No commuting

I live in London and here’s a typical scene of commuters going into work at around 8.30 in the morning.

And here’s me at 8.30 in the morning, doing a spot of balcony gardening.

You get the idea. Of course, I use public transport to go to meetings but I always try to book these outside rush hour. And, if you work from home – as most freelancers do – not having the expense of a daily commute helps a great deal, too.

Different working environment

This may or many not be the scene in your current working environment but it’s a fairly typical office set up.

Here’s me the other day, editing some pdf print outs. Again, I’m on my balcony, enjoying the sunshine.

You set the timetable

Most people work a 9 ’til 5 or 9 ’til 6 day and, unless you can work flexitime, there’s not much leeway in this. However, when you work for yourself, you can more or less choose your own timetable. You will, of course, need to be available to talk to clients during their working day, so it’s unlikely you can work from midnight to breakfast time and sleep most of the day (unless you have clients in those kind of time zones).

I vary my timetable to suit me. So, if I want to start really early and then take time out mid morning to go to the gym, I can. If I want to work over the weekend to have some time off during the week, that’s fine too.

I knew one freelancer who preferred to work from 10pm to about 5am and got up around lunchtime. Clients knew she wasn’t around in the morning and so would contact her in the afternoon.

But, don’t forget, when you’re really busy, you’ll have to work flat out and put in all the necessary hours.

Freelancers don’t get sick

If you suffer from ill health or know you catch stuff easily and have to take quite a bit of time off work over the course of a year, then do bear in mind that, as a freelancer, you don’t get paid if you don’t work. Similarly, if you have an accident and can’t work for a bit, you won’t earn anything, either.

Holidays are unpaid

If you’re used to getting six weeks’ paid holiday a year (for US readers, this is pretty much standard now in the UK), and want to carry on taking six weeks a year, you might wish to reconsider going freelance. Sure, you are free to take as much time off as you like when you work for yourself but the reality is, you will take fewer days off. That’s because you don’t earn money when you don’t work and will have to beaver away like mad to catch up when you get get back.

Location independence

If you fancy taking a couple of months to work in another part of the country or even go abroad, this can be perfectly possible when you are freelance, (But it depends what your particular job is, of course.) Try asking your current boss if you can take two months to work in Italy!

Of course, you have to build up a client base first, but with Skype, the internet and cloud computing, you can pretty much work anywhere you like nowadays. Here’s a recent guest post on location independence.

Related posts

I’ve also written a previous post about ‘Are Thinking About Going Freelance?’ and also ‘10 Advantages of Being Freelance‘ and ‘10 Disadvantages of Being Freelance‘ which you might want to check out.

No matter what the reason was (you were too expensive, someone else had more relevant experience, we chose someone local), it still rankles to know you have just missed out on a rather nice slice of much-needed new business.

And, if you’re not careful, it can dent your confidence a bit. (It shouldn’t do, because you’re just as great at what you do today as you were yesterday before you got the news.)

Here are four things you can do to help ensure your confidence remains high and to help motivate you to find your next new project.

1. Keep a log of every compliment your clients send to you

Every time a client emails me to say ‘Great job – thanks so much’ or whatever it may be, I copy and paste it into a Word document, along with their name and the date they sent it. Reading several pages of praise is bound to help your confidence come back. So go back over your filed emails and start keeping that ‘praise’ document. It works for me.

2. Reread the recommendations you’ve received on LinkedIn

And, if you have a testimonials page on your website, reread those as well. This should have much the same effect on you as Point 1 above, in case you don’t already have a ‘praise’ document.

3. Take a look at your vision board

I wrote about this a few months ago.  Essentially, it’s about creating a vision board for your ambition. So, if your goal is to earn £150,000 a year, cut out images of what you could buy, places you could visit, and things you could do once you have more money in the bank.

Then, stick your board in a prominent place where you’ll see it often. Here’s the image board I created for myself.

If you focus your thoughts on what you want to achieve, then hopefully any negative or demotivating thoughts brought about by losing out on that project will soon evaporate.

