6 Freelancing Tips from Han Solo

April 5th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 regional magazine I work for. Heck, Shane even reposts some of my blog posts on his… read more

Is Part-Time Freelancing a Good Deal?

April 5th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

It’s incredibly common to freelance on the side: if you’re working a day job, it’s inevitable that you’ll come across someone who wants you to exercise your skills off the clock. Some folks take it farther: actively seeking out freelance projects to do after they get off from their… read more

What to Do When You Get Sick

April 5th, 2012
Link Twitter
DesignM.ag

Advertise here with BSA

Getting sick is no fun for anyone. For a freelance designer (and other freelancers), getting sick (or injured) might spell financial disaster. That’s because freelance designers who don’t work don’t get paid. There’s also the risk of losing a client.

In this post, I examine some of… read more

Daily Inspiration #1100

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

Freelance Bootcamp: Advancing Your Career

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 to share your ideas with fellow FreelanceSwitch readers!  The section starts with Marketing for Freelancers. In the last section of the… read more

Bringing Your Dog to the Office

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 and organizational perceptions. As a dog owner, I was interested to see what the results were.

The study focused on studying three groups… read more

Last Minute Tax Tips to Make Your Life Easier

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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

Even though taxes can be fairly routine, it’s worth making sure that you’re… read more

Instagram and Pinterest: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
InstantShift

Marketing has taken more evolutionary leaps in the past two years then it has in the time since cave men adorned their spears and clubs with rocks and bones to differentiate their awesome possessions. Throughout the history of marketing and advertising, there have been a couple of commonalities: The first… read more

Go Forth and Sell!

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 will be folding up shop soon and that will… read more

10 Amazing Responsive WordPress Themes

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Learn Web Design

Responsive web design is a web development philosophy that has rapidly spread through the design community.  A responsive web site is one that is built using W3C and CSS3 media queries to allow the site to perform optimally across various platforms and screen resolutions.  Meaning the site will look correct… read more

Case Study: Logo Revamp for Hong Kong’s New Forest Restaurant

April 4th, 2012
Link Twitter
Fuel Your Creativity

Advertise here via BSA

In the summer of 2011, when I was lingering in the Time Square shopping mall, I suddenly received a phone call from the owner of New Forest Restaurant. He probably found my contact details from my website. He told me the brand of the restaurant needed a… read more

Billable.Me: Easily Bill Your Clients

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Web App Storm

Being a freelancer, I’ve tried many applications to help me produce effective and professional invoices for my clients. I’ve experimented with everything from Microsoft Word to other applications on Mac OS X and iOS. Recently, I have come across Billable, a web-based application for invoicing clients.

Billable allows you to easily create beautiful and… read more

Daily Inspiration #1099

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

What’s the big deal with Pinterest? [Infographic]

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Specky Boy

In the past year or so a new social service has been gaining huge popularity, almost explosion-like you might say. You’ve probably heard of it, its called Pinterest. Now, I won’t go into detail about what Pinterest is or what it can do, I am sure you will… read more

Change Your Point of View for Success

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 conference and learned a thing or two.

Initially, I tried to attend talks or panels directly… read more

More Great Business Card Templates from GraphicRiver

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 my favorite business card templates from our sister site GraphicRiver. Enjoy!

Quirky… read more

The ROI for Project Management Tools

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

It’s 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 client who is more up to date. But project management tools don’t have such… read more

Vectortuts+ Celebrates 30,000 Facebook Fans – Comment to Win!

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Vector Tuts

In 2009 we launched our Facebook fan page, four years and lots of posts and comments later we’re proud to announce that we now have over 30,000 fans! To celebrate this milestone Vectortuts+ is giving away some fantastic prizes, including a grand prize of a 1-year membership to Tuts+… read more

When Your Clients are MIA

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 designers people crave recognition. We love hearing “this is wonderful”, whether it’s from a peer, client, or anonymous blog comment…. read more

90 New High-Quality Free WordPress Themes (2012 Edition)

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
InstantShift

WordPress! is an award-winning CMS, which enables you to build Blogs, Web sites and powerful online applications. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and extensibility, have made WordPress the most popular blog software available. Best of all, WordPress is an open source solution that is freely available to everyone.

