Happy New Year.
I've been housesitting over Xmas and stayed to celebrate my mum's 70th birthday. Leaving drinks last night in McCarrolls’s - East Midlands’ first fully licensed barbers & ladies’ hair studio. Get a trim, have a coffee while you work and stay for cocktails or their evening clinic - very entrepreneurial!
50 years ago, when his dad ran his salon, haircuts were 25p - how things have changed.
Heading home today after a week of train strikes, we have a hybrid journey with rail replacement buses to look forward to. Let’s hope we don’t turn into pumpkins.
No wonder people want to avoid commuting and prefer home working.
Just reading Upwork's new research: the 2022 Freelance Forward survey, a study of 3K professionals, which The Freelance Informer has analysed in more detail.
Interesting viewpoints in this post. Many of us are undergoing a once-in-a-generation reassessment of what it means to have a fulfilling career.
"The result: in 2022, a staggering 39% of the US workforce, or 60 million Americans, performed freelance work in the past year, an increase from the year prior."
"In just a matter of years, the US labour market could reach a 50/50 split between salaried and freelance workers."
Will the US freelancing surge make its way to the UK?
Or is too much red tape counter-productive to alternative earning power?
It's worth tracking US freelancer trends as they generally make their way over the pond, and so many of us are doing borderless business these days.
I had less contract work in 2022 with companies cancelling non-critical projects and the ongoing impact of IR35 – disappointing that the repeal has now been dropped.
My agent said it's been quiet, so he's been travelling to the US to meet clients. I spoke to a creative director at an independent advertising agency who said they are still adjusting to remote agency life – despite a cool beachfront location near New York, many staff still prefer to work remotely.
Anyway, I hope so! And that the government gets its act together and simplifies IR35. It would be foolish not to – the over-50s are quitting the workforce in high numbers for various reasons. And we have the digital nomad revolution.
Put the kettle on and have a read.
Well worth joining The Freelance Informer community and newsletter if you haven’t already - they are looking for freelance contributors.
My digital publishing platform obsession rolls on!
I've joined Mirror.xyz and will combine publishing on Substack with Mirror and see how it goes. Taking baby steps with web3 – I've set up a wallet, now checking out podcasts and doing free courses.
Still posting on Twitter but doubling down on LinkedIn this year as my main platform. LinkedIn is benefitting hugely from the musky scent of Twitter.
I've also invested in Brian Clark's excellent Personal Enterprise Accelerator, which gives you a solid framework for getting more clients, creating successful products, and building your digital business empire - 7 Figure Small is the podcast.
- Keep moving
5 Things 💡👩🏻💻
Creator Economy Expo - the event for content creators, May 1-3, 2023. Learn how to scale and grow your content-first business faster and smarter – without relying on social media. An excellent investment for your business - see the 2023 agenda here.
Curious about web3 but don't know where to start or who to trust? Introducing Web3 for Beginners: Your Guide to Getting Started with Web3, a free course by Michael Stelzner, the founder of Social Media Examiner. Learn the basics and apply them to your business.
How I got 10K Followers on LinkedIn by Being Myself. Nate Shalev, Founder of Revel Impact, found success on LinkedIn once they became more vulnerable in their posts. Game-changing tips and a success strategy for growing on the platform.
Workload Planning for Freelance Writers – how to be a better planner and stop overbooking yourself to the point of burnout (saying no to work is hard!) Delighted to discover Marijana's Project Planner – a simple + powerful tool to help you manage your workload, track your income, and run a balanced business.
Post News – an alternative to Twitter? Just been approved, so will have a play. "Post will be a civil place to debate ideas; learn from experts, journalists, individual creators, and each other; converse freely, and have some fun." You can share your articles under a paywall, and it allows users to tip creators via micro-payments.
How can I help you?
📣 Building a content-first business? Get a Spotlight story in The Shift
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