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Winning new business! 6 Simple Rules for Success

Darren Fell | Managing business

Winning new business the easy and fun way. By following 6 simple rules you can build the freelance life you always dreamed of. Lucky you! You could be getting yourself shed-loads of new business starting from today.

You may to want to earn good money, have long holidays and be your own boss….but all you have to do is win new business. That’s the bit where most freelancers get the heebie-geebies. But I promise you can do it and you’ll get good at it!

Create a publishing empire from your home

Emma Jones | Managing business

Do you have content you would like to share with an interested audience of existing and potential customers? It’s never been so easy to package your content in a stylish way, and distribute it in a cost-effective way.

Enter the age of home publishing with Emma Jones.

Freelance Guide: How to produce a partnership agreement

Emma Jones | Managing business, Starting Out

Home based businesses are increasingly outsourcing and partnering, as opposed to taking on staff. As a freelancer and small business owner you may want to collaborate with others to get larger projects complete and, as more people start collaborating, it’s becoming important to have agreements in place with new partners that allows for a smooth running and profitable partnership. Emma Jones explains how to go about it.

7 steps for troubleshooting troublesome clients

Joanna Ptolomey | Managing business

Are some clients more trouble than they’re worth? Freelance information consultant Joanna Ptolomey reminds us that, when time and attention are your most precious asset, and time is money, not all clients are the same.

Her simple steps can help bring some balance back into your books and your business.

Top 10 tips for building trust as a freelancer

Michael Rose | Managing business

Steven Hearsum, change consultant and chairman for our National Freelancers Day event has written a blogpost about one of the key issues that arose during the debate: ‘How to Build Trust as a Freelancer’.

Four tips for building confidence and marketing yourself

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Managing business

Isolation and winning new clients are two of the biggest problems for freelancers. Marketing consultant and freelance advisor Dianne Bown-Wilson offers some simple tips for what to do when you – and your business – need to get out more.

Freelance Business: The importance of planning

Alex Blyth | Managing business

Freelance journalist and author of ‘How to Grow Your Business For Entrepreneurs’ Alex Blyth writes about entrepreneurs and how they achieve success.

In this post Alex takes a look at a fundamental skill that all entrepreneurs need, the ability to plan and make progress towards long-term goals.

Five Tips for Selling Online: Starting out in E-business

Emma Jones | Managing business, Starting Out

Online spending is growing rapidly in the UK. E-commerce in 2009 will be worth over £20bn and, experts say, by 2013, online spending will make up for 10% of total retail sales. If you have a product to sell, you’re in a good position, but how to attract customers to buy? Emma Jones offers five recommendations.

Small Business: Five steps to making a sale

Emma Jones | Managing business, Training

Without a sale we’re not in business and ongoing sales will spur the business to grow.

Emma Jones offers five steps on how to make a sale and keep the cash flowing.

Working with clients: understanding briefs

Leif Kendall | Managing business

Are You Giving Your Clients Squid Eyes? (The Second Secret of an Awesomitised Freelance Life)

Bad-ass kung-fu copywriter Leif Kendall continues to reveal the secrets of an awesomitised freelance career.. Awesomitisation Part 2 explores the importance of understanding clients’ briefs.

Small Business: Niche business

Emma Jones | Managing business, News

In best-selling book ‘The Long Tail’ author Chris Anderson says the future of business does not lie in blockbuster hits but in niche products. Home businesses up and down the land are testimony to this. Emma Jones looks at why niche is good and showcases a few shining examples.

Freelance Business: 3 ways to source new work

Emma Jones | Managing business

Freelance Advisor and Home Business diva Emma Jones explains why now is a perfect time to spruce up your business development and pursue opportunities that will mean new work from existing customers and new work from new customers.

Here’s three things you can do to keep the contracts coming in…

Freelance Business: Embracing advertising

Emma Jones | Managing business

A study – rather grandly named The Media Prominence Study – has revealed public relations are more important to brand value than advertising. Unsurprisingly, the study was conducted by a PR company! We embrace advertising, shout its virtues and offer a couple of outdoor options.

Freelance Business: The art of selling in 6 simple steps

Emma Jones | Managing business

There is no finer talent for a business owner to possess than the skill of making a sale. As the business grows you may decide to outsource the sales function but at the beginning, making a sale is on your ‘to do’ list.

Here are six simple steps that will turn prospects into clients and leads into revenue.

Freelance Marketing: Entering awards to focus your efforts and meet the people who matter

Emma Jones | Managing business

Whether it is the Nobel Peace prize, the Oscars or the X-Factor people seem to love a good awards ceremony. But what about us freelancers? Is there any point having awards for the stars of the business world? Today Emma Jones argues that entering awards is an effective marketing tool; writing the entry helps to define business plans and goals and, if you win, you earn prizes, recognition and a good night out!