There are… read more

Creative Fuel #3: Sass Resources, 3D Virtual Tours & FontShop’s Photoshop Plugin

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Fuel Your Creativity

Advertise here via BSA

Fuel Your Photography's Facebook cover photo of the month.

Creative Fuel is a periodic collection of design and creativity awesomeness found around the web. Find out about new apps and services, the best freebies, and other significant news from the design community!

35 Great Resources for Compass and Sass

With… read more

Tips for Planning your own Design Studio

April 3rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Web Design Ledger

Advertise here with BSA

Getting started in freelance web design is an exhilarating process. Along with the added stresses of daily work you actually become your own boss, set your own hours, and even choose who you will work with. It’s truly a great way to earn a living!

Now consider… read more

Daily Inspiration #1098

April 2nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

We Have 5 Copies of Step by Step UI Design (Ebook) to Giveaway – Comment to Enter

April 2nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Specky Boy

Today we have 5 premium editions of Step by Step UI Design to giveaway. Written by Sacha Greif and is a must ebook for all UI designers.

All you will have to do for a chance of winning one of these books is leave a comment below telling us… read more

Branding Your Freelance Business

April 2nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 brand for yourself is important! But how do you do that as… read more

How to Leverage Inbound Marketing to Make Clients Claw At Your Door

April 2nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 that there is another path. Instead of going to the client, have them come to… read more

Freelance Freedom #252: Business Dinner

April 2nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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?

read more

Categories: Freelance

How To Create Multiple Income Streams

April 1st, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 business?

Your main source of income is then gone. Which… read more

Wallpaper of the Week 197 by François Leroy

April 1st, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

The wallpaper of this week is an image created by François Leroy. The image is entitled ‘Come to life’ and it’s from the last Slashthree exhibition entitled ‘Fairy Tales’

François Leroy began his journey into graphic design as a student, before eventually teaching himself the art of digital composition. Today, he… read more

Do freelancers really need accountants?

March 31st, 2012
Link Twitter

Do freelancers really need accountants?

read more

Categories: Freelance

Tax Day On the Way: The 4 Ways You Can Tax Your LLC

March 31st, 2012
Link Twitter
Mashable

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

The Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a hot business structure for startups right now — and for good reason. It offers all the personal liability protection without… read more

Best of the Week #216

March 31st, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

It’s time for our best news of this week. We have a lot of graphic and web design, a bit of architecture, ads, tech news, awesome reads and other crazy stuff! So take a look at the links we’ve selected for your inspiration and to keep you updated about what’s… read more

Video Pick: Beware Online “Filter Bubbles”

March 31st, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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” by Eli Pariser. As web companies strive to tailor their services (including news and search results) to our personal tastes, there’s a dangerous… read more

The Deeply Graphic DesignCast

March 31st, 2012
Link Twitter
Specky Boy

As graphic designers, it is so important for us to always keep learning in order to stay at the top of our game. Outside of classes, and actual on-the-job learning, there are many outlets for us to teach ourselves new tricks. One of my favorite new places to… read more

Did This Guy Just Land the Coolest Job in Sports Social Media?

March 31st, 2012
Link Twitter
Mashable

Meet Austin Schindel, sports fans. You’re going to wish you had his new job.

For the next year, he’ll travel around the country to some of the country’s funnest sporting events — starting with Major League Baseball games and the NFL and NBA drafts — to tweet his behind-the-scenes experiences… read more

The Problem With Today’s Journalism Students

March 30th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Dave Copeland of ReadWriteWeb talks about what I preach to my journalism students every week in his blog post titled “Want To Save Journalism? Start At The Bottom“. It’s not enough to just be a good writer or a good photographer these days—you have to be good at everything.

“When… read more

How to Work at Home When Your Life Is a Complete Madhouse

March 30th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

I’ll be honest– my home life is completely insane. My house is like a zoo with two feral monkeys on the loose, tearing apart everything they can get their little hands on.

