Financial worries are common enough for people both experienced and new to the world of freelancing. There are pensions and mortgages and holiday pay to consider and prepare for. Even more basic than this is banking. Have you considered how your banking decisions might be affecting your business? As freelancers are often hesitant to call themselves business owners, the idea of setting up a business bank account might not even cross your mind. You might be planning to use your personalsetting ... [Read more]

What is a scope creep? A scope creep is a client who wants just that little bit extra work done for them, without paying for it. It might be an extra hour of your time, another 200 words or something bigger. It might be just the once, or more likely, happen on a regular basis once you’ve given in. You might not think much of it at first. You’re happy for the work, particularly if you’re new to freelancing and you just ... [Read more]

The dreaded question of how much to charge clients can be a source of worry and a barrier to business growth for many freelancers. When you start earning you might, like many freelancers, feel grateful to be making over your hourly rate from your previous or day job. Or worse, you might be happy with that rate, quoting it as how much to charge clientsyour hourly fee and hoping people aren’t put off by it. If you’ve been doing this for a ... [Read more]

As the idea of work shifts from "a place you go" to "something you can do from anywhere," more and more professionals are choosing to freelance as their full- or part-time careers. In fact, Intuit estimates that 40 percent of U.S. workers will fall into the freelance category by 2020. What's driving this shift? According to the 2016 Freelancer Lifestyle survey by Toptal, a freelance network for software engineers and designers, 95 percent of freelancers say they enjoy working remotely because ... [Read more]

If you're freelancing, you're in good company: According to research by independent consultant marketplace HourlyNerd, 42 million Americans are independent workers, and by 2020, freelancers will make up half the workforce. As a new freelancer, you may not think of yourself as a business owner, but in reality, that's exactly what you are. You're marketing your services — writing, graphic design, coding, etc. — to various companies and getting paid for your time and effort. You're fielding project requests, filling out ... [Read more]

In the past several years, freelancing has skyrocketed in popularity as a work option. Talented professionals can work from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, taking on projects for a variety of different clients and companies. But landing freelance gigs isn't always a simple task. Here are 10 things all potential and current freelancers should consider about the current marketplace and what it takes to get steady work. Freelance work isn't just one-time projects Traditionally, startups and smaller businesses hire ... [Read more]

If you know anything about the "1099 economy," then you know that the modern workforce is shifting toward a larger percentage of freelancers and independent contractors. Professionals in nearly every industry are finding ways to make money with their skills and expertise by taking on projects for a number of different companies, without being tied down to a single employer. As a new freelancer, you might not be too familiar with the current marketplace or going rates for certain types of ... [Read more]

Maybe you are tired of towing the corporate line. Maybe you are just ready to be your own boss. Perhaps the corporate 9-to-5 just doesn’t work for your life. Or maybe you just want to work on more fulfilling projects. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to become a freelancer or entrepreneur, the journey is an exciting one. And sometimes scary. I have been a full-time freelancer for more than two years now. Today, in addition to working with the awesome ... [Read more]

This could be one of the most exciting or terrifying times in your business. It’s probably a bit of both. You’ve decided to go freelance despite all the worry and the warnings. Now you’ve got to decide what to call yourself. You might think: it’s just me, it’s not a business as such. Are you selling goods or services? Then you’re a business. It doesn’t matter if you have 500 employees or if it’s just you typing away on a freelance ... [Read more]

Decided to go freelance? Or just interested in learning more before you take the plunge? Whatever work you plan to be doing as a freelancer, social media should be an important part of your marketing plan. It is an essential part of any business now and freelancers are no exception. Unfortunately there are a lot of myths and assumptions out there when it comes to social media marketing. It guarantees more sales Some people think that if you just tweet your services ... [Read more]