In hindsight, I should have known he would be a problematic client. A bad client, even. But no, I ignored all the red flags even as they waved in front of my nose. And then the you-know-what hit the fan.

My copy stank, apparently. So badly, it seems, that he wrote the entire copy himself, from scratch. So badly, apparently, that he refused the two revisions he was entitled to.

Never before had my copywriting skills been brought to as much doubt. Never before had I felt so incompetent and undeserving of the title, “copywriter.” Never before had a client cancelled a project because they weren’t satisfied with my work.

Ah, well, there’s always the first time.

Now that the dust has settled, and my self-esteem has recovered, I can blog about it. (Hah! Behind every cloud IS a silver lining.)

My freelancing friend, I don’t want you to go through the humiliation of having a client reject your work and question your capabilities. I know I can’t succeed 100%, but at the very least, I can share my experience with you so that you can learn from my mistakes.

You see, this client was a “bad” client from the start, but I was too hard-headed to admit it.

Signs You Should Pass On A Client

Here are some of the signs that I should have said no to this client:

1. He didn’t have a clear direction for his business.

After this client hired me, I waited for weeks to get started, because he was still figuring out exactly what to do. In fact, he told me to wait until after his consultation with a business coach.

2. His product was under development.

Even after this client had completed a business coaching session, his product was still pretty much unfinished. He couldn’t give me a lot of the details I needed to write the copy. He was also undecided about bonuses, guarantees, and how he would find leads and prospects–even after I suggested many options.

(That said, it is possible to write copy even if the product is still being completed. In fact, it can help to produce a better product than originally intended. However, this is not cool if the client is going to end up dissatisfied with the copy for his unfinished product.)

3. His market was outside my specialty.

This wasn’t a particularly crucial red flag, since I have written copy successfully for new markets and niches before. However, this may have added to the dissonance and conflict I experienced in this project. It’s also possible that I didn’t write as good a copy as I could have.

4. He had a string of complaints about previous or current service providers.

Previous service providers apparently gave the wrong advice, which caused him to spend more money than necessary, and to not get the results he wanted.

5. He was worried about the falling value of his currency.

This client always paid me on time and never negotiated my rates. However, as we got started in a bigger and more expensive project, he started saying things like “I have to watch my budget, especially with the value of (my currency) falling.” (He lives in Europe) Who knows? Maybe he cancelled our project, because he couldn’t afford to pay the rest of my fees anymore.

Those are the signs that should have told me to proceed with caution, if not refuse to work with this client altogether.

Could Have, Would Have, Should Have

So… what could I have done instead? Here are some ideas:

• I could have asked for feedback after each stage of the copywriting, instead of diving headlong into it and submitting a finished draft. For example, I could have told my client first what hook I was planning on using and then given the structure for the rest of the sales page. That way, I would have known of his disapproval way before I had poured many hours into writing the entire sales page.

• I could have refused to begin working until after ALL the details were provided.

• One thing I did do correctly was to ask for a 50% deposit upfront. This meant that the work I had completed didn’t go uncompensated.

What If This Happened To You?

If you do find yourself with a client who rejects your work, here’s my advice:

Take a deep breath and calm down before you respond to your client.

Your first reaction will probably be anger, and it’s not a good idea to communicate with ANYBODY when you’re angry. So acknowledge your anger, go and hit a pillow… do whatever it takes to get it out of your system. And then go back and respond.

Give your client the benefit of the doubt.

It is possible that you produced a dud. We’re not always at our best and sometimes we do make mistakes. Review your drafts and previous communications and see where you could have fallen short of the client’s expectations. Have an open mind about how you could have done better.

Give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

They say “the client is always right,” but the truth is, your client could be wrong! Don’t be too hard on yourself and beat yourself up about the situation. Even if you did make a mistake, remind yourself that you’re only human. The best you can do is to do your best. And if you can say that you have given the project your best effort, then nobody can blame you.

Offer to fix the situation.

