jonphillips

If you’ve spent any amount of time online recently, you’ve probably noticed the flurry of posts about content. Nearly all of the posts point out that content is important for anyone doing business online. Guess what? All those posts are right. (Well, mostly right.) Content IS very important if you want to do business online–and that includes most of us freelancers, too. Of course, content is not the only thing that’s important to your freelancing business. But it’s still very important... Read Full Story

The ability to say “no” is vital to freelancers. While there are many good freelancing opportunities out there, there are also many bad gigs that every freelancer should turn down. Sadly, I read about a freelancer trapped working for a bad client on social media nearly every day. But, we freelancers often accept jobs that we really shouldn’t take. We need to learn to say “no.” In this post, I list twenty-one situations where a freelancer might need to say “no” to a prospective client. I... Read Full Story

Like most freelancers, my time is important. I have to spend it wisely if I want to earn a profit. Most days I face a challenging to-do list with more tasks on it than I could possibly accomplish. That’s why I make it my mission to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. The alternative, working extra hours or missing a deadline, is just not acceptable. Of course, a mountain of self-help books, blogs, videos, and other materials already exists to help us learn to manage our time... Read Full Story

I first read “Getting Things Done” (GTD) by David Allen in 2007. Back then, I was working full-time in UNICEF, juggling my work responsibilities with a family. Although I didn’t implement GTD completely, it did allow me to unclutter my entire work area (not just my desk). It allowed me to tame my overflowing email inbox. It allowed me to leave my files neatly organized for my successor. GTD was written for corporate executives and office workers. Is it relevant and useful to freelancers... Read Full Story

If you’re active in social media, you may have recently heard of Pinterest, a new social media site that is gaining popularity. In fact, it seems like everyone is suddenly talking about Pinterest. From all the talk it’s hard to tell whether it’s a trend or a fad. You may even wonder if there is any way that your freelancing business could possibly benefit from using Pinterest. You may be asking yourself whether you should get involved in Pinterest. In this post, I’ll take a look at... Read Full Story

Freelancers usually operate solo, but sometimes it’s a good idea for us to enter into partnerships. As a one-person team, there are only so many clients you can serve, and so many skills you can deliver. A partnership can be a good way to expand your freelancing business. However, as in all things, freelancing partnerships have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re considering partnering with another freelancer, read this post to see if you really know what you’re getting into... Read Full Story

Do you know how much time your next project will take? As a freelancer, you should at least have an idea. If you’re freelancing, you must be able to effectively estimate the time each of your projects will take. If you can’t do this you won’t know how much to charge for your work or how to best schedule your time. Estimating is one of the core freelancing skills, yet it is one that many freelancers struggle with. If you have trouble in this area, you’re not alone. In this post, I’ll... Read Full Story

Sure, everyone faces some challenges from time to time. But, due to the unique nature of freelancing perhaps freelancers are a bit more susceptible to some challenges than others. If you’re properly prepared, though, you can handle most freelancing challenges that come your way while minimizing your stress . In this post, I’ll outline some of the common challenges that freelancers face. I’ll also discuss how to handle those challenges that are most unique to freelancing. Types of... Read Full Story

Are you one of those people who always get the Monday Blues? Do you have to drag yourself out of bed? Do you feel sluggish and unmotivated all day Monday? And does every thing seem to go wrong on this day? The Monday blues are common. In fact, a study by the firm Mercer found that 35% of all sick leave is taken on a Monday. In another study, more than 25% of people surveyed said the thought of going back to work on Monday morning was enough to ruin their weekend. These studies were done... Read Full Story

Do you crave a balance between your work and your personal life? Most freelancers do, but the challenges of working from home can sometimes make life/work balance seem unattainable . You may feel like you are constantly being pulled towards both family and work commitments–a bit like being in the middle of a tug-of-war. One answer that can help you achieve better balance between your work and personal life is boundaries . In this post, I’ll explain how boundaries help freelancers. I’ll... Read Full Story