Managing your time effectively is very individual and so it’s impossible to tell a person which days and times they will be able to work most effectively.
However, there are patterns that you can look at and see if you’re the same as most other people when it comes to working. If you’re trying to work out a timetable in order to help yourself work as efficiently as possible, there are several things you should take into consideration and think about first of all. [Read more…]
We all have trouble focusing from time to time. With the massive time waster that is the Internet tempting us with endless pages of Lolcats, YouTube videos, social-networking sites and Netflix, it is practically turning us all into creatures with the attention span of a goldfish. When was the last time you actually got through a task without checking Facebook? Or sending a text? I bet you can’t even remember.
It is no surprise that an avalanche of free applications has been released by developers for the Mac that helps to combat the lack of productivity that sometimes occurs in our everyday lives. Whether the issue is that there isn’t enough time in a day to get it all done or you just don’t seem to know where the time is going, these apps can help. [Read more…]
One of the professions that the advent of the internet has truly radicalized is writing. The internet is a content based medium and, as such, it relies on writers to produce the materials that people will read. Web designers may produce web sites and technical guys can bring that web site online but without content, a visitor to a web site will have nothing to read and, will not come back after seeing an empty site.
If you are starting out a freelance writing career then you will be joining countless other people who have found career fulfillment writing for various web sites and portals. Each writer will have their own secrets to success but the following tips are some of the most essential you should definitely follow:
Writing is a hobby that many enjoy. It allows us to contribute information through our words, touch people’s emotions and even vent our own. We can stir up passion for causes, help others improve their lives, or just pass on a story that has been simmering in our own minds that can be shared with others for their entertainment.
For others it becomes more than a hobby and instead moves into a chosen career. Blogs and websites have made it easier than ever to get that writing out there and make money, where once few opportunities resided. But when it comes to being paid for your work, especially as a freelancer, it can be difficult to find that delicate balance between what you want to write and what you have to.
Creativity can be overshadowed by information, and suddenly, practical work becomes the main focus, where once you had the freedom to explore. This is a difficult time that comes and goes for every writer. It can make it hard to find a flow between paid and personal work. Even more difficult is using both for the same project.
You can get past this block, however. Just try these simple tips to get you back into your flow, so you can find your creative voice no matter what you are working on: [Read more…]
That three column design that looks decent on your laptop is not exactly tablet friendly. Because your website will scale down on most tablet devices the moment a user loads your website which crams content between left and right sidebars they are already battling to find and zoom in on your content while it competes with other elements. In the case of developing a website that works for both a desktop user and a tablet user the “keep it simple stupid” method is a smart choice to make. As an added bonus when you scale down your sites output you reduce server load which in turn helps pages load faster, an important aspect for many tablet users who may not be connected to high speed internet options at all times.
Tablet devices have “dumbed down” the electronics industry by offering less robust (in some aspects) yet far more functional computing, therefore it only makes sense that the browsing experience on tablets should also be scaled down while implementing more functional design applications. While there are many web design standards you can use to create a useful and enjoyable tablet web browsing experience the options listed above should point you in the right direction to get started.
Writing is easy.
It’s something many people forget because freelance writing can be a self-defeating endeavor even for those with strong academic skills. It isn’t like completing a math problem where everything has a logical place and you’re guaranteed to do fine so long as the dots are properly connected.
Writing is the brooding cousin of painting. Whereas painters use brush strokes to convey an image, writers craft visions with words. The picture is framed by words designed to influence the reader’s perception of whatever is being conveyed. Word choice and flow are important in capturing and maintaining the reader’s interest.
In the course of more than a decade as a full-time writer – mostly for U.S. metropolitan daily newspapers – I have learned from extremely talented wordsmiths who passed on practical advice.
Their tips will help fine-tune your writing for maximum clarity and effect:
• Keep it simple, stupid! This design principle dictates use of sentences that are focused and clear. Any writer is more likely to get into trouble using long sentences with complex punctuation. Clunky sentences should be divided up so they are easier to read. Writing this way helps build and maintain momentum.
• What’s in it for me? It’s an old sales adage, but it applies equally well in writing. By the third or fourth paragraph at the latest, the writer must answer this question for the reader or risk losing their attention. In general, people want to be led and the writer must be firm in explaining why the article has value. This “nut graph” spells out, in one or two sentences, why the article is important and relevant to the reader.
