5 Sure-Fire Routes To Freelancing Success

Freelancing is on the rise. In the U.S. alone, one in three workers are now doing freelance work. That’s 42 million Americans going without employer health insurance, 401(k) plans and flexible spending accounts.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Many freelance by choice. Some to supplement their existing income, and others do it because full-time work is simply hard to find. Freelancers can be anyone — artists, writers, graphic designers, lawyers, financial consultants, accountants, journalists — you name it, someone’s probably done it via freelance.

Hiring a Temporary Workforce: What you Need to Know

According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 40 percent of employers plan to hire temporary workers this year, which is up from 36 percent last year. Of these companies, 42 percent also plan on offering their temporary workforce permanent work.

If you’re part of the growing number of organizations who are taking advantage of temporary workers, there are a few things to consider during the hiring process.

Unemployed? 4 Alternative Career Paths To Explore

There are legitimate reasons for the high employment rate, such as closed businesses, tight budgets, or a turnaround in operations. But one problem may be that some job seekers searches are too narrow. Could you benefit from a different type of career path?

When you’re ready to open up your job search, check out these four alternative career paths, which can produce the same sort of meaningful work as traditional options

Optimizing Your Online Brand For Temporary Work

Creating and maintaining an online brand is a relatively new phenomenon in the job searching world. In addition to having that stellar resume and cover letter, you should also have some sort of presence online. However, the sort of presence you have will vary according to what you’re looking for.

4 Jobs Everyone Should Work At Least Once

I came across an interesting article recently titled, “Gratitude Included: Why I Loved Being a Waitress.” As someone who worked as a waitress in their teens, this piece illustrated the pros of the job, despite some pretty rough work conditions. Among those benefits included thriving under pressure and the importance of teamwork.

4 Reasons Why Multiple Gigs Are Better Than One

Are multiple gigs better than one? Can they combat unemployment in the long-run? And should we view two or three projects in the same light as we view one job? Let’s explore some reasons why the answer to these questions are yes.

4 Advantages of Temporary Workers

Forty percent of employers plan to hire temporary and contract workers, compared to 36 percent last year, according to AOL Jobs. In addition, the flexible job market is also one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, which means job seekers can expect more opportunities in the near future.

There are some real advantages of temporary workers:

Get Flexible Employment With Hourly.com Co-Founder Lynn Dixon

Gotta’ full-time job, but still looking for a way to earn some extra cash? Or maybe the typical 9-to-5 isn’t your cup of tea and you’d prefer freelance projects? Perhaps you’re even retired and would simply like a part-time job to supplement your pension? If any of these sounds like your situation, Hourly.com may be the solution you need.

The Stigma Of Hourly Employment Needs To End

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hourly workers make up three-fifths of all wage and salaried workers. In addition, 40 percent of employers plan to hire temporary and contract workers this year, compared to 36 percent last year. While these findings are all well and good, the fact is, there is still a stigma associated with this sort of work. Workers may be seen as “lost”, floating, or worse, not ready to commit to anything serious. However, we live in a different job market now.

Website Matches Employers With Workers

A unique employment networking mechanism aimed at connecting current students with local jobs pertaining to their skill sets is gaining traction at N.C. Wesleyan College.

Originating in New York, the online platform dubbed Hourly.com operates in much the same way Match.com does, except it helps employers find employees with the specific skills needed to fill vacant positions.

Hourly Launches Publicly to Assist a New Temporary Workforce

Hourly (http://hourly.com), an employment network that assists job seekers in finding fulfilling temporary and hourly opportunities, left private beta today and launched publicly. With a recent McKinsey Global Institute report indicating that 58 percent of U.S. businesses hiring more hourly workers in the future, Hourly aims to bridge the gap between the new temporary workforce and the employers who need help on-demand.

Brooklyn’s Northside Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

Hourly.com, a New York based startup, is fundamentally changing the way freelancers and prospective employees connect. Hourly.com powers The Northside Festival’s volunteer program, and connects the festival management to top, local, event producers who make this amazing festival possible.

