Christmas Giveaways for 2009: Marketcircle and ThinkGeek!

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned this year is that after 15 years of working in web development, it’s about time I launched my own website/portfolio.

I learnt a lot of lessons this year. One is hard to pick so a few important ones are:

1. The most important lesson I learnt this year about freelancing is to say NO to work which I dont like. Most freelancers forget the essence and the the biggest power of freelancing – the ability to say NO.

2. Value others time and business if you want them to value yours.

3. Ask for a fair price for your work and be firm about it.

The most important lesson I learnt this year was that organizing things gets work done faster and better. I hadn’t used a project management software before, but now can’t live without it.

One of my favorites was the Q & A’s of what you do. Seeing the advice of how to answer common questions effectively was great! First impression, last impression.

This is its link: http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/questions-answers-how-to-describe-what-you-do/

Would love the chance at Billings! It looks like a great solution.

Learned how an efficient and optimized workflow reduces overhead costs and makes freelancing-life more easy, even in hard times.

The most important thing I have learned about freelancing this year is that it has the power to open doors for me. I currently work full-time with the intention of eventually becoming freelance only. After feeling trapped at a desk and being left out of various aspects of the creative process (including direct contact with the client, which to me is one of the most important parts), freelancing on the side is when I feel the most free. It gives me energy and fills my tank, if you will. When the entire burden of a project is on me, I am all the more motivated to work as hard as I can and do the very best I can do.

The most important lesson I learned about freelancing is that no matter how good you organize, structure and plan things there will always be more than enough room for surprises (positive and negative).

The main lesson I learned is I can’t do everything for everyone for little or no pay. I like to be a nice guy. But I’ve learned to realize when I’m not the right guy for the job. And when I am the right guy, the client should pay me for my time, talent, and effort. That’s just how it works. Simple enough.

Honesty *is* the best policy. However much time or effort you think you can save with white lies.

my lesson is definitely; saying no when I already have a dozen of projects. in 2009 I could not say no and I had extremely overloaded days with projects. It effected my life in bad way; sleepless nights, hardly catching deadlines, stress, not giving enough time to my family and to my hobbies… so stressful year.

in 2010 I will have much better year!!

I think the most important thing was to just keep at things.

When working with a big company, always find and talk to the person highest up in the corporate hierarchy that will see and approve or reject your work. Do this before committing yourself to any kind of task or project.

The most valuable lesson for me this year by far has been to ALWAYS back up your data. Likewise, as I have been thrust fully into sales and marketing, the need for a great CRM tool is essential. I’ve tried and tried to make do with iCal, Mail and a variety of other To Do apps. So far, I am still not as coordinated as I would like to be. The Daylite demo was awesome, no I’m hoping to get my hands on the real McCoy!

Damn, yet again an awesome giveaway but I don’t have a mac to run it

go get it guys

Merry Christmas!

The brand is very important!

The most important thing I learned about freelancing is that you must do something your passionate about. If you don’t love the work you’re doing, you eventually will get burnt out, lose interest in it, or worse. The passion for the work helps tremendously in getting through tough times and also in keeping you learning new things.

This year I learnt how important it is to keep on tracks on my finance and taxes. Calculate my precisely my earnings. Now I know how important it is.

Thank you very much for this giveaway!

The most important thing I learned this year is to find people who have vision that you can get behind.

People that have vision and a desire to grow their company will provide a lot of work and will be welcoming of ideas and improvements and suggestions.

People that don’t have vision and are stuck in old-school thinking will be hard to up-sell and welcome improvements from my experience. They will say things such as, “Why would I need a social media strategy?” or “That’s too expensive, I’ll just outsource to India”

No matter how good business is this year, never stop to look around for new opportunities — there will come a time you wished you had.

The most important lesson I learnt was to look beyond one’s own nose. Your own niche isn’t always the best way to earn money – the internet and the media develop.

In the words of a master jedi coder: Do or do not, there is no try. My 2 cent freelancing lesson that should be published in kindergarten self-help books is simply to make a choice and stick with it.

This year my choice was to finally go freelance.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeehhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

The thing I’ve learned is to be more strict on clients about payment.

“If you make yourself a sheep, the wolves will eat you.”
— Ben Franklin

Give a good service!

