Why a freelance career in secondary research is the ultimate remote job

With the increasing demand for flexible jobs and new age employers looking for multiple avenues to engage talent, the freelance economy has changed the ways of the modern business world. There are no two ways to say this. The freelance economy is here to stay. In fact, several studies predict that up to one-third of the workforce in the next ten years will consist of remote workers. And why not? A remote freelance career offers many benefits — flexible work hours, remote work options, greater autonomy, and above all, the opportunity to do interesting and varied work.

While it might appear that these remote jobs are mostly for travel bloggers, app developers, or writers, the reality is that the boom in the freelance industry has levelled the playing field for talent. From a business perspective, companies are looking for innovative strategies to leverage talent outside of the company in order to maintain lean teams and optimize business costs.

One of the easiest ways companies do this is by outsourcing secondary research.

In most cases, in-house employees may not have the time, specialised skills, or even the objectivity needed to handle the ever-changing research needs of the business. The solution to this problem has been to hire freelance internet researchers to research and curate online information on different topics. Outsourcing secondary research to remote workers can help businesses improve objectivity, efficiency, and productivity.

Why a career in secondary research?

Whether you’re looking to build a full-time remote career or run a side hustle, providing secondary research services to businesses is the way to go. A large number of modern businesses depend on research, most of which can be done online. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that Internet research is expected to grow 16%, a trend that will continue into the future. So, if you’re someone with an insatiable appetite for information, a penchant for research, and an ability to analyze and synthesize information, you could make your endless curiosity work for you by turning it into a dream remote career.

Reports suggest that the average freelance researcher can earn anywhere between $10 and $15 an hour while some can even earn up to $30 per hour. While it does pay to have a particular area of expertise, there’s plenty to earn (and learn!) in the field of freelance secondary research. As a secondary research freelancer, you can set your own schedule, you can work as often and as much as you want, and that too on projects that of your choice. Your earning potential is determined by your time availability and interest.

In addition to the obvious monetary benefits, as a freelance researcher, you also get the opportunity to work on new and interesting projects every day, while learning about new fields, and ultimately, building up a portfolio of research.

By definition, secondary research involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research. As a freelance secondary researcher, your research assignments can include market research, market size analysis, competitive landscaping, analyzing and synthesizing statistics, or even explaining a trend or business phenomenon.

While there are plenty of sites that list online research jobs, such as Upwork, Freelancer, FlexJobs, Indeed, and others, sifting through the myriad job options to find a secondary research gig might be harder than you think.

brainsfeed is a research platform that provides businesses with secondary research solutions by connecting them with freelance secondary researchers who conduct comprehensive research on a specific topic, product, or service. By signing up as a researcher on brainsfeed, you can have access to a range of projects across industries, domains, and geographies, and make up to $3,000 in a month. Sign up to start earning today!