clients

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.

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Money matters: How do I negotiate a great rate?

Michael Rose | Accountancy & Tax, Starting Out

 

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.

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Three conversation tips for getting what you want

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Training

 

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.

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Freelance Contracts: Are notice periods a good idea?

Malvolio | Legal advice

 

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?

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Freelance Training: How to improve your Sales hit rate

Hannah Keep | Training

 

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…

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Better Business Cards

Michael Rose | Resources

 

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.

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Freelance Training: The Personal Touch

Hannah Keep | Training

 

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.

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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.

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Awesomitise: Discover the Radical Alternative to Searching for Clients

Leif Kendall | Starting Out

 

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!

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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…

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Going freelance: Four ways to get your family to support your freelancing career

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Starting Out

 

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 Dearest [...]

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Working from home: top five freelance home-business opportunities in 2009

Emma Jones | Starting Out

 

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 Jones [...]

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Freelance Advisor Reviews: Top 5 technology applications of 2008

Emma Jones | Technology

 

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, and the [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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Freelance Advice: Portfolio Working and how to go about it

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 want. Ultimately [...]

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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 [...]

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Create a professional welcome while working from home

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

A [...]

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Working from home: 17 secrets for success

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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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Podcast #8: Thrive as a freelance graphic designer in todays market

Andy White | Podcast

 

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 [...]

 
icon for podpress  #8: How to thrive as a Graphic Designer in todays market [19:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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How to build a credible website

Kath Burke | Starting Out

 

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 [...]

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