Video: Steve Jobs on How to live before you die
View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.
This week we look at Steve Jobs on How to live before you die by Steve Jobs. In this video the CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, urges us to pursue our dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks — including death itself..
Cal Evans and the Education of Freelance Developers
It’s not uncommon to find educational conferences and seminars for most professions. But finding educational opportunities when you’re a freelancer can be a more difficult matter.
Cal Evans, the founder of Day Camp 4 Developers is looking to solve that problem — at least for developers.
The Importance of Educating Freelancers
Whether you’re a developer, an illustrator or some entirely different variety of freelancer, getting the right skill sets to grow your business can be tough. Even identifying those skills can be problematic: there are plenty of great schools turning out top-notch developers and other creatives. But very few teach anything in the way of how to mange the business side, even down to the basics of how to create an invoice. Continue Reading
Top 10 Free Online Storage Apps
Cloud computing oppens new opportunities for freelancers. One of them is free online file synchronization and storage. Nowadays you can sync your PC files and manage your documents on the go. Share files with your employer or other freelancers. Make an online backup or roll back to previous file version. All these actions are possible with modern online file sharing applications.
Here are the top ten online storage and file sync services that are suitable for freelancing document needs:
1. Dropbox
Dropbox
Dropbox is a leading folder sync tool. Dropbox gives 2GB free online file storage, which may be increased up to 8GB. Install Dropbox software on PC, Mac, Linux, or mobile devices. Put files you want to store in your Dropbox folder, share a folder with someone, or sync files with other device. I think Dropbox is the easiest file sync software I’ve tried. It’s simple to setup and easy to work with.
Getting Your Book into Print
Credit: Kirstypargeter on Photodune
There was a time when getting one’s words into print and out to the reading public was time-consuming and expensive.
If you were going the conventional route and seeking publication with one of the major houses, you wouldn’t have been considered unless your project was submitted by a literary agent. Which meant that you’d have to find an agent first.
I’ve traveled this route myself – and I quickly found that the literary agency world has a hierarchy. Up at the top are the name-brand authors who write the bestsellers. Below them are the seasoned authors who may not have the name recognition of the superstars, but they can be counted on to produce books that sell.
Then there’s the third tier, which consists of everyone else – first-time authors, unknowns who aren’t first-timers, and that guy down the street, you know, the one who writes poetry on weekends. I found myself firmly in the third tier, which meant that my book project only got cursory attention from the agency I signed with.
So, what’s a resident of the not-so-exalted third tier to do? Well, if you’re bound and determined to get your book into print, consider publishing it yourself.
Get it now: LinkedIn & Lovin’ It!
Rockable Press is very proud to announce the launch of our newest book, LinkedIn and Lovin’ It!
Why a LinkedIn book? LinkedIn veteran and FreelanceSwitch writer Susan Johnston was encouraged to write a guide on LinkedIn after noticing something: “Although LinkedIn is a fantastic platform for freelancers and other creative professionals, I noticed that much of the information on LinkedIn is geared towards job-seekers. So, I decided to create my own guide specifically tailored to people who consult, freelance, or own a business.” In LinkedIn and Lovin’ It, Susan Johnston teaches you how to build a rock solid LinkedIn network that can be a constant source for recommendations and referrals. Advice includes:
- Setting up every aspect of your profile to bank on maximum response.
- Build your network to reach your next top client, employer, or partner.
- Build your profile to get your work in the spotlight.
- Do research on the competition & companies, find jobs, gather data.
Interested? Head over to the Rockable Press page to download a free 14 page sample! LinkedIn and Lovin’ It is available in three DRM-free ebook formats (epub, mobi, and pdf) for only $17. Join Rockable Press’s LinkedIn Group to get an additional voucher for $3 off!
We’ve had a few posts recently discussing the usefulness of networking sites like LinkedIn for freelancers: 5 Reasons to Use LinkedIn, Are You Getting Clients on LinkedIn? And over on Rockable Press’s own LinkedIn Group, we’ve had a fantastic discussion full of tips for freelancers looking to network. Read on for some of the tips from our readers!
Since I’m a FreelanceSwitch writer, I have to keep coming up with ideas for articles. Since LinkedIn is one of those places where you have to write in order to communicate, it’s a great generator of raw material. Say someone asks a question, I answer it, and I happen to think that my answer is pretty clever. (It’s one of those writer things. We all think that what we say is pretty clever.)
