An old German proverb, “The devil is in the details,” was contradicted by the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who said, “God is in the details.” I don’t know which saying is true, but I do know that freelancers are often caught in the middle of these two points of view.

Many freelancers like me are afflicted by an obsession with the details of their work. We fuss over the fine points until we lose track of the objective reasoning that tells us when to stop. I am a freelance illustrator, and for whatever reason – whether it’s my personality or a side-effect of my trade – I’m particularly vulnerable. I’ve seen writers, photographers, designers, accountants and other freelance professionals suffer, too. It can be devastating because if it’s not understood and controlled, the hours wasted sap our energy and erode our fees.

Details are the shelled pistachio nuts of our craft; once we’ve started in on them, there’s just no stopping. The problem is that, while there’s usually a finite supply of pistachios in a bag, when it comes to putting the finishing touches on our work, there may seem to be no finish at all.

Added details come in three varieties: those that are necessary to address the essential concept of the work, those that add a touch of elegance to it, and those that are there just to make you look good. Developing a keen awareness of which variety we’re dealing with is an on-going struggle for many freelancers like me. The key is honest self-examination of our motivations. Who or what purpose is being served? Who’s really in control of the process? Here are some important introspective examinations that will help you turn a weakness into strength – without blowing your fee.
Continue Reading

If you’re a freelancer, chances are you need to track your time in order to bill your clients. And that can be a major hassle.

You might also be a mobile freelancer, like me, who uses multiple computers and wants to be able to work from anywhere. In that case, a web-based time tracker might be the way to go. You want something easy to use, cheap, with a nice interface. Preferably even fun to use.

Whatever your needs, here are 6 of the coolest tools for tracking your time. Most of them aren’t free, but then the best tools often aren’t.

1. Toggl. Nice interface, simple to use, and there’s both a web version and now a downloadable version (Windows only). And it’s free. Nuff said.

2. Tick. Very slick interface. A simple web-based interface, easy to use (after configuration), and fast. Pretty much all you’re looking for.

3. Harvest. One of the nicest interfaces around, Harvest is definitely a professional package. It works well for teams, it has project estimates, some great reports, and as a web app it’s available from anywhere. Like most of these apps, it has a pricing plan from free to premium.

4. Cashboard. The interface isn’t as slick as the first three on this list, but it does have some very useful and detailed features that go beyond tracking time, including producing and tracking invoices, keeping track of accounts and clients, producing estimates, and more.

5. FreshBooks. A slightly older-looking interface, when compared to the first few items on this list, but it’s a basic product that definitely gets the job done. If integrates with invoicing software which is useful when you’re billing by the hour.

6. yaTimer. The only app on this list that’s not available for the web, yaTimer is a downloadable desktop app. It’s also probably the simplest of the apps on this list, doing simple time tracking and not much else. For those with basic needs, it’s perfect.

Your reputation as a freelancer is pretty much the only thing you have to go on — your bread and butter.

And your reputation is generally based on two things: the quality of your work, and how well you meet deadlines.

Today, we’ll focus on meeting deadlines, as that’s the area that many freelancers have problems with. Sure, you can do great work, but if you don’t turn your projects in on time, you won’t get many repeat customers.

1. Care about deadlines. This is the first step, as many people are very lax about deadlines. You have to be very serious about meeting them, and make them a priority. And make breaking a deadline a cardinal sin in your freelance book. Once you’ve done this step, the rest is just logistics.

2. Keep a list of projects & deadlines. If you care about deadlines, you’ll write them down, and have one place that you check often to make sure you know what’s due and when. I use a simple online list, but you could use paper. Which tool you use doesn’t matter, as long as you use it.
Continue Reading

By Kristen Fischer

Here in New Jersey, the summer is coming to an end. With only one month left before hectic fall schedules begin, I’m trying to plan ahead to get in that much-needed summer vacation that I never quite managed to get to. My freelance writing career has kept me busy over the past few months, and I take solace in coffeehouses with air conditioning during these humid weeks.

Most of the world’s careers seem to happen in seasons. Summers are spent working less or taking long weekends. Winter is for being inside cozied up. Fall is consumed with the kids heading off to school, and by the time spring hits most people are trying their best to get outside and lap it up. In between, work happens. But I find that the seasons change a little differently for freelancers.

