Daniel finds niche while offering job openings

by Marlon Madden

After losing his job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year and realising there were thousands of others who were in a similar position, Daniel DeSouza tapped into his creative juices to produce a solution to what had now become an overnight unemployment horror.

Charged with a passion for graphic design, web design and technology, he wasted no time in developing a one-stop-shop for people seeking employment and for those requiring a specific skill or task completed.

It was while doing some “odd jobs” throughout 2020 in the area of web design, that he came up with the idea for the online FreelanceForAll, a Caribbean freelance marketplace.

“I have always known that Technology will bring solutions to many problems facing the world today, I am just happy I can be part of the technology revolution in the Caribbean that makes real difference to society,” DeSouza told Today’s BUSINESS.

Officially launched on February 14, 2021, www.freelanceforall.tk offers several categories of work a person can specialise in, which DeSouza said was aimed at “turning individuals into entrepreneurs who can give back to society and help build up the economy”.

The entrepreneur at heart said he established the online platform simply because he saw a need where thousands of skilled individuals were losing their jobs due to the slowdown in the economy that was brought on by the pandemic.

“There was, at that time, no one offering this service to the Caribbean people. So as a entrepreneurial thinker, I wanted to bring to market a solution to the plague of unemployment in the Caribbean, by empowering people to use their skills and qualifications to make a living from home, safe from COVID,” said DeSouza, adding that he received tremendous support from his wife.

Freelancers are able to post a concise but detailed proposal or service they offer, respond to enquiries and requests from potential customers, and build their reputation over time by sticking to deadlines and offering exactly what is requested.

The platform also allows businesses or individuals seeing a specialized skill-set of a freelancer for a project to create a buyers’ account and browse the list of skilled freelancers and make the necessary selection.

“Easy connection can be made through the platform by messaging, and if all goes well, you can hire that freelancer for the job,” said DeSouza, adding that “for everything that you do not know how to do yourself, or you simply don’t have the time for, FreelanceForAll is at your service”.

Further explaining what is offered on the website, DeSouza said people are able to compare prices, portfolio and other criteria when searching for a seller that best suits their needs.

After submitting a detailed message of what is required, it is then followed up with a transaction.

“Your payment is held secure until you confirm that the service is performed to your satisfaction,” he said.

“Once you are happy with the service performed and delivered, you can mark the transaction complete, and we’ll make sure that the seller gets paid,” he said.

“If for some reason you are not satisfied with the work delivered, you can go ahead and make a request for modification, and your seller will do the requested modifications,” said DeSouza, who gave the assurance of security and privacy, convenience and timely payment.

“So, bring the talent and we will make earning as easy as 1, 2, 3,” said the father of two.

DeSouza, who describes himself as a visionary, said he believed this kind of work arrangement would continue to growth within the region.

“The idea of making your own hours, flexibility and empowerment has been a reality in the world outside of the Caribbean, but if we nurture this new movement, we will see massive growth and happier Caribbean people,” he said.

“The unemployment situation will get worse if we do not find a safe way to empower people to safely return to work or to work for themselves using their skills and qualifications.

“The world is fighting for an answer to this pandemic and it’s affects on the world’s economy. Technology must be utilised, and supported to empower the people along with training and education, and with this our economy will return to profitability,” said DeSouza.   

The St Philip resident is a graduate of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic where he earned his certification in graphic design and printing. He also completed a series of online courses in social media graphic design, and leadership.

DeSouza’s simple advice to anyone seeking a job at this time is not to be discouraged but “look within at your skills and talents, take a look at the FreelanceForAll platform and see if you can help anyone with your skills, you will find the experience empowering especially when you get paid for your efforts”.  

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb