Should You Be Working for Free?
June 25, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
Nothing in life is free, they say, but I beg to differ. Every day around the Internet, savvy people barter goods and services or grab a valuable report that only costs an email address. Free alive and thriving. Business is booming, folks.
Free goods and services are great if you’re on the receiving end. Amass your treasures and collect a wealth of stuff – no charge!
What’s it like to be on the other side, though? Creating free downloads, reports, products and blog posts takes time and energy. Free doesn’t give you any money and it often takes time away from the money you could be making.
Some freelancers think free is stupid.
Why bother writing a free ebook when you can make it a selling item? Why donate your services or products when you can charge for them?
We’re a short-minded society with big-time focus on our wallets. Two of the most frequently heard questions these days are, “What will that cost me?” and “How much does it pay?”. And if the person isn’t asking those questions aloud, you can bet they’re still questions on his mind.
I’m often privy to expressions of shock punctuated by gaping mouths when I tell people that I write free blog posts (both for my own blog and for others), teach two online university courses to lawyers, mentor three people and offer business consulting to a handful of lucky ones.
After they close their mouths and recover from the shock, they always say the same: “You’re not being paid for that?”
Not financially, no. Several people receive the benefits of my effort, time and creativity completely free of charge. And I’m not being paid – and yet I am being paid back. There’s a huge difference.
When you give, you always receive. What you receive may not always be what you want, of course, and in that case, you should stop giving to that person or project and find something better to do.
In most cases, though, you receive a great deal from free labor:
You get to market your business and your services without paying for advertising
You earn credibility, notoriety and in many cases, a loyal, satisfied customer
You enjoy word-of-mouth recommendations as the people you work for tell others how great you are
You benefit from increased traffic or heightened interest as people come to see what you do
You receive personal fulfillment for having done something great for someone else
You get back, because most people like to return the favor of a good deed done
You can learn new skills and practice them without having a client bar of standards in your way
Have you ever donated your skills or services? Was it worth it? Can you think of other reasons you should give your work away free of charge? Can you think of times when you shouldn’t?
Wouldn’t you like more tips on how to get ahead in business? Learn how the pros do it in The Unlimited Freelancer. Get your copy today.
5 Great Add-On Services to Offer Your Clients
May 28, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
Have you ever thought about ways you could expand your writing business? There are all sorts of little jobs you could do and services to offer clients that you probably didn’t think about.
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The Outsourcing Lifestyle for Writers: A Bad Thing?
April 23, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
I recently wrote a post challenging writers to ask themselves if they’re scared of spending money. If you read that post and the ensuing debate in the comment section, you’ll have noticed that Jennifer Mattern of AllFreelanceWriting was quite the champion and had strong opinions on the subject.
While well written (though a touch assumptive of my personal views) and also off topic from my original post (which was to spend on self- and business improvement, such as advertising or courses), Jennifer’s post discusses some dangerous presumptions that could be damaging to writers enjoying a better life.
I’d like to address them here:
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The Forgotten Advantages of Becoming A Freelancer
March 19, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
Many blogs write about the benefits that go hand in hand with freelancing, such as enjoying a flexible schedule, total freedom, the ability to wear what you feel like to work and doing what you love every day.
There are many other important advantages, though, and they’re often overlooked or simply forgotten. These freelancing advantages can help you increase your client base, enjoy greater success and build up a stunning resume if you decide to become a company employee.
Let’s revisit some of the reasons why freelance writing is a fantastic, interesting and adventurous career to pursue, and some of the business advantages you’ll gain:
Time management, scheduling and discipline.
Yes, it’s true. Freelancers don’t really have the tra-la-la life of no obligations or responsibilities. You’ll quickly learn that scheduling effectively and managing your time properly become a must to avoid overbooking or missing deadlines. That also means you’ll learn discipline – you’re the only person responsible for making sure you get the work done. Too much time off, and you don’t make any money.
A great writer books a normal-sized workload into a decent schedule and sticks to it.
Bonus advantage: When you learn how to schedule well and manage your workload in the available time you have, you’ll benefit from more satisfied customers who see you as reliable, responsible and time. You’ll also develop good skills that make you attractive to potential employers.
