Rachel Soothill | Resources,Technology
If you are creating your own website there are a lot of factors to consider besides the look and design. There are certain elements that are repeatedly used among successful sites which have been tried and tested. Here we give you a rundown of the major elements that you should bear in mind when planning and developing your website
One of the keys to securing some of that lucrative repeat business is to make sure your clients remember you. If you design their website, you want them to leap from their chairs and yell “let’s call Geoff!” when it comes time to make some alterations, rather than “who was that web guy? George something?”
Once again, Freelancer.com has published their quarterly Fast 50, a barometer of demand for freelancing work based on the fluctuations of their giant online marketplace. There was good news overall as the number of job postings rose from 114,000 jobs Q3 to 134,820 jobs in the fourth quarter – a jump of almost 20%.
Sarah Evans | Getting a Job,Resources
When you work in a regular job what’s expected of you, from your working hours to your job role, is clearly laid out when you’re hired. Freelancing is completely different though as even with the best planning, you never know what you’ll be doing from one week (or even one day) to the next.
Jon Norris | Getting a Job,Resources
Scoring new clients can be tricky this time of year – most people have already mentally checked out for Christmas, making new projects hard to come by. That makes it all the more important that you’re able to hang on to those clients who do come knocking during the holiday lull. Here’s five easy ways to make sure you keep hold of any new business until January comes around.
James Leckie | Getting a Job,Resources
When times are tough, people tend to be less choosy about the type of contract or freelance assignment they take on. Those slightly dull roles you would avoid during the boom times might seem more enticing when work opportunities are less plentiful. However, in both boom and flat times, there are some jobs you are better off avoiding altogether.
Rachel Soothill | Events,Resources
Christmas can be the toughest period for freelancers despite all the joy and cheer it brings. There are many issues and concerns that arise during the festive season that affect freelancers. These dilemmas include…
Rachel Soothill | News,Technology
According a new US study, it has been revealed that consumers who follow brands on the popular social network Twitter are much more likely to purchase from that brand or recommend their products to others. The social media marketing study which was carried out by Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, analysed the behaviour of 1,491 consumers aged 18 and older.
Rachel Soothill | Getting a Job,Resources
One of the main aims when you carry out just about any project as a freelancer is to get repeat business, to ensure you have regular work coming in as time goes on. However, you will find that in a lot of cases repeat business can be hard to find.
One of the most attractive aspects of freelancing is that despite working from home, working online offers you many opportunities to land projects from clients across the globe. With English serving as the global business language of choice, for the native English speaking freelancer there should be no barriers to attracting a diverse and international clientèle.
In January 2011 there were a reported 153,205,413 identified blogs on the internet and this number was growing by approximately 47,719 per day. These figures reflect just how popular blogging has become but also highlight the difficulties of getting your blog to stand out from the crowd.
There has been a lot of talk about Groupon recently as they prepare to go public in the US. Officially recognised as the “fastest growing business ever”, Groupon has attracted an audience of hundreds of millions of bargain hunters, all looking to take advantage of time-limited local deals, which Groupon source through small businesses.
Commanding higher fees and more loyalty from your clients is crucial to any freelancer. We all want people talking about our services and enough work to pick and choose. If you want to achieve this there is one thing that you should put at the heart of your relationship with your clients and that is trust.
One of the common challenges that most freelancers face, and most loathe, is the need to pitch yourself and your services to potential clients. For most of us this is the hardest part of being self-employed and can be terrifying and intimidating.
If you are thinking about joining the world of freelancers or perhaps you have recently started your own freelance business – good for you!
As we discussed recently, the sales pitch is one of the hardest challenges a freelancer will face, so it is essential to get to grips with some basic sales techniques and tools in order to continue finding new work.
Many Contractors choose to use the services of an existing ‘Umbrella Company’ – they are limited companies that employ Contractors. If you choose to do this, your contracts will be treated for tax purposes as if they are all inside IR35.
As outsourcing becomes an increasingly used solution by businesses that lack the workforce, abilities or budgets to carry out certain services themselves, more outsourcing options are becoming available. The most common of which has been offshoring, which involves using services that are based outside of the UK.
Selina Murray | Getting a Job,Technology
The last year has seen a rise in UK companies using social networks to win new business, says a new global survey from workplace provider Regus. In 2010 Regus found that 33% of UK firms were successfully winning new customers through social networking activity. A year later, the proportion has risen eight percentage points to 41%.
