What is a freelance job?
A freelance job is a means of working as an independent contractor or as a sole proprietorship for a specific company.
According to flexjobs.com, “Essentially, a freelance job is where a person works for themselves, rather than for a company. While freelancers do take on contract work for companies and organisations, they are ultimately self-employed.”
The majority of African countries are considered developing countries. Africa is growing in population and has a young demographic that is looking for better opportunities. Many African countries are facing high unemployment rates, particularly among young college graduates.
Africa has several entrepreneurs and small- and medium-enterprise businesses. Most of the small companies will fail within their first or second year of the start-up stage. Hiring an experienced full-time staff is very expensive for most small businesses in Africa. Competition with big companies is another problem.
Freelance jobs are not new to most developed countries, and these jobs are becoming popular in Africa. Likewise, remote work is becoming widespread in Africa, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why are freelance jobs becoming popular in Africa?
Many young professionals are looking for ways to become self-employed and to earn income by working as independent contractors. A freelance job allows individuals to work on temporary or long-term assignments.
The rise of unemployment among young professionals is the reason why freelance jobs are becoming widespread in Africa. By hiring freelancers, businesses are able to fill their lacking workforces without having to take on long-term commitments.
Technology has made it easy for freelancers to work remotely as independent contractors. Searching for talent should not be limited to a specific region, and the search can expand to other continents like Africa.
Besides, it is affordable to hire a freelancer in Africa compared to other places; the lower cost of living in Africa has excellent benefits for start-up companies looking for affordable expertise.
How does remote work create opportunities for freelancers?
Remote work is not new, and it is growing in popularity thanks to technology and the Internet.
Similarly, remote work was not an overnight discovery. It started during the first Internet adoption in 1980.
As more people began to own personal computers, phones, and tablets, they connected their devices to the Internet, which paved the way for remote work.
Nowadays, the Internet has changed the way we conduct business, which has led to the expansion of working from home.
The same work that is done at the office can be accomplished from home.
Freelancing in Africa, particularly in the tech sector, is growing among young professionals. Many startups are looking for temporary staff for a particular project.
Businesses or employers can seek top talent or a perfect match to work on their projects and have confidence that the project will be executed before payment.
How to become a good freelancer/consultant?
A good freelancer/consultant offers the best solution and cares about customer satisfaction. It is best for freelancers to focus their field and provide a solution to existing problems. Focus on something you like that you are passionate about and that can be a hobby.
Concentrate on improving your skills and offering ways to help solve some of the business’s challenges. It is essential to adopt technology to enhance your work.
Skill development is another benefit of becoming a freelancer, and employers are looking for expertise to solve the problem they are facing. Work on building your portfolio with past projects and previous experience.
How to get a portfolio for your project if you do not have one
Start offering help to friends, family, or community members for free to get your portfolio together if you do not have any samples.
Start with a lower fee to prove your talent. Then, increase your price once you get the experience.
Create a comprehensive profile or portfolio.
Have a website with your information, such as professional experience, past projects, and portfolio.
Have a good LinkedIn profile.
How do you hire a freelancer for your business?
As an employer, how can you choose the best talent with a limited budget?
Consider the following when selecting a freelancer.
The problem you are trying to solve:
Define the project type and your expectations of the freelancer.
Hiring a freelancer is about seeking the right talent with a limited budget, and defining your expectations is important.
Your budget for the project
Your requirements:
Consider the freelancer’s skills, past projects, portfolios, and other aspects relevant to the project.
Job information:
Give details about the job.
What are the benefits of a freelance job?
Flexibility
Setting your own schedule
Option to work independently
Opportunity to work with different projects and companies
Earning income either as a part-time or a full-time freelancer
How do you find or post a freelance job on a freelancing platform?
African freelancers find it difficult to land temporary assignments, and employers struggle to hire freelancers for temporary jobs. Businesses or employers rely on referrals, which are often not very useful.
Find the perfect freelance, remote, or consulting job in Nigeria, Africa, and get paid for doing what you love.
A2lance (www.a2lance.com) is a website platform that allows employers or businesses to post jobs that freelancers or consultants can bid on.
A company or an employer can seek the top talent or a perfect match to work on a project and have confidence that the job will be completed before payment.
For more information about the A2lance freelancer platform and how to sign up, please visit https://a2lance.com/about-us/.
What are the freelance platforms in Africa?
The primary freelancer websites include freelancer.com and upwork.com.
Challenges
Currency
Catering to businesses in the US, the UK, and other countries
Are there any African freelance platforms for Africa?
Why use A2lance in Africa?
Local currency
For African businesses
Understands the demographic
What is a2lance.com?
A platform that overcomes the challenges of finding freelance work in Africa
A freelance website designed for African freelancers and employers
First launched in Nigeria
Owned by AkolagTech
How it works:
A2lance is an African freelance web platform that allows businesses or employers to post jobs or projects. It lets freelancers or consultants bid and work on temporary assignments.
How to sign up:
Read the FAQ section for more info.
Website: www.a2lance.com, www.akolagtech.com
Email: info[@]akolagtech.com
Please ensure that all headings are in question format for consistency. Thank you.