 4. Make a list of the ten clients you’d most like to work for

Imagine what it would be like working with these ideal clients and the kind of freelance projects you would be doing for them.

Next do a Google search for all ten and find out the most relevant person for you to contact within each organisation.

I once read that David Ogilvy made a similar list (but it was a much longer list) and within ten years his ad agency had each one of those companies as clients. If it worked for him, then it can work for us, right?

If you’re not sure exactly who would most like to work for, take a look at this post I did last year: How to Pinpoint Your ideal Client.

What do you to keep motivated when you suffer a temporary set back? Let me know in the comments below.

Ah, the self-employed life. What a way to live! The freedom, the enjoyment, the unlimited earning potential. Who could fault it?

One of the reasons why being self-employed is so often seen as the solution for anyone who is unhappy in their mundane 9-to-5 is because many self-employed people have a habit of regularly promulgating a number of its key benefits in articles very much like this one.

These said benefits are then lapped up by those considering going self-employed and are used as the fuel to propel their headlong charge into independence and liberty and escape their current existence.

However, I’m not so sure that some of these widely-promoted benefits are as common as is sometimes suggested.

In fact, I know that they are not because in my own self-employed position I find them completely lacking.

I think it’s time we took a closer look at some of these benefits, not to disprove that they exist, but rather to highlight the fact that they should not always be taken as guaranteed bonuses of being your own boss.

1. Working Any Hours of the Day You Please

I’ve been a self-employed writer for four years now, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier or more content with my career. However, this ‘work any time you want’ line is, unfortunately, not my experience at all.

You see, I work a more-or-less nine-to-five existence. I sometimes work a seven-to-eight existence or a six-to-nine existence, but the one standard is that I always have to incorporate the working hours of my clients.

I have emails to answer and phone calls to make, and because most of my clients work a standard working day, that means I invariably have to do the same.

I’m not saying that working any hours is not a potential benefit of being your own boss: I’m sure millions of people work afternoons, nights, or whenever else they want to and love the freedom that it brings.

It just bears mentioning that your working hours will not always be a result of personal choice and are more likely to be dictated by the type of work you do, the location of your clients and how often you need to communicate with them.

2. Working Anywhere You Want

With many self-employed jobs, it is true that you can work from wherever you want. And on paper, my job is the same. After all, the only thing I really need is an internet connection and a laptop, so the options are potentially limitless.

But this has not been the reality of my experience.

I’ve tried working in cafés, restaurants, on the beach, in the park, and in many other locations, but the fact remains that I only seem to work well when I am sitting on my chair, at my desk, in my office.

Everything in my office is designed for my own personal comfort. The laptop is propped up at the right height, my chair is adjusted to the right setting, I have my phone at arm’s length, and the internet connection always works.

As soon as I venture out to a cafe, the Wi-Fi connection is too slow or non-existent, a happy couple with a screaming baby decide to sit down next to me, the customer before left the remains of their donut on the table surface, and I have to crouch down over my laptop to type which always gives me a terrible crick in the neck.

That’s not to say your experience will be the same. But for me, the ‘work anywhere you want’ benefit is nothing more than a beautiful dream.

3. Working in Your Pajamas

This is one of those classic bonuses included in all those ‘Top 10 Benefits of Being Your Own Boss’ articles that you see everywhere.

For some reason, people automatically assume that as soon as they stop working for someone else they can ditch their shirts and remain living in their pajamas for the rest of their lives.

But whilst it’s certainly possible for you to do this if you want to, in my case I simply cannot get into the right frame of mind needed to work unless I am dressed for the job.

That may sound strange to you, and it came as a bit of a surprise to me as well. But the fact is, a few months after going self-employed full-time I realized that I simply could not focus on my work properly if I was not washed, dressed, and prepared to work just as I would have done if I were going into a job.

And then of course there’s the whole problem of video conferences. Have you ever held a video conference with your clients in your pajamas? Didn’t think so.

