Express your Appreciation

This is the easiest way to thank a freelance, and is unfortunately the one most companies limit themselves to.

Let’s be real. Most Catholic freelancers are never going to afford mega-mansions because of their freelancing fees. We don’t do it for the money; we do it because we love what we do and the flexibility that freelancing affords us.

So throwing in some gratitude for a job well done every once in a while is very appreciated!

I can’t tell you how lovely it is to receive affirmation from a client in this way. It seems to always come when I’m having a bad day, and it reminds me that the work I’m doing is valuable.

Physical cards or small gifts are certainly nice of course. But even a quick email expressing your satisfaction or an online review singing his or her praises will go a long way. Sometimes, these gestures are the best way to thank a freelancer. They are nice sentiments and can help them grow their business!

Value their Opinion and Expertise

My co-workers and I always have a good laugh when we send a design project for approval and the receiver responds, “I’m not sure about x, y, and z…what do you think?”

Um…what I think is what I sent you originally. I wouldn’t send you something I didn’t think was good!

In all seriousness, I would wager that one of the biggest pet peeves of Catholic freelancers is when our experience or opinion is undermined. We completely recognize that you are the client, and at the end of the day, we’ll do whatever you’d like.

But the best way to show your Catholic freelancer that you value him or her is by simply listening to and respecting his or her expertise. In fact, 70% of full-time freelancers have participated in training for their field within the last six months, whereas only 49% of the regular workforce has. Your freelancer has likely had extensive training in this topic, and while your input is needed and valued, don’t be afraid to trust their judgment as well. You hired them to help you, so let them do their work.

Respond to Emails Promptly

I get it. We’re all busy. Our inboxes are never ending. And when it comes to someone who is paying you versus someone you’re paying … I understand why the freelancer is often the last person to be responded to.

However, freelancers can’t do the work you hired them to do without your input!

Of course, responding to emails in a timely manner is just basic business etiquette. But even more so, taking a long time before responding to email is disrespectful of the freelancer’s time, and your own.

By not responding to your freelancer promptly, you’re actually wasting time and money. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been on the clock rehashing what I need from a client in order to proceed with a project. A month or two later, we go over the parameters again. The project never gets done, and the client keeps paying me to simply go over what I need again.

Additionally, the longer you wait to respond, often the longer it takes for the freelancer to get paid. He or she may decide to look elsewhere for clients who will respond and pay more rapidly. They may give up hope that you will ever respond, leading you to lose out on Catholic talent!

Show your Catholic freelancer you respect him or her by responding within a day or two, and you’ll have one very happy (and efficient!) person working for you.

Pray for Them!

Here’s an easy one that often gets overlooked.

I do my best to remember to pray for my clients and their missions. Praying for your Catholic freelancers, and letting them know that you do, helps them to feel like they are part of the team. And prayers certainly express appreciation as well!

Thank a Freelancer by Asking for Advice

Have you ever asked the guy you were hiring for advice? Maybe this is one way to thank a freelancer you haven’t considered.

Honestly, in my experience, it’s the rare client who comes to me, presents me with a problem, and asks for my advice on how I would fix it. As a Catholic marketer, however, this is where I can really shine and provide the best service.

What normally happens, however, is that I have prospective clients approach me saying they need help with social media or SEO. However, when looking over their offerings, I realize they actually need something quite different than what they’ve requested. They actually need a website upgrade, content development, or something else before social media or SEO will ever be effective.

The next time you hire a Catholic freelancer, go general rather than specific. Hiring someone to design a poster for you when you don’t have a branding guide isn’t going to go well. Starting with social media when you aren’t producing any regular content won’t produce the results you’re hoping for. By letting your freelancer look over some of your assets, you may find a need you didn’t even know existed.

In Summary:

As Catholics, we value people and the work that they do. Appreciation is a huge part of showing each other respect in the workplace. The more we promote truly caring about each other in the workplace, the easier it will be to make the world a better place – one project at at a time.

About the Author:

Emily Ricci is the president of Gloriam Marketing, and works as a marketing content and social media specialist at a Catholic college and previously worked at a church for over 7 years. Her past church titles and responsibilities have included working as a Parish Office secretary, sacristan, Weekend Coordinator (ministry supervisor and event coordinator), youth minister, bulletin writer, coordinator of the baptism program, and Faith Formation teacher and assistant. After years in church work, Emily recognized the need for solid Catholic marketing and promotion, but realized that there were no marketing firms in the area that specialized in faith-based marketing.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

The post 4 Catholic Ways to Thank a Freelancer (and 1 You Haven’t Considered) appeared first on Catholic Professionals.

