Want to make money? Watch an enterprising 4-year-old. Granted, my kids have watched two parents work from home and have been to the bank more times in their short lives than most kids go in a few decades, but they’re fun to watch and have taught me quite a bit about making money. Maximize Productivity If I have a project that takes about two hours
I love this time of year. It’s exciting for me when I get to sit down and look back on my business and make plans for the year to come. Every year there are goals I reach and those I don’t. I change goals or make new ones throughout the course of the year. This is the time of year when I create the big
Have you ever created a business plan? If so, you know how difficult it can be. In fact, I personally believe that these are among the most difficult freelance writing projects. That being said, you don’t want to pass these gigs by if they interest you and you have the experience to deliver. As strange as it may sound, there are many organizations that hire
In this series, we personally test traditional online freelance marketplaces to share first-hand experiences and honest assessments of marketplaces and resulting jobs, as many freelance writers turn to these outlets to find writing gigs. You can read all the posts in the series here. This week, I did some work with Demand Studios. I have a very long history with Demand Studios. As many readers
Let’s talk about credit for freelance writers. Having good credit is important for freelancers because our income is scrutinized a lot harder when we apply for credit cards and loans. Because a freelancer writer’s income is somewhat less predictable and harder to prove than that of a full-time employed worker, we need to have a solid credit history to help get approved for credit card
In this series, we personally test traditional online freelance marketplaces to share first-hand experiences and honest assessments of marketplaces and resulting jobs, as many freelance writers turn to these outlets to find writing gigs. You can read all the posts in the series here. The Background on Textbroker When you write for the content mill known as Textbroker, you are ghostwriting for individual clients. You’ll
Thanks to Thursday Bram for bringing this story to my attention. I don’t think it’s any secret that I despise oDesk. Why? Because they not only allow, but encourage, clients to cross the employer / client line with their software that lets clients actually watch you work, while you’re working from your own machine in your own home, etc. I’m not going to get into
Anyone with a home office needs an arsenal of tools and tricks of the trade. Parents, however, need not only the basic office supplies, but other essentials as well to balance their obligations to family and professional lives. The needs of each individual and family can vary, but here are a few of my essentials as a work-at-home parent. Your Own Computer If you’re sharing
When you hear the phrase “nickel and dime” chances are that you think of being a buyer — asked to pay for ridiculous little add-ons to a product of service, greatly increasing the overall price. Can you also be nickel and dimed as a freelancer? Absolutely. How Freelance Clients Might Try to Nickel and Dime You As a freelance writer, you probably either give a
Many people find it hard to believe that companies hire freelance writers to work on their weekly/monthly newsletter. Over the years I have received just as many offers to write newsletters as almost any other kind of work, excluding web content. At first, like many, I was not sure how this would work out. But over time, I began to enjoy writing newsletters and working
In this series, we personally test traditional online freelance marketplaces to share first-hand experiences and honest assessments of marketplaces and resulting jobs, as many freelance writers turn to these outlets to find writing gigs. You can read all the posts in the series here. I’m depressed. Yes, yes, I know this isn’t LiveJournal but still…depressed. Huh? What? Tear myself away from this jelly doughnut and
Yesterday I announced our December 2009 freelance writing contest — you can win cash and prizes just for thinking about your own marketing for your freelance writing business. Write an elevator pitch / elevator speech of 4-5 sentences. That’s all you have to do! But wait, how do you write an elevator pitch? Here’s a quick “how to” to help you out: Step 1: List
Here at All Freelance Writing we talk a lot about freelance writing rates and being paid what you’re worth. Our primary mission is to help writers who want to grow and improve their freelance writing careers. But wanting to earn more isn’t enough. You have to deserve it. Feeling that you’re worth more is only half of the battle. Don’t get me wrong. It’s important.
The two things I loathe about a freelancer’s finances are health insurance and income taxes. I thought I hated paying taxes when I worked full-time for someone else. Seeing the money that was taken out of my paycheck was depressing. I didn’t know how good I had it. Paying tax as a freelancer is even worse. Not only do we pay more taxes, we have
In September I bought an “Individual” membership plan on Elance. The cost was $9.95 and with it I received 20 bright and shiny proposal credits. When you bid on jobs at Elance it costs you anywhere from 1-3 of these juicy credits (Elance actually calls them “connects” but I’m going to continue to call them credits because…well…that’s what I think they should be called). A
It’s funny, really, that the toughest year of my maternal life was the one I thought would be the easiest. I spent a year finishing my Masters, teaching every day and writing every night. In my spare time I raised a toddler while I worked on growing his younger brother. That was the year before the hardest year. During those seemingly hard months, I dreamed
If you’re anything like me, your office is a tiny cell of a room where there’s barely enough room for your bed and your fainting couch, and opening the filing cabinet can turn into an acrobatic feat. When saddled with limited office space, its time to think vertical and utilize your wall space. This month’s freelancer DIY project is how to hang shelves. Even if