Tag Archives: Ja-Nae

The Freelancer: Top jobs of 2011

January 24, 2012 – 9:43 am
the freelancer janae

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 [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The Revolutionary Change Cycle

January 3, 2012 – 8:56 am
the revolutionary change cycle

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.
Related Posts:
The Power of Vulnerability
How to Breed a Team of Innovators
How to Recognize Opportunity
What Do You Believe In

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Innovation, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Your True Worth

December 13, 2011 – 12:03 pm
janae

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 [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Happiness, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments (2)

25+ Resources for Creative Thinkers

November 8, 2011 – 9:38 am
creative leadership

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 [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Innovation, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

How Technology Can Help You

October 25, 2011 – 9:38 am

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
View more presentations from Ja-Naé Duane
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!
Related Posts
The Power of Letter Writing
7 Ways to Help Women in Technology
Social Media used for Classroom Learning

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Succeed

August 23, 2011 – 12:42 pm
how to fail-janae

The English language has made us equate failing with being a failure, when in fact failing is necessary in order to succeed. If we never allow ourselves to fail, then, unless we are born perfect, we’ll never attempt to learn or do anything that risks failure.  When I started my first business, I made many mistakes and “failures” before I got it right.  I didn’t give up or get discouraged because I understood that failing was just a step towards success.  And I was right.
In order to succeed, you must allow yourself to fail.  By embracing failure, you create an environment where mishaps invigorate rather than crush you.  In fact, I would suggest you go so far as to aim to fail.  If you haven’t failed, you haven’t been taking risks or learning anything.  To me, that would be the biggest failure.
You’ve probably heard Edison’s quote about failing 1,000 times while inventing the light bulb, “I have not failed 1,000 times.  I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”  Great minds like Einstein and Lincoln had the same attitude.
How have you failed? What’s the most [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Creativity, Happiness, Innovation, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Starting a Business Podcast: Back It Up! -Your Data, That is

October 5, 2010 – 9:32 am
starting a business how to start a business

The newest trend in social media memes is to Autotune everything, often with hilarious results. One of my favorites is the Backin’ Up Song, with the eccentric coffee lady whose exhortation, “I’m backin’ up, backin’ up, backin’ up, ‘cause my daddy taught me good” became the catchy refrain. It’s ok that it gets stuck in my head because it serves as a valuable reminder to BACK UP!—your data, that is. It’s one of those things that enterpreneurs starting a business may not think about until it’s too late. In today’s podcast, “Back Up Your Data!”, I discuss why having a plan to back-up your data is crucial for small business or freelancers.

Let’s hear it—tell me your data loss horror story and how you keep it from happening again!
Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
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Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Podcasts | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Starting a Business Podcast: Ways to Build a Community

October 4, 2010 – 12:44 pm

When I started my own business, one of the challenges I faced was how to effectively use social media to build a community around my brand. And that was before the Facebook-Twitter explosion! Now, with so many social media opportunities, it can seem a daunting task to the small business owner to create and grow a following. This is especially true for freelancers, whose services may appeal to a small níche audience. For my inaugural podcast to kick off my “How to Start Your Business with $100” Book Tour, I discuss “Ways to Build a Community”. Have a listen below, try out my suggestions, then let me know how it goes by leaving a comment.

Hope to see you on my tour! Remember to check out my companion blog, The Biz100 Tour, for tour dates and special announcements.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Entrepreneurs, Content is Queen!

March 22, 2010 – 9:10 am

These days, learning social media basics can be as easy as reaching out to your email contacts and Twitter followers. But not everyone utilizes a real social media strategy, nor do they implement their brands while using social media. This is the difference between entrepreneurs whose social media outreach is effective, and those entrepreneurs who are not as successful. Even more than branding and strategy, at the core of successful social media is the inclusion of useful, personalized content. When people decide to engage with you, they share personal information with the expectation that you will do so as well. No pressure, right?
The good news is you can give them what they want and you don’t have to be a professional writer to do it. Here are three easy ideas to make writing content that everyone will want to read:
1) Tell a Story: All of us are driven by emotional drivers. People connect to stories that they can relate to, and will continue to return to your blog, Twitter account, or Facebook page if they know that they can count on you for that same line of connection. In fact, this Harvard Business Review Article, reasserts [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Obama and the Power of Persistence

March 4, 2010 – 9:08 am

President Barack Obama is ready for a vote on health care.  Obama has been trying endlessly to pass a bipartisan reform. Whether you agree with his agenda or not, one thing can be said about him: he is persistent.
As a leader, what can you learn from Obama’s struggle?

How can you change your negotiation tactics?
How much leverage do you need in order to get what you want?
How can you manage to get two parties working together towards the same goal?

Whether you are an entrepreneur managing outsourced employees or a mom who is trying to get her kids to eat vegetables, the question then becomes how can we all creatively use the power of persistence to to achieve our goals. Failure is not an option and those veggies need to be eaten. So, how will you make it happen?
If you have tactics or success stories, please feel free to share. We would all love to hear them!

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)