Freelancefolder

The Web Design Platform You Need to Know

Posted October 10, 2012 in Business

Did you know WordPress powers 14.7% of the top million websites in the
world? WordPress is now considered a state-of-the-art website platform
- and, best of all, it’s free to use.

It’s so great that 22 out of every 100 new, active domains in the US
are running WordPress.

And, it’s only going to keep growing as web designers learn WordPress
allows you to build sites faster and easier. Plus, now clients are
specifically asking for content management systems, like WordPress.

As the word spreads, so will the demand. That’s why it’s so important
to get started now and be at the front of
this trend.
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The Fastest Way to Become a Web Designer

Posted October 4, 2012 in Business

If I said you could start today and be a full blown web designer – making $125 per hour or more – in just 8 weeks, would you be interested?

If you’re a regular reader of FreelanceFolder, the answer is most likely, “You bet!”

People, like you, who visit this site are looking for expert advice on making a living as a web designer or increasing their web design income.

A few months ago, I wrote an article about LearnWebDevelopment.com and how they can help you achieve those goals, but what you may not realize is LearnWebDevelopment.com has developed the fastest, surest way for you to become a successful web designer.

It’s their WordPress Bootcamp and they’ve successfully trained hundreds of students through this course over the past year.

In just 8 weeks, you’ll learn how to build websites … in less than 10 hours … and make over $2,000 per website. You’ll even learn how to attract clients…

But seats are very limited.

If you have any interest in becoming a successful web designer, I urge you to check out this WordPress Bootcamp today.

Just click here.
[Click Here to Read More...]

Five Tips to Search for Companies Online

Posted July 27, 2012 in Business, How-To, Tools/Resources

Whether you are a small business owner or a freelancer, chances are you stand to gain a lot from conducting a search for companies online somewhere like Duedil.

A good question to focus your queries before you start is, what kind of information could improve your decisions?

If you’re a freelancer, you might be hoping to avoid a horror story client, researching compensation rates in your market, or even looking for future clients during a lull. If you’re a small business owner, you may want to understand more about a potential partner’s track record, finances, and history.

Whatever you seek, use these five tips to find what you’re looking for.
[Click Here to Read More...]

The Pros and Cons of a Freelancing Partnership

Posted February 1, 2012 in Business

Freelancers usually operate solo, but sometimes it’s a good idea for us to enter into partnerships.

As a one-person team, there are only so many clients you can serve, and so many skills you can deliver. A partnership can be a good way to expand your freelancing business.

However, as in all things, freelancing partnerships have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re considering partnering with another freelancer, read this post to see if you really know what you’re getting into.

The Pros

Provide more comprehensive services

Sometimes it makes sense to partner with another freelancer, so you can give clients a complete package of services. For example, as a copywriter, a logical partnership for me would be with a web designer. That way, I can provide a total website package to my clients.

• Accept more projects

Another advantage of partnering with other freelancers is the ability to take on a larger volume of work. This works whether you partner with a freelancer whose skills complement your own (as in my previous example of copywriter + designer), and it also works if you partner with a freelancer with similar skills.

In my case, I could partner with blog writers, email marketers, and other types of copywriters. We can divvy up tasks and accept more clients than I could ever do by myself.

• More effective prospecting

When you partner with another freelancer, you’re effectively tapping into your partner’s network and promotional efforts. It’s like having another person doing the prospecting for you, and vice versa. This synergy is more powerful than simply adding up what each of you could accomplish individually.

• Tap another freelancer’s expertise, experience, wisdom

A partnership benefits from the knowledge and wisdom of each party. You’ll have a wider pool or expertise and experience to tap into. Decisions are made from two different perspectives, which may lead to better management and results.

• Be part of a team

Partnering can relieve much of the loneliness of freelancing. You and your partner will have each other to provide support and encouragement. You’ll have someone to share successes and failures with. This can make freelancing more satisfying and less stressful.

The Cons

Now let’s look at the other side of the coin. While freelancing partnerships have their advantages, they can be difficult as well.

• Finding the right people to partner with

The biggest challenge in a freelancing partnership is making sure you’ve picked the right partner. Aside from ensuring you complement each other’s skills, you also need to consider your working styles, ethics, communication skills, and other aspects. Because you’ll be working closely together, even the smallest annoyances can snowball into big issues later on.

• Losing control

When you work with a partner, you have to be willing to sacrifice a little control. You need to trust that your partner will deliver their end of the deal. This can be very difficult to do, especially when your own reputation is on the line.

• Increased logistical requirements

Partnerships require effective communication to work. This could include collaboration software, clear work processes, a means to track projects.

• Longer, more complicated decision-making

With two or more people involved, decision-making will take more time. More points of view and opinions will have to be considered. Disagreements will arise. Compromises will have to be made.

• Flexibility required

Here’s the bottom line: You and your partner have to get along. This means both of you need to be flexible, communicate well, and trust each other. This is also why partnering with the right person is of utmost importance. Not only must you work together, but you have to get along well, too.

Partnerships: Yes or No?

When the right people come together, set clear expectations and have effective work processes, freelancing partnerships can work.

What do you think? Would you ever partner with another freelancer to expand the reach and scope of your work? What would push or pull you from such an arrangement?

Have you ever partnered with another freelancer before? What was that like? What lessons did you learn from the experience?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Image by buddawiggi