Nobody likes it when a project falls through. Your client’s project is delayed, and money is wasted. Your income and reputation are at stake. So look at the situation from your client’s point of view and offer to do something to ameliorate the situation. At worst, give your client’s money back.

Look back on the experience, learn from it, and blog about it

We’ll always experience bumps along our freelancing journey. The worst thing is when we don’t learn from our mistakes and keep making them. So take the time to reflect on your experiences. Blogging is a good way to process something in your mind, and share your learnings with others at the same time.

Do Share

Have you ever had a “bad” client before? What were the warning signs you should have seen, but didn’t? Any other advice you’d like to share with me and other freelancers?

Feel free to post them below.

photo credit: oskay

PS: Go here to read about an earlier post I wrote, “7 Steps to Deal With An Unhappy Client.” (Ironically, I wrote that post before the experience I wrote about today. It came in really handy!)

This month’s challenge takes some work. But once you’ve done it, your daily freelancing life will be much easier.

The Savvy Freelancer’s challenge this month is:

Make templates for all your communication

Why You Need Templates

Templates  will simplify your life as a freelancer. Every day, you communicate with prospects, replying to inquiries about your services, fees and availability.

You also constantly pitch your services, submit proposals and quotations, acknowledge payments, or request more information from your clients and prospects.

If you look at every piece of communication you send out, you will see that they’re all very similar. And you probably only change the particulars.

Having templates for your regular communications will help you to:

• prepare your communication pieces more quickly
• remember to include all the essential elements in your communication materials
• have a consistent tone and personality in all your communication

What Templates

Make a list of all the emails, faxes and other communication materials you use every day. Your list will probably look like this:

1. Response to request for sample work
2. Proposal for a specific project
3. Response to inquiry about my fees
4. Terms of agreement
5. Acknowledging client’s acceptance of my proposal
6. Invoice for deposit
7. Invoice for services rendered
8. Receipt for payment
9. Emails to keep in touch or make special offers

Feel free to add to the list above, or remove those you don’t use.

Even if you use software to create invoices and receipts, it’s still a good idea to make a template for what your invoices and receipts will contain.

Tools for Templates

The tools you use will depend on your specific circumstances. For example, I use Apple Pages, a word processing software, for my project proposal template.

For templates that will go into emails, I use a text editor so that I won’t import any formatting codes into my email program.

Create a folder in your hard drive just for your templates, so you can find them easily.

Use the tools you already have and that work best for you!

Do Share

Do you already use templates for your client communication? What advice do you have for other freelancers who are just starting out with their own templates?

photo credit: plugimi

I have a client who, in many respects is an ideal client. Not only is she a successful entrepreneur who can afford to pay me, but she’s also a kind and generous person. She refers prospective clients to me all the time, and gives me advice on growing my online business for passive income.

This client of mine is always giving me unusual projects, those that aren’t in my list of services and for which I don’t have ballpark fees. But because of all her other positive qualities, I work on these projects. Besides, I always learn something new about Internet marketing, so it’s like getting free training.

But this past week, I’ve been having a difficult time with this client — through no fault of hers. You see, she asked me to work on a project and I underestimated the cost involved.

I didn’t realize that, although I wouldn’t have to do any research, I would have to read through thick pages of documents to learn the material I was going to write about. Neither did I realize the amount of analysis, synthesis and thought it required to organize all this material in coherent and effective ways.

In other ways, I blew it. I charged this client less than what I should have.

The Pricing Debate

Our mentors at Wealthy Web Writer say you should charge by project and not by the hour. They give many reasons for this. One reason is that, if you charge by the hour, you penalize yourself as you get better and start completing your projects faster.

Ok, I get that. But there’s also an advantage to charging by project. It requires you to ACCURATELY estimate the amount of complexity and work a project would entail.

What If You Can’t?

As my experience shows, it’s not always possible to make a correct estimate of a project’s costs.

I’m sure that, as time goes by, I’ll get better and better at this. But in the meantime, what do I do?

I can’t go back to my client and say my fee has changed.