Now the only thing left to do is, well, find work.

*Crickets chirping*

And you hear yourself ask: “Where can I find a good job as a Catholic freelancer? Did God just give me this calling and then abandon me?”

I won’t lie to you: finding work as a Catholic freelancer can be more difficult than being a secular freelancer. When I first started out, it took me several months to find where all this freelancer work was hiding. But the opportunities are definitely out there. You just need to know where to look!

Build a Catholic freelancer portfolio with your parish

Chances are, the skills you hope to profit from as a Catholic freelancer can be put to use at your parish. Here’s a thought: volunteer your time in exchange for the pastor’s review of your skills and photos and testimonials for your portfolio. You’ll have real life examples to point to, and it’s easy to get involved and be trusted even without prior work experience, simply because it’s your parish. After that, you’ll have your parish to point to as a concrete example of your skills.

Keep in mind, your priests won’t be at your parish forever. If you do a good enough job, they’ll remember you and possibly hire you for real at their next parish. It’s worth it to put in the time now as an investment for the future!

Another alternative could be visiting your local Catholic store or Catholic Charities and offer to volunteer in exchange for building your portfolio.

Join a Facebook group for Catholic freelancers

Trust me. Social media isn’t just for posting pictures of dogs and babies anymore (although please don’t stop doing that, lol). Facebook job groups are a land mine for finding job opportunities as a Catholic freelancer.

For one thing, it’s a great place to grow your skills. All of the professional Facebook groups I am in are focused on a particular area I work in: social media, marketing, writing, etc. The days of keeping secrets from your competitors are over. Freelancers and small business owners have realized that the only way to survive is by helping each other out. You’ll find Facebook groups are a fantastic opportunity for free professional development.

At the same time, many small business owners especially turn to these Facebook groups to find freelancers to help carry their load. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen posts that begin with “HELP! Can anyone build a website or edit my book or fill in the blank for me?” This is a great opportunity for you to jump in and offer to help. (Even better, some professional-based Facebook groups will even have specific job threads where you can find open positions.)

But remember an important rule to follow: Don’t just be there to find gigs or self promote your business. Meaningfully contribute to the conversations and offer some pro bono advice here and there. It will increase the goodwill towards you among the members, and they’ll remember your help when it comes time for hiring.

Start a Catholic freelancer blog

But wait, I can hear you say it: “Isn’t having a blog just unpaid work?”

Yes and no. While you can’t pay yourself for your own posts, they can help you establish your professional credibility, thereby helping people to discover your freelancing services and trust you with their needs.

For example, if you are an IT freelancer, write a blog post about the number one mistake people make when creating a new password or setting up a website. If you are a copywriting freelancer, write a post about finding the best subject lines for emails or developing branding language for your company. Spend some time curating great keywords and subheads for SEO purposes and then wait for the internet to find you! In short, make sure you are answering their needs.

At the end of every blog post, make sure you always include a way to contact you for additional help and include references to the services you offer.

Connect with people on LinkedIn, especially other Catholic freelancers

All of them. Everyone you can find.

LinkedIn is an untapped resource for Catholic professionals, in my opinion. Just type in local Catholic organizations like your diocese or Catholic organizations and start connecting away with the professionals who work there. People who you don’t know in person are much more likely to accept your connection requests on LinkedIn than on other, more personal platforms. A great tip is to include a personal note about why you want to connect! Often, the simple fact that you share the same faith will open doors for you.

You’ll not only learn from some of the best people in your industry, but you also open up a way of subtly communicating to these potential clients. Pose questions, comment on their posts, and share your blog posts and professional opinions on your own page to establish your credibility.

Additionally, you could try the Catholic version of LinkedIn, called OSV Inspire. It’s a new up and coming social media hub for Catholic professionals.

Create a profile on CatholicProfessionals.net and search open jobs! 

Obviously, this is our favorite. 🙂 But seriously, connecting with Catholic professionals has never been easier thanks to our platform. Make sure you sign up for a freelancer profile today and start finding work!

