Another great thing about being a freelancer is the number and diversity of clients you can have.  By introducing them to each other, you are creating valuable connections that will likely result in more work for you.  If you can help your clients be successful, it’s almost a sure bet that you will benefit, too.

Here are 5 ways to introduce clients to each other:

Drink More – Ok, maybe not alcohol, but schedule a coffee meeting between two or three clients that share a similar industry (but not direct competitors).  Introduce them to each other, and see how the conversation goes.

Eat More – Host a BBQ and invite a few of the clients that you enjoy working with.  Don’t have a place to have a BBQ?  Plan a picnic in a local park or at the beach.  It doesn’t have to be a large expense, just tell them that you’ve reserved a spot, and they are welcome to bring their own picnic lunch and have a relaxing day.

Play More – If you share an interest in sports, invite your clients to a game.  If you’re like me and don’t have the sports gene, host a LAN party or xbox tournament.

Write More – Create a newsletter or email to share amongst your clients.  If you have a regular newsletter, create a “featured client” section.  Send regular updates when new clients sign up.  If your clients think you’re busy and successful, they’re more inclined to recommend you to others and keep work coming your way.

Give More – If you like to volunteer, invite your clients to join you.  Community gardens, local shelters, and local or national associations can use an extra set of hands, even if it’s just one day at a time.

As the host, it’s your responsibility to set the tone for these meetings.  Find the balance of professional and casual that works for you, and then take steps to find the people that share your values.

Good luck, and have fun! Continue Reading

For today’s featured freelancer, we are going to meet Stephanie Gonzaga.  You’ve probably seen her comments of your favorite posts. She’s usually providing great feedback, useful tips, or much-needed words of encouragement.  And her post about working for Clients in Other Countries was very well received!

We are pleased to present Stef Gonzaga:

What kind of freelancer are you?

I’m a freelance writer, specializing in blog ghostwriting, web content writing, and catalog copywriting.

I enjoy writing for online stores

How did freelancing change your life?

Well, let’s just say I’m a “virgin freelancer”, meaning I never went through the corporate life as most people have. I started freelancing during my second year in college (I’m still a university student) because I wanted to be independent from my parents financially. It worked and gave me so much more, such as creative freedom, access to a lot of knowledge, and time to spend for my family. Continue Reading

Why would a freelancer want to establish herself as a thought leader in her industry or client niche? Well even for the most bashful of us, the day often (and quickly!) arrives when pushing hours for dollars or pounds just doesn’t quite cut it anymore.

I’m not saying everyone will be interested in this path. But if you are, then this article may just become your road map!.Ask yourself:

What if you had an additional option for making money that steadily grew over time, reinforced your freelancing efforts, landed you more clients, and required less and less of your time?

Yeah, it sounded good to me too. That’s why my client projects now take up less than 50% of my time and I focus the rest of my efforts on my own business, which includes establishing myself as a thought leader in my two primary industries: freelancing and women’s empowerment.

This dual focus has given me the success and financial freedom to travel this past year full-time and without paid work. Here’s how I did it and how you can too. Continue Reading

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Blogging For Web Designers: Editorial Calendars and Style Guides

A few years ago, you might not have pointed out during a meeting with a potential client that you maintained a blog. Over time, though, blogs have evolved from the being a personal hobby to a serious work tool. In fact, today, web designers are supposed to know much more than just how to design and build websites. Customer’s expectations have increased, and unless you are in position to choose your favourite clients, meeting these expectations requires hard work.

Working For A Web Design Agency

The most obvious job for a web designer is working for a web design agency, but if you’ve never done that before… then how do you know what to expect? Is it even the right path for you?

Setting foot in an agency for the first time can be daunting. It’s filled with people who have probably worked in the industry longer than you and who probably know a lot more than you.

5 Ways to be Financially Fit

Let’s face it—no matter how much you might love your job and enjoy going to work every day, when it comes down to it, you rely on your profession to pay the bills and support yourself and your family. Though you may not be in your ideal salary range just yet, if you’re financially fit–responsible with your spending and mindful of how much you have in your accounts–you should still be able to cover your expenses and hopefully have something left over at the end of each month. Continue Reading

As you build your freelance business, you get the satisfaction of touting the work you have already done when talking to new prospects for your services. Demonstrating that you have experience delivering the services your prospects are looking for can make all the difference in landing that next project.

Make sure you tally up that experience so that you can present it with maximum impact. Continue Reading

Over the past few months, I’ve been finding all types of new and exciting clients, with new and exciting projects.  One of the things that I’ve noticed is the variety of projects that are out there.  From quick projects – “The easiest $50 you’ll ever make” – to longer term projects, with multiple sections spanning a few months.  FYI – the $50 project was completed very quickly, the payment – still waiting!

For some reason, I’ve always felt the need to compare my results with those around me.  It’s not to be competitive, but more to ensure that I am not leaving anything on the table.  I want to ensure that I am providing as much value to my clients as possible.

So my question to you, dear freelancers, is what is your average project time to completion?  Not including the initial negotiations of what will be done and what will be paid, but the actual time you spend working on a project, from the moment you start until the final file is sent to the client.

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, Travis King and Thursday Bram look at estimating and how to start charging for your work.

Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Power Up!
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A goal without a plan is just a wish. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

You might have noticed it already, but I really enjoy living the freelance life.  The freedom and the flexibility that I now have allows me to look at things differently.  I may not have the security that comes from a steady paycheck, but as one commenter noted a while back, it’s unlikely that all of my clients are going to disappear at the same time, and I will always have the ability to go out and find new clients.

As much as I enjoy this lifestyle, it’s not something I see myself doing for the rest of my life.  No, I don’t think I will ever be comfortable working directly for someone else, but I do anticipate graduating from virtual assistants and working from my home office.  I can see an office environment, with a small team, where we can help small and medium sized businesses achieve their goals. Continue Reading

By definition, the word “freelancer” implies that you are self-employed take on several projects from multiple parties. Many freelancers find this sort of a glamorous life, but in a sense I have to argue against it. In fact, there’s not too much that is desirable about scraping for food. And until your business is built up—that takes years, not months—there’s got to be a better way.

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