Freelancefolder

What Every Freelancer Ought To Know About Blogging

Posted January 24, 2010 in Getting Started, Marketing 34 Comments »

“Freelancer, you absolutely must have a blog if you ever expect to become successful…”

Have you ever heard this claim?

If you’ve been working online for any length of time, then this claim is probably not new to you. Nearly every small business advisor will tell you that blogging is a great way to build up your online presence.

However, many freelancers begin blogging with unrealistic expectations. They view blogging as a sort of magic bullet that can somehow instantly propel them to freelancer rockstardom.

This post takes a realist look at some of those expectations. It also discusses what a freelancer can realistically expect from blogging.

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How to Keep Working at Home from Destroying Your Life

Posted January 22, 2010 in Lifestyle, Managing Clients 68 Comments »

One of the main reasons I became a full-time freelancer was the freedom I thought it would give me in creating my own hours and working at home. It’s the dream, right? Sleep late, work in your pajamas, shave far less often, and decide when you are or are not going to be busy.

Anyone who has taken on this “dream” quickly realizes that it’s not that simple. Client meetings and deadlines, the seemingly eternal pursuit of a steady income and the “other sides” of the business are a few of the elements of working at home that, if not managed correctly, can quickly eat away at your desired freedom and potentially destroy the rest of your life.

In this post, I will share some ways I have learned to keep everything in its proper priority and maintain balance, enabling both the growth and success of my freelance business along with the expansion and enjoyment of the freedoms this brings to the most important elements of my life.

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The Unlimited Freelancer Turns One, Now Costs Only $19

Posted January 21, 2010 in News 4 Comments »

It’s hard to believe that it was over a year ago when we first announced The Unlimited Freelancer, our ebook for freelancers. After putting in months of effort and many sleepless nights, we finally sold the first copy of our book to a FreelanceFolder reader named Jason on the 14th of January last year.

Now, one year later, we’re only a few books short of selling our one thousandth copy. In honor of this one year milestone, and as a small way to say thanks to everyone in our wonderful freelance community, we’re lowing the price of the book permanently to $19. If you’ve already purchased the book, rest easy knowing that you’ve helped support one of the best freelance communities on the net. For those of you who haven’t yet bought it, hopefully this will help it easier to afford.

Thanks again to all of you in our community, and wish us luck in the coming year ahead! If you want to take advantage of the new $19 price, you know where to look.

Seven Free & Paid Tools to Help You Work Without Distractions

Posted January 21, 2010 in Productivity 29 Comments »

If you freelance from home, you struggle with distractions all the time. It’s easy to give in to the lure of the TV, the seduction of the refrigerator and the enticement of your favorite videogame or book when you’re at home.

This is a problem, because a freelancer’s income is correlated with his productivity. The faster you can do your work, the more income you can earn. Therefore, it’s extremely important to develop the discipline of working without distractions.

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Embracing Social Media as Freelance Job Search Tool

Posted January 20, 2010 in Marketing, Social Media 31 Comments »

The challenges of freelancing don’t lie in the daily commute or finding the right outfit to wear to work. Instead we have to continually think of ways to market ourselves and drum up business. This isn’t always easy. Not only do we have to stay on top of our own game, but we have to consider all of the other freelancers who are vying for the same opportunities. The good news is that in 2010, there are plenty of options. Finding them is easy thanks to social media.

We all know social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are fun networking and socializing platforms, but they, along with other social media tools, can also be used to enhance your job search and help you to land more clients. While younger freelancers are eager to embrace social media, many “old schoolers” confess to “not getting it” or its importance.

Don’t underestimate the usefulness of social media, you never know what you might find beyond the regular job boards.

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Solve the Common Marketing Problems that Bug Most Freelancers

Posted January 19, 2010 in Business, Marketing 31 Comments »

As a freelancer, you probably have a great deal of expertise in what you do. Whether it’s programming, web development, graphic design, freelance writing, or some other field–you’ve worked hard and honed your skills. Now, you may be starting to see some of the benefits of all that hard work.

With a few exceptions (those of you whose field actually is marketing), your knowledge of marketing is probably not as strong as your knowledge of your chosen profession. As a freelancer, you know that you have to market your business in order to survive. So, you’ve done what it takes. But, there are still a few nagging problems about marketing your freelance business that bug you.

It’s normal for a freelancer who doesn’t specifically specialize in marketing to struggle in this area. Here are four common marketing problems that bug freelancers (and their solutions):

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An (Unofficial) Client Rating Scale

Posted January 18, 2010 in Managing Clients, Tools/Resources 25 Comments »

As a freelancer, I have witnessed many different relationships that my peers and I have with our clients. Some clients we love, while others we rant endlessly about. Some freelancers badmouth their most difficult clients, while others only sing the praises of their favorites. But, we all know that without clients we would not be able to support our freelance businesses. Therefore, we must learn to work with, manage, communicate with and do our best to keep our clients coming back for more.

Still, it is worthwhile to sometimes step back and take a look at things from a different perspective in order to determine the best ways to proceed and progress. So, I have come up with The (Unofficial) Client Rating Scale to help us all evaluate and categorize our clients from 1 to 5. While hopefully somewhat humorous and irreverent, this scale should still be helpful in identifying your “keeper” clients and those that perhaps your business may be better without. Try rating each of your clients based on the following criteria and see how you fare.

Disclaimer: Any representation of actual clients in existence and/or their behavior is purely coincidental. No clients were harmed during the creation of this rating scale.

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Will You Raise Your Rates in 2010?

Posted January 17, 2010 in Open Thread 46 Comments »

There’s probably no more controversial topic in freelancing than the subject of rates. After all, rates determine how much money we earn, and ultimately, what our lifestyle will be.

Here at Freelance Folder, we’ve talked about rates a lot. We’ve discussed:

• How to Set Rates
• How to Raise Rates
• The Problem of Low Rates

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Why Every Freelancer Should Have a Personal Project

Posted January 15, 2010 in Business, Inspiration 60 Comments »

As a freelancer, we are always looking for clients. Whether we are in freelancing for the joy and freedom of it, or to earn more than what we were being offered at our day job, a freelancer can’t always get by on the expectation of getting more clients.

If you want to succeed in the long run there has to be a back up plan–a plan that kicks in when all else fails.

Whether it’s a personal blog that earns income or a service that fills a void, whatever it is, it’s always good to have something that you can call your own…something that will somewhat support you just in case the river runs dry.

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