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May 4th, 2013
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Six Secrets of Web Design Freelancers!

Web designers are a particular (and often seen as a peculiar) breed of human being. It takes something special to work effectively in this field, that's for sure. But even more so to be a freelancer in the web design field. That's an entirely different subspecies altogether. For anyone who has ever tried their hand at freelancing, they know this to be the case. It is not for everyone. But it can be.

Like with most things, being a freelancer can be learned. This beast can be somewhat tamed to work for those who have perhaps failed at it in the past.

Perhaps the reason you have been unable to take that step, or that you were unable to make a go of it when you did, was because you weren't privy to some of the secrets. Less tricks of the trade, and more ways to make this lifestyle fit more comfortably.

Six Secrets of Web Design Freelancers!
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

What this Post Isn't

If you have come to this post expecting to find the secret to banking the big bucks as a freelancer and retiring at the age of 25, then I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. This post is not going to be any sort of automatic recipe for successful freelancing. Because such a recipe does not exist.

Sorry if I burst any bubbles with that statement, but freelancing is not some sort of magical field where millionaires are made around every corner. It's a field of long days and waiting games.

This post is also not going to spell out how you can become a rockstar in the field and suddenly be designing the site for the next Avenger's film.

Becoming a rockstar is up to you. You have to have the passion and talent to shape the game in that manner as you work in the web. It is more about giving you the stepping stones you will need to have in place if you are going to rise to that level, sure. But knowing the path, and being able to see it through are two completely different things.

So below you will find six secrets that all successful, and sustained, freelancers know and work by. Day in and day out.

#1 – Community Connection is Key

First and foremost, if you are hoping to be a successful web design freelancer, then you have to understand that the community connection is key. Web design freelancers know the benefit of the online community and how being connected to said community is beneficial to them and their brands. So they engage. They become an active part of the community and contribute. This is not only good for growing your business through referrals by others whom you have connected with, but it allows you to grow as a web designer too.

Community Connection is Key
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

Being an active part of the community keeps you up to date and plugged in to the latest developments in the field without having to make any sort of costly investments. While it might be a fantastic thing to do for your business, you might not always have the openings in your schedule or the funds available to attend every web design conference that is held. But the community will respond and actively share what was learned and discussed at these conferences. So you have the learning potential.

And just like with any community you are a part of, they can offer useful advice and reviews of products or services that you are considering, but haven't the means to risk spending funds on them that might just end up being wasted. Like if you are trying to find a good, reliable host, you are going to trust what those who have used them have to say about their service. Same applies elsewhere in the web design community.

So there are many ways that being part of online web design community is beneficial to freelancers. We are not always backed by big corporate budgets that we can play somewhat loosely and riskily with. So we have to do a little more research and planning before we spend. Nor do we have the budgets to continue educating ourselves in the field without tapping our free community knowledge pool from time-to-time to assist us. So the community can be and often is a freelancer's savior.

#2 – Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

…and neither will your projects be. This is not something that applies strictly to web design freelancers, and we know this. But it is something that many of us forget when we start diving in and taking on projects. We forget to pace ourselves and allow for said pacing when we set up a timeline with the client. There are not enough hours in the day, we hear this all the time, so we have to learn to effectively manage them. We must also learn how to balance the work hours and the non-work hours to keep us refreshed and productive.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

This is an area where a lot of freelancers fall down and lose themselves. They let the work completely consume them and their schedules until they are consistently putting in 16 hour days, and not giving themselves any time to decompress and unwind. To have their mind unplugged from their projects and offering their creative energies a chance to recharge. This can spell disaster for anyone, but for a freelancer, it could be the end of our very brands.

Once we lose the confidence of our clients because we have been unable to deliver on their expectations and our promises, we begin to lose the credibility we as freelancers rely on to keep clients coming in. So we need to be sure that we are managing our time effectively, but also responsibly. An overwhelmed and overworked web designer is good to no one. If our creativity is faltering, then so too is our freelance business.

#3 – Inspiration is a Hydra

Freelance web designers also understand that inspiration is a hydra. It is like that mythic beast of legend in a couple of ways. And treating it as such, is a game changer that can really take your work to the proverbial next level we all should be striving for. Now this is not saying inspiration is a deadly beast to be feared, but more that is has many heads. You cannot get your inspiration from just a single source.

Inspiration is a Hydra
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

Doing so is a recipe for stagnating and having your creative drive and output slow. We need to be influenced by other fields and inspired by other formats in order to be taking our work to exciting new places. It is simply not enough to find our inspiration from the wealth of web design offerings that are out there and filling the portfolios and collections of works. We have to reach outside of our own field to find new ways to approach our work within it.

Also, just like with a hydra, cutting off one head (or excluding one source of inspiration) simply means replacing it with another. The more perspectives we allow to shape and ourselves to hone our creative voices through, often the more potent it will prove to be. Our creative experiences will be that much deeper and richer, and so too will be that which is wrought from it.

#4 – It's Feast AND Famine, Not OR

You often hear when people are talking about freelancing the whole feast or famine comparison. That this mode of operation is what you can expect while working within the freelancing machine.

It's Feast and Famine
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

You will either be enveloped in times of feast or times of famine. And when many people hear this, especially those considering getting into the field, they mistake that it is kind of an either/or situation. This is what will often lead to a freelancer over-committing themselves and booking too many projects at a time. To stave off any chance of famine.

But that is unfortunately, not often how it actually plays out. You will have periods of both. For most freelancers, there are times when you will be feasting and riding high upon a successful wave of projects that have come your way. But there will also be times when you will be in the grips of famine as the waters are still and no waves are present. You need to prepare for it. Being caught off guard in this respect is not something that tends to produce favorable results.

Being unprepared for the times of inactivity on the work front will also hopefully keep you out of that desperate place that has you accepting work from a client who comes with all sorts of red flags and warning signs. The fewer of these jobs we find ourselves forced to take, the more enjoyment we reap from our work. This helps feed our longevity and stamina for staying in the field. Even when times are tough.

