Wednesday 8 December 2010

20101208 HKU Entrepreneurship Academy


How to set up your entirely SOHO (Small Office Home Office) for next to nothing!

Saturday 12 June 2010

20100612 e-Presence e-Profit workshop


"Want to maximize your online presence?"
"Want to make money online 24x7?"



Independent Professional Association presents:




"e-Presence / e-Profit" workshop


  • "e-Presence" - Take advantage of Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Linkedin and more. Control all presence at ease.
  • "e-Profit" - Earn passive income from Google Adsense, Amazon affiliated and Affiliated marketing

Saturday 22 May 2010

Seek adequate protection for you & your dependents - Independent Professionals

If you are an employee and you work for a good company that provides you a reasonable coverage on medical and perhaps good pension, congratulations! But what if you leave the company or get fired? Are you or your dependents properly covered at all time? If you are an independent professional, you are responsible for taking care of yourself. Here is what I suggest:
  • Protection for yourself
    • Health insurance: To cover for medical bills
      • Outpatient benefits
      • Hospital benefits
    • Disability income protection: Get some income if become unable to work due to medical reasons
    • Critical illness: Get a lump sum to help cover cost if hit by major illness that prevent you from work and possible requires special care
  • Protection for your dependents
    • Life insurance: Your dependents will get a lump sum should the unfortunate event happens
How much coverage is enough? When should I start taking out an insurance? Let's discuss that in my next posting.

Friday 21 May 2010

Online services that match freelancers with piecework are growing in hard times - Economist


Work in the digital age

A clouded future

Online services that match freelancers with piecework are growing in hard times


Monday 17 May 2010

WORK FROM HOME

Reasons to work form home

  • Today's technology can easily facilitate it, take advantage of it
  • Taking care of domestic matters, e.g. to take care of the children and family
  • Looking for more flexible work
  • Avoiding transport
  • More efficient use of time

Sunday 16 May 2010

Why do people become independent professional?


By choice
  • Tired of corporate life and politics
  • Pursue a new career
  • Need a flexible work style or more control in work schedule
  • Improve work-life balance
  • Obtain higher financial reward / Effect / Time ratio
  • Taking care of children

By default
  • Involuntary turn of career
  • Referred first project by chance

Thursday 13 May 2010

Why is freelancing difficult?

  • Dealing with the feast & famine cycle
  • Lots of projects Vs No projects
  • Managing every aspect of business entirely on your own
  • Finding time to market yourself, do client work, deal with clients, keep up the administrative stuff, and still grow the business
  • Balancing work and life (and often family) while dealing with all of the above
  • Getting sick, going on vacation, or otherwise not working 24/7 while still dealing with all of the above

What is so great about freelancing?

  • Control over your own destiny
  • Freedom to choose when and how to work
  • You can't be fired or laid off by anyone
  • Work on the things you love to do
  • Nearly unlimited opportunity
  • Opportunity to pursue other passions 

Why companies use Independent Professionals (IP) or small business service?

Because it is cost effective
  • Specialized: Skills and knowledge that is highly targeted for a particular situation that the client is tackling. Such skills and knowledge are either expensive to maintain or simply non-existent within the client organization
  • Transparent fee structure: Typically engaged on a project basis. Particular well suited for clients who have a clearly defined budget and task
  • Flexible: IPs work on flexible schedule according to the client's pace and the project progress
  • Short term: They are easier to hire and fire - and are not a long term commitment

An internet evolution of freelancers

  • 7.4% of the US workforce is made up of freelancers
  • In the past years, companies have increased their outsourcing by 22% on the internet.
  • International freelancing is a relatively new development in the global market. Some freelance professionals move from one country to another looking for business opportunities along with travelling experience. These individuals often use the Internet as their main communication technology for running a business.