About the Author:

Emily Ricci is the president of Gloriam Marketing, and works as a marketing content and social media specialist at a Catholic college and previously worked at a church for over 7 years. Her past church titles and responsibilities have included working as a Parish Office secretary, sacristan, Weekend Coordinator (ministry supervisor and event coordinator), youth minister, bulletin writer, coordinator of the baptism program, and Faith Formation teacher and assistant. After years in church work, Emily recognized the need for solid Catholic marketing and promotion, but realized that there were no marketing firms in the area that specialized in faith-based marketing.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

The post How to Find Work as a Catholic Freelancer appeared first on Catholic Professionals.

Once Upon A Time, Not So Long Ago…

It’s 8:00pm on a Tuesday night in 1955. Like thousands of other households across the country, your family tunes in to the ABC Television Network. Your TV needs time to heat up, and then an image emerges from the blackness of the screen. The camera pans across a study room to an oddly dressed man in cassock and cape. But for the cross around his neck and the disarming smile on his face, you’d think he was a vampire.

He opens with a knee-slapper of a joke that has the crowd rolling with laughter. And he grins from ear to ear, visibly pleased with the reaction. Then he launches into his topic. Tonight he’s going to tell us about “The Divine Sense of Humor.” Nothing is scripted. He knows his topic inside and out. He just talks to us as if we’re having an intimate chat in his study.

At the height of its popularity, Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s “Life Is Worth Living” appeared on at least 15 TV stations. It was viewed weekly by an estimated 30,000,000 people, and loved by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Sheen received several Emmy Awards for the program. He’s the great example of what can be achieved when modern forms of social communication are used effectively in the service of the Gospel.

Where We Are

Consider this. According to conservative estimates: 

• Americans watch around 4.5 hours of television per day. 
• We spend about 5 hours per day on our mobile devices. With our Smart Phones, Tablets, or iPads, in hand, we play on apps or surf internet browsers non-stop.
• We listen to about 2.5 hours’ worth of music and radio every day. 
• One study shows that we spend just over 3 hours a day online. But another study shows that about ¼ of us are online constantly.
• Finally, experts estimate that we are exposed to anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements per day!

That’s a lot of statistics, I know. Maybe you got a little discouraged seeing how much of our precious time is given to these “distractions.” After all, what would the Church be like if we devoted this amount of time to learning, praying, and living the Faith? What would the Church be like if we devoted this much time and energy to evangelization on the digital continent!

Where many of us see nothing but unfortunate distractions, the Church, like Fulton Sheen, sees great opportunity for sharing the Gospel. But to make this happen, we must be willing to invest our time, talent, and treasure.

Where Evangelization Needs to Happen

The statistics above show that we are increasingly becoming citizens of what Pope Benedict XVI called “the digital continent.” We spend more and more time in front of screens. And we spend less and less time interacting face-to-face with others.

It’s the Church’s duty to meet every person where they are, and share the Gospel with them right there. But when it comes to digital evangelization, the reality is we’ve fallen way behind.

With hundreds of television channels now available, only a very small handful are Catholic. And while the content on these Catholic stations may be good, the quality of appearance is not up to modern standards. Similarly most Catholic radio stations operate as AM stations – the cheapest platform out there, and often the most difficult to tune in to. And you can probably count on one hand the number of Catholic websites that are truly “world class.”

The Second Vatican Council, as if foreseeing this situation, issued its own digital evangelization call to arms: “It is quite unbecoming for the Church’s children (priests, religious, and laity) idly to permit the message of salvation to be thwarted or impeded by the technical difficulties or expenses, however vast, which are encountered by the very nature of these media” (Inter Mirifica 17).

Just as Catholics once had the duty to support the Church’s foreign missionary efforts, today we have an obligation to support the Church’s digital evangelization efforts on the digital continent.

A Digital Evangelization Call to Arms

 “The Church […] believes that its (missionary) task involves using the media to proclaim the good news of salvation.” As partners and co-workers in the Lord’s vineyard, we lay faithful need to get involved. We need to take evangelization on the digital continent very seriously. We need to devote more of our time, talent, and treasure to helping Catholic websites and blogs, newspapers and periodicals, radio stations and podcasts, TV stations and programming, to flourish! “All the children of the Church should join, without delay and with the greatest effort in a common work to make effective use of the media of social communication in various apostolic endeavors” (emphasis added).