#5 – Good is the Enemy of Great

This is something that I was taught a long time ago in another job, but that seemed to resonate with me more once I got into freelancing and started working for myself. This gem was handed down from a manager I worked under over a decade ago, and it holds true still. Good is the enemy of great. And even if they do not realize it themselves, the most successful freelance web designers live by this old adage. If we become too satisfied with being good at what we do, then we will never be great at what we do.

Good is the Enemy of Great
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

Freelancers cannot afford to fall into this trap. Especially in such an innovative and changing field as web design is. Instead, if we view every opportunity that we take on, as a new chance to prove ourselves to the client and the web design community at large, then we will always be striving for greatness. We will never be satisfied with our current level of skill and design prowess and we will constantly be seeking out new learning opportunities and challenges.

This is a recipe for keeping us at the very top of our games, and should be considered a priority for us all. You always hear that you should never stop learning, and this just furthers that idea and drive. For if we allow ourselves to stop growing, then we in turn prevent ourselves from moving forward on a path of upward mobility. We instead wander along a plateau until we reach the end and start declining. That's not a route we should ever be satisfied with taking.

#6 – Not Every Innovation Will be Welcome

As we work with various client types and brands, we have to remember that not everyone is on the same page as we are with this push for constant upward mobility and growth. So while we may be wanting to always broach new areas and break new ground, that's not necessarily where the work will be. And while we know trying daring new things can provide amazing and unique break-throughs in the field, we understand that we are ultimately working for the client.

Not Every Innovation Will be Welcome
Image credit: Bigstockphotos

They get to decide the full trajectory of the project and where it ends up. So not every innovative thing we suggest will be welcomed and be able to be implemented into every project. This is just the way the game is played. Some clients just aren't willing to take chances in that way, and we have to be willing to let those things go and not push the client into being our guinea pig.

Learning to work within the constraints of the client's wishes is just as important as being able to convince the client to trust in your judgement and expertise.

No More Secrets to Tell

But that doesn't mean that the conversation is over. There are bound to be more secrets that you are holding on to waiting to share. Or at least some thoughts on those we have.

Now is your turn. Take a few moments to drop us a line or two in the comments.

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April 30th, 2013
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12 Tips for Becoming a Contagious Freelancer

Did you ever notice that some freelancers attract more business than others do?

It’s true. There are some freelancers who always seem to stay busy, even when others struggle to find enough work. You can recognize them by looking through their testimonials. Or, you may notice that they always seem to have a positive attitude.

I call them contagious freelancers, because their desirability seems to be catching. Once a client starts to work with them, that client always seems to want more from them. Their popularity just spreads and spreads.

What do these contagious freelancers have that you don’t? More importantly, how can you get what they have?

In this post, I’ll share 12 tips to help you better attract clients. You’re also invited to share your best tips on how to become a contagious freelancer.

Get Contagious, Attract More Business

Don’t you wish that paying projects were catching? Well, the good news is that you can learn to attract more projects. Here are twelve tips to help you do just that:

  1. Find the right clients. If a client is a good match for your services, then it will be much easier to satisfy their needs and keep them happy. Working with the wrong client makes your job harder. So, make sure that the client’s request matches your core business goals.
  2. Respond promptly. Don’t make a client wait to do business with you. Answer client messages quickly–within the same day if you can. The sooner you respond, the sooner you can start working on a new project. If you delay too long, the client might think that you’re not interested.
  3. Listen carefully. Most businesses don’t listen to their clients. If you want to be a preferred service provider, you need to be different. Pay attention to what the client says. Ask questions if you are not sure.
  4. Treat every client as though they are special. You wouldn’t be in business without your clients. So, every time you deal with a client keep in mind how important they are to your freelancing business. Don’t be afraid to let the client know that you appreciate them.
  5. Build trust by being reliable. Your client wants to be able to count on you. Don’t let them down. Deliver quality projects on time. Good client/freelancer relationships are built on trust. Show the client that you are trustworthy.
  6. Go one step beyond. A smart freelancer keeps their client’s interests in mind. Doing this can be as simple as occasionally sending the client a link to an article that you know they will find interesting. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it helps your clients.
  7. Make working with you a pleasant experience. Always treat clients with professional courtesy. Make it a point to be friendly and helpful. Clients are more likely to rehire freelancers who they enjoy working with.
  8. Say thank-you. We live in a society where people are taken for granted. Don’t be like everyone else. You can stand out by thanking a client for doing business with you.
  9. Keep the lines of communications open. Even if you are not actively working with a client, stay in touch. Client newsletters are a great way to do this. Put a reminder on your calendar so that you don’t forget to check-in with former clients.
  10. Organize your client list. You can’t keep in touch with your clients if you lose their contact information. Develop and maintain a good system for keeping track of clients and prospects. Be sure to make a backup of this information.
  11. Offer package deals. If a client has been particularly loyal or orders a great deal of work, you can offer them a special deal as an incentive. You can also have private sales that are only available to your best customers.
  12. Ask for more business. Many freelancers don’t get repeat business from their clients (or testimonials either) because they don’t ask for it. Don’t be afraid to ask the client if they need anything else. Often just asking is enough to get repeat work.

Your Turn

What are your tips for becoming a contagious freelancer who attracts plenty of repeat business?

Share your best tips in the comments.

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April 26th, 2013
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What’s new for designers

The February edition of what’s new for web designers and developers includes new web apps, jQuery plugins and JavaScript resources, productivity and project management tools, CMS’s, CSS and HTML frameworks, web development tools, and some really great new fonts.

Many of the resources below are free or very low cost, and are sure to be useful to a lot of designers and developers out there.

As always, if we’ve missed something you think should have been included, please let us know in the comments. And if you have an app or other resource you’d like to see included next month, tweet it to @cameron_chapman for consideration.

