For freelancers, getting paid on-time is of the utmost importance. A clear and detailed invoice encourages timely payment and provides an important financial record for both you and your client. It also lets clients see exactly where their money is going, decreasing the chance of misunderstandings and payment disputes. An itemized invoice can help you […]
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When working for yourself you want to make the best use of all the benefits technology can bring. This includes communication with prospective clients, especially during that all-important first contact. Project quote request forms are a good example of technology helping to automate and speed-up these new client interactions. These small web page forms allow […]
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Simply the Best: Auto-Billing at Your Fingertips If you have clients that need to be billed on a regular basis, then you know exactly how time consuming this can be. First, you have to keep their credit card or bank details on file. Next, you must remember the date of the upcoming invoice. And then, […]
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The Freelancer’s Guide to the Home Office If you’re working as a freelancer, chances are you got your start working from home. The home office comes with its own special set of ups and downs: in general, it’s more comfortable than going out to a shared office or co-working space, but it can also encourage […]
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Did you become a freelancer because you want to pursue your passion? To build a business around the line of work that inspires you? Did you want to answer to yourself instead of being a cog in a corporate structure? Have you always taken a “whole picture” approach, where you see projects through from A […]
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You might or might not have chosen the freelance life for the flexibility it offers you, but you must admit – being your own boss has its perks. You can determine your own hours, wear whatever you want and take your projects in whatever direction you feel is best. On the other hand, you aren’t […]
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Freelancers come in all shapes and sizes, and from all walks of life. According to a 2015 study by Edelman, women represent 40% of the US freelance workforce. Most are young adults, but nearly one-fifth are 55 or more years of age. Freelancers are even somewhat more ethnically diverse than non-freelancers. With the rise of […]
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Millennials are hitting the workforce at full speed. According to US labor stats, they already outnumber boomers and Generation X. The impact of their arrival in the business scene has many watching apprehensively. While millennials tend to get a bum rap, the truth is that their approach is simply different from generations past. Not necessarily […]
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For more and more of us, the freelance life is where it’s at. But just because indie work is the most flexible and fulfilling way to make a living doesn’t mean it’s easy. And even when things are going extremely well, the pipeline of relevant leads is flowing and being converted into a steady stream […]
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Every so often, a product name that was once a household term becomes irrelevant and starts to fall off the radar. With the company’s recent restructuring and aggressive plans for innovation, PayPal is certainly not off the radar yet, but it’s also no longer hailed as the amazing solution that it once was – not […]
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The odds are, as an independent business owner, you’re a mind-bogglingly busy person. It’s especially true of micropreneurs, but today, just about everybody is insanely busy. Between your responsibilities at work, you need to have a life outside of work, your clients, your car, your family, your pets, your friends and yes, even yourself, opportunities […]
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If you’re a freelancer (as I have been on and off for many years) the answer to the question “What Do Freelancers Need to Know About Project Management?” is likely a short and sweet: Nothing at all. Freelancers typically specialize in a core skill or service that they provide to clients, and aside from begrudgingly […]
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Working for yourself is where it’s at, whether you’re a freelancer who provides services to other businesses or a bootstrapping entrepreneur striving to bring your passion project to sustainable life. No more bosses taking credit for your ideas and output, no more limits on earning potential, no more nine-to-five grind and no more soul-crushing cubicles. […]
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When we consider the benefits of freelancing, it’s usually in the context of our own lifestyles as members of the work force. We think about the increased potential to earn and the freedom to set our own schedules and perform our work from the locations of our own choosing. Don’t forget, though, that the freelance-client […]
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You aren’t like the others. You take pride in delivering top quality. It’s important to you as a freelancer to do your best work – to do the best work. You review, revise, incorporate oh so many contradictory pieces of feedback, and when you are done, you have a perfect deliverable. But along they way, […]
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It doesn’t really matter how much value you deliver, how far ahead of deadline you deliver it, or how above and beyond the agreed-upon scope of work you go. Getting your clients to pay up can sometimes be a challenge. Any measure you take to reduce friction along the way can help, which is why […]
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The month you launch your new freelance business, you’re likely to be (or have been) a jittery, double espresso-fueled, intimidated mess. But you’re also so high on adrenaline that you can crush that initial wave of projects like breakfast cereal and network successfully at conferences, Meetups and happy hours in the same day. You’re inhaling […]
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6 Things You Need to Hear Before Opening Your Own Business You did it. You dreamed, you researched, you planned, and then you took the leap. The big leap – in faith, confidence and security. Deciding to open your own business is the first major step on your journey into the big unknown of entrepreneurship. […]
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When Joshua Gross tells friends and acquaintances that he is a freelancer, he often receives pitying looks and sometimes even offers of full time jobs. And when he refuses them and says he is perfectly happy with his current arrangement, he gets incredulous looks. But the fact is that freelancing and running small businesses has […]
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