So here’s my digital evangelization call to arms for you. Are you a Catholic with a heart for the Church who longs to see Catholicism flourish again? Do you have a special skill that you can use to aid the Church’s evangelization efforts on the “digital continent?” Then put your talents at the service of Christ’s Gospel! If you’re a person of means, pick a media-based apostolate (Word on Fire, EWTN, Lighthouse Catholic Media, etc.) and give generously of your treasure to aid them. It’s not about the money. It’s about meeting people where they are, and bringing the Gospel to them!

About the Author

Philip Rolfes is a freelance direct response copywriter, connecting people with the missions they’re passionate about.

You can search our site for Catholic job postings, or to find more Catholic Professionals to hire or outsource work to.

The post A Digital Evangelization Call to Arms appeared first on Catholic Professionals.

Your ministry has been growing steadily now for some time, and you’ve reached a tipping point. There’s work to be done that requires specific skills that you just don’t have. You could learn these skills yourself, of course, but that would eat up valuable time that should be focused towards growing your ministry. You could have one of your staff learn the skills, but that could get expensive, not to mention it would take them away from the vital work they’re already doing for your mission. What other options do you have?

The Risks of an Employee

Like a lot of ministry-leaders-turned-businessmen, you may think your only option is to hire more full-time staff with the specific skills needed to grow your ministry to the next level. But this option comes with a few risks that you may not be ready to face:

The expense of hiring full-time staff

Hiring full-time staff members is not cheap. Not only do they deserve a just wage, but you end up shouldering the responsibility for their health benefits, office supplies and equipment, taxes, social security, and additional overhead. You’ll also end up investing a lot of additional time – and therefore money – getting your new staff member trained and up-to-speed on their role in your ministry.

The limited scope of the project

Not all the projects you have in the pipeline will be ongoing or everyday tasks. You may simply need a new website built. If you hire a full-time web designer, how will you occupy their time once your new website has been launched? You may not be able to afford keeping a web designer on a full-time payroll to do a job that amounts to part-time work.

Finding the right fit

Let’s say you decide to create this new full-time role within your ministry. Now you have to spend additional time and resources hunting down the right candidates to interview. This is time and money taken away from the crucial mission of your ministry! And there’s no guarantee that the candidate you settle on will be the right fit. Many candidates are great in the interview process, but fail to deliver on the promises they made. You could be stuck with a lemon employee, facing the challenge of firing him and finding someone to take his place.

An Alternative – Hire a Catholic Freelancer

At this stage in your ministry’s growth, you need an option that’s going to give you plenty of wiggle room. Something that isn’t going to eat away at your bottom line, and will give you maximum results with a minimum investment of your time, effort, and resources. Something that you can pull the plug on as soon as you’ve passed this tipping point, but possibly make use of once again when you reach the next tipping point.

So what do you do? Where do you turn? You’re passionate about ministry and spreading the Gospel. The logistics of running a startup that’s on the verge of becoming a full-fledged business isn’t your specialty.

Have you ever considered hiring a Catholic freelancer? If not, you should.

Hiring a Catholic freelancer could be just the solution to the growth and hiring problems you face. They can help you save money that would be put to better use furthering the mission of your ministry. They can help you save time that you should be using to grow your ministry. And they bring a highly specialized skill set to the table that you can take advantage of to make sure your ministry function as a truly world-class business.

Hire A Catholic Freelancer To Save Money

1. Not on payroll – pay-as-needed

Most freelancers work on an as-needed basis. You hire them to take care of a specific project – building the new website you’ve been talking about for months, writing that grant proposal that’s been sitting on your desk, setting up that automated email marketing campaign you need – then once the project is complete you send them their check and that’s it! There’s no more out-of-pocket expense on your part.

2. No overhead costs

Let’s face it, office supplies can get expensive. If your ministry is a startup to medium-sized ministry, you’re spending nearly $2000 each year per employee for office supplies! Here’s another area where working with a Catholic freelancer can save you some money. Freelancers typically work remotely from their home office, in their local library, or in their favorite coffee shop. They use their own computers, printers, phones, and other office supplies. By hiring a Catholic freelancer, you free up the money that would’ve gone to purchasing office supplies for an additional full-time employee, and you can redirect it back into promoting the mission of your ministry.

