Wednesday 28 September 2016

Top 10 Freelancing Tips

If you have chosen a career of becoming freelancer, now you need to make efforts to make it a success. Working as a Freelancer demands more responsibilities than as a employer. An employer works in a office, in a specific city or country, under supervision of a single boss, or a few seniors with similar nature of work. While a freelancer got opportunities to work with different international clients, with different, languages, natures, country codes, work practices, time zones, currencies and work type. They have to do a lot of research to keep themselves updated. They have to spent several hours of brainstorming for selecting the job to send a proposal. In office, this part of job is done by bosses or managements. You simply need to obey orders. You are guided by your seniors and colleagues to complete the task. But a freelancer has to be a boss, manager, accountant, receptionist and employer all by himself. That does not mean you cannot be a freelancer, but you need to take tips and guidance for freelancing to become successful. There are numbers of books and guides available on the topic. You may contact any successful freelancer to get helped. I just tried to write down something from my little experience that might help you.


1. APPEALING PROFILE:

If you got an opportunity for interview physically for a employer job, you have noticed that interviewer use to ask questions or topics that you have mentioned in your CV or resume. It is recommended to make a simple CV with all true facts so that you cannot be confused by what you have written in CV. That means you have written it yourself, not a copy paste. Same rule apply to the profile for freelancing. Please be true with the skills you have mentioned in it. These freelancing site have tests options. Take a test of your skills and earn a skill level. Selecting an accurate work rate that is according to your skill level. Mention clearly your work hours. Develop a portfolio with your projects description and permissible project images to attract more clients. Make it as simple and as professional as possible.


2. RESEARCH BEFORE SUBMITTING PROPOSALS:

This research include research for work and client both. You must know about client, his country, currency and time zone. I would like to share one of my personal experience. I was asked to model a structure on software and I have to submit this job within an hour. I was already working on some other job. So I asked him a budget estimate of $100 considering it a tough and urgent job. Client burst into anger "Are you serious" , " Why you think I will pay you $100?". I was shocked at it because the estimate was fine for that job. I will get 80% of it. If converted to Pakistani Rupees it will be about 8000/- something. Then I tried to find out what make him angry and I came to know that he is from Chile and 1 USD equal to 650 Chiliean Peso, that means $100 equals to 65000/- Chiliean Peso, that will obviously a big budget for one hour job.



3. BE WITH YOUR COMMITMENTS

As a freelancer, you are your own boss. You can select flexible deadlines, work hours and time estimate. So be with it. Don't mention that you are available 24/7, If you cannot work on Sundays. Try to complete your task before deadline to avoid delay due to internet connection unavailability or electric power failure or something unpredictable. As a beginner these things matters a lot. If you did a perfect job and hoping to have 5 stars feedback but due to some unexpected guests coming, you submit it the next day and get a 4 star will effect you Job success score. 

4. BE COMMUNICATIVE:

Communication is the Key to Success. This also applies to Freelancing. Discuss your project with your client in detail. Ask if any confusion. Don't assume. There are different ways of working a job country wise practice change. So you must research as well as discuss to get clear what your client is asking to you. If you just start without clearing concepts, and completed it as per your practice. Then either you have to re do all, or client may chose some one else to work for him. He may or may not pay for the time you spent. Negative feedback will also be added to your account. 

5. KNOW YOUR WORTH:

Don't be underrated or overrated. Freelancing does not mean you are working for free. Ask for suitable pay for your work. You can describe your work in detail to client, so that he could understand. You can divide a big job in a series to milestones so that both client and you are satisfied with working and payment. Tell your client you availability time as per UTC so that he could blame you for not responding immediately. Know your worth and present it so other may also know it. Give respect, earn respect. 



