Is the Yukon freelance market saturated?
It has been an interest of mine to look at the job market up here in Yukon since I arrived. One trend that I noticed was the resourcefulness of Yukoners. They really don't work only one job. There are many people that I have met in my time here that have a full time day job (government or larger private sector) but then in the evenings they have a small scale (i.e. one person) shop that may service some sort of IT need.
These "off hours" shops typically service the small independent market in computer servicing (hardware, patches, Mr. Fix-It kind of work) and in web design services (design heavy micro brochure sites).
I would like to put this question to the community: with the size of the market in Yukon and the "lifestyle" decisions to live in Yukon, is the market starting to become too full of low cost options that will become unsustainable in the long term? I am primarily thinking of the entrepreneurs that do these services as a full time job and are not "off-hour-prenuers" when I ask about sustainability.
- Evan's blog
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No matter what industry you
No matter what industry you work in, there will always be low cost options, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily your direct competitors. Price, expertise and experience go a long way in defining your market and the customers you attract and engage.
I, for one, turn down a LOT of work that doesn't meet my minimum budget requirements. These potential clients would be better served by someone else who is cheaper and less experienced.
The big issue is that there is actually not enough of these types of companies to serve the massive volume of work on the table. Worse yet is the fact that the companies who are doing well for themselves can't find enough qualified staff to handle the load. That's a key issue for both the growth of my business and others in Whitehorse.
Subvert Marketing Inc.
Most small business people
Most small business people don't think about sustainability. Or value. Or long term customer retention. Or growing their business. Or what business they are actually in.
But also....why the heck focus only on the Yukon?! You've got an Internet connection, and if it's graphics or programming or what not that can be delivered entirely online, then your market is the world.