Sunday Dialogue: Flexible Work Hours

As the co-founder of a Web site whose mission is to connect flexible job seekers with local businesses, I think that the time for the passage of this bill has come and gone. Six years ago when the Working Families Flexibility Act was first proposed, the employment landscape was very different from what it is today. With unemployment at 4.6 percent and a competitive labor market, individuals had the ability to request flexibility in their schedule and have these demands met to keep morale high and retain talent.

The Freelance Life: One Man's Journey To Becoming His Own Boss

When Brooke Dixon move to New York and began looking for work a few years back, the Web developer turned to freelancing to earn a living and found himself in demand. But he quickly discovered that there was a downside: getting paid on time — or at all

Freelancing expert says future lies in networking, partnerships

Freelancers Union founder Sara Horowitz explains how the world of work has undergone a dramatic change as more and more Americans turn to freelancing to earn a living.

Women-run startups thriving in NYC get chance to shine at New York Tech Meetup event

All-women’s demo night showcases ladies to watch in New York’s startup scene

World's Longest Invoice Unlikely to Be Paid

Freelancers who don’t get paid until after their work is done always risk getting burned by clients. Brooke Dixon, a Long Island Web developer who is no longer holding his breath on the $45,000 he’s owed from four years of freelancing, now knows what to look for.

For the Unemployed, Jobs May be Found in Hours, Versus Weeks and Months

While the Labor Department reports that the average length for a job seeker to find employment is between 5-26 weeks, members of Hourly.com are getting it done in less than 1 week, and over the Christmas Holiday, had a job posted and placed in under 2 hours. Developed to address the needs of the new gig-economy and growing flexible workforce, Hourly was created to get job seekers and small-to-mid sized businesses back to work quickly and easily.

Hourly - The Social Employment Site

Hourly’s mission is to get you back to work an hour at a time. For employers and employees alike, to spend less time looking and more time working through our advanced job-matching engine.

Working Hour.ly

As the world of careers and jobs have continued to change, so has the way we feel about them. There have been standards for employer and employee expectations that have changed a lot of the past several years. Employees want more, expect more, and are doing things differently. The overall mentality of ‘the norm’ when it comes to working has changed.

5 Valuable Online Communities for Freelancers

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. Many people are exploring the option of freelancing in today’s marketplace, whether it’s for extra money or more flexible hours. Whatever the motivation, becoming a part-time or full-time freelancer isn’t as easy as it seems.

Hourly Review - Online Employment Network

What can you use the application for? Hourly names itself the employment network for freelancers, temps, part time and hourly workers. The website invites users to sign up and create a professional profile. Using this information, Hourly matches the user up with available jobs. Employers can visit Hour.ly as another place to list their available positions. Workers can apply to as many jobs as they like.

Hourly Lets Employers Interview Potential Temp Hires With Browser Based Video Chat

Hourly, a New York City startup that matches temporary job seekers and freelancers with prospective gigs and employers online, unveiled two new features and partnerships on Tuesday with Trufina and Tinychat.

Standing In The Unemployment Line? Hourly Might Have Work For You

Hourly is web startup designed to find the user work an hour at a time. It has seen tremendous growth since its launch (ironically on Labor Day 2010) and has been helping put America back to work ever since.

HOW TO: Nail Your Elevator Pitch

Nailing down a short pitch for why someone should invest in your business will come in handy at some point, even if you never actually end up in an elevator with the venture capitalist of your dreams.

Hourly Finds You Work, An Hour At A Time

Hourly is a new online staffing service that aims to connect individuals looking for temporary, part-time or even hourly work with employers who are looking to fill their part-time work positions faster. Unlike freelancing sites where contractors have to move quickly at the end of each project for finding a new one, with hourly, they simply need to fill out their profile and the company finds a job for them

Hourly Wins Audience Choice Award!

We’re thrilled to announce that Hourly won the Audience Choice Award at the O’Reilly Media Start-Up Showcase in New York City.