What I can do is take note of what happened and use it as a learning experience for future reference. For example, in the future, I will remember to consider my product research time. I’ll also know what kind of preparation I need to make before writing similar materials.

Don’t Let This Happen To You

I hope you’ll learn from my mistakes:

• When coming up with your fee, imagine yourself going through the entire project. Write down each of the steps involved, along with the estimated time it takes to complete it, and what type of work you’ll have to do (such as research, analysis, or actual writing).

• Use a “healthy” hourly rate when estimating your fee. This gives you enough of a cushion for little underestimations you might make.

• Here’s another tip I picked up from Nick Usborne at Wealthy Web Writer: Once you have an estimate, sleep on it and review at least once before sending off. Nick says he almost always ends up doubling his initial estimate, after he has had time to let it simmer and put more thought into it.

• If the parameters of a project do change, then open the discussion of additional fees. For example, in my case, I told my client, “My fees do not include doing topic research myself. If additional research is required, then I will have to charge an additional $X.”

Where Does This Leave Me?

I was a little bit upset at first when I realized my mistake. But you know what? Since I recently increased my fees considerably, I don’t feel so bad about the whole thing anymore. I’m still getting paid a good sum for the work. And I’m still highly motivated to produce my best work for one of my best clients.

Which goes to show that, when you charge clients what you’re worth, then you’re better able to take care of them — as well as yourself.

Give Your Advice

Has this ever happened to you? Do you have any advice for me or other freelancers on this topic? Please post them in the comments below. Thank you!

PS: If you’re curious about the Wealthy Web Writer, it’s a site by American Writers and Artists, Inc. dedicated to helping web writers achieve wealth. As a member, you’ll get access to half a dozen webinars a month, a forum, and a job board. I highly recommend it! Click here to learn more about Wealthy Web Writer.

photo credit: alancleaver_2000

In the nearly two years that I’ve been freelancing,  I have prepared and submitted close to a hundred project proposals.

Not all of those proposals successfully led to paid projects, of course. And because I’m too lazy and can’t be bothered with tracking my results (as Juliet Dupreez recommends in her ebook, “The Winning Proposal”), I can’t even tell you what my success rate is.

What stands out in my mind are the proposals I’ve sent out that have been less than stellar. Yes, I confess. I didn’t always put a lot of effort in my project proposals, especially in the early months when my fees were way below market standard and — again, I’m being perfectly honest here — when I was treating my freelancing more as a hobby than as a business.

Now that I’ve “grown up,” I put a lot more thought and effort into my project proposals. I’ve taken the time to learn how to prettify my template. But more importantly, I take the time and energy to really “listen” to what my prospective clients want and need, and where I fit into the process of them achieving their goals.

Looking back, I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my project proposals. I’m exposing myself for your sake, because I hope that by reading about my own foibles, you will avoid them for yourself.

Here are the top 5 project proposal mistakes I’ve made:

1. Not showing proof that I understand what my prospect wants and what they want to achieve

My proposals used to be stark documents devoid of personality and charm. It would be a list of tasks and their corresponding fees. I’m surprised I got ANY projects at all.

The last time I did this — and when it dawned on me what a big mistake I was making — was when I submitted a proposal to an entrepreneur I had been admiring for some time. I’d been reading her blog, subscribed to her newsletter, interacted with her on Twitter…. And when her assistant contacted me for a proposal, I was absolutely thrilled! I would absolutely love to work with her!

However, as soon as I hit the “send” button, I regretted it. Why did I not write a more personable, professional and thoughtful message along with my proposal? Truth be told, I think I was star struck, like a teenager who finds her mouth glued shut when her crush is standing in front of her.

After that incident, I vowed never to send a lifeless proposal ever again. Instead, I summarize what I understand to be my prospect’s needs are, and how I can help him or her achieve them.

2. Not breaking down tasks

My proposal used to say simply, “1 Sales Page = $XXX.” It looked more like a grocery receipt than a proposal from a copywriter.

