Ugochi Obilonu – Page 3 – Bookings Africa

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.

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.

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.