I need to charge more and even though I work for myself, the boss can sometimes be an arsehole

Ronan Keating (Of Boyzone) summed it up! But I changed to word to suit!

” I’m designing each day
As if it’s the last
Designing all night
Having a blast
I want you right
Here next to me
We’re designing each day
As if its the last
Designing all night
Having a laugh
‘Cause baby
I have a deadline to-meet ”

- Terry

Original version I changed the second chorus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvPiKv8sUaU

- Terry

constant communication with wireframes and iterations with the client is imperative to make sure both parties are on the same page at all times.

Be passionate about your job.
Be curious and learn something new every day.
Choose to apply on jobs if you find interesting and challenging.
But don’t forget anyday that you’re working and not on an everlasting vacation…

Efficiency is the major factor in your success.

Freelancing thought me that everything’s not enough.

What I know is not enough, what I do is not enough, my time is not enough, what I earn is not enough and most of all I am not enough.

There’s always room to learn, to do better, to find more time for what I do so that I can earn more. And at the end of the day i realize that I have my limits and that there’s a need to interconnect with others.

That my personal limitation can be surpassed with the collective effort of the freelancing world sharing insights and ideas thereby enabling me to do better rather than doing it alone.

I’m not what I am if not for this interconnection and I highly regard my time as well-spent, every time I’m in a community like the Freelance Switch Community.

Always make contract which is bulletproof (=no room for interpretation).

The most important lesson I’ve learned in 2009 on freelancing is that you don’t always want every client that comes knocking on your doorstep. Sometimes it’s better to let those walk away that you know are going to give your mote trouble than they’re worth. There will be others!

I think the most awesome thing to learn is to reduce information overload and actually get things done. Once I unsubscribed from most of my feeds, moved back to bookmark my favorite sites and only visit them every once in a while I discovered a few more hours of time to be productive and get stuff done every day. Besides I slowly recovered from the visual overdose I had injected myself with following to many design blogs.

After all, creativity & inspiration comes from my inside. My thoughts are the biggest engine, while outside influences tend to distract me from the direction where I should be heading. Having no one watching over your shoulder is a blessing, yet can be a curse if you start to slack around and do too many things that don’t help you make ends meet.

Work for me is about having fun and challenging myself, not about trying to chase every latest trend and hot topic, trying to mold me into a niche that is too tiny to be fullfilling for my spirits. That’s why we are freelancing or not? One office is too small.

I’ve read every single comic strip of “Freelance Freedom”. What I’ve learned that has been huge for me as I continue my development and growth as a freelancer is that so much of what I experience is commonly shared by other freelancers. In other words, it has been the underlining realization that I am not alone. That is one major reason why I continue reading FreelanceSwitch.

Thanks!

I think the most important thing I’ve learned about freelancing is making sure that your client has the money to pay you. Sign a contract, and don’t take any jobs that will ‘lead to the funding of the project’.

I have defiantly learned to be more organized this year – getting an iPhone with apps such as Things & TimeSheet have helped. But it will be something I continue to work on in 2010.

This year taught me to better understand what activities feel rewarding and worthwhile — helping me to focus on the reason why one chooses to work freelance and what jobs are best avoided except in times of need. We can’t always have fun with our work, but it’s important to find the seeds of interest or positive experience in the majority of undertakings.

I get a lot useful advices, but the most important for me, when I should say “No”.

Biggest lesson: STICK TO THE PLAN! If the plan is to only take on specific types of projects, say no to the rest even if they have been long term customers. Compare accomplishments to goals often.

I think the most the important thing I have learned about Freelancing in 2009 would be “to Market yourself as much as you can”. And this is what I plan to do in 2010.

Most important thing I’ve learned…

Contracts have magical powers.

Such as:
- they show you the clients you don’t want to take on
- protect from “scope-creep”

…that one of the most effective tools to get new business is networking with (and helping) other freelancers.

I learned to say “no”.

This year I must say that we learned a lot. The main lesson that sticks with me is “All money ain’t good money….”

Meaning their were a few projects that I passed on knowing the client/project was not going to be worth the time and anguish that would go in to it.

And a great contract is worth its weight in gold.