6. RESPECT YOURS AND CLIENTS TIME

Submitting proposals to jobs irrelevant to your skills will only lead to a wastage of time for both you and client. For Client, he will spent time read all proposals he received and next he will interview few of them to select the best outfit. As freelancer, you will spent time interviewing, answering and trying your foot to get fitted in someone else shoe. In case don't have any job available currently. Spent time to learn something new. Make researches. Or try some experiments. If you are good at using any software, make software tutorial videos of your own. Or if you have done some new research write it down. Practice some skills to make it polish further. These may act like a back up. May be some day you get client to ask for an academic write up on the topic you have already researched or ask for help learning software. You will not have to wait for a century for such opportunity, because this types of job are posted daily on various sites. You just have to have an Eagle Eye and  good internet connection. 

7. EARN TRUST

In order to be a successful freelancer and earn money, First you have to earn trust. Your client can't see you physically working on job like bosses can do with a CCTV camera in his room. He has to trust you with his money. You have to earn trust first. Your new client will see the previous record before hiring you, but what about the first client? You have to make your offer such that he has no option but to hire you. Once hired, make your 100% efforts to get it a success. Be nice in communication. Update your client with work progress. You may need to do video conferencing or sharing contact details to make sure that you are a human not a robot. As freelancer, we may not select client that do not have reputation or unverified payment method. So its two way. Remember, Trust is your driving licence for freelancing. 



8. UPGRADE YOUR SET UP

To continue your success journey, you need to have a upgraded system with adequate storage capacity and speed. You have the required software and gadgets installed in your system. Your system and software are as per International Standards. You have books, codes, other required material that is needed to complete the job. You have good internet connection and downloading speed. Also you, yourself upgraded with subject knowledge. You have good command on English. Because it is the International language and only mean of conversation with international clients.

9. BE UPDATED

Each day hundreds of new words are added to dictionaries. New technologies invented. New software come in market and compete all the previous one. Working with International Client will need more being updated than for local. We are developing country, technology which we are following here, may have been outdated for them. They might ask to do billing quantities using any specific software, not Ms Excel or make animated presentation on Prezi instead of Power Point. So be updated.

10. MAINTAIN WORK QUALITY

Don't compromise quality in any case. Being freelancer you have a plus point to work from any where and any time. You can work sitting in a comfortable sofa, or in a garden or cafe, but that should not effect your work quality. It is not like being an employer who will get paid at the end of month, and his mistakes may cover by senior fellows or company reputation. Here you have make your own image and reputation. 


ALSO READ: 

HOW TO CASH YOUR LEISURE



HARVARD STYLE WRITING GUIDELINES




SUPPLY CHAIN RISK MANAGEMENT



6 Benefits of Freelancing and Entrepreneurship to Society


How to Cash your Leisure Time?


Moving in 21st century demand us for awareness to rapidly growing technology. All of us are very much updated with the latest technology like latest version of iPhone, gadgets, laptops, accessories, brands and clothing. We know, what our relative's cousin is having for supper today and how's our ex-neighbor is feeling right now. Whenever we got free time from our house chores or office work, we start using social app in mobile or tab and spend several hours on it. Lets have a look on past. House women after finishing with lunch preparation and cleaning, got busy in some of their hobby that is not only hobby but financial support to their family. Meanwhile, they used to socialize with their fellow women as well. The quality time they spent in sewing, knitting, rilli and applique work, embroidery, flower making, pottery, dough work etc. enhances their creativity, polishes their skills, encourage positive thoughts and a mean of earning. On the other hand, if we consider the present situation, posting a status of "feeling bored- with 20 others" and commenting and chatting for the next 2 hours can't help us getting anything. Instead after logging off, we think of the branded dress our friend was wearing in the party or Diamond Necklace of Areezay that we can't afford. This will led to negativity, depression and inferiority complex. If not, atleast it is a wastage of time.