Although many businesses both big and small still struggle with shaking the snail mail, a new report has claimed that the great hope of the paperless office, email, is on the way out already. It is surmised that email will be replaced within a few years by private portals which allow users to post messages to a “wall” and tag individuals, essentially giving corporations their own private Facebook.
Bex White | Getting a Job,Guides
With competition fierce between companies to win business, customer service is one of the most overlooked weapons in your arsenal. I read many articles about growing a business, many of which point out that referrals and word of mouth often generate the best leads, yet they still tend to stick to tactics designed to winning new clients.
Sometimes freelancers will find themselves doing work for foreign companies. Although this can lead to some interesting work, and the opportunity to do some travelling, it often carries with it the drawback of being paid in a foreign currency. If possible, you should always asked to be paid in your native currency, however sometimes, for whatever reason, this is not possible.
Selina Murray | Lifestyle & Time out,Resources
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from Ryan Giggs in the last few weeks, it’s how not to use Twitter for business. Love it or loathe it (probably the latter for Mr. Giggs), Twitter can be a very useful business tool. If you work alone it can be invaluable for making connections.
Rachel Soothill | Guides,Technology
Now we have established what a powerful communication tool social media has become, the next step is to learn how to harness that power and use it for getting your business and key messages out there. Social media is rapidly becoming the chosen channel for businesses to communicate and share ideas, and should form a strong part of your online marketing strategy.
Rachel Soothill | Guides,Technology
With around 600 million users worldwide, Facebook is the largest social media platforms that exists. It has pageview rates and engagement metrics that blow away the competition. If you are not using Facebook as part of your marketing strategy you could be seriously missing a trick!
TimothyTim | Getting a Job,Guides
Brands are everywhere taking your money, ideas and possibly souls. Want a drink? 52% of you actually heard “Get a Coke”. Need some trainers? 32% heard “Where are your Nikes?” Gum? 27% “Wrigleys”. etc
Rachel Soothill | Getting a Job,Guides
Some see networking meetings as the foundation of any successful freelance business. It is an opportunity to meet potential clients, form relationships and share contacts which could turn into new business. Others see these meetings as an awkward and pretentious excuse to drink tea and waste business cards.
Freelancers are no longer a rare breed, more and more employees are turning freelance everyday and competition is growing fast. In these competitive times it is important to stand out from the crowd and embrace your individuality.
According to research by payment behemoth Bacs, Britain’s small and medium businesses are being bent over the proverbial barrel by large corporates, who continue to be the worst offenders in terms of prompt payments. According to Bacs, half of the UK’s SMEs have suffered late payments – the average payment period being a staggering 52 days.
Jon Norris | Getting a Job,Guides
There are two types of clients for most freelancers. There are those who you’ve known for years and do regular work for – they call you up as and when they need you, and there are the one night stands. They’ll find your details somehow, get you to do a job and discard you like a used tissue. It’s always slightly disheartening – why don’t they want you back? Were you not good enough? Did you accidentally insult their wife?
Rachel Soothill | Lifestyle & Time out
As the summer holidays approach our minds start to wander to lazy days on the beach, chilled Pimms and time with the family. However, we all know that holidays for freelancers are never quite so easy and stress free. Holidays represent all that is positive and all that is negative about being a freelancer.
Jon Norris | Getting a Job,Guides
Freelancers can be a paradoxical sort. From a client’s perspective we can be highly regarded specialists brought in to solve issues that no staff member can fathom, or we can be sandal-wearing layabouts who flit from place to place, only working when we choose to. Freelancers know that neither stereotype is correct – unfortunately the client’s perspective is often the only one that matters.
One unfortunate side-effect of being self-employed is having to manage your own company finances. Nobody gets into freelancing to be an accountant (except, perhaps, freelance accountants), and chasing payments can be a colossal drain on time and morale. We’ve already published a straight-forward guide to getting paid on time, but what happens if your clients refuse to pay?
Bex White | Guides,Lifestyle & Time out
Deadlines, project management, chasing pay, being creative under pressure… it all adds up. From my personal experience and that of managing other designers, I can state one simple fact. Stress is almost always completely self-induced and easily avoided by following a few simple ideas.
