Self-promotion is an ordinary and necessary aspect of doing business as an independent creative professional. Unlike social media marketing, self-promotion campaigns are targeted to contacts
When you start freelancing you become a business owner and are responsible for the success or failure of your enterprise. Honestly, it can go either way,
Creative freelancers spend a lot of time designing stuff. Good design is structured, organized and unified. When you juggle multiple projects, the ability to focus
What do you do about scope creep? Should you avoid it? Should you agree to it? The affect of scope creep — when a scope of work
Every independent creative professional should have a web site. Hands down, WordPress.org is the most popular self-hosted content management web site framework. Over 50% of self-hosted
Risk. It’s a small word with big impact. Taking risks involves change and the unknown. We’re not all that comfortable with either concept. I was
Have you ever gotten involved on a project and then realized that neither the project nor the client is ideal? The project that was going to
[themeone_drop_cap letter=”T” color=”accent-color3″ /]he current mantra for creative freelancers, and for any independent business owner, is to create or define a niche and aggressively market
This article was updated on February 8, 2017 by the author. Being always on the lookout for new client opportunities, I thought I’d give LinkedIn
As an independent creative, you get to decide how you will attract clients and projects. One option is via Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Whether or
We are always marketing. From the quality of our work to how we talk about ourselves, we are constantly sending messages into the public square,
Filling the Gap Between School and Career So you’ve gone through school and developed a creative portfolio. You’ve tweaked it up one side down the
When you’re in business for yourself and you are regularly seeking new clients and projects, you will come across all types of prospects in your
If you are a self-employed creative, business networking is a significant part of your marketing mix. While designers, illustrators and photographers naturally get together with other creatives for mutual support and trend
Did you know that there is more than one way to be a freelancer? Independent creatives — freelancers — can choose a variety of working scenarios
Avoid awkward moments and misunderstandings about getting paid for your freelance work. Prepare written agreements for each client that outlines the type of work you will do, how much you will charge for it, and how you want to be paid. You cannot make a living by doing favors.
Most problems freelancers experience when working with clients are due to contract mistakes. Do any of these statements sound familiar to you? “I started working
With value pricing for design and illustration projects, I am able to custom-tailor my services and fees to fit each client and project. But even
A student asked me the same question I asked my teachers: “How do I know if I will be successful at freelancing?” After 35 years
What do you do when you a client refuses to pay you? According to Freelancers Union nearly 50% of freelancers were stiffed by clients in the past 12
Have you made resolutions for the new year? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to change? Where do you see yourself
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Freelancing provides more freedom than any other type of work structure. With that freedom come the responsibilities of ownership and reputation. When we choose to
An up and coming freelancer asked me about how to deal with unusual requests. We all get these from time to time. Once someone learns
Ownership is simply the idea that something belongs to someone. In the case of your freelance business, you own it. It belongs to you. You
Freelancing is on the rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the freelance (contract, temp worker and freelancer — in all industries) economy has a healthy
Creativity requires action and effort to actually make something. We can mull over our ideas all we want, but to make a difference, at some point
Self promotion is the practice of telling potential clients about what you do. With it you build your brand, engage prospects and find clients. As a
I was asked about how to deal with unusual requests. Once someone finds out you are a designer, writer, photographer… any type of creative, you
10 Best Practices For Building Reputation and Relationships When you accept a client’s project, you make it your own. You’re not creating for yourself. Even so,
You probably already know that you can deduct mileage as a business expense. But did you know that, if you work from home, all mileage
With the excitement and anticipation of embarking on a freelance career, we can easily get caught up in the ideas of freedom, of getting paid
One of the huge differences between a salaried worker and a freelancer is that freelancers need to always be looking for work. Freelance work consists
As an independent creative, prospecting is a practical and necessary business activity that needs focused attention to. It requires work to maintain a pipeline of
Although it’s a common assumption, clients are not automatically entitled to a designer’s working files. The tools, preliminary concepts and layouts remain the property of
The commonly-given advice is: Do what you love and the money will follow. This is a great ideal, because no one wants to spend the majority
Good clients are integral to successful freelance projects and to your career overall. Beyond the project itself, a referral or recommendation from the right client can open doors
I wish I hadn’t said, “Yes” to certain design projects. It’s not that the projects were a problem, but something about the clients’ approaches, actions or expectations
Recently, I met with a start-up business. As we discussed the scope of work and began putting the design brief together, it became clear that
Working with clients can be likened to a downhill race: The designer moves along in her process and picks up momentum as she heads toward the finish line, and all
The Practice and Principle of Accomplishing Something Upon learning about what I do by trade, an employed acquaintance asked with some concern, “But will you
Misunderstandings can exist between clients and freelance designers regarding their working relationships. Questions of who owns what, what files are provided to the client, when and
Let’s begin with the premise that design, illustration and photography are service professions, and that being a professional means you’re in business. You’re making a
Not every client relationship is a good fit, and it’s just good business to separate.
Scammers are highly creative in who and how they target. No one is exempt. This design project scam targeting independent creatives has been circulating in
Clients have a choice when selecting creative services: They can go the cheap route and buy a logo through a crowdsource or contest web site where