I am really a beginner at this freelancing sphere, however the most useful information and tips I get from this blog. Freelance folder helped me to make a really great finances plan and helped me optimize the right time working with clients. I am a permanent and very happy reader of this great articles and tutorials how to work efficiently.

In addition, I would also like to suggest to minimize or even get rid of articles which are contained only of numbered heading. You know, those with 60+ bla bla and so on. There are not many of those here, but I do suggest avoid them.

The most important lesson I took this year was taking dance classes. So my freelance business is happy too. Learning new skills apart from computer and going out more, makes me more productive and I can deliver better work. You should try it. Tango and Salsa are my favorite.

P.s. You should also go and see Avatar too.

The most important lesson I learned came from the wonderfully amazing Freelance Switch Radio. And that lesson is: ALWAYS USE A CONTRACT.

The most important lesson I’ve learned in 2009 about freelancing:

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7)
I’ve gotten bigger jobs lately and its because of a change in my mindset. I will not let this economy get me down into a mindset of scarcity. Go for bigger and better clients and you’ll get them. If you think there are not many well-paying jobs, you won’t have any; because just as you think, so you are.

I can be successful even in this economy, there’s a lot of money just waiting to be spent on projects and I can be that person who receives it. Even though I take on little jobs from time to time, I shouldn’t stay stuck there and think that I have to always accept them. I can have a few huge paying jobs, or a multitude of low paying jobs – I don’t want the latter. At the end of the day, this is still America, and there’s plenty of wealth to go around. Drop the mindset of scarcity and believe in the abundance.

Most important lesson:
Didn’t think I would have to deal with this when working for fully-functional adult professionals, but you have to really lean on people to pay you sometimes. In a recession, people will dodge your calls and avoid paying you even the smallest of amounts. In the future, a clause in my contract detailing how late payments will accrue interest!

I’ve spent the last few years working for a design firm with salesmen, project managers, and a lot of developers. When I left and began freelancing, I would take whatever jobs came my way no matter how bad they seemed or how low the price tag.

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that I’m sometimes better off turning down the $500 job that seems like it’ll be an easy two day job… because it never is.

Hi!
I could say that everythink I have done was thanks to freenalanceswitch.com, thenetsetter.com and all envato.com friendly sites. When a huge depression came, I just had to look at at the comics in freelanceswitch.com and smile made my day.
When no ideas came, just got in here and that’s ir i am on the wave again. Everything, from planning till billing, talking with clients and organizing my work came from you!

I am happy i found you, now my work in our awfull country Latvia is more fun and open much opportunities!

I learned that my success come from doing something! Merry Christmas and a happy new 2010 Year!!!

I learned that freelancing is a martial art in disguise; self-discipline being its strongest attack AND defense. Freelancing has allowed me to weed out all my negative habits, which I would never have noticed otherwise. Simply put, it has taught me that freedom is nothing without discipline.

Getting necessary info from clients is like pulling teeth on occasion. Sometimes I feel like I’m stalking people to get information from them.

probably it would be, start your projects straight away as you get it, so that you can have a life during the last week prior the deadline.
Also keep track, and document all your work through different stages of progression, you never know maybe your client will like something that you did while experimenting with your ideas in your initial stages.

I learned to refuse to work for low budget clients.

Being good and being successful at your craft are not necessarily the same thing.

In no particular order:

- Saying NO to client I dislike feels good and improve my overall work.

- Being up to date on my accounting gives me more time for fun stuff, like eating cupcakes.

- Make plans, stick to them most of the time ^_^ (be a flexible planner)

- Seek other freelancer and share war scars!

I learned that sometimes clients simply need to be reminded that they never paid you.

There are actually two.

One don’t be afraid to say no to a client, some of them just aren’t worth it and Two make sure you take care of your body. Eat good and excercise.

The most important lesson I learned this year is twofold:

a) Get A Contract! No matter how nice people seem, only trust the written word they’ve put their signature on!

b) Get that up-front retainer! No matter how nice people that have signed contracts are, don’t give them any of your valuable time until they have paid you for some of it!

I learned that my time is more valuable than my money, and it pays to outsource some of my menial tasks so I can focus on my business.