There are spills, wrecks, crying jags, minor explosions, loud thumping sounds (heads on walls probably), and occasional… read more

Categories: Freelance

30 Bright & Energetic Logo Designs

March 30th, 2012
Link Twitter
Fuel Your Creativity

Advertise here via BSA

If you’ve ever had to give a logo a lively, energetic feel while working with, for instance, a juice bar or sports organization as a client, you know it can be difficult to pull it off with the inanimate logo. Energy is all about movement and animation…. read more

Video Inspiration #62

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

Video Inspiration is a weekly(ish) post where we either feature a specific artist or show a sort of “best of” list of videos we’ve discovered during the week. Everything here may not be brand new, but we felt it worth sharing with the community. If you have good… read more

50 Fresh Icon Sets For Developers And Designers

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
Smashing Apps

Icon sets although are very small design elements but hold great importance when it comes to overall design. Having a high quality collection of icon sets come in handy at the time of need. This is the reason why designers believe that having a freebie collection of icon sets is… read more

Budgeting Tips for Freelance Designers and Other Freelancers

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
DesignM.ag

Advertise here with BSA

Managing money can be a problem for a freelance designer. If you’ve been a freelance designer for any length of time, then you already know that your income can fluctuate as a freelancer–sometimes a lot.

Many freelance designers find the financial ups and downs of freelancing to… read more

Are Job Ads Phishing For Free Innovation?

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
InstantShift

A recruiter recently announced an employment opportunity but it came with a test. Candidates would have to write a business plan they would implement in their first year with the company. The request was to “be innovative with your thinking!”

The recruiter insisted candidates needed to “wow!” this company. With the… read more

The Global Impact of the Internet: What Would You Give up to Keep it Around?

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

By 2016, there will be three billion Internet users across the globe, according to a new study by The Boston Consulting Group. That’s half the world’s population!

The study focused on Internet use by consumers and businesses in the G20 countries, which includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU,… read more

Selling Digital Goods Online: E-Commerce Services Compared

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
Smashing Magazine

There’s a realization that every freelance designer must go through at some point: client work isn’t enough to ensure your long-term financial security. What if you get sick? What if you can’t find clients? What if you want to take a vacation?

One possible answer to this problem is earning passive… read more

Ask FreelanceSwitch: Repeat Clients and Increasing Your Workload

March 29th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at repeat clients and increasing your workload. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Question… read more

11 AP Style Guide Rules That Are Easy to Mess Up

March 28th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

When I was in journalism school (in both the late 1990s and mid 2000s), the AP Stylebook was our bible. We didn’t go to class without it and frequently had quizzes and assignments built around it.

I recently wrote a blog post about the future of journalism and how astonished… read more

10 Personal Finance Apps to Help You Manage Your Money

March 28th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Freelancers are often frustrated by fluctuating income. And when you don’t have the luxury of getting regular paychecks, there is the tendency to make money mistakes. But you can avoid overspending and make better use of your money by practicing good money management.

Reaching your financial goals doesn’t mean… read more

The Business of Job Bid Sites for Freelancers

March 28th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Bid sites have become a part of freelancing, no matter how much some of us dig in our heels and scream otherwise. It’s become very common for a freelancer to land her first clients through a site like Elance or Odesk, or for a freelancer to pick up some… read more

9 Best Free iPad Apps For Web Designers And Developers

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Smashing Apps

At this time, we have come with another electrifying collection of some of the very astonishing iPad apps for web designers and developers. The iPad without a doubt is very helpful in particular for those people whose career are online designing, freelancing and others. We compiled this post especially for… read more

Redesigning With Personality

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Smashing Magazine

We are very happy to present a sample chapter from the upcoming printed Smashing Book #3, written by Aarron Walter. In this chapter, Aarron explains how sharing our personalities can help us create lasting relationships with users, and how it can improve the bottom line of our business. The sample… read more

Building Websites with a Priority for Mobile

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Specky Boy

Today it’s more common to find a skilled web artisan who understands desktop support over mobile. This appears to be a symptom of building on the desktop browser for decades as opposed to other screens. Yet there is a growing case to argue that mobile development is the… read more

What You Should Know About the Facebook Pages Upgrade

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

It’s coming—the Facebook pages update. March 30th is almost here, and if you haven’t updated your page yet (like me) you’re in for some big changes.

