Maybe you are just one of the few people who do not want to be freelancers but you love what Bookings Africa is about and you’d like to be part of it. You are in luck because freelancing is just one of the ways to make money on Bookings Africa.
This article is a deep dive into the world of money-making as seen on Bookings Africa.
We have a plethora of income streams, but first, you have to be signed up to benefit from these. Go on, sign up and then keep reading.
Great job!
Now, you can decide to make money on the platform through
Masterclasses
Ticketing
Event promotion
Benefits of Referral Code
MASTERCLASSES
Our platform enables you to host masterclasses via the video call service for up to 50 people, giving you the professional feel you desire.
Setting up a masterclass on Bookings Africa is great for thought leaders, business owners, event promoters, artists, teachers, etc. Basically, anyone who desires to reach a wider audience, assert their thought leadership, and makes even extra income needs to host a masterclass.
Just in case you didn’t know, Africans know how to through a party! From glamorous dresses to themed events, awesome music, and mouth-watering food to the infusion of our rich culture and great insights into the industry developments. African parties and events are always a “must-attend” for everyone.
To ensure a seamless flow for these events, ticketing is one aspect you do not want to ignore.
Bookings Africa has created a self-service platform empowering event organizers and promoters to host their events virtually, sell tickets, reach larger audiences, and manage their events.
The platform helps to address the ticketing issues. This automatically saves you the stress of selling tickets in person or looking for placements for the tickets. It also helps in tracking the data of the registered attendees for your event.
To sell your tickets,
Sign up as a client or service provider (if you are not already signed up)
Go to your dashboard
Click on My Events
Create a new event
After you create events, share the link to purchase tickets
Track ticket sales on My Events → Ticket History
And voila, you have another stream of income.
EVENT PROMOTION
After creating your event, you can also decide to promote your event with Bookings Africa. We offer our clients a variety of promotion packages. If this is something you will be interested in, please contact [email protected] for more inquiries.
BENEFITS OF REFERRAL CODE
When you refer a person to sign up on Bookings Africa with your code, you earn.
Here’s how:
Sign up as a service provider
Your username serves as your referral code so use something easy yet professional
Convince others to sign up on the platform using your referral code
Every freelancer knows that one of the perks of their career path is being able to work from home. Yes, it comes with several advantages that sometimes surpass what a regular 9-5 worker enjoys. However, the downside is that it gradually begins to affect every other aspect of your life as burnout can set in, leading to series of health challenges. The big question is- How do you achieve work-life balance in the gig economy? Is there a way freelancers can have family time and not miss out on big clients? This article answers this question with five tips listed below.
Fix work hours and stick to it
Start your week with a schedule for the week. What is the total number of hours spent on work tasks every week? If it will take you 25 hours to do a particular project, split the hours into the days of the week and make sure you don’t exceed them. By doing this, you will still be flexible with your freelancing job style, but you will also have time for other tasks. There might be exceptions on some days when the deadline is staring you in the face but ultimately, stick to what you have planned for all the tasks each week.
Include vacation fees to your hourly charges.
Whether you have a fixed price or an hourly price like on the Bookings Africa platform, endeavor to include your vacation expense into your rate. When setting your rate, think of the amount you plan to spend on yourself at the end of the year or during a hangout with your friends. When you have calculated the amount, divide it by the number of hours and include it within your rate. This small additional fee will cover the time you take a well-deserved break later in the year.
Create a reasonable work expectation
Suppose you are starting as a new freelancer; being selective on the project to take on might pose a challenge at the beginning. Regardless, setting a realistic expectation is always a better option. As a video editor who understands that it takes a long time to edit a video, telling your client about the feasible deadline creates a reasonable expectation. Even if you are new in the niche, it will be better to inform the client of the difficulty of doing the work. If you don’t already know what time it will take, you can monitor the time and tell your client later so that it doesn’t affect your regular everyday duties.
Dedicate a section of your home as a workspace
It can be challenging to separate your work-life from other aspects of your life, especially if you are at home 24/7. The best way out is to have a workstation dedicated to only work in your home. It doesn’t have to be the whole room that would be converted; it could just be a desk or a space with friends that is strictly for work. This will help you focus on work when you are in that place and think of other things outside that environment. This tip will help you increase your productivity level and help you create quality time for your family.
Create a “me time.”
