April 2022 – Bookings Africa

How to Attract More Clients for Your Business and Make More Money

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Ugochi Obilonu

There’s no debate that the freelance industry is highly profitable and almost everyone is asking, “How do I make more money online?”

There are several ways to make money online these days but for the purpose of this article, we will focus on freelancing as a source of income. It’s exciting to see the projections in the Gig industry and there are several ways you can partake in this growth. Before we proceed, you must understand what qualities clients look out for when choosing a freelancer to work with.

How to earn from home

1. Become a Freelancer: One of the best ways to earn extra income right now is by freelancing. Becoming a freelancer is relatively easy. If you are still wondering why you should become one, you should read this.

Bookings Africa is one of Africa’s finest gig markets; created by Africans for the betterment of Africa. After you sign up, follow the steps below to begin your journey of earning from home.

2. Set up a professional booking page: In the online space, there are lots of distinguishing factors and presentation is one of them. Potential clients will sieve through your appearance i.e. your profile before they take a look at your offer (price).

Always put your best foot forward when setting up an online profile and by best foot, we mean to get all the professional help you can. You might want to hire a professional photographer to help out with your display picture. You need a clean and crisp image with all your facial features displayed clearly.

In addition to a great headshot, you also need a great bio. Your bio should immediately tell us what you are about. A great bio should contain your name, your role as a service provider, and your biggest aspirations.

Fun fact: You can also include a quirky fact about you that will help your target clients easily relate to your personality.

3. Create an inviting offer: Your offer is the unique selling point that distinguishes you from freelancers offering the same services as you.

To set up an offer, you’ll need to ask the following questions:

i. What can I do effortlessly? Can I sell it as a service?

ii. Who will I sell this service to?

iii. At what price will I sell this service? What are my competitors offering?

Based on your expertise and brand, your offer will differ from other service providers. Ensure that you do not charge lower than your worth just because you want to get clients but set competitive prices that make your offer attractive to your target clients.

In setting an offer, it is also important to package your services in a bundle. A make-up artist should not only offer make-up as the only service. You can include complementary or other services such as gele-tying. This way, you can charge higher and your clients will be happy to pay because you are saving them the cost of hiring more than one service provider. Likewise, a French Tutor can offer tutoring services and sell French materials that will aid learning. Whatever the offer you create, ensure that your clients will be happy to book your services. How you do that is up to you and your creativity. A great offer helps you to make money from home.

4. Excellent customer service: Clients love to be treated like royalty even if they aren’t. As a service provider, it is your responsibility to assure your clients of first-class treatment regardless of the nature of your offer.

From inception, always remember to speak politely, be honest about what you can do, and be your authentic self. You might not always like all the things your clients do or demand but you can learn to manage client expectations by being clear about what you offer and then taking your clients through an onboarding session.

Always endeavor to keep your clients at ease and satisfied. Excellent customer service always brings about referrals and great reviews/ratings.

At the end of every service, ask for a review.

5. Import clients: Before setting up your gig account, you might have had a few customers. If you do, inform them that they can only book you through your Bookings Africa page. This way, you add credibility to your sales page and you have access to analytics of how your freelance business is doing.

Furthermore, importing these clients will give your freelancing a professional touch. To make the import stress free, you can offer to set up their customer profile on the Bookings Africa platform and also offer discounts to clients who book you through bookingsafrica.com.

The use of referral codes will further boost your sales online. This is one sure way to make money online.

6. Broadcast: Do not sit on your hands waiting for clients to search you out. Be proactive. Post your business on your social pages, and tell your friends and family about what you do too. At events, network by informing people about how your freelance services can ease stress in their life.

No matter what you do, never be silent about your work.

The Gig industry is gradually becoming saturated but that’s not a reason not to join this winning team. It has however become your responsibility to position your services in an attractive way potential clients cannot resist.

Working from home is very profitable. Play your cards right and you’ll earn more while doing less.

What Clients are Looking for in Gig-workers | The Client’s Perspective

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Sandra Adodo

Freelancers in the gig-market often have similar expectations and goals. They are either looking for ways to land a good client or to retain the existing ones.

None of these thought patterns is bad. But, Let’s think about the client and what they want when they make the decision to book a freelancer.

Here are 5 things clients consider before booking a gig-worker or freelancer.

A great portfolio

Whenever clients source for talents, they require proof of work done before. First on the list is the freelancer’s portfolio. You might have done great things in the past worth sharing, but a client would not know those things if it is not in your portfolio. It is safe to say that clients are moved by what they see, and a good portfolio is a perfect depiction of your skill. If a client would be ready to spend their time hiring you or giving their money, there must be evidence that they will get value for their money. Hence, constructing a well-crafted portfolio is the way to go.

Timely delivery

Some clients hire freelancers not because they are incapable of doing the jobs themselves but because they don’t have time to get them done. Therefore, it would be ineffective to hire a professional who couldn’t meet a particular deadline. If as a freelancer, you want to get great reviews and referrals from your existing clients, you ought to get all their tasks done quickly to meet the deadline. Plus, when you finish your work on time, it will allow you to pick up another gig and earn more.