Now, I specify exactly what I do to create the sales page, such as product research, market research, conceptualization, writing, design and layout, choosing photos and other graphical elements, etc.

This is particularly important when you’re bidding against other freelancers. Of course, you wouldn’t want the prospect to automatically go with the lowest bidder. By describing your work this way, you help your prospect appreciate the value you’re actually bringing.

3. Not double-checking for spelling, grammar, computation and other mistakes

This is the most shameful mistake of all, especially for a writer. Just two weeks ago, I sent a proposal that was incomplete. The prospect asked for three newsletter articles, but I only quoted for two. So I fired off another proposal — with the correct number of articles.

Fortunately, even though I managed to thoroughly confuse my prospect, she went ahead and paid in full for the second proposal so I could get started.

I got lucky that time, because apparently, the prospect was already sold on me. But had she not been, that mistake would have cost me a client. A costly mistake, indeed.

4. Skipping important details, such as mode of payment, delivery schedule, copyright, etc

I used to be timid about including anything related to money in my proposals. I waited until the prospect approved the proposal before I said that I required a deposit. This became even more difficult when I started requiring full payment before beginning work on a project.

However, by skipping these details, I was doing my prospects a disservice. I wasn’t giving them all the information they needed to make a wise decision about whether or not to contract my services.

On the other hand, by laying all my cards on the table, my prospects don’t have to deal with surprises, and things go more smoothly.

5. Forgetting to sell yourself

I heard somewhere that “Prospects become clients only after they pay you.”

This is more important than you may think. We sometimes assume that a person is already a client, because he or she wants to work with us and has asked for a quotation.

While for some prospects, the quotation is merely a formality, they are a minority. So until the prospect has paid you, either a down payment or full payment, they’re not clients — yet.

Therefore, you should consider your proposal to be a marketing piece. You’re still selling your services to the prospect. Don’t think that “the cat is in the bag.”

Avoiding mistake #1 above helps with this. You can also summarize what skills and expertise you have that make you suited to meet your clients’ requirements. Some even suggest including a good testimonial in the proposal itself. If you’ve done a similar project for another client, briefly describe the results that client achieved with your help.

It hasn’t been easy writing this post, because it brought back memories of times when I failed to focus on my prospects and market my services properly.

But I’m still glad I wrote this. Not only will it help me remember to never make these mistakes again. But if it will help you and other freelancers from making the same mistakes, then it’s been worth it.

Confession Time

Have you ever made any of these mistakes? Or have you made others that I haven’t mentioned here? Please do tell by posting a comment below.

Thank you!

photo credit: dps

Has this ever happened to you?

A prospect contacts you, you submit a proposal, the prospect says “Yes, let’s do this,” and then… they disappear.

It’s happened to me twice.

Disappearing Act #1

The first time, the client said “Let’s go ahead. Please write my sales letter.” So I send her my client questionnaire and don’t hear from her for days. When I followed up with her, she replied, “Oh, I found a copywriter who charges less and, you know, things being what they are these days, I’m keeping a close watch on my budget. I hope you understand.”

Well, yes, of course I understand. But she could have told me earlier, right?

Disappearing Act #2

Here’s the second case of my disappearing prospect: Again, she says “Your proposal looks reasonable. Please write my sales letter because the one I have now totally sucks.” I send her the questionnaire and the invoice, and never hear from her again.

I follow up with her after almost two weeks. Because, you know, she might have missed the questionnaire and invoice. After all, those things happen. Still, no response.

So the only conclusion I can draw is that, like Disappearing Prospect #1, she found a cheaper copywriter and decided to go with that one.

Which is perfectly fine with me. Really. I don’t want to work with entrepreneurs who can’t afford me. Or who are less than fully convinced that my work will help them make more money.

The Real Problem

On the other hand, I have to wonder: whatever happened to common courtesy? And word of honor?

Verbal agreements are considered legally binding. So are emails!

What saddens me even more is that these prospects and I circulate in the same virtual circles. It’s awkward because I know some of our common friends regard them highly… and yet I know that they’ve been less than professional with me.