Today, we have everything available at door step. Today's women will not spend weeks to make a rilli work, she can simply get in one order of few minute. A doctorate or engineering professional might not like to be called a tailoress by her neighbor fellows. Today's women is not only a house wife but she has to make effort to make her career. It is not necessary that she has to left home at 8am and back at evening 6:00. This is the age of Freelancing. The rapidly growing trend of Freelancing and dozen of Freelancing sites make it very easy to work in flexible hours. Now you can spend half an hour to design a Logo for a client and earn $5, or write academic report for a lump sum of $100, or do some drafting work and earn $10/hr, or teach somone 3 hours a week online or edit some pictures, make presentations, charts, design or consult or whatever suits your skills. Either you are a teacher, doctor, engineer, business person, artists, writer there are number of opportunities out for you to work as freelancer and get good earning.

Now, first thing will come in mind is, are these sites reliable and we really get paid for work? I will say, Its far better managed than office system. An hour worked, an hour paid. You have to make research for the suitable freelancing sites match to your skills. Few top freelancing sites are: Freelancer, Upwork, People per Hour, Fiver, Guru, Freelance writing gigs, College recruiter etc. All you just need to make an appealing profile on it and find the suitable job matching your skills. You have to send proposal to get hired. Once you got a job and done it well it will help you get reputation and eventually more jobs. 




You can open a separate account for international transactions. There is some percentage of your earning is deducted by freelancing sites and also when you transfer amount in your local account, it will charge you few hundreds. (500/- or so) So make sure what you are proposing budget for your job. In start you might start with a small earning but as you will progress and get good job success scores, you will have good earnings. You can set your transactions for monthly, weekly or quarterly in order to reduce deduction in transactions. Its also depend on you that how much time a day or week you can spend working without any external pressure, also you can set your response time. All in all, It is very cozy to earn in the time you may spent changing channels on Television or revisiting again and again the home pages of social sites to check latest New Feeds. In fact if you are a professional, willing to run a personal business, become freelancer. Or if you are a student want to work to meet your college expenses, you may spent 2 hours a day or work on weekend and earn. 

I am personally working on Upwork and Guru sites. You may visit my profile and can contact me if you need any help. 


Its not too late to start something good.


Also Read: 

 TOP TEN FREELANCING TIPS

Tuesday 27 September 2016

What are the Most Effective Treadmill Speed and Duration to Burn Calories?

A common delusion is that you can only run on the treadmill at a speed as fast as you can. Or you might have to put an hour or so jogging on the treadmill. Let’s take a look at the following analysis based on treadmill speed that can make you choose your treadmill speed and duration. You must be in proper running form & wearing foot wear suitable for running.




Speed 3 km/hr.
This speed is generally set at the start of treadmill routine in order to warm up the body. A low speed improves bone density and lowers risk of pains & cramps.  If you start at this speed, after 2 min & 3 seconds, distance traveled will be 0.1 km with 6 calories burnt. After 10 minutes, you won’t realize and you can burn 29.3 calories. You can continue it for 30 minutes plus. 
At 3 km/hr. for 10 minutes: 29.3 calories

Speed 4.5 km/hr.
This is low to medium tread speed, if you do not want to run or can’t run for any reason but do want to lose weight then this is the best speed that leads to weight loss and calories burn. At the start of treadmill, always warm up with 3 km/hr. for at least few minutes. Now hit 4.5 km/hr. After 1 min 23 seconds, distance traveled will be 0.1 km with 7 calories burnt. After 10 minutes, you are able to actually burn 52 calories plus those few calories that you burnt initially during warm up. You can continue it for 25 – 30 minutes. This speed will increase energy levels along with calories burn. End the routine with 3 km/hr. for few minutes to cool down. 
At 4.5 km/hr. for 10 minutes: 52 calories + initial warm up calories




Speed 6 km/hr.
Start at 3 km/hr. for at least few minutes as a warm up. Now hit 6 km/hr. which is a medium tread speed. After 1 min 5 seconds, distance traveled will be 0.1 km with 7 calories burnt. Imagine you can burn 69 calories just after 10 minutes of jog at this speed. You can continue it for 15 – 20 minutes. This speed takes you to weight loss zone as well. End the routine with 3 km/hr. for few minutes to cool down. 
At 6 km/hr. for 10 minutes: 69 calories + initial warm up calories 