Some Benefits Are Not For Everyone

You may well be able to take advantage of the above benefits when you become self-employed, or you may be enjoying them already. However, I think it deserves reiterating that you should not simply assume that you will be able to take advantage of these (or any other potential benefits) automatically when you become self-employed.

The truth is, although you may love the idea of working from a café or taking mornings off and working evenings instead, when it actually comes to it you may realize that it is not practical.

But even if you do not get to take advantage of the above benefits, there are always other bonuses when you go self-employed. For example, I have found greater job security than I ever had before through working for myself.

In this day and age where unemployment figures are rising and people are getting made redundant all over the place, knowing that I have a large network of clients providing me work gives me the security that I will never get sacked.

And for me, whether I get to enjoy any other self-employed benefits or not, this makes it all worthwhile.

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RESOURCE BOX:

Fancy going self-employed yourself? You may not be able to take advantage of every benefit going, but you’ll never want to go back to your old job! Visit http://prowebwriting.com to find out more about being a freelance writer and get your free ebook from Greg Walker while you’re there!

And, in the current climate, it’s likely that we are all taking fewer holidays than ever. So here are a few ideas showing how you can take a well-earned break, even if you can’t afford to go away.

Take a series of day trips

Going on five separate day trips will give you a good break from work and from your desk. But don’t forget to tell your clients you are taking a week off – if they know you haven’t actually gone away, they might try and sneak a ‘Can you just’ by you.

If I were going to take five day trips from here in London, this is what I’d probably do. (Weather permitting.)

• Visit Hampton Court Palace and walk back as far as possible along the river, until I get tired.

• Take a train to Brighton and spend the day by the sea.

• Become a tourist in my own city and take a boat to Greenwich to visit the Observatory and the Maritime Museum.

• Spend a day among the dreaming spires of Oxford.

• Trip to Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park/Virginia Water Lake.

Enjoy a really low-cost, yet fun, week without going very far

Or, if you really don’t have spare finances to pay for train trips or entrance fees, here’s how I might spend a low-cost week off.

• Set myself a photographic assignment and spend the day taking pictures.

• Visit a museum and an art gallery. (In the UK they are free.)

• Go rummaging with a friend in vintage clothing shops and Camden market.

• Spend a lazy day reading and watching old movies.

• Persuade my husband to take the day off, as well, and cycle around Richmond Park with him, enjoying a picnic along the way.

Obviously what you end up doing depends on what your interests are. But you should be able to take a break that’s fun AND inexpensive.

Just remember to be disciplined about not looking at your email or taking your laptop with you etc. Otherwise you’ll easily get sucked back into work mode.

What kind of holiday are you planning this summer?

Thanks to a really useful webinar from Alicia Cowan and Tamsin Fox-Davies last week, I now have all the information I need to implement these changes. (Not that I’ve done them all yet, mind you.)

So here are five tips I gained from their webinar that I’m going to share with you.

1. Use a striking cover photo

It needs to be eye catching and should represent what you do. It also needs to be 851 pixels wide x 315 highs. Here’s the photo I have chosen for my Marketing Copywriter business page.

Ideally I need to get a cover done by a designer which will represent my brand, logo, strapline etc. So, watch this space…. Here are Alicia’s and Tamsin’s cover photos for their pages.

2. Fill in your ‘About’ page

There’s lots of space here to write about who you are and what you do, so use it! Think of it like a LinkedIn summary – the more detail you can provide, the more people will know about you. And don’t forget to use keywords in your text, as this will help index your page. In the ‘Contact info’ box, you can include ALL your web pages. So add Twitter, LinkedIn, your blog etc – not just your main website.

3. Add Apps

The new Apps feature gives you an opportunity to engage with people and encourage them to click. The images are 111 x 74 pixels in size and you can have up to 12 apps in total. So, if you’ve got a free guide to give away, or a video to show, or a competition to run, this is the place to promote it.