3. No benefits pay

If you choose to hire a full-time employee, you don’t just take on the responsibility of paying them a just wage. You’ve also saddled yourself with the responsibility of paying their taxes, social security, and health benefits. But, because freelancers are seen as contractors and not employees, they are responsible for paying their own taxes, social security, and health insurance. The savings on benefits alone can amount to nearly $5000 per year!

Hire A Catholic Freelancer To Save Time

4. Flexibility

Freelancers can be a strange breed. Many of them prefer to work odd hours – early mornings, late nights, even weekends. They know how to take advantage of their peak hours when they will produce their best work. By taking advantage of a freelancer’s flexibility, you’re no longer locked into the 9am – 5pm business hours to get your urgent projects finished. So, if you have an important project on Friday night that needs to be completed by Monday morning, a freelancer will likely be happy to tackle that project for you over the weekend.

5. Works Independently

Freelancers are often among leading experts in their area of expertise. They’ve spent years fine-tuning their specific skill set so that they can produce the highest quality. When you hire a freelancer for a specific project, you don’t have to waste time training them, supervising them, and constantly reviewing their work. Just give them the big picture of what you want done, point them in the right direction, and turn them loose to do what they do best.

6. Efficient

Believe it or not, it’s in the best interest of a freelancer to be as efficient as possible. They’re running their own businesses after all. They know that the success of their business is dependent on repeat customers. A good Catholic freelancer will keep you happy not just by producing top-notch work, but by doing so as efficiently as possible. You can bet your urgent projects will be done by your deadline, if not long before.

Hire A Catholic Freelancer For Specialized Skills

7. Expertise

You may be a gifted public speaker, but can you build a website? Or maybe you know Church teaching like the back of your hand, but can you set up an automated email marketing campaign? Or you could be a gifted CEO, but can you write a persuasive fundraising letter that gets results? Most of us have a sweet-spot, some area of specialty where we function at our peak. The same goes for Catholic freelancers. Some specialize in writing effective copy. Others specialize in building attractive websites. Others can be some of the best accountants you’ve ever seen. And all of them are happy to put their expertise to work, furthering the Gospel by serving your ministry’s mission.

8. Breadth of Experience

In addition to being experts in their fields, most freelancers have also worked with a broad range of clients from various fields. This breadth of experience can help you bring new perspectives and fresh insights to the projects you’re working on. A freelance copywriter, for example, will help you write more persuasive marketing materials, but they may also help breathe new life into your blog, newsletters, and online content by applying the principles of persuasion to your Catholic content.

9. Top-Tier Talent

Many freelancers are among the top performers in their areas of expertise. Dave Ramsey was a freelance financial consultant who worked out of his living room before building his company up to what it is today. Ray Edwards, one of the biggest-name copywriters of our day, also got his start working from home as a freelance copywriter. Even many of the prominent Catholic speakers and authors today – Matthew Kelly, Christopher West, Matt Fradd, etc. – got started as “freelance” parish mission and retreat leaders.

Add to these advantages the fact that Catholic freelancers who serve specifically Catholic ministries are obviously passionate about one thing – spreading the Gospel by making use of the skills and best-practices they’ve acquired in their professional careers. Catholic freelancers care about your ministry. They want to see it succeed as much as you do, and they’re willing to put in the time and effort to make that happen.

So the only question left isn’t whether or not you should hire a Catholic freelancers. Your question should be why you haven’t hired one yet! Search Catholic Freelance Profiles!

Sources

• Big Businesses Like to Hire Freelancers
• Average Annual Single Premium per Enrolled Employee For Employer-Based Health Insurance
• JPScience Marketing: Hire a Freelancer
• All Things Advertising: 5 Reasons to Hire a Freelancer
• Leaders in Heels: 6 Reasons you Should Hire a Freelancer
• Social Media Today: Hire Freelancers
• Grant Burke: Reasons to Hire Freelancers
• 10x Management: 5 Benefits of Hiring a Freelancer
• LinkedIn: Benefits of Hiring a Freelancer
• Twago: Advantages of Hiring Freelancers
• Recruiterbox: Pros and Cons of an Independent Contractor
• Paperless Proposal: Value of hiring freelance contractors
• WritingAssist.com: Top Advantages of Hiring a Freelancer

Philip Rolfes is a freelance direct response copywriter, connecting people with the missions they’re passionate about.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

The post Hire a Catholic Freelancer? Here’s 9 Reasons You Should appeared first on Catholic Professionals.