Speed 9 km/hr.
Like always, first warm-up with a few minutes’ walk at 3 km/hr. For this medium to high speed you better warm up not less than 5 minutes. Then you can directly hit 9 km/hr. After 0 min 42 seconds, distance traveled will be 0.1 km with 7 calories burnt already. Before you know it, 5 minutes are over and you have already burnt 50 calories ensuring weight loss and stamina boost! Remember, for this speed, you might need to take 10 - 30 seconds break in the middle. End the routine with 3 km/hr. for few minutes to cool down. 
At 9 km/hr. for 5 minutes: 50 calories + initial warm up calories.
At 9 km/hr. for 10 minutes: 100 calories + initial warm up calories 


Speed 12 km/hr. (Burst training)
This speed will actually be sprinting for us couch peeps. Fast running ensures weight loss more even when you burn same calories via walking/jogging. Remember to make your body warm with a 5 minutes 3 km/hr walk. Hit 12 km/hr. and after 0 min 35 seconds, distance traveled will be 0.1 km with 7 calories burnt already. Usually a normal lazy person can’t keep up with this speed for more than 2 minutes or even 1 minute. But if you dare enough while taking care of your joints, you can burn 60 calories right after 5 minutes. Bingo! At this speed, be very careful & you might need to take 30 - 60 seconds breaks in the middle. You can tread at this speed for a maximum of 10 minutes. Isn’t it bad for a busy jam pack day when you don’t have time for a work out? End the routine with 3 km/hr. for few minutes to cool down.  Sprinting at high speed, allows you to burn fat even while resting!
At 12 km/hr. for 5 minutes: 60 calories + initial warm up calories
At 12 km/hr. for 10 minutes: 120 calories + initial warm up calories

Treadmill Speed Medley
Normally, you will find it too slow to stay at 3 km/hr. but you can’t stay committed to 12 km/hr either. In this situation what should you do?

For lazy ones:
Warm up by walking at 3 km/hr. for few minutes. Then tread at 4.5 km/hr. for the next 10 minutes. Cool down at 3 km/hr. for 5 minutes. Being lazy is one thing, but if you take out these 15 minutes each day, you are going to love yourself later on.

For hyper ones:
As always, warm up by walking at 3 km/hr. for about 5 minutes. Then, sprint for a minute or so at 12 km/hr. Come down to 6 km/hr. and you can stick to it for the next 5 - 10 minutes. Take rest at 3 km/hr for few minutes. Again sprint for a minute at 9 km/hr. Come down to 4.5 km/hr (this is the best speed as far as I have experienced) for next 10 minutes. Cool down at 3 km/hr for 5 minutes. This set will take more than 30 minutes. This will be tough enough to make your day & will add-up to your fitness endeavors.




You can try any or all of the above suggestions to find out the most effective treadmill speed and duration for yourself!

So, are you ready for a Treadmill Toil?


Written by,

Note 1: All the calories burn depend upon your enthusiasm, your focus, your fitness goal, your metabolism, your weight, type of treadmill, inclination of treadmill, total treadmill time each day, frequency of treadmill workout per week etc. The writer or this website takes no responsibility if you are not able to achieve your fitness goals, if & when following the above treadmill routines.

Note 2: Before any exercise routine, consult your physician if required. The above routine is for the ones who are medically eligible for treadmill. Also the above routine is just a suggestion for a smarter you. This is not medical advice at all. You may or may not adopt it depending on your physical capabilities. The writer or this website takes no responsibility in case you harm yourself due to any of the above mentioned treadmill routine.   











