Freelancing has become an option for working as an individual company instead of being an employee. This means freelancers own how they find work and negotiate their own terms, treating their talent as their business. Today's top skills sought out by companies include web development, copywriting services, design work, production, video filming, and so much more. These skills are on-demand, as you can find them across job postings—today, where businesses need these skill sets, whether full-time or for a particular project.
With so many options out there for freelancers, 59 Million in the US workforce chose to freelance last year, choosing to work on their own terms, whether part-time or on a short-term basis. But there are many challenges in building the relationships between freelancers and businesses. Our goal at Buzzzy is to be a bridge for freelancers looking to have better connections with clients. We capitalize on skill sets and experiences to match freelancers with the projects to add more value. We also vet freelancers that could represent our brand, ensuring quality in service and serving our talent's needs.
Other terms for freelancers
Terms such as freelancer or freelance are not the only terms used in this industry. Here are other terms used in the freelance economy to describe freelancing:
- Contract job: Job where you are working a short-term or part-time contract.
- Gig worker: Another word used for freelancing, primarily associated with one-off projects or moonlighting into a freelance career.
- Independent contractor (or advisor): The IRS definition of a freelancer.
- Contract consultant: Consultant that will work for a short period, however not committed to the employer as a full-time employee.
- 1099 employee: Sometimes used to refer to freelancers, especially from payroll departments, as 1099-MISC is the tax form equivalent to what a W-2 form is to an employee.
- Solopreneurs (or Self-employed): Freelancers have used this term to refer to themselves, who go into business independently.
Why do people become freelancers?
Although becoming a freelancer could mean not having stability, for others, freelancing offers flexibility to work whenever and wherever works best for them. It gives freelancers the independence to work for whoever they want and control the type of work they accept. Our market research found that freelancers prioritized projects aligned with their interests and learning opportunities.
Freelancing can also offer comparable pay rates to a full-time job. While jump-starting a freelance career takes time to build a personal brand and loyal client pool, many take the entrepreneurial path. It is a promising path, as 59% of new freelancers in 2020 found they make more money as a freelancer than they'd earn with an employer.
Source: Edelman Intelligence: Freelance Forward 2020
How does freelancing work?
The term "freelance" dates back to the 1800s when mercenaries with no ties to anyone would fight for the highest bidder. The independent aspect of the original intent of the definition still stands today. Freelancing is various services offered to businesses in exchange for a payment. The agreement between two parties sets the terms on being paid and the length of time expected to work with one another.
At Buzzzy, we'll connect two parties as well: a business and a freelance talent. The way it works is that we will match companies with the right freelancer based on their described needs. They will submit a request form, which our algorithm will share with the freelancer that matches that skill set and is used to detail in our contracts as the project's expectations. The business, which will be our client, will pay us directly for the freelancer's work, and we'll facilitate the payment to the freelancer once work is completed and approved by the client. And the best part is that we will pay freelancers 100% of what is owed to them.
Start freelancing with Buzzzy
If you are already a freelancer or thinking about becoming one, Buzzzy is building a core team of freelancers, all vetted by us through their experiences and skill sets. Our vetting process is easy to understand and follow. The greatest part is that we remove the uncertainty of not being paid, nor being paid fairly at market rates, risks you might find in freelancing on your own and even on other platforms. We facilitate many of the administrative work required of freelancers and offer you support from our team to be a part of your overall success.
Whether you are a freelancer or considering making the career change to freelance, we would love to connect with you. Connect with us below.
Image Source: Yan Krukov
