Freelancefolder

Online Entrepreneurs And Responsibility

Posted March 19, 2008 in Uncategorized 9 Rockin' Comments »

As far as more than a few online entrepreneurs are concerned, someone else seems to always be at fault. They blame others for the fact that their projects haven’t turned out as well as they had initially planned, they blame others for each and one of their flops as well as for the fact that they can never seem to catch a break. Is this really the way to go?

Let’s just say that for online entrepreneurs who seem to think that they are never at fault and are always finding other people to blame, success is not exactly around the corner. I’m sorry to break it to you, but you will be the only one losing out as a result of living in denial. Sure, you can choose hide in that fantasy world of yours, but your problems will not run away and you will, at a certain point, inevitably have to face them. [Click Here to Read More...]

What To Do With Dirty Money

Posted March 18, 2008 in Business 21 Rockin' Comments »

There are times when taking people’s money – even for a job you worked hard on – just doesn’t feel right. Some clients get a break because they needed help and you wanted to be generous or kind, but sometimes…

…sometimes a client wants to give you money and it just feels dirty.

You almost want to give the money back. “No, keep it. Thanks. No charge” you might say. You just want the project – and the client – gone. Come on. You know the jobs I’m talking about. Every freelancer has at least one memorable working relationship that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Think back. Think about the overly difficult projects that extended far over the original scope, the clients who just couldn’t be pleased, or ones that asked you rush and work overtime – and you did.

Think about those rare relationships when you really didn’t like the client’s attitude but felt obliged to do the work. How about when you said yes to a job just because you really needed the money? [Click Here to Read More...]

3 Simple Productivity Hacks For Web-Working Freelancers

Posted March 17, 2008 in Productivity 24 Rockin' Comments »

When your freelancing business keeps you in front of a computer screen for most of your working day, it’s easy to fall victim to some of the time-honored productivity drains that have reduced many an entrepreneurial income. If you’re not careful (and just a little bit vigilant), things that don’t seem like such a big deal can really hose you at the end of the week when you’re under a looming deadline, wondering “Where the hell did all the time go?” Let’s take a quick look at three simple things you might already know about but just aren’t doing – and let’s quit leaving so much money on the table each month.

Hack #1: Create Your Cone of Silence

It goes without saying that when you’re interrupted, your productivity takes a nosedive. You get less done. So simple wisdom would tell you that keeping yourself from interruption is a sure way to improve your time “in the groove” … yet so many times we don’t take this to heart. We let email reminders pop up constantly. Instant messaging windows are up and running without an “away” or “busy” status. We check our stats. Again. Every time you’re interrupted by one of these drive-by communiques, you’re losing momentum. It takes you longer to get things done – and that makes your rate per hour drop through the floor. [Click Here to Read More...]

2008-03-16 Sunday Links Folder

Posted March 16, 2008 in Uncategorized 4 Rockin' Comments »

Hi everyone, I hope you’re having a great week-end and are taking some time off to relax and recharge. I thought I’d write a new ‘links folder‘ post because it’s been 3 weeks since the last one. :)

Cory Miller, who runs the Premium WordPress themes store, iThemes, is giving a 25% discount on all WP theme purchases, just enter the discount code ‘FREELANCE‘ and voila! (the prices are already very reasonable anyway). I know many of you are bloggers, so if you’re looking for a cool WordPress theme, check it out. Maybe you already knew this but I thought I’d make it more ‘official‘.

Now the list: [Click Here to Read More...]

Are You Managing Your Email Or Ignoring Your Clients?

Posted March 15, 2008 in Uncategorized 21 Rockin' Comments »

One of the first things you do when you start freelancing is set up ways for your clients to communicate with you. You might have a website with a contact form. You probably have an email (or five). A cell number? Sure, why not?

The work starts coming in. At first, it’s a trickle, then a steady stream and soon a flood. Now you’re into scheduling and planning, trying to fit everything in. You might use some productivity tips and get some gadgets to help manage your thriving business. Soon, some advice catches your eye. It suggests that scheduling email runs to read and reply to communication may boost your productivity.

And it does! You can work freely and focus on your project without distraction. Time flies when you’re having fun. The next thing you know, you look up and…Oops. The day’s almost gone. And you haven’t answered your emails.

When you don’t reply to people, be it via email, telephone or face-to-face conversation, you’re conveying a strong message to clients and potential customers. It sounds like this: [Click Here to Read More...]

What To Do Before You Take Your Business On The Road

Posted March 13, 2008 in Lifestyle 9 Rockin' Comments »

Isn’t it fun to work from home? You have your main computer, access to the internet, phone and all that. All you need is right there in your home office, you don’t have to worry about anything and you even take some things for granted.

When you go to Starbucks it’s not because you need to, it’s because you want to, because you enjoy it. You won’t lose a client if the local coffee shop doesn’t have free internet access.

But some of us are not full-time freelancers, some have day jobs that require travel, some are musicians, and some have a thing for airports (?). [Click Here to Read More...]

Earning A Living Online ? From Myth To Reality

Posted March 11, 2008 in Uncategorized 12 Rockin' Comments »

Even nowadays, there are still more than a few folks who think that a regular job is the only way to go and that earning a living online is nothing more than a myth. Is that a way of thinking which will get you anywhere, is selling your time the only possibility?

Of course not, and thinking that having a job is the only way to go is just plain foolish. Sure, more than a few people end up believing something like this as a result of the fact that most people they know have a regular job and, as such, they don’t believe in alternatives. The fact that most people you know have a similar way of thinking doesn’t make it right, not by a long shot. [Click Here to Read More...]

Open Thread: How Can You Double Your Sales Per Client?

Posted March 9, 2008 in Open Thread 9 Rockin' Comments »

As many of you have been following on my Freelance Smackdown! threads, I’ve been putting Christine O’Kelly’s eBook to the test – and it’s passing with flying colors. One of the gems in this book is a piece of advice that’s so simple you may have never thought of it – but it could add a whole lot of money to your bottom line and increase your steady monthly income. The tip?

The problem that draws your client to you doesn’t often completely go away after you provide your service. In fact, they probably have a whole new set of needs now that you’ve delivered your services! Why not expand your services to meet those new needs?

In other words, you sell X … but what additional ongoing monthly services related to X can you offer them at the same time to turn them into a steady gig? If you write for the web, can you sell someone on the idea of a series of articles instead of just one? (I recently did this to turn a single article job into a ten article ongoing contract.) Or if you do design work, could you sell a monthly maintenance package where you sell X hours upfront, or offer slight monthly updates to the design to keep it fresh? The possibilities are endless. [Click Here to Read More...]

The Building Blocks Of A Successful Freelancing Career

Posted March 7, 2008 in Business 16 Rockin' Comments »

As a freelancer, entrepreneur or business owner, your main goal is to convert each client into a returning client. It’s much easier to keep your clients than always having to try to find new ones (and cheaper too).

Making sure your clients are completely satisfied is not only a surefire way to keep them coming back, but also a great way to get referrals.

In this post I will share the 4 building blocks of a successful freelancing career which I think can keep your clients coming back. As simple as some may seem, we tend to ignore them and for one very simple reason – they seem so minor that we assume we are already doing them. The thing is we’re human, and sometimes we take things for granted, assume and don’t realize we’re not on the right track. [Click Here to Read More...]