The following blog post is a sponsored article by The Ostic Group. The Ostic Group’s mission is to provide all generations with insurance excellence based on integrity and professionalism. The links below are included as part of the sponsorship package.

If you are a freelancer, it is likely you wouldn’t change your working style for the world. It offers you a sense of autonomy and empowers you to work on your own terms, doing something you love. However, freelancing can often come with its own set of questions that would not come up if you were an employee. 

Mandy Elliott is a freelance graphic designer and blogger. After working in a studio, she decided to leave the 9-5 life and work independently, as it fits her lifestyle more. When not working in her home office, Mandy finds time to hike and cycle in the mountains. 

Once only possible for a select few, working from home has become a popular alternative for workers nowadays. Many traditional office jobs even offer flexible hours that can be done outside of the office. An estimated 20% of the global workforce enjoy the benefits of telecommuting, such as lower costs, flexibility, and increased productivity, but as Buffer's 2018 State of Remote Work points out, loneliness is a major downside to it. When there’s no interaction with colleagues on a daily basis, it’s easy to understand why this can be seen as a major health risk. The social science professors at Maryville University outline how important connections are — whether with friends, family, neighbors or fellow professionals — as they are the "building blocks of the human experience." Our relationships with others are what enrich our lives, and it’s important not to let telecommuting stand in the way of having a full and happy life. Read on for some tips on how to maintain a vibrant social life while being a remote worker.

Josh Wardini, Editorial Contributor and Community Manager at SERPWatch. With a preliminary background in communication and expertise in community development, Josh works day-to-day to reshape the human resource management of digitally based companies. When his focus trails outside of community engagement, Josh enjoys the indulgences of writing amidst the nature conservations of Portland, Oregon.

As freelancers, most of us wear many hats. And when it comes to digital marketing, often times we wind up taking on multi-faceted projects. They tend to involve knowledge and expertise in two or more niches. For instance, you may be tasked with rolling out content for a blog, but aside from SEO, the job likely involves promoting those very posts on social media.

Our guest author, Melisa Marzett, is a freelance writer with ten years of experience in the writing arena. Working for Findwritingservice, a skilled writing service offering 24/7 dissertation editing, she has an opportunity to do what she loves, travel the world. She is also into sports, fashion, healthy food, and short movies.

Are you a writer, wanting to earn money from this skillset?

Early in life, something wakes up inside and attracts people to writing.

You could take the leap, write something romantic or exciting, and hopefully become a famous traditional author, earning an abundant salary. But for the rest of us aspiring writers, the Internet makes it possible for unknown scribes, experienced and inexperienced, to obtain a sustainable income

And, the earnings of an internet copywriter can far exceed the profit of many traditional writers and authors.

For those of you who want to earn your daily bread by doing what you love, here are four ways on how you could become a financially sustainable writer.

The following blog post is a sponsored article by Meet Sherpa. Meet Sherpa makes getting insurance as a freelancer easy, helpful, trustworthy, flexible, and personalized. Visit their website and quickly get insurance advice. 

While freelancing is a lot easier than it used to be, mainly because technology has made it simpler than ever to access jobs and get paid for your work, there are still challenges to face and overcome

So, before you quit your day-to-day role and decide to go it alone, here are eight tips you need to know to prevent problems and maximize your opportunity.

Jennifer Chin is a Community Manager at SL Tax Centers (financial future planning) in New York City. She’s managed social media and marketing efforts for top companies in a number of industries and has extensive experience in finance.

If you’re running a freelance gig or a side hustle, you’re not alone. More and more people are realizing that a side job can be a great way to boost your income, and “gig economy” apps like Uber and Lyft make it easy to take on the extra hours. But reality comes crashing in at the beginning of the year when 1099 forms start hitting the mail, and you realize just how much you’ll owe on that "extra" money you've been bringing in.

Fortunately, there's some good news for freelancers and independent contractors. There are tax laws you can take advantage of to reduce what you owe the government.

Here are six tips you can use to pay fewer taxes and keep more of your earnings.

Continue Reading

Erin Miller is a freelance resume writer and digital marketing specialist. She has helped individuals and businesses share their knowledge through effective content and branding. Erin is based in Atlanta and is well-versed in HubSpot, LinkedIn, and Atlanta traffic.

I have steadily freelanced for over three years now. Over that time, I made a point to seek diverse freelance writing opportunities that have included resumes, blog articles, and website copy. I even gained a HubSpot Inbound Marketing certification to further expand my freelance capabilities. However, I often feel that my freelance career has plateaued due to lack of financial freedom and time constraints. There just never seems to be enough time or money for further pursuing freelancing goals.

Brent Laminack is the leader of the Joomla! User Group Atlanta and runs OpenFaceSystems.com where he provides the back-end technical support that aids creative agencies deliver wonderful solutions to their clients.

What’s Joomla and why should you use it?

Joomla’s one of the big 3 open source content management systems (CMS) in the world, alongside WordPress and Drupal. It’s free to use, improve and share. Let’s look at some reasons for you to consider Joomla.

Chi Chi Okezie and her company, SIMPLEnetworking, help other companies, professionals, universities, and government agencies develop the right skills for their business, career and social development. They believe Networking is a lifestyle and tool for success.

We operate in networks.  We function in units for connecting, communicating and interacting with others.