The idea of self-care isn’t only for the 9-5ers. Freelancers in Africa can also benefit from it when they create time to take care of themselves. Instead of allowing work to affect your relationship, health, and general well-being, intentionally make time for those things that matter. If you have to set your alarm to eat well, drink water, call a friend, take a walk, or meditate, please do. Don’t just have your “me time” created in your head; write it on sticky notes, set reminders, be accountable to somebody, and you will gradually balance your work-life.
Most of the wealthiest people in the world do smart work because they understand how to work hard but still enjoy life. Freelancing is a gratifying opportunity that can give you great pay and a flexible working structure, but only if you follow these tips will you be able to harness its potential. Work hard but take care of yourself because health is wealth.
Currently, we have 46,374 thousand freelancers signed up on the Bookings Africa platform and earning daily. This is such a huge deal for us as a company and for Africa as a whole.
Africa is rich and vast with so many talented people who have much to offer the world, and we love how Africa is taking shape already. Bookings Africa is on a mission to ensure that by 2040, African freelancers will be the most sought-after Freelancers.
This is a defining time for Africa and there’s no better time to join the train than today. Become a part of the finest gig workers on the planet by joining Bookings Africa today.
With every service provider that is signed up, we have twice the number of clients willing and ready the book them. This just goes to speak of the open playing ground and the boundless opportunities that Bookings Africa has to offer to both clients and service providers.
You are doing fantastic! You just booked a client and you are on your way to making even more money.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, it is important that you have a quick chat with your client and you know, get to know them a little. This is where our Chat/Messaging Feature comes in.
To achieve customer satisfaction, communication is a big deal. You and your client have to be of one mind and on the same page.
Perks of using the Chat/Messaging Feature
Transparency: Our chat/messaging feature gives you the transparency required for any business deal. In case of any misunderstandings, you can always refer back to the chats for clarification purposes and the chats can serve as proof.
Ease: The Chat Feature is easy to use. Here’s how you do it:
-Log into your dashboard
-Click on the search bar, and look for the service you require
-Compare search option
-Click on the chat symbol to begin conversations with the Service Provider
Start chatting
Brilliant: You can tell when your client is online, offline, typing, or has read your message.
This chat/messaging feature is a cool way to keep your clients abreast of any changes or new developments. It works both on the app and website. Today is a good day to try it out.
Reviews are valuable assets service providers in any industry do not joke with. Why is that? Having a great review in a world full of many other freelancers in your niche sets you apart in the competitive market. When you are given an excellent rating, it is an affirmation for other clients to book you based on the excellent feedback. Beyond these, there are several other benefits of chasing client reviews. Read more.
It improves your credibility.
If you haven’t yet built a strong portfolio, find out how to create a standout profile before sourcing for reviews. When your profile is set, your client needs to know you are not just full of words. Having positive reviews will boost the credibility of your brand. Most clients look for freelancers with at least 80% positive reviews, and if you have that, you are good to go. Always remember to ask your client for feedback after providing any service on the Bookings Africa platform.
It contributes to a solid social media presence.
Whether you are delivering a service online or offline, you need to build a social media presence, which can be achieved by consistent good feedback. If you are a comedian or an entertainer and have videos of past events with reviews from customers, posting them on social media is another stand out strategy. If the clients are social media savvy, tell them to mention you on their posts so it will form an extensive network of social media reviews for your brand. You could also create a blog post that encompasses many of your testimonials and share it on your social media pages. Any of these strategies will help attract clients to your brand.
It helps your brand stay consistent.
The beautiful part about feedback is that it is contagious. If potential clients meet good feedback, they will unconsciously be interested in booking you, which affects them if the feedback is negative. Also, to keep your clients hooked to your profile and be ready to book you, your profile must show that you can deliver. When they finally book you, remind them to leave feedback and watch how your brand builds up to be a consistent service provider in your niche.
It helps with your brand SEO
If you have many mentions of your brand or name on a different website, it will be great for your overall SEO. The way it works is simple- if client A praises your job on Bookings Africa and client B takes your works to Instagram and tags you, before you know it, you will be appear on the search results. This is why reviews are essential for any business.
Hopefully, you are convinced that good reviews are non-negotiables for building a credible brand in any business sector. But, note that before a client can be willing to give positive feedback, you must have also played your part in delivering good services. So, invest in yourself, provide value and see how clients return the hard work with positive feedback.
Few things in life have RELIEF written all over them like taking your wig off or taking off your shoes after a long day of work. Using Bookings Africa has that very same effect. I mean can you beat having to get organized, get booked, and get paid all in one place?
And that’s not all, there’s more.
