The rapidly advancing Information Age is leading millions of people every year to leave their old “brick and mortar” jobs and strike out on their own. And thanks to sites like PayPal, Amazon, and Fiverr, many of these aspiring Internet moguls are beginning to see financial success at a much faster rate than in years past.
Freelancing professionals often learn rather quickly that making this type of transition comes with its own set of unique challenges. A recent story run on December 16 by the Your Story Website offers 12 success tips for newbie entrepreneurs and startups.
The Founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel, offers a couple pieces of valuable advice that really stand out. One is to “think big” while the other is to “start small.” While these may initially seem completely contradictory, Thiel uses Amazon as an example of long-term success. Amazon began by only selling books, but within a matter of years the e-commerce giant is now the “go-to” site for nearly any type of product imaginable.
How did Amazon do this? It started small, choosing technology that offered the future ability to grow along with their business. Facebook also uses this successful business model as does Apple. The Mashable website is also jumping on board, posting an article on December 15, 2014 which suggests that today’s college graduate will need to be completely self-sufficient and use digital technology to its highest potential if they want to accomplish their financial long-term goals.
Millions of novice entrepreneurs get their start by working on sites like Fiverr, offering their products and services for a mere $5 before branching out into other areas. Elance, oDesk, and Freelancer are other sites that have shown tremendous success for those who want to “start small” and “think big.” Even Forbes Magazine estimates that by the year 2030, nearly 79% of the Millennial workforce will be comprised of freelancing entrepreneurs.
