“Crowd Sourcing” was first "coined" by Jeff Howe and was a featured article in Wired Magazine back in 2006 - (which by the way I've been reading WIRED for a LONG TIME!)
Be that as it may, if you have a unique skill set - such as a "graphic designer" or perhaps are an expert at After Effects, Illustrator or even an APP Developer - the list is just too long to mention - this is a GREAT WAY to keep yourself and/or your small business OUT THERE and actively seeking one-off type jobs.
With the new growth in Word From Home Business - and I'm not talking about SCAMS such as MLM or products like Melalueka where you have to have hundreds of people below you actually selling products for you and/or bugging all of your friends and family to "buy these products" - and talk about how GREAT they are and get almost NOTHING in return! What a waste of time and energy – and it kinds of makes you look BOGUS since you’re even CONNECTED with these companies where if you read about them – you’ll get about 1 out of 100 POSTIVE REVIEWS and 99% are all BAD and talk about how big of a SCAM the whole concept is!
Crowd Sourcing is a GREAT WAY to have access to a host of talented people and let's face it - with every facet of the design world - whether is WEBSITES, or Graphics, Branding/Logo design, or just about ANY type of job where you are using specialized applications to do your work in - it's virtually impossible to keep up with EVERY new release and/or UPDATE for these new software apps, or even be able to afford to buy these huge suites such as CS-5 so that you can learn about 3 or 4 of them and maybe if your LUCKY master two or three of them - then CROWD SOURCING is for you!
In today's world, you have to focus on a NICHE - in fact, if you really want to be a HUGELY SUCCESFUL business - you have to focus on a truly different niche - that really should NOT even be SEXY like the MUSIC BUSINESS - as I can assure you tens of thousands are trying to find a NICHE to stay in the music business. Find something that NOBODY else really even wants to do!
In FACT, you've GOT to find something that fewer people are CLAMMERING for to build a new business model! For example: this new venture I'm looking at for New South Development and we are entertaining the idea as we do more and more research - but this new venture is focusing on a NEW and UNIQUE way of "thermal treatment" for solid/liquid waste - yes, it's GREEN, yes, it's GOOD for the environment as the byproducts are Nutrient Rich "ORGANIC" Liquid Fertilizers, a minimal amount of SOLIDS that can be used for "ORGANIC COMPOST" and the best part is that you create Methane (so instead of just burning it off - which is WORSE for the environment --- you can use the methane (similar to Propane) to POWER you treatment operations! But I digress...(more to come with another PRODUCT and BRAND from New South Development)
So just that I'm being clear, IF you are really good at your particular niche - then join the CROWD SOURCING NETWORKS and/or GROUPS- sure you may submit RFP's and/or bids that get turned down - but you're more than likely doing that every day anyway - why not give yourself MORE OPTIONS to be FOUND and HOPEFULLY HIRED for that really good ONE-OFF project and if you're really good at what you do - then the company that finds you through crowd sourcing - could end up hiring you (if even part time) for MORE WORK - and for those that are struggling to KEEP themselves busy with new projects, finding new clients, etc - this is THE BEST WAY to get your name into the POOL of others that are offering similar or the same types of services.
And how does this work for Musicians, Producers, etc - well there's plenty of people that need back ground music or mastering work done or a HOST of other products/services that YOU can do and/or create - but also don't think of it as just about getting YOUR music or work out there for the masses - also think of it as a way to get your Album Cover Art, Your band Logo, your EPK or any number of things you need to get done to further your career- use the CROWD to get the BEST DEAL on what you need by having people BID ON YOUR NEEDS!
In this down economy and with it being a "business hiring" dream - as people will take a job for next to nothing - at least you don't have to look for a FULL TIME GIG - you can work from HOME legitimately AND if you work with the RIGHT "CROUDSOURCING" GROUPS - you could end up landing a really GREAT PROJECT to add to your PORTFOLIO and in the PROCESS get that exposure that you need to get MORE work and BETTER TYPES of work that are best suited to HOW YOU WORK and WHAT YOU CAN DO! Especially if you have a UNIQUE SKILL or are REALLY GOOD at YOUR NICHE!
