Uses of Systematization for Freelancers
Freelancers in every field face a constant challenge to achieve and maintain a high level of productivity and quality in their work. One of the ways that you can improve your results is by development of systems or routines for various aspects of your work. Most likely you do some of the same things day-after-day and week-after-week. Having a proven system for getting these things done can bring several positive benefits. In this post we’ll look at why you would want to develop you own systems and some areas of freelancing life that lend themselves to systematization.
Getting Through Freelance Rejection
The new year is always a good time to reflect upon your business practices of the previous year. Did you perform as well as you’d hoped as a freelancer? Or did you get rejected more often than you were expecting?
When you’re turned down for a freelance gig, how does it make you feel? It stings, right? Even when you have a few years of experience. It’s tough enough being a lonely freelancer, tougher still being rejected for a gig you were hoping for – or worse, counting on.
Gaining an Edge in Tough Economic Times
With economic conditions rather on the grim side, it makes sense to look for ways to distinguish yourself from the competition, to strengthen your appeal to existing and potential clients. This goes beyond just a general increase in marketing activity. It is a matter of enhancing your value to your customers, of showing them how doing business with you can stretch their tight budgets a little farther.
Most freelancers can add value to the services they offer by tapping an area of expertise they may not realize they have. The fact is that as you work with clients and complete projects, you become more and more knowledgeable about the world your client contacts live in: their constraints, their needs, their preferences, their goals, their habits, their procedures, their biases and assumptions about working with people just like you.
Become More Efficient By Simplifying Your Life
Simplicity is a concept that we all desire, yet very few of us follow. Ironically, despite its definition, achieving simplicity can be extremely hard! We manage to get our stupid brains in the way. The two voices inside our head battle each other out until the selfish one wins. As a result, our job performance suffers and the quality of our lives diminish.
A simple life is vital if you want to maximize your creativity and productiveness. So how can we become simple when our lives our so complicated?
Step 1: Decide That You Want A Simple Life
You can’t expect to follow the forthcoming steps unless you, too, agree that a simple life is what you need. This decision can be harder than you might think. I struggle with it a great deal. On one hand, I love technology and make a living off of it. I’m constantly researching the newest gadgets and salivate when I watch the trailer for Resident Evil 5. On the other hand, I’m sickened by the fact that, by the time the “Indiana Jones” credits are rolling, I’m already checking my email from my phone. You know you do it too! How pathetic is that? Now, simplifying your life doesn’t mean that you ignore your responsibilities. It merely means that, by reducing the stress that fills up so much space in our heads, we can work on our projects with a much greater focus.
Solo Freelancers With Agency-Level Effectiveness? Here’s How
Recently, one of my friends asked me how I handle scheduling, getting content first and getting it on-time. I’ve been working in graphic/web design for six years professionally, primarily with non-disclosure (ND) clients.
The most important insight I gained during six years of working with different agencies is that each company has a different way of dealing with things. The most successful agencies had a few things in common.
Here’s what I learned from the big guns:
- To schedule effectively, build a base of clients that will need on-going work.
- To get the content up front, ask for it.
- Place the client at the center of the universe, but with limits. Explain to them the benefits of these limits.
- Understand that they want to be loved by you. Stay in touch!
Schedule
As referenced in this article and many more on the site, the 80/20 marketing rule should be your best friend. You need to massage your existing client base and ensure that it’s actually made up of companies that can give you business.
Effective Prioritizing for Freelancers
Freelancing is often a juggling act. Not only are you working on several different projects at any given time, but you’ve probably also got projects that are all at various stages of development.
Starting new projects, finishing others, and diving deeper into even more can make organization and planning a difficult task. You’ll constantly be facing the challenge of managing your time effectively to balance all of your clients and to keep completing jobs.
If you’re like me, there’s nothing more satisfying than completing a job and crossing it off of your to-do list (well, getting paid is pretty rewarding too, but that’s getting off track). Personally, I function far more effectively when I have a challenging but realistic list of tasks for each day and each week. Without planning for the use of my time I tend to lose focus and spend my time less productively.
As I’m creating my task list for each day, and throughout the day as I determine how to allocate my time for each task, I have to prioritize. Effective prioritizing is a necessity for freelancers to maximize their efficiency and productivity. Because we’re all different, what works for me may not work for you. There’s no right or wrong approach, but we all need to find our own ideal method of prioritizing. Continue Reading
Review: Wacom Cintiq 12WX
As the gap between analog and digital realms continue to merge, we are constantly on the lookout for ways to increase our efficiency while maintaining the sense and idea of the dreams that we are trying to bring to life. Wacom, a well known contender in this field, with product lines from the Bamboo to the Intous (among others), are hoping to continue the momentum of their past 25 years with the release of the Cintiq 12WX.
A pen tablet with a 12.1″ LCD display that is targeted at not only the professionals who have been able to resist the Cintiq line thus far, but also amateur artists and photographers who are interested in keeping a natural feel in their digital workflow. Can a small screen with a big history provide the tools to bring the analog world even closer to the digital universe? We took a few weeks to take a closer look at this hybrid display, and now present our results. Continue Reading
