Freelancefolder

The Definitive Guide to Creating Your Own Freelancing A-Team

Posted October 28, 2010 in How-To, Productivity

Do you remember the hit television series, “The A-Team”? Not the ridiculously over-the-top Hollywood movie. I’m referring to the original, campy TV show starring Mr. T. It was a great show about a team of elite military convicts who banded together to create an unstoppable force for good. Plus, they blew stuff up in every episode.

In my last post titled 5 Reasons Every Freelancer Needs an Accountability Group I discussed the “why” of creating your A-Team. (Note: I really wish I had thought of the “A-Team” reference before the article ran. But, so goes life.)

The feedback was awesome and there seemed to be a lot of interest in the “how to” part of creating your team.

Well, without further ado, I present to you “The Definitive Guide to Creating Your A-Team.” Explosives manual not included.

Our group has been running for six months now and, during that time, we’ve learned a lot about what makes our group work. Please remember that, unless specified below, these are guidelines and best practices. I would encourage you to make appropriate changes and share them in the comments below so that others can learn from both your successes and mistakes.

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How I Work Less and Accomplish More (by Managing My Energy)

Posted October 8, 2010 in How-To, Productivity

It’s really hard to find decent productivity advice these days. Most of the productivity ‘gurus’ are self-proclaimed and offer techniques that aren’t backed up with any evidence.

I actually struggled with those people for the past two years. I was trying to find a way to be more productive (work less and accomplish more) but and was trying out these ‘techniques.’ Nothing worked, however.

Until finally, I found something that did work. I’ll share what I found with you in this post.

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Managing Your Client Schedule

Posted September 27, 2010 in Managing Clients, Productivity

Having lots of clients is the goal for any freelancer who’s serious about business. The money is always flowing, your clients are happy and you’re working hard to maintain your reputation. The problem though, is the fact you haven’t seen the outside of your office for weeks, you dream about the next email you’re going to send to your clients, and you’re constantly checking your phone for client replies when you’re supposed to be like, doing other things.

Being a busy freelancer is much better than being a bored freelancer, but like with everything, it comes with its own set of problems. How do you deal when you have several projects going on at one time, and several more potential projects in the works? Most importantly, how do you keep your sanity?

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How to Get More Done and Have More Fun

Posted September 23, 2010 in How-To, Productivity

Have you ever thought that by simply rearranging your daily tasks you could increase your productivity, get more done and enjoy yourself more? The biggest asset of freelancers worldwide is that they usually do what they love, and love what they do. But, what happens when you get stressed with deadlines, long working hours and lots of clients and you don’t have any more time for yourself, your family or your personal projects?

Most of you are probably organized to some extent. Most of you probably have a to-do list where you add tasks that need to be done and tick them off once they’re completed. However, have you ever thought that by simply rearranging that to-do list you can rediscover that working is fun, pleasant and enjoyable? By simply rearranging to-dos you can give yourself daily boosts.

How? You may ask. In this post, I’ll answer that question and show you how to get more from your work and more time for yourself.

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4 Ways to Get Your Stalled Freelancing Project Unstuck

Posted September 17, 2010 in Managing Clients, Productivity

You never thought it would happen to you. You’ve landed your dream freelancing project. You’ve been working on it for a while now, when all of the sudden you find you just can’t go any further. You’re stuck!

There are a number of reasons why a freelancing project might get stuck. In this post, we identify four of those reasons and explain how to overcome each reason.

(A special thank-you to our Freelance Folder forum moderator Behzad Jamshidi, who is also the creative director and owner at DesignFacet, for suggesting this topic.)

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Working on Your Business, Not Just in It

Posted August 31, 2010 in Inspiration, Productivity

When you’re a freelancer, you often find yourself doing several jobs. You may design, develop, write, manage, bill, consult and answer the phone. Unfortunately, while we’re busy taking care of all these roles in the day-to-day management of our business, we forget to step back and take a look at the long term.

Working on the business may not seem important when you’ve got ten active clients and six projects due this week, however it’s an important task you need to take care of, if you ever plan on growing your business (whether you plan to stay a single person business or not).

What exactly is working on your business versus working in it? Working in your business means taking care of the daily things, the clients, the billing, and the actual work. Working on your business, however, deals with stepping back and seeing how your business can improve, where you want your business to go, and so on. You should aim to try and work on your business, at least for a few hours every month.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can work on your business.

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Who Pays?!? Accounting for Phone Calls and Other Time Suckers

Posted August 16, 2010 in Managing Clients, Productivity

One of the most deceptive hidden expenses a freelancer can do battle with is the time spent communicating with clients, potential clients, and others in the day-to-day routine.

Communication is obviously a necessity, but without a strategy for managing the emails, phone calls and other time-suckers, they can quickly drain your profits and even potentially drive your business into the ground. Unlike those who get paid hourly for communicating, freelancers typically sacrifice the time spent because paying work is delayed when the phone rings or an urgent email announces its presence in the inbox. So how can communication be managed to the point that it is not only no longer detrimental, but actually beneficial to your income as a freelancer?

I honestly cannot say that I have discovered some magic secret to solve this problem. I have had past experiences where clients have made the ridiculous assumption that hiring a freelancer automatically entitles them to 24/7 availability and immediate response times. I have also–thankfully–worked with clients who appreciate my priorities of family and life outside of work and have bent over backwards to accommodate my schedule. Of course, most situations fall somewhere in between these extremes and therefore are much more difficult to identify and manage in a productive and mutually beneficial way. Here are some steps I can suggest based on my own experiences.

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When Does Pen and Paper Slow a Freelancer’s Productivity?

Posted August 6, 2010 in Productivity

Pen and paper. Quite arguably the greatest productivity tool ever created to date. Right? Right. Well, while some people like to stick to the old school method of organization, I myself am somewhat of an online productivity junkie (now) and self-proclaimed to-do list recoveree. Is that a word? Hope so… it is now.

Since you’re reading this, and probably a freelancer, I’m sure you know that sometimes pen and paper is a good solution–mainly because we aren’t on salary for our work and sometimes can’t just go spend, spend and spend more on fun organizational toys. Sometimes you have to stop and think though: are you actually slowing down your productivity, or helping it?

Here are five freelancing situations where pen and paper will do nothing but weigh you down. I suggest using a new, faster, and shinier application or service.

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10 Ways to Work More Quickly and Accomplish More

Posted July 20, 2010 in How-To, Productivity

Productivity is a big deal for freelancers. That’s because the amount of work we’re able to accomplish is directly proportional to the income we make.

If we’re able to do more in less time, we can take on more work. We’ll also have more time to spend with our loved ones and to pursue our personal interests.

Being a highly productive freelancer also means you’ll be able to keep marketing your services, even while you’re serving current clients.

It also gives you more time to keep learning, keep sharpening your skills, or develop new ones.

I’ve been a student of productivity even before I began freelancing. I guess it stems from being a Mom of three who has many interests and passions.

In this post, I share my top ten ways to work more quickly and accomplish more.

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