So, I take said clever answer, do the copy and paste thing, and there it is, the germ of another FreelanceSwitch article. Call it the LinkedIn Forced Writing Plan. (Martha Retallick)
Importance of Community – Part III
Welcome to Part III of our series on civic mindedness. Previously we’ve heard from the head of the Northwest Freelancers Association in Washington State and a freelance public relations manager in Ohio. Today we talk with a top-notch professional wedding photographer with a big heart.
A former photographer and photo editor for USA Today and The Washington Post, Emilie Sommer moved to Portland, Maine in 2003 to open her own wedding photography business called emilie inc. Her business has grown to include two additional photographers, videographer, graphic design artist, and photo booth.
In the ultra competitive world of wedding photography, Emilie Sommer stands out from her peers, not only because of her talent and business acumen, but because of a side project—Pink Initiative. Sommer started this nonprofit to bring wedding industry professionals and private donors together to fund awareness, outreach, education, and research for breast cancer. Continue Reading
How to Deal: A Freelancer’s Guide to Coming to Terms with a Gig Gone Bad
Credit: v4 on Photodune
When I began freelancing, I was open to anything. I would take just about any job, at just about any pay.
I’m still like that, sometimes, although my standards have grown. Still, I don’t buy into the “I’m above that” mindset that many freelancers have. If there’s a gig out there that offers flexibility and the chance to do work I like, I’ll consider it.
So when an opportunity recently came up that offered less-than-stellar pay but plenty of other perks, I wondered why I was intrigued. After all, money is everything, right? Well, not really. It was the work that I thought I would enjoy–and I did.
So I took the job, thinking that there would be some flexibility, and that I would be part of a team that communicated well. Turns out, the only good thing about the opportunity was the work…everything else wasn’t as great as I thought it would be, and I’m not even talking about the pay.
It’s OK if You’re Not an Expert
Credit: Novic on Photodune
As a freelance writer, you have probably created a niche around your expertise. Maybe it’s healthcare, knitting, or finance. And I bet you spend the majority of your time writing about things you know a lot about. But what happens when you are asked to write about a topic you’re not all that familiar with?
No one expects you to be an expert on every topic. However, if you truly are a professional writer, you should be able to write about anything. And tackling a topic you don’t know anything about can be a good exercise in research.
5 Reasons for Freelancers to Use LinkedIn
Many of the freelancers I know stay active on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +, but they ignore one of the most powerful professional networks out there: LinkedIn.
Maybe it’s because they think LinkedIn is for job-seekers. Maybe it’s because they like procrastinating by reading celebrity gossip or watching the viral video du jour on other social networks. Maybe it’s because they don’t know how to leverage their LinkedIn profile to land new clients (believe me, they can and you can too!).
Whatever the reason, freelancers who aren’t on LinkedIn are missing out on opportunities to network, share useful content, and otherwise grow their business. Here are five reasons why you should use it.
Top Freelance Jobs from Job Board – Week 3, September
Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and come from a wide range of potential clients. The job board is hand-moderated by dedicated staff and volunteers from the freelance community.
Each week, we’ll feature a selection of the best job opportunities posted for the week. This week, we’re featuring jobs in Web Design, Copywriting, Proposal Writing and more!
To apply for any of these jobs, simply pick up a FreelanceSwitch membership for an affordable $7 a month. See something you like? Join now!
Linkswitch #86, Conference Pricing, Secret Formula, Inner Calling
International Freelancers Day — It’s About Time!
International Freelancers Day (IFD) is a global initiative to celebrate independent workers, their entrepreneurial spirit and the tremendous impact they have on economic growth. The celebration will center on a free online conference of the same name. This fully online event is the biggest-ever free (yes, it really is free!) Web conference exclusively for solo professionals. It features 4+ hours of educational video presentations delivered by 17 high-caliber speakers in the areas of freelancing, self-employment, solopreneurship, marketing, social media and personal development.
Is Conference Pricing Out of Control?
You’ve surely experienced the letdown of registering for a conference, only to find that it costs $1,000 (or more) to attend (not including travel expenses). Isn’t that a bit extreme for two days worth of training? Then again, is that the only way the conference organizers can cover the high costs of planning such an event? Let’s see…
How to be a Leader: Practical Advice for the 99.9% of Us Who Aren’t Steve Jobs
I think it’s a given that we cannot be effective leaders if we first don’t understand how to submit to authority and follow leaders who are placed over us. Submitting to authority is an unpopular concept these days. But unpopular or not, it’s a reality we all live with. The true test comes when we tell our boss or client, “This is what I think we should do. Can we move forward?” and they say, “No.” When a client says that, it’s a lost sale. But when your boss tells you that … it’s a different matter entirely.
