Contributor: Article List

Updated: August 2010

If you would like to contribute a small 500 word piece you can choose from any of the article outlines below – you are free to include any additional references, write from any point of view (opinion, negative/positive, for/against and/or include any additional information as you see fit; As always, you’re business details will be listed in the opening sentence on the page and a more detailed service description at the bottom (including any URLs you wish to include to promote your services).

Your contribution will be directly promoted on the site, LinkedIn/Facebook groups and twitter. A combined audience of 4,000 members per month.

Please notify me before writing!

Thank you - Shane

info {at} freelanceireland(.)ie

How to hire a freelancer

• know what you want *exactly*
• always get another quote
• always ask for samples/examples & references
• decide on what the minimum/maximum price you will pay, including what you think is fair to pay.

Find 5 clients and be good to them

• picking your best 5 and being really good to them
• 80/20 rule, 80% of your money comes from 20% of your clients
• ways to cut your losses with bad clients

Promoting Your Graphic Design Services

• creating a portfolio / website; focus on the good, bad and ugly
• ??

Starting out as a Freelancer

• when to incorporate
• when to get an accountant (what to look out for)
• how to find clients (pointers)
• VAT 101 (and links to get more info)
• top 5 reasons to freelance vs. paid job (can you do both?)

Creating the Perfect Offer

(ref: http://www.businessopportunitiesandideas.com/1208/free-marketing-ideas)

• the negativity of “free”
• overpricing
• service based marketing (web design, graphic design)
• Converting your service into a product

Mutual Freelancing

• Develop a partnership with a freelancer with a different skillset
• Contacting companies about your skills to resell your skills.

The Best Books for Freelancers (in Ireland)

• Starting a Business in Ireland (Oak Tree Press)
• How to be a Rockstar Freelancer (rockstar press – Good book!)

Genuine & Effective Networking (taken!)

• meet people in person (open coffee, refresh dublin)
• creative business cards (and easily accessible portfolio’s)
• genuinely try to help people
• ways to casually ask for referrals
• having something interesting to show (side projects) that will allow them to show to their contacts (fun Flash games, cool sites, newspaper articles etc).
• find that one thing you’ve done that other people can talk about.

The forgotten aspects of getting more work (taken!)

• keep an active and updated portfolio (don’t let your blog go stale!)
• automatically promote your work in your emails (signatures, templated emails)
• persist with ‘casual’ email contact with prospect clients (promote work you’ve just finished)

Optimizing Your Freelance Career

• get organised first before work (GTD methology).
• make it as easy as possible for people to find and get your work (email signatures, web portfolio)
• be on the look out for new and better tools (build freelance relationships with freelancers in the same industry)
• use what you know, advertise where you know, where you go.

Getting the facts from vague clients questionnaire

[industry specific  article, do for web, accountants, logo/print work]

• clients that know what they want vs. clients that think they know
• communicate, always communicate, and update and be clear. Mis-communication is an amateur mistake.
• (list 20 questions(?) to ask clients)

“No” the magic word

• agreeing budgets and “features” vs. lowing your service charge.
• changing features during projects; let the client know (communicate) ahead of time what would be a “project feature change” (show’s your experience and knowledge of your area).
• Staying late to finish a feature change. Show you’re professional with all aspects of your time; Professionals say no; and say why they say no.
• you don’t want a client you can’t be honest with.