Freelancefolder

4 Game-Changing Things To Do With Your Business In January

Posted December 31, 2007 in Uncategorized 9 Rockin' Comments »

As we roll into the new year, you have a choice to make – you can either do the same day-in and day-out things you did in 2007, or you can break away and make a game-changing course correction that will make 2008 your best year ever. If you choose to do the latter, here’s some food for thought to get you started. [Click Here to Read More...]

2007 – Nine Things Learned This Year

Posted December 29, 2007 in Business, Lifestyle 24 Rockin' Comments »

2008 is almost there! Usually at the end of every year I take some time to just make a list of things I did during that year, stuff I’m proud of, accomplishments and goals for the next year. Well in fact I do that on a monthly basis, I write things down and then take all this and compile it into one ‘master‘ list and then make another list with stuff I learned and things I want to learn/study and achieve in the next year.

#1 – I Learned To Say No

I’m a very happy guy, always smiling and willing to help people and I have a hard time saying ‘no‘, especially to friends and family. Well I learned to say no the hard way this year. A friend of mine (not a close friend) hired me to do a project for him, and guess what… lost a friend.

I learned to say no, and to make sure a I always have a contract or written agreement, even for friends and family.

#2 – Higher Rates Don’t Mean Less Clients

I gave myself a raise, which I should’ve done a long time ago. Not much, but $50 here and there can make a huge difference in a budget. I didn’t wanted to raise my prices afraid I would lose clients, but the thing is I made more money this year than I did in 2006, not working more hours, just different hours. Which brings me to #3. [Click Here to Read More...]

What’s Your Take On Spec Work?

Posted December 27, 2007 in Business, Open Thread 18 Rockin' Comments »

Whether you design logos, build websites, write copy or blog for a living doesn’t really matter, at some point in your freelance career it is more than likely someone will ask you to do spec work. In other words: work for free.

For those of you not familiar with the concept, picture this:

You’re a web designer and of course you are looking for work. You come across this company and they need someone to design their new website, great!

At first you think ‘hey I’m available so I’ll send ‘em my resume, hope they’ll hire me, my portfolio is killer!‘, then you read a little more on their website and they’re actually asking people to come up with ideas, concepts, and to put something together, then they will hire ‘someone‘. [Click Here to Read More...]

Merry Christmas From Everyone At Freelance Folder

Posted December 24, 2007 in Uncategorized 8 Rockin' Comments »

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing good. I’m sure you’re busy getting ready for Christmas, shopping for that last minute gift, cooking, cleaning the house or getting ready to go out. Well here we thought it would be nice to give you a little something for Christmas and I’d also like to ask for your help, read on. :)

First of all our productivity expert Dave Navarro has kindly accepted to give away his ‘More Time‘ report, no need to subscribe to his newsletter (although it would be nice if you subscribed, it’s worth it). You can download it in PDF format, for free.

Download the PDF here

Also, I want to give some money to Kiva.org, a non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurs in the developing world. For those of you not familiar with Kiva it’s a ‘micro-loan‘ service, you simply give money (as little as $25) or get a gift card, and this money goes to entrepreneurs and small business owners in the developing world.

Here’s how Kiva works:

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

This is a loan, not a donation, so these people actually have to repay the loan, meaning you eventually get your money back and you can then lend it to another entrepreneur. I think it’s a really nice way to show some support to fellow entrepreneurs. [Click Here to Read More...]

2007-12-22 Saturday Links Folder

Posted December 22, 2007 in Uncategorized 4 Rockin' Comments »

Hey everyone, hope you’re not too busy preparing for the holidays, shopping and all, but if you are, great! Time to take some time off, enjoy being with the family and friends (that should be all year long anyway). Don’t drink too much, drive safe.

Ok Christmas is just in a couple of days but since it’s Saturday I’m guessing many of you are out to a party or nice diner. But if you’re here why not take a minute to go and read some instructive articles? My list this week is a little longer than usual, I got 11 posts this week. Hope you find them interesting, you never know you might learn a thing or two. :)

Here we go:

• Preparing for a Vacation as a Freelance Writer
• The krushers top 5 tips for beginners
• What Apple Can Teach You About Marketing
• 101 Ways to Monetize Your Blog Without Irritating Your Readers
• Where’s the freedom in freelancing?
• 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Home Office Cheaply
• 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design
• Five Ways To Keep Your Online Reputation Clean
• Brand Vs. Image: What’s The Difference, Anyway?
• Three Rules of Freelancing Online for Happy Clients
• Ten tasks for the festive season

[Click Here to Read More...]

5 Integral Steps to Help Secure Every Potential Contract

Posted December 21, 2007 in Business, How-To 8 Rockin' Comments »

Have you ever lost a prospective client before?

If you answered “yes”, then there’s a good chance you’ve experienced the feeling of a lost opportunity. Ignoring the fact that it may be a blessing in disguise sometimes, you don’t want to be in the habit of missing out on potential business.

What if I was to tell you, you could considerably cut down your chance of losing possible clients, just by changing a few simple aspects of your approach? [Click Here to Read More...]

Define Your Role As A Freelancer

Posted December 20, 2007 in Business 6 Rockin' Comments »

One of the problems a lot of new freelancers face, is maintaining the proper role in the freelancer/client relationship. On the one hand, you became a freelancer to gain more control over your life….to be your own boss. Problem is, from the perspective of many clients, you work for them until a project is completed. No entrepreneur wants to be managed, and even worse, micro-managed. When starting out, it’s easy to get caught in this situation. Making the right first impression can make all the difference in how you and your client interact with each other.

Setting the Tone

In order to set the tone of this working relationship, it’s super-important to define your role from the very beginning…..by how you present yourself. The more professional you come across, the more your client will respect your abilities and your time. Chances are, they aren’t your only client. It’s up to you to get that across. [Click Here to Read More...]

How To Be A Rockstar Freelancer – Free Copies Anyone?

Posted December 19, 2007 in News 14 Rockin' Comments »

By now I’m sure most (if not all) of you have heard about the new FreelanceSwitch ebook ‘How To Be A Rockstar Freelancer‘. Well, if you haven’t read it yet, trust me you should, it is filled with incredible information, it really is one of the best ebook I’ve read so far, and I’ve read many.

Collis from FreelanceSwitch told me I could give away copies of their new ebook, for free! In case you’re wondering, this is the actual ebook (1.6MB) that is for sale for $29. Of course I cannot give copies to everyone, I can send a max of 3, so here’s the deal:

Leave a comment below and tell us a cool story, something that happened in your freelance career that made you smile and go ‘that’s why I freelance, I’m happy for this and that’, or something like that. It can be pretty much anything though.

So there it is, the first 3 people that leave a comment with a cool story will get the ebook, make sure you leave a valid e-mail address. For everyone else, you can still buy the ebook (yes this is an affiliate link), it’s worth it! :)

Interview With Grace Smith – Freelance Web And Graphic Designer

Posted December 18, 2007 in Graphic Design, Web Design 8 Rockin' Comments »

Hello everyone, today we have an interview with Grace Smith of Postscript5. In this interview we talk about how being active on blogs and forums can help your business and you’ll also get to know Grace better if you didn’t know her already. She’s very cool :)

[Click Here to Read More...]