One of the best sources of clients is referrals. Prospects who’ve been referred to me by clients often hire me with almost no hesitation. That’s because they’ve already been “presold” by the referrer. I like to fuel referrals by rewarding those who send them my way. I know my clients and friends send me referrals,…
When A Prospect Can’t Afford You (Or So You Think)
Have you ever prepared a proposal for a prospect and, in your heart, you know he or she can’t afford your services? What do you do then? Do you put your proposal together haphazardly, knowing it won’t lead to a paying project anyway? Or do you jump at the first opportunity to give the prospect…
Do Freelancers Have More Fun?
Life’s too short to do work you don’t enjoy. So, freelancer, let me ask you: Are you having fun? I know, work is serious stuff, even for freelancers. We have to feed, clothe, and shelter our families. Or at the very least, make next month’s rent. It’s not my intention to minimize the importance of…
Don’t Overlook Telecommuting Opportunities
Freelancers are constantly on the look-out for new clients. But one thing we often overlook are opportunities in telecommuting. Telecommuting, strictly speaking, is not the same as freelancing. Telecommuters are employees but are able to perform their work at home, or anywhere else. Sometimes, telecommuters need to report to the office for meetings. Other times,…
How to Break Into a New Freelancing Niche
I’ve been feeling like a rookie freelancer all over again. It’s because I decided to get into a different freelancing niche. Let me tell you, it’s been difficult, slow going, exciting, unnerving, energizing and mind boggling all at the same time. My Niche Journey Sometime last year, I became restless and wanted to focus on…
Forget New Year’s Resolutions! Make This Instead
As you may have deduced from my un-resolution post at Freelance Folder and this blog post title, I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. They’re so… common, and I would hate to be like everybody else (maybe that’s one of the reasons I’m a freelancer?). Now if making resolutions works for you — if they…
Most Popular Savvy Freelancer Posts of 2011
Before we bid adieu to 2011, let’s take a look at the most popular posts in The Savvy Freelancer for 2011. This list is based on the number of page views, as well as the number of comments on each post. I didn’t use any scientific formula, so you’ll just have to take my word…
Best and Worst Freelancing Advice of 2011
If you’re a freelancer, it’s easy to get freelancing advice. You can invest in books, coaching programs, and bootcamps for freelancers. Even if you’re bootstrapping, you won’t run out of freelancing advice from blogs, free webinars (ahem), not to mention well-meaning friends and relatives. The bottom line is, you can find a lot of guidance…
My 2011 Freelancing Gratitude List
It’s that time of year when we take stock of the past and give thanks for all the blessings we’ve received. I know, this post is late for Thanksgiving, but it’s always a good time to focus on the good things that have come to us. It helps put things into perspective and makes us…
Appreciating Clients This Coming Holiday Season
I am in a panic! It’s Thanksgiving in the US in a couple of days and I have prepared nothing — nada, zilch, zero — to show my appreciation to my clients. This time last year, I was inspired. I had a terrific idea for a client gift and commissioned the talented Willie Hewes to…