Affordability

As a freelancer, offering work that is not overly out of budget is vital. This doesn’t mean you will reduce your value because a client isn’t ready to pay more. Instead, you should give them as much value as you charge. If as a makeup artist, your client is prepared to pay (NGN) 20,000 [$ 50] for simple makeup, you ought to do all you can to ensure the client is getting the value for that amount. So, you should always provide quality and value that is reasonably priced.

Friendliness and professionalism

What many clients notice among freelancers, which is a complete turn off, is the act of extreme professionalism. It is vital to maintain a professional relationship with your client, but you should try to create a balance with friendliness. Clients often see freelancers that are too formal as having a high level of rigidity which is not what they want in a business relationship. It is not wrong to show a level of openness so the client can interact freely. Yet, it doesn’t mean the client is ready to learn about your private life, so keep that to yourself.

High-quality results

What every client wants to see is good results. Yes, you need to be friendly, push out affordable prices, have a great portfolio and be timely, but the apex is to deliver high-quality results. The clients will know these by checking the testimonials of other clients, which will help them see if they can bank on you. This means you need to have built a good rapport with other clients and delivered excellently for good feedback. Clients want to do business with capable freelancers, and if you have what it takes, they won’t hesitate to book you.

So, if you ever thought clients have favourites, think again! What they have is a checklist, and these five are at the top of their list. If you have all these, you will become an employable freelancer. Good luck!

How to Create Your Online Masterclass: Set Yourself for Success

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Sandra Adodo

One of the ways to build authority and show expertise is to host online masterclass sessions. You can be an expert in your unique field and be unknown until you take a step to show a more extensive audience your expertise through sessions like masterclasses. By teaching a topic in your niche, you will not only be creating a name for yourself, but you will make money whilst doing so.

At Bookings Africa, we help individuals or organizations to host their masterclass session by using our online learning platform. Through hosting masterclasses you can build and increase brand awareness to a prospective audience.

In this blog post, we will outline the essential steps you need to host a successful online masterclass.

Top tips for a successful masterclass

Know your audience

When planning to host a masterclass session, one of the things to not overlook is finding out what kind of audience you will be speaking to. Many people often assume that all their audience falls into the same category, but that is often not true. There are three categories of audience you are likely to meet.

The experts- those skilled like yourself looking for new information in your niche
The learners – those looking to become like you
The onlookers- those who just want to know what you have to say because the topic interests them.

To satisfy these three categories, you must be able to share educational information, ingenious ideas and acknowledge them all. With that, you will be able to deliver effectively to all three classes of people.

2. Choose a high-demand topic or content.

Have a Masterclass checklist with a list of topics you can choose from (Take note to include value-add topics). Understand the problems you want to solve and have answers for definite questions your audience might likely ask. Going through a checklist would ensure that you have all your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

3. Use storytelling to construct content

One of the significant-end goals of a masterclass session is to reach a bigger picture: online courses or webinars. Hence, if the content of your masterclass is not convincing or exciting, they won’t take action on any call to action. A good way to make your content engaging is through storytelling. By telling stories or relating the content to a story, it will help fuel the audience to listen to you more and even refer to your content.

4. Drive engagement always

A masterclass session is a live event, which means your audience needs to be captured throughout the lecture to encourage you to continue. During a session, you must ask questions to keep your audience engaged. Sometimes, the level of audience interaction will drop, which is possible if they need to attend to other things. Regardless, you can still keep the remaining people focused on you by throwing in a giveaway that many would love to respond to.

5. Check the competition.

Without a doubt, your content will not be the first in the market, which means there are competitors to study. Before pushing your content out, look at what your competitors are offering and what they are yet to offer. This will help you differentiate what you bring to the table and that of your competitors. Plus, you can address the topic differently from how others have been delivering. It will be more interesting for your audience to listen to a different method of delivery which is what you will aim at.

Here are your go-to tips you need to prepare for a successful masterclass session. Need assistance with setting up your first masterclass? Send us an email on the Bookings Africa platform.

Bookings Africa App: How it Works and Top Features

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Sandra Adodo

Everyday, the number of Bookings Africa app users are increasing, but many are still under-utilizing the interesting features Bookings Africa offers. Bookings Africa is a pan-African leading gig- marketplace that is technology personified as the conventional method of sourcing talents has been replaced with a seamless process. With the features on our app, talents can be found and booked on the go, thereby helping young African entrepreneurs utilize their skills across different industries.

Currently, Bookings Africa has more than 15,000 service providers, but not everyone fully knows all the features on the app or even how to use them.

This is the problem this guide addresses, as a good grasp of all the features will help both service providers and clients connect better.

So, whatever questions you might have on navigating your way through the app, this guide is what you need to read. Ready? Let’s dive in!

Top features to enjoy

As a client,

All clients on the Bookings Africa platform have the liberty to access three major features.

Search – Compare – Book

The ‘Search’ feature – once a client is registered on the platform, they can source for different talents registered as a service provider. For instance, if you need a makeup artist, you can use the search column to get varieties of makeup artists closest to you, which you can contact right away.

The ‘Compare’ feature – When the search feature has provided the list of your desired talent, you can compare prices and choose the one that falls within your budget. If you have a budget of #10,000, you can book a service provider within the range of #5,000 to #10,000.

The ‘Book’ feature- It allows you to choose a particular talent and start working with them. Once you click on the button, you will pay into the service provider’s wallet (escrow) and then the service provider accepts the booking, relieving you of the stress of unnecessary haggling.

