More and more people become self-employed by the hour. With the global pandemic, many people have lost their regular jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Becoming a freelance worker has become an option for many, whether it is by selling arts and crafts from home, uploading digital designs, dog walking, proofreading, or content writing.
Technology has been advancing rapidly alongside this, and it has much to offer the self-employed. Here are just a few of the ways it can help.
Websites Can Provide Answers
When someone first decides to become self-employed, it can feel like a daunting process. There is so much to learn and so many things to think about. When it comes to taxes for independent contractors in America, there are helpful articles to be found online. They can cover such subjects as tax responsibilities and estimating tax and payments. There’s also guidance on independent contractor tax deduction and how to prepare a tax return. Customers can access business websites 24/7. If they have questions, there may be an FAQ page. If they want a product description, they may find it there. An online catalog can give customers all they need to know and save hours of unnecessary phone calls.
Even product reviews may be featured here. If someone has just bought a product, they might have their issues solved by watching a ‘how-to’ video. This can be part of an online after-service facility. Many people have to create an account in order to buy online these days. If companies use these to create a customer portal, the public can answer their own questions. They might be such things as ‘Has my money been debited?’ or ‘Has the item been dispatched?
Cloud Storage Keeps Everything in the Same Place
If data is stored online, no one is at the mercy of a failing computer or a memory stick that can get lost. This is what the cloud has to offer. People can change desks and computers, but they can still access the cloud. Online information can be shared, and different people can have different access levels. This can help self-employed people keep tidy desks and offices, and reduces the need to scramble through piles of paperwork.
Communication Is Easier
Customers can phone a business or send a letter, but these days people also love email. It enables folk to send a message at any time of the day or night. Some websites display online diaries. People can discover suitable times to book an appointment. It might be for a sales visit or to book a house viewing. When a self-employed person wants to communicate with a customer, they have a host of options available. Despite the pandemic lockdown, they can still communicate face to face using Skype, Facetime, or Zoom.
Social media opens up a range of options for the self-employed. Research has proven that many customers choose to convey compliments or complaints using it. Quality content can become signposts, redirecting people to online sales pages. Youtube channels can appeal to people seeking solutions in video format rather than written. It can once again be used to steer people to business websites, to create sales.
Mobile Offices Have High Accessibility
It is possible for a self-employed person to have access to almost everything they do from their smartphone, tablet, laptop, or pc. It can be done at any time, anywhere. Smart software is the thing of the future because people can create quotes using their phones and send them straight to customers. They can take payments by swiping a customer’s bank card. In addition to this, documents can be scanned using a phone, saved as a pdf, and then edited at a later date.
If a self-employed person struggles with all their passwords, they can centralize them with a password managing app. Some software can even connect to a business’s main accounting system for viewing purposes.
Presentations and Projects Can Become Easier
Phone software enables people to create presentations on the go. Time spent waiting for trains or planes can become highly productive. Project management software helps people with their business strategies and planned implementation. Some phone software is voice-responsive. That’s great for people who tire of writing or typing.
It Can Assist the Marketing Process
It is very easy to create surveys these days. Survey Monkey is one of the most widely known options around, but there are others. When surveys are sent to people, valuable data can be gained. It can help define a person’s target audience and discover areas for improvement.
As we can see, modern technology can help self-employed people grow their business. It can make day to day activities much simpler and free people up to do other things.