Do what you do best and outsource the rest

Emma Jones | Managing business, Working from home

Never has this piece of advice been more relevant. You went in to business to do the things you most enjoy. When you enjoy something, you’re good at it and that, in turn, attracts loyal customers. Keep hold of those customers by sticking to your knitting and find other experts to take on the tasks [...]

Freelance News: HMRC releases online tax help videos

Kasey Brunt | Managing business, News

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has released a series of online video guides to help businesses and start-ups understand their tax requirements.

The guides cover a variety of topics, including VAT, corporation tax and PAYE.

They also cover areas such as importing and exporting, keeping accurate records, and things to consider when employing other people.

Presenter Dan Snow [...]

Great tips for good networking

Carey McIlvenny | Managing business

You’ve made a break for it and decided to head out into the business world as a freelancer. Now, you’ve just got to do a bit of schmoozing and bring in new work, sounds simple? In reality, networking is often a daunting task. Carey McIlvenny shares some tips. You might find yourself at a fab [...]

Freelance Awards: Why Freelancers Need To Be Celebrated

Michael Rose | Managing business

Freelancer and contractors are unsung heroes and Xchangeteam’s Emma Brierley has made it her mission to get freelancers the recognition they deserve. This month’s Freelancer of the Year Awards are only the beginning… Why Freelancers Need To Be Celebrated At some point in their career no less than one in seven British workers will be their own [...]

Marketing yourself: 7 steps to creating the right impression

Emma Jones | Managing business

Whether it is networking, meetings, clients or conferences, marketing yourself is an essential skill for any freelancer or contractor. Freelance Advisor and author Emma Jones offers seven quick tips to help you shine Starting on the right foot: 7 steps to creating the right impression You only get one chance to create a first impression. To make [...]

Tis the week before Christmas…

Emma Jones | Managing business

Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones give us a timely reminder of the things we could be doing in the run up to Christmas. What can freelancers do when things get quiet over the holiday season and what plans can we make for 2009. When the phones hush and emails subside One [...]

Freelance Advice: Marketing yourself for free

Darren Fell | Managing business

Freelance Advisor founder Darren Fell is a successful entrepreneur and all over the first page of results when you Google his name. We asked him to share the secrets of his success and he responded with this guide to marketing yourself. Marketing yourself for free, a guide. The big question running through everybody’s mind when they jump [...]

Freelance Designer’s Guide: Choosing the right printing method for your clients

Andrew Walker | Managing business

Whether it is business cards, promotional posters or flyers for a club night there are many printing options and quality and colours will vary greatly. Print adviser and consultant Andrew Walker guides can help you decide where to get your printing done. Choosing the right printing method for your client Digital vs Litho Printing The two main printing [...]

Freelance Advice: is Portfolio Working the right choice for you?

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Managing business

If you’ve recently retired or are thinking ahead to your remaining working years now could be a good time to consider developing a portfolio career. In this two part series consultant, coach, trainer and writer Dianne Bown-Wilson tells us why it is a good idea and how to go about it… Portfolio careers: the perfect pick [...]

Five sites for monitoring your brand online

Rosie Sherry | Managing business

Look who’s talking: Monitoring buzz on the web As a freelance community builder and co-director of TheWerks web-socialite Rosie Sherry offers advice on monitoring your brand and filtering out the noise. Five sites for monitoring your brand online There’s no denying that the web holds huge amount of information. Most of it irrelevant to you or I, however [...]

Marketing yourself as a freelance designer: Six simple tips for your CV and portfolio

Michael Rose | Managing business

The death of the CV? Are curriculum vitae a thing of the past? Guest blogger Greg Coley, Creative Director of the integrated agency VGroup, gives an insider’s view on what freelance designers can do to get noticed. Marketing yourself as a freelance designer So you’re a budding young designer straight out of university, a middleweight, an established creative [...]

Compelling Content: Brainstorming your ideal reader or customer

Kath Burke | Managing business

Compelling Content – Part 2 Brainstorming: Your ideal reader or customer A two-part series from freelance copywriter Kath Burke. In part one, Kath explained how you can understand why people buy you. Part two explores how to use brainstorming as an exercise in focusing on the content that really matters before you put pen to paper. Great writing [...]

Write web copy your customers will love reading

Kath Burke | Managing business

Create compelling content your clients will crave In this 2-part series freelance copywriter and content consultant Kath Burke says the secret of writing great web marketing copy is in the preparation. Before you put pen to paper, you need to explore your clients’ deeper concerns and needs. Ah. If only you could magic up the perfect web [...]

Find us on Facebook – for freelance advice and networking

Michael Rose | Managing business

Find freelancing advice and support by joining our community of freelancers and contractors on Facebook. By becoming a fan of Freelance Advisor you’ll get all the latest articles and advice, alerts when new content is added to the site, and you can help build the community by connecting with other freelancers and contractors in your area.

