After parlaying his sales career into a copywriting business, Ed Gandia learned all the nuances of going solo, from setting up an accounting system to dealing with problem clients. But that wasn’t enough for this suburban Atlantan — he wanted to help other people run successful businesses, too.
That’s why Gandia launched the International Freelancers Day along with Steve Slaunwhite and Pete Savage, co-authors of his book, The Wealthy Freelancer. The event, held Sept. 23, brought together approximately 5,000 freelancers globally who got to watch more than 16 free presentations online. Now in its second year, the free day of webinars gives freelancers the wisdom and tools they need to flourish.
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It’s a free online conference that includes numerous streaming sessions throughout the day covering topics applicable to freelancers. Participants attend online, so they don’t have to pay for travel and our overhead costs stay low. Like, this year, we had a presenter who talked about what fees to charge clients… we also covered how to promote yourself as a freelancer, how to use Facebook and LinkedIn, PR techniques… that sort of thing. Every hour, two new 20-minute presentations started and participants could choose which one they wanted to see in each time slot. The presentations streamed throughout the day virtually, so people had to show up on time to see them.
How does it work?
Well, you have to register prior to the event just as you would with a regular conference. Registration is free and then we sent an email out to participants with a link to a special page on the site that streams the presentations at their scheduled times. You don’t need any special equipment, but you have to show up at the scheduled times to catch the presentations. You simply go to the site and choose which presentation you want to see, then watch it.
And then you offered the content as a replay package — for a fee, right?
Yes, that’s how we’re able to cover most of our costs, but that’s really not the goal of the event. Buying the replays for $29 for all 17 sessions gives people the chance to see all of the content and replay it as much as they want. The replays come with full transcripts and MP3 audio files for those who prefer to read the material or listen to it in their iPod or MP3 player. If you missed a traditional conference, you probably wouldn’t be able to get the content. That’s a huge advantage to having a virtual event.
How did International Freelancers Day start?
We wanted to create a movement. First of all, we saw that every group and profession out there has its own day. There’s a pancake day and even a pirate day. Freelancers make up about a third of the U.S. workforce if you count part-timers and contingency workers; they don’t have their day. We just didn’t get that. And we thought, well, what better way to put out great information via a live online event?
| “Nobody has gone out there and has really gotten people fired up in a positive way. Somebody’s gonna do it and I want it to be me.” |
You’ve stepped outside of your role as a copywriter. You’re doing this to help other people. How do you know this is your calling?
I think this is a severely underserved audience, and it really pains me to see [that]. I guess bottom line is there’s very little coverage, and when I do see coverage in the mainstream media it’s very negative. And I say, you know, forget that; that’s not going to help anybody. How do we find a way to make this work? Make this a viable business, a viable living and make a living so you don’t have to go back to that environment that keeps spitting you out? I have a passion for this business, for freelancing. And I really want to see people doing better. Nobody has gone out there and has really gotten people fired up in a positive way. Somebody’s gonna do it and I want it to be me.
What about the technical aspect of International Freelancers Day? How did you put that together?
Crystal Coleman, our business manager. We couldn’t have done it without her. She is a seasoned operational manager; she really ran the show behind the scenes… making sure things ran smoothly and presentations ran on time.
All of the technology seemed to go off without a hitch this year. What else was different?
Last year, the server went down twice during the event. We were on a high-powered dedicated server this year; we had contingency plans. Last year, we really wanted a lot of big names. We ended up with a very impressive presenter list. This year, I wanted to do something different… get new fresh ideas and perspectives. We had about 40 percent of the presenters from last year. It ended up working out really well. We had about 4,800 people; we know that the attendance rate was really high. They knew we would provide replays for a fee, so there was an incentive to show up that day.
Are there plans to do this next year?
Definitely. We really want to continue this tradition. I think it achieved its purpose. I didn’t feel more proud to be a free than I did that day. I think people who are maybe struggling a little bit may have had some renewed hope.
Ed’s tips for successful freelancing:
1. Learn to land clients. “Many freelancers are very good at their craft, but they haven’t developed the marketing practices and habits that will keep the work flowing in. The solution lies in consistently marketing your services, even when you’re booked solid. It’s also about picking the marketing tactics and practices that fit your personality and yield the biggest impact.”
2. Go beyond networking. Network in your local community, but connect the smart way by narrowing down organizations where your prospects hang out. “Then, rather than just showing up for the lunch meeting or breakfast networking events, you should volunteer in the organization. That’s how you really get to know people. When you do this, however, do it from a place of service. Be sincere in your willingness to help and the work will come”
3. Set the tone. “Most freelancers let their businesses and clients guide their path. Instead, I would suggest setting a course… and then making the needed adjustments to ensure you get to where you want to go. Freelancing is too great a gift to let others dictate your route or destination.”
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