This is How to Get Your Gig Economy, Business Up and Running

There are ample opportunities ripe for the picking ambitious people looking to start their own gig-based business. Companies are looking to save money by hiring independent contractors and freelancers, and professionals are looking to work from home to achieve a better work-life balance and have more flexibility in their schedules. The key is to use the right tools so you can get your business up and running quickly and successfully.

1. Use Social and Mobile Tools

When you are ready to get the word out about your new gig economy, business, use social media to reach as many potential customers as possible. Set up profiles for your business on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to spark interest in your company and reach a local audience. You also can take advantage of your personal networks and connections and invite friends, family members, and former colleagues to follow your new business page. The faster you can get the word out, the better, because people will start sharing your photos and updates and help you grow an audience without needing to spend an arm and a leg on advertising.

When you start your gig economy, business, you’ll also need to be able to work from anywhere, anytime. That’s why you need to make use of mobile tools from day one. Depending on your line of work, some tools will be more useful than others; however, you should consider using a workflow tool like Asana to manage business tasks and a free invoice app like Square to help you manage your finances. If you’re looking for more tools to make managing your gig economy, business a little easier, check out the recommendations from CIO.com.

2. Create a Website

Even the newest, smallest business needs a website to remain competitive today. More consumers than ever before are searching for products and information online, so you need to be visible via a business website. 

Fortunately, you don’t need to hire a web designer to get your site up and running now that there are so many tools available for building small business websites, including Wix, Squarespace, Duda, and WordPress. Be sure that the tool you choose optimizes your site for mobile devices, since most of your customers will use their smartphones or tablets when searching for you and your services. 

No matter which service you use to build your website, you need to make sure that it has a few key components to meet customer needs. Be sure that you link to your site from your social media pages and that you tell a story with your site to help customers see how you can solve their problems or address their needs. If you’re freelance in a creative field, be sure to link to your portfolio to showcase your best work as a freelancer. 

While you can build your own website, you will need to hire a web-hosting company for your site. Shared hosting plans are a good low-cost option for new businesses, and there are many inexpensive plans available. For instance, GoDaddy has a basic plan starting at $5.99 per month.

Finally, if you’re selling products, you should set up an online store or a link to an Etsy page from your website. Don’t frustrate potential clients who want to purchase from you online, but are unable to do so. Similarly, if you are providing a service, be sure to include contact information on your website that customers can use quickly and easily; for example, include a contact form so they can email you or a “Call Now” button so that they can get in touch with you directly.

If you really want your website to stand out from the crowd, get in touch with WordPress719. We can put together a site that will help you grow your online presence!

3. Market Yourself Effectively

Marketing yourself is the key to growing your business so that you actually stay in business. According to Duct Tape Marketing, your marketing strategy should start with your website. While telling your story on your site, be sure to immediately show visitors that you recognize their challenges and that you know how to solve them. Then, guide your visitors through your page so they can find your solutions. Remember to tell them the promise you make, include a call to action, feature a video on your homepage to show visitors who you are, include reviews and testimonials, and update your content frequently.

You can market your new small business in other ways, too. Rely on your local community for word-of-mouth advertising. You can get your name in front of people by sponsoring a Little League team or a fundraiser for a local charity. To make your marketing efforts worthwhile, think about where your ideal customers spend their time and target those areas. 

4. Set Your Goals and Follow Through

Leaping into business ownership is not for the faint of heart. If you’re contemplating starting your gig economy, business, there’s a good chance you’re driven enough to do so. But, don’t allow starting your business to be your goal. Getting up and running, which includes less exciting tasks such as researching local laws and Arizona, LLC requirements, is just the start. You need to set goals to keep yourself motivated when the inevitable exhaustion and stress of going into business for yourself set in. 

To set goals, write a list or make a vision board. Whatever the format, ensure your goals are specific and clear. Review your goals each day and set a flexible timetable for achieving whatever success looks like to you. Be as demanding and assertive as possible, because you can’t afford to become lackadaisical when launching a business. 

If you get stuck setting goals because you have so many of them or because you find it hard to be specific, use SMART goal setting. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. Start by stating your broad goal and then use the SMART technique to drill down to your focused goals. Remember to review your goals each day and set both short-term and long-term goals to stay on track to grow your business.

Now is the perfect time to start your gig-based business. Be sure to use social and mobile tools to make the process easier. Then, create a website and market yourself effectively. Finally, remain motivated by setting specific goals and reevaluating them as necessary.

Photo by 7shifts on Unsplash
Main Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash

Written by Elena Stewart
elenastewart.com
CEO, Entrepreneur