Dropzone.js

Dropzone.js is an open source, simple drag and drop file uploader with image preview. It’s easy to set up (especially if you use Component, as you can add it as a dependency) and implement as either a form or programmatically.

 

Flowtime.js

Flowtime.js is a framework that makes it easy to create HTML presentations or websites with full page fluid layouts, multiple navigation controls, transitions, parallax support, and more.

 

Notism

Notism is a great tool for working on visual content with a team. You can upload, stack, and review visual project ideas, create working prototypes of static templates, discuss drafts, and more. There are even tools for signing off on layouts.

 

Dropify

Dropify makes it easy to make files available for download on your Facebook fan page. There’s a free plan available (which doesn’t offer Like-gating), as well as premium plans. It’s great for artists, authors, creatives, brands, and small businesses.

 

Onepager

Onepager lets you easily build simple websites for small businesses. The resulting sites work great on both desktops and mobile devices, are cloud-hosted, include custom form capability, and are search-engine friendly. Starter sites are only $8/month, with more robust plans available.

 

Cashboard

Cashboard makes it easier to run your business. It includes project management tools, tracking of time and expenses, invoicing, and even payment acceptance. The free plan offers support for one employee and two active projects, while the premium plan offers more features.

 

Kirby

Kirby is a file-based CMS that’s easy to setup and use, and incredibly flexible. It uses your design and your templates, doesn’t require a database, and supports Markdown syntax, among other features. It’s just $39 per site.

 

QuoteRobot

QuoteRobot makes it easy to create professionally designed proposals, invoices, and quotes. It works well with Highrise, FreshBooks, SalesForce, Google Apps, and Xero, and only costs $10/month after the 30 day free trial.

 

Dispatch

Dispatch is a tool for organizing teams and projects. It works with the things you already have in Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and Box. It includes full previews that stay up-to-date within Dispatch so you don’t need to download or update manually.

 

Reamaze

Reamaze is a cloud-based helpdesk that works through email, Facebook, or Twitter. It includes support for response templates, has collision detection, and conversation tagging.

 

Hint.css

Hint.css is a SASS tooltip library which uses only HTML/CSS (no JavaScript) for creating simple tooltips using data-* attribute, pseudo elements, content property, and CSS3 transitions. It degrades gracefully without any transitions in browsers where CSS3 transitions aren’t supported.

 

Mueller Grid System

Mueller is a modular grid system based on Compass that works for both responsive and non-responsive layouts, with full control over column width, gutter width, baseline grid, and media queries.

 

Extra Strength Responsive Grids

Extra Strength Responsive Grids is a grid system that includes a fluid percentage-based layout, media queries, easy alignment, nested grids, and more. It’s great for prototyping and is SASS-enabled.

 

Ink

Ink is an easy to use toolkit for creating web interfaces. It uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for building layouts, displaying common interface elements, implementing content-centric interactive features, and more.

 

Top Drawer

Top Drawer uses CSS3 transitions to smoothly reveal menus, rather than JavaScript animations. It uses Modernizr to detect browser compatibility for CSS3 transitions, and uses JavaScript as a fallback.

 

Cool Kitten

Cool Kitten is a beta framework that includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that’s responsive and includes parallax scrolling support.

 

scrollUp jQuery Plugin

scrollUp is a lightweight jQuery plugin that lets you add “scroll to top” functionality to any website.

 

Mobile Chief

Mobile Chief is a free mobile site plugin that includes custom elements and Font Awesome integration, and is built on HTML5 and CSS3 for a consistent experience across mobile devices.

 

Textillate.js

Textillate.js is a plugin for CSS3 text animations that combines a number of awesome libraries to provide an easy-to-use plugin. All you have to do is include it and its dependencies in your project and then start creating awesome effects.

 

Flight

Flight is an event-driven JavaScript framework that maps behavior to DOM nodes, from Twitter. It uses ES5-shim and jQuery, as well as an AMD implementation like loadrunner or require.js.

 

Chime

Chime is a Google Chrome extension that aggregates all of your notifications across various social media channels, including Reddit, Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and more.

 

Cloudship

Cloudship is a task management and note taking app that lets you easily collaborate with your team. It’s simple to use, with support for nested tasks, attaching files, time tracking, and more.

 

Conditionizr

Conditionizr is a JavaScript utility that detects your browser and pixel ratio to serve conditional JavaScript and CSS files. It’s been rebuilt so that it’s 50% faster than its jQuery predecessor.

 

Behave.js

Behave.js lets you add IDE style behaviors to plain text areas so that writing code is more enjoyable. It requires no dependencies, supports hard and soft tabs, and auto opens and closes characters like parenthesis, brackets, braces, double, and single quotes.

 

Free Travel Icon Pack

This Free Travel Icon Pack from Obox includes a lighthouse, ski goggles, a camera, a bus, a tent, binoculars, and many more travel- and geography-themed icons.

 

MFG Labs Icon Set

MFG Labs Icon Set was created for their own internal use, but has since been made available for public use. It’s a simple, minimalist set with icons for everything from social media sites to video/audio players.

 

RoughDraft.js

RoughDraft.js makes it easy to prototype interactive HTML mockups without duplicating a bunch of code. It also eliminates the need for faking content (like lorem ipsum text or filler images).

 

Toolbar.js

Toolbar.js lets you set up tooltip-style toolbars for web applications or websites, and can be customized with Twitter bootstrap icons.

 

Attitude + (free)

Attitude + is a display typeface inspired by Japanese pop culture and American hip hop subculture, and is influenced by geometric fonts with ornaments.

 

Higher (free)

Higher is a geometric display font with an Arts & Crafts vibe. It was created as a student project, and is available in TTF and OTF formats.

 

Salt & Foam (free)

Salt & Foam is a beautiful unicase display font in two styles, with a subtle 3D effect. It was designed by Anna Karatcheva, inspired by her first time surfing.