• Word echoes are redundant. This one can be tricky, especially for those writing Search Engine Optimized content that relies on repetitive use of keywords. But even SEO has a limit. Generally speaking, an echo is when a writer uses the same word more than once in a sentence, or even paragraph. Repetitive use of words –except for search engine optimization – is boring and distracting. Avoid doing this at all costs.
• That “that” has got to go. In many cases, use of “that” is unnecessary and should be avoided. It may seem trivial, but “that” acts in a similar fashion as “umm” – overuse detracts from the author’s message. For example: “I hope that we go to the baseball game” should instead read, “I hope we go to the baseball game.”
• Read it out loud. Even after writing, editing and conducting a spelling and grammar check, it’s still not time to hit the send button. Read it out loud. This simple act is a perfect way to catch – with fresh ears – errors that may have been missed by fatigued mind and eyes. Reading every sentence out loud also helps identify awkward word arrangements that may slow the reader and cause them to veer off-course.
J.P. Cawyer is an east coast-based professional writer. When he isn’t mulling the dictums of the written word, he enjoys playing on his Galaxy S and the iPad.
Freelancing is a skill that takes some honing. While someone who has a knack for networking will find it easier than others, there are still challenges that you just have to work through. Much of it, in fact, is a matter of learning the hard way, and we all have our horror stories.
Of course, the risks and difficulties become more pronounced when working with people from countries other than our own. All communication is done via email or instant messenger, though some might occasionally ask for Skype. There is no real legal recourse when things go wrong. All in all, you have to rely on clients’ integrity, and they face the same problem with having to count on yours.
But despite that, the risk usually pays off. Working with a client from another country – or even continent – can be a rewarding and positive experience that you won’t want to miss. To make things a little less choppy, try following these guidelines for working with international prospects. [Read more…]
Freelancers have, be definition, a fluid income source. Projects come and go, clients don’t always have steady work, and new opportunities are just around the bend. There is also the somewhat unsteady foundation for many websites, magazines and experimental publishers, which make it hard to know when what payment will be coming when, and for how long.
In the past, I have spoken to dozens of other freelancers who seem to agree that this makes budgeting a near impossibility. As a consequence, they end up living from month to month trying to put their money wherever they can, and making up differences here and there when they come up short. Which happens often, because there is no consistent planning involved in the month’s finances.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little forethought and planning, it is possible to come up with a valid budget that will work for the ever changing income of the freelancer.
This is a modified version of an old classic, which was once referred to as the Envelope System. You would pull everything in cash and out it into an envelope for each bill and then for extra or savings. You would only spend the cash you had available, keeping you accountable for each dollar.
However, times have changed and plastic is the way it tends to go. So use this adapted version to get the same benefits in a new age.
To begin, you want to put together a basic list of all of your monthly expenses. This should include costs that are not bills, but are still regularly deducted from your overall income. This might include childcare, eating out, prescriptions, medical co-pays or events.
In the end, you should have something that vaguely looks like this:
When you add your expenses up, you are given a monthly baseline for what it is you need to make. In this case, it would be $1900, plus the 20% of the monthly income for savings. This gives us financial context, and makes it much more manageable an amount to reach.
Next, you should look at what you realistically make per month. While this amount will be rather fluid, there should be a basic number that can be estimated by looking back at the last six to twelve months of earnings. You want to find the minimum that you absolutely know you can make, and put that up against what you have to make.
This amount is going to tell you what projects you have to conduct monthly in order to create a proper cushion. For example, if you are a freelance graphic designer, you will need to calculate the number of websites you have to make and see if it adds up to what is possible to gain in work per month. If you are a freelance writer, you would calculate it in regular projects and your ability to bring in extra work as needed.
Now that you know what you need, it is time to find a way to keep track of it all. I am an old school kind of person, and so I prefer using little digital sticky notes on my desktop. But this can become difficult when it comes to keeping extensive records, which is why I have switched to a free version of Budget. Or, you can get the full version for $1.99.