Aside from these three main features, clients can track the service provider before and after booking them. That means, if I am in Lekki, Lagos, I can search for a photographer near me and Bookings Africa will connect me with those around me, and you can do likewise. When the booking process is done, you will still be able to see the live location of the service provider you just booked. Isn’t that super cool? Well, there is more! You can also book for more than one service provider and still be able to see the live location of each of them. So, if you need models for a shoot and don’t have a makeup artist or photographer, you can get all of them using the app without going through any stress. Interestingly, clients can also rate and give feedback to every freelancer hired after the work is completed using the ratings feature.

As a service provider

As a registered service provider on the bookings Africa platform, you have access to all the features listed below:

Profiling

Booking Africa allows you to sell yourself to potential clients as a service provider. On your profile, you have a description box, where you can write an overview of the services you offer and why you are the best person for the job. You will also be able to post past successful gigs, emphasizing that you have the experiences being sought after. The profile section allows you to post pictures and videos to convince the clients to choose you.

2. Multi-Category Roles

Being a service provider on our platform is not limited to a particular job role. If you are a chef with good photography skills, you can add an account to showcase the photography aspect. Hence, you don’t need to choose one talent but add them provided you can deliver the level of expertise required.

3. Instant job notification

This is one interesting feature that makes the Bookings Africa app unique among other similar apps. If you are a registered service provider on the platform and a client posts a job, you will get an instant notification through your email and the app. So, if you registered as a DJ, you don’t need to stay glued to your app because once a job similar to your service is posted, you will get first-hand info.

4. Secured payment plan

Using the conventional method of sourcing for jobs might prove frustrating, especially if the client decides to pay less than the agreed price. With the secured payment plan feature, every amount agreed on is the amount you get from the client. Once the service has been delivered and marked completed by the client, you get paid immediately, which is much faster when compared to other online gig markets.

General features

Having listed the specific features of both the service providers and the clients, let us quickly look at the general features every user would enjoy on the platform.

Mobile access

Whether as a client or service provider, you can access the Bookings Africa platform on your mobile device. You can be on-the-go whilst accepting bookings, booking service providers and getting paid.

2. Video call

The video call feature is peculiar to Bookings Africa. For instance, if you are a gym instructor, you can interact with your client through the video call feature from the comfort of your home. Both clients and service providers can enjoy this feature on the app.

If you have read to this point, you are definitely interested in being a user. Whether you want to be a service provider, client or both, Bookings Africa makes room for any users, so you have no worries. Don’t waste any more time! Hurry now and sign up to enjoy all these features and more from your favourite online gig marketplace.

Hire Quality Freelancers/Gig Workers

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Ugochi Obilonu

Trusting a freelancer who you have never met to deliver on a task you paid for is quite daunting but it doesn’t have to be rocket science. In four easy moves, you should be able to identify the right gig worker fit for you.

Attributes of a Quality Freelancer

In the gig industry, one of the most troubling questions customers ask is, “How do I know which freelancer to hire amongst many options?”. With hundreds of individuals joining the gig market every day, it’s only expected that customers ask these questions.

Every quality freelancer or gig worker should have the following:

A good headshot: This seems inconsequential but it isn’t. If they take their appearance seriously, it is an indication that they also take their work seriously. A good headshot provides a brief insight into the personality of the freelancer.

A clear, crisp image, revealing their facial features, immediately communicates to the potential customer that the freelancer is authentic. A good headshot is a freelancer’s first take at making a good impression on the mind of the customer.

A unique bio: What you say about yourself speaks volumes to a person who’s just meeting you. As a client, you should read your potential hire’s bio and immediately feel the urge to do business with him.

A unique bio is concise yet carries all the relevant information. It highlights the unique value proposition of the freelancer and then shows the personality of the gig worker. When deciding on a quality freelancer to hire, look out for ingenuity.

Organized Portfolio: If there’s no collection of work attributed to the gig-worker, you should keep searching. Irrespective of if the gig worker is new to the marketplace, there should be something that shows us what kind of work they’ve done or are into.

An organized portfolio should showcase the style of work, the process of work, and the final result. For example, a makeup artist’s portfolio should show the before and after of a completed job; a graphic designer can upload a video reel showing the process of design from initiation to completion.

Good work should be showcased creatively, and compactly.

Reviews and Ratings: Based on the caliber of work a freelancer does, they should get ratings or reviews. Reviews give an insight into the quality of service a client received while ratings give an overview of how hire-able a freelancer is.

In the case where a freelancer is new to the gig market, the first three qualities should be able to cover up for a lack of ratings/reviews.

Why Bookings Africa?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, how people view work has drastically changed. Most individuals have opted for an easier, simpler life; and freelancing is the go-to solution for most persons. Any work that stresses you out should be outsourced. If you feel overwhelmed by it, you should hire a freelancer to get the job done for you.

The gig-industry has made it possible for customers to choose who they work with and pay at rates they can afford. There are also several gig platforms out there but if you are African rooting for Africans, Bookings Africa is your best bet.

With Bookings Africa, you have the option to Search, Compare and Book. On our platform, you can search up to 500 different categories of service providers ranging from Make-up artists to Writers to Accountants for your small business. Our platform also gives you the option of comparing prices and services and it guarantees a seamless booking process.

