Articles by Freelance Switch from April 2012

Working as a contractor–or freelancing as it is often termed–is both a great stepping stone to running your own business and a viable career in itself. For the uninitiated, there can b...

Every other week we roundup some of the highest quality articles and resources that benefit freelancers from across the web. We present these articles here on various helpful topics. This week we have...

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.This week we look at A new way to think about creativity by Eliza...

Traveling for work can be a blessingor a cursedepending on how you handle it. I have to drive a fair amount for my job, but many freelancers spend hours in airports, train stations, and bus terminals....

You just finished a six week long project. You thought it came out great, so you didnt expect their email, telling you they just werent happy with it.Now what?Park your emotions. Its easy to get worke...

Right now I am procrastinating. I should be working on writing a story about American Legion Baseball, but Im writing this blog post instead.I am not a serial procrastinatorin fact, rarely do I procra...

Ever worked a day job you couldn’t stand?Me, too.For years, I worked as a legal secretary for movie studios and talent agents. Before that, I scooped ice cream, worked at McDonald’s, and e...

Many freelancers have some dedicated space in their home in which to do their work. And setting up a great home office is key to your productivity, sanity, and professionalism.Of course, some people d...

When I first started freelance writing, I thought branding for businesses merely referred to having a consistent “look and voice”. With my partner, we put together a website, designed a lo...

I have written case studies for clients, but haven’t implemented this in my own business yet. It is definitely something I’m going to be working on in the coming months.Why, you may ask? B...

Im a believer that marketing materials will never go out of style. Theres something to be said when you have something really cool to give to someone else that characterizes you and your business.Im n...

Do you have this dream? You go down to your nearest big newsstand one day and check out all those big, glossy magazines. You flip one of your favorites open…and there’s your byline.YouR...

As a freelancer, you are on your own when it comes to keeping track of your finances. And let’s face it, the financial side of things are generally the last thing we want to mess with at the end...

I am a lucky freelancerI have my own home office and no kids (well, at least not yet) to worry about. And my job means I dont have to sit in my office, day after day, until I cant stand it anymore. I ...

The graphic designer leave behind has, ironically, been left behind in recent years. Its something that is heavily focused on in design school, but rarely is it put into practice in the real world. I ...

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive? ...

Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and c...

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.This week we look at Startups on the Side with Toni Gemayel by Fr...

When I saw this blog post on Gawker.com, I just shook my head. What else can you do?Heres the gist: a guy who is looking for a job created a profile on Monster.com saying hes looking for a job in the ...

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at a case of nerves and a question of file ownership. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelanc...

CareerCast.com just published a list of 200 jobs ranking them from best to worst based on the following criteria: physical demands, work environment, income, stress, and hiring outlook. They used info...

As a solo freelancer, you probably dont have the budget to conduct big market research studies like the big guys to learn how to improve your business – things like how to improve your sales pro...

I require my undergraduate journalism students to buy two books to keep by their sides at all times. One of them is the AP Style Book; the other is called When Words Collide: A Media Writers Guide to ...

Surprise, surprise! On 11th April Google+ made a new announcement. Google+ now has more than 170 million users!This is not the only reason why you should consider using Google+ for your...

Irrespective of what niche you write in, there are major industry events that you need to be aware of. Reading about them is a terrific way to get ideas for new topics. In addition, when you are well ...

Writing effective blog posts isnt as easy as you might think. There are a ton of things to take into consideration, including creating a catchy headline, the length of your piece, even the words that ...

Thinking of pursuing a career as a freelance writer? Congratulations. It’s a great lifestyle, where you control your own schedule, set your own rates, and work for a variety of clients.That is, ...

Time is money for freelancers, but sometimes giving it away can benefit you in the long run. Providing free advice through social media channels, offering a free eBook, giving away a free newsletter, ...

In this economy, creating and sticking to a budget is more important than ever. Of course, not every freelancer has money problems, but my guess is that many of you out there are taking a very close l...

It must be a wonderful thing to be one of those chefs in the TV cooking competitions, able to take a stack of surprise ingredients and instantly whip up beautiful, tasty dishes from them.For most of u...

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive? ...

Every other week we roundup some of the highest quality articles and resources that benefit freelancers from across the web. We present these articles here on various helpful topics. This week we have...

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.This week we look at What to do if a Client Hates Your Design (an...

This blog post by Amber Rice on PRDaily.com tickled my fancy. Maybe its because many of my friends have toddlers, or maybe its because Im pregnantbut I think adults can learn a lot from little kids. B...