A Message to Outsourcers

If you’re an entrepreneur who hires freelancers, please always be forthright with the service providers you deal with. I know it’s hard to say you chose somebody else, but it’s the right thing to do. Just send off an email that says something like, “Thank you very much for your quotation, but I decided to go with somebody else at this time.”

And when you’ve said that you will hire somebody, please be true to your word. Even if it is a written word.

Or if something came up and you have to change your mind, then please let the person on the other end know. Don’t leave them in the dark. It’s not nice. And it’s not polite.

A Message to Fellow Freelancers

If your prospect disappears on you, don’t jump to conclusions. It’s easy to beat yourself up and blame yourself for what happened.

However, it could be a number of things. They may have missed your message altogether, be going through a really tough time, or a million other things.

Do follow up politely after a reasonable amount of time, say, 3 days to a week. You may or may not get a response. If not, then assume that the prospect has decided to contract somebody else. No biggie. He or she wasn’t the perfect client for you, so move on.

And if you want to learn more about this phenomenon of the “disappearing prospect,” I highly recommend Mark Silver’s post, “Why People Disappear After They’ve Said Yes.” You’ll find plenty of wisdom there.

How About You?

Have you ever had prospects disappear on you, even after they’ve said “yes” to you? How did you handle it? What other thoughts do you have on this mystery?

I’d love to hear what you think.

photo credit: askthepixel

Our monthly challenges are supposed to help you increase your freelancing profits immediately. This month’s challenge will not have a positive impact in your bottom line right away. However, it is very important.

By taking this month’s challenge, you will:

• improve and protect your health
• increase your energy
• make you more productive

And it is utterly simple. This month’s challenge is: get off your butt. Get up and out of your chair more often.

Why? Let me explain.

Why You Should Stand More

Last week, I saw a disturbing article about the dangers of sitting down for hours at a time every day.

It says that sitting down all day puts us at risk of developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and, not surprisingly, early death — now matter how much exercise we get!

That’s right. All the sitting around actually undermines the benefits we may get when we do get up to exercise. This may explain the work at home health danger I wrote about in another blog: the average person gains about 30 pounds in their first year of working at home.

This New York Times article hit a nerve with me and @WritersKitchen. As work at home freelancers, we often spend hours at a time sitting in front of our computers. And since my toddler got potty trained, I haven’t had to get up as often as I used to. @WritersKitchen admits to sitting for up to six hours straight sometimes. I totally understand. When the momentum is there, you just want to keep working.

But because we value our health and productivity, @WritersKitchen and I made changes in our working environment right away. You’ll be surprised how simple they are, and you can get started too.

How To Sit Less

1. Sit on a stability ball.

This is what I began doing right away. I used to sit on a stability ball instead of a chair in my last trimester of my third pregnancy because my back and pelvis hurt like anything if I sit on a regular chair.

Sitting on a stability ball makes your body work harder as you keep your balance. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable at all and I longed for the “relaxation” of my regular chair or sofa. But I did feel my back getting stronger and now, I actually enjoy it (and so does the toddler, who insists on sitting on my lap while I’m on the ball.)

2. Take frequent breaks.

The New York Times article cited a study which found that people who frequently stood up to stretch or “walk down the corridor” fared better than those who sat uninterruptedly. So set a timer to go off every 45 minutes or so and get up to stretch, get a glass of water, check your mailbox — anything to get off your butt!

3. Use a standup desk.

@WritersKitchen quickly rigged a standup desk and she’s been working while standing up (I’ve asked for a picture and will add it here as soon as Lorraine sends it). I have started working occasionally with my laptop on the kitchen counter. It’s definitely more physical work than sitting on the stability ball — which is good!

Lorraine and I have also been drooling over these custom-made standup desks, such as one that’s like what Virginia Woolf apparently used. These are handmade by Amish wood workers, made of real wood, and even comes with a brass footrest. It’s the ultimate luxury (at least for me), however, as you have seen you don’t need one as nice as this if you really want to stay on your feet while working.

