Freelancefolder

10 Productivity Tips That Work Surprisingly Well

Posted July 14, 2009 in How-To, Productivity

Productivity is just one of those qualities that we all yearn for. As freelancers we have to be productive in order to get projects done before the deadline approaches. The more productive we can be, the more money we earn — it’s a simple equation.

We’re all productive to a certain extent, but there are always a few things that we know but often fail to apply. Of the many things I’ve tried to boost my productivity, some have failed and some have worked wonders.

The ten tips that you are about to read are the ones that I practice regularly in order to keep my business going. Some of you may already practice these and, if you don’t, I hope this post serves as a productivity-boosting reminder.

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8 Tips for Success When Freelancing On the Road

Posted June 30, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity

Let’s face it, most of us freelancers do what we do in order to have the potential to work and play on our own terms. I love setting my own hours so I can enjoy life, and I also love slogging away on projects that I’m really passionate about. One aspect of play that many of us want to take up is to be able to freelance and travel at the same time.

In fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to be doing in a few months when I start my 1 year (hopefully) journey around the world. I don’t start this adventure for a while, but it’s good to have everything organized before I back my bags and take off.

In order to help me prepare for my upcoming trip, and to provide a resource for any of you who might be traveling and working in the future, I decided to put together this checklist of what you’re going to need when traveling.

Some of the following items are more important than others, and some may not apply to you. I wanted to put together a list that covered as many situations as possible without being too bloated. If there’s something I missed or you have your own suggestions, please share them in the comments!

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Five Mini-Vacations That Won’t Cost Much or Disrupt Your Schedule

Posted June 25, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity

Relaxation is important. There’s a certain level of stress inherent to freelancing, and the freelancer who refuses to take a break risks developing burnout and stress-related health problems.

Despite relaxation and breaks being so important, going on a vacation is a difficult thing to do for many freelancers.

For one thing, we freelancers don’t get paid vacation time like most salaried workers do. A beginning or struggling freelancer might not even have enough money to go on a vacation in the first place.

Also, as business owners we have to worry about being out of touch with our clients for an extended period of time. What if a client or a potential client contacts us with that “big job” while we’re gone? What if something urgent comes up that must be dealt with?

Fortunately, it’s not always necessary to go away on a long or expensive vacation to get the relaxation that every freelancer needs.

Here are five low cost or free vacation options that will help you relax and de-stress.

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Increase Your Freelancing Income by Narrowing Your Focus

Posted June 24, 2009 in Business, Productivity

It seems to make logical sense that the wider you cast your net, the more fish you can catch. Subsequently, this is the approach that many people take in all areas of life — including business. When people start freelancing, for example, it’s common that they’ll try to expand their market as wide and as far as possible — all in the hope of catching more clients.

They offer more services than anyone else. They focus on more traffic sources than anyone else. They try to get more clients than anyone else (no matter what they are paying). Because this ‘more mentality’ makes sense logically, a lot of people stick to it.

Today, however, I want to go against the grain.

Instead of telling you to do as much as you can for as much as you can get, my advice is actually quite simple: increase your income my narrowing your focus.

Allow me to give some examples…

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Learning To Say “No” Nicely — How to Keep From Burning Bridges

Posted June 22, 2009 in How-To, Productivity

It’s scary to turn work down from a client.

Saying “no” could easily upset them, and it’s very possible that they might even get mad at you. For all you know, they might write you off as a freelancer — never to call on you for work again.

No freelancer that I know ever wants to risk losing a client because they turned down work.

For this reason, and many others, freelancers often agree to take on projects that they really don’t have the time to do properly.

However, squeezing the new work into an already full schedule could mean making mistakes (or even worse, compromising on quality). The result is often disappointment on the part of the client and frustration on the part of the freelancer.

It seems to be a problem with no good answer, but is it really? Is it possible to keep a client even after you’ve refused work from them?

Let’s examine some steps that you can take when a client contacts you with work that you don’t really have time (or desire) to do.

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Open Thread: How Do You Handle Your Email?

Posted June 12, 2009 in Open Thread, Productivity

How many hours per day do you spend reading, writing, or sorting through email? If you’re like most freelancers, I’ll bet it’s a huge amount of time. Most of us work primarily over the web, and those who don’t are still bound by the need to communicate via email.

From customer inquiries, to ongoing products, to just plain spam — the volume of email crossing the average freelance desk is considerable. What’s worse, most of that email needs a response. It’s no wonder there are so many resources and products dedicated to email productivity.

In this open thread, let’s examine the issue a little closer. By pooling our resources and knowledge we can probably help everyone save a bit of time or find a clever way to boost productivity. See if you can answer these questions in the comments:

1. What platform do you use for email? e.g. Outlook, Gmail, Mail.app, etc.
2. What productivity tools do you use? Filtering, folders, add-ons, etc.
3. What is your favorite email productivity tip, tool, or resource?

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35 Online Tools That Make Your Freelance Career Easier

Posted May 14, 2009 in Productivity, Tools/Resources

Over the years the appeal of freelancing has grown tremendously. Some are drawn to freelancing to enjoy the freedom of choosing their own work hours, some as a way to stay ahead during times of recession. Today, there are many individuals on the web pursuing their career as a freelancer. Bloggers, web designers, social media strategists and many others have found that freelancing is a great way to utilize their skills and sell their services through the wonderful medium we call the internet.

Although freelancing appeals to many, the stakes are quite high. I am sure most of you agree with me when I say there are a few sleepless nights, and work often seems to follow us wherever we go since most of us work from home. Like everything else, freelancing has it’s ups and downs.

The benefits of freelancing, however, certainly outweigh the pitfalls — and using the right online tools can help tip the scales even further. Gadgets and online apps are a freelancer’s best friend when it comes to being effective.

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5 Ways To Get More Done By Not Doing

Posted April 29, 2009 in How-To, Productivity

Freelancers and web workers are always searching for ways to become more productive. What works for one person may not work for everyone else, so it’s a constant struggle to find productivity tips that fit with your personality.

That’s where this article might just come in handy. It seems like the topic of productivity is always associated with doing something, so to break that monotony of becoming productive by doing things, let’s take a look at some of the things that can help you get more done by actually eliminating stuff to do.

Most people call it the elimination approach, but I refer to it as “the ditching approach.” Let’s go ahead and see how we can get more done by not doing stuff.

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The Freelancer’s Battle: Fighting Distractions and Staying Productive

Posted April 24, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity

Whether you’ve been freelancing for two months or two years, it’s likely that you fight an ongoing battle with distractions. To succeed as a freelancer, it’s vital that you gain control over those distractions.

I think that freelancers face a particularly difficult battle against distractions because we often work independently. If we get off track, there is no one there to notice or to remind us to get back on task.

Working from home, while having many advantages, can also lead to distractions. If you work from home, how many times have you started the day focused on work projects and sort of drifted into doing errands instead? (If you can relate to this scenario, you’re not alone.)

Winning the fight against distractions can keep you from missing deadlines, having to rush to keep up, or making mistakes due to your own procrastination.

Fortunately, there are some simple steps that you can take today to overcome your distractions.

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