Freelancefolder

Should You Tattle On A Bad Client?

Posted May 9, 2008 in Business 15 Rockin' Comments »

I frequent a lot of forums and blogs where freelancers post. As I read through the forum and blog posts, I often find that other freelancers have posted complaints about the actions of clients or former clients.

Usually the posting is done in such a way that the client cannot be identified, but sometimes a client’s name is actually mentioned in the post.

By complaining publicly about their clients, these freelancers are engaging in a practice that most career consultants advise against: they are burning their bridges behind them.

A traveller who crosses a burning bridge cannot return the way that he or she came. Likewise, a freelancer who publicly criticizes a client probably will not get future work from that source.

Personally, I follow the policy of trying to work out any difficulties that I have with my clients directly with them, rather than complaining about them publicly. Once in a while, there are good reasons why a client may not be cooperating with a freelancer. Here are just a few: [Click Here to Read More...]

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Meet Deadlines For Freelancers & Web Workers

Posted May 8, 2008 in Productivity 16 Rockin' Comments »

Meeting deadlines and targets is a major area of concern for many freelancers and web workers, especially if you get loads of work and find it difficult to do justice to all of them.

The topic of this post is not new and you are sure to find a lot of suggestions on the web on meeting deadlines and managing expectations and goals. However I decided to pick this topic and approach it in a slightly different manner.

If you keep the following 5 points in mind I am sure it will help a great deal in meeting your deadlines. And don’t forget to share your own tips and tricks in the comment section! :) [Click Here to Read More...]

Eight Violent Truths About Freelancing – Part 2

Posted May 6, 2008 in Writing 21 Rockin' Comments »

In part 1, I gave you four of the eight violent truths about freelancing. They weren’t easy truths, either. They went like this:

1. Freelancing isn’t for the lazy.

2. Freelancing is damn hard work.

3. Freelancers work for more jerks than anyone else.

4. Freelancing is a thankless profession.

If you’ve made it here, it means you’re serious about freelancing. It also means you probably already know the other four violent truths about freelancing, but please humor me while I go over them anyways: [Click Here to Read More...]

Eight Violent Truths About Freelancing – Part 1

Posted May 5, 2008 in Writing 25 Rockin' Comments »

*note: this article has been translated into Spanish. Thanks Phillipe!

Being a freelance writer is a lot like being a stay-at-home mom. People on the outside have this image of a leisured existence, while the reality of the situation is that freelance writers (and stay-at-home moms) are often busier than many “working” folks. God forbid you choose to be a stay-at-home mom who is also a freelance writer.

It’s this misconception of the freelance life that spurs my best friend to call me twice a week at 2 in the afternoon and ask, “whatcha doin?” He never once called me at 2 in the afternoon when I was a Network Administrator and asked, “whatcha doin?”

It’s this misconception of the freelance life that causes people to say, “What, couldn’t you get a real job?” when you tell them you’re a freelance writer. If they’re a bit nicer, they might say “freelance what?” or “Really? What books have you written?”

It might also be this misconception that has some of you considering the freelance life for the first time. Before you get any further, though, there are some things you should know. [Click Here to Read More...]

Open Thread: Are You Managing Work-Life Balance?

Posted May 4, 2008 in Lifestyle 14 Rockin' Comments »

My recent post on work-life balance (complete with music video) has been hitting a nerve with many freelancers and entrepreneurs.

While being self-employed obviously has its perks, many people are getting the sense that building their business has been costing them too much in terms of family, relationships, and personal life goals.

What about you?

• What’s your biggest secret to work-life balance success?
• What’s your biggest struggle to achieving that balance?

[Click Here to Read More...]

How To Avoid the Feast-or-Famine Cycle

Posted May 2, 2008 in Business, How-To, Marketing 26 Rockin' Comments »

For many freelance professionals, the ebb and flow of projects is one of the most frustrating and nail-biting aspects of this line of work.

One day you have more work than you can handle. You’re grilling steaks and sipping top-notch California Cabernet.

The next day you’re questioning your worth as a freelance pro, wondering if anyone will ever award you another project. Back to grilled-cheese sandwiches and ice water.

But is this feast-or-famine cycle inevitable?

A number of books and blogs seem to treat this issue as an inevitable reality — something we must all just learn to live with. I couldn’t disagree more. Fact is, most of this volatility can be avoided. And no, you don’t have to be a seasoned pro to smooth out your revenue stream.

You just need to practice these 4 simple habits. ↓ [Click Here to Read More...]

Spreading Yourself Too Thin?

Posted May 1, 2008 in Uncategorized 7 Rockin' Comments »

A lot of people start out by thinking that everything can be accomplished as a one man show, yet end up realizing that, at a certain point, things do tend to become overwhelming and, since we are only human and since the day only has 24 hours, acting accordingly is definitely a must.

Analyzing Your Situation

The first thing you need to do is analyze how things stand at this point as far as you are concerned. Are you able to handle everything or is it time to start taking action? You have to try your best in order to identify the tasks which are simply not worth your time.

Even if it seems that being a one man show works at this point, you have to analyze your situation and think about the future. The tasks which are not really worth your time do tend to add up and, if you don’t take action, you may end up working all day, only to realize that you haven’t actually accomplished anything worthwhile. Does that sound tempting? I didn’t think so! [Click Here to Read More...]

May 1st – RSS Awareness Day

Posted May 1, 2008 in Business, freelancenews 4 Rockin' Comments »

You know what a RSS feed is, right? Well, not a lot of people do! It seems many folks have no idea what RSS means, how to use it and why.

If you’re already reading your favorite websites via a feed reader, great, you rock! If, on the other hand, you have no idea what I’m talking about (you still rock though!), Daniel Scocco of DailyBlogTips started RSSday.org.

What Is RSS?

RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication”. In plain english that means you can ’subscribe’ to your favorite websites and blogs and let these sites come to you and read them all in one place instead of having to visit every day or so. [Click Here to Read More...]