Freelancefolder

Two Freelancing Myths and The Need For Self-Discipline

Posted January 6, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity 12 Rockin' Comments »

Envy filled my friend’s voice as she spoke, “I wish had it like you. Since you’re self-employed, if you wake up and don’t feel like working you don’t really have to. I have to go to work every single day, whether I want to or not.”

The volunteer coordinator at the children’s school huffed impatiently, “You work for yourself. You must have a lot of free time every day. Surely, you can make time to chair this major committee for us since you can control your own schedule.”

Both statements indicate a common misconception about freelancing. Both statements also totally ignore a key factor that every freelancer must master if they are to succeed. That factor is self-discipline.

First, Let’s look at these two misconceptions:

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Free Report: Why Some Freelancers Thrive and Others Barely Survive

Posted January 5, 2009 in Business, Tools/Resources 11 Rockin' Comments »

Most of you know that freelancing can be an up-or-down business. Some people do really well from the start, and others, unfortunately, struggle for years before reaching their goals.

So what’s the difference between the successful freelancers and the unsuccessful ones? What makes one business work while another can’t keep up?

Those are the answers we’ve put together in this free report, along with other information about how you can place yourself solidly in the group that’s destined for success.

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Happy New Year from FreelanceFolder!

Posted January 1, 2009 in News 6 Rockin' Comments »

At last, 2009 is here. The previous year is behind us and it’s time to start looking forward.

Along with the new year comes a lot of thinking and self-reflection. At Freelance Folder, our definition of ’self’ is really you guys, so I thought it would be a good idea to share some of our history, thoughts, and plans with everyone.

Looking back at 2008

2008 was a very big year for FreelanceFolder. We started off in January with a bang by launching a new redesign (we like to do that around here). Not long after that, we also added the community links section of the site.

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7 Pieces of Timeless Business Wisdom

Posted December 31, 2008 in Business, Inspiration 19 Rockin' Comments »

Some business advice changes all the time, but there’s also some advice that’s relevant and useful no matter what year it is, or what business you’re in.
 
In honor of the new year, we’ve compiled a quick list of 10 bits of wisdom that are as timeless and useful now as they were years ago.

1 — Push through your limitations

“The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.”
— Thomas Edison

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Your Customers Are Closer Than You Think

Posted December 30, 2008 in News 20 Rockin' Comments »

“Where can I get more customers?”

“Who are your clients?”

As a freelancer who blogs I am frequently contacted by other would-be freelancers who are having trouble finding clients.

On one hand, their trouble puzzles me since there are more leads for potential clients on the Internet and in real life than I could ever follow through with.

On the other hand, I am sympathetic because I remember what it was like to start out and I realize that some of these folks just don’t know where to look for customers.

With this post, I am going to present a few techniques that will help beginning freelancers look for and find new clients. Other experienced freelancers are welcome to jump into the conversation and share their experiences.

(Disclaimer: These are client-hunting techniques that have worked in the past for me. They should work for others as well, but there are no guarantees. Usually, finding clients is a matter of persistence and determination. Also, when I am asked to help someone find client sometimes what they really mean by the question is “where can I get a paid a lot of money to do relatively little work.” This post probably won’t help with that.)

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Open Thread: What Are Your Work Hours?

Posted December 29, 2008 in News 29 Rockin' Comments »

Given the response to last week’s open thread, I think we should continue to examine some of the finer points of freelance business. This week’s topic? Work hours.

Many people start freelancing because of the promise of freedom and the ability to choose your own hours. But what does the typical freelance workday really look like?

How many hours do you spend on client work? How about your own projects? When do you communicate with clients? These are details that will be really valuable in this thread — bits of information that will be both interesting to experienced freelancers and invaluable to people just getting started.

Try answering these questions in the comments:

1. What are your official business hours?
2. How much time do you spend on personal projects?
3. Do you work on weekends?
4. How much time do you take off?
5. Any other thoughts about freelance work hours?

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