Some standup desks are built around a treadmill, so you can walk slowly while checking your email, surfing the web, or doing other less demanding tasks on the computer.

The “Ball” Is In Your Court

As you can see, it doesn’t take much to become less sedentary and spend fewer hours sitting on your bum.

Which of these suggestions are you going to start doing today? Do share in the comments below.

PS: Update on last month’s challenge: I joined an expensive online forum and have so far signed up one new client. She’s keen on working with me for the long haul. I’m excited to work with her, because she’s an expert in her field and is highly motivated to have a successful business. Also, and very importantly, she’s willing to invest in her success. And I’m confident that I can help her achieve it.

photo credit: jessica mullen

Bookkeeping and accounting are essential parts of freelancing. Freelancers can choose from dozens of software and web-based services that make bookkeeping and accounting easy and accurate. The Unlimited Freelancer has a good list of what’s available.

In this post, I’m going to share my own journey in organizing and systematizing my bookkeeping and accounting.

A Brief History

When I started freelancing, I tracked my income and expenses on a Google Docs spreadsheet. It worked well enough — until I inadevertently deleted a whole chunk of cells!

After that, I moved onto a $12 account in LessAccounting.com. It was great. I could create invoices, and track income and expenses. I liked being able to email invoices to my clients, with a PayPal button embedded right into the email. However, the reports were limited.

So after a few months, I moved up to LessAccounting’s $20 package. With that, I can create professional-looking proposals and turn them into invoices instantly. More importantly, I can generate the reports I need to prepare my taxes.

Choices, Choices

While I’ve been happy with LessAccounting, I’ve been wanting to use an application I can install in my computer and not have to keep paying a monthly fee.

I’ve spent many hours going over the many solutions available for Macs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find many to replace LessAccounting. Some solutions do invoicing but don’t track expenses. Others do accounting, but won’t let you do invoicing.

• Tinybooks

There is one application I found, which does everything I’m looking for: proposals, income and expense recording, reporting, and invoicing. It’s called Tinybooks.

I downloaded the trial version of Tinybooks, but didn’t really use it. You see, it didn’t have a “pretty” interface that’s common among Mac applications.

However, I just checked the Tinybooks site as I was writing this post and discovered that Tinybooks Pro version 7 was just recently launched. This version is much prettier and has some additional features compared to its predecessor.

An individual license for Tinybooks 7 is only $49 so this is an excellent option for freelancers.

• Quickbooks

After asking several Canada-based freelancers, small business owners and even a professional bookkeeper (Monica Ross of virtualbookkeeping.ca, who is amazing, by the way), I’ve come to the conclusion that Quickbooks is the way to go.

Other applications can probably do pretty much the same thing, but if you’re planning to work with an accountant, bookkeeper or other professional, most of them would be familiar with Quickbooks and will probably prefer it.

I’ve heard many complaints about how hard it is to use Quickbooks. However, after using the UN’s financial management software for years, I’m confident that I can handle Quickbooks.

The good thing about Quickbooks is that it can do everything I need to do right now. At the same time, it can accommodate my home business as it grows.

Conclusion

I thought I had made up my mind to get Quickbooks. But after seeing the update on Tinybooks, I’m having second thoughts again.

I’ll have another consultation with Monica before I make my final decision (even though I’m pretty sure I know what she will say).

Your Thoughts?

How do you handle your bookkeeping and accounting? What software do you use? Do you work with bookkeepers and accountants?

Maybe your comments can help me decide, so do share!

photo credit: word_dancer51

As your freelancing business grows, the inevitable happens: you outgrow clients.

If you’ve been following along with our Savvy Freelancing challenges, you may be going through this right now. Our January 2010 challenge was to increase your rates, so if you’ve increased your fees significantly, you may have outgrown a few clients recently.

It’s scary. You’re losing people who’ve paid you good money in the past. They’re clients who know what you’re capable of. You no longer need to “sell” your services to them.

However, they can’t afford you anymore. So the time has come to let go.

