Issue #11
Editor’s Note
I’d talk about what I’m reading, but I’m not sure you’ll get much use of a book on how to use DevonThink. Not a ton of new stuff in there yet, but I still have another 1/3 to go. I saw a discussion on Pitch Anything on reddit, and it’s already in my “to read” list, so hopefully I’ll finish that by next week.
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Articles
Starting a Freelance Business in 2012: Planning Ahead
I’m guessing you’re already a freelancer, but if you’re thinking of starting out on your own this is worth a read.
When One Client Becomes Your Job
Early on I had this problem. Lately it seems I’ve swung to the other side of the scale, so many clients my job is just managing them and not getting any work done.
Refusing administrative minutiae
Interesting take on dealing with administrative tasks. I’m going to move towards weekly billing. Simplifies scheduling, easier to hit goals: I need 2 weeks a month to live, or 40 weeks this year to do okay.
Tips for Keeping Focused on Freelance Deadlines
Perfect is the enemy…
3 Rules to Freelance Consulting Success
Charge 3x what you think you’re worth? Sometimes you need to raise the stakes to see where you stand in the world. If you already don’t think you’re worth that, what’s the worst that could happen? Someone says yes? I wonder what the Jerk tax and Deadbeat tax work out to…
97 Ideas for Building a Valuable Platform
Chris covers 97 (!) ideas that could help you build a more valuable platform. Don’t take it as 97 todo items, but just skim the list and see if anything jumps out at you in a “Hey, I could do that right now” kind of way and do that.
Resources
Freelance Freedom #242: Freelance Adventurer Part 3
Keep Your Copyrights
A simple explanation of copyrights and some sample contracts to use/model. Of course, IANAL and other disclaimers apply.
Coffee and Power
A little like Fiverr except it’s not all $5 gigs. It’s a sore spot for some, but the others will appreciate the link.
DropVox
Voice memos from your iPhone to your Dropbox. You do have a Dropbox account, right?
The Small Business Social Media Cheat Sheet
Interesting, even if just to explain to your clients.
Podcasts
Post-Business School: The Things They Never Tell You
Dan and Ian do another great job on this one. I couldn’t find a transcript (maybe they never did transcripts), but it’s worth a listen to, especially at 2x speed. Some of the highlights: Take time risks, not cash risks. You’re not as important to your business as you think. Figure out how responsive you need to be on different mediums (like email, quotes, accounts payable.)
Sponsor
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