Mel Dixon | Lifestyle & Time out
What are your values? It may seem a slightly odd question to ask a fellow freelancer or contractor, and you might think it’s something more relevant to a large corporation that needs to safeguard against an existence based on pure cash-clutching greed.
However, the values that you hold as a one-man band can help guide the decisions you make and ensure that you give the highest possible level of service to customers and clients. The values you hold are the seeds from which your reputation grows.
As a freelance writer, making a great first impression on a client is just as important as being able to show off a portfolio of quality work. Clients want writers who can write immaculate copy, of course, but also want someone they can trust and work with. Plus, it is only human nature to give preference to people you like and get along with.
Social media isn’t going to be around forever, but it’s going to get a lot bigger before it goes away – it’s a pretty big deal at the moment. If you don’t have a Twitter presence for your brand then you’re a sucker, and if you don’t have a Facebook fan page then you’re a chump.
Michael Rose | Getting a Job,Resources
The Design Council has uploaded a couple of very interesting expert advice videos.
Part of their excellent resources section the videos feature interviews with top UK design talent and their advice on starting up a design business and how to deal with client relationships. Mostly relevant to newbie designers but a lot of the advice is relevant to anyone creative thinking of starting up in business.
“A sale is not a sale until the money is in the bank”. It’s a great rule of thumb but it’s surprising how many businesses forget this golden rule and over-extend themselves. For many freelancers the long awaited big contract is one of the main reasons to be in business. However, whether your customer is a small business or a very large one, it is critically important to ensure they can and will pay you.
Creditsafe’s 16-page guide is crammed full of top tips for making sure you will get paid.
Poor customer service can kill a business and it is absolutely vital to get client and customer service right, particularly when handling complaints. If you don't handle complaints well then not only are you likely to lose the customer who is dissatisfied, but they are more likely to tell others about bad service than they are good service, so you stand to lose many more customers by getting it wrong.
Business Mentor Toby Buckle shares his top ten tips for crushing your customer’s quibbles.
Ian Ozsvald | Guides,Resources
Monetising your knowledge is a core skill for freelancers – making money whilst you sleep is a necessary step forwards as you build your freelancing career.
Professional Screencaster Ian Ozsvald shows us ways of making money by screencasting. This post follows the earlier tutorials on Communicating more effectively and raising your profile through screencasts.
Ian Ozsvald | Resources,Training
Building a visible profile is essential if you want to receive a steady stream of readers and referred clients. Demonstrating your knowledge with screencasts is easy and is a very effective way of showing visitors that you’re on top of your game.
Professional Screencaster Ian Ozsvald shows us how short online tutorial and demonstration videos are a powerful way to raise your profile. This post follows the earlier tutorial on (Communicating more effectively with screencasts)
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
Freelancers need focus; without a boss to keep you in line and being outside a traditional workflow it can be hard to know where to focus your efforts. Combine this with the pace of modern life and it’s easy to get swamped and to feel that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Not only is there a lot of work there are constant distractions, tweets, bleeps and pings pulling us away from our true goals and aspirations.
Focus: The Power of Targeted Thinking attempts to give the solution to all these feelings of confusion and distraction.
The Longtail rule, the Zipf law, the Power law or (easily the most dramatic) ‘The law of the vital few’. It might have many names, but ultimately all forms of the 80/20 rule amount to the same thing – that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.
The same applies to freelancers: you can gain new business simply by offering great service to your clients.
Ian Ozsvald | Resources,Training
Getting your message across to customers and clients is vital and, as a freelancer, communicating clearly and effectively with can make a big difference to the success or failure of a project or product.
Professional Screencaster Ian Ozsvald shows us how short online videos are a powerful way to get communicate clearly.
Portfolio To Go is a fantastic iPad app for artists and photographers who use Flickr.com to showcase their photographs online.
Lovingly created by Brighton-based freelance developer Nick Kuh, easily allows freelance photographers, graphic designers and artists to present their portfolio offline to clients — perfect for use with a wifi iPad.
Just sync and go.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
We’re big fans of Jason Fried, creator of Basecamp and co-author of Rework. His Get Real column for Inc.com is a must-read for freelancers interested in freelancing, small business advice, for stories of struggle and success.
His first column for Inc.com, Driven to Distraction, is Fried’s fascinating tale of how he built 37Signals from his solo freelancing business.