Money management, investing and budgeting
Most writers aren’t amongst the elite or the rich, and it takes some time to feel safe with your income stream. Freelancing often involves peaks of great times and valleys of huge lows. You’ll need to learn how to budget for those dry spells and sock money away during peak times. You’ll also learn how to analyze expenses, cut back on luxury spending and waste and become savvy about business improvements that offer the best returns.
Bonus advantage: When you start to monitor income and spending, you’ll realize how much money goes into the wrong places. You’ll learn how to redirect funds to other areas where the money is better spent and invest wisely in your business for smart improvements.
Effective, efficient project management
When you first start out as a freelance writer, you don’t have many processes or systems in place to have smooth operations. Getting the work done might even happen haphazardly and you might feel sloppy and scattered until you settle in. You’ll develop a nice routine that flows work through a systematic process, developing strategies that save time and help you do a better job.
Bonus advantage: Developing good work habits that follow a set pattern and that have a stable routine mean you’ll increase your profit margin on the projects you take on. Time is money, and the more you save, the more income you keep. You’ll even produce higher quality work, and that means more happy customers.
Expanding knowledge in related fields of business
Freelance writing isn’t just about writing. You’ll need to learn how to find jobs, attract clients and promote your services or else you won’t have any customers. That means you’ll become familiar with marketing, accounting, sales, branding and all sorts of other fields of business. This new knowledge can help you offer new services, add-on extras and build a better business on a good foundation for growth.
Bonus advantage: The more knowledge you have in business, the more attractive you become to potential clients and employers. You may even decide to change career paths or expand your business beyond writing alone.
Can you think of other advantages gained from becoming a freelance writer? Which advantages have you found to be winning ones for your own success? Which are you working on achieving right now?
If you want to learn how to develop smart systems and increase your client base for a better freelance business, check out The Unlimited Freelancer. It’ll teach you the tricks you need to know to take freelancing to the next level.
Should You Start Freelancing in a Down Economy?
February 20, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
The world’s in trouble right now – you hear it on the news every day. High debt, low sales, and everyone’s scrambling to prevent the economical recession from getting worse.
Then there’s you. Your job security may not be good or your partner was recently laid off. You have worries and fears. Maybe it’s not the best time to start freelancing, you think, but then again, you need the money.
I’ll tell you something. You can start freelancing now. You’re going to have to work harder and be more careful about the risks you take. But you’re also going to benefit from a great opportunity to learn about overcoming challenges.
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How to Land Repeat Clients That Pay Well
January 30, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
Whether you’re new to the world of freelance writing or you’re a seasoned expert in the field, there’s three things that you generally always want: better clients, high-paying clients and repeat clients.
So how do you get them?
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Are Writers Stuck In An Attic?
January 9, 2009 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
Writers generally aren’t the sort to implement much technology or cutting-edge applications in their life. Some do; most don’t. We get a nice computer, we make sure our word processor runs well, and that’s that. Our software budget for 2009? It probably has a big fat zero next to it.
Other freelancers, like designers and coders, have an edge on writers. These software wizards aren’t afraid of technology, and they benefit all the time from applications they integrate into their business. They’re enjoying a better workflow, more profits and streamlined collaboration.
What the heck are writers waiting for?
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Scope Creep: Whose Fault Is It?
December 27, 2008 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
Scope creep. It’s the dreaded bane of every freelancer. If you’ve never had the scope of a project start to creep on you, though, you may not be aware of it happening because of its subtle foot-in-the-door manner of sneaking in.
Worse, you may not realize how much scope creep can affect your life. Before you know it, you’ve spent more hours on a project than you should, there seems to be no end to the work in sight, and the client comes back with yet another request.
It’s almost enough to make you want to cry.
Adding Real Life to Your Work Schedule
December 5, 2008 by James Chartrand
Filed under Just Good Business
How well do you schedule real life into your workflow? If you’re like me, you may not be the best at it.
I start every day planning what I’m going to do, when I’m going to do it and how much time I’ll spend. Invariably, each day goes to hell in a handbasket about an hour after I get into my schedule.