Tuesday 20 September 2016

8 Types of Cleaning You Never Thought

When we Google ‘cleaning’, we get images of general cleaning like mopping, kitchen & bathroom cleaning, carpet cleaning or window cleaning. But do you know that there is much more that needs cleaning besides these obvious chores?

Cleaning is that labor that we do most of our lives. We spend hours and hours in cleaning. You think that having a shower, wearing a clean dress, wearing perfume and doing your hair neatly is the state of being clean? The types of cleaning that need our attention are too many as compared to general house hold cleaning.  

1. Hidden junk
There are dresses, towels, bed sheets, shoes, jewelry, decoration, papers, crockery, utensils, stationery, toys, and so on hidden in the cupboards that need cleaning! Plus there might be lots of squirreled items under the bed … like one slipper, missing earring, chocolate wrappers, one new toy that you bought last year, may be a rotten orange that kids were playing catch catch with .… oooo…    

2. The toxins
We are living a busy lifestyle. Wake-up rush for work, come back home work work. The brain gets tired along. The brain needs to clean its toxins to avoid ‘toxic behavior’ next day. These toxins are produced due to fatigue & mood swings throughout the day each day.  
Our physical being needs to cleanse itself from daily generated toxins as well. Our body needs to clean or detox those internal & external toxins. When the body is at the state of exertion, it needs to reinforce itself using the detox organs and detox enzymes.  

3. The inner filth
We may shower, shampoo, anti-bacterize, deodorize, & scent adjust ourselves to look ‘clean & gorgeous’ but what about the ‘junk’ in our thought, minds, beliefs, and actions? The inner tidiness is much more difficult & tiring that needs continuous and dedicated attention. We need to find the right shower and perfume to clean the inner filth.




4. Is this minor cleaning?
If we take it lightly, it’s going to burst out with dirt!  
Hair brush, bags, purses, spectacles, door knob, slippers, keys, cupboard handle, water tap, shower tap holes, shower tap itself, kitchen sink drain cover, sink corners, washroom drain top, etc etc.
These small things that we use many times each day, need cleaning!

5. Ah the Technology
Technology has invaded our lives, minds, health, wealth, relations & routines. Those chargers, batteries, messy cables, switch board, remotes, cell phones, cell phone screen, dusty speakers, headphone, laptop screen & keypad, over loaded desktop, junk folder and what not …. Need cleaning fella!

6. Tricky cleaning
If you are student & you have come in the next grade what you need to clean? Books, folders, greeting cards and reading material of last year. There is lots of cleaning required in book shelf & bag. If you work in office then there are lots and lots of papers, boxes, packaging, and cartons lying around – need cleaning. If you are a homemaker then you need to clean last grade’s books & artwork of kids. Story books are most difficult to clean because some are torn but interesting others are in good condition but never read! What to do? 



7. The obvious cleaning
All the above types of cleaning are far more difficult than the regular house hold cleaning which itself is hack of a work that can grind the one who is doing it daily and can make her bone tired!
Rise early in the morning, clean yourself, clean kitchen after making breakfast, clean dining after having breakfast, kids’ fresh-up before school, clean the bed, set the sheets/blankets, clean toys & put at right place, cleaning squirreled items, dish washing, laundry, dusting, kids’ shower after school...
Cleaning before cooking, after cooking, stove, stove grate, burner, burner head, oven, oily kitchen cabinets inside to outside, cleaning the fridge, cleaning that splashed water during dish washing (hard very hard), water after the washed dishes have dripped (also hard), sink drain … grrrr…. coming up with the ideas of how the sink doesn’t over flow while washing dishes ….again cleaning….
Cleaning under dining table, under chairs, behind dressing table ….Washroom cleaning, washroom smell tackling, cleaning between tiles, cleaning washroom mirror, cleaning washroom walls….cleaning the cleaning tools i.e. broom, mopping towel, bucket, wiper, sponge, gloves, scrub, cloth, on & on….
Cleaning the spiders, spider webs, cockroaches, ants, lizards, kitchen insects, and mosquitoes, mysterious & miscellaneous insects. 

