socialmedia-canada.com

Social Media Vancouver is a boutique Social Media Strategy company that helps you build your online brand.

Featured, Social Media in Vancouver

The Pros & Cons of Contract Work in Vancouver

employeeorindependantcontracto_vancouvers

Working as an independent contractor has a lot of perks. Especially in a place like Vancouver, BC.
You get to make your own hours which means that you can hit up YYoga at any time during the day or go for a hike with friends in Deep Cove whenever you like. You have easy access to world-class restaurants and galleries and, without having to clock in, you can be sure to avoid the crowds.
But it’s not all workouts and martinis (or craft beer), there’s a lot of stuff that comes with the whole “Independent contractor” moniker that lots of newbies don’t know they don’t know.
First of all, you have to be incredibly organized with your time. If you’re not, you run the risk of disappointing your clients or worse, not making enough money to stay in business.
There are lots of sites on “the google” that will tell you how much to charge for your services but not many that will be upfront about what it really takes to be a successful online marketing professional. So here’s a list to get you started. (this is, by no means, a comprehensive template for starting your own contracting business but rather a couple of tips and things to consider before you do.)

  • know your expenses – you have to know how much you need to make before you can figure out what to charge.
  • have a process – if you don’t know about project management, learn. It will be the single most important tool you use to successfully shepherd a project from concept to completion. (and it will make you look like a pro)
  • learn from the pros – if you don’t have a Marketing degree, you’ll need to get some learnin’ under your belt. Find the best people and ask them for help. Go to Lynda.com and take as many courses as you can. ALWAYS BE LEARNING should be your mantra so you can stay ahead of the competition.
  • network like mad – kind of like the last point, networking and learning from peers is critical for success in any business. Find a meetup or business group that meet in your area and join in.
  • my dad, a successful life insurance salesman for 50 years, has a great saying: “Always be closing”. ABC. It’s a bit different with Social Media because it’s not “sales” per se but ABC is a good thing to keep in your head. I would say STP (solve the problem) would be more applicable, but you get the gist.
  • be authentic – you’ll hear this a lot…like A LOT! but you really do need to be yourself and be honest in what you want. The minute you have an ulterior, non-transparent motive, you’ll lose the client.
  • finally, be brave – contracting is not for the faint of heart. You will have months where you make $0 and others where you make 10x what you need. Plan. Be smart.
  • I love being a contractor. I love the freedom it provides and the crazy creativity that comes from being able to step out of a structured environment to think. If you need structure, it may not be for you but if you are the type that thrives on expanding the traditional notions of work, you may just love it.

    November 17, 2015by jax
    FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogle +Stumbleupon

    Find stuff

    Design Stuff

    Here are some recent projects. Feel free to poke around my site and drop me a line if you think you'd like to work with me.


    Hotel Iguanazul - Costa Rica
    Hotel Iguanazul - Costa Rica
    This client needed a site that integrated with online travel agents and merged calendars for guest bookings. While the design is simple and elegant, the backend is very robust. I added an additional solution to give hotel staff on the ground the ability to take bookings over the phone or in person without sacrificing the calendar sync.
    North Vancouver Realty Blgo
    North Vancouver Realty Blgo
    This site was created to compliment North and West Vancouver Realtor, Elizabeth Dyer's, growing real estate business. Liz felt that providing people with real experiences from the North Shore would help them get a true feel for what it's like to live in this amazing place. The site is growing daily with new posts and new tech like vlog posts!
    Layne's Way Environmental Interior Design
    Layne's Way Environmental Interior Design
    I created this site for my daughter Layne who is just about to graduate high school. We worked on it together as a tool to help her realize her dream of becoming an Interior Designer. The site is used for post-secondary admissions and scholarship opportunities. It also showcases many of Layne's extra curricular activities.
    Women In Leadership ~ National Women's Leadership Organization
    Women In Leadership ~ National Women's Leadership Organization
    Jacquie McCarnan is the National Director of Social Media and Online Outreach for the Women In Leadership Foundation. She is also "keeper of the brand". With chapters in 4 Canadian cities, the WIL online presence is an extremely intricate part of the Foundation's overall community outreach. We conceived and built individual sites for each chapter, trained each chapter rep and provide continued support through the national head office site. By giving the chapters some autonomy to construct their own content we have seen a considerable increase in online engagement; not only from the website(s) but from all social media outlets as well. We also initiated, planned and constructed processes to make the social media engagement a turn-key solution for each chapter since all chapter members are volunteers. In less than a year WIL has become the most robust online presence of all Canadian women-centric non-profits. (big round of applause :)


    The Pros & Cons of Contract Work in

    My New Year’s Revelation

    RESULTS MATTER – Teaching at VFS h

    Social Media Canada featured in Globe an

    How Can I Find the Best Candidates for M

    “I started Social Media Canada in 2008 to help others realize the power of Social Media to affect change. Since then so much has changed. Social Media is now used to inform, to condemn, to inspire, to do just about anything. There's a lot to know and I'm here to help you learn!”

    © 2015 copyright Social Media Canada // All rights reserved //