Trend & Insight Report Shows a Rise in Paid Positions

We just ran our metrics from November and there's some great news for job-seekers -- paid positions as a percentage of posted positions on the site are up! Below are some highlights from the release -- download the full release with tables here.

• Nearly half (49%) of the positions posted on the site were paid, up from (36%) in August and (41%) in October.
• The internet category continues to lead in hiring, but we note that more companies increasingly have a presence on the web and therefore fall into that category more frequently. Professional services firms also continue to lead in hiring.
• The general area of marketing continues to be the main focus of hiring for small businesses, and social media specifically remains the top task.
• Given that the overall percentage of paid jobs on Urban Interns has increased and the concentration of hiring in internet businesses, marketing and professional services, we believe these categories are indicating signs of economic optimism.
• Approximately one-third of the positions posted on Urban Interns are purely virtual, indicating that the trend of small business owners hiring virtual help continues.

Are You Ready for Black Friday?

Black Friday -- It's been called the biggest day of the year in retail. 16% of all consumers are planning to start their holiday shopping this Friday (up from 10% in each of 2007 and 2008!). Think of all who are gearing up to spend, and ask yourself:

Are you ready?

Have a storefront? Now's the time to make sure you have extra salespeople on hand to provide a great experience for your customers.

Have an e-commerce site? Customer service is equally important, as is ensuring that your fulfillment process can handle increased volume.

And the very best part of Black Friday? It's just the beginning of holiday shopping season. There are several weeks ahead where you'll need to turn it up to ensure a solid end to the year. Promoting year end sales, distributing news to social networks and blogs, following up on leads....Who has time for it all!?!

Lucky for you, URBAN INTERNS CAN HELP.

Whether you need someone for a few hours a day or several days a week, qualified part-time help and interns are just a click away. And remember, Urban Interns work virtually and locally.

You define your needs * We provide access to great candidates.

Get started here.

Urban Interns Refer a Friend Program

If you haven't had a chance to post a job or search for a top notch Urban Intern, now's your chance. With the holidays approaching and all that needs to get done before year-end, we know you could probably use an extra set of hands.

Want some great news? We're giving you one free job post until December 24, 2009 (that's right - FREE!!) in exchange for you helping us to spread the word about Urban Interns.

Here's how it works:

• Spread the word about Urban Interns to friends and family. Below is some suggested language which you can copy/paste into an email.
• Make sure that when friends and family sign up, they put YOUR NAME in the "how did you hear about us" text box on the registration page.
• Each time a referral pays to post a job or search the Urban Interns database, we'll email you with a coupon for one free job post. ***This coupon is only good until December 24, 2009 so don't delay.
  

Please let us know if you have any questions, and thanks again for being a part of Urban Interns.

Warmly,

Lauren & Cari
Co-Founders
Urban Interns
www.urbaninterns.com

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Here is some suggested text for an email to your friends:

Hi there! I wanted to let you know about a phenomenal resource to grow your business during the holiday shopping season. It's called Urban Interns (www.urbaninterns.com). Urban Interns is a national marketplace that connects small business owners with people seeking part-time jobs and internships, locally and virtually. If you need help this season but don't want the commitment of a full-time employee, it's the perfect way to cost-efficiently scale your business. I have used Urban Interns, and I have found it very helpful. They have a database of thousands of qualified candidates, all college-aged or above. You can find people in NYC, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC, or for virtual positions nationwide. The fee is $39.95/month, which gets you 1 job post plus unlimited access to contacting the candidate database.

I am especially interested in spreading the word because if I refer a friend who signs up as a paying employer before December 24th, I'll get a free month! Make sure to put MY NAME in the "How Did You Hear About Us?" text box on the registration page. Thanks for helping out, and I hope you enjoy using Urban Interns!

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Here is a suggested Tweet, Facebook or LinkedIn update:

If you pay on www.urbaninterns.com now thru 12/24, I'll get a free month! Put my name in "How Did U Hear Abt Us" box on reg page

The Employer Report: Outsource Your Networking

With the holidays around the corner, you probably see your calendar booking up with holiday networking events. If your business development relies heavily on word of mouth referrals, why not think about increasing your reach during this busy season by hiring someone to network on behalf of your businesss.

Sound too good to be true? Here are some things to think about:

• Train your Urban Intern on how you give your pitch. He or she will be representing you and your company and you want to make sure it's done right. Talking points are also helpful - a few bullets on the information you want to share will go a long way.
• Provide company materials. Even if it's just your business card, you want to make sure that people who hear about your company and love it can get in touch with you.
• Plan a follow-up strategy. Whether you want to follow up directly or want your Urban Intern to send a quick note to new connections, post-event contact is critical to maintain relationships.

And remember, whether long-term or short-term, virtual or in-person, college student or seasoned professional, paid or unpaid -- you define your needs, we provide access to connections. WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF HIRING!

Ready to find quality part-time help or interns? Login here.

* And remember, we have Urban Interns in NYC, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC; and virtual Urban Interns across the country.

The Employer Report: Finishing Up Strong

How did it get to be November? That's what we've been asking ourselves the last few days. We're probably not the only ones taking a second glance at the calendar.

The end of the year is in sight, which means that on top of running day to day operations, we need to get organized to ensure a solid finish to 2009.

In the next few issues of the Urban Interns Employer Report - a free resource focused on effectively leveraging part-time staff and interns - we'll highlight ways to utilize Urban Interns to help tackle these year-end to-do's.

Project #1: Client Communication.

Are you planning on reachining out to your clients, contacts or supporters in the next two months to send holiday greetings? Might seem like a small task, provided that you've been diligent all year about updating your contact lists. For the 99.9 percent of us that are still looking at a stack of business cards in a pile at the side of our desk, now is the time to get this sorted out. Mid-December is a bit too late.

An Urban Intern can help you:

• sort through and organize your contacts
• research options for holiday greetings (printed, electronic, custom)
• send out your note, once the above has been accomplished.

And remember, whether long-term or short-term, virtual or in-person, college student or seasoned professional, paid or unpaid -- you define your needs, we provide access to connections. WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF HIRING!

Ready to find quality part-time help or interns? Login here.