The features of the Booking Africa platform are tailored to the freelancer’s everyday, work-life needs. It helps freelancers with their promptness and professionalism towards their clients and it also ensures that the freelancers have a well-rounded online profile. The Bookings Africa App is even more fitting as it is very on-the-go in terms of ease.
Frankly speaking, everyone should sign up as a freelancer on Bookings Africa.
Need more convincing, check out these benefits:
Professional Profile: Optimum professionalism is guaranteed when using BA (Bookings Africa). The registration process for both clients and service providers is very easy to navigate. You can upload your portfolio, pictures, and videos thereby increasing your versatility and credibility. Here’s an article where we share how to upload your portfolio.
Guaranteed Payment: Our wallet tab shows you where to find payment transactions. The Escrow wallet shows you where your money is stored before a booking is completed and then the available wallet shows payment after a booking is completed. With this, you are assured of your payment and you can track your finances. The whole process of transfer is also automated so yeah, big win for us the non-techies.
Upload work portfolio: No need for any external links. All information about you and your freelance gigs is all in one place. You can upload your portfolio right there on the app.
Social media Promotion: After properly uploading your profile, you are provided with a unique link that you can share on all social media platforms. This link can help you get more bookings. And if you want to go the extra mile, you can run sponsored Ads on your services and convert your special link to a landing page for all leads. Cool right?
Access to a Client Demand: We want our freelancers to be as professional as possible and so we went ahead to create an app for you. Via the Bookings Africa App, you get notified as soon as a client books you. You also get access to all your scheduled appointments. The features of this app set a freelancer up for success.
Note: If a booking is not confirmed within an hour, Bookings Africa automatically declines on behalf of the service provider/freelancer. So we encourage you to download the app on Android or iOS.
Ability to Set price rates and availability: You can set competitive prices and your available time on the Bookings Africa site or app. You can choose to earn a fixed price or charge per hour, you can also decide to work on Sundays if it is your cup of tea. The site embraces any availability you set, allowing you time for personal things. The best part has to be that the setting is haggle-free. No frustrating back and forth. Whew!
Penalty charged to clients for late cancelations: We protect the interest of all users. As such, if any client cancels a booking less than 48 hours before the time of completion, we charge a penalty fee. The client is obliged to pay 50% of the agreed Service Provider’s rate. Service providers need to not worry about the intricacies because we resolve the challenges. However, if you experience any challenges, contact us.
Track sales, growth, and credit history: Joseph Assah, a Bookings Africa service provider, spoke about the tracking benefits of using the app. You should be able to track if you are advancing in your freelancer career in terms of sales, ratings, reviews, and income.
The Bookings Africa app gives you access to all these analytics without you paying a dime. The Gig Industry is growing so rapidly, join the train today!
You are allowed to have a maximum of three professions on the Bookings Africa platform.
Before we get to the how let’s tell you why you need to have multiple professions on your profile.
At Bookings Africa, we believe that Africans are super talented and deserve an equal playing ground in the world and so we created one of the largest gig markets for Africans, by Africans. Most people have multiple talents and as such, our platform is optimized to accommodate this diversity because we believe in unlocking your earning potential. More professions, more money; it’s a no-brainer.
Just so you know, a profession is different from a service. Service providers signed up on Bookings Africa are professionals who offer various services. A profession is a broad category or a specialization while a service is any activity rendered to benefit another person. For instance, an accountant is a profession while book-keeping is a service. You can set up three different professions on your profile but you can offer as many services as you want.
We encourage all service providers to add more professions to their profiles as this increases their earning potential. Users can search up to 30 different professions on Bookings Africa.
Sign Up for Multiple Professions in 3 Simple Steps.
If you are a new service provider, follow all three steps but if you are an already existing service provider, you can jump to step three.
Sign up on Bookings Africa: Bookings Africa is only available to registered users. You’ll need to sign up as a service provider with accurate details.
2. Complete your profile: Provide all the necessary information as required. Ensure that you complete setting up your profile and with valid information.
3. Go to Your Account: On your account dashboard, click on My Services. Click on New service and then fill out the required information for another profession.
Being a freelancer comes with so many benefits; one of them is having different clients from various parts of the world. Yes, you can decide to get as many gigs as you can handle when freelancing than regular jobs. However, gaining access to those clients is the challenge most gig workers face. Being a service provider on the Bookings Africa platform helps beat this challenge.
Watch as Joseph Assah talks about his experience being a service provider on the Bookings Africa platform.
To sign up as a service provider, visit www.BookingsAfrica.com or chat with one of our customer service team.
