Jump to Hired Gun Part 1, Hired Gun Part 2, Hired Gun Part 3, Hired Gun Part 4, Hired Gun Part 5, Hired Gun Part 6, or Hired Gun Part 7 in this Freelance Freedom series.

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive? Continue Reading

Jump to Hired Gun Part 1 in this Freelance Freedom series.

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive? Continue Reading

Is your holiday gift shopping done?

There are plenty of good deals to be had on high quality presents for freelancers. The clock is ticking down to that big present opening occasion. It’s time to get those purchases finalized, gifts wrapped, and sent off in the mail (or email for digital purchases).

The best gifts for freelancers are those that assist them with expanding their client base, help them organize their schedules, keep them in the work groove when on the go, and allow them to streamline their business more efficiently. We have an awesome assortment of gift ideas that fill those needs.

All of these gifts are practical and would help freelancers in their business, though some are more on the wishful end of the spectrum, like finding a new iPad mini under the tree. Jump into this freelancer holiday wish list and check out all the cool hardware, useful accessories, mobile apps, cloud services, and top quality gear to go.

Be sure to link to this post on Twitter, Facebook and Google+, which will make it easier for Santa to add this to your holiday wish list. Continue Reading

There’s a lot to learn when you’re breaking into freelancing, but the most important skills any freelancer will learn revolve around one thing: clients.

Every successful freelancer will eventually need to master the ability to find good portfolio of clients, manage your relationship with them through the project, deliver in a way that makes them repeat clients, and (very importantly) get paid promptly.

In this Tuts+ Premium video course, Wes McDowell of Deep End Design will walk you through every step of client management. Ready to turn your clients into your biggest fans? Wes explains everything you need to know about working with clients.

Working with Clients (and Getting Paid!)

You’ll need to become a Tuts+ Premium member to access the full course.

Free preview lessons:

• Welcome
• How to Find Clients

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We’re looking for images of your freelance offices to be submitted to our FreelanceSwitch Facebook Group. This is for a post to run on FreelanceSwitch about Real Freelance Offices of FreelanceSwitch Readers in 2012. We’d love to see how your office looks.

Here are a few home office images we’ve received so far:

When submitting your freelance office photos be sure to include your name and what freelance work you do. We’re looking for 550px wide jpg images for the format.

Upload (or tag) your photo to the FreelanceSwitch Facebook group to participate.

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at How To Find Good Clients by FreelanceJam. Freelancers not only need to know how to find clients, they need to know how to find good clients. In this episode, the FreelanceJam duo Brian and Dave break down the strategies that have worked for them over their years of freelancing. From working the job boards when you’re starting out, to building a strong referral network, and marketing yourself so that great clients come to you. Continue Reading

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at Designing books is no laughing matter. OK, it is. presented by graphic designer Chip Kidd. In this video we learn about the art of book cover design. Chip Kidd creates book covers that embody the book — and he does it with a wicked sense of humor. In one of the funniest talks from TED2012, he shows the art and deep thought of his cover designs. Continue Reading

Every other week we roundup some of the highest quality articles and resources that benefit freelancers from across the web. We present these articles here on various helpful topics. This week we have articles on pricing ecommerce web projects, creating remarkable guides, pushing past fear, and more.

Pricing Ecommerce Web Design Projects

It’s a common enough question, and one that always leads your average freelance web designer to take a deep breath and sigh ‘Well, let me see …’. There are many factors that influence the cost of an ecommerce web project, but when you communicate the vagaries to clients, there tend to be three that can have a huge impact – and are often only dealt with summarily: products, postage and payments.

On Criticism, Cynicism & Sharpening Your Gut Instinct

Time and time again, creative people are given two pieces of advice: (1) Listen to your critics and seek feedback, but also (2) Ignore your critics and follow your intuition. Clearly, there’s a powerful contradiction here in need of reconciliation.

Creating Ultimate Guides and Using Them to Build Your Marketing List

You’ve seen them – ultimate marketing guides to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and other important digital marketing resources. Creating ultimate guides are a great way to attract traffic, links, and social shares to your blog or website. The issue most people run into is with the number of blogs out there (especially ones on online marketing) – how do you create an ultimate guide if there are already tons of posts on a given subject?

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View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at A new way to think about creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert. In this video “Eat, Pray, Love” Author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.. Continue Reading

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at Startups on the Side with Toni Gemayel by FreelanceJam. In this inspiring video the FreelanceJam duo interview Toni Gemayel who has loads of experience as a freelancer and with launching successful ventures. He’s a full-time “startup scout” for Coloma Ventures which involves regular travel. He’s also someone who launches a lot of startups on the side, including ventures such as Fonadu. Continue Reading

Every other week we roundup some of the highest quality articles and resources that benefit freelancers from across the web. We present these articles here on various helpful topics. This week we have articles on getting started as a freelance marketing, building your creative mind, the power of weak social ties, and more.

The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Freelance Marketer

Freelance marketers have one of the best jobs on the planet. There’s a never-ending stream of exciting new projects to work on and clients to work with, and at the end of the day, your work is about helping business grow, which means a better livelihood for everyone involved. Not to mention that if you’re doing well, the money is really good, too!

How to Create a Cover Photo for Your Facebook Timeline

Got a Facebook Page for your business? Freaking out about creating a good-looking cover photo for your Timeline? You’ve probably noticed that striking visual piece in the Facebook Pages timeline layout — a nearly-screen-width banner image, known as a “Cover.” On March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages were converted to the timeline layout with the cover photo.
But you may have noticed that not every cover image is a home run …

4 Ways To Hack Into Your Mind And Become Infinitely More Creative

What if I told you that the biggest threat to your writing is not your lack of passion, your lack of creativity, or your lack of skill? What if I told you that the biggest threat to your writing is… your mind? That’s right. Your mind is the biggest obstacle standing between you and all the work you are trying to accomplish. Our mind is often the one that needs the most convincing that our writing is worthwhile. This is because our mind is hard-wired to protect us from any possible danger. You see, in order to protect us, our mind initially perceives anything it encounters as a threat—including your writing.

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View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at What to do if a Client Hates Your Design (and more!) by spoongraphics. In this video learn what you can do if your client dislikes your design work, what you can try to avoid back pain while working at your computer and whether it’s a good idea to label yourself as a Freelance Designer.. Continue Reading