Entries Tagged 'Freelance advice' ↓

The following guest post was written by Joshua Danton Boyd. The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

Everyone has the capacity to be a bumbling idiot (some more than others) and often this just might mean an awkward situation of forgetting someone’s name or putting your phone in the fridge by mistake. Other times it can cause some pretty drastic or annoying problems. This is especially true for the freelancer who not only has to get their job done, but also deal with everything else that comes with it, such as paperwork, accounting and awful lunches with clients (who are disproportionately bumbling idiots all the time). Technology, luckily, offers a wide variety of apps that can act as a safeguard to mistakes. Just like that friend who told you not to jump off the pier that time (although you’ll actually pay attention to your apps).

Evernote

This is a superb little app that essentially acts as an electronic scrapbook. There’s always times when you’re walking down the street and see a job advert, a new shop or something else that you want to remember. You can very simply take a photo of it, add some notes and keep it saved in Evernote. You can also add audio too which is useful if you come up with an idea that you can’t be bothered to type out on your phone. There’s also the option to add tabs to your entries meaning you can keep every organised in categories for future reference.

Snap

Accounting is rubbish. The easier you can make it the better. Online accounting firm Crunch offer a great app that will serve you very well. Snap allows you to take photos of things such as receipts and have the information instantly uploaded to your accounts. This means you can do this on the go before said receipt is lost to the other millions of bits of paper lying around your room. You will need to be an existing customer though.

XE

Depending on your chosen field, you may be dealing with international clients. This can often lead to a bit of confusion with your money. Currency rates are constantly changing too, so it can be hard to keep track. Either way, you’re going to want to be as exact as possible. With the XE app you’ll have access to up-to-date rates and an easy way to convert money as and when you need to wherever you are.

Paypal

A lot of people use Paypal (it currently has around 100 million active accounts) and so it’s incredibly useful to be able to access your account on the go. It also makes for very simple transactions with foreign customers. Paypal can be frustrating at times, specifically in regards to the 2 – 3 day wait to move money to your bank. If you’re not going to be home until after 5pm then you’ll be waiting a whole extra day to get your cash. This app eliminates that problem.

RemembertheMilk

It’s happened again. You forgot to send that invoice, buy some new stationary and your kids have been waiting outside the school gates for two days now. Aside from a visit from child services, forgetfulness will also bring you business problems. Remember the Milk is a simple but effective way to make sure you get everything you need to get done on time. Simply enter tasks in, give them a time and the app will let you know when to do them. With this app, there is hope that one day your children may finally forgive you.

Joshua Danton Boyd is a Brighton based copywriter. He currently works for the cloud accounting firm Crunch and contributes to Freelance Advisor.

A lot of people dream of ditching their boss.

No more 9 to 5, no more tedious meetings, no more ‘wage slave’ status.

But is it really greener on the other side?

Going freelance definitely gives you an added dimension of freedom than being an employee, but it’s not all a bed of roses.

Firstly, you can kiss goodbye to a regular pay slip. The earning power of the freelancer can outstrip the regular employee, but it is also notoriously unpredictable.

Secondly, although there are no constraints for 9 to 5 working, certainly in the early days you may find your working hours are longer as you try to get established. But the up side of that is that you’re doing it for yourself and not someone else, so you’re more likely to put up with it.

Thirdly, when working for someone else, there’s always another person near by to pass work onto, an IT department not far away when your computer goes wrong and various other experts waiting in the wings when you need them. None of that will be available to you when you go it alone.

But despite all of that, freelancing is a great way to work.

Coping on your own

There will be times when you find yourself under immense pressure.

You’ll be sat at your desk working to tight deadlines, the phone will keep ringing and your inbox will be filling faster than an Apple store at the launch of the latest iPhone. Gradually, you’ll feel the pressure bearing down on you. So how do you cope?

As soon as you feel the dark mist forming, step away from your desk and do something else. Take your dogs for a walk; if you don’t have any, take yourself for a walk. Just get out and switch off.

If you don’t, you’ll end up as the crazy person on the bus no one wants to talk to.

Twitter is also a great substitute for the ‘office’. It’s a great source for research, finding the suppliers you need to help you (especially with things like IT and debt chasing), a sounding board and general camaraderie.

Building a virtual team

Being a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to work completely on your own. Let’s face it, you can’t be an expert in everything, so you’re going to need to find people you can delegate to.

It’s a great idea to build a team around you of fellow professionals you can call on when you need them.

That could be a designer, programmer, writer, accountant, computer whizz, credit control specialist…the list is endless.

At least that way, when something goes wrong and you need a bit of expert help, you know you have someone to call on.

Surviving the day

One of the key skills a freelancer needs is organisation.

To be productive, it’s essential you plan your day. Assign certain blocks of time for each project you’re working on to make sure you don’t waste time. And that includes things like marketing, accounting and other paperwork.

It’s also important to take regular breaks to recharge your batteries. Plus, it will get you away from your computer screen.