As a client, you are only expected to pay after your service has been rendered. We also guarantee our clients a complete refund if they feel dissatisfied with the kind of service they received.

How to Hire the Right Freelancer

As we stated earlier, choosing the best fit for you doesn’t have to be rocket science. Hire a quality freelancer in these four simple steps:

Pay attention: We made a comprehensive list of qualities to look out for above. To avoid dissatisfaction with the service received, pay attention to that list. If freelancers on the platform will not put in the effort to fill out their profiles, they probably aren’t excellent at their work.

It has therefore become imperative that any customer seeking to hire a freelancer on the Bookings Africa platform must be detailed in their choice of hire.

Compare: We also encourage freelancers on our platform to set comparative prices. We never advocate that people should charge less than what they are worth, however, we do encourage them to set prices that portray them as bookable.

While searching for your best fit, try to compare the prices, quality, and caliber of the freelancers in that category. Depending on the service you are looking for, we’d implore you to go for the best service provider your budget allows for.

Verify: Because we understand the complexities of the internet, the Bookings Africa Platform ensures that all service providers registered on our platform are verified. However, we still encourage you to do deep research on the potential hires.

You can certainly take our word for it but if you would like to further verify, that’s equally great. Check out their profiles on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. to verify their legitimacy. In case you feel concerned about a certain service provider, you can reach out to the Bookings Africa team via email- [email protected] and we’d be happy to help.

On our end, we run background checks as it is very expedient to us but we encourage you to also verify to your satisfaction.

Book: After verification, proceed to book your quality freelancer. Enjoy your service and don’t forget to leave a review.

How to Set the Best Prices as a Gig-worker and Freelancer

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Sandra Adodo

Starting a career in freelancing always looks effortless and exciting because of the flexibility it brings. However, it can be challenging to be in the system and not get gigs as much as you anticipate. This is a typical issue in freelancing as the number of people involved is growing daily.

At Bookings Africa, more than 15,000 service providers are waiting to meet the clients’ needs but are yet to be booked. The question is, what are they doing wrong? Why are some people on the platform getting gigs while others are not? What are the top service providers doing that gives them the upper hand in the gig market? How do you set a client-friendly price to be booked?

Let’s start with What YOU need to get BOOKED ⬇

Know your worth

In freelancing, knowing your worth is vital to getting the best prices set and being known. This is the first step because you are likely to set just any price if you are unsure of what you have and can offer. Understanding the value you bring to your skill will help you position yourself and your prices right.

For instance, a makeup artist with less than 3-years of experience cannot charge the same as a 10-year experienced artist. Possessing the necessary skills and equipment is essential to back up your designated price. You also cannot spend so much on makeup tools and undercharge yourself. There has to be a balance. Some service providers are getting more gigs than others because they understand how valuable their services are and the best prices to include. So, before you conclude you cannot get booked or set a great price, check to see if there is so much value to the price you are putting out.

2. Invest in adding value to yourself

Whether you are new to that particular niche of freelancing or not, it is never too much to keep growing in the services you offer. If you don’t know where to start building from, ask professionals in that field for guidance. Many of the top freelancers you see making waves didn’t just get there with little knowledge or skills; instead, they pushed themselves to give more.

If you take a sample study of the freelancers in your field and look through their work, you will see the different investments they have made in their work. They have attended relevant training and gotten certified to scale their hustle. The amount of value you have to offer will determine your set prices. If, as a photographer, you have never shot weddings and don’t have samples of related work, it would be hard for clients to trust your services over a more experienced professional. Therefore such investments are non-negotiable. Also, by adding value, you will be meeting the checklist clients use to hire freelancers.

3. Organise your Portfolio

One of the many ways you can show your clients you are up to the task is by building a great portfolio. It is not enough to know that you can do the job; you also need to show the clients that you are skilled. This involves you creating a great portfolio. At Bookings Africa, a well-polished profile is one of the distinguishing factors most service providers consistently get gigs to have.

In an online market like ours, your profile is your CV, and that means your aim is to pitch yourself through the bio and content on your profile. If you are a chef, the significant thing clients expect to see is the food you have cooked, how well you present it, and the quality images of your dish. If you are into modeling, the major push-out should be your past works in that field, creative photos, pageantry, advertising gigs, television appearances, and even Youtube. Ultimately, you need to build your portfolio with evidence of your past jobs and a well-written bio to stand out.

Tips on setting the best prices

When you have discovered the ways to push out your profile, the next big question is how to determine the price to charge.

Understand the cost of running your business

Whether you have a regular 9-5 job, it is vital to calculate the cost of running your freelance business. Your checklist should include but not be limited to; the cost of equipment, taxes, utility bills, and transport fare time investment. The list is extensive depending on the services you offer. For instance, actors will prioritize transport fares over utility bills because more of the work role will be done outside the house. In the case of a fitness instructor or tutor, they might need to be at home to deliver virtual services, which require sufficient utilities and fuel bills sorted in case the power goes out. This is quite familiar in countries where the power goes off unexpectedly. When you have understood the cost of the business, you can then set the prices that would cover the cost and leave you with substantial cash in hand.

2. Check your competitors

Having invested in the values you can offer, it is time to compare with other top freelancers. You can set a comparable price if you set up a good profile and list out your experiences, similar to those getting great gigs in your niche. Note, however, that charging high with little experience is not a good move. You can start with a more client-friendly fee that covers the cost of operation. When you have built a stronger portfolio, you can augment your prices to match your acquired skills.

