Investment

What should a 2013 not-for-profit look like?

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The good people behind OpenTech 2013 posed a great question as one of their potential sessions for the event happening on 18th May in London: What should a 2013 not-for-profit look like? It caught my eye a few weeks ago and I’ve been pondering it ever since, not only because I’ve had experience in starting … Read more

Balancing the Positivity Around Crowdfunding

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Crowdfunding is a well-known concept for most people, thanks to sites such as Kickstarter. Headlines of consumer products, such as the Pebble, to films, apps and games getting funded – with no apparent downsides – are everywhere. So when I was asked to write a piece on the "negative" side of crowdfunding, which would be … Read more

Freelance Web Developer Q&A: Ross Wintle, Oikos

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(This is the third in a series of interviews with freelancers, telling us their stories on how they went freelance. The aim is to help others who are thinking of becoming freelance learn more about what it takes, as well as get advice and inspiration so they can get the confidence and understanding to find … Read more

Watsi becomes Y Combinator’s First Nonprofit Investment

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Watsi, “an online peer-to-peer crowdfunding platform that allows users to fund life-changing medical treatments for underserved people in developing countries”, has become the first nonprofit that the start-up incubator Y Combinator has chosen to invest in. Perhaps one of the reasons that Watsi are the first non-profit to become part of Y Combinator is because … Read more

Tech For Good: The Rise of a Movement

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"Tech

 

One of the things I’ve been struggling with as a freelancer lately is focussing in on a sector that matches my own values and who the clients I work with give me work that I enjoy doing. Often when your values and your clients’ are aligned, your work will be better as a result. This has the added benefit of making your client happier too.

This is easier said than done.

I’ve been struggling because some of the clients I’ve been working with recently haven’t matched my values and so poor work, somewhat beneath my usual standard, has crept through. This hasn’t been anything to do with my clients, who are fantastic to work with and appreciate my work, but is more to do with me and the opportunities I take on.

I often chat to my better half about what kind of clients I want to work with. She says I need to focus on a particular group of clients I enjoy working with and match my values. I agree and resolve to do something about it, only to take on a non-value-matching client the next week, under the guise of a nice client and good money. C’est la vie.

That has changed though, as I’ve found the area I want to focus on: Tech For Good.

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Time For Tech For Good

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Last week’s post on Tech For Good got a good reception, both from those already working in the area and those who hadn’t heard of it, but maybe only needed a small nudge to start to join the pieces together and see them as the start of a movement.

There’s been a few more happenings over the last week and some initiatives people sent me after reading my post, so thought I’d follow up last week’s post with an update on all things Tech For Good.

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How Small Businesses Are Becoming Competitive Using CMMS

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If there’s anything more difficult than starting up a viable, successful small business, it’s maintaining and growing a small business. According to the Small Business Administration, while some 78% of small businesses survive their first year of business, less than half make it through their first five years of business and only about a third survive a … Read more

How to hire a freelance SEO consultant: the SEO consultant selection guide

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Search Engine Optimization refers to any activity that is intended to improve a website’s ranking in search results. Websites that rank higher in search results are perceived to be more credible, and websites that rank on the second page are often perceived to be less reliable. This perceived level of reliability often translates into traffic. Websites … Read more

Top ecommerce trends in 2018

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Ecommerce continues to expand in 2018 as more retailers and small business owners join the movement. Today, 11% of smartphone owners admit they shop online weekly, and this number is expected to grow. Although there are many benefits associated with the expansion of ecommerce, it is becoming more difficult for shop owners to stand out. … Read more