Freelancers

Freelance Feature: Jayana LaFountaine of Jayana LaFotos

February 7, 2020 By upstatecreative

There are over 16,000 freelancers in the Capital Region’s Creative Economy. In celebration of “Freelancer February,” for the next four Fridays, we will be highlighting four talented individuals from different backgrounds, with different stories, and different visions. We hope you will take inspiration from their stories and use this as a potential opportunity to collaborate and support the freelancers in our communities.

First up: Jayana LaFountaine of Jayana LaFotos

Where are you from? Where do you live now?: I am from Springfield Massachusetts and I currently live in Troy, NY.
In what year did you start freelancing? I began freelancing in 2010.
What inspired you to start? Losing my foster mother at 13 years old painfully reminded me that I didn’t have many photos with her. It has since been my mission to never miss a moment again.
What’s your favorite thing about freelancing? I am my own boss. My success is not about climbing someone else’s corporate ladder but about building my own. I’m in control of how successful I can be.
What’s the most difficult part about freelancing? Money. People don’t always want to pay you what you’re worth.
What’s your advice to a freelancer just starting out? Ask for help and drop your ego. Know that you don’t know sh*t, so ask for help and be a student. The worst thing you can do is be unteachable.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started freelancing? The backend aspect of running a business. I dove in head first and didn’t know about insurance, bank accounts, pricing etc.
Your most exciting project to date? My most exciting project to date is my book. Book of Jayana has been in the works for about four years now and I’m finally working towards releasing it in 2020.
Any helpful “freelancer friendly” resources you recommend using? I would say Collectiveffort and Power Breakfast. Without those two resources I wouldn’t be where I am. They have all helped me in my venture as an entrepreneur by giving me tools such as space to shoot in, marketing and media tips, lessons in life, one on one mentoring, and SO much more. If they can’t supply something I need, 9/10 times they know someone else that can. They’re both for the betterment of our professional and creative community.
Why is it great to be a freelancer in the Capital Region? For me it’s seeing people that look like me and feeling supported by them. They genuinely want to see you succeed and will always lend a helping hand to make sure you do. It’s all love.

It brings me a great deal of joy to capture families and friends of all colors, shapes and sizes because those memories are forever even if we’re not. I am also a Birth and Postpartum Doula, babysitter extraordinaire & DJ. I make it a point to do all of these jobs with love and an immense amount of intention. I thrive off of meaningful connections with people no matter how long or short they may be.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @Jayana LaFotos

Instagram: @jayanalafotos

www.jayanalafotos.mypixieset.com

Creative Economy Mixer Photo Highlights: PS21

August 1, 2019 By upstatecreative

Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy our Creative Economy Mixer at PS21. We had a great time learning more about the facility, having a tour, and enjoying beverages from Hudson Chatham Winery, and Chatham Brewing. Special thanks to our event sponsors Columbia Economic Development Corporation, MVP Health Care, and Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region and promotional partner CREATE (Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology and Education).

We’ll see you at the next event!

Creative Economy Mixer: Arts Letters & Numbers Studios

May 30, 2019 By upstatecreative

Thank you for joining us at Arts Letters & Numbers Studios, where we toured their facility, met resident artists, enjoyed food tastings by Laughing Earth Farm, beverage tastings by Albany Distilling Co, a performance by Rachelle Smith-Stallman and more!

We’ll also had an engaging discussion with Arts Letters & Numbers Founding Director David Gersten, and Andrew Frishman of Big Picture Learning.

Without the generous support of our sponsors, this event would not be possible. Thanks to Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, MVP Health Care, and promotional partner Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Freelance Pattern Designer Needed: Darn Good Yarn

January 24, 2019 By upstatecreative

Darn Good Yarn is looking for a freelance pattern designer to assist with the design and photography of new knitting, crochet or weaving patterns.

The candidate best suited for this position is a skilled knitter, crocheter or weaver, has experience designing patterns for all skill levels and can produce designs on a monthly basis.

The Pattern Designer will be responsible for the following;

• Ensure all designs are provided on a timely basis

• Designing projects based on project directive

• Provide Design photography

• Contribute ideas for design, yarn selection, etc.

