Freelancefolder

Open Thread: What Type of Computer Do You Use?

Posted July 31, 2009 in Business, Open Thread, Productivity 89 Rockin' Comments »

For most freelancers, particularly FreelanceFolder readers, work involves sitting in front of a computer.

Writers, designers, developers, and even many photographers use these magical boxes for just about everything they do. I personally average at least 8 hours per day on mine.

Like most other major choices, though, it seems there is no real consensus among freelancers on the best type of setup. Laptops are portable, but desktops are more powerful. PCs are cheaper, but Macs are much prettier (gross generalization). The point is this — everyone has their own personal needs and preferences, and choosing between the variety of options can be very difficult.

In this open thread, let’s try to help out anyone who is new to freelancing or in the market for a new computer. With all of our collective knowledge we might be able to provide some consensus on the best types of computers for various situations. Or, in the least, we can compare notes and provide some food for thought.

So, try to answer the following questions in the comments (or feel free to ask some of your own):

1. Desktop or Laptop?
2. What Operating System? (XP, Vista, OS X, etc…)
3. Why do you like or dislike your current setup?
4. For what situations would you recommend this setup?
5. Any other advice?

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Seven Lies Freelancers Tell Themselves

Posted July 30, 2009 in Business, Lifestyle 53 Rockin' Comments »

There’s no doubt that freelancing can be tough — freelancers face many obstacles. From finding clients, to meeting deadlines, to keeping skills and equipment current, all the way to being paid: freelancing just isn’t easy.

One of the biggest challenges that we freelancers face, however, is one of our own making. It’s the challenge of being totally honest with ourselves and accepting the reality of certain situations. Without overcoming this challenge, without learning to be totally honest with one’s self, it’s pretty tough to succeed.

You see, we freelancers have many excuses. Usually, we believe these excuses wholeheartedly — which is a bad thing. If we can’t recognize a problem, then we can’t take the steps necessary to solve it.

This posts lists the seven most common lies that freelancers use to fool themselves. Overcome these lies, and you’ll increase your chances for success dramatically.

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15 Useful Twitter Tools For Web Workers

Posted July 29, 2009 in Productivity, Tools/Resources 45 Rockin' Comments »

If there was a popularity contest between social media platforms, I am sure Twitter would be the winner. Networking, trends, and search features all On its own, twitter is a great service, but without third party applications it wouldn’t be what it is today.

With this in mind, there are hundreds of third party applications to make twitter easier and better to use. But who has time to try them all? In an effort to streamline the list to only useful apps, I have created a list of 15 apps that should do the job, at least it does for me.

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The Simple Truth About Success

Posted July 28, 2009 in How-To, Inspiration, Lifestyle 16 Rockin' Comments »

Success.

That elusive, intangible thing that we’re all searching for day after day, month after month, year after year.

What is success? How does one achieve success? How long does it take? Is it even possible?

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Ten Tips To Stay Motivated — Even When You Really Don’t Feel Like Working

Posted July 27, 2009 in Inspiration, Lifestyle, Productivity 35 Rockin' Comments »

It’s a beautiful sunny day. The temperature is just right, and there’s a slight breeze blowing. You’d love to go outside and enjoy the sunshine, but you can’t. Once again, you’re stuck at your computer because you have to meet a deadline.

(Of course, you could take your laptop outside, but you’d still be chained to work and not really free to enjoy the outdoors.)

As a freelancer, you’ve probably experienced those times when you just don’t feel much like working. Personally, I know that there are times when staring at a computer monitor is absolutely the last thing that I really want to do.

It’s normal to lose your motivation for work from time to time, even if you totally love your job. Giving in to a lack of motivation, however, can lead to missed deadlines and lost clients. To run a successful freelance business, you have to stay motivated.

What’s a freelancer to do when there’s work to be done, but work is the last thing that he or she feels like doing?

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Is Freelancing Hurting Your Health?

Posted July 23, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity 42 Rockin' Comments »

If you’re not careful, your freelancing work habits can make you sick.

We freelancers, many of whom rely on our computers to make our living, are particularly vulnerable to to unhealthy habits.

At first it might seem that spending long hours at the computer without a break and relying on convenience foods for most of your meals allows you to get more work done. Temporarily, these poor habits may actually seem to increase your productivity.

But that increase in productivity is an illusion. Over time, unhealthy habits will take a toll on your health and ultimately on your business. An unhealthy lifestyle over the long-term is actually a very poor business strategy.

It doesn’t have to be that way — you can make healthy choices and succeed as freelancer. Here are five simple habits that will help you stay healthy and productive:

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5 Must-Have Qualities to Become a Top Freelancer

Posted July 22, 2009 in Business, Lifestyle 26 Rockin' Comments »

A few months ago I was sorting through my email when I stumbled across some old conversations with potential clients. I found pitches that looked great, but eventually went stale, and other times when I didn’t think I would get the client but they came back to me enthused and excited.

At first glance, it wasn’t clear to me why some pitches went perfectly and others (even though the prospect had contacted me) didn’t even come close to closing the deal. Then I started to think about the periods of time where I had lots of clients and the times when I was suffering a drought — and I realized that my own behavior at the time was affecting the outcome.

There are certain qualities that we all exhibit from time to time that greatly alter the way we are viewed by clients — and I believe that these qualities are what set the top freelancers apart from the rest. This was clear to see after interviewing and receiving responses from the 6 top freelancers we talked to in last week’s blog post.

Based on my experience, and the information I’ve gathered from working with many top freelancers, I have put together a list of 5 qualities which I think all top freelancers need to have. Hopefully this list will help you in your own endeavors.

In no particular order, the five qualities that all freelancers should aim to have are:

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Are You Undervaluing Your Freelancing Business?

Posted July 21, 2009 in Business, Inspiration, Productivity 25 Rockin' Comments »

Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?

Imagine that you were given the position of president of a big company. With your new responsibilities as the leader of a large company, would you change how you act?

Consider the following questions:

• As company president, would you change the way that you interact with others?
• As company president, would you be more careful with your time?
• As company president, would you be more mindful of how money was being spent?

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5 Tricks That Make You More Attractive to Clients

Posted July 20, 2009 in How-To, Marketing 54 Rockin' Comments »

It’s been talked about over and over again — if you want to run a successful freelance business you have to find and win good clients.

In this article, I want to focus on the ‘winning good clients’ part. Specifically, I want to share a few tips that will make you more attractive to potential clients. Assuming you have a prospect or two that you’d like to work with, these tips should help you close the deal and get the check.

Winning a new client generally isn’t as difficult as it seems. Prospects usually only have a few specific needs to be met, and if you can handle them you’ll generally be good to go. In some cases, it can take a little bit extra — and that’s where these tips can come in handy.

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