Working as a contractor–or freelancing as it is often termed–is both a great stepping stone to running your own business and a viable career in itself. For the uninitiated, there can be numerous hurdles to overcome on the way to starting and having a successful freelancing career.

As a former freelancer myself and having employed more than a few, I have observed some of these hurdles firsthand. This article discusses some of the ins and outs of both freelancing and running a small business.

This article is also available in French. Pour nos chers lecteurs de la langue Francaise, je suis heureux de vous informer que vous pouvez lire une traduction complete de cet article: Le guide complet du débutant freelance. Continue Reading

You need practical advice on what to do, if you’ve decided to make the switch to freelancing. But let’s first explore what not to do (with a little humor added in).

1. Be a Nobody

You don’t need credibility. It’s too bad, because with just a few updates and easy fixes you could really turn yourself into a branding superstar.

It’s doesn’t take a lot of work to be a nobody. You don’t have a website or business cards. Your portfolio hasn’t been updated in years. Social media accounts? Why would you need those? Online exposure – offline reputation; what difference does it make?

You don’t need credibility. It’s too bad, because with just a few updates and easy fixes you could really turn yourself into a branding superstar.

2. Be Disorganized

There’s no reason to spend time getting things in order: contracts, invoicing, expenses, taxes, clients – it’ll all work itself out. The reason you’re here is the work – the projects. No need to focus on the details.

You’ll just guestimate when it comes time to send an invoice. Oh – you didn’t have a contract? So sorry, my disorganized friend, time management and organization are the keys to successful freelancing. Too bad you’re not willing to give it a try. Continue Reading

Dragons are dreadful.

And you know they’re there. Lurking in the shadows. They’re just waiting for you to come out in the open, not knowing about their presence.

And when they do show themselves, and if you’re not prepared, they will rip you apart and burn you to a crisp.

So what does a freelance warrior have to do to slay those nasty, vile creatures? Of course, the answer is to always come prepared. Let me tell you how later. But first, let’s talk about those dragons. Continue Reading

As many freelancers eventually realize, going into business for yourself means you actually take on two separate (very different) full time businesses. How’s that for a surprise when you originally thought that you could blissfully code away and somehow the money would start rolling in? Continue Reading

Having a strong brand can be a game-changer for your freelance business.

Good brands command respect and establish a reputation. They establish your presence in the marketplace. When questions arise like “where can I find a good freelance writer” or “where do I go to get my website redesigned” … strong brands immediately come to mind.

So how do you build your brand? What rules of branding should you follow?

It takes time and effort, of course, but here are 5 often overlooked rules to remember when branding your freelance business… Continue Reading

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

This week we look at Web Development from Scratch Video: Helpful Dev Web Apps by Jeffrey Way of Nettuts+. In this video (aimed at beginner web designers) Jeffrey takes a step back from coding just long enough to bookmark ten very helpful web apps that you should be familiar with. This is part of a video series on Web Development from Scratch.

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Freelancing with a day job can do more than ‘just’ bring in a little side cash. While that does help, there are more advantages to consider. Freelancing is a way to distribute risk. Especially in uncertain economic times, it’s good to seek alternative forms of income than full-time employment. Having a single source of income leaves you vulnerable.

How secure are you at your current job? If you’re still in the 9-5 trenches, and vulnerable to layoffs, then developing a freelance side business is a fallback plan to consider. Let’s look at some factors that make freelancing ideal in today’s economic climate.

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Credit: Patrick Gaudin on Flickr

For some of us, the progression from a full time career to a freelance state of mind can be as easy as handing in the notice and running for the exit. However, for others the transition can be full of worry, stress and anxiety.

I’ve been pretty lucky in my freelancing career. My progression from hobby to job was sudden and straightforward (to the extent that I’ve never actually worked for anyone other than myself!), but there are many people who are currently sitting at their office desk, looking for a way to follow suit.

For some people, the event that triggers anxiety is being the only (or primary) source of income for a household (putting added pressure on a consistent pay check), for others the business side of things seems like a dark art full of mystery and complicated rituals. While both of these are valid concerns, I believe that anyone (no matter their background) can succeed as a freelancer, even with these variables at work. It’s all just a matter of learning to dodge a few easy to spot bullets!

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At just 26 years old, Scott Gerber is revolutionizing the way that people think about work. He is the founder and CEO of Gerber Enterprises, an entrepreneurial development and venture management company that has launched several successful businesses.

But his passion goes beyond business–he wants to help other young business people and thus founded the Young Entrepreneur Council, an advocacy group made up of many of the world’s top young entrepreneurs that works to help young people overcome the devastating effects of youth unemployment and underemployment by teaching them how to build businesses. Did I mention he wrote a book, too? There’s so much to tell–so I asked.

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credit: antonella.beccaria on flickr

January is National Mentoring Month in the United States. Wherever you are in the world, I suspect that many of us have a mentor (or five) to thank for our freelance successes. I personally have a handful of generous, wonderful people who helped connect me with potential clients, find my voice as a writer, and navigate contract negotiations when I was first starting out.

I still turn to several of these mentors for advice periodically, but I’ve also found myself on the other side of the table, mentoring up-and-coming writers as they build up their confidence and client base.

Here are some of the tips I’ve learned about being a good mentee. Continue Reading

Credit: Cory Doctorow, gruntzooki on Flickr

Back in the early ´80s – if you were actually born at that point when I was a young music student in the UK – on graduating, aspiring soloists organized the production of a nice glossy brochure, set up a few high profile concerts and then gained experience by treading the national music society circuit. You might offer teaching in order to pay your rent and perhaps enter a few local competitions to raise your profile and that was that – all quite straightforward.

With the advent of the Internet, social marketing, MP3 downloads and You Tube, from a marketing perspective it seems to me that a musician’s life is just a mite bit more complicated, or perhaps that’s  just my middle-age talking! These days if you fail to have a presence in the Internet, so far as a potential audience is concerned, you don’t exist – period.

One question I’m asked a lot is whether or not a classical musician needs a website in order to be successful. I know I need a website. The answer to that poser is ideally, yes – should you have the requisite funds to pay the costs of a competent web site designer, but not necessarily – an important consideration if you find yourself in a tight financial corner and already possess some working knowledge from your personal use of the Internet. Continue Reading

I never cease to be amazed by the number of players I meet who still believe in playing the classical music equivalent of corporate cubicle nation – clinging onto the notion that an orchestral job is fundamental to reputation and survival.

Those of us who have already escaped from the traditional straitjacket can assure you that life is infinitely more pleasurable and less stressful when you’re fully in control of your own destiny.

For classical music jobs, successful freelance musicians center their work around the concept of a “portfolio” career. In order to survive and thrive with such a lifestyle, just like learning to play an instrument, it is essential that you start with the basics in order to build solid foundations.

Following the method outlined below, I re-launched my classical music career after two decades out of the industry and have never looked back. It works! Continue Reading