The best freelance lesson that I’ve learned this year is that, an opportunity to work with a prospect doesn’t end when you fail an interview or your proposal was rejected. It actually ends when you think that business is only “TODAY” and there is no point in exerting effort to communicate with someone who rejected you. It thought me that business starts the very moment you decided to apply. Whether your prospect accepts or rejects at the first meeting, tomorrow is business as usual because you’ll never know when the need arises that you will become the perfect peg for the hole.

The most important thing I learned this year:

In the short term, failing is learning. In the long term, failing is certain death..

I’m pretty new to the business but I’ve already realized the importance of networking, developing connections for feedback, tips, client recommendations, and just general moral support; I’ve also come to realize the importance of the blogosphere in this regard, and making use of the tremendous amount of information being filtered out through the web these days.

The most important lesson I learned this year is to have a clear understanding of my worth!

Even when things are slower, it is important to stick to your rate and not under-value your worth in the market.

That worrying about money or the next client when I need it is a total waste of time! The work has always come in the past when I’ve needed it, and so will always continue to come in the future…

The less I worry, the more I thrive as a freelancer!

Elliott

One thing I have learned, communicate, don’t take things for granted. It may seem perfectly sensible to you, but no one said your clients will all be sensible, if there may be any slightest doubt or it takes you off the original plan, check and get it in writing.

Give better service = get better business.

Greet each (carefully chosen) job/client with enthusiasm, respect, and all around great service from start to finish. Deliver the best, deliver on time, and say thank you, send a note, keep in touch, make a connection that goes farther than your last invoice.

You can easily charge more when your client knows no one else will make the
process easier, more comfortable, and delivered confidently.

I think the always important lesson is to always use your time wisely so you are able to complete the projects you are working on in time.

I’ve learned that if I can start on my own in 2009 and not live in a cardboard box I am a success. In all seriousness, I have learned that it takes a strong backbone and a lot of guts to do this but the feeling of getting it done and being my own boss is more than I ever could of imagined. I still have a lot to learn to take this to the next level but for now I am happy with the success of year one!

Contracts are a must, definitely.

I wish I could pick just one lesson… but truthfully a whole year (my first year) of fulltime freelance work yields more than just one lesson.

1) Find time away from the computer. Eat. Play. Run. SLEEP. The activities away from the screen are good for your mind, body, and soul and they re-energize just about any creativity block.

2) Pay attention to the clients who are paying you well. Smaller paying jobs may seem more interesting and more fun (and less corporate) to work on, but if you plan to stay afloat in this business, even the most boring of clientele depend on your enthusiasm and commitment to accomplishing great work.

3) Experiment: With your design. With other software. With your workspace. With Starbucks, Panera, Borders, and anywhere with a free wireless hotspot. Figure out what works for you and drives your productivity.

4) Be social. The work doesn’t come knocking on your door. Network with other freelancers and business-minded people. Recognize and utilize each others talents online, in person, and even via email.

Finally… and debatably most important:

5) BREAK IT DOWN. Whatever you’re working on… break it down…

Break down your “assignment” into phases. Break down your client’s total bill into payments. Allow yourself to strive toward, accomplish, and complete a Phase I (determined by you in your initial contract) for each project and then get paid for it.

The process helps you organize. It gives you deadlines. It allows the client to see your progress and rightfully pay you for the work you’ve done. It makes giant projects less intimidating for you and giant payments less intimidating for your clients. And ultimately, it should yield a tracked progress of accomplishment for both you and your client.

P.S. Thank you Freelance Switch. I am grateful for all the fantastic tips this community has offered me in 2009.

The most important lesson is don’t sell…build relationships.

The recent freelance jobs I got was because people knew me, and already knew what I did, and we ready to use my services. I did not pitch them, if fact, I did not even know they wanted help until the contacted me.

Keep letting people know what work you are doing by joining the conversation as someone who cares, not as someone who has something to sell.

“If you Charge what You’re worth you actually can make à Living from freelance work”
Very Basic, but since I’m just starting off and always struggling betweem being cheap and Not getting Jobs, the Most Importanz Thing I try to remember when Sendung out estimates.

The most important lesson learned this years is: Learn to say NO sometimes.

I get a folks that come to me with a great idea for a website and a very low budget, I grow to like them and I give in. Before I know it, I am stressed over money because I spend 2 weeks of the month working for peanuts. Now when someone cannot afford my services I say “I love your idea, but I cannot work on your project”.