 

Apollo ($5)

Apollo is a rounded sans serif typeface designed as a student project by Kevin May.

 

Zerb (free)

Zerb is an abstract geometric display typeface that’s available for free for both personal and commercial use. It comes as an Illustrator vector file.

 

Fassade Display ($10)

Fassade Display was inspired by lettering on 1930s travel posters, with exaggerated graphic elements similar to geometric Art Deco lettering.

 

Roccia ($10)

Roccia is an experimental sans serif typeface with two styles and all uppercase characters.

 

Faux Tangram (free)

Faux Tangram is a tangram-inspired font that makes great use of basic geometric shapes and negative space.

 

Niewe (free)

Niewe is an abstract display font that comes in four different weights, free for personal use. Commercial use requires permission from the designer.

 

FM Ephire ($30)

FM Ephire is a retro, hand-drawn script type family with five weights and compliment italics. It’s great for banners and posters, greeting cards, and more, and even holds up well at smaller sizes.

 

Know of a new app or resource that should have been included but wasn’t? Let us know in the comments.
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April 25th, 2013
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So You Want to Be a Freelance Web Designer?

Have you absolutely had it up to here with your boss?  Sick and tired of the demanding schedule, the stressful deadlines, the abysmal pay and office politics? Dreaming of days when you can work anytime, anywhere while still in your pajamas?  Looking forward with gusto to long, creative-fueling walks spent with exotic coffee in hand?

Well, be forewarned – freelancing is not all sunshine and roses.  It has its own unique set of advantages and challenges.

As someone who started doing freelance web design back when the web was relatively new, and has continued doing it for over 10 years, I’d love to  go back in time and  pull starry-eyed 20-year-old fresh freelancer me aside and share a few realities, tips and advice with them.  Since time travel isn’t yet a possibility, I’ll share these valuable points and tips with you instead, in the hopes that you’ll be able to cut through the clutter and myths and get straight to the truth about working in the freelance world.

Let’s get started!

Know Yourself

The truth is, not everyone is cut out for life as a freelancer.  There are people who play with the idea in their head, but are miserable the moment they let go of the security and stability of their 9-to-5 job.  There are also those who start freelancing, but don’t take it as seriously as they would a job where they have to report to a superior.  Some people thrive on that kind of structure and routine, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But realize that you’re going to have clients who are scattered across a dozen time zones, projects that require more time and effort than you originally planned for, and people who will stubbornly drag their feet to get you what you need so that you can finish the project and get paid.  These are the realities of working freelance, and if you’re the kind of person who is self-disciplined, flexible, and accommodating when it comes to a few bumps in the road – you’ll find that freelancing suits your personality well.

 

Stretch Your Comfort Zone

I’m assuming that you already have the skills you need to make a serious go of web design work. But you should know that not every project you do will be strictly web design.  Some of the projects will involve logo design, WordPress or other content management systems, basic search engine optimization and even print design and layout.  Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to try your hand at these things and see how you like them.

I found out quite by accident how much I enjoyed copywriting, split testing different websites against each other, and understanding how demographics and psychology play a role in getting people to take action.  In short, I found my niche as a conversion optimization specialist, with web design going from the bulk of my work, to a small part of the overall package.  Try out different things and see which type of design work really appeals to you!  You can always change and refine the scope of the work you do over time.  No one ever said you had to get it 100% right, right from the start!

 

Sell Yourself!

Truth be told, even though you might be a phenomenal web designer, you have to be an even more phenomenal marketer.  No one’s going to sell your services for you, so it’s up to you to pound the digital pavement and reach out to your ideal customers.   Take the time to discover who this “ideal customer” is.  They could be fellow start-ups like yourself, or people who already have a website but are in dire need of a redesign.   They could even be members of a specific profession like lawyers or chiropractors.  Whatever your chosen community, you’ve got to reach out and make sure your name is top-of-mind when someone thinks “web designer”.

Find online forums, local events, social communities or other places where your customers spend their time.  By meeting them on their level, you’re more likely to connect with their colleagues, associates and others.  Referrals can do wonders for your client roster, so it pays to network and get to know people both online and offline who can send business your way.

One of the things that really helps me win over clients to this day is a good proposal.  It doesn’t have to be full of numbers and complicated diagrams – just something simple and straightforward that lays out the whole process in a way that’s easy for the client to understand.  It also has to be the kind of proposal that’s quick and easy to create.   I’ve closed many high paying projects on account of having a professional estimate sent to the client within hours.

 

Have a Backup Plan, including Finances

I was fortunate that when I started freelancing, I was attending a local university and still lived at home while paying toward my share of utilities, groceries and basic rent.  Many people start freelancing while working at their normal job or even splitting their time between part time work and moonlighting as a freelancer.  Whatever the case, have a few months worth of savings stashed away so that you aren’t living on crackers and Ramen noodles if things fall through.

 

Take Note of Important Tax and Insurance Differences

If you live in the U.S., and you quit your full-time job to freelance, there will be a few notable differences.  If you’re not on your parents’ or spouse’s insurance, be prepared to have to pay a higher premium for rather basic insurance as someone who is self-employed.  Also bear in mind that you will need to pay quarterly self-employment taxes.  At your normal job, your social security and Medicare contributions were taken out of your check automatically.  As a self-employed business owner (also known as a sole proprietor), you’ll be responsible for taking care of these fees yourself.  I highly recommend consulting a tax advisor once you decide to take that leap into full-time freelancing.

 

Choose Your Brand Well

I cringe when I thought of the domain name I first registered in 1999, thinking how cool and edgy it sounded. It never occurred to me what a pain it would be to try and spell it to clients over the phone. Thankfully, by 2002, I had my current domain and business name, and it was much more memorable.

That being said, consider your domain name and brand – avoid domains with hyphens, unusual spellings or numbers.  If you’re not confident designing your own logo, hire a reputable company to do it for you.