In freelancing, you can build a strong presence such that potential clients can continuously book you for gigs. Happy Freelancing!

Our Easter Wishlist

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Ugochi Obilonu

Holidays are the best days in the world and almost everybody is prepping for the Easter Holidays. Holidays equal lots of food, family time, fun events, laughter, and GIFTS.

Gifts are the best part of any celebration and no matter how little the gift, it’s the thought that counts. Some people prefer their gifts to be a surprise; others determine their gifts by creating a wish list. Wishlists seemed too pushy but as it stands, wishlists are highly desirable because it takes the stress off figuring out what to buy for loved ones.

If you have no idea what to fit someone this Easter, have no worries. We have curated the perfect Easter Basket. Each item is suitable across every demographic.

Ready? Let’s go shopping!

15 most popular Easter Basket Items

1. New gadgets: At the very top of our list, we think gadgets are a must-have on every wish list. With technology becoming more advanced and time passing by before our eyes, buy your loved ones that gadget they’ve always wished for.

If you don’t know of any options, think cameras, Air Pods, smartwatches, consoles, phones, or tablets. Gadgets have become such a necessity that buying a new one every other year isn’t a bad idea.

2. Shoes: What’s better than having shoes? Having even more shoes.

Irrespective of gender, lots of individuals love shoes. Shoes just have a way of making an outfit come to life. It pops not just the style of the outfit but also the personality of the individual. Shoes are such a great gift to add to your wish list or purchase for someone dear.

While shopping, you can look out for female shoe options such as pumps, ankle booties, strapped heels, kitten heels, mules, and brogues. For the guys, try shopping for black loafers, coffee brown Chelsea booties, white sneakers, or black dress shoes. Ensure to share the post-gift delivery footage with us.

3. An all-expense-paid trip: Covid-19 has affected travel as we know it a bit. While the world adjusts to the new normal, we can creatively plan trips within Africa.

Planning trips can feel like a herculean task so you might want to use these tips:

Have a budget
Choose a nice resort, hotel, or AirBnB
Book ahead of time
Plan a few fun activities and also allow some time for rest
Inform the receiver ahead of the duration of the trip and the sort of activities they would be engaging in.
Be glad, you just made someone happy.

4. A gift card/coupon: It’s the little memories we create that sum up a life of happiness. You have no idea what a gift card or coupon could mean to a person in need of one. Pick out a meaningful gift card with substantial worth and hand it to someone in need. And if you need help curating a coupon or a gift card, send an email to [email protected].

5. Self-care Kit: In a cute box, place items such as a moisturizer, a scented candle, body scrub, bath salt, perfumes, chocolate bars, and maybe a bottle of wine.

We all need pampering and a self-care kit is a show of affection.

6. Host a house party: Adulthood comes with a lot of complexities and loneliness. It’d be great to have some friends over this holiday and host a house party inviting all of your close friends to a reunion. Plan fun activities such as charades, board games, karaoke, etc. Another fun activity which everyone will love is a fun photoshoot session. You can easily book a makeup artist and a photographer via bookingsafrica.com platform.

Encourage every guest to come with a little token that could be shared amongst everyone, and there goes a happy holiday.

7. Shop for clothes: Upgrade a person’s wardrobe this Easter holiday.

Tip: Shop for versatile outfits that can be restyled constantly e.g. a nice pair of jeans, a red dress, men’s wear, or multiple t-shirts.

8. Feed the needy: True love is embedded in generosity. Make someone feel loved this holiday by being kind, offering them food, or giving them a haircut. Look outside your close circle, find someone who has no resources or family to be with this season, and show them love, by helping solve a need for them.

You might also want to consider visiting an orphanage or old people’s home.

9. Quality time with family: The world is pretty busy but holidays provide us the opportunity to rest and to spend quality time with our families. Take care to pay attention to your family by doing one of the following:

Cook dinner for the family.
Plan a movie date.
Host a picnic.
Help with chores.
Talk about everything and anything with the family.

10. Visit an old friend: Surprise an old friend who you haven’t seen in a while with your presence. This act would mean a lot to someone who has longed to see but couldn’t afford the luxury of time or money to visit. Make this holiday extra special by executing that trip.

11. New jewelry: They say jewelry is a girl’s best friend. You can never go wrong buying a piece of jewelry for your mom, aunt, sister, niece, girlfriend, or colleague. You can choose from a range of options varying from bracelets to earrings to anklets to necklaces.

Jewelry does not have to be expensive; have a budget and stick to it.

12. Book a SPA session Stress is an inevitable part of life. Facials, massages, and skin treatments bring a relaxing feel to a person’s life.

By the way, all genders need a spa treatment/pampering; so don’t limit this gift to a gender.

13. Fruit basket: Incorporating healthy eating into our lifestyle has become a Post-covid necessity. Initiate a healthy lifestyle in someone by gifting a basket full of fruits. Remember to write a heartfelt note.

14. Gift a book: Book gifts https://rhbooks.com.ng/ never go out of season. People would hold on to a book in print more than they would an e-copy. Have an idea of the kind of books the people around you would love to read, then get it.

15. A family photo session: Don’t wait till Christmas before you book a photo session with your family. Easter is a very good time to enjoy the bonding experience that photo sessions bring.