Mari Smith, a social media speaker and author, has a great marked up screen shot on her blog you should check out.

I’ve complained about… read more

The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Freelance Marketer

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Freelance marketers have one of the best jobs on the planet.

There’s a never-ending stream of exciting new projects to work on and clients to work with, and at the end of the day, your work is about helping business grow, which means a better livelihood for everyone involved. Not… read more

Pricing Ecommerce Web Design Projects

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch



I would like an e-commerce site just like someothershop.com – how much would that cost me?

It’s a common enough question, and one that always leads your average freelance web designer to take a deep breath and sigh ‘Well, let me see …’. There are many factors that influence the… read more

Why You Should Avoid Job Boards Like the Plague (And How to Get Clients Instead)

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Fuel Your Creativity

Advertise here via BSA

Job boards are one of the worst ways to get clients. They’re great for entry-level gigs, but if you want to thrive, then you need to figure out how to move beyond that. The best way to get a job is to not even apply.

Because responding to job… read more

Freelance Guidelines for Getting Paid on Time

March 27th, 2012
Link Twitter
Web Design Ledger

Advertise here with BSA

The lifestyle of a freelancer can be very hectic at times. You have to juggle multiple projects and meetings with clients all to make sure your bills are paid. And the only way you’re going to keep ahead is by managing your money properly!

Freelancers don’t often… read more

Why Freelancing Is Not The Dream Job For You

March 26th, 2012
Link Twitter

Why Freelancing Is Not The Dream Job For You

read more

Categories: Freelance

Funny Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel

March 26th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

Underwater Dogs is a funny series of photographs by Seth Casteel. Based in Los Angeles, Seth delivers spontaneous and priceless results to capture our favourite pets in images that will surely last forever. Some of are really funny and some a bit scary, you’ll be the judge!

For more information about… read more

State of the News Media 2012

March 26th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

The Pew Research Center recently released their State of the News Media study for 2012, and, believe it or not, it’s not all bad news!

The annual study is an analysis of the health of journalism in America. This year’s study includes special reports on the impact of mobile technology… read more

8 Best HTML Validation Resources

March 26th, 2012
Link Twitter
Learn Web Design

Having valid code is something that is not only encouraged, but highly recommended when developing a website.  Invalid markup doesn’t exactly mean that a website won’t be read or displayed properly by a browser, however, which leaves many people wondering what the point of having valid code is to begin… read more

Freelance Freedom #251: Illustration Concentration

March 26th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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?

read more

New to Freelancing? These 10 Resources Will Help

March 26th, 2012
Link Twitter
Fuel Your Creativity

Advertise here via BSA

Freelancing is a scary thing. One month you might have twice what you need to live. Other times, you’ll be struggling to pay the bills — and generating some late fees in the process.

While the ups and downs of freelancing are simply a part of the deal,… read more

Natural Light Techniques to Make Amazing Travel Portraits

March 25th, 2012
Link Twitter

Being on the road often limits the amount of gear we want to take with us as photographers. By learning and getting more comfortable with natural light we can not only help lighten our bags, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to create dramatic images. Depending on the… read more

Daily Inspiration #1091

March 25th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

Linkswitch #98, Freelance Web Development, On The Road, Facebook Changes

March 25th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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 articles on learning freelance web development, grammar goofs, working on the road, and more.