 

Set Your Prices

This part could be a topic in and of itself, but setting prices is another one of those points that hardly anyone gets right, right from the start.  Here’s a helpful online calculator that factors in many of the monthly living expenses you’ll need to consider.  Also keep in mind the hourly rates that are consistent with your particular skill-set, demand for your service and so forth.  Create a base pricing figure you can easily work from and then adjust as necessary.

 

Create a Routine that Works for You

Remember that part about working in your pajamas?  Well, there is a slice of truth to that.  One of the advantages of being a freelancer is that you can develop your own routine.  After a few weeks, your body will settle into a natural schedule of highs and lows throughout the day. Whether you feel your best tackling tough projects first thing in the morning, or you get your best ideas at midnight, it pays to listen to your body and group your work into chunks or tasks accordingly.

 

Now It’s Your Turn!

It is my hope that you’ll not only be able to learn from this list, but also set about forging your own career path with confidence! 

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April 22nd, 2013
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How to Recognise a Good Freelance Client

We freelancers talk a lot about Bad Clients and How to Avoid Them. But we rarely talk about the good clients.

In a way, it’s perfectly understandable. Almost every freelancer whose been at it for more than a month or two has a horror story about a client who didn’t work out. It helps to vent about those bad freelancing experiences.

However, identifying the good clients is just as important as staying away from the bad ones. All freelancers should develop their own checklist of what they are looking for in a client.

In this post, I’ll discuss good freelancing clients and explain how to recognize them. I’ll list fifteen characteristics that many good clients share. This is good starting place for developing your own client checklist.

10 Characteristics of a Good Client

Good clients are out there and you can find them. You just need to understand and be able to recognize the qualities of a good client.

Some time ago, we listed the traits of a good freelancing client here on Freelance Folder.

To refresh your memory, those traits were:

  1. Communicates expectations clearly
  2. Allows a reasonable amount of time for the work
  3. Available for questions
  4. Pays a fair amount for the work required
  5. Pays in a timely fashion
  6. Has high integrity
  7. Allows the freelancer to do their job
  8. Seeks an ongoing relationship
  9. Gives credit where credit is due
  10. Committed to quality

The original list is pretty good, and touches upon many of traits that most freelancers look for in a client.

(Most of those points are self-explanatory, but review the original post for a complete description of each characteristic.)

However, since we published the original post I’ve realized that I missed a few very important traits.

5 More Traits of a Good Freelance Client

Here are five more very important characteristics that you should look for in a new client before you start working for them:

  1. Respects the freelancer–Respect is probably one of the most important characteristics that good freelance clients share. A client who respects you and your abilities is far less likely to abuse the relationship by not paying on time, haggling over price, changing the scope, or a myriad of other bad behaviors that freelancers hate. If a client doesn’t respect you, then your client/freelancer relationship is in trouble before you deliver a single project.
  2. Allows for Growth–Over time, a good client will allow you to develop as a freelancer and trust you with more comprehansive projects. He or she will also adjust your pay according to how your value increases over time. Too often I hear of freelancers who are still working for the same rate they earned last year, five years ago, or even ten years ago. Don’t get stuck in the past. Look for clients who encourage you to grow.
  3. Stable–A good client won’t disappear without a word. The Internet is full of new and would-be business ventures, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some of the best business success stories have come from those startups. But for every startup success story, there’s a failure. The best clients for most freelancers are financially stable and in business for the long haul. These clients aren’t about to disappear without a trace.
  4. Realistic–Good clients are realistic. They don’t contact you at 4:00 p.m. on a Friday with a huge project due at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. They don’t expect you to work miracles on a dime either. They know their business and they know what they want. They don’t keep adding to the scope of a project without adding to the price. Their focus is on quality output (as yours should be) and not quantity.
  5. Has a good track record–A good freelance client treats others well. If another freelancer has been mistreated by a particular client, why would you think that you would be treated any better? If you can’t find information on how the client treats freelancers, look for information on how they treat their own customers. Chances are good that if a potential client has lots of unhappy customers, they will be difficult to deal with.
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April 22nd, 2013
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10 Amazing Free Online Business Training Resources for Freelancers

If you’re a freelancer, you’re probably an expert in your field. But while you may be an expert writer, programmer, designer, translator, or whatever–you probably don’t know much about running a business.

Yet, successful freelancing is all about running a business. If you want to succeed, you’re going to have to acquire some business skills.

Now of course, you could go back to school and get a business degree. That would cost you thousands of dollars and take up several years of your life.

Fortunately, getting a degree is not the only way to acquire business skills. There are plenty of free training resources online. In this post, I’ll share ten of them.

If you liked this post, you may also like New? Here Is What You Need to Know About Freelancing.

Free Business Training Resources

Whether you need to learn about running a business for the first time or just brush up on your skills, there are online training resources available for you.

Here are ten resources:

