‘wora0t6 Somali Pirates Go High Tech | Fast Company | Business + Imovation ADVERTISEMENT 2 MINUTE READ Somali Pirates Go High Tech Somali pirates are turning to increasingly sophisticated methods such as satellite phones, custom-made GPS systems, and even monitoring the Internet to hunt down targets, ADVERTISEMENT fie NEAL UNGERLEIDER | 06,221 12:15 AML Read Preah medaka the a Nunta bp fastoompany.cm3061538how-to-gure-out-which kindof sel-employed-yourwartto-be 18‘wora0t6 MENU Suma Piralos Go High Tech| Fast Company | Bsiness + Imovaion Somali pirates aren't content just floating around in their fishing boats, looking for victims. These days, pirates off the Horn of Africa are turning to a sophisticated mix of ‘weaponry, jerry-rigged GPS devices, and ingenious hacks of shipping-industry databases to hunt down prey. The resulting technology isn't just fascinating—it also has a real impact on foreign militaries who are fighting piracy. In addition to random attacks on cargo and passenger ships, Somali pirates are increasingly relying on the use of GPS systems, satellite phones, and open-source intelligence such as shipping industry blogs in order to figure out the loca infrastructure used by the pirates is allegedly located in the Somalian city of Eyl, which has been described as the "piracy capital of the world.” ion of ships, Much of the technological Inan interview with Abdullahi Jamaa of Egyptian web publication onislam.net, Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers As sistance Program detailed the methods used by the pirates: The mest inportant hg for Soma Use of coin tenobgis [hel hey must now nes nfomaton othe ‘ate ofvessak, the vale of he goods andthe numarof oe mambers ‘They use naigsLonalechnologiesin thet diy operation. The invalee cabinston of temnabges maetimpotanth they us stele col phones for Satellite phones are easily attainable in the chaos of Mogadishu; foreign importer bringing the expensive phones into the beleaguered arn a hefty premium SUBSCRIBE ships" with radar and advanced weapons capabilities have strayed far beyond the Horn of Africa to locales as far- flung as Madagascar, India, and the Persian Gulf. According to the Christian Science Monitor's Ben Arnoldy, the "mother ships" use surprisingly modern tech, including radar and caches of equipment for breaking into fortified cargo ships. Jamaa also notes that the pirates are turning to the use of, iaplwwufastcompany.com/3061538IhoW-to-Agure-out-which kindof sal-omployes-youwartto-be 28swo7r016 open-source intelligence: MUST READE + What "Safety Check’ Reveals miner About Facebook's Changing Roleccs »- + The NRA Finally Comments Onidurope: This Week Of Violencerate attacks is ¢ + How To Figure Ouf Which Kind OFS 2S Self-Employed Worker You Want? ‘&"* ToBe __istaking steps to provide Somali Pirates Go High Tech | Fast Company | Business + Imovation men, hough nt lnm onthe Wer Wide We aching and 1 Union, a sharp uprise in pected in 2011, including the everyday weapon, Western stepping up their game—Britain nerchant ships with weapons, which would be the first time since World War Il that this has happened. Image: Flickr user Rubygoes} For more stories like this, follow @fastcompany on ‘Twitter. Email Neal Ungerleider, the author of this article, here. NEWSLETTER Get the latest Fast Company stories delivered to your inbox daily. YOUR@EMAIL.COM & a ats ke to recive special Fast Company ofers MENU SUBSCRIBE 5 MINUTE READ | LEADERSHIP ~ How To Figure Out Which Kind Of Self-Employed Worker You Want To Be There are more ways to work for yourself than you might itplwwue fastcompany.com/3061538IhoW-to-Aigure-out-which kindof sal-omployas-youwartto-be 38‘wora0t6 Somali Pirates Go High Tech | Fast Company | Business + Imovation think. Before you file that LLC paperwork, consider these options. + What"Safety Check’ Reveals| About Facebook's Changing Role| + The NRA Finally Comments On This Week Of Violence + How To Figure Out Which Kind Of Self-Employed Worker You Want! ToBe) ‘Photo:GaudiLab via Shutterstock’ ‘SUZAN BOND | 07.06.16 |5:00 AM So you've decided you want to work for yourself. Seems straightforward enough, right? Your next step, so it would seem, would be to figure out the legal structure of your newfound self-employment. But sorting through the differences between being a sole proprietor, an LLC, and a corporation is actually less important right now than understanding the kind of work ‘you want to do, and knowing how willing you are to sell your services. Too often it's the paperwork that compels independent workers to make that choice, when personality and working preferences should really come first. After all, there are multiple ways you can work for yourself. Selfemploymentis something Having your ofa misnomer, if only because processes ofthe wide (and arguably SeICo Mane widening) variety of ways packages, and people are finding to be self- sales strategy employed, Understanding means you some of those distinctions— can command and the options available to more money itplwwufastcompany.com/3061538IhoW-to-Agure-out-which-kind-ofsel-omployes-youwartte-be‘wora0t6 Somal Pirates Go High Tech| Fast Company | Busines + Inovaton you—will influence everything —and from the way you understand respect. your work to how you approach doing it, and even how you price it. Each path requires a different mind-set and a unique set of skills. And while what you call yourself matters, too, these distinctions are about far more than just labels. Here's a quick guide to navigating them as soon as you set out to work for yourself. FREELANCER This is the easiest way to begin working for yourself. Though you don’t usually get a regular paycheck or benefits from an employer, you can still hold onto the mind-set of an employee—you take the work offered to you