Freelancefolder

The Most Critical Factor To Freelance Success: Taking Action

Posted April 8, 2008 in Business, Lifestyle, Productivity

Launching a successful freelance business requires a certain degree of competence in your craft. It also requires goals, courage, determination, discipline and purpose.

But over the years, I’ve come to realize that you need something else. Something more important. You need to continually take action. Even when you don’t yet have all the answers. And even when you don’t feel like it.

The Mark of a Successful Freelancer

I attribute much of my success to my ability to take action. For me, taking action is more important than experience, attitude, skill or personality. I’m not alone here. Virtually every successful (financially and otherwise) person I know is continually taking action.

There’s a sense of urgency about everything they do. Not in a negative, “anxiety disorder” kind of way. Rather, you can sense that these people know what they want. They exude determination and confidence.

And they almost always reach their goals. [Click Here to Read More...]

3 Steps To Creating A Freelancing Brand That Sells

Posted April 7, 2008 in Business, How-To, Marketing

Dependable. Innovative. Trustworthy. Creative … any one of these words (and many others) could describe your personality as a freelancer. But are you making sure that potential clients know exactly why you stand out from the competition?

If you’re not wrapping your personal brand around everything you present to the world online, you’re going to lose customers to those who are. Here are three simple steps that can help you strengthen your brand in the next seven days.

Step One: Define What It Is You Want To Be Known For

When you’re running your own show, the temptation is there to want to be all things to all people (because you want a a crazy big pile of customers). But a Jack (or Jill) of all trades is one confusing thing to customers. While you may offer multiple services, what you’re really after is being known as “The ______ expert.” In other words, whatever your ____ is, you want people to have conversations that end like this, “Oh, you need ____? Email (you), s/he’s the ____ master.” [Click Here to Read More...]

GhostBlogging.net – Looking For Writers?

Posted April 5, 2008 in Writing

Hi folks, I thought I’d write a quick post to let you know about a brand new site that our very own Ritu just launched with Jason of JDsBlog.com.

This new site is called Ghost Blogging. Basically it’s a blogging job board where you can post unlimited job opportunities for $10 a month. I already posted one for Freelance Folder! :) [Click Here to Read More...]

Do You Need A Contract For Freelance Work?

Posted April 4, 2008 in Business

Do you have a contract for each freelance job that you accept?

Conventional business wisdom suggests that no business arrangement should be entered into unless a signed contract is in place. You wouldn’t sell your car or hire someone to remodel your house without a contract in place, would you?

At least that’s how conventional reasoning goes. Indeed, a year and a half ago, I would have answered the previous question with a resounding “Yes. Yes, I do have a contract for every single freelance project that I accept.”

That was before I entered the “Wild, Wild West” of the web content freelance writing market. Prior to writing web content, even my very smallest freelance writing projects were worth hundreds of dollars and represented a significant portion of a week’s worth of work on my part. [Click Here to Read More...]

Consistency Counts, It Really Does!

Posted April 2, 2008 in Productivity

No matter what profession you have chosen, you have to deliver the goods with consistency every time. As graphic designers, this is especially true. We have to be consistent in our time management skills as well as the product we produce for our clients.

Do you set a schedule for yourself to separate your personal time from work time? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants leaving your best ideas to come at three am when you know you have a seven am deadline? Do you work the same way, using the same work patterns every time? Is there a method to your madness? And when was the last time you saw the top of your desk?

These are all part of creating an effective atmosphere to do your best work. Let’s explore the reasons behind wanting consistency in your work habits. [Click Here to Read More...]

7 Common Misconceptions About Web-Working And Earning A Living Online

Posted April 1, 2008 in News

The thought of earning a living online does indeed seem quite appealing to more than a few folks and, just as with anything else which is that popular, there are a lot of misconceptions which you need to be aware of and here are 7 of the most common ones:

Earning A Living Online is a Piece of Cake

A lot of people seem to think that publishing a website is all there is to making money online but, fortunately for them, that’s not exactly the way things stand and, if you want other people besides relatives to visit your website, changing your way of thinking is a must. [Click Here to Read More...]