Getting sign-off, in writing, is a vital part of best practice when sending designs, copy or code to clients. If changes need to be made later then, with sign-off completed, it is the client’s responsibility — not yours. If, for example, there is a typo in a design for a flyer (perhaps the date is wrong!) and the client spots the mistake after printing 1000s of copies the responsibility for the cost of re-printing is the clients… not yours.
Find out how Professional Indemnity Insurance will defend you in cases where clients refuse to pay, or make a claim against you.
I have always been interested in running a project/small business outside of my 9 to 5 full-time job. Something that I can grow in my spare time and that has the potential to grow and then become my main source of income! Talking with friends, I was given a copy of Emma Jone‘s Working 5 to 9 – How to start a successful business in your spare time — Great timing!
Michael Rose | Technology,Working From Home
If you occasionally work from home then getting a decent broadband connection can really help you get your work done effectively.
Thanks to modern-day technology, working from home is no longer a second-rate way of staying in touch with clients and colleagues and broadband has become a vital lifeline for many home workers, allowing them to email or browse the web in comfort while also being able to send and receive large files with ease.
If you’re not up to speed with Broadband at home Chris Marling of Broadband Genie gives you a a few things to consider.
PROBLEM: You have limited, often fragmented time to meet clients and contacts. You might have a free spot for two hours this afternoon, time between finishing one project and starting the next, and it’d be great to generate some new business in that slot — if only people knew you were free to talk.
Setster solves this problem beautifully — perfect for consultants or small businesses.
Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out
Part comedy, part tragedy, part therapy: Clients from Hell provides a little bit of light relief for those tense moments when the client is really winding you up.
Rather then venting on social media, bumming out your friends, colleagues and running the risk of the client spotting your angst why not post it annonymously, get your revenge and give the benefits of your pain back to the community.
If you need to quote for a job and want to get a slick proposal back to the client before the end of the day then Quote Robot is your fantastic, futuristic, proposal-producing pal!
Sinead Mac Manus | Getting a Job
As a freelancer, getting out from behind the desk (or kitchen table) and out into the real world is crucial for building relationships and winning new business. The pervasive nature of social media means that we are increasingly connected online. We tweet about our day on Twitter post news on Facebook, and share our location on Foursquare.
Social Entrepreneur Sinead Mac Manus shares 4 ways to use digital tools and social media to make the most of networking opportunities.
Andy talks to Web and Social Media Developer John O’Nolan and Darren Fell of Crunch about the power of personal branding. Choosing your brand Using Twitter to create a conversation Facebook, following and fans Social media as customer service Social media strategy and setup Listen to the podcast:
Podcast 24: Personal Branding for Freelancers & Contractors [ 29:46 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Think networking is where people go because they want to sell more stuff?
You’re a little bit right, and a big bit wrong.
Freelance Advisor and copywriter Leif Kendall shares four reasons why getting to know your peers will make you a better, happier freelancer.
Anthony Hewson | Lifestyle & Time out
Relationships are more important for a freelancer than for any other individual.
That’s a pretty bold statement and I’m bracing myself for a wave of incredulity articulated by examples of people going through any sort of emotional or physical trauma. Ok, leaving that probably overwhelming group aside… here’s why
I was reminded recently how I used to get frustrated by people not coming back to me if I emailed or left a message. Well, that’s an understatement. I often used to see it as a personal offence and affront and get wound up if it repeatedly happened.
Over the years I have learnt to reframe lack of response and see it from another point of view.
Reframing is a really useful NLP technique that helps prevent negative responses, such as losing motivation or creating frustration. Below are some ways to reframe a lack of response from people as well as some practical tips on getting people to respond.
Anthony Hewson | Working From Home
You gave up working for someone else for a reason. More than one in all likelihood, but one stood bold and proud: freedom.
Such a noble word; such a bright and sparkling principle; such a statement of hope and promise.
Such a lie
Anthony Hewson | Lifestyle & Time out
Freelancing takes courage. No guaranteed pay cheque, no back-up team, no boss to give you guidance, no boss to take the fall.
No excuses – the buck stops with you. It took courage to take that first step into the freelance world, whether it was a bold and brazen stride with an armful of clients ready to commit, or a stomach-knotted plunge born of necessity.
