders of the US economy like - Apple, Microsoft, AT&T, Boeing, etc. DJIA, in its beginning, has only 12 component companies mainly from the industrial sector. 2. The History: DJIA was coined in 1896 by Charles Dow and Edward Jones for providing a proxy for the broader US economy. DJIA was weighted arithmetic mean at the beginning, which means, it was just the arithmetic mean of the share prices of individual stocks of its component companies. 3. It is a Price-Weighted Index: DJIA is a price-weighted index. This means - more the share price of a stock of a component company, greater will be its weight. The resultant sum is then divided by The Dow Divisor rather than the number of contributing stocks. Thus the next point of interest is - The Dow Divisor. 4. The Dow Divisor: The Dow Divisor came onto the scene to avoid the minor changes like split-dividends, spin-offs, or such others. This ensures that the final value of DJIA and the Dow Jones Stock Market Chart doesn’t get affected by these minimal changes. 5. Trend Analysis: The Dow Jones Stock Market Chart has been a reliable source for the trend analysis of the stock market. It can also be used to study the falls and spikes in the share prices of individual stocks of a certain company. 6. Reading Dow Jones Stock Market Chart: Dow Jones Stock Market Chart is really helpful but the most important thing is to know how to read them. Reading these stock market charts takes a lot of practice and experience. Securities Research has more than 80 years of experience in the field of investment research. Use our experience to benefit from your investment. Learn to read DJIA Charts with Securities Research; download your free eBook now! 7. Components keep changing: The contributing companies of DJIA keep changing according to the change in the leadership in business trends. One of the grandest replacements in DJIA was Apple replacing AT&T to get in the 30 companies of DJIA on April 18, 2015. Read Also : How To Start Trading On The Stock Market And Profit? How Businesses Can Use Stock Trading

What Is Channel Management And How Does It Work?

When you are a manufacturer or the handler of a company, you have to understand that you can not manage all the work yourself, especially the production and the selling on your own. Manufacturing and looking after the production lines is the essential job of a manufacturer. But out of the product sales, the company will make a good profit. If you want to grow your company, you have to concentrate on selling the goods primarily. Here the names of the channel management process are becoming stronger. Without a successful, efficient channel management process, your business and the products selling both are turning to be hectic jobs. But when you involve channel management software in the system, your sales and marketing work is becoming more simple and more productive. Let’s see first the answer to ‘ what is channel management?’ What Is Channel Management? The manufacturers are looking after the product’s production. After the production of the product, these products are heading towards the market for sales. Channel management is a process where the channel partners look after the product selling and product marketing with a specific channel. Channel management is working as the connecting bridge between the customer and the manufacturing company. The channel partners followed an individual target to sell the product and make the communications between the customer and the manufacturing company. Most of the channel partners are following the contractual bond between the company and them. And they are communicating on behalf of the manufacturer of the company. The channel partners can individually develop any new channel management strategy to improve the marketing plannings. The relationship between customer service and channel management is quite dependable. Customer service is an essential key integral part of the channel management process. When the channel management partners represent the company brand, the customer care services should be pretty strong and professional as the customers do not lose their faith in the brand. Now we think the channel management definition is clear to you. Now let’s jump into the next phase of the question of the importance of channel management. The channel management example is giving you a better understanding of the topic. Pros Of The Channel Management Process For Running a business, the necessity of a productive channel management process is to help you to grow. The main working area of the channel management process is to streamline all the business and customer communications. This is the reason in the positive channel management process that customer communication is so important. Here are the pros of the channel management process. Take a look at this and plan your successful channel operation module. The Channel management process is looking after the communications between the customers and the manufacturing company. And make a better relationship with good customer care support. Along with good revenue generations, the customer relationships and the bonds are going to be stronger when you are using the successful channel management process. Each channel partner is responsible for streamlining the communications with the customers in the channel. Every channel follows different types of strategy and different types of customer care services. Along with the goal achievements, you will know which module is the best suitable for your business. Techniques and strategies wise, each and every channel is using different techniques. But business protocol remains in the same position. The channel partners are establishing direct communications with the customers of the specific channels. So every time the customers need any specific help, the channel partners are present to provide the customer support. Along with the good customer support, your brand value is also going to increase, and your products are going to reach a good number of customer connections. These are the attractive features of the channel management process. And if you want to grow your business, the first thing you have to do is develop attractive channel connections and develop a good channel process model. How To Boost Your Channel Partners? Boosting your channel partner means you are taking action to grow your business. Successful channel management is the only way by which you can spread your product sales areas. Successful channel management has multiple benefits for your business. The best of all is the manufacturers do not have that much time for customer communications and looking after marketing and sales. But direct recruiting is very costly here. Here is some strategy that you can follow to boost your channel partner’s energy. Excellent cooperative collaboration with the channel managers and schedule data exchange is a regular job to boost the channel partner’s energy. And the meetings and essential training are the compulsory tasks to grow the channel engagement process and improve the communications. Announce the suitable incentive models for your channel partners. And elaborate the model structure in the open seminars. Always give the achievable target and a different target scope with different incentive structures. The target should be on the basis of the experiences and the channel’s nature. So for every channel partner, the target is distant. Seminar meetings are helping you to develop a stronger bond with your channel partners. Always communicate with the partner, and the channel manager should always maintain the communications between channel partners and the company. The company goal and the channel partner’s cooperation are helping you develop a solid and productive channel management system. More you recruit the new channel partner, their different perspectives, and the additional business terms are helping you to make progress and generate a new productive channel management process. Wrapping It Up The channel partners are a great help to spread your business and develop a more productive sales and marketing team. Hence, you are a manufacturing company and do not have time to look after sales and marketing. Therefore, creating a good channel management process offers the best facility to your customers. What is your opinion about the channel management process? Do not forget to share your opinion with us. More Resources 5 Tips to Improve Your Internet Privacy Why Your Business Needs Call Center Tracking IT Quick Fixes for Your Business During the Crisis by Paul Belogour

How Business Owners Can Better Utilize Freelance Work