with comparatively little negotiation. Freelancers make money by providing their services at a competitive rate, often with no plans for building entire products. They tend to work on more narrowly designated aspects of projects. A freelancer (also known as a contractor) is typically hired to provide a limited set of services or to execute a plan, often one that someone else has created. For example, a freelancer might build a website according to detailed specs or write an article fora publication. Asa result, freelancers often end up as simple-line item expenses with other vendors: You perform a set of tasks, and accounts payable sends you a check 30 or 60 days after you file an invoice. There's little strategy involved on your part. The tactical nature of this work often (but not always) means the pay is on the low side. Freelancers, who may be generally less comfortable selling themselves, get their work through their existing networks or by contracting through other independents who refer projects to them. This certainly isn't to say it's a uniformly bad option. Being a freelancer might be right for you if you want to dip your toes into the working for-yourself pool as an itptwwufastcompany.com/3061538IhoW-to-Agure-out-which-kind-ofsel-omployas-youwartto-be‘wora0t6 Soma Prales Go High Tech| Fast Company | Busines + Inovaton experiment, if you're between jobs, if you just need a break from your current job, or even just to pick up some new skills. By its nature, though, freelancing can lack stability and may limit your control over your work, which many freelancers find challenging long-term. If you want to keep working for yourself eventually, you might want to transition to an independent business owner. INDEPENDENT BUSINESS OWNER Independent business owners have made the mental transition out of the employee frame of mind. Settled on working for themselves, most look to building a sustainable long-term business. In order to make the leap from freelancer to independent business owner, you have to be wil promote your work. Having your own processes, service packages, and sales strategy means you can command more money—and respect. It also means more control, which can be really satisfying, ing to package and Independent business owners actively seek out work rather than over-relying on referrals. They understand what they’te best at and the value of their work. They've built a sales process and pipeline into their online presence. They ask qualifying questions on their contact forms and depict the ideal client on their product- offerings page. They understand how to market themselves and know that in order to have a sustainable business, they need to get over their hangups about promoting their work. Successful independents understand that marketing themselves isn't a horrible chore. Independent business owners don’t like anyone else telling them what to do—and they don't like telling others (like employees) what to do, either. They work best solo. If you're willing to place all your bets squarely on yourself, this might be the best path for you. However, if you're a natural collaborator who hates working alone for too long, or if you eventually want to build a big business, you might consider starting an agency or consultancy. bitplwwuefastcompany.com/306153IhoW-to-fgure-out-which kindof sel-omployes-youwantte-be 38‘wora0t6 + Do You Have The Sema Piralos Go High Tech| Fast Company | Bsiness + Imovaion CONSULTING COMPANY FOUNDER To start a consulting company, you have to not only transition away from having an employee mind-set toward being a busin comfortable being others' boss. .s owner, you also have to be Related: Doing the work yourself and hiring people to do that same work are not Personality To Work the same thing. While independents For Yourself? - : focus strictly on doing the work, + Why | Stopped Calling MyselfA"Freelancer” heading a consulting firm means Should | Quit My Job more people management. Getting To Start My Own Business? work from your personal network + The Top 10 industries won't be enough to sustain an entire or Freelancer For Freelancers team, which means you'll also need to get good at sales skills like completing requests for proposals (RFPs) and writing proposals. The admi rative and managerial tasks can become so all- encompassing that you rarely put your hands on the keyboard to do the actual work. For some people, that's just the kind of self-employment they need. For others, it isn't. So when you're considering starting a consultancy, ask yourself: + DoIwant to be responsible for others' work? + DoLwant to be responsible for others'livelioods? + Does the work I want to do require collaboration? Ifthe answer to any of these questions is a firm "no," you may want to remain fully independent. knowing what you want from working for yourself is incredibly important. But it's something too many people try to figure out on the fly, without fully understanding the wide range of experiences and setups self- employment can offer. So before making the switch, take the time to understand your habits, talents, and what causes you stress, and whether you enjoy doing the work or managing the work. It l make the rest of the process of setting up your business much easier—and it might prevent you from making costly mistakes. itptwwufastcompany.com/3061538IhoW-to-Agure-out-which-kind-ofsel-omployas-youwartto-be 78.soraa16 Sema Piralos Go High Tech| Fast Company | Bsiness + Imovaion Suzan Bond teaches professionals how to gain independence by working for themselves. She is the founder of Bet on Yourself and the author of The Anti-Goals Guide. Follow her on Twitter at @suzanbond. NEWSLETTER Get the latest Leadership stories delivered to your inbox daily. 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