8. Cleaning responsibility
Where ever we go leaving a clean environment. Especially at public places do not litter around. Cleaning after Eid-ul-Adha! Ggrrrr… why people leave that out on the roads?  



With all this cleaning, I envision the realm of no cleaning!


Stuck with cleaning,











Thursday 8 September 2016

Six Money Earning Techniques through Blogging

What you should do to earn from blog?

Set-up your own platform that rhythms with your basic engineering or technical skills and that fathoms your core field of engineering or core field of study. The field that you are graduating in is likely to be your passion if you think about it. Imagine more than 40 subjects you have been enrolled in and you couldn’t find one of your interest? Yes sure you can have multiple interests and you can multi-task but give at least one engineering subject or field subject your priority and be the entrepreneur of the same.

Do you brain-storm with subjects?
Someone might love painting but it doesn’t mean that one will abandon his/her core engineering capabilities. This can unfavorably result in losing all those neural connections that were developed in the brain while brain-storming with the engineering subjects. Either those neural connections will diminish or will replace with other sort of negative neural connections.   
Ever wondered about anyone who didn’t get chance to enroll as an engineering student can be a professional blogger or whatever but can never be a professional engineer. You can be both! Push your limits and don’t under-utilize your skills by opening a non-engineering startup just for the sake of opening a startup.

Live up to your engineering potential!





How can you earn from blogging?

1. Technical products / services
Any app or software or online art that you can do well, you can offer the services of the same. If you are good at any programming language or software or whatever related to your field, write about it into your blog and offer direct services linked to that. If you are passionate enough you can offer products based on your skill level. You can market search and offer a pre-prepared project that has high demand and less supply. Put some economics into it man, that’s why engineers study ‘engineering economics’. You can also offer coaching of your subject, skill, software etc.    

2. Technological writing
Write about your technical skills, technical findings, technical endeavors, and technical research. Not that you start writing research papers that are eligible to get published in international peer-reviewed journal into your blog, but still write something about your research or project. This will market your interest and skills. You are a skilled person in your domain and you can offer technological writing for projects or research. This will also polish your papers writing skills and will serve as a path to your papers publication. You can learn about the technology more as you opt to write about it.

3. EBooks
It is a smart way to earn. You better write blogs related to your EBook topics and promote those so people start knowing you. Returning viewers are more interested to buy your EBook. Two types of EBooks are more likely to get sold:   
(1) Those that have a ‘solution’ to a ‘problem’. People are intended to buy EBooks that address their questions. A focused search online can reveal the dimensions into which the write-up can go.
(2) Those that are thrilling or fun filled so that people can pass some quiet leisure time.    

4. Art & craft or design
If you are good at any art or have a hobby, why not earn from it? If you are into painting, share your paintings on blogs, you can offer paintings on various rates. You can also offer raw material for painting on reasonable prices. If you do crafts work or decorative works, you can blog about that and monetize your craft by selling. You can also offer customized art & craft, accessories, and decorative designs etc.

5. Cooking
Recipes are the things that never get old. No matter how many times you share a same basic recipe with same basic ingredients; with a little twist & whirl it’s sure to get popular. People want food, it keeps them going. Write about your recipes and cooking experiences. Offer recipes that ‘solve’ the ‘problems’ like weight gaining, weight loss, dairy free, gluten free, specific diet and organic items etc. You can also offer ingredients, cooking tools or utensils included in your recipes on reasonable prices. You can write E-Cookbook as well. Or cater from home can you?   

6. Set up a blog
If you are passionate about let’s say traveling or just random thoughts, set up a good blog. You can coach about how to set up a good blog, offer blogging services. Find some monetizing strategies that offer travel services or accessories.  



The bottom line is you have to focus, try, and work to earn. There are no money trees out there.  


Blog differently,