It’s not an easy part of freelancing. But if you are to grow, it’s a necessary evil.

Here are some ways I’ve found that can help make it easier, both for you and your clients.

1. Remind yourself that you’re not being mean.

You’re not doing this because you’re a snob, or because you think highly of yourself. You’re a professional who continues to get better at what you do. You have more skills and experience than you did six months ago, which is why your services are more valuable to your clients now. You give them more value.

2. Give your clients time to adjust.

When you increase your fees, let your existing clients know, but give them an adjustment period, of say one to three months, when they can get your services at a discount.

3. Stay in touch.

Even when an existing client says they can no longer afford you at your new rates, keep them in your database. Let them know of special offers you have. When you’re having a slow period, offer them a new service at a discounted rate. Give copies of any freebies you’ve developed since you last worked together. You never know when your clients will catch up with you and be able to afford you again!

4. Ask for referrals.

Don’t be too embarrassed to ask clients to refer you to other possible clients. One good way to motivate them is by offering a referral commission in the form of a discount or free service.

5. Ask for a testimonial.

It may seem insensitive, but actually it’s a good time to ask for a testimonial after your client says that you’ve gotten out of their reach. At that point, the value you’ve given them so far is fresh in their minds and deep inside, they’re wishing they could afford you still.

Parting ways with clients you’ve outgrown doesn’t have to be painful. And it doesn’t have to mean goodbye forever.

How Do You Do It?

If you’ve experienced outgrowing clients in the past, how did you handle it? What results did you get?

photo credit: E|…|

I’m a member of Lynn Terry’s Elite Forum at Self-Starters Weekly Tips, where we learn all about making a living on the Internet (so don’t be surprised if I up and quit this freelancing thing; that means I’m making oodles of money in my sleep through the power of the Internet).

Anyway, Lynn is an awesome mentor and friend and one of the things she does to get us off our butts and into action is to post a monthly challenge. For example, in October last year, the challenge was to publish a blog post and get it to rank in the top 3 of Google for its target keyword. I participated in that challenge and very nearly succeeded, with my page getting to Number 13 after a couple of days with almost no promotion. This month, the challenge is to organize our physical and virtual work spaces. (Not participating in that one)

So anyway, I thought it would be great for us, savvy freelancers, to have our monthly challenge too. Each challenge is designed to help us either make more money or get more productive or have more fun – you know, all the stuff we’re all dreaming of having.

Are you ready? Our January challenge is…

Raise Your Rates

This is one of the New Year’s resolutions I encouraged you to make. Increasing your fees is the one thing you can do to make more money, almost instantly.

If you have doubts and fear all your clients will abandon you and nobody will ever hire you again, then start small. Raise your fee by 10%. Or how about an insignificant 5%? Really, that can’t be too much, can it? Your clients will barely notice.

And then six months from now, we’ll do it all over again.

I’ve just increased my fees considerably beginning January 1st. Of course, I also did a total repackaging of my services, which you can read about here. I even gave my copywriting and online marketing approach a brand.

See, the point is not only to be more expensive but to actually become more valuable.

Are you up for the challenge? Tell us all about it below.

PS: I am an affiliate of Lynn Terry’s Elite Forum, so if you click this link and join within 90 days without clearing your web browser’s cache first, I will earn a commission for as long as you’re a member.

photo credit: nDevilTV

With 2009 ending, I thought I’d take a few moments to review how freelancing has been these past 12 months. 2009 is when I completed a whole year of freelancing, so this review is particularly important.

A Rocky Beginning

The first couple of months of 2009 was quite rough for me. I didn’t have a steady income. I’d go for weeks without any freelancing projects, and I was unsure how to proceed. Clearly, I had no idea yet how to market my services.

About this time, I came across two of the worst clients I’ve had to date. One always emailed me on Saturday morning about a rush job she needed done that same day. I wanted the income, but refused on work on weekends.

The worst part was this client was delayed on a couple of payments. In fact, she sent me a PayPal cheque payment that didn’t clear.