This summer, for example, I have yet to get to the beach. I live five minutes away and love the water, so it’s a huge shocker. I’ve been busy working on completing my second book, and that’s taking precedence. That and the hoards of work that I’ve had coming in.
Continue Reading

By Dickie Adams

“The time which we have at our disposal every day is elastic; the passions we feel expand it, those that we inspire contract it, and habit fills up what remains.”
- Marcel Proust

In the realm of freelancing, one of the most important tasks you have is tracking your time accurately and efficiently. It is your product (or creates it), and therefore, you need to simultaneously protect and distribute this valuable commodity. Unless you consistently bill and quote flat rates, you’ve likely experienced the extreme pain that timecards and time tracking can create. Seeing that our goal here is to provide you with the resources you need to be successful, we are reviewing Tick, a web-based time tracking solution from Molehill.
Continue Reading

By Leo Babauta

Image from iStockPhoto

If you’re like me — and if you’re a freelancer, you’re probably like this — you procrastinate on your assignment because, well, you just don’t feel like doing it right now. There are tons of reasons why: it’s an intimidating project, you’re not sure how to start, or simple inertia stops you from getting started.

A solution that works every time: break the job into smaller bits, and do those bits in bursts.

That may sound obvious, but not many people put this to optimal use. Too often they procrastinate because they’re stuck with a daunting task on their to-do list. If that’s you, try these 10 productive tips:

Granularize. Got a project? Just put the very next physical action on your to-do list, not everything on the list. Is that task still too intimidating? Break it down even further. For example, instead of writing a whole article, write the intro. Or do an outline. Instead of doing a whole graphic design, just do a sketch. Or start by brainstorming. Or searching the web for ideas (don’t get lost on the web).

Continue Reading

By Robert Janelle

Image from iStockPhoto

Many freelancers have unique workspaces, either by design or by necessity. But as I sit at my coffee table writing this piece and experimenting with different word processors along the way, I realized something: I’m doing this my way!

There are the obvious benefits of self-employment, like no half-hour time limit on lunch breaks, assuming you start work before lunch, or a computer timing every second your spend in the bathroom. But lately, it’s the smaller things that have left me feeling more free.

I’m not forced to use a computer set up the way someone in management told the IT department to do it, everything is set the way I like it and no web sites are blocked by a company. Thinking back of working in cubicles, I remember some fierce restrictions. One place I worked in forbid the use of web-based e-mail (What?!? I can’t use Gmail here?!?)

Ditching The Man means no one dictates whether I use a Mac or a PC, the software I use to do my job and I don’t have to worry about getting issued a cell phone with all the features locked-down.

I can completely re-arrange my work area without having to submit a formal request and then waiting a week to see if it’s approved or not.

But then a question dawned on me: just because I can, does that mean I should?

Continue Reading

If you’re like most writers, you procrastinate. You have a hard time getting started writing, unless you’re seized by a burst of inspiration. Instead, you might do some “research” online, fiddle with your to-do list, or work on a number of other tasks instead of doing the writing you need to do.

If you’re having trouble getting your writing done, try creating a morning writing ritual. You can get a lot more done each day, as an early boost of productivity will spur further productivity throughout the day.

Why create a morning routine? A few reasons:

Continue Reading

Back when I worked for the man, I often spent time commuting to and from work thinking about how much freer life would be as a freelancer. After freelancing for a few months and after having started getting a decent client list, I found that rather than working less than I used to, I was in fact working much, much, much more.

Although there were some easy weeks, for the three years I freelanced I averaged a 60 hour work week and peaked one horrible, stressful week at just under 90. Admittedly I am what most would call a work-aholic, but even so I suspect that most freelancers work more than they did when they worked as an employee.

And so I thought I’d open up the floor to FSw readers to see if my experience was an anomaly or if most freelancers work harder than they used to. Leave a comment and let me know how you find it, and be sure to vote in the poll!

PS. On a sidenote, have a look at the sexy new PollDaddy skin that I made for FSw today, its erm.. very green

Image from iStockPhoto

Most freelancers will tell you that one of the joys of working from home is avoiding the commute to and from work. There is nothing nicer than knowing that while everyone else is stuck in a traffic jam or stuffy bus, you’ve got an extra hour or two up your sleeve to do anything you like.

Often however that extra time can quickly start to feel normal. It stops being extra free time and starts to get lost in your regular work time.

After freelancing for a while I started to realize that I almost missed the commute to and from my old job. Why? Because the commute gave me time to think. I had two hours every day where I could get lost in my own thoughts, and there was nothing else to do but just be.

As freelancers it is so easy to get into the habit of feeling guilty whenever we’re not working. Work can easily take over much of our free time and lead to imbalance and dissatisfaction. One of the great joys of freelancing is that you do have the flexibility to work in a way that brings you balance and helps you get more out of your life. I was finding that work was becoming the sole focus of my energies, and everything else was left by the wayside.

Continue Reading