A year ago everyone in tech was non-stop talking about this “new” thing they called Bitcoin. It was an emerging currency or something. Then as fast is it came, it seemed to have had setbacks to make it a flash-in-the pan. Yet Bitcoin is alive and well today and if you’re a freelancer or business […]
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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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Large businesses have the advantage of large budgets for advertising, social media and promotions. Small businesses are always looking for ways to compete with the big guys and with their smaller competitors. This may seem daunting at first, but the truth is that small businesses have one advantage over larger businesses – the personal touch. […]
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Since most of us don’t have trust funds or large amounts of savings with which to start a business, one of our first stops is to the bank to request a loan.This is a critical step which requires a lot of homework, since asking for too much or too little may kill your business right […]
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One of the first decisions you have to make as a new business owner is how you will get paid. If you plan on marketing services or selling products through a website, you will obviously need an online payment system, known as a payment gateway. Even if your business is primarily offline, consider offering your […]
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Freelancers often work hard for many hours and don’t see much return in the way of income. They are often viewed by those who hire them as cheap labor, and the extra time they put in to find clients, create proposals and chase down payments are not valued by the clients. If you are one […]
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Twenty-first technology makes working remotely much more feasible than it used to be. The speed of email, instant messaging, project management apps, screen sharing and remote meeting software all make telecommuting possible. According to Forrester Research’s US Telecommuting Forecast, http://www.wired.com/2013/06/the-new-workplace-reality-out-of-the-office/ 34 million Americans work from home. And this number is expected to reach 63 million […]
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One of the scariest aspects of freelancing is pricing your services. You know you are talented and should be properly compensated for your work, but you don’t want to overcharge and be beat out by the competition. Or you undervalue your services because you’re so good at what you do that it seems like highway […]
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Finding new clients is a time-consuming and expensive proposition. Online marketing, conventional advertising and strategic planning can drain your resources. It takes you away from doing what you do best – creating a superior product or service. Large companies can afford to hire marketing teams, but most small businesses need to concentrate on other priorities. […]
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When you work as an employee, getting paid is a no-brainer. You sign some forms when you join the company, and your salary comes on a regular basis. But once you leave the comfort of the corporate world and strike out on your own, getting paid becomes your responsibility. Not all clients are quick to […]
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If you’re about to launch a new business or are thinking of expanding an existing one, one of the first questions to ask yourself is whether you prefer to work alone or with a partner. There’s no one answer to this question, since there are advantages and disadvantages both of working alone and of partnering. […]
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One of the first questions new acquaintances or people who haven’t seen each other in years ask each other is, “So, what do you do?” This is an easy question to answer if you have a defined position in an established company. But if you are just starting out in a new business, it can […]
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One of the first steps you have to take when you open a new small business is to hire an accountant. Most of us don’t know much about accounting, so we tend to trust the professionals implicitly. But it’s important to remember that your business’ financial future is at stake and to educate yourself about […]
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How are other small businesses managing their finances, what challenges must they overcome and what financial decisions have led them to success? A survey from CFED seeks to answers these questions [http://cfed.org/assets/pdfs/Understanding_the_Financial_Vulnerabilities_of_Michrobusiness_Owners_BRIEF_Updated.pdf], so that you can avoid pitfalls and incorporate the more successful ideas into your business. Until now, what has been known about microbusinesses […]
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When online payment became popular, it brought about revolutionary change both for consumers and for businesses. But it looks like this disruptive technology is about to be disrupted itself, as e-commerce moves from desktops to tablets and mobiles. New payment models and forms of payment (such as Bitcoin) which replace traditional cash are being developed […]
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Invoicing is an important aspect of running a small business, and though it seems simple, it’s important to create a system so that mistakes don’t happen. When you’re juggling more than one client and focusing on giving each client the best possible service, proper invoicing can get forgotten in the shuffle. If you can afford […]
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Once you’ve made the leap from employee to business owner, one of the first questions to consider is how to ensure that you are paid in a timely and organized manner. It’s easy for a business to go under due to lack of cash flow, too many customer debts and a lack of proper bookkeeping. […]
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Every job has its rules and etiquette and freelancing is no exception. Despite the fact that you are your own boss, if you want to succeed you need to follow certain rules. There’s no one looking over your shoulder checking to see if you are adhering to these principles, so you need to be self-aware. […]
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Relationships with clients must be nurtured carefully so that the clients come back to you for more work and refer you to others for similar projects. The success of the services you deliver is often measured by the emotional connection the client has developed with you. Unfortunately, the client-business owner relationship can be damaged, sometimes […]
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