For that extra kick, add:

Money: When in doubt, gift cash. Money should be the first option when creating a wish list or preparing to give a gift. Gifting cash is definitely a stress reliever.

Make this Easter Holiday a memorable one for both yourself and your loved ones. We hope this was a very comprehensive list. If you have more creative ideas, leave a comment. You never know who you’ll be helping.

Meet Kaylah Oniwo, Top influencer on Bookings Africa

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Sandra Adodo

The world of freelancing is a different yet, an exciting space that can only be truly understood from the lenses of service providers. This is why we are launching a series where you will get to meet those making waves in different fields and doing excellently with the services they provide.

In today’s series, Kaylah Oniwo shares insights on how she has scaled up her journey to influencing, the challenges she faced and how she overcame them. If you are as excited as we are, let’s dig in already!

Who is Kaylah Oniwo?

Over the years, I realized something about the popular phrase “ Jack of all trade, master of none”. Infact, this phrase was a turning point for my career. Before then, I was just a radio host doing my thing but when I understood that you can do so many things and still be good at it, I took up the challenge. Who am I? Kaylah Oniwo is a social media influencer, TV personality, radio host, fashion enthusiast and many more.

How did you build a connection with Bookings Africa?

It started with the relationship I had with the founder of Bookings Africa, Fade Ogunro. We had been great friends from way back, and I knew about her journey hosting radio shows to now, this great company she has created. Looking through the management of Bookings Africa, I can categorically say that in all my twelve years in media, this is one organization that is committed, professional and dedicated. My expectations are always met. Sometimes, I want to be selfish about the connection I have with Bookings Africa because there is so much to enjoy with the team. But recently, I have decided to tell as many people as possible about the great potential that awaits them here.

How was your transition into influencing, and how did Bookings Africa help in the journey?

It was an exciting journey for me as I started in the radio space because I wanted to be unknown. I wanted to be a fantastic personality on-air but still be free to move around like everyone else without worrying about being recognized. Fortunately, people started to identify me from Twitter and then Instagram that I couldn’t hide my face anymore. I started doing other things outside of radio hosting. I shared beauty, fitness, fashion tips and many other interests on these platforms and people started to know this other side of my personality. Messages started coming in from people that enjoyed what I do and wanted to pay for campaigns. One of such calls was from the Bookings Africa team, and they wanted me to jump on a campaign which I joyfully did. Interestingly, the call wasn’t because I knew the founder but was from the value I was already giving other brand agencies and companies. Even after I came on board for the first campaign, I was eager to join Bookings Africa full-time because of the seamless process the team provided.

Since you started influencing, have you experienced challenges in getting gigs?

One of the significant issues I faced was brands not understanding the value I provide as an influencer. I tried to make these brands understand that there are specific logistics that need to be placed before they receive the world-class content that I create.

There were certain disparities I noticed in the industry whereby more foreign influencers were valued highly than local influencers and this affected the average influencer’s business growth. I almost gave up but got inspired by Jackie Aina, A Nigerian-American Youtuber, who didn’t stop at ensuring that black women got paid their due diligence. Learning from her experience, I became more consistent and this was a huge value-add to my brand.

Lastly, I noticed brands reaching out to me even though their objectives didn’t align with my brand. I learnt that working with brands that were keen on forcing their brand voice on me didn’t turn out well. As an influencer, I have a specific voice I communicate with to my fans and changing it for a brand will just water down the purpose of the campaign.

How do you feel being one of the top influencers in Bookings Africa?

I feel great! But, I won’t take all the credit because I know it is an accumulation of the team’s effort that has brought me here and is taking me to the next level. Trust me; you are not even ready for what my brand has in stock for you this year.

What would you tell other influencers looking for ways to stand out?

This might sound cliche, but it has been a major point of my success story: authenticity and consistency. Billions of people exist in the world right now and as you are similar to many people you are also different from a bunch of others. So, your best bet is to stay true to yourself. What I have built today didn’t take a day but 12 years of consistency. Yes, I do believe in overnight success but a long-lasting success requires intentional consistent effort. I’m proud to say that if you mention top influencers in Nigeria or top media personalities, my name will pop up, but it didn’t happen in a day. So, “Do YOU” consistently and work on yourself. Pick a few people you admire, reach out to them, and learn from them. Ultimately, remember to put your version of yourself out there consistently. Also, don’t try to create an image that is not sustainable because it never leads anyone anywhere. Eventually, the bread will come!

What brands have you worked in so far through the Bookings Africa team?

I have worked with Estee Lauder companies, Net-a-Porter, Hermès, Pandora, MAC cosmetics and many more. I didn’t mention it all because there are so many, trust me! I also want to say something about Bookings Africa to those who haven’t joined- the time to sign up is now. Whatever skills you have, don’t wait till there are so many people in your field on the platform. When you sign up now, you will be among the top service providers displayed when you join quickly. Plus, this is not Bookings Lagos or Bookings Surulere but Bookings Africa, so somebody in Kenya or South Africa might just want what you do. So, sign up already! This is the real deal!

Gig Industry: Expectations vs Reality

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Ugochi Obilonu

Currently, working in the gig industry or as a freelancer is one of the most desired type of work. We are aware of some of the reasons why people choose remote work but like everything in life, there’s always two sides to a coin.