With this program you can create envelope tabs, just like the old system. It gives you specific rules you can generate to match each one, such as percentages based on the whole. It will track your changing income and adapt the amounts accordingly. Or, you can select it to be a fixed amount to stay the same, no matter what you make.
See? Three easy steps to monitoring your finances as a freelancer, and all it takes it a little thought and a good software for the job.
It has been said that the two most sensitive people in the world are artists and writers. This is often proven in how the two groups take criticism, which is a regular part of our chosen professions. Perhaps this is because we all tend to put so much of ourselves out there when we craft our art. We are opening ourselves up to review, and we all want what we create to be well received.
As a blogger, you are even more vulnerable to negativity. Not only are you writing on a much more frequent basis, but you are doing so on a system that allows people to hide behind anonymity. This makes those who would usually refrain from cruelty much more willing to sling hurtful comments with no productive purpose.
Of course, there is also good criticism, and this is what we should use to further our own talent. Knowing what we are doing wrong might be hard to swallow, but it is a bitter pill that is necessary if we want to better ourselves. That makes learning to take it, accept it and use it so very important. But it is equally crucial that you know how to put aside your feelings and get the most out of other’s observations.
The first thing you have to do is learn what constitutes constructive criticism and what is just nasty Internet shouting. I have had tiny typos turn into streams of angry readers eager to pick on me and others who have helpfully pointed it out for correction. There have been people hiding behind the anonymous posting button who have told me I am awful for no particular reason and even some who have threatened me.
If criticism helps you, then it is constructive. This means the posters will have a reason for their opinion, they will explain it to you, and they will provide a suggestion in which you can improve. This might be done pleasantly or unpleasantly, but it is still something you can use toward a positive goal.
Anything else, which is mindlessly malicious, angry or insulting, is pretty much just abuse and best ignored.
When you do get helpful criticism, you should be careful that you react in an appropriate manner. This is easier said than done. After all, just because you can use what they said doesn’t make it any easier to hear. Try these tips to keep you centered and reacting positively:
Jennifer Moline writes about small business, graphic design, printing and freelancing for the PsPrint Blog as well as for other graphic design websites.
SEO consulting services can help a webmaster boost their websites presence by bringing in professionals who understand what it takes to create on-site and off-site optimization, however it’s important when choosing a service provider that you first investigate their past successes and understand their approach to site optimization.
Start your search by first examining how the SEO service ranks for keywords found on their own website. If an SEO “expert” isn’t ranking for basic terms such as “SEO” or “SEO Services” and “SEO consultants” it should raise a red flag.
Speak with several representatives from the company. While a one man organization may be able to assist you with the initial setup of your SEO practices, larger SEO consulting services can handle better monitoring of your targeted keywords once your site has been initially optimized. If you plan to build a long term strategy it’s good to know the company is large enough that it will likely be around to continue the implementation of the SEO strategy they initially implemented.
Request information about other customers the SEO consulting service has assisted with SEO development. Visit those websites and find common terms used throughout those websites, examine how those sites rank in Google, Yahoo and other search engines. Also examine the sites structure, saturation of keywords in articles and other basic SEO practices. If the site appears to be naturally written with keywords well placed and not overused it’s a good sign that the SEO firm knows how to optimize for search engines.
Ask the SEO Service if they belong to any professional SEO organizations. For example, are they a member of the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) or perhaps the Search Marketing Organization of America (SMA-NA). Reputable search optimization organizations vet their customers and provide them with ongoing standards and practices in the search engine optimization market. If the SEO organization doesn’t appear to work with professional organizations it should raise another red flag.
Check to see if your potential SEO provider has published any case studies in regards to the SEO market. Case studies show that the company is serious about their business, it also likely means they are constantly attempting to find new trends in SEO which they can utilize for their customers. SEO firms that rely on case studies are often the first organizations to find new SEO practices that will benefit their customers, giving them an edge over competitors.
Finally, take a real world approach when making your final decision for who to hire, check the company’s name in Google and look for reviews of the organization on the first pages of Google search results. Established SEO consulting services should have enough of a reach that some reviews will exist, while their own URL should pop up in search results on a regular basis.
SEO consulting services are a mixed barrel, however with the right research you can find a firm that will best represent your needs and continue to represent your website in the future.
