2013 October

It is easy to diversify to various related fields when you are a freelancer. All that you have to have is the energy and determination to learn more. Diversifying may sound a bit too general. But diversifying can be very strictly specialization as well.

Diversifying helps in many ways. It paves for easier application of theories of one project to another. Your learning curve may be slow but you may end up reaping the benefits of being an expert at what you do. They are measurable when you get higher paid projects. This may result in spending less on advertisements since you will have the good will, which an expert can command, from the client who may refer you to many others as well.

Diversifying helps specialization since every time you diversify; you also specialize in a new subject. Which means the term diversification goes hand in hand with specialization on a new line of business. While concentrating on your primary strength, it is also necessary to ramp up and diversify. Clients can see through your specialties or expertise very easily. Hence, it is necessary that you need to be a master at what you do. Which also means, that every time you diversify, ensure that you learn the ropes of the new technology well enough to generate an income out of it.

Let us take the example of journalism graduates. They can diversify into writing books, magazines, or articles and publish them. This will ensure that they have their own set of working norms. But here, they have to try hard to publish their work. What they need to have is experience working in a publishing house or even at a newspaper to learn how they need to manage both aspects of the business viz writing and publishing.

People in the technical field have a better chance of diversifying. They can learn new programs and computer languages. There are ample certification courses available as well. In fact, they necessarily need to diversify since technology gets outdated faster. The individual has to update himself with newer technology to keep abreast with the trends. This also allows this field to be very dynamic in terms of inventions and changes.

Web developers have an advantage here. The internet is the place where all the new things happen and web developers will get opportunities to develop new websites about the new industries and technology. Thus, a freelancer who is a web developer will have vast knowledge about every single aspect of the business that he is working with.

Marketing consultants can double up as advertisers. They know the product they sell and they know the different aspects of the product. Similarly, once you are successful at marketing a product and has the knowledge on the skill sets required, you could sell anything. Same is the case when it comes to advertisements. Marketing professionals double up as advertisers for their products. Both these skill sets go hand in hand.

The above throws light on how a freelancer can diversify into different skill sets and use them to generate income. While diversification generates income, it also generates more business. One could create new products while selling some other products or invent a product that goes well with the ones that you are selling already.

The question is whether you prefer to be in the comfort zone or not. Being in the comfort zone means lesser risk. And being away from the comfort zone generates risk. But experience will tell that even while you take calculated risks you could have success calling on you with huge profits and business opportunities.

The key to diversification is to start slowly. Learn each new technology at a pace set by you. Then master them. Once you know where to keep your next step you will know how to climb up the treacherous path. It is a full time job in itself for a freelancer to expand his business.

Another way of diversifying is to outsource less and to do more. Many occasions warrant that some of the work related to your project be outsourced to another freelancer. But situations like that can be a hidden opportunity for the freelancer to learn those new aspects and to be a master of his work. The key is to recognize learning opportunities and outsource lesser and lesser. This way you can earn more and generate more business as well. The new learning will be helpful in future as well.

Do some training to your subordinates or peers and impart knowledge. This way, you are sharing your knowledge and get to know some form them as well. Follow the above techniques and it sure will help your diversification process.

K Saravana Kumar

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Taking your work across boundaries

Few freelancers have had the opportunity to work across the boundaries. This means that some of you have worked across organizations and country borders. Teams located across the world usually operate at a time which is convenient for all the members of the team.

The teams that work across borders mostly do not see each other face to face. They would have seen each other only through company websites which host their photographs. But these teams have an understanding with each other. This understanding is mostly on professional grounds. The agreement would be to cooperate with each other to get work done. This is to ensure that the work gets complete well in time. There are no other emotions etc which run in between.

While working across boundaries, the most important factor to keep in mind is whether you understand the communication between teams. Many times, there are issues on understanding the accent, language and the words used and also the actual communication. So it is better to have conferences where the communicator communicates well and asks for affirmation form the audience if the same is clear to the team and understood.

There are net meeting devices which customarily help to project the required training material and information sheets across to the laptops or desktops of the team members. This ensures that all the members are on the same page and communication becomes easier. While doing presentations or while sharing spread sheets and diagrams of the project, this becomes an easier method to quickly do comparisons, reports and to send the right message across. Many times when more than two people are in the conference, this is an easier way to share expectations for the future. While confirming the same through telecom is a secondary measure.

Where there are clarifications from team members, they could use online forums or chat messengers to clarify on what they need to do. Emails confirming the topics can then affirm the agreed points.

It is foolishness to think that working across borders sitting at your desk top is easy. Small misunderstanding pave way for bigger problems and hence it is important to have the communication right.

Weekly online meeting can solve issues to a large extend. Noting down what needs more coverage, clarification and clarity needs discussion with all key stake holders. Such collaborative work is always rewarding at the end when the project takes shape well.

It takes competency both in your work and in relationship building to work across borders. To be sensitive to the cultural and personal background of the person at the other end will help you to fare better, while being with them. Once the comfort level is established, you could leverage on it to get superior work done.

Tone of voice used while speaking, matter a lot. Please ensure that you use a very subtle clear tone, with neutral accent, while speaking. This will ensure right warmth in the communication. Together with the right words, your communication will appear trustworthy to the diverse resources that are listening to you at the other end.

Many a times the change required is in the way we interpret the whole work in front of us. There are times when, as freelancers, we may have to take a higher responsibility in understanding the work that needs delivery since the responsibility of creating it lies with us.

Understanding others is of utmost importance here, since the role we play in the team will be successful only depending on the understanding we have with them. Building consensus on certain project plans and action plans are basis this collaboration. The influence we have on others matters as it reflects on the work we do and the opinion others have on us. Active collaboration impacts the greater idea and output.

Milestones are helpful while planning your projects across borders. Each team and member will have to have a milestone of achievement for their work. These needs close monitoring for results. Last but not the least is enrolling the right people to work together. If there are hiccups, it is better to replace people who do not gel together as a team. This is to ensure that work gets the right focus.

So dear friends if you are part of a larger team or plan to work across borders, I hope this provides a good insight for you. Let this give you guidance to working conditions and expectations that arise in such situations.