Freelancers have to step outside their comfort zone for a number of reasons. You might be offered a collaborative project with a larger team than you are used to working with, or asked to take on a far bigger project than you would usually, or you want to create a side project, such as writing a book or launching a new enterprise.

Although you are excited about the new opportunity, it can be stressful, even scary, thinking about the implications if something goes wrong, but that shouldn’t put you off taking the plunge.

So what can you do to get a handle on problems that could derail your project, while keeping the risks in perspective?

How will you not let fear get in the way of enjoying your new challenge? How will you plan ahead before you go charging in, full of enthusiasm, only to get tripped up by something unforeseen?

What you need is a bit of basic risk management. Continue Reading

As a freelancer, you are on your own when it comes to keeping track of your finances. And let’s face it, the financial side of things are generally the last thing we want to mess with at the end of a day. As painful as it might be to some, we all have to take our financial future into our own hands.

This doesn’t have to be as time-consuming or frustrating as you may expect, however. A little planning can go a long way. Let’s take a deep breath and look at sure-fire ways to get the most out of your finances. Continue Reading

There are a lot of last minutes when it comes to freelancers and taxes. If you freelance full-time in the U.S, you’re expected to send in quarterly estimated payments, in addition to doing your yearly routine.

Even though taxes can be fairly routine, it’s worth making sure that you’re doing everything you can to make sure all the details are taken care of. That helps to make sure there’s more money in your pockets, and it also means that you will limit your tangles with any tax agency you deal with. Continue Reading

I got a call from a friend a few days ago and it seems his small business is getting smaller by the minute. Not only is he on the brink of collapse financially, his one major customer looks like they will be folding up shop soon and that will leave my friend broke, bankrupt, and unemployed.

After a minute of doing the “oh you poor thing” thing (I’m not much for having a pity party over a business because a business is either viable or it isn’t) I asked him what he was doing for the sales end of his business. Turns out, not much.

This is a very common problem among freelancers and small business people. We love to do what we love to do–for me it is writing, for others it is photography, designing websites, coding a new video game, designing purses…whatever it is that made you want to go into business in the first place.

BUT, and this is huge, if you don’t spend as much time selling your product as you do making your product, you won’t have a way to make money and that is what we are in business for. This seems like a simple concept but for many people, being a salesperson, especially when they are selling themselves and their own product, is really difficult. After all, if we wanted to be salespeople we would be working elsewhere.

SO, here’s a few tips to help you sell your service or product. Continue Reading

Freelancers are often frustrated by fluctuating income. And when you don’t have the luxury of getting regular paychecks, there is the tendency to make money mistakes. But you can avoid overspending and make better use of your money by practicing good money management.

Reaching your financial goals doesn’t mean you have to be a financial wizard. Nor do you have to hire a money manager.

What could be valuable however, is a personal finance app that helps you keep abreast of your finances. Even if you have achieved freelance success, and don’t have money worries, you can still learn to sharpen your money management skills right in the palm of your hand.

Have a look at 10 apps that you perhaps didn’t know you needed, but you won’t be able to live without once you start using them.

1. iReconcile

iReconcile’s motto is ‘keep your finance in check.’ The easily customizable Android app helps you manage day-to-day financial transactions using a checkbook register. You don’t need to keep a list of all items you bought or all the money you spent. The app does everything for you; once you enter each transaction, your new balances appear automatically. It also comes with free updates and online backup. 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 Ep 20: Taxes, Accounting, and Business Structures for Freelancers by Freelance Jam. In this video the Freelance Jam duo look at: How do you run a freelance business that is compliant in the eyes of the IRS? What is your legal business structure: LLC, sole proprietorship, or corporation?

How do you handle paying taxes? Quarterly estimates… etc. Do you have a system for setting aside money for taxes? What types of expenses do you write off as tax deductions? How do you keep track of business expenses? Continue Reading

I had the chance to talk with another freelancer the other day: she’s been offered the opportunity to take on a six-month project where she’d essentially be working full-time for a single client. The money is good, but there’s a catch in the contract—a non-compete clause. Continue Reading

Here’s the deal. Sure, we love freelancing and what we do. But, we do this stuff for money. Dough. Moolah. We are authentic businesses after all.

We provide a valuable service and deserve to be paid for our labors. However, at some point in our freelance careers, usually early on, we learn that there can be a major difference between billing a client and actually getting paid.

Plus, billing can be a stumbling block for some freelancers. Many seem to put it off for any one of several reasons. For some, it’s because they’re busy and too focused on the project at hand. As a result, their billing gets put on the back burner. For others, it boils down to their relationship with money. This seems to be especially true for freelancers in the creative arena.