4. Highlight important posts

You can direct visitors to your most important posts by highlighting them. You do this by hovering over the post with your mouse and click the star that appears. Your post will then stretch the full width of the page.

5. Add a milestone

This is where you can highlight some of your major accomplishments, such as winning an award, getting your 1,000th Facebook fan, launching a new product etc. The size for milestone images are 843 x 403 pixels. So go back in time and start creating milestones.

Essentially, the new fomat places much more emphasis on visual content, so make sure you take full advantage of that. If you would like to watch a recording of Tamsin and Alicia’s webinar, you can access it by clicking on  this link: Pimp my Facebook Page.

If you have already updated your Facebook business page, why not share the link to it in the comments box below?

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Choose a subject

• What are you an expert on?
• Who are you targeting?
• What do they want to learn?
• What need do they have that you can fulfil?
• How will your blog make a difference to them?
• What will make them want to read it?
• Where can you provide most value – what can you add to the blogosphere?

2. Ascertain demand

• How many blogs already exist on your chosen subject? (There’s obviously room for several blogs on the same topic in the blogosphere but don’t try and enter a hugely competitive area)
• Take a note of what do these blogs cover exactly – try and make your blog come from a slightly different angle
• Sign up to these blogs and read them regularly

3. Choose a blogging platform

• I advise WordPress. If you aren’t very techie then get someone to design and build it for you. It’s money well worth spending. Or if you want to have a stab at it yourself, why not sign up to these ten step by step videos ‘Become a Blogger‘ – they are completely free.

4. List out your first blog posts

• Come up with a list of blog posts to write about that will give value to your target audience. Try and write the first six weeks’ worth if you can.

5. Provide an incentive for people to sign up to your blog

• Mine is a downloadable pdf listing out 21 freelance challenges and how to overcome them. By getting people to sign up for your blog, your readers will get email reminders every time you publish a new post.

Once you’ve completed these first five steps, you’re ready to take your plunge into the world of blogging!

I’ll focus on how to market your blog and grow your readership in another post.

Changing the words and phrases you say to yourself can make all the difference to you and what happens next.  I am a great believer in that the things we say to ourselves can either help us or hinder us in our day, especially in our mood and how we feel. Have you noticed that?

Watch out for what you’re saying to yourself

I’d like to introduce you to re-framing.  It’s a way of ‘flipping’ phrases around to give you a different perspective on the situation. This then changes how you feel, which will make all the difference to you and your day.

For example, I could say..’damn, it’s raining again’ and the reframe, or flip, is ‘it’s raining again, good for the garden’

Flip it for a different meaning = a different feeling

Flip it to get your self unstuck, to stop negative thoughts and negative feelings.

You’ll find solutions quicker and easier, allowing you to get on with your day again with more positive outcomes.

Your action point today is to notice where you can flip something that you say to help you feel better

Is there a phrase that you often use when you’re feeling blue? Flip it to feel in the pink!

Rather than say “I can’t do…”, say “I can do …”

It works wonders when working with teams and clients too.

For example, if they start telling you what a bad day they are having, re-frame or flip it with ‘it’s a good job I’m calling you now to help you!’ or if they say ‘This just seems impossible for me to do today’ flip it with ‘let’s sort this out together now, I’m sure between us, we can work it out’ They’ll feel better immediately and you’ll get the job done. Result.

‘Flip It and Move On’ ooh I could turn that into a poster like the Keep Calm and Carry On range! ‘Flip It and Feel Good’

It works a treat

To your success and happiness, have a flipping good day!

Jo James propels women in business to earn six figures and beyond, and importantly feel good along the way. In Workshops and Coaching Programs conducted in London and Surrey.

Want to give you and your business a boost? Sign up to Jo’s regular email and Make Your Mondays Matter, I do!

Twitter: @JoJamesAmber Facebook: AmberLifeMindSpa LinkedIn: jojamesamber 

T: 020 8336 0886  M: 07968 016 585 W: www.amberlife.com        E:  jojames@amberlife.com

The diagnostics pointed to a print head failure so my husband called Lexmark to find out how to get hold of a new one.

