I’m pleased to announce the launch of the newest Dr. Freelance Guide: The Smooth-Sailing Freelancer—How To Find, Sell, and Retain More Freelance Business. For a limited time, I’m offering it as a free ebook…simply go to this page to download your copy. (It’s a 40-page pdf, no e-reader required. There’s also a Kindle version, if you prefer.)
Rest assured, you don’t have to know a bow from a stern or port from starboard to understand the strategies inside. [Read more…]
A friend, Betty, was looking for a freelance graphic designer to help her with the second generation of her small business website; unfortunately, the two design contacts I gave her weren’t able to help out. Before asking me for additional recommendations, Betty sought out one of the most popular internet freelance bidding sites. The winning bidder offered to create a logo for $100. [Read more…]
Freelancers come pre-installed with a certain measure of talent. But the reality is, as the legendary 1980 Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks put it in Miracle: “You think you can win on talent alone? You don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone.”
Unlike a hockey player, you don’t have to suffer through gut-busting conditioning drills—but you do have to channel your discipline and motivation in order to bring your talent to bear. If you’re a new freelancer who wants to succeed, or a veteran who needs to deliver some extra oomph, there’s work involved. [Read more…]
It’s Dr. Freelance’s distinct pleasure to play today’s host for Jennifer Mattern’s March Virtual Blog Tour. Here’s her take:
One of the most common questions I receive from new freelance writers is “Where can I find the high paying freelance writing jobs you always talk about?” What they don’t understand at first is that the problem they face is right in their question. They’re looking for the “where,” when there is none. [Read more…]
I recently asked P.S. Jones — freelance writer, owner of P.S. Jones Copy and Design, and the exuberant yet quite sane blogger at Diary of a Mad Freelancer — about the most common question she receives from new freelancers. Today’s guest post is her response.
The most common question I get from new freelancers is how will they know they’re good enough. “Good enough for what?” I usually say. If you’re asking are you good enough to be a writer, you’re asking something that every thoughtful writer asks regularly. We’re a sensitive group, and we spend a lot of time lavishing love on our work because it feels like we gave birth to it. [Read more…]
Dr. Freelance: I totally agree with your recent post about the benefits of hand-written thank you notes. I have a follow-up question that I’m hoping you can advise me on: What’s your position on bringing advertising specialties (logoed pens, coffee mugs, magnets, etc.) to a first client meeting?—A Freelancer Bearing Gifts
FBG: I’ll answer the question of whether you should bring a gift to a first client meeting by way of anecdote. When I started my business, I printed up a hundred or so small notepads with my logo and contact information on it to hand out to prospective clients. They were professional-looking, printed on nice paper…but when I was honest with myself, it wasn’t really a “wow” item. They weren’t terribly expensive, yet I don’t believe I received a measurable return on investment. [Read more…]