If you want to be a successful freelancer remember,

• Build a support network of experts around you
• Pass on the jobs you’re not skilled at to those who are
• Plan your day effectively

Sally Ormond started her own freelance copywriting business in 2007 and has worked with numerous high profile companies, helping them communicate effectively with their customers through the written word. 

The following guest post was written by Ben Holbrook for all you freelancers out there. The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

5 Essential Business Travel Apps

For a more efficient working life

In the last few years, smart phones have made it easier than ever to work freelance and/or run a business from anywhere in the world. For those of you looking to maximise your time and energy, here are my top 5.

FlightTrack
It’s more important than ever when travelling on business to be aware of flight delays, gate changes and weather difficulties. FlightTrack gives you all this information and more. Check departure information and detailed satellite maps when your flight is in the air, and find the arrival gate and baggage claim number when you’ve landed.

TripIt
TripIt takes some of the strain out of managing your booking reference numbers by putting them all in one place. Input numbers for flight confirmations, hotel booking and car hire so that you don’t have to carry around lots of bits of paper. Even better, the app will sync to your phone’s calendar, notifying you of important events.

Packing Pro
The most important step of any business trip happens before leaving the house, and that’s packing your bag. Packing Pro lets you plan what to take more efficiently than writing a list by hand. Choose from the vast inventory of items to compile your own list or select one of Packing Pro’s sample templates and modify to suit. Alternatively, input trip details like the weather, number of people and length of stay, and Packing Pro will come up with a list for you.

TripLingo
No app is going to help you master a foreign language in a few hours, but TripLingo provides you with enough phrases to make a good impression. Choose how much time you want to spend learning a language, what you want to learn, and whether you want to be formal or informal. TripLingo will come up with what you need. The app is available in French, Spanish, Japanese and more.     

Picksie
After your business meeting, this recommendation app, Picksie, helps you find a spot to unwind with a latte or grab a bite to eat. It’ll looks at your current location, date, search history and past preferences to make recommendations on things to do tailored to your needs. That can be a restaurant, film or event. It’ll even look at the weather, so if it’s raining it won’t suggest an outdoor event. 

When Ben isn’t working from the beach you’ll find him writing reviews of the best London hotels for efficient business travel and meetings.

The following guest post was written by Carlo Pandian. The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

Working for yourself is one of those things that can seem like a good idea at the time.  However before taking the leap into self-employment it’s worth planning ahead.  There is a great range of resources online from both local and national government to help you get started and it’s worth considering the following issues.

Attitude matters

Successful businesses of any size rely on their people to create that success.  So before starting out it’s important to decide if you have the right qualities to run your one man business.

• You’ll need to be prepared to make some sacrifices, particularly in the early days.  This can include cutting back on your expenses, holidays and free time.  If you have a family this latter can be a big issue (or it can become one) so consider the impact it will have not only on you, but the rest of the family.
• Common sense and a sense of humour.  You’ll need both of these in relatively large amounts to start off with.  No amount of business studies courses or management technique manuals can replace either.  That’s not to say they don’t have their uses, but sometimes a little common sense and the ability to laugh (usually at yourself) will make life a lot easier.
• Do you have experience of running a business?  Even if this is at management level in somebody else’s firm.  This is crucial if you are looking for bank loans or grants and will smooth the path to finding finance if you need it.
• Management skills and people skills.  You will need both of these if you plan to run your own firm.  If you are starting out as self-employed you may think you won’t have staff to manage, however, there will be you.  In this sense simple things like time management skills are essential.  People skills are essential for dealing with clients and suppliers, and will come in handy when you do start to employ other workers.

Practical tools

Most businesses today believe that a website is an essential tool for their firms.  To a large extent this is true although, depending on the type of business you run, it may not be crucial to start out with.  However, in the long term it offers visibility to a vast range of potential customers and it’s also largely expected by consumers these days.

Premises, again this will depend very much on the type of firm you run.  The key is to find appropriate premises in the best location you can.  If a cupboard under the stairs will do, then go for it, but if it’s a shop, office or manufacturing premises that you need then don’t stint on the cost if at all possible.  A High Street location will repay the investment in the way a back street one simply won’t.  By the same token a pre-cast concrete firm does not normally suit a narrow, residential street.  Think sensibly and then rent or buy the best premises you can.

Most computer software can be sourced in cloud format these days from data and document storage to online bookkeeping and accounting software.  The latter is one thing you can’t afford to be without and you should ensure you have good software in place, as well as an accountant.  Both may seem an unnecessary expense, when starting out, but it’s essential to keep the books in order from day one if you are not to fall foul of the dreaded HMRC.  If you need advice on this contact either the dreaded HMRC (they’re actually quite nice and very helpful) or Business Link.

From accounting software to the ability to laugh at yourself there are a range of practical tools and skills you’ll need to run your own business.  Preparation is normally the better part of valour before setting up on your own, but with the right attitude it can be the most rewarding lifestyle of all.

About the author: Carlo Pandian is a business graduate and freelance writer. He blogs about freelance work, personal development and technology covering everything from QuickBooks Online accounting software to Android apps. Aside from his daily job, he loves reading great entrepreneurs biographies and writing payroll software manuals for small businesses.