Why Freelancers Should Constantly Market Their Businesses

When you freelance, it's easy to get caught up in your daily work. You have to work on Client A's project, email Client B, have a conference call with Client C, etc. Once the day is done, you aren't left with much time to do any work promoting your business. This is a major mistake. Here's a quick illustration of why:

Let's say that in your line of work, 3 clients is enough to take up your time. Now that you have 3 clients, you are turning down business and referring "wanna be" clients to your fellow freelancers. This is not a problem and is actually the way things SHOULD go. This also means that once you no longer have work, you won't be able to "fall back" on those clients.

Client A pays you $1000 per month. Client B pays you $1500 per month. Client C pays you $3000 per month. Altogether, that's $5500. That's enough to live reasonably comfortable. Let's say Client C's company has been having trouble since the beginning of the recession and finally decided to throw in the towel. That means you've just lost $3000 per month.

Now you're panicking. Because business was going well, you didn't bother marketing yourself. You're left with only two options:

Wait for more clients to contact you again.
OR
Hit the pavement like you did when you first started.

Have you ever heard the old saying "If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready"? That's precisely the case when it comes to marketing your business. It's better to turn down work or outsource it than to lose work and have to start over.

Have you ever been caught with your professional drawers down? How did you make it right and are you committed to never letting it happen again?

Read more »

Going Out to Lunch

"Going out to lunch" is an office workers escape. When I worked a "real" job, I often found myself at lunch with coworkers. This was our time to dish the dirt and all around relax our minds from whatever was going on at work. These lunches were especially necessary during the tumultuous and uncertain times of the recession when we experienced 3 layoffs over the period of only a few short months. Lunch was a time for camaraderie and fun. I enjoyed it - A LOT!

Now that I'm freelancing, I miss those days. Honestly, "lunch dates" are one of the few things that I miss about working outside of the home. I miss that opportunity to socialize over food. Now I sit at my computer and eat. Going out to lunch is not so much about satisfying hunger (certainly you're hungry) as it is spending time away from the office with people you've gotten to know through work.

At any rate, I was surprised today by two other people who work as contractors for the same company I work with. Needless to say, it was a very pleasant surprise. They live over 8 hours away (driving), so it's not like we see each other often. As a matter of fact, this was my first time seeing them. However, I picked up in conversation with them as if I'd known them for a while. I enjoyed being able to get out again and enjoy time with people who can "relate" to my work.

The moral of the story is: sometimes it's nice to go out to lunch. It allows you to escape the office and socialize a bit. Humans are very social creatures, thus we need socialization in order to thrive - even when it comes to our work.

How many of you have lunch groups you go out to eat with every so often? Do you think this makes your day run more smoothly?

Read more »

1 Surefire Way to Increase Your Productivity

Freelancers must learn to be as productive as possible. You have to juggle multiple responsibilities within your business, work with various clients, etc. If you aren't productive, you can easily fall behind and have upset clients within one week or less. 

However, there is one surefire way to increase your productivity: get ready for work.

You will be surprised at how much you can get done when you have shifted your brain into working mode. The quickest way to go from 0 to 60 (productivity style) is to get dressed for work - all the way down to putting on shoes. I explain more details in this video:

It works, believe me. If you don't believe me, try it, and if it doesn't work, you have full permission to give me a good cyberslap :-).

Read more »

Even Freelancers Need Vacations

You work hard. Of course, you've got bills to pay and the repo man doesn't take excuses *wink*.

However, it's important that you take a step back from client projects, emails, etc. and take some time out for you. After all, if you get burned out or aren't in the right frame of mind while working, that can be a productivity killer. And before you ask - no, a vacation doesn't involve checking your email at ANY point - even at night after everyone else has gone to sleep.


A little over a year ago, Freelance Folder (one of my favorite freelancing blogs -- other than this one) discussed freelancer burnout, the warning signs, and how to cope. Ultimately, this is related to not taking vacations when you should. The worst part is, you may not see any direct signs of burnout. You may be able to work on client projects just fine, and you may even be pleased to talk to clients. However, you get easily distracted from your work. You find yourself putting client work on hold to play games on Facebook, read gossip sites (I know I'm not the only one), etc. This is not healthy behavior for you or your business. It's better to let your clients know you are taking a few days off (in advance, of course) than to get burned out and create an end product of questionable quality. Here are a few other "less obvious" signs of freelancer burnout (taken from the Freelance Folder site):

• Being afraid to say "no" to your client when they offer you a new project - sometimes it's best to say "no". Don't overwhelm yourself with projects just because you want to be a "superstar".
• Thinking about work when you should be doing other things - don't check your email when you should be enjoying dinner with your spouse, family, friends, etc.
• Your work is causing relationship problems - no work is EVER worth hurting or distancing yourself from someone you care about (unless that person doesn't respect your business). That's very important. I will quote Suze Orman on this: "People first. Then money. Then things." Your priorities should be in that order. Of course, as freelancers, we want to please the client, but that should never come at the expense of someone you care about personally.

So, go ahead and plan that mini-vacay (or a full vacay if that works for you), let your clients know in advance, and don't check your email or work on anything for your client while you're gone.

When you get back, let me know if you were able to maintain your self-control (something I'm still working on) and if so, please share pictures :-).

Read more »

Why Every Freelancer Needs a Productive Work Environment

For the past year I worked from my couch, the bed, Bread Co. (a St. Louis twist on Panera Bread), and even on my patio. Were these productive work environments? Not in the very least. Sure, these spots are fine when you're only doing an hour or so of work, but not for working a full day. You need your own personal space that is defined as your office.

Why does an office make you more productive? There are a few reasons:

• When you enter your office, you know it's time to work because that's the space dedicated to working.
• You can have a desk that is unique to your working style.
• You can have an ergonomic office chair that is comfortable and provides a good level of support.
• You can put up pictures of your family, friends, pets, etc. that mean the most to you (the reasons why you work).

Now that I have my own office, things are different (though my space is a bit cluttered right now). I'm better able to focus, and I know when I sit down in my office chair, I mean business. I have even been able to hook my laptop into a monitor from an older computer so that I can run dual screens. This helps immensely as I'm able to look at information on one monitor while I may be keying everything in on the other.

How has having a dedicated office boosted your productivity?

Read more »