  1. SBA.Gov’s Small Business Learning Center. If you live in the United States, you should bookmark the web address for the Small Business Administration. It is home to a lot of valuable resources for new business owners, including free training. There is free online training on a wide variety of topics.
  2. IRS Video Portal. This resource contains a wealth of very specific and very thorough information for small business owners and the self-employed. If taxes are a mystery to you, you’ll want to browse through the topics covered here.
  3. MITOpenCourseWare. You can study the same materials as an MIT student would study through the OpenCourseWare project. A wide variety of business topics are available online at both the undergraduate and graduate level. See the syllabus, the reading assignments, the lecture notes, and even the exam questions.
  4. About U. The popular information site, About.com offers many free business courses including such topics as Advertising and Marketing Psychology, Organize Your Small or Home Office, and Guide to Types of Business. You’ll want to check out the full listing to find the best courses for your needs.
  5. edX. EdX allows you to study a wide variety of courses from a growing number of well-known colleges and universities. The classes are open to everyone. Current possible business topics include courses on globalization, statistics, copyright, and more. Check back often, because courses offered change frequently.
  6. ALISON. This is another source of free online courses (although you may need to pay for a certificate). The company is able to offer free courses because there is advertising on the site. ALISON offers 55 free courses in business and enterprise skills. Several of the courses are geared specifically to entrepreneurs.
  7. Coursera. Coursera is another source for free university courses. The courses vary in length with most ranging from six to ten weeks. Students build a portfolio of completed classes. I actually found more business topics available here than at some of the other sites.
  8. Khan Academy. While Khan Academy courses are mostly geared towards school age students, there are some courses here that could be useful to business owners. If you missed or don’t remember your finance or economics courses from high school, this is a great place to brush up your knowledge.
  9. University of REDDIT. I thought REDDIT was only a social media site, so imagine my surprise to find out that it is also a source of free training. While most of the topics covered are of general interest, freelancers may want to look at the courses under Social Sciences, which are mostly related to social media.
  10. UDACITY. This is another portal for free online training. The site seeks to provide relevant training for the real world. There is no cost to register and start taking courses. At the time of the review, there was only one business course, How to Build a Startup.
  11. Bonus training: TED. TED talks are well known for providing vital and up-to-date information from a variety of thought leaders. If you want to learn the latest thinking on a particular topic, this is the place to go. I’ve never been sorry that I listened to a TED talk. Be warned, though. There are over a thousand talks and it can be hard to find what you are looking for.
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April 22nd, 2013
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12 Tips for Becoming a Contagious Freelancer

Did you ever notice that some freelancers attract more business than others do?

It’s true. There are some freelancers who always seem to stay busy, even when others struggle to find enough work. You can recognize them by looking through their testimonials. Or, you may notice that they always seem to have a positive attitude.

I call them contagious freelancers, because their desirability seems to be catching. Once a client starts to work with them, that client always seems to want more from them. Their popularity just spreads and spreads.

What do these contagious freelancers have that you don’t? More importantly, how can you get what they have?

In this post, I’ll share 12 tips to help you better attract clients. You’re also invited to share your best tips on how to become a contagious freelancer. If you like this post, you may also enjoy Where on Earth Am I Going to Find My First Clients?

Get Contagious, Attract More Business

Don’t you wish that paying projects were catching? Well, the good news is that you can learn to attract more projects. Here are twelve tips to help you do just that:

  1. Find the right clients. If a client is a good match for your services, then it will be much easier to satisfy their needs and keep them happy. Working with the wrong client makes your job harder. So, make sure that the client’s request matches your core business goals.
  2. Respond promptly. Don’t make a client wait to do business with you. Answer client messages quickly–within the same day if you can. The sooner you respond, the sooner you can start working on a new project. If you delay too long, the client might think that you’re not interested.
  3. Listen carefully. Most businesses don’t listen to their clients. If you want to be a preferred service provider, you need to be different. Pay attention to what the client says. Ask questions if you are not sure.
  4. Treat every client as though they are special. You wouldn’t be in business without your clients. So, every time you deal with a client keep in mind how important they are to your freelancing business. Don’t be afraid to let the client know that you appreciate them.
  5. Build trust by being reliable. Your client wants to be able to count on you. Don’t let them down. Deliver quality projects on time. Good client/freelancer relationships are built on trust. Show the client that you are trustworthy.
  6. Go one step beyond. A smart freelancer keeps their client’s interests in mind. Doing this can be as simple as occasionally sending the client a link to an article that you know they will find interesting. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it helps your clients.
  7. Make working with you a pleasant experience. Always treat clients with professional courtesy. Make it a point to be friendly and helpful. Clients are more likely to rehire freelancers who they enjoy working with.
  8. Say thank-you. We live in a society where people are taken for granted. Don’t be like everyone else. You can stand out by thanking a client for doing business with you.
  9. Keep the lines of communications open. Even if you are not actively working with a client, stay in touch. Client newsletters are a great way to do this. Put a reminder on your calendar so that you don’t forget to check-in with former clients.
  10. Organize your client list. You can’t keep in touch with your clients if you lose their contact information. Develop and maintain a good system for keeping track of clients and prospects. Be sure to make a backup of this information.
  11. Offer package deals. If a client has been particularly loyal or orders a great deal of work, you can offer them a special deal as an incentive. You can also have private sales that are only available to your best customers.
  12. Ask for more business. Many freelancers don’t get repeat business from their clients (or testimonials either) because they don’t ask for it. Don’t be afraid to ask the client if they need anything else. Often just asking is enough to get repeat work.

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January 26th, 2011
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Ten Essential Items Every Freelance Office Needs to Get Started

3452272176_3fabbca25d_b Becoming a freelancer is one of the easiest business to start, because–unlike starting a bakery, gym or other kind of business–it doesn’t require much capital to begin. Most people already have what they need to start, but there are still some essential items you’ll need to become a freelancer that you may (or may not) have.

Some of these are large ticket items, but most are inexpensive, easy to find, and very helpful. Let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll need to begin a freelancing business.