The most important lesson I learned this year is to read blogs like freelanceswitch, and comment on them.

I don’t mean comment to get the prizes when they’re on offer, but comment and give useful advice to your community.

I’ve been offered really good gigs this way and it’s a fantastic way to build your presence as a expert.

Over this year I have learned so much about freelancing, especially from freelanceswitch.com. At the beginning of the year I hardly knew about anything, so pretty much I have learned everything about freelancing. The most important of everything I have learned would be to be neat and organized with EVERYTHING! Being neat will help you in the long run and will make it much easier! In the beginning of ’09 I didn’t really know what to do. Then I got organized and researched. Now I have paperwork neatly stored offline, online, and on paper. Plus I have clients’ information stored using Address Book instead of notepad or text edit. Hopefully I will continue to do better for years to come. Thank you again Freelance Switch! Happy holidays!

The most important thing I have learned in 2009 is… slowdown happens. Save for the times when it is slow, and don’t spend all of my earnings when everything picks up.

the most important lesson i learned is to do what I love to do …while doing so, stay organized as much as possible, and back up my stuff (oh my gawd! the story i could tell about that fiasco) ..anyway yea..thats the most important things i learned this year

Trust nobody.

Thank you so much everyone for sharing your learning experiences. Mine match a lot. I have two that stick out in my mind for 2009:

1. Don’t give the client more than what they asked for. Be patient and communicate what you want to provide and don’t do the work until it is approved. Don’t spend money unless you know you will be reimbursed.

2. Don’t do pro bono work no matter how much a potential client says it is for a good cause, or it will lead to big jobs, or it is a try out period. Get paid for your efforts.

I really enjoyed writing articles for Freelance Switch and hope to continue. I just keep learning more and more from my fellow freelancers.

Happy Holidays.

I learned the importance of backing up data when my hard drive failed. Almost $800 spent on data recovery brought nothing that I wanted back.

Build stuff that solves your own problems. You are then the expert and know how to build your product. As 37Signals say “scratch your own itch.”

The most important thing I’ve learned is that freelancing provides an endless opportunity to learn! Learn from your mistakes, learn from tried and failed marketing approaches, learn online, learn from others, learn to work more efficiently…just don’t underestimate the importance of learning!

The most important lesson I learned this year about freelancing is networking is key! The more you get out there and market yourself, the more people will want to see your work. Word of Mouth is the most powerful tool!

The most important lesson I learnt this year is that no matter what I do; some people cannot be satisfied and I shouldn’t be hard on myself for it. No one can ask for anymore than my best, most importantly me.

I got freelance this year. What I learned is that I have to promote myself, build contacts, be honest, and create designs matching my visual style. Also: allways make time for friends and relaxation. This was a heavy but great year

The most important lesson I learnt from freelancing in 2009 is networking, networking, networking and always learning.

The most important lesson I have learned this year as a new freelancer is to creat a workflow that actually works instead of no allowing myself enough time to finish a project before jumping into another.

I’ve been freelance for 8+ Years and this year I learned…

- Relationships with other creatives really helps push you in business and creativity.

- You need to constantly re-asses the business side of your business. Processes make a difference as you reach the point where you are getting bigger then just you.

- Most importantly you have to MAKE time for your family, not just use whatever time is left over.

This most important thing I learn about freelancing in 2009 was follow up, follow up, follow up. Not letting the details slip through the cracks and confirming and verifying with clients to make sure we are on the same page has been key to the success I have had.

Also 2009 was about working quickly and smartly by not reinventing the wheel.

The most important lesson I learnt in ’09: To never do anything you’re good at for Free.

The most important thing i learned this year is: never stick only with one project, even if it’s too demanding, not only narrows the path, but also might give you unexpected results, either in finances, workflow or creative work.

The most important lesson I have learned in 2009 is that I actually _can_ do freelance work. Maybe not as awesome as I want (low bowing to the likes of Kristen, Dickie, John & Von…) but knowing that this path starts with small steps.

Of course a second important lesson learned is: Listen to FreelanceSwitch Podcasts!!! Thank you for these inspirational and wonderful resources.