• Format patterns in accordance to the Darn Good Yarns Pattern Standards

Requirements

We are looking for someone with the following qualifications:

• Intermediate or stronger knitting, crochet or weaving skills

• Strong communication, writing and organizational skills are a must

• Desire to work and grow in a fast-paced environment

• Proficiency with various online platforms including, Word, Excel and Publisher

• Obsessive attention to detail

• Strong work-ethic

• Ability to work independently and in coordination with various team members

Community Loan Fund Business Spotlight: The Makeup Curio

January 14, 2019 By upstatecreative

The Community Loan Fund has been helping businesses and individuals be successful since 1985 and offers a variety of programs and resources. Although there are other loans small business can get onboard with, such as those from smallbusinessloans.co, the Community Loan Fund provide access to capital for microenterprises and freelancers for business development. This article is a part of a series that highlights local businesses who has benefitted from a Community Loan Fund Loan, like The Makeup Curio, and have used it to build their business.

Jenn Dugan at The Makeup Curio started her business officially in August 2016 in her home, but when she wanted to expand her business to include facials, she knew she wanted to do it right- and that required her to not only have her aesthetics license but an actual space to run her business in.

She opened the store in October 2017 with the help of a Community Loan Fund Loan.

“It was a gradual progression and took about 4 months from start to finish,” Jenn says.

When asked what advice she has for other creatives and aspiring aestheticians, Jenn says, “Be patient, it’s hard, but it will come when it’s meant to.”

Jenn began as a costume designer with an emphasis in theatre. Many in this job position also have to do makeup as well, so her first job involved both. She started out as a self-taught hair and makeup stylist, and she does not do “real hair” she styles wigs to be worn for costumes.

Jenn’s love for makeup began to develop and she transitioned to full-time makeup artistry about six years ago. Two years later, she began doing professional makeup regularly for special events, weddings, galas, and of course Halloween makeup. She has also been able to enjoy doing work in theater by teaming up with local high school theater programs to do makeup and hair. This way she is able to bridge the gap between makeup artistry and theatre, and still do what she loves.

She has morphed her business in to two parts – “the “Beautiful” and “the Unusual” – allowing her to do classic event or gala makeup but also to get creative with theatrical and Halloween makeup as well. Jenn says this allows her to be creative and she loves doing both.

There is a strong seasonality to her business. In summer, she helps with theater camps and does makeup appointments on the weekends for special events. In the fall, special events continue with the wedding season, and Halloween is another busy time of year.

October has been her busiest month recently. “People forget that wedding season goes through October,’ Jenn says. “There are days when I have a wedding in the morning, then head over to an event makeup appointment, and then have someone who wants Halloween costume makeup later that evening.” Whilst this is great for her business, it can make filing her taxes a little bit more difficult! With the extra business and income, there will be more to report when she files her taxes. Taxes can be difficult to file anyway, which is why some businesses get in contact with Dave Burton to help them out. In those busier months, it might be a good idea to get some extra help when filing taxes, just to check they’ve been done correctly.

Jenn’s ability to secure a loan from The Community Loan Fund has allowed her to run her business in a space that meets her needs and gives her room to hone her craft even further. When asked why she loves to run her business in the Capital Region, she says “There are so many creatives and collaboration is easy. People actually want others to succeed, and they are supportive of each other.” Others looking to launch a business of their own may want to look towards the services of atlantic union bank to secure a business loan that will set them on the path towards success.

The Community Loan Fund offers a variety of lending options for non-profits, small businesses, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and more. Let’s say you are a freelance photographer and you need $1,000 to cover the cost of upgrading your equipment. The Community Loan fund is more likely to approve a loan for this expense over a traditional bank. Many traditional banks would call this a high risk, and it would be highly unlikely that the loan would be approved. The Community Loan Fund offers reviews on a case-by-case basis for its financial viability and positive social impact. If you are looking to expand your business, you can get more information and set up a time to talk with someone at The Community Loan Fund by clicking here. If like Jenn you’re starting your own business or you already run you’re own, then I suggest taking a look at Salesforce who help shape businesses across all industries by providing information on digital technology and how its transformation will help with promoting your business.