Ja-Naé Duane

The Freelancer: Top jobs of 2011

24 Jan

As a freelancer, it can be hard to know where the market is for your skill sets. Many of the freelancers I know continue to market towards what has worked for them in the past. And why not? If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it. Makes sense, right?
Though that may work as a short term solution, even freelancers need to look towards trends. Freelancer.com, the largest outsourcing marketplace, has recently released its list of the top 50 freelance job trends for the fourth quarter of 2011. Freelancer.com has gathered stats from 134,820 online jobs that were posted over the last quarter of 2011, which represent a 18.3% increase from Q3. Here are the important trending freelance jobs:

According to Freelancer.com:
Android takes off again in Q4. After a slow Q3, Android jobs rocketed up 33% (to 2,454) in Q4. Apple iPhone jobs grew 18% (to 3,682). By the end of 2012, Android should be close to overtaking the iPhone for the rate of development of new applications. Apple iPad jobs rose 22% (to 1692). Blackberry jobs were flat, up 2%, but with volumes too low to register on the Fast 50. As reported before, Symbian and Windows phone applications do [...]

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The Leaders: 3 Lessons from the Girl Scouts

20 Jan

I was walking to get my morning coffee, when I saw them. Huddled together around a table with icy noses, their girl sashes gave them away: Girl Scouts.
Though their dedication and frozen faces weakened me to buy 3 boxes of thin mints, it also made me think about the leadership lessons we can learn from these little ladies. In honor of the organization’s 100th Anniversary, here are 3 lessons we can learn from the Girl Scouts:
The Leaders: Lessons from the Girl Scouts
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What other lessons can we learned from this organization? How you ever been a Girl Scout or a Boy Scout? What leadership skills did it instill into you? We would love to hear from you.
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How to Start a Startup (Complimentary Ebook)

10 Jan

Yesterday, I was asked when the revision of How to Start Your Business with $100 would be out and what I will include in this one. Though I do not have an exact date yet for when it will be released (I’m still finishing up my book on social change), I can tell you that besides all the goodies that are in the first version, we will include:
* Social Media 101
* Social Media ROI
* SEO 101
* Top Mobile apps for Productivity
and much more!
Until then, I am happy to give you guys a complimentary copy of the book. Download Your Complimentary Ebook Now. Please feel free to pass it on and share it with people.
This 120+-page ebook gives you access to:

Over 197 resources and tools to help you start your business
Guide to branding your business
Marketing tips to use in a B2B and B2C market
Budgeting and Financial research
Joint Venture Contract Template
Proven negotiating techniques
How to build a website with very little money
Integration of email and social media
Step-by-step guide on how to start your business within 30 days

If you know a budding entrepreneur, small startup or freelancer, feel free to pass this ebook on. The more the merrier. Let’s help some people start [...]

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Tagged business plan, how to open business, how to own a business, how to start a startup, ideas for small business, social change, social media 101, social media roi, software startup, start business, startup america, startup companies, startup company, startup programs, startups, the startup | comment/question

The Revolutionary Change Cycle

03 Jan

We live in a world of constant change. The events of 2011 have exhibited that all too well. As in life, change comes in cycles: birth, growth, death, and renewal. Understanding these cycles can help us thrive in change, rather than fear it. Though change can be painful, it is a source of creativity, innovation and transformation.
While working on my upcoming book, How to Create a Revolution, I created the Revolutionary Change Cycle. Take a Look:

During my research for the book, I found a transformation system developed by family therapist, Virginia Satir. Divided into five segments, her system illustrates how the family unit can transform the status quo into something new. While not related, it strengthens the correlation of change behavior amongst all group dynamics.
Here’s the deal: Feel free to share. Tweet it, Google +, Facebook it, or post it on your own site. I would love your thoughts.

The Revolutionary Change Cycle by Ja-Nae Duane is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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What Do You Believe In

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How to Be Confident

19 Dec

It can be difficult to find the confidence you need to achieve a goal or even live the life you’re looking to lead. Confidence is an extremely important aspect of our lives, yet we all struggle with it at one point or another. Have you ever found yourself in that position?
Emily knows all about this. She pinged me through Google+ asking me how to build she can build up her confidence, particularly when so many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond our control. In the video below, I offer up the one strategy that can get you the edge you need to reach your potential and overcome any self-sabotaging behavior.
Take a look:

How you ever felt like life was throwing you curve balls and testing you in some way? How you ever felt like no matter what you did, you could not succeed? How did you overcome it? What did you do to change your situation. We would love to hear from you.
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Your True Worth

13 Dec

Have you ever felt like you had a fantastic idea, were working hard on something that everyone should know about, or thought that people would line up at the door once they knew what you knew? You’re not alone. Jason was like that as well.
Jason had been trying to negotiate this deal for a while now. As a start-up with very little money coming in, he could not afford to do everything that this potential partner was looking for. They were too big. It would be an amazing opportunity, if he could land it. “All I am doing is giving in this deal. Where is the WIN-WIN,” Jason thought. “I’m bringing a ton to the table. No, I do not have the clients that these guys have, but my resources must be worth something too. Isn’t there value in having me as a partner?”
When Jason came to me and recanted his story, it became clear what the issue really had been. “Jack, you haven’t realized your true worth yet,” I said to him. He stared at me with a puzzled look. I could tell that he was wondering if I had listened at all to what he was telling me. I [...]

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25+ Resources for Creative Thinkers

08 Nov

Have you ever had a project or deadline in which you had to think of a creative idea to build around? My sister, Samantha, had that same exact problem this weekend. She had been pondering for hours what to do her class project on. When I finally talked to her, she was close to tears. This was a huge project that she had yet to begin or know what it might entail.
Here are some resources, I share with her to get her out of a rut. Hope you find them useful:
Spark Creativity
There are times when we get stuck and have trouble coming up with new ideas. For those occasions, there are a few techniques you can use to trigger that creative impulse and get the creative juices flowing. Here are a few:
Carry a Journal. How often do you come up with a great idea only to forget it later? Well, you can’t really know how often since you forget it. So get a small notepad and pen and carry them with you wherever you go. Whenever an interesting thought or idea hits you, write it down. Take a look at your journal later and you might find something you [...]

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How Technology Can Help You

25 Oct

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of giving a keynote speech at Tech Day Camp. What was great about the event was that most of the attendees were new to technology and were eager to have more information on how to use it in their daily lives. Here is my presentation from the keynote:
How Technology Can Work for You
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What about you? How do you use technology? How has it made your life easier? I would love to hear your success stories. Send them my way!
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Break the Rules

05 Oct

New adventures and opportunities do not always show up at your door step. Sometimes, you have to break the rules and get out of your comfort zone in order to find them. Here’s how.

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Redesign the Old

26 Sep

While grabbing some lunch yesterday, I came across this old espresso at the Nashoba Brook Bakery. It looked ancient and beautiful. The machine was commandeering a corner by the front door; a representation of what was then.
“They don’t make them like they used to,” an older gentleman said while approaching from behind me. This struck me as curious, so I asked, “What do you mean? Are you saying that this thing made better espresso than today’s machines?” “Yup. The machine in my restaurant works nothing like this one. The new ones don’t have enough power. Too bad these old ones are too big and bulky. Good luck trying to get this in the front door. You would need 3 guys to just pick it up.”
As the guy headed down the ramp towards the cash register, I became to wonder why I was so quick to judge this old machine. Though we have thousands of objects and devices that we use every day, are they really any better than their predecessors?
Change of Perspective
Redesign something you come in contact with every day. It could be your phone, a stop light, or your local grocery store. Ask yourself:

How can it be different?
How can it be [...]

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