Freelancefolder

10 Free Project Management Applications

Posted February 8, 2010 in Productivity, Tools/Resources 27 Comments »

How do you make sure that you get all of your work done on time?

As freelancers, we wear many different hats. In addition to performing our freelancing specialty for the client, we’re also the sales staff, the manager, the support team, and the accountant all rolled into one person.

For many freelancers the project planning tasks that go along with freelancing may seem kind of overwhelming (especially if they’ve never done any project planning). Other freelancers may find that they need to provide the same kind of project plans to their clients that would have been required of them in the corporate world.

Either way, project planning can be a lot of extra work for a freelancer. The project planning task is difficult to handle without good tools to work with.

In this post, I list some project management tools that are either freeware or open source.

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How to Make Your Portfolio Better Than the Competition’s Portfolio

Posted February 7, 2010 in Business, Web Design 33 Comments »

Competition is fierce in the world of freelancing. In the clients’ eyes, one of the few factors that differentiates you from the competition is the quality of your portfolio.

While much of what makes up a portfolio is both subjective and based on personal preferences, there are still several surefire ways to distinguish yourself in the sea of freelancers.

Let’s takes a look at some ways you can make your portfolio better than your competition’s portfolio.

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Staying Sane While Freelancing With a Loved One

Posted February 5, 2010 in Business, Freelance Stories 14 Comments »

Two years ago, I was the full-time web guy at a conservative insurance company. My wife could see my frustrations there and encouraged me to quit and pursue a freelance career. She suggested that we could use her income as our base if things got really tight, financially. I’ve never been happier.

However, during the last two years, I’ve seen her deal with the same frustrations in her current work situation that I experienced two years ago. I realized our situations were reversed, and since she rescued me from my previous work situation and offered me a better career and better life, it was time for me to do the same for her. I encouraged her to quit and help me in my business. It’s only been about a month, but it’s been a month filled with lots of lessons on how to deal as a freelancing couple. So how did we get through our first month without divorce?

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Mastering the Art of Client Relations

Posted February 4, 2010 in Managing Clients 40 Comments »

How comfortable are you with your clients?

Do you feel like you understand what they need and want? Would you rate your communication with your clients as being excellent? Do you think they would come to you for ideas? Are you the first freelancer that your clients turn to when they need something done?

If you’re like most freelancers, you probably don’t know your clients very well. You do your best to make your clients happy and provide quality work, but your communication is limited to when there is work being done.

Many articles have been written about client relations, but not all of the advice that is out there works all of the time. Every client is different. What works for one client may not work for another. In fact, developing good client relations is more like an art than a science. In this post, we’ll discuss the art of client relations and how you can take some steps to master it.

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What to Do When the Client Is Wrong

Posted February 3, 2010 in How-To, Managing Clients 35 Comments »

Sooner or later most freelancers will have the pleasure of working with a client who seems to have forgotten why they hired you in the first place. This client may ignore or overrule all of your recommendations and even dictate decisions on the project that you, as the experienced professional, are certain will be detrimental to its overall success. Despite your objections, explanations and warnings, the client steamrolls the project toward something less than what your normal standards would require, all the while assuring you that they have a better idea and understanding of what their project needs than you do.

How should you handle this situation? Do you refuse to bend and lose or “fire” the client, refunding any payments? Or, do you submit to their demands and hope for the best?

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Do You Recognize the Early Warning Signs of Freelancer Burnout?

Posted February 2, 2010 in Lifestyle, Productivity 27 Comments »

You just love your job as a freelancer, but lately it seems like you really have to force yourself to get the work done. Perhaps you’re getting sick all the time–you always catch whatever illness seems to be going around. Maybe you don’t have any problems getting started on your projects, but seem to find yourself spending a lot of time on Facebook, or Twitter, or playing online games.

If you can relate to these problems, then you could be suffering from freelancer burnout.

If you’re suffering from freelancer burnout, it could be serious. Burnout, when not dealt with, can threaten your business, your relationships, and even your health.

In this post, we’ll discuss the reality of freelancer burnout and describe a few steps you can take to ensure that it doesn’t snuff out your freelancing career.

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Smashing Book Winners Announced!

Posted February 1, 2010 in News 9 Comments »

Last week we reviewed the Smashing Book from Smashing Magazine. We also announced a competition for our readers in which we would give away five free copies of the Smashing Book. The competition is over and we’ve randomly selected five winners.

Here are the lucky readers who will be getting a free copy of the Smashing Book:

• Alan Takashi
• Étienne Richard
• Hector Lee
• SoHail Sadeghzadeh
• Susan Bearman

Congratulations to all the winners! And a big thanks also to everyone else who participated — keep an eye on FreelanceFolder for more opportunities like this in the future!

Free Consultation: Pros and Cons

Posted February 1, 2010 in Managing Clients, Marketing 26 Comments »

In my search for effective marketing strategies for freelancers, I keep running into this idea. Get prospects on the phone for a free consultation with you.

You may have seen it yourself on some freelancers’ websites: an offer of a free 20- or 30-minute consultation to anybody who is interested in hiring them.

Should every freelancer offer free consultation to get more clients? The answer isn’t simple, and there is no one right answer for everyone. To see what the answer is for you, let’s go over the pros and cons of providing free consultation to prospects.

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Open Thread: How Are You Handling Your Taxes This Year?

Posted January 31, 2010 in Open Thread 26 Comments »

It’s nearly tax time in the U.S. and that means decision time for many freelancers. It’s time to decide how to handle income tax preparation.

Freelancers have several options when it comes to income tax preparation. They can:

• Do it themselves
• Use tax software
• Hire a professional such as an accountant or bookkeeper

Of course, each choice has its advantages and its disadvantages.

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