Essential Items

Here are some essential items for freelancers:

  1. Computer–Unless you’re planning on dealing with clients via mind control, you’ll need some kind of computer in order to design, code, write or whatever it is you plan to do. Computers don’t have to be expensive, even if you prefer a Mac. Nowadays you can get a very inexpensive Mac with great specs for brand new, or even purchase one that’s slightly used. I recently sold my top-of-the-line Macbook on eBay for $750, which was still better than a brand new PC. So check out eBay and other bargain places for gently used power machines. New isn’t always better!
  2. Cable Internet–Especially if you’re doing design or development work, high speed cable internet is a must-have in order to really do anything in business. Skip dial-up and DSL and go with cable (preferably 10mbps+) or even Sprint’s 4G portable wireless network (I’ve been wanting to try that). If you can’t afford internet just yet and have a laptop, considering making your local coffee shop, who often have free wireless, your office for now.
  3. Printer–Printers are a must have in order to print your tax info, business write-offs, contracts and more. Having a printer also allows you to have your own professional stationary without having to pay a professional printer for (which also cuts down on waste and space).
  4. Composition Book–No matter what work you do, a good notebook is essential for any freelancer. Designers need to sketch, developers need to write down slice sizes and CSS rules and writers need to, well, write. I love the composition notebooks because they normally go for less than $100, are wide-ruled for note crunching and last for forever.
  5. Good lighting–I’m in the process of moving my office out of the basement and upstairs into the best lit room because my office is a dark, scary cave. Lighting is essential to well-being and will save you from terrible headaches, bad eyes and even bad posture.
  6. Automatic Backups–An automatic backup has saved my life (and my client’s) more than once. Spend the money to set up a system that does it automatically for you, so you don’t have to ever think about it until you need it. I use Apple’s Time Capsule, because it backs up wirelessly, turns any printer into a wireless one and provides wireless internet (more on wireless below). Plus, it can work with multiple computers.
  7. File System–Whether you go with paper, paperless or a combination of both, you need to have a great filing system in place that allows you to quickly find client files, contracts, receipts, etc quickly.
  8. Ergonomics–I once spent $10 on a chair at Wal-Mart for my office. I used it for a week and had aching wrists, back, neck and bum. Ergonomic chairs aren’t cheap, but you can find comfortable chairs in all price ranges. Make sure the chair is proper height and the desk is large enough so that you can lay everything out comfortably. No one likes to be aching and cramped all day.
  9. Software–A lot of software these days are free (or have free versions) so take some time to set up what you need. You might even be able to get by using nothing besides Google apps. (Hey, I’ve seen it done!)
  10. Inspiration–Why do you keep working all day? Some people like to keep a picture of the goal they’re working towards, but I like to take it a step farther. I keep my Bichon Frise (that’s a white poofy haired dog) sleeping on my desk. Not only is he good for a hug and kiss after dealing with a nightmare client, he also keeps me motivated to work by reminding me that I have others to take care of. And, he’s just plain cute to look at while I code. So what motivates you? If you’re wanting a Porsche someday, keep a model of one (or a photo) on your desk. Wanting a vacation to the beach? Keep something in eyesight that reminds you of it in order to stay productive.

Almost Essential Items

You can get by without the items on this list, but you probably won’t want to.

  • Smartphone–Smartphones make it easy to stay connected and answer emails without being chained to your desk. They’re also pretty affordable nowadays as well. I suggest the iPhone for its extensive business and productivity app collection. Plus, you can use it for play after you’re done working.
  • Dedicated Office Space–I’ve got an entire room in my house used for the office only. Not only does this allow me to work in peace by shutting off the rest of the household, it also ensures that I can get away from work. If you work on your dining room table, you may not be able to eat relaxing dinners without thinking about work.
  • Wireless Everything –You’d be surprised at just how much an icky office can mess with your productivity. My office has been a mess for two weeks now since we’re renovating and I’ve seen it cut my productivity way down. That being said, one of the best ways to keep an organized, clean desk is to pay an extra few bucks for wireless. I’ve got a wireless printer, wireless backups, bluetooth keyboard & mouse and wireless internet. My desk is still a rat’s nest of wires, but a little less so. Plus, this allows me to move around the house and still use the devices.
  • Good Speakers–Music keeps me productive every day, so I find it almost essential to have a computer with good speakers, good headphones or good external speakers.
  • Books, Blogs & Podcasts–These things, while not necessary to being in business, keep you on top of the new stuff in your industry, which keeps you on top of others too.

What About You?

What tools and equipment do you consider essential for your freelancing business?

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May 10th, 2010
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Eighteen More Helpful Twitter Applications for Freelancers

twitter-app Most freelancers agree that Twitter is a fun and useful social media tool that can help you network with peers and potential clients.

Twitter applications can help a freelancer to get even more benefits from Twitter.

Last summer we took a look at 15 Useful Twitter Tools for web workers. This post examines 18 more Twitter apps that freelancers might find useful and briefly explains what each one does.

Helpful Twitter Apps

Here are 18 helpful Twitter applications to help you get the most from your tweets:

  1. Twitpic–Fun application lets you share pictures on Twitter. You upload your photo on the TwitPic site and the URL is posted to your Twitter account. This could be a great way for designers and other whose work is visual to share.
  2. Twitterholic–Rates Twitter users by the number of followers, friends, and updates. The utility could be useful if you are looking for influential Twitterers to follow. However, I think this is mostly for fun.
  3. Twitturly–Site supposedly lists the most tweeted URLs in four categories: everything, news, pics, and videos. This could be useful for those looking for trending topics such as bloggers and web content creators. In my test, it didn’t seem consistent with other tweet counters.
  4. Twtpoll–Create a poll or survey and then post the link to your poll on Twitter. Be aware that unless you specify otherwise, advertisements will appear on your poll. This could be used for product or marketing research.
  5. Seesmic–You can stay involved in Twitter conversations without logging into Twitter, plus you can conduct searches and find users with similar interests. Seesmic has web, desktop, and mobile versions.
  6. Tweetmeme–Provides a Twitter button plug-in for posts and articles. It also tracks the most popular posts by category. You can also review which twitter users have tweeted a specific URL.
  7. Tweet Later–This is a full-featured Twitter/social media app that comes in a free and a professional version. Users can perform a variety of tasks including scheduling tweets in advance, tracking key works, and auto following.
  8. HootSuite–Another full-featured Twitter app that allows you to perform a variety of Twitter/social media tasks. Some tasks that you can perform include scheduling tweets, importing and managing Twitter lists, and tracking statistics.
  9. twtQpon–Helps you create coupons for a variety of social media sites including Twitter. This app could be really useful for small businesses and other companies who are Internet adept.
  10. DoesFollow?–Very simple app helps you discover which Twitter accounts are following each other. Answers the question “Does User A follow User B?” It could help you determine if those who you are following are following back. Despite the simplicity, I wasted a lot of time here.
  11. Tweet2Tweet–Helps you to see back and forth dialog between two Twitter users. This could be helpful to new Twitter users who find the Twitter interface confusing. In my tests, this app did not show direct messages or really old conversations.
  12. TwitHire–Microblogging service allows employers to post jobs. Freelancers and others looking for work can follow and will receive the job posting tweets. This is potentially a very useful service for freelancers.
  13. twInfluence–Discover the most influential Twitter users online through this analytical tool, or determine how influential your Twitter account is. Includes Twitseeker. (When I tested it, Twitseeker was not fully operational due to a change in Twitter’s policies.)
  14. Tweetie–Twitter app for mobile devices and the Mac. It allows you to share bookmarks, handle multiple Twitter accounts, search trends, and more. This looked like a fantastic app. Not having a Mac, I couldn’t test further.
  15. Twibs–This is basically a Twitter business directory. It could be very helpful to freelancers and those who hire them. If you know what type of business most of your clients are in use this to find and follow similar businesses.
  16. Twitter Alerts–Set up alerts to notify you when certain terms (like your name or your company name) are mentioned on Twitter. Freelancers can use this to help monitor their online reputation.
  17. TweetStats–Track a number of stats such as when do you make the most tweets and trending topics. It looks like parts of the site are still in development.
  18. TwitterCounter–Another application to track Twitter usage statistics. Find out who is the top user, how quickly you are gaining followers, and so on.