If you have been itching to get first-hand information about the realities of the gig industry, then you might want to buckle down and pay close attention. More importantly, stick around to the end.

What people think the Gig Industry is

Quite frankly, most freelancers get into the gig industry because of the freedom it brings.

Freedom could mean liberation from answering to employers, the privilege to spend time doing other important things or just earning extra income from a different stream. These are valid reasons. In fact, these are great reasons.

However, desires can quickly turn into unrealistic expectations. That’s why it’s expedient to adequately have plans in place before making a drastic career or business switch.

When people think gig-work, they assume the following;

1. Client overload: Beginner freelancers always assume that the minute they set up a gig account, orders start popping instantly.

With gig work, a lot of patience and strategy is required. It is very likely that 2 months after setting up a gig profile, no one will patronize your work. And this isn’t because you are not talented or skilled but there’s a process.

People want to trust who they choose to work with. Setting up a gig account isn’t enough to start getting gigs. A lot more work needs to be put in such as crafting an attractive profile, and also setting up competitive rates that can attract potential clients.

2. Less interaction with people: This has to be one of the popular reasons introverts decide to become freelancers. Working with human beings and managing all the details of social interactions isn’t exactly a walk in the park, either for introverts or extroverts.

With traditional work, you always have to meet with your bosses, colleagues, or clients. Gig work requires even more refined people skills. You can’t avoid interacting with other humans by becoming a freelancer.

Your ability to convince, convert and manage your potential clients will determine if you get booked or referred. Possessing people skills is a big success factor in the gig industry.

It’s true some gigs are purely remote. But with remote work, communication is still a vital factor. If you lack the ability to properly communicate, you might come off as rude, insensitive or unprofessional.

Being a gig worker or freelancer doesn’t exempt you from human interactions.

3. Work-life Balance: 24 hours never seem to be enough for the 9-5 worker and so we assume getting gigs should provide us with more time.

False!

If you are not careful, you’ll end up wishing you had your 9-5 back because there’s always something to do for your clients. It might not be that you have demanding clients but it is possible that there will be due deliverables.

In addition, procrastination and overworking are two extremes associated with working in the gig industry. Some freelancers assume there’s more than enough time, reverting to doing last minute work while some others never stop working.

Striking a balance and practicing time management is essential for career growth in the gig industry. Work-life balance is achievable for freelancers but this can only be come about by discipline.

4. More money: Freelancers are pro charge-your-worth individuals. Freelancers believe they should earn the rates they set. And while they may be correct, there’s also a counter argument.

Clients like to pay what they think people are worth. For clients to pay you what you believe you are worth, you must project yourself as valuable. Your branding game must be topnotch otherwise, you’d assume all the stats about freelancing is a lie.

People don’t part with their money that easily, and as such, you have to do your best to earn that trust.

5. Work from home with ease: Some African parents are yet to adjust to the work-from-home business model. So even when you might be earning more, some African parents might think we are lazing around. It will take some time for them to come around.

Freelancers with kids often experience difficulty when working from home because their families always desire their attention.

Getting a work space might be a more preferable option than working from home. If not, you’ll discover that you spend more time dealing with African parents or managing family life as opposed to working with your clients and giving your best.

How to handle the realities of Gig-Work (Freelancing)

All these seem like a lot to take in but don’t give up on freelancing just yet. Freelancing is the future and it is very profitable. There are several strategies for winning in this industry and you’ll understand them in a bit.

With courage, patience, professionalism and resilience, you’ll be on top in no time.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Understand your WHY: If you will play the long game, you have to put your purpose before your eyes. Always remember why you chose this line of work. The road to success is more bumpy than it is smooth. The only reason successful people succeed is because they place their goal above the challenges and uncertainties they might face.

2. Clarify your brand message: To get gigs, be specific about what you offer. You might want to answer questions such as,

i. Who do I want to serve?

ii. Why do I want to serve them?

iii. What product/service solves my target audience’s challenges?

iv. Why should my potential clients choose me?

3. Set up an outstanding profile: After having a clear brand message, you need to set up your profile to match your client’s professional expectations. Whatever gig platform you choose, remember that you need to be exceptional, professional and authentic.

To get gigs on any gig platform (e.g. bookingsafrica.com), be original yet professional. Use a high quality profile picture and stick to being excellent in all your projects.

4. Post reviews: Customers only book service providers who they can trust. Trust can be easily earned when there are reviews, ratings and real customers.

Potential clients like to see that at least one person has booked your services. The trick to getting reviews as a newbie on any gig platform is seeking help. Asking friends and family to pose as clients that book your services actually works. This is a good way to earn clients and credibility.

5. Be professional: Maintain a professional outlook every single time you get booked. From start to completion of a project, engage in a polite and pristine manner. Satisfied customers will often recommend and refer to good service professionals.

6. Take courses: Stay on top of your game by taking courses, attending webinars and live events. Keep learning and growing to sharpen your skills.

7. Amplify and advertise: People only buy products they know about. Talk about what you do. Be bold and loud about the services you offer. In fact, you can get more clients to book you on bookingsafrica.com by offering discounts only to registered users.

8. Stay optimistic: You have to believe that you will succeed as a freelancer. When the going gets tough, get tougher. Stay positive.