We had bought non-Lexmark ink cartridges which we were told was likely to be the cause of the problem. Even so, the chap at Lexmark still said they would post us a replacement print head free of charge. And – get this – a set of inks as well (to ensure we were using the right ones). No payment required.

Now that’s customer service for you.

The power of word of mouth

Good customer service always pays off because, when you experience it, you tell others. You also tell people when you experience bad customer service, but human nature means that we tell an awful lot more people when the service was bad.

As freelancers, we need to make sure we provide the best service we can to our clients. It’s not just about doing a great job, on time. They expect that.

It’s about things like helping them out at short notice when they have a problem on their hands. Or working outside your usual office hours to get an urgent job done for them. Or introducing them to one of your contacts who you know can solve an issue they are facing. From your point of view, it’s a simple introduction but your client will regard it as a great stress saver.

Not only do you have a happy client when you provide a great service but you will also get talked about.

How do you go the extra mile for your clients? And what usually is their response?

In no particular order, here are some of the key learnings I took away from the day. Some of the speakers run multi-million pound empires, but we can still apply their words of wisdom to our smaller-scale freelance businesses.

• Stop and enjoy the journey

• Integrity is paramount

• When you become successful you need to learn to be tough – with people and situations

• Go for awards; they are great for your business

• Always try to get a face-to-face meeting when looking for partners or new business. Don’t try to sell yourself over the phone or email

• To sell effectively, you need to break all the rules of your childhood. For example: ‘don’t talk to strangers’

• There are 24 sales hours in a day

• The barriers to using technology have gone. The only thing stopping you is your fear

• Think multimedia: get into video/podcasting for deeper connections and for meeting new markets

• Video brings personality to your site – people feel that they know you when they watch your videos

• Google will soon be using voice recognition for YouTube videos, so don’t underestimate the power of Youtube searches

• Your business model must support an international audience if you are aiming to go global with your books

• Think ‘scalable income’ over ‘passive income’

• It’s the human connection that sells

• People must ‘Know, Like and Trust’ you

• Your past brought you here, but you don’t need to live in it

• Test your elevator pitch endlessly

• Be true to your own unique values, passion and purpose

• Start your day with purpose and intention, not your inbox!

• Mentors, role models + inspiring people are all around you. Seek them out

• Have a business coach to help keep you on track

• If you still make what you sell (cakes / earrings) your business will never grow

• When your work is giving you goosebumps you know you are doing the right thing

• Competition is OUT collaboration is IN

• Listen to your internal voice

• Base your business on what you are truly passionate about

• How many people buy things for rational reasons only? We buy with our hearts as well as our heads

• Think about how you can make emotional connections

• Think of your brand as a person

• Everybody has the potential to create a memorable brand

• Be consistent, be persistent – and show up every day

• Always pretend you know what you’re doing

• The key to success in business is having people who can do what you can’t

• A business plan doesn’t have to be shiny and perfect

• Know your worth

Which of these pearls of knowledge will you apply to your freelance business today?

The survey revealed that women going it alone are motivated primarily by financial independence and the added control over their work life balance. Just over a third (34%) cited financial independence as their primary motivator, followed closely by the 31% who yearned for more balance between the professional and private lives.

The research also showed that, despite being busy running their own businesses, women still undertake more domestic responsibilities than their male counterparts – 58% of respondents reported that they still manage most of the childcare duties.

Women said the biggest challenges they faced when starting their new business were book keeping (35%) and managing their cashflow (32%). Interestingly, the number of female freelancers and entrepreneurs is on the rise – we now account for almost a third of all new businesses, up 11% from last year.

What are your biggest challenges as a freelancer?

Book keeping used to be one of mine – until I outsourced it to a professional accounts lady. I’d say my biggest challenge at the moment is finding a steady flow of writing projects and managing the peaks and troughs.

Article source: Freelance Advisor