DEAR READERS,

While the restrictions for the economy and society are slowly being eased after the various ´Corona Lockdowns´ around the globe, the current situation is not easy for companies and freelancers in New Zealand. According to our current Lunendonk study, the lockdowns and restrictions resulted in the number of freelancer projects declining significantly.

Moreover, we have analysed Payoneer’s latest report which found that 60 per cent of freelancers experienced a decrease in demand for their services during the pandemic. However, the future for freelancing remains bright as 23 per cent reported that business has remained as usual with 17 per cent stating that demand for work has actually increased. In addition, we will provide some tips with our freelancer readers in mind during these tough times.

In the article by one of our freelancers, a marketing expert shows you how professional brand management can successfully be done online. To finish off, the freelancer joke is about a project manager who is known for his concise crisis communication.

Despite the Corona crisis, I hope you enjoy reading and, of course, as always, good business!

Rainer Kurz

We are happy to announce the newest feature of our website. This feature can be seen in categories which have more than twenty freelancers.

There, you will see the button “Show the closest 10 freelancers” below the map. Once you click on this button, a new map will appear which lets you select a location where you need a contractor.

After the selection of the location, freelancers will be shown below for you to choose the closest freelancer. By adding this new feature, we aim to save time to our clients in their search for a freelancer next door and support their local community.

In their latest IT freelancer study, market research company Lunendonk asked the ten leading freelance brokers about the sales impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They expect a decline in sales of three per cent in 2020. 'Compared to other B2B services markets, this is a rather optimistic forecast,' says Jonas Lunendonk, describing the situation. It would not be surprising, for example, if sales shrank even more in 2020. For example, some service companies are reporting a drop in turnover of more than 30 per cent drop for the second quarter of 2020.

In some areas, however, the Corona crisis also led to increased demand. For instance, experts in cloud technologies were in high demand during the pandemic.

However, revenue expectations for 2021 are again considerably optimistic. For the period after the Corona crisis, digitisation, IT modernisation, cloud and transformation projects will likely result in an increasing number of projects, many requiring freelancers.

Before the pandemic, many companies suffered from a lack of skilled workers. Although this shortage is currently less severe, it will become noticeable again when the economy returns to a growth path.

Our current reports show that there has been a massive increase in the number of Kiwis who have started to earn independently due to COVID-19 crisis.

According to the Survey of Working Life in 2018, about 144,000 Kiwis work as self-employed contractors or freelancers, which is just over 5 per cent of the workforce. Moreover, it is predicted that self-employed workers will increase further during the pandemic. The proof to this can be seen in the latest reports taken from Intech, a company that deals with financial administration for self-employed, contract and freelance workers, states an impressive 260 per cent increase in sign-ups to their services compared to the same three months in the previous year.

Due to this unprecedented pandemic, businesses became more likely to be open to using freelancers. After seeing how people were able to work from home with such success during the lockdown and there is not so much fear of people working remotely anymore. In addition to this, the perception that if someone works far from the office, they cannot do their job has also ended.

It is considered to be a well-known fact that the independent earners make up a large part of the New Zealand economy, more than ever now. According to Payoneer’s latest report, in a survey of over 1,000 global freelancers, they found that 60 per cent of freelancers experienced a decrease in demand for their services during the pandemic. However, the future for freelancing remains bright as 23 per cent reported that business has remained as usual and 17 per cent stating that demand for work has actually increased.

Due to the increase in the number of freelancers and the decrease in the demand for freelancer services, we have prepared some tips that are of particular interest to our readers.

1st tip: Take a step back and put aside time to assess what you are doing and whether it’s working for you. This is critical during these transformational times. Pare down the costs that distract you in order to focus all your energy on projects and activities that are steady, lucrative, and fulfilling.

2nd tip: In your nearest village, town or city, a lot of small businesses are stepping up to the challenge of life during the Coronavirus crisis. This includes offering delivery and collection services to keep serving their customers, despite the new restrictions in place to deal with the pandemic.

Ask yourself as a freelancer, ‘What could be my creative venture’s offering to help local people while keeping trading, and even turning a profit?’ At the very least, your answer should stay true to your business and reflect your freelance services or what you do as a self-employed trader.

3rd tip: Join location-based social networks. On such platforms and other social media sites, the community spirit that we’ve seen rise up in the past few weeks means that many businesses will be happy to accept new partners and embrace opportunities to broaden their outreach within the community. It may also give you a chance to support and learn about local businesses.

4th tip: Learn new skills. Staying in lockdown is a good environment to upskill. You can spend your free time in e-learning by starting to learn a new program or a skill. In addition, investing in your education will broaden your future professional horizons, and in the meantime devoting some time and effort to your own development will give you a sense of fulfilment and purpose.

5th tip: Save time for your well-being. The most important thing in life is you! Therefore, you should stay away from a workaholic attitude and make sure to spend time doing something for yourself.

Registered service providers can present themselves with a short article in the Zealancer-News. In this issue, we present you a freelancer who specialises in brand management.
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Brands have been determining my life for years - both professionally and privately. Consistent brand management requires a fundamental analysis and a good strategy.

Contrary to the widely held opinion that brands are geared towards specific target groups, it is necessary to understand and grasp the brand in its entirety. The brand must be adapted to your corporate structure and should be determined and managed according to the desired customer effect. Only by taking a holistic view can the success components of a strong brand be discovered and strategically planned.

With the help of a holistic brand analysis and consulting, which can also be done online, every company can increase its value-added power using strategic measures. As a freelance brand researcher and consultant, I look forward to your order!
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The Project Manager calls the Managing Director late at night: 'Why are you calling me so late at night?' asks the Managing Director.

'I wanted to inform you about the status of the project. But if it's too late now, you can read all about it in the newspaper tomorrow morning!'