A Word About Security

Be careful about giving your social media passwords out to unknown applications. Several Twitter applications have been hacked in the past and the user’s data exposed. Always check the reviews of a social media application carefully before you entrust it with your personal data. Twitter support has some specific recommendations for users.

What Is Your Favorite Twitter App?

Do you use any of these Twitter apps? Which ones? What do you think of them?

Do you have a favorite Twitter app? Whether it’s on the list or not, why not share it here?

Leave your answers in the comments
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April 27th, 2010
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Gifts to Give Your Freelance Career in 2010

OK so at this point in the season you have already spent quite a bit purchasing presents for those around you. Whether you agree with the commercial nature of the season or not, it is hard to argue with the meaning behind this practice. Show appreciation for those around you by providing useful and thoughtful gifts.

This year I suggest you not only show appreciation to your friends and family (and do this first and foremost) but also your freelance career. Sure your career probably hasn't purchased you a gift and it might not directly say "thank you," but I assure you that karma will take care of you in the end.

All jokes aside your freelance or business needs constant love, attention and appreciation. It is easy to get into the mindset where you are comfortable with a long term contract or a specific set of clients with out thinking about how you can continue to grow and improve your practice.

Gifts of Education

One of the best ways you can improve your business, freelancing or career is to improve on your skills. This can be done through practice (which you should be doing constantly) and by making an effort to learn new theories, techniques and skills.

1. Buy the Web Design Business Tool kit

This is probably the best all inclusive book / kit I have come across when it comes to building a successful web design business. Filled with plenty of great information, sample documents and new ideas you can be sure that you will find at least a few great ideas to build your business.

Read more about it on sitepoint.com

2. Attend a Conference

Sure they can be expensive and often times there are podcasts that you can check out afterward but you can't put a price on the networking and connections that you can make by attending just a few good conferences. Becoming a part of the web design community on a personal and real level can do wonders for your career.

I suggest looking into:

3. Read Some Books

There are a lot of great books out there on all aspects of web design. You just need to take the time to read them and expand your skills. This year I see more and more emphasis on web analytics, web strategy and other forms of online marketing. Some books to check out:

Gifts of Efficiency

Being more efficient is a long standing hobby of mine. If you are like me, you have lots of ideas and aspirations to do great things but are severly limited by the amount of time you can dedicate. Not only will you be rewarded with more time and less stress, but being more efficient will help you keep your clients happy and increase revenues. Hard to argue with those perks eh?

1. Improve your Book Keeping

Yes I know, for creative types doing accounting is probably the last thing we would ever want to do. However the insight that you can gain by having a clear picture of your cash flow and expenses is invaluable. It can help you work harder to hit your revenue goals and keep you apprised to how much you are spending. If you don't want to take the plunge and hire an account consider signing up for one of these services that will save you time and makes accounting easy:

2. Improve your Project Management

I used to discount how important project management was. As long as projects were moving forward things are great right? ah if it were only so easy. The more time spent planning the smoother projects will go. Here are some options:

3. Hire help

If you can pay someone less than your billable rate for any task you are doing then by all means do it. The increase in time will let you find more and better projects as well as spend more time on what you are really passionate about. I recommend either finding interns, contractors, virtual assistants or full time employees.

4. Impove your Process

It is always a good idea to evaluate and try and improve your internal process. Is there something you could spend time on now to save more time later. I take time quarterly to try and look at what activities we perform at 3.7 DESIGNS constantly and try and improve our approach. I recommend the following books:

Gifts of Promotion

When you provide a service as opposed to a product you are faced with a situation where people are paying for something that seems intangible. You can't hold, feel or look at a website. One of the great ways to make your service feel tangible is by getting actual tangible items that carry your brand. This can be everything from business cards, folders, coffee mugs, letterhead, etc…

By providing several items to a client or potential client that are tangible items from your business it builds confidence that you have an established and credible company.

1. Paper Products

2. Create a Portfolio

3. Schwag

Gifts of Reoccurring Income

Doing some work to develop some reoccurring income streams will allow you to be more selective about what projects you take on, who you hire for help or what other investments you are willing to make. Because a lot of time these can be developed so that the income is not specifically tied to an amount of hourly work (which is typically how we price our services) it provides a whole range of options that simply getting more projects does not.

Continue Learning…
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