7 Steps to… read more

4 Ways to Optimize Your iPad For Business

March 24th, 2012
Link Twitter
Mashable

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Are you thinking about snapping up a new iPad? The post-PC lifestyle is especially intriguing for business owners who travel on a regular basis and want to… read more

Video Pick: Freelance Jam #20, Business Structures for Freelancers

March 24th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at Ep 20: Taxes, Accounting, and Business Structures for Freelancers by Freelance Jam. In this video the Freelance Jam duo look at: How do you run a… read more

Daily Inspiration #1090

March 23rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

Your Social Media Persona

March 23rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

I got a call yesterday from a publishing house in New York City. One of my former interns had given them my contact information to use as a reference for the job she was applying for. I was pleasantly surprised to get the call.

A lot of the former interns… read more

Ask Clients the Right Questions With Osmosis

March 23rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Web App Storm

While working as an account executive in my previous jobs, I quickly learned that clear communication from the very first meeting is crucial to understanding a client’s needs – and now, working as a freelancer has reaffirmed that many times over. It’s not easy though – between multiple meetings, scores… read more

What Your Dog Knows About Freelancing

March 23rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Most freelancers are eager for tips and information, turning to forums, classes, and networking for ways to learn and improve. But did you ever consider looking to your canine for some wisdom? Here are a few things your dog knows that just may improve your freelancing life.

Walk it Off

If you… read more

Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers: Good and Bad

March 23rd, 2012
Link Twitter
InstantShift

As bloggers, we face a wide variety of tasks each day related to managing and building our blogs. Productivity and efficiency are vital, especially for part-time bloggers. A number of extremely addictive and time-consuming habits stand in the way, though.

I’m sure all bloggers wonder, “How did others make it to… read more

Guidelines to Follow when Building for the App Store (iOS & Android)

March 23rd, 2012
Link Twitter
Specky Boy

There are a lot of factors to consider before building and submitting a mobile application. Developers have plenty of resources on the web for consulting official documentation. But there are some traits you should consider about the overall process.

Whether you are building for Apple or Android-powered devices will… read more

Daily Inspiration #1089

March 22nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

Video Inspiration #61

March 22nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

Video Inspiration is a weekly(ish) post where we either feature a specific artist or show a sort of “best of” list of videos we’ve discovered during the week. Everything here may not be brand new, but we felt it worth sharing with the community. If you have good… read more

Leadership: Men vs. Women

March 22nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Are women better leaders than men? This is the central question in a new survey by Utah-based Zegner/Folkman, a leadership development consultancy. The results of this survey might surprise you.

For the survey, 7,280 leaders had their leadership effectiveness evaluated by managers and executives who worked with them. It’s a… read more

7 Ways to Toughen Up Your Freelancing Game

March 22nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Working as a freelancer may not conjure up images of being a tough cookie, but being a one-person show at your own business takes remarkable creativity, discipline, and good old-fashioned moxie. The Atlantic called freelancing the “next industrial revolution” of our time.

Freelancers, from independent creatives to technical consultants, juggle… read more

How Much Code Should Web Designers Need to Know?

March 22nd, 2012
Link Twitter
Specky Boy

This is an interesting topic which isn’t often discussed between web designers. Getting started in Adobe Photoshop is difficult, and you feel an exhilarating rush when you complete your first web project. But what good is a website mockup if you can’t build it?

Arguably designers by definition do… read more

45 Insider Instagram Pics From Bands at SXSW

March 21st, 2012
Link Twitter
Mashable

1. Milo Greene

@dawsonheringer

“The final Milo Greene show of SXSW. #AustinExhaustion” 

Click here to view this gallery.

Max Blau is Paste… read more

Freelance Bootcamp: Finding Clients

March 21st, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

For those of you who are following along with Freelance Bootcamp over on Tuts+ Premium, you’ll be into the second chapter of content: Running Your Business. The first couple videos in this chapter, “How to Get Your First Client” and “How to Find Your Ideal Client” deal all with… read more

12 Awesome Websites With “Earthy Tones”

March 21st, 2012
Link Twitter
Learn Web Design

I recently met with two new clients to discuss the development of their websites.  I typically like to see if there are any specific colors they’d like to use, along with any preferences they may have towards layout and content.  I was quite surprised to hear both of them tell… read more

The Benefits of Creating Value for Your Clients

March 21st, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Pomegranate is a mentoring emagazine for creative entrepreneurs—that’s you! Their March 2012 issue is all about creating value for your customers.