9. Stay ready: Prepare for the quality and quantity of clients you want. Only ready service providers make money through gigs.

10. Have other streams of income: We know that the gig industry can take some time to adjust to and so we advise that you get other streams of income.

In conclusion, the gig industry remains profitable and your expectations can become a reality in no time.

Will Freelancers Rule the World?

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Ugochi Obilonu

Absolutely!

If you are not one, you should totally reconsider.

Let’s take a deep dive into the world of freelancing and why we think freelancers will rule the world.

Consider every business owner you can think of, what’s the denominating factor?
They either offer a service or sell a product and get paid for it. They have the luxury of time and can decide what kind of service/product they want to sell and to whom to sell. If this isn’t freelancing, what else could it be?

Are there freelancers in government? The answer is yes. The real stakeholders and kingmakers don’t necessarily sit in the government houses everyday. These stakeholders are consultants who are outsourced by the government to provide that advice and strategies that will change the world and affect economic policies. Consulting is a freelance job that provides additional income.

In retrospect, freelancing is taking over traditional employment and the trends are there to prove it. According to 99 Firms and their most recent analysis on freelancing, approximately 1.1 Billion people in the world are freelancers and that number is set to triple by 2027.

With more and more people trying to find their purpose and do work they actually like, the gig industry keeps growing every single day. In fact, more 9-5ers have side gigs which supplement their income. This has caused a big shift in employment.

The global pandemic caused a lot of transitions or as we now call it, “the new normal” leading to more remote and hybrid roles, as well as job loss. It has therefore become expedient to have multiple sources of income. It’s no news that one in every three adults has more than one source of income and freelancing options is at the top of the league.

Why Freelancing?
According to a Forbes research in 2015, the top five reasons for the rapid switch t o freelancing includes:

Freelancing is quite simply, earning on a per-job or per-task basis. Freelancers are self-employed persons who can serve multiple clients, earn from doing work (gig) they love, and at the time they want to. A few years ago, freelancers were looked upon as unambitious and nonchalant but today, freelancing is the future of work. In fact, more companies are looking to hire freelancers who can provide what they need on-demand.

Anyone who doesn’t have a freelance job should consider getting one soon because the industry is fast becoming saturated. The gig industry was worth $350 billion dollars in 2021; the most amazing fact being that this industry keeps evolving.
Freelancing is driven by digital transformation. For every job that is outsourced, there are multiple, competent freelancers available to work. Gig platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, RemoteHub, BookingsAfrica.com amongst others have provided tech-driven platforms that connect freelancers to their choice audience. This has created ease for both service providers and customers to interact real-time.

Flexible working hours: More employees just wanted to free up time to do what they loved and to also work at their own pace. (For example, BookingsAfrica.com allows service providers to set their own avaibile hours which in turn prevents them from being overbooked or double-booked).
No income ceiling: Freelancing enables you to earn as much as you want, charge what you are worth and be independent of one stream of income. Hence, it is imperative that service providers set competitive prices that would encourage more bookings.
Choosing your own projects: In the gig industry, you get to choose who you want to work with but most importantly choose what kinds of projects you prefer. Persons who took up employment opportunities for just monetary reasons now have a chance at doing what they are actually passionate about.
Work-life Balance: The traditional 9-5 work model causes a lot of stress and anxiety when not properly managed. To be in control of their life, more people have opted for freelancing jobs and the numbers keep rising.
Be your own boss: Toxic workplaces left more employees with no other option than to become self-employed. Freelancing offers a more suitable option as opposed to trading options of self-employment.
Amongst all these reasons, we see that the prevailing reason is FREEDOM.

Varieties of Freelance jobs
With the rise in mental health advocacy, a lot of individuals across the globe are seeking opportunities to ease themselves of stress. Humans are social beings and will hardly thrive in isolation and so the natural desire to spend more time with their families or travel around the world, is completely normal. Because time seems to never be enough, people are more willing than ever to pay for services that free up their time.

In this digital age, literally anything can be outsourced. Any service that can be rendered to ease stress is your ticket to financial freedom.

Adults will always need money and freelancing is one of the pathways to financial freedom.
With freelancing, you can earn from:

Tutoring: Knowledge is a big deal in the world right now. If you can teach what you are an expert in, you can earn money from anywhere in the world.
Influencing: Marketing strategies keep evolving and in very recent times, people with a large following and a loyal community leverage on this advantage to make money. Influencers have become major in the marketing industry and through freelancing work, they are able to live out their dreams.
Copywriting: Writing smart, creative copies for the purpose of Advertising (ads), email marketing, documentaries, research papers, blogs and so on. Lots of people are making big bucks from this freelance work.
Photography/Videography: You can sell your pictures on gig platforms or earn a fee from editing videos on platforms such as Shutterstock, Bookings Africa, Fiverr and Upwork amongst others.
Virtual assistance: Get paid per hour or project when working as an online assistant to anyone in need of that service.

The possibilities are endless when you decide to become a freelancer. In a few years from now, trends show that the freelance workforce will be about 50.9% of the American populace by 2027.

If you haven’t joined the train by now, please do. As a freelancer, you get to work with your choice clients, and from anywhere in Africa when you register on the Bookings Africa platform.

And even if you don’t believe that freelancers will rule the world, I think it’s only safe to join a moving train is profitable and has proven past predictions right.