If there is one thing I miss about working in the corporate world, it is having teams of people working in the background that I can call on for any type of support my business may need. Have a legal...

No one is perfect, and we can all improve upon ourselves to become better businesspeople. I really liked this article by Brad Lebo, one of the principals at Vital Growth. He lists some challenges that...

We all know that we need to spend as much time as we can networking with prospective clients. But how much time should you spend networking with other freelancers?Other Freelancers Arent Just Competit...

When I read this article about how Sheryl Sandberg, Facebooks COO, leaves work atgasp! 5:30 pm every dayI was both happy and annoyed.I am a huge proponent for working smarternot longer or harder. I ca...

It’s always nice to hear a good success story. That’s what struck me when I read about Andrea Wren. The UK-based freelance journalist successfully made a career out of freelance writing wi...

I was engrossed in this blog post about why creative businesses fail written by Jason Aten. I work in a creative field (magazine publishing) with many creative people (writers, photographers, and grap...

If you are not familiar with Google+ consider reading my previous article 8 Reasons that Make Google+ Better than Facebook and Twitter for an introduction. This article is about the differe...

Thanks to the internet, it is more advantageous to work as a freelancer these days. You can conveniently find clients online, market your work effectively at a low cost (or for free), network with col...

An Exclusive Series for Newsletter SubscribersAre you a FreelanceSwitch Newsletter subscriber? If not, now’s the time to join! We’re running a fantastic series of articles, focused on how ...

We face criticism from all sorts of angles, both in our professional and in our personal lives. It never ceases to amaze me how often complete strangers will offer up advice on everything from parenti...

There’s a union for every profession, and freelancers are no exception. If the thought of joining a union conjures up images of strikes, scabs and outrageous membership dues, think again! The Fr...

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive? ...

Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and c...

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.This week we look at Best Tips to Work Better, Not Harder by Life...

I remember sitting in a grad school course in journalism school listening to a twenty-something talk about how important blogging was going to become and how its changing the essence of journalism. I ...

The FreelanceSwitch Facebook Page has almost 12,000 Likes and an active following. This is where we post links to our published material, as well as to freelance related posts from across the web. If ...

Its no secret that freelancers face real challenges balancing self-promotion and client demands. Thats why its important for you to optimize your time and make smart decisions that produce real result...

Unlike some couples, my husband actually reads some of the blog posts I write for FreelanceSwitch. Which makes me really happy considering my own parents hardly read the articles I write for the regio...

Its incredibly common to freelance on the side: if youre working a day job, its inevitable that youll come across someone who wants you to exercise your skills off the clock. Some folks take it farthe...

The last installment in Tut+ Premium’s freelancing course, Freelance Bootcamp, is all about advancing your career. If you’re a Premium member and following along, this is your space t...

The author's dog, Miles the Chihuahua.The International Journal of Workplace Health Management recently published a study investigating the presence of dogs in the workplace on employee stress an...

There are a lot of last minutes when it comes to freelancers and taxes. If you freelance full-time in the U.S, youre expected to send in quarterly estimated payments, in addition to doing your yearly ...

I got a call from a friend a few days ago and it seems his small business is getting smaller by the minute. Not only is he on the brink of collapse financially, his one major customer looks like they ...

I really liked what blogger Emily Heyward had to say on her recent FastCompany.com blog post called Desks, Where Creativity Goes To Die. The SXSW attendee stepped outside of her comfort zone at the co...

It’s been almost a year now since I did my last business card template roundup. As design trends tend to come and go, I thought it might be a good time to have another.Here’s are a few of ...

Its easy to see the financial benefits of using certain tools: for some freelance niches, not having the most recent copy of the Adobe Creative Suite is the same thing as walking away from every clien...

One of the most difficult things to deal with when working with a client is when they’re unengaged, absent, missing, and seemingly disinterested in the work you’re doing.Developers and des...

If you are a solopreneur, branding yourself is key. You want to make a statement and interest people while being true to who you are as a person and a professional. No matter your niche, creating a br...

How much of your time do you spend sending outbound emails? How much time and effort do you put into every pitch, hoping that a client will select you over countless others?Successful freelancers know...

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive? ...

What do you do if you have one main client and for some reason the work from that client dries up? Perhaps the client goes out of business or goes in a different direction or just has a lull in busine...

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.This week we look at Beware online “Filter Bubbles” b...