Just some random thoughts again as I was cleaning out some old articles and magazines and taking them for RECYCLING - so I figured I "RECYCLE" this information!
SM @ MSO
Be that as it may, if you have a unique skill set - such as a "graphic designer" or perhaps are an expert at After Effects, Illustrator or even an APP Developer - the list is just too long to mention - this is a GREAT WAY to keep yourself and/or your small business OUT THERE and actively seeking one-off type jobs.
With the new growth in Word From Home Business - and I'm not talking about SCAMS such as MLM or products like Melalueka where you have to have hundreds of people below you actually selling products for you and/or bugging all of your friends and family to "buy these products" - and talk about how GREAT they are and get almost NOTHING in return! What a waste of time and energy – and it kinds of makes you look BOGUS since you’re even CONNECTED with these companies where if you read about them – you’ll get about 1 out of 100 POSTIVE REVIEWS and 99% are all BAD and talk about how big of a SCAM the whole concept is!
Crowd Sourcing is a GREAT WAY to have access to a host of talented people and let's face it - with every facet of the design world - whether is WEBSITES, or Graphics, Branding/Logo design, or just about ANY type of job where you are using specialized applications to do your work in - it's virtually impossible to keep up with EVERY new release and/or UPDATE for these new software apps, or even be able to afford to buy these huge suites such as CS-5 so that you can learn about 3 or 4 of them and maybe if your LUCKY master two or three of them - then CROWD SOURCING is for you!
In today's world, you have to focus on a NICHE - in fact, if you really want to be a HUGELY SUCCESFUL business - you have to focus on a truly different niche - that really should NOT even be SEXY like the MUSIC BUSINESS - as I can assure you tens of thousands are trying to find a NICHE to stay in the music business. Find something that NOBODY else really even wants to do!
In FACT, you've GOT to find something that fewer people are CLAMMERING for to build a new business model! For example: this new venture I'm looking at for New South Development and we are entertaining the idea as we do more and more research - but this new venture is focusing on a NEW and UNIQUE way of "thermal treatment" for solid/liquid waste - yes, it's GREEN, yes, it's GOOD for the environment as the byproducts are Nutrient Rich "ORGANIC" Liquid Fertilizers, a minimal amount of SOLIDS that can be used for "ORGANIC COMPOST" and the best part is that you create Methane (so instead of just burning it off - which is WORSE for the environment --- you can use the methane (similar to Propane) to POWER you treatment operations! But I digress...(more to come with another PRODUCT and BRAND from New South Development)
So just that I'm being clear, IF you are really good at your particular niche - then join the CROWD SOURCING NETWORKS and/or GROUPS- sure you may submit RFP's and/or bids that get turned down - but you're more than likely doing that every day anyway - why not give yourself MORE OPTIONS to be FOUND and HOPEFULLY HIRED for that really good ONE-OFF project and if you're really good at what you do - then the company that finds you through crowd sourcing - could end up hiring you (if even part time) for MORE WORK - and for those that are struggling to KEEP themselves busy with new projects, finding new clients, etc - this is THE BEST WAY to get your name into the POOL of others that are offering similar or the same types of services.
And how does this work for Musicians, Producers, etc - well there's plenty of people that need back ground music or mastering work done or a HOST of other products/services that YOU can do and/or create - but also don't think of it as just about getting YOUR music or work out there for the masses - also think of it as a way to get your Album Cover Art, Your band Logo, your EPK or any number of things you need to get done to further your career- use the CROWD to get the BEST DEAL on what you need by having people BID ON YOUR NEEDS!
In this down economy and with it being a "business hiring" dream - as people will take a job for next to nothing - at least you don't have to look for a FULL TIME GIG - you can work from HOME legitimately AND if you work with the RIGHT "CROUDSOURCING" GROUPS - you could end up landing a really GREAT PROJECT to add to your PORTFOLIO and in the PROCESS get that exposure that you need to get MORE work and BETTER TYPES of work that are best suited to HOW YOU WORK and WHAT YOU CAN DO! Especially if you have a UNIQUE SKILL or are REALLY GOOD at YOUR NICHE!
Just some random thoughts again as I was cleaning out some old articles and magazines and taking them for RECYCLING - so I figured I "RECYCLE" this information!
SM @ MSO
