Freelancefolder

Freelancing — A Career Choice or Lifestyle?

Posted October 13, 2009 in Business, Getting Started 40 Rockin' Comments »

What does it mean, exactly, to be a freelancer?

This is one of the toughest questions that we freelancers have to answer. It’s especially difficult when people close to us, like friends or family, are the ones who are asking.

There are many people who don’t understand what it means to freelance. There are even a few people who still think that we’re all sitting at home in our pajamas eating chocolate and watching television all day long. (You’re not doing that, are you?:-) )

For those who are accustomed to the traditional workplace, the concept of freelancing (or self-employment) can be somewhat fuzzy. You’ve probably heard some of your own friends make strange generalizations or outrageous comments about your freelancing business.

So, what’s the right answer?

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5 Choices You Will Face When Freelancing (And What You Should Choose)

Posted October 9, 2009 in Business, Lifestyle 31 Rockin' Comments »

One thing freelancers can never get rid of are dilemmas.

Work from home or work at starbucks? Take a much needed rest day, or keep working hard? Take on a new client or pass on the offer? The list goes on and on.

Out of the hundreds of decisions that we freelancers make on a regular basis, I think there are five major choices that matter the most. These are dilemmas that every freelancer faces at one time or another, and knowing what you’re up against can help you make the right decision. If you haven’t faced any of these dilemmas yet, trust me, you’ll face them soon enough.

Let’s take a look at these five dilemmas and what the best options are.

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10 Tax Tips You Can Use Now To Avoid Pitfalls Later

Posted October 8, 2009 in Business, Freelance Stories 34 Rockin' Comments »

One of the first encounters I had with freelancing involved a very talented co-worker who, sadly, was not very knowledgeable about income tax law. His lack of knowledge ultimately cost him his freelance business.

“Brian” was an extremely gifted graphic designer who worked in the marketing department of the company where I was employed. I’ve always admired those with obvious artistic skill and “Brian” fit the bill perfectly. He was quite open about the fact that he really didn’t like working for our company and that he wished that he still owned his freelance design business.

After several months of working with “Brian,” I worked up the nerve to ask him why he didn’t still own a freelance business. He looked at me in surprise (I guess he thought that everyone already knew his story.)

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Does Your Business Have the Flu?

Posted October 6, 2009 in Business, Productivity 20 Rockin' Comments »

You’ve heard all about the real flu, but did you know that your freelance business could get sick too?

A person with the flu doesn’t feel very good. They ache all over. Their throat may be sore or they may have a headache. They typically don’t even really want to get out of bed.

Not only does a person with the flu not feel very good. Generally, they don’t look very good either. They may be pale or flushed, depending on their symptoms. If someone with the flu does manage to make it out of bed and into the public, their hacking and coughing is going to make others around them uncomfortable.

All in all, the flu isn’t really much fun for anyone.

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When To Hire an Accountant

Posted October 2, 2009 in Business, Tools/Resources 24 Rockin' Comments »

One of the most common questions that freelancers ask is “how big does my business have to be before I need to hire an accountant”

Many freelancers start their business on a shoestring budget. For many, a simple spreadsheet is their only accounting tool because that is all that they can really afford at first.

For the freelancer who understands basic accounting and bookkeeping principles, a spreadsheet may actually be sufficient — at least initially. For the freelancer who has no background in accounting and no interest in learning, however, handling the accounting side of the business with nothing more than a spreadsheet can be frustrating.

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Four Freelancing Mistakes You Don’t Need To Make

Posted September 30, 2009 in Business, Freelance Stories 36 Rockin' Comments »

We rarely like to admit our mistakes, but if we fail to admit them and learn from them then they’re likely to be repeated. In this article I want to admit some of my mistakes to you, and share my experience so that you can avoid making them.

My journey has taken me from the highs of doing what I love every day to the lows of chasing monthly payments and then back again. To say that my journey has followed the typical freelance rollercoaster would be an understatement.

Making mistakes along the way is a big part of freelancing, though, and I’m sure many of you can relate when I say that these failures and mistakes help to make your business successful and teach you a lot along the way.

Today I want to share four that I’ve personally had to learn to avoid, and it is my hope that in sharing these you can avoid them yourself without having to go through them first.

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Does a Freelancer Need to Be Hypercompetitive to Succeed?

Posted September 29, 2009 in Business, Marketing 31 Rockin' Comments »

Competition.

The very word can strike fear and excitement into the heart of even the seasoned entrepreneur.

“What is the competition doing?”

“How competitive are we?”

“How can we beat the competition?”

These are all questions that every businessperson wonders at one time or another. There’s no doubt that a freelancing business must be competitive in order to survive.

But, what does being competitive really mean?

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Open Thread: How Do You Handle Phone Calls?

Posted September 24, 2009 in Business, Open Thread 18 Rockin' Comments »

In these open threads on FreelanceFolder we like to discuss some of the very basic areas of freelancing that matter to you guys on a daily basis.

Take, for example, answering the phone.

What seems like a simple part of every freelancer’s day can actually be quite complex in practice. Do you use a cell phone or a land line? Do you have a number dedicated to business, or just a catch-all line? Do you use call forwarding? How about an 800 number? How do you deal with voicemail?

Figuring out how to handle the phone is not only daunting for a new freelancer, but it can also have a significant impact on the way more experienced freelancers do business. A good telephone strategy combined with the right technology can offer huge time savings and other benefits for the freelancer, whereas a bad setup can hold your business back.

So let’s compare notes and figure out the best way to do things. Share your answers to the following questions:

1. What’s your overall system for handling the phone?
2. Do you use any special software or tools?
3. Cell phone or land line? Is it dedicated to your business?
4. Do you use call-forwarding or an 800 number?
5. What tips or tricks have you learned for managing the phone?

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Your Business Backup Plan — Why You Need One

Posted September 23, 2009 in Business, Productivity 22 Rockin' Comments »

Many of you have been in this situation before: you have your workweek all planned out, you know exactly what you’re going to do and exactly when you’re going to do it. Everything is going right according to plan.

Or, so you thought.

Suddenly and without warning, a single event can change everything. Before you know it your entire week is turned upside down. What you thought you could do when you planned your week is no longer be possible.

It really doesn’t even matter what the event is. Many things can go wrong when you freelance. Here are just a few:

• You could receive an urgent phone call from a sick friend or relative
• The power and/or internet connect go out
• You could wake up in the morning as sick as a dog
• An accident could damage your car, your home, or (heaven forbid) you
• Your computer could suddenly quit working

You name it, and it’s possible (and even likely) that something will eventually go wrong and mess up your plans. I’m sure that you can think of disruptive events that aren’t even on my list.

This is where a backup plan comes in.

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