Ganjapreneur — an online business resource that launched over the summer — has announced the launch of a “Freelancer Network” on its website. An official launch date for the project has not been set, but Ganjapreneur has outlined several of the features.
This network will be made publicly available and will be free to use. Freelancers who join the network will be able to create a listing using their real name or a pseudonym, describe their specialty and location, upload a biography and/or personal statement, and provide a contact email address. The listings will be organized in a directory and categorized by service type. Businesses will then be able to use the directory when searching for freelancers for projects that require specific skill sets, and creative agencies who want to take on cannabis industry jobs will be able to recruit people who are interested in cannabis-related work.
The Ganjapreneur Freelancer Network will include categories such as web developers, graphic designers, copywriters, SEO experts, social media marketers, videographers, animators, and programmers. Unlike many other freelancer networks, Ganjapreneur will not take a percentage off the top of projects organized through its network, and it will not require freelancers to manage all communications with their clients through its website.
As such, the site will likely not provide the same mediation and escrow services that popular freelancing websites do, but a rep from the company thinks that these features may be precisely what is keeping the cannabis industry out of traditional platforms. “Freelancers may have day jobs at companies where the subject of cannabis is not acceptable, so they probably wouldn’t want their real name attached to anything that could show up in search engines, and cannabis businesses may not be allowed on public-facing websites where the platform holds funds in escrow. By removing ourselves from the equation except as the source to browse and contact freelancers, we give both sides a lot more privacy and flexibility, which is exactly what the industry needs.”
The landing page for the Freelancer Network currently has an email signup form to Ganjapreneur’s newsletter so interested parties may receive notifications when the project goes live. The announcement follows on the heels of several other recent announcements from Ganjapreneur, including an upgrade to their marijuana industry job feed, the launch of their app for Android devices, and an ongoing series of interviews with cannabis industry pioneers.
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