Posts Tagged ‘freelance guide’

Krissy Bradfield on Freelancing

Feb 11, 2009 50 Words

Krissy says…

Being a freelancer is really hard but it’s all about mindset. My advice? Be positive and positive things will come. Tell everyone you know about your business. Use tools like Twitter to network and get your name out there. Don’t wait for work to come to you - go to it.

About Melissa
Krissy is a freelance writer who began working in the web industry in 1995. She started Wordish.com in 2006 and specialises in creating engaging and dynamic web content.

About this Post
This post is one of a series, written by various people within the web industry. They are responses to my request for a maximum of 50 words on the topic of tips for freelance success. You can use the 50 words category to see all the answers so far.

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Cindy Prosser on Freelancing

Jan 28, 2009 50 Words

Cindy says…

Be unique!  Have that special something that will prompt your client talk about you to others. While you may be unable to compete with other freelancers or businesses on knowledge, price, etc., you need to have that special something that makes them want YOU. Even if your work isn’t spectacular, you’ll be spectacular to work with.

About Cindy
Cindy is visual designer & information architect who got into designing with web standards in Ottawa, Canada 8 years ago & currently has Attitude e-media in Mandurah, Western Australia. Our mantra is “build websites with the respect that the Web deserves”.

About this Post
This post is one of a series, written by various people within the web industry. They are responses to my request for a maximum of 50 words on the topic of tips for freelance success. You can use the 50 words category to see all the answers so far.

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Donna Spencer on Freelancing

Jan 7, 2009 50 Words

Donna says…

Time track every work-related activity – client work, admin, business development, training, everything. Time spent on billable activities is helpful for proposals, tracking your admin load lets you decide when to get help and you can keep your eye on all those other non-billable hours. Count in actual minutes – don’t estimate.

About Donna
Donna has been freelancing for Maadmob for 5 years where she does information architecture, interaction design, teaches and writes. She time-tracks every minute of her working day.

About this Post
This post is one of a series, written by various people within the web industry. They are responses to my request for a maximum of 50 words on the topic of tips for freelance success. You can use the 50 words category to see all the answers so far.

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Deciding How Far to Jump

Jan 5, 2009 Excerpts

This is an excerpt from the book, The Principles of Successful Freelancing. Sample chapters are available for downloading from this page.

Now that you’ve made the decision to become a freelancer, we’ve reached the point of short-, medium-, and long-term preparation. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to jump in running as fast as you can. However, it’s been proven time and again that to ensure the best chance of success, you should expend plenty of effort in planning and preparation. This raises the question of which work mode to begin your freelance life with: full-time or part-time.

If you’re a student nearing the end of your studies, you’ve got a distinct time to work towards. (That said, I recommend that unless you have run a business previously, don’t go freelance straight after graduating—spend some time in employment in your chosen field first, to get those skills polished.) This also applies if your current work is coming to a close—you may be on a fixed-term contract, or the company you’ve been working for is winding up. However, for many people, the entry to freelancing is a case of juggling full-time employment with preparations to exit the rat race.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both situations, and you’ll need to weigh these up carefully. Let’s take a moment to look at some of them.

Freelancing on the Side

There’s a lot to be said for freelancing “on the side,” at least in the beginning:

  • This is a great way to test the waters without making that big jump.
  • You can spend as much after-hours time as you need on planning your business.
  • You can save just-in-case money for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable before venturing into the unknown.
  • You’re able to be choosier with the work you take on, as your salary is still coming in to help with costs.
  • If you don’t have any good recent work to show, part-time freelancing allows you to build a great portfolio before you move to full-time.
  • The clients you groom now are likely to be with you once you make that leap, helping with immediate cash flow.
  • It allows you to take your time to fit out the home office, without blowing your starting budget.
  • Freelancing part-time after hours, as well as holding down a full-time position, gives you the authentic taste of a busy week as a freelancer. This can help you determine your ability to cope with that amount of work at any given time.

There are a few disadvantages to this practice, though:

  • Depending on your employment contract, you may be restricted from doing work that directly competes with services offered by your employer. It’s best to approach your boss to discuss this.
  • Most clients will want to contact you during their workday hours, which tend to be when you’re busy at your full-time gig.
  • You lose out on the all-important downtime hours of evenings and weekends. If you attract lots of work, you may end up exhausting yourself trying to work two jobs.
  • You’ll be cautious of growing too fast, given you have restricted hours in which to work. It can become tricky trying to keep everyone happy, and you may have to turn down new work in order not to fail existing clients.

Freelancing Full-time

There are some compelling advantages to jumping in with both feet:

  • You’ll have the freedom to set up your freelance life, instead of juggling it with a full-time job.
  • Full-time start-up mode means that you have plenty of time in which to network, make important contacts, and meet prospects.
  • There are no issues with your employer being aggrieved about you working freelance on the side, and you’ll have no hesitation in taking on as many new clients and projects as you can handle.

There are, however, some disadvantages to full-time freelancing straight away:

  • Nothing feeds self-doubt more than work failing to come in during those first few weeks.
  • The cash drain while you rush around making contacts and courting business can really hurt your back pocket.
  • The all-important planning tends to be the first casualty when those projects come in—understandably, you’ll be more interested in taking an opportunity to earn some much-needed money than mapping out your legal business structure.

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More reviews

Dec 18, 2008 Book

On December 3, I was excited to share details about the first three reviews that I’d read about The Principles of Successful Freelancing, and it’s about time I shared some more.

Scott Scheper, a VC in Orange County, CA, reviewed the book on scottdig.com;

I highly suggest this book for anyone interested in dabbling in the freelance world. Whether you’re doing some side-project freelance work, or you’re a full-time freelancer, this book is a must. It’s pretty much the freelancer’s bible.

John Lampard also took the time to pen a review on disassociated.com, where he writes;

In summary, this is an all encompassing and highly readable guide to all aspects of freelancing. Whether you are considering taking the plunge, have recently started out, or are even a seasoned pro, this book is a worthwhile read.

Russ Weakley, an Author himself, wrote about the book on his blog;

The book is ideal for those who are about to enter the world of freelancing. It’s easy to read - only took around 4 hours to read cover to cover - and yet it’s packed with a lot of great information.

Thanks Scott, John and Russ for sharing your thoughts about the book with others, and for taking the time to pen a review.

If you’ve read The Principles of Successful Freelancing, I encourage you to write a review about the book yourself - let me know where youve posted it, and I’d love a chance to read it!

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