Anthony Hewson gives us some inspiring advice on how to feel the fear and to use it to put some fire in your freelancing belly.
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.
Michael Rose | Getting a Job,Money
Negotiating yourself the best rate possible is crucial to your financial success as a freelancer or contractor. However, it is also one of the most daunting prospects if you have never done it before.
This guide outlines a few things to think about when trying to secure yourself the best deal.
Courageous conversations: How to say what you mean and get what you want. As a freelancer without a secretary the buck stops (and starts) with you. If you are a designer, developer or a gentle creative type you may not have the hard-nosed confidence and business clout you need to succeed.
Freelance advisor Dianne Bown-Wilson gives some simple confidence boosting tips.
One of the things guaranteed to provoke debate is the whole question of notice periods in freelance contracts. On the face of it, an equal right for you and the client to step out of a contract looks like a good thing to have.
But are they really worth anything?
It is competitive out there, the freelancing market is growing every day and now more than ever it is important that we make the most out of every opportunity. So how can we improve the quality of our client interaction?
Let’s look at a simple sales formula for calls/meetings to get us started…
Build Better Business Cards, with 25% off from Moo.com.
Starting today we’re looking for the most impressive, creative or cunning uses for business cards.
Got a great idea, or a card you’re already particularly proud of? Show us what you’ve got and the best will win a complete set of cards.
Clients not responding? To-Do list full of ‘waiting-for’ items for people who have not emailed you back yet? Training Expert Hannah Keep reminds us of the basics – picking up the phone, getting in touch directly and rebuilding rapport and relationships.
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.
Finding freelance work and getting more clients is vital for your success as a freelancer. Killer copywriter Leif Kendall outlines his bold new marketing method.
Join the revolution!
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…
Tom Albrighton | Getting a Job
If you are just starting out in freelancing there many new things you will have to get used to. Without the support of a boss or company you will need to motivate yourself, build your business, overcome obstacles and disappointments and, most importantly, look after the needs of your clients.
This quick checklist from freelance copywriter Tom Albrighton gives us ten great tips for getting started in freelancing.
Dianne Bown-Wilson | Getting a Job
Choosing to switch from full-time to freelancing can be a tough decision and the change will go a lot smoother if you have the help and support of those closest to you. Freelance Advisor, Coach and Consultant Dianne Bown-Wilson continues her series of articles on freelance career development issues for freelancers and contractors. Nearest and [...]
The top 5 home-business occupations in 2009 Whether it is a second income to make ends meet, a result of reduncancy or a decision to make a fresh start as a freelancer, the home business and startup sector looks like it will continue to grow in 2009. Freelance Advisor and home business startup supremo Emma [...]
Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones gives us her review of the best applications for freelancers. Top 5 technology apps of 2008 As we enter the month of December, I can’t help but look back at the year that was. The thousands of new businesses started, the people we’ve profiled, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Dianne Bown-Wilson | Lifestyle & Time out
In part one of this series consultant, coach and trainer Dianne Bown-Wilson explored the advantages of portfolio working. Today she helps us identify the tools we’ll need to put it into practice. Portfolio career: How to Designing a Portfolio Career comes down to achieving an appropriate and desirable balance in your life between need and [...]
Dianne Bown-Wilson | Getting a Job
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 [...]
Emma Jones | Working From Home
Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones offers us the first in a new series of pieces for our Working from Home section. Here she takes a looks at what freelancers with a home office can do to create a professional image for clients and a great first impression for customers [...]
Leif Kendall | Lifestyle & Time out
Ah… the life of a freelancer… feet up, TV on, sitting around in your dressing gown and your clients are none the wiser. But is this really the best way to approach your freelance and contracting work? Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendall asked the freelancers on the Brighton New Media list what [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
Andy talks to Stuart Scott, an successful freelance graphic designer based in Brighton, about what it takes to succeed in the industry. Topics Covered: Getting direct clients Watch the trends Attending industry events Having a team of experts around you The difference between design and artwork Flaunting your published work The role of networking in [...]
#8: How to thrive as a Graphic Designer in todays market [ 19:33 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
You can think of your website as the modern-day equivalent of the Victorian calling card. Before your prospective client decides whether you’re worth talking to, they’ll have a good nose around your site. And they might be asking themselves: How professional is this organisation? Do they have the products or expertise I’m looking for? Will [...]
