Freelancefolder

Open Thread: Why Did You First Become a Freelancer?

Posted December 4, 2011 in Getting Started, Open Thread

Everyone has a different story. Everyone starts freelancing for a different reason.

Some people want to increase their earning potential. Some people want to start an empire. Others are simply looking for a way to spend more time with friends and family. Still others may start freelancing for an entirely different reason.

Every freelancer has a set of goals that is unique to them. The beauty of freelancing is that with a little talent and a lot of hard work, it’s likely that you can achieve your goals as a freelancer.

That’s why today we’re asking you about your unique set of goals. We’d like to hear:

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Open Thread: Have You Been Hired by Another Freelancer?

Posted October 30, 2011 in Managing Clients, Open Thread

Freelancers get to work for all different types of clients. There are good clients, bad clients, large clients, and small clients–to name just a few.

You name a type of business, and a freelancer has probably worked with them at some point. However, in this post I’d like to shift the focus a bit.

What I’ve been wondering is this:

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Open Thread: Where Do You Find Your Freelancing Work?

Posted October 2, 2011 in Marketing, Open Thread

There are many ways for freelancers to get work. We’ve covered a lot of those methods on Freelance Folder including: direct mail, cold calling, social media, job boards, bidding sites, and more. Some freelancers even post advertisements.

Freelancers can, and do, find clients in all of those ways. We asked this question over two years ago (and we got some great responses), but as you probably would agree, the economy has changed in two years.

So, for today, we’d like to know:

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Open Thread: What Software Tool Could You Not Do Without?

Posted September 4, 2011 in Open Thread, Tools/Resources

Most freelancers rely on their software tools to get things done. I’m sure you’re no exception.

Whether it’s a tool that’s general to business usage (such as an accounting package) or something specific to your field (such as a graphic design package), I’m sure there’s one software tool that you absolutely couldn’t run your business without.

For me, I think that tool would probably be the Microsoft Office suite. Yes, I know there are alternatives (and I’ve tried a few of them), but it still seems that most clients want their files compatible with MS Office.

Our question for you is this:

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Open Thread: What One Thing Makes or Breaks a Freelancer?

Posted August 14, 2011 in Open Thread

We’ve shared a lot about what we believe makes a freelancer successful.

We’ve talked about mindset, talent, integrity, and customer service. We’ve even talked about factors outside of the freelancer such as having a great portfolio and using social media effectively.

As freelancers ourselves, we know that all these things work because they’ve worked for us. But now it’s your turn to chime in and tell us what you think is the most important. What makes you different?

What we’d like to know is:

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Open Thread: Have You Changed How You Do Social Media?

Posted July 10, 2011 in Open Thread, Social Media

Several years ago we asked you about your favorite social media platform. At the time, most of you preferred networking through Twitter, with Facebook being the second choice.

Well, times have changed. Most of the social media platforms have added new features in the past few years.

More people than ever are using social media. There are also many new apps out there for social media. And, of course, Google+ has added a potential new platform to the freelancer’s arsenal of networking tools.

It’s time to ask your opinion about social media again. What I’d like to know is this:

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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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Open Thread: Virtual Meet and Greet

Posted May 8, 2011 in Open Thread

While we’ve had several open threads about getting to know the members of our freelancing community better, it’s been a while since we’ve posted a “getting to know you thread.” Since members of the Freelance Folder community change as we grow, it’s time to do it again.

This time we’re inviting you to answer the following questions:

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Open Thread: How Do You Handle Your Accounting Tasks?

Posted April 24, 2011 in Accounting/Bookkeeping, Open Thread

Accounting is a struggle for many freelancers. While most freelancers are an expert in their chosen field, many have little to no training in accounting.

Yet, proper accounting is a vital part of running a freelancing business. An accounting mistake can have serious consequences for a business. Good accounting practices can mean the difference between having a profitable business and losing money.

There could even be negative tax consequences for not keeping your bookkeeping records correctly.

I was discussing this topic recently on Twitter with fellow freelancers @SHurleyHall and @leslieajoy. Both agreed that they would love to know more about accounting.

Which causes me to wonder about our freelancing community here on Freelance Folder.

How do you handle your accounting tasks?

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