Help [...]

Freelance Advisor sponsors Farm Freelancer Award at DiMAS 2008

Michael Rose | Managing business

If you are a freelancer or contractor living and working in the South then you could get your work in front of a top panel of judges from the BBC, Channel 4, Endemol and New Media Age. The Awards are also an excellent place to publicise you and your work – especially if it is [...]

Freelance Advisor Recommends: i-design 08 Portfolio Clinic

Michael Rose | Managing business

If you’re a freelance designer or programmer then attending the i-design 08 Portfolio Clinic Wednesday 17 September in London is a no brainer.

First it’s FREE and secondly if you’re currently looking for work or to expand your future client base then you’ll be able to meet 15 of the capital’s most respected and successful interactive [...]

Speak easy – improve your public speaking skills

Michael Rose | Managing business

Talking Shop – overcoming the fear of public speaking A new event aims to give confidence, talking techniques and a chance to practise communication skills for freelancers who need to get up and talk in front of an audience. Freelancers and contractors can live rather solitary lives, working from home or, head-down, coding away until the [...]

Freelancing USA

Darren Fell | Managing business

Are the streets of San Francisco paved with exciting projects, paying excellent rates? Is it full of perfect customers with realistic expectations? Freelance Advisor founder and serial entrepreneur Darren Fell took a trip to the epicentre of Internet start-ups in the hope of finding out what we can learn from our colleagues on [...]

Staying in touch in the midst of mayhem

Mark Kirby | Managing business

When you are busy, its easy to forget to keep in touch with friends and family who you don’t see on a day to day basis. Perhaps they live far away, or so close you feel you could get in touch with them at any moment, but always forget. Perhaps you see certain people a [...]

Casual Networking for freelancers and contractors

Paul Silver | Managing business

Freelance Adviser, Paul Silver, on casual networking events for freelancers and contractors. Making contacts, finding work, pitching, passing business cards, sharing skills and advice… and having a drink, or four.

Marketing yourself as a freelancer or contractor

Leif Kendall | Managing business

Become CEO of YouCorp One of the joys of freelancing is that you get to do everything. But this omnipotence means you can’t hate the sales team for not bringing in new clients, because you are the sales team.

You can’t have a spat with Maureen in accounts because she hasn’t sorted your expenses, because you [...]

Personal Branding for freelancers

Andy White | Managing business

What’s personal branding all about? Is it important? What does it mean? Where do I start? Do I really need a strong identity or even a logo for my freelancing business? Is it really necessary to make ME stand out from the competition?

Expert, Al Welsh, has had years of experience within some of London’s top [...]

One.. Two.. Three.. SELL!

Darren Fell | Managing business

I was asked by Phil Green of the MD Hub 100 to present to a MD Hub 250 group about how I took Pure360.com from no customers at all to hundreds. As I thought the following presentation may be useful to all at Freelance Advisor.

It shows the early days and a few photo’s of where [...]

Get yourself useful business cards

Paul Silver | Managing business

If you’re going to be networking to drum up business, or just meet people who might want to use your services (that is, potentially everyone you meet) you should get some business cards so they have an easy reminder of who you are and what you do.

On your card you should have:

[...]

The fastest website in the west!

Darren Fell | Managing business

In the age we live in having a website as a business is critical. I’m not sure about you but it’s literally the first thing I do when I want to vet a supplier out and in my old days at Pure360.com I’d even do that for customers.

No site and to be honest I [...]

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Go Freelance guide - New & Updated for 2010 119 comment(s)
Freelancing FUBARs: 8 common mistakes 11 comment(s)
Legal Checklist - six things you must consider when going freelance 11 comment(s)
Marketing yourself as a freelance designer: Six simple tips for your CV and portfolio 8 comment(s)
Do what you do best and outsource the rest 8 comment(s)
Freelance Coach: Still a sole trader? When is a good time to switch to Limited Company? 8 comment(s)
Freelance news: The End of Self-Certification Mortgages 8 comment(s)
How to: handle your tax and legal affairs so they don't come back and bite you 7 comment(s)
Freelancing Fail: Do you make these 4 freelance mistakes? 7 comment(s)
Ltd Company: Detailed information on the expenses you can claim 7 comment(s)

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Free Event: Drumming up Business – Today: I attended this event and just wanted to say that Darren is a very engaging and inspiring speaker.He mentioned at the... >>
Easy Guide to End of Year Tax Planning: Nice one! Inni looks great.Personally I went for http://www.Crunch.co.uk because it comes with an accountant in the bundle, but Inni... >>
Easy Guide to End of Year Tax Planning: The start of a new FY is also a great time to think about the alternative ways of doing business – for example setting up your... >>

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