For the latter, even with great tools such as QuickBooks or Freshbooks, that make invoicing a snap, there can still be a lot of anxiety. They worry about the client balking at their fee, whether or not they got the invoice right or worry about whether they are worth the fee. If that sounds like you, I’d suggest picking up a copy of The Money Book for Freelancers, by Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan or The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money by Ilise Benun. Both are excellent.

As freelancers it’s important to master the craft of billing and collecting. It’s easier than you might imagine and flourishes with a system in place. 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 Saving for Tomorrow, Tomorrow by Shlomo Benartzi.

It’s easy to imagine saving money next week, but how about right now? Generally, we want to spend it. Economist Shlomo Benartzi says this is one of the biggest obstacles to saving enough for retirement, and asks: How do we turn this behavioral challenge into a behavioral solution?

In this video Shlomo Benartzi uses behavioral economics to study how and why we plan well for the future (or fail to), and uses that to develop new programs to encourage saving for retirement.. Continue Reading

For freelancers who provide professional services, testimonials are an important tool. So are their first cousin – referrals. As a matter of fact, RainToday’s 2009 study, “How Clients Buy”, showed referrals from colleagues and other service providers topped the list at 79% and 75%, respectively, outpacing personal recognition/awareness (73%) and in-person seminars (66%).

We all love referrals. They’re often ready-made business, endorsed by your client or associate. They significantly reduce the sales cycle, if there is a sales cycle at all. Why? Buyers often find themselves with a fire that needs to be put out — right now. So, they scramble and call a few trusted associates for professional fire extinguishing recommendations.

We all love referrals. They’re often ready-made business, endorsed by your client or associate.

Many freelancers rely heavily on referrals. For some, it’s their only source of business. And here’s how it usually works. Mr. or Ms. Freelancer hang out their shingle and tell a few associates that they’re open for business. The associates, being the benevolent souls they are, want to help, so they tell some of their colleagues. The freelancer makes a few calls and lands a gig or two. They’re doing the happy dance. Then the phone starts to ring with a few more requests. Off they go into the merry world of self-employment.

The problem is that they’ve set up a behavior– a habit. They wait for the phone to ring or the inbox to jingle. They think, “I do good work, so people will refer me to others.” Sorry folks, in reality, it seldom works that way. Sure, your clients might think you’re great while you’re working on their project and shortly thereafter. But, soon they forget about you until they need your services again. This non-marketing marketing method may be just peachy for a while, but, eventually the phone stops ringing and the freelancer starts to freak.

Truth be told, even in good times, waiting for the phone to ring is a bad idea. It’s simply letting your business happen to you, rather than taking responsibility and making things happen. A better idea is to have a system in place to ensure those referrals keep rolling in and that they’re quality referrals. Continue Reading

Who am I? I’m Allan, a designer who went from freelancer who was grinding out a meager living to co-founding a highly profitable web shop, now we build our own apps, we host conferences and workshops.

Running a business is crazy hard. Freelancers fail for so many reasons. We often get so busy working that we don’t pause to think about if our current path is the right path for us.

We’re so busy trying to get work done on a deadline, exercise daily and meet the needs of our families that we’re literally working with our heads down. We’re so consumed by running a business that we don’t wonder if we’re truly happy. Continue Reading

In my previous post, I wrote about conducting a follow-up meeting after a project. This is the perfect time to ask for testimonials and referrals. You’re still fresh in your client’s mind and, providing the project went well, they think you’re the bee’s knees. The meeting, or better yet, lunch, should happen as close to the end of the project as possible. If you wait too long, your client will likely forget about you until they need your services again.

One of the most important marketing tools, especially for freelancers, are testimonials. Why? Before the project begins, and often well into it, there aren’t any tangibles. That spells high anxiety for your new client, as well as your prospects before signing on.

One of the most important marketing tools, especially for freelancers, are testimonials.

Working with a new service provider can be a scary proposition. Will you live up to their expectations? Will you be able to deliver the goods… on time and within budget?

Testimonials are an excellent way to help set their mind at ease. They’re an endorsement, ideally from someone like them, singing the praises of you. But, not all testimonials are created equal. Vague comments, initials-only sign-offs (e.g.: A.B., New York), lack of specific benefits and results tend to water down testimonials.

On the flip side, well-crafted client comments will go a long way toward positioning you as the “go to” person, an effective problem-solver, increase the perceived value of your work and, ultimately, make closing a deal loads easier. Continue Reading