Freelancefolder

What Freelancers Really Do About Vacation

Posted May 31, 2011 in How-To, Lifestyle

Whether you’re new to freelancing or have been freelancing for a while, you may struggle with what to do about vacation.

In a traditional job, an employee typically receives paid vacation. For a freelancer, however, vacation is different.

Vacation is an unpaid time and a freelancer must plan ahead and save before they are able to take one. Many freelancers are afraid to take a vacation because they fear that they will lose clients. Other freelancers don’t take a vacation because they can’t afford to lose income.

Did you ever wonder what most freelancers really do about vacation? With planning, it is possible for a freelancer to enjoy a vacation.

In this post, I’ll share how some actual freelancers handle vacation. I’ll also describe three types of vacations that freelancers can plan for and how to handle each of them.

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Happy Memorial Day

Posted May 30, 2011 in Lifestyle

Today is a holiday in the U.S. It’s Memorial Day, a day that is set aside to remember those who died serving their country.

At Freelance Folder many of us are also taking this day off to relax and spend some time with our friends and families. Most importantly, we will also remember those who died in the service of their country.

We hope that you have a good day too.

If you are craving some great discussions on freelancing here are ten of our most popular posts from the past few months:

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Open Thread: How Is Today’s Economy for Freelancing?

Posted May 29, 2011 in Open Thread

Can you believe it, we’re already five months into 2011?

One of the main issues characterizing the time that we live in, and in particular, this year is the poor economy. While the economy may be improving, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I feel that today’s economy is rougher than it was when I first began my freelancing business.

Of course, a rough economy isn’t always bad news for freelancers. In fact, it could be good news if companies replace the employees that they’ve let go with freelance workers. (And I believe this is often the case.)

So, what I’m wondering today is:

How has the economy affected your freelancing business?

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Ten Freelancing Tactics That You’ve Probably Gotten Right

Posted May 27, 2011 in Inspiration

We spend so much time on Freelance Folder correcting freelancer mistakes, that we sometimes forget to recognize what experienced freelancers are doing right.

With so much focus on mistakes that freelancers make, it’s easy to get discouraged. While it’s important to grow and learn from our mistakes, it’s also important to acknowledge when things are done right.

In this post, I’ll list ten freelancing strategies that you’re probably doing correctly with your freelancing business (especially if you’ve been in business for a while).

You may even be able to recognize most of these good business practices as part of your standard operating procedure.

Next, I’ll go even further by suggesting one or two ideas to help you take each tactic to the next level.

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How Your Freelance Business Is Like The Deadliest Catch

Posted May 26, 2011 in Inspiration

I find it hardest to get motivated just after finishing a big project. Launch-day nerves turn into workday fatigue and it becomes increasingly difficult to sit in the chair in front of my computer when there’s a perfectly good couch in the next room.

It was in just this frame of mind that I decided to turn on the television last week to watch an hour of The Deadliest Catch marathon on the Discovery Channel. (For those of you who don’t know, The Deadliest Catch is a reality TV show about fishing for Alaskan King Crabs in the Bering Sea.)

Eight hours later, I did what any good freelancer would do–justify a day’s worth of billable hours spent on the couch by writing a blog post about what I was watching. (Freshbooks has a ‘research’ category–just kidding.)

Lucky for me, it turns out that Bering Sea fishermen can teach us a lot about running a freelance business.

WARNING: This post contains bad fishing puns and poor maritime clichés. If you have a weak stomach for that sort of thing, or are prone to eye-rolling and grimacing, you may want to skip this one. Proceed at your own risk.

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How to Become a Freelance Travel Writer

Posted May 25, 2011 in How-To, Writing

Freelance travel writing is as exciting a career as it is glamorous. If you love visiting new places and interacting with people from different cultures then this is a great career choice for you.

Of course, a flair for descriptive writing is an important prerequisite too. A combination of these two factors gives you the perfect temperament for successful travel writing.

But this is not all you need. There are some other skills for you to develop too if you want to taste success in this line of work.

Only when you have the right skill sets and knowledge can you commit yourself to a career of travel writing.

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How to Pick the Right Colors for Your (Personal) Brand

Posted May 24, 2011 in How-To, Web Design

As a freelancer, your business image isn’t just a reflection of your work, it’s a statement of your personal identity. With every project you complete, a portion of your personal design beliefs, creative insights and unique identity is woven into the results. These ties should be reflected in the freelance identity portrayed to your clients.

As such, when creating an identity for your freelance business, care must be taken to create a logo and brand that portray your unique business mission. While all elements of your business’s design must be chosen with care, few are more important than the colors you use. Here are six tips for choosing the best colors for your business’ identity.

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How to Show Clients What Your Business Is Really All About

Posted May 23, 2011 in Marketing

As freelancers, we often have to explain exactly what it is we do.

The quality of your explanation impacts your success. For example, if you don’t communicate well, you could turn off prospective clients, attract those you don’t really want to work with, and look just like any other freelancer in your field.

On the other hand, when you talk about your freelancing business effectively, not only do you attract your Ideal Clients. You’ll also have more confidence about yourself and your business. And that confidence will show in everything you do.

The majority of freelancers don’t know how to talk about their business. Just look at the websites and other marketing materials of most freelancers, and you’ll find the common mistakes listed below.

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Ethics and Freelancing

Posted May 22, 2011 in Managing Clients

Freelancing is about having the right skills, good marketing, and even about flexibility.

But it’s also about something else you rarely hear about–ethics. Most freelancers make ethical (or unethical) choices for their business nearly every day.

In this post, you’ll explore eight ethical dilemmas that you might face as a freelancer. You’ll get the chance to think about what you would do in each instance and discuss your choices with other freelancers or share your own ethical dilemmas.

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