Creating value is the easiest way to differentiate you from your competitors. To be honest, when I choose vendors to work with, the lowest price doesn’t always win out…. read more

The Secret Source of Never-Ending Customers for Freelancers

March 21st, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Nine out of ten freelancers will tell you that their biggest challenge is finding new customers.

And not just any customers – we’re talking about the good customers, the ones that really want to work with you, trust you to do a good job, listen to you, accept your guidance,… read more

Beautifully Made Process Diagrams

March 21st, 2012
Link Twitter
Noupe

Process Charting (also known as Process Mapping) is one of the oldest, simplest and most valuable techniques for streamlining work. It is used in nearly every level of production.

At the base of each product lays a properly designed production process that includes plenty of stages which help to channel efforts… read more

Life-saving customer service tips for freelance designers

March 20th, 2012
Link Twitter

Life-saving customer service tips for freelance designers

read more

A Discussion on Content Mills

March 20th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Before I discuss writing for a content mill, it’s best to determine exactly what a content mill is. And, depending on who you ask, they will probably have a different definition.

Content mills (or farms) have been around since the 90s. The Center for Digital Ethics & Policy have described… read more

5 Mighty Deals Up for Grabs

March 20th, 2012
Link Twitter

This week I’m proud to announce that we have 5 deals from Mighty Deals up for grabs! Mighty Deals is a great site that offers amazing and exclusive deals for web professionals – and you can win a deal of your choice!

Mighty Deals is a great place for any, and… read more

When The Project Is Over – Billing and Actually Getting Paid

March 20th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Here’s the deal. Sure, we love freelancing and what we do. But, we do this stuff for money. Dough. Moolah. We are authentic businesses after all.

We provide a valuable service and deserve to be paid for our labors. However, at some point in our freelance careers, usually early… read more

The Reddit User Who Landed a Hollywood Writing Deal

March 20th, 2012
Link Twitter
Mashable

Leaping from whimsical Redditor to professional Hollywood screenwriter is the stuff of many Internet denizens’ dreams. But for James Erwin of Des Moines, Iowa, it’s just life these days.

During a lunch break last August, Erwin joined a Reddit thread and laid down the first installment of a sparse, noir-ish narrative… read more

Daily Inspiration #1086

March 19th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

How Kids Fit Into Your Freelance Life: Part 2

March 19th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Rachel Bell's three children.

Working from home and caring for your children is a power struggle. Many stay at home freelancers want to be there for their children but also want to be their for their clients. It’s a delicate balancing act that can go on for years.

Many starry-eyed new… read more

5 Primary Questions to Ask a Potential Client

March 19th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

Who am I? I’m Allan, a designer who went from freelancer who was grinding out a meager living to co-founding a highly profitable web shop, now we build our own apps, we host conferences and workshops.

In order to accurately discern which potential clients should earn the time and focus… read more

Freelance Freedom #250: Big Choices

March 19th, 2012
Link Twitter
Freelanceswitch

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?

read more

Categories: Freelance, Technology
Tags: ,

Daily Inspiration #1085

March 18th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, You can submit your images and inspiration to RAWZ via http://raw.abduzeedo.com and don’t forget to… read more

Wallpaper of the Week 195 by Bram Vanhaeren

March 18th, 2012
Link Twitter
Abduzeedo

The wallpaper of this week is an image created by Bram Vanhaeren. Bram is 20 years old and studies cross media design, after 2 years freelancing together with his brother. He’s been developing his style since his first pen tool experiments in Illustrator about 5 years ago. Bram’s style ranges… read more

76 New and Hot Stories You Might Have Missed

March 17th, 2012
Link Twitter
Mashable

It’s been a tough week for some of us to get back into the work groove after a week of networking parties at SXSW (First-World problems?) but never fear, because it’s the weekend again and we’ve rounded up this week’s features for you right here.

If you didn’t get to… read more