The other client was one I was quite excited to write for. She’s a successful Internet marketer, a copywriter herself and somebody who could surely send me a steady stream of projects. The problem was, nothing I did seemed good enough for her.

What’s worse, she demanded I write copy for products I had never seen and didn’t provide enough information about them. Finally, I had to “fire” her. It felt like I was breaking up with a boyfriend.

Around this time, I also had a difficult time balancing work and family life – when I did have work, that is. My hubby’s work schedule changed, which meant I lost a couple of hours of uninterrupted work in the mornings. I struggled to work in the midst of constant interruptions from my little boy, housework and other domestic concerns.

This was a big problem for me. I tried to find a babysitter who would be willing to come to my house a few days a week. Or a daycare who would accept my son part-time. No luck.

The Tide Turns

I don’t know when things started to turn around but they did. Somehow, good things started happening.
Inexplicably, I raised my rates and actually began attracting more clients. Previous clients I’d worked with referred new clients to me. Somebody I’ve networked with online – who has never hired me – sent me a  number of clients.

And these new clients gave me steady work. I had enough sales pages, email campaigns, landing pages and tons of other forms of copy to write for the rest of the year.

Before I knew it, I had to turn turn away prospects. I had one client practically beg me to work with him. I agreed only after he promised me that I would work without deadlines.

About mid-2009 I achieved my income goal. My Mom was visiting for part of the year and I was able to accept more work. I even hired an assistant writer so that I would not have to turn away clients again. At some point, I was making double my target income.

However, I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. The workload became a little too much for me. I wanted time to exercise, do some sewing and just hang out with my kids.

In the end, I let my assistant writer go and cut down on my workload. I still have a virtual assistant to help me with the techie side of things, like keeping my WordPress blogs updated (why does WordPress have to update every 2 seconds?).

Now I feel much better because I can complete my projects in a leisurely pace. I actually have time to knit and sew Christmas gifts.

As for my productivity, the toddler and I have figured out a daily routine that allows me to work uninterruptedly for at least a couple of hours a day. You can read more about that here.

Lessons Learned

Why did I tell you this long story of my year in freelancing? Well, I hope you can learn a few things from my experience. Here are 5 lessons I learned in 2009:

1. Networking is the best way to find clients

I started networking because I needed support and practical advice to start my home-based business (both freelancing and Internet marketing). I didn’t set out to find clients through the networks I joined, but that’s how it has worked out. A number of people I met online and offline hired me. Even those who didn’t still recommended me to their networks.

2. Don’t be afraid to choose your clients

This can be pretty difficult to remember when you’re desperate for any client. But the truth is, at the end of the day, you have to be able to live with yourself and have a good night’s sleep.  If any client violates your ethics and integrity, he is not worth whatever he’s paying you. End the relationship and make room for good clients.

3. Value your work and clients will value you

I often hear from other freelancers that they got more clients when they increased their rates. It doesn’t seem to make sense. However, if you think about it, it really does. Many people believe (and rightly so) that you get what you pay for. So if you undercut your rates and keep them that way, prospective clients will think there’s a reason why you’re so cheap… such as that you’re probably not good.

4. The best way to succeed is to over-deliver to your clients

I read somewhere that if you don’t get a significant number of referral clients, then you’re doing something wrong. Almost all my clients are either returning clients or those referred by previous clients. So what am I doing right?

Looking back, the only answer I can come up with is that I always strive for excellence in anything I do. It doesn’t matter how much my client is paying me. I give every project my best shot, communicate clearly with my clients, and always look out for their best interest. I guess this works.

5. Keep your eye on what’s most important to you

As freelancers, we have an almost unlimited potential for income. However, sometimes income isn’t the most important thing. In my case, my family always comes first. And then there’s my health and spiritual life. These are all the reasons I decided to cut down on my workload even though it meant giving up the income.

How Has 2009 Been For You?

Tell me, how was 2009 for you? What lessons did the year hold for you? Please post them below.

And before you go: Merry Christmas!

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