Congratulations! You’ve finally decided to sign up as a service provider on Bookings Africa. The next question on your mind is, “How do I get clients on Bookings Africa?”.
First, you must understand that an attractive profile is one of the determining factors that will set you apart. Therefore, it is imperative that you set up an outstanding profile and then go ahead to set your availability and prices.
Let’s talk about pricing a little. African local markets are known for one thing: haggling. Everyone who shops in any local market always haggles. Typically, the buyer has in mind a product he wants to buy and then goes on to find a seller that suits his budget, preference, and perception.
At Bookings Africa, we allow our users have that same marketplace feel: Search, Compare, Book. So how do you become the choice service provider amongst many others?
Guide User’s Perception
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. In setting up your profile, how you describe your service is key. Most users want to spend as less time as possible on the platform when choosing a service provider. Help them make that process faster by guiding their perception of you.
To win a client over, think like one. Ask yourself these questions:
Am I impressed by my profile?
Does my profile make a good first impression?
Will I book me?
If a haggard-looking salesman and a finely-dressed salesman approached you to sell you a book: HOW TO BE RICH, who would you rather buy from?
Perception is how something or someone is understood or regarded. It is true that you might know your onions and that you know your work well but if your packaging looks mediocre, no one will patronize your service.
Always put your best foot forward. Fill up the video and picture segments in your profile with mouth-watering proofs of your work that leave your potential clients thirsty for your services.
Conduct A Market Research
No one starts off building a house without considering the size of his pocket. That’s the same way no service provider should kick off their freelance career without first conducting market research. You should have an idea of what users look out for when considering booking services in your category.
What amount is too high? Which is just right?
Conducting market research saves you the stress of guessing or adjusting your prices now and then.
Hers’s a quick way to conduct market research:
Ask your friends, family, and acquaintances how much they would be willing to pay for the service you are offering.
Create a questionnaire that will reach a wide range of audiences, asking them their pricing preferences for the services you offer.
It is important to remember that your value matters in the decision process. Do not undercharge just to please a market you have no interest in serving and do not overcharge when you know you’ll underdeliver.
This takes us back to perception. How you want to be perceived determines your pricing strategy. When you think of Toyota, you think of affordability and durability. When you think of Ferrari, you think luxury. Depending on how you want to be perceived, conduct research in that line.
If you want to be an affordable brand, research the unique selling points of an affordable service provider on Bookings Africa. If you only offer premium services, ensure that your target audience also book freelancers.
The more informed you are, the more informed decisions you make and ultimately the more competitive your pricing.
Pricing Strategy
Setting competitive prices is a strategic move businesses use. Freelancers can also adopt these strategies to their advantage.
Sell your services in a bundle: Let’s assume Dave signed up as a Videographer on the Bookings Africa Platform. Dave can add as many services as he offers under the profession: Videographer. That means he can decide to sell his services in bundles.
His services can include:
Video Shoot only (N35,000/Physical)
Editing Only (N30,000/Physical)
Video Shoot and Editing only (N50,000/Physical)
Video Script Writing only (20,000/Virtual)
Scripting, Shooting, and Editing (70,000/Physical)
In actuality, Dave offers three major services under the Videographer profession but he has also created two extra bundle services. When potential clients know that they can save money booking a bundled service, they will most likely book.
Coca-Cola uses a similar strategy. Customers always go for an offer that saves them money.
This pricing strategy is highly effective and can also work for newbie freelancers on the Bookings Africa platform.
Another pricing strategy is to gradually increase your pricing as your clientele increases. The strategy here is to start at a lower price than you would usually charge and then grow your client base on that fixed price. After a while, you can gradually increase your rates.
This goal is to ensure that all your booked clients rate your services and leave a review on your page. This enforces your credibility and professionalism as a freelancer.
Setting your availability
Once your profile and pricing are sorted, the next thing will be to choose your available working hours. You want to choose days that work for you.
Simple techniques for determining your availability include:
If you work a 9-5 alongside your freelance hustle, you might set your available hours for weekends.
Leave a day open for all Bookings Africa gigs. For instance, depending on the type of services a hairstylist with a physical store offers, he/she shouldn’t fix any client’s books on Wednesdays. Wednesdays should be reserved for potential gigs from Bookings Africa.
Work only when you can excellently deliver on the job.
In summary, pricing and availability are two variables that must be set with precaution and honesty. Freelancers can grow their careers in no time. When the price and time are right, you are sure to get bookings.
