Freelancefolder

Can Freelancers Benefit from Learning a Second Language?

Posted September 9, 2011 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

Freelancers face an increasingly global marketplace. Unless you work with local clients only, chances are that sooner or later you will end up working with someone in a different country and odds are that their native tongue may be different than your own.

This being the case, you may wonder whether your freelancing business would benefit if you became fluent in another language. Of course, many freelancers already are bilingual, and I invite them to weigh in on this topic.

In this post, I’ll discuss the freelancing pros and cons of learning a second language.

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10 More Green Tips for Freelancers Who Want to Help the Environment

Posted August 16, 2011 in Lifestyle

Several years ago, we wrote 10 Ways to Green Your Home Office. That post has some really great suggestions for freelancers who want to conserve resources and we got a lot of great feedback from you, our readers.

Well, it’s time to revisit the topic.

As a freelancer, you may already be consuming less energy than a traditional worker by avoiding the commute to work. But you can do even more.

If you’re like many freelancers, you’re ready to do even more to conserve resources and keep your freelancing business green.

We’re here to help. In this post, we share ten additional ideas to help you conserve resources. We’ve also listed a few websites where you can learn even more.

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The Importance of Giving to the Community

Posted August 15, 2011 in Lifestyle

I’m a firm believer in supporting the community you’re a part of, whether it’s your actual neighborhood or your favorite online sites. A well-supported community gives in return and contributing to it ensures that the community will stick around longer than a few months.

Online, there are several ways you can contribute to your community no matter what you do as a freelancer. The trick is doing something you love, offering it for free and distributing it to everyone you can.

Giving back to the community leads to multiple benefits. You’re not only giving to the community–you’re increasing your professionalism, especially if it’s something very valuable.

Giving something to the community doesn’t mean you have to spend all your free time on it either. So what are some things you can contribute yourself?

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How to Be a Professional Freelancer

Posted August 2, 2011 in Humor, Lifestyle

I get asked the question almost every day: “Just how does one become a freelancer?”

While most sites will post a boring write-up on being on time, being nice and networking, I’m here to tell you the “real” nitty gritty of just what it takes to become a “real” professional freelancer. Here’s your very own copy of the Professional Freelancer’s Guide To Professional Freelancing.

But beware, ignore these steps, skip over a few, or do them out of order and you’re doomed to fail and return to that crappy cubicle making logos bigger and adding pictures of cute animals to gas station websites for the rest of your life.

So, here it is. Pay attention now!

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Ten Rude Twitter Habits to Break Today

Posted July 27, 2011 in Lifestyle, Managing Clients

Many freelancers enjoy connecting on Twitter. It’s a simple application that’s easy to learn, yet it has a huge number of apps that can be added to expand its functionality.

Plus, most freelancing specialties have a large Twitter community. From personal experience, I know that there’s a large writing community on Twitter. I know that there is also a large design community there as well as communities for several other professions.

Clearly, freelancers can benefit from using Twitter, but along with the good is the bad. I’m talking about bad habits. Many freelancers develop bad habits using Twitter simply because they haven’t taken the time to think about how they use this tool.

In this post, I share ten bad Twitter habits that may even be considered rude. If you’ve developed some of these habits, you may be annoying your Twitter community and leaving a bad impression.

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Why You Need to Get Out from Behind Your Computer Today

Posted July 17, 2011 in Lifestyle

One of the best things about freelancing is that you can work from home. There’s no real need to leave your house or commute to anywhere to get your work done. For most of us, this means money saved on transportation costs such as gasoline and wear and tear on your car.

One of the best things about freelancing can also become one of the worst things, if you don’t make an effort to stay engaged in activities outside of the confines of your own home office.

In this post, I’ll discuss why it’s good to get out from behind your computer and out of the house. I’ll also list several ways that you can get out from behind your computer.

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Designing a Dream Home Office

Posted June 14, 2011 in How-To, Lifestyle

One of the best investments I’ve made into my business wasn’t a fancy gadget or a shiny new toy. It was my office.

It’s interesting to see how many freelancers just work wherever they can, be it the local Starbucks, a spare bedroom or even the kitchen table. From my experience though, it’s extremely important to have a nice dedicated space, preferably filled with your favorite things.

While I don’t do any sort of graphic design, interior design is one of my favorite hobbies so I thought I’d share some tips and inspiration with you.

(That’s my office in the picture to the left).

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Beat the Freelancer Blahs

Posted June 7, 2011 in Lifestyle

Ever feel that freelancing sucks?

It strikes every freelancer, no matter how motivated, talented or successful. Sometimes, you hit the doldrums. You have to drag yourself out of bed. You second guess your decision to freelance. Everything seems drained of color and life. And suddenly, the prospect of applying for a “real” job is very attractive.

Don’t worry. Often, the freelancing blahs don’t last long. With a little self-diagnosis and the right remedies, you’ll be back in the game in no time.

The remedy for the blahs depends on the underlying cause. See which of the possible causes below (or a combination of them) is the culprit in your case.

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7 Ways to Promote Yourself When You Have to Put Your Freelancing on Hold

Posted June 1, 2011 in Freelance Stories, Lifestyle

I can’t look for more freelance work. It’s not because I’ve got a lot of work on my plate or I gave up looking for projects to work on. I’m literally forced not to look for more work. Have you ever experienced something similar before?

There are plenty of reasons that could cause you to put your freelancing business on hold. A family emergency, college, having a baby, moving out of your old apartment, relocating, and traveling are just some of the many things that can force you to keep your working hands on your lap. In my case, it’s college this September.

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