Cross Selling More than Just Your Services
Credit: james.gordon6108 on Flickr
As freelancers, the main thing we can sell is our services. Clients come to us because they want a particular project completed and we have the right skill set to accomplish it. But the truth of the matter is that we have a little more room to maneuver, at least when it comes to what we sell. We can upsell and cross sell our services to further establish our relationship with our clients and improve our bottom line.
What, Turn Down a Job?
Credit: Lucas Cobb on Flickr
Recently I parted ways with a long time client. It was an agonizing decision: my contact person had always been wonderful to work with. The projects I worked on were always right up my alley. So why did I ditch this seemingly perfect client? Their payment came from a third party, and typically took up to a year to arrive. And if I didn’t put pressure on them, I’d probably never get paid at all.
I had prepped myself for this for months. I told myself that before taking another project, I’ll explain the problem and suggest better payment terms. If no improvement could be made, I’ll pass on the job. However, I accepted ‘just one more’ assignment a few too many times before I finally bit the bullet.
Top 10 Open Source Project Management Apps for Freelancers
Successful freelancers know that time is money. Efficient task and time management are the key factors for freelancers. One freelancer may simultaneously lead several projects, need to communicate with a dozen of clients, and have numerous deadlines to hit. To turn freelance chaos into prioritized work order, there are many project management tools in the getting things done software market.
However, most project management tools are expensive or don’t meet freelance needs. Let’s face the truth: the majority of freelancers are budget-limited, work in small teams with multiple clients located worldwide, or are scattered all over the country. Thus, freelancers want cheap, ideally free, highly customizable project management solutions for efficient team-working.
Let me introduce 10 free, open source project management products that are likely to fit your freelance requirements:
1. Collabtive
Collabtive
Collabtive is a web-based open source project management suite. A quick look inside shows that Collabtive has all the basic features: milestones, task management, time tracking, calendar. Moreover, you can import Basecamp projects and get RSS updates. Laconic, clean interface can be enriched by paid plugins provided by the vendor.
Clients Don’t Quit Projects, They Quit Freelancers
Credit: disorderly on Photodune
There is an old adage in the business world that “employees don’t quit jobs, they quit managers.” The idea is rather basic and reminds us that it is most often the people and not the actual job that generates turnover.
I think this philosophy holds true to running a freelance based business. But consider it this way: “clients don’t quit projects, they quit freelancers.” Heck, a client might be using a freelancer to begin with because they quit an agency that was driving them nuts.
What I want to talk about here are some ways to develop a business based on clients that don’t want to quit. After all, if we effectively retain our clients we will spend less time searching for new ones. Not to mention that extremely happy clients will most often refer new business.
Top Freelance Jobs from Job Board – Week 3, July
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 Freelance Magneto Developer, Social Media, Front End Web Development 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 #77, Buy Creativity, Damn Lazy, Half Life
10 Apps for More Efficient Tweeting
As Twitter continues to grow at an incredible pace each day, the importance of the platform grows with it. Developing a strong social media presence and growing your network of followers demands being active on Twitter. Fortunately, there exist many tools out there that assist us in making our life easier and more efficient on Twitter. Here are ten tools that will increase your efficiency, while allowing you to retain your genuine personality when tweeting.
Why You Can’t Buy Creativity
“The work had better be good, I’m paying them enough.” Over the years I’ve heard this statement – or versions of it – from many different managers charged with getting creative work out of their teams. From a conventional management perspective, it probably sounds like common sense. But to anyone who understands the nature of creativity and what motivates creative people, it’s a recipe for disaster.
How to Grow Social Media Leads: New Research
Have you wondered, “How often should I post articles on my blog?” or “How does my social media reach impact lead generation and traffic?” Two brand-new studies by HubSpot and Edison Research provide fresh insights on these important questions. Consider these five findings as you enhance your social media and blogging strategies.
How To Grow Your Business With Content
View awesome conference lectures, engaging how to discussions, and high quality freelance business advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.
This week we look at How To Grow Your Business With Content by Michael Stelzner. Are you wondering why your business needs content? When you produce high-quality content, it’s a gift to your audience that they appreciate.
If you think of your business as a rocket, content is the fuel that moves it forward. Be sure to watch this edition of Social Media Examiner TV where Michael shares 6 awesome ways to grow your business with content and take it to the stratosphere.
Ask Freelance Switch: Promoting Yourself and Pricing
In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at promoting yourself as a freelancer and pricing. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.
Question 1
Hello, I am a Publicity student, in my last year of college and I’m starting doing some freelancing. I want to know if the use of online portfolios and also talking in specifics communities in the social networks is a good thing to try to catch some freelancing jobs?!
Creating an online portfolio is a must for freelancers these days. While you used to be able to take your portfolio around to prospective clients, you’ll find most of them will prefer to look at your work online. It’s also far more efficient than lugging around a big portfolio. The big question is whether to use a portfolio site or set up your own website — and I absolutely recommend setting up your own site. You have no control over whether a portfolio site might go down at some point, but you do have a lot more control over your own website.
5 Ways NOT to Use Twitter for Freelancers
Credit: Steve Garfield on Flickr
Twitter is a great social media resource for any business, freelancing included. It can help you brand yourself, build a network of like-minded users, promote your work, and share news about your business. As the social media manager for three print publications, I spend a fair amount of time on Twitter each day. And I’ve learned a thing or two about Twitter etiquette.
Twitter offers you 140 characters to share information, but there’s much more to it. No matter if you are new to the Twittersphere or you already have a Twitter handle, here are five things that can kill you on Twitter.
The Rise and Evolution of Remote Desktop Software
Credit: SimpleFoto on Photodune
Providing effective “on-demand” technical assistance and support often involves not only one’s personal IT knowledge and experience, but also a reliable set of technical products that help get the job done.
The rise and evolution of remote desktop software has enabled IT businesses of all sizes to deliver immediate “incident resolution” to their clients and colleagues located anywhere in the world, while eliminating geographical distances, national borders, and other constraints that were at play only 15 years ago. Such products play an essential role in improving the overall bottom line of any freelance IT business by excluding various costs associated with time consuming on-site visits.
The recent years have delivered a significant expansion of the remote desktop software industry, and today a business of any size is able to choose from a number of various remote desktop products based on its own budget and functionality requirements. As the owner of a small IT company, I am able to share my personal experience regarding the evolution of browser-based remote desktop software as an alternative to VNC-based products that dominated the market only several years ago.
Review: Publish Your Photography Book
Publish Your Photogrpahy Book
Is there a book in you? If you’re a photographer, the answer is probably a resounding “Yes!”
Whether you’re dreaming of producing one of those coffee table books with a hefty price tag or if your desires run to creating a client-wowing portfolio that doesn’t look like all those other portfolios, you’re in luck. Thanks to the proliferation of print-on-demand companies like Blurb, Fastback, Creative Books, and Shutterfly, getting your photo book into the hands of readers is easier than ever.
Note that I used the word “readers.” That was deliberate. The reality of the photography book publishing world is that it’s difficult to find buyers. Photography books are like poetry books in that the supply far exceeds the demand.
However, there are a few photographers whose books are collected like fine paintings. Expect to find their books on some very high-priced coffee tables. But these people are the exception, not the rule.
