It’s rare that you’ll see a well-rested, socially adjusted, and emotionally fulfilled individual publish rants to a blog or Twitter page. But if you take sleep, confidence, and satisfaction from the happiest of people you’ll quickly see sniveling, snapping beasts emerge.

They’re not evil. Just fatigued. Unfortunately, “I was tired” won’t fix the damage caused by unsightly outbursts. You can avoid many of their mistakes by putting the following into practice: Continue Reading

You began with a glorious hallucination of what social media was going to do for your business, social life, and even writing ability. You tweeted, facebooked, and smothered Linked-in contacts with glowing recommendations. You commented on all the top blogs in your niche and dutifully updated your own blog on-schedule. You may have even dropped a few hundred dollars to listen to others tell you how to tweet, facebook, and smother.

Then you woke up. You may have read about a freelance writer moving to a tropical island, seen Dell Outlet’s sales report, or heard a podcast from some kids paying for college by selling iPhone apps. No matter the trigger, it suddenly hits you that you seem to be the only one not making big money from this social media “thing.” All the happy conversations, serendipitous connections, and lessons learned seem tarnished and heavy in your hand. You’re exhausted and have so little to show for all your labor! Continue Reading

Most creative partnerships begin in very organic ways. You meet at a conference or bump into each other at a local co-working space and hit it off. You realize your work styles align and that your skill sets are complimentary. It’s time to pick a name for your dream agency!

Or is it? Not every freelancer wants to own an agency. There are many reasons why freelancers decide to team up. Among them,

• Specialization – A creative partnership may enable those involved to spend more time doing what they love most and do best.
• A credibility boost – Working with other respected freelancers increases your credibility as an individual.
• Greater income – Combining forces makes bigger projects possible. With those bigger projects comes the potential for significantly bigger paychecks.

But how do you get that and everything else you’re hoping to get from your new creative partnership? Continue Reading

Photo by Thomas Beck Photo.

I walked into Wholefoods this past week with a list of things to buy. I walked out of the store with more than my groceries. I had three new business cards in my pocket. Each with hastily-scrawled notes on the back. I grinned as I packed my groceries into the car and headed home.

I had just generated three great leads. The first one I found in front of the Kombucha display. She’s helping her sister develop an online presence for her retail store. The third was behind me in a surprisingly slow checkout lane. We both expressed our satisfaction with the wait as it gave us time to connect. We’re meeting for lunch next week to discuss a social media strategy for his restaurant.

How was I able to do that? The mechanics of my behavior can be broken down into some basic principles you can use to promote your freelance business. Of course, you’ll have to infuse them with our own spicy blend of personality and expertise. I’ll try to keep the tips brief and answer any specific questions in the comments.

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One of the most difficult parts of freelancing is the tendency of the freelancer to eventually lose joy for the work. You may have come, like me, from a gig that paid well but didn’t fully capitalize on your talents. You decided to start working as a freelancer in order to make money doing what you love. That’s what this is all about, right? Following your passions?

The struggle comes when, as with anything, the shine fades. But you have it extra tough as freelancers because you’re left without any of the protective structure of a formal work environment. This isn’t a salary position. You can’t have a bad day, get nothing done, and make your boss happy by doing twice as much the next day. An off day for you means no billable hours.

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Are you supposed to be doing something else right now?

You’re probably in the midst of a complicated project and had planned to take just a minute to send a tweet or update your Facebook status. Then you saw the link to this article and figured that reading about how to manage distractions would be a good thing to know. Hot Suzy in a basket of muffins, you’re distracted!

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I was eleven when I removed two of my front teeth with a pair of needle nose pliers.

Many use the phrase, “like pulling teeth” to describe a very difficult process. If you’re just starting out as a freelancer, chances are good that you’ve not yet encountered the tooth-pulling part of the gig.

If you’re a veteran, you already know what I’m talking about. You know about the late nights, uncertainty, and self-doubt in the face of impending deadlines. You know the depth of character and creative tenacity it takes to succeed as a freelancer. It’s not easy. But nobody said it needs to be. I believe freelancing, especially in its early stages, should be much like pulling teeth. Continue Reading

“The shoemaker’s children go barefoot.”

You’re not a shoemaker but the saying still fits. Between client projects, conferences, and social obligations (okay, okay, WOW clan meetings may count as social obligations), your site has been sorely neglected. A neglected website might not seem like a big deal if you’re flush with work. But what happens when, Zeus forbid, work slows? You’ll start pushing for new work, realize that your site is a mess, and spend time working on your site you should have spent landing new contracts.

As a reminder for the veterans and a guide for those just starting out, here are seven elements of a successful freelancer’s website:

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