Freelance Show

Interview with Grace Smith — blog and user interface designer

Neil Brown — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:15:53 +0000

Grace Smith is a designer, self-proclaimed Apple fan-girl and Twitter addict based in Northern Ireland. Her design studio, Postscript5, specializes in Blog and User Interface design. Grace works with individuals and companies based mainly in the UK and USA, on a diverse range of projects and enjoys collaborating with other designers and developers.

Grace is very active in the design community and can be found on Twitter, her design blog, and her Freelance resource aggregator—The Freelance Feed.

First, thanks Grace, being interviewed on the Freelance Show! Can you tell our readers about your background in design leading up to starting your studio, Postscript 5?

Thanks for asking me, I’m thrilled to be on The Freelance Show!

A passion for design and art is a huge part of who I am. I was an avid artist throughout my childhood and right through school. I actually remember creating sites using Geocities when I was a lot younger, so it’s been a long time since my first site, but I didn’t start designing ‘properly’ until my first year at University.

After I graduated with a Multimedia Design Degree in 2005 I started work as a graphic designer for a local print company. Concentrating so much on print work made me miss working online though, so after a year I started to freelance in my spare time and build up both my contacts and portfolio to the point where I could freelance full-time and create Postscript5, which has now been in existence for over 3 years.

Being a designer is just very natural and suits my sensibilities and passions. I can’t really think of being anything else!

Describe how blogging, social media and your personal projects impacted your design business? Have you noticed a direct impact resulting in new clients that you may not have otherwise had?

Writing and blogging is important and has become an integral part of my personal branding and also acts as a way for me to continually learn and explore new ideas, techniques and technologies.

I have noticed an increase in enquiries to Postscript5 since I started blogging early last year. It has essentially acted as a fantastic branding and promotional tool. I regularly get asked to take part in articles, interviews and features for other sites and blogs, which further helps to build my brand and introduce me to new audiences. For instance being featured in 40 Amazing Female Role Models for Web Designers and on various Twitter lists has landed me clients as recently as last week.

I don’t think any freelancer can overlook blogging and social media as ways to build both your brand name and credibility. It serves as cheap, invaluable marketing for your business if you approach it with the right focus.

My personal projects such as Theme Thursday and most recently The Freelance Feed are essential for me to experiment and work at my own pace as well as putting some of creative energy into projects that I work on independently.

What are some of your favorite apps (web or desktop) that you incorporate into your freelance business?

These are the apps that I use on a regular basis within my business:

Chrome

I recently switched from Safari to Chrome and so far it’s been excellent, although i do have to use Chromium to enable the plugins. It’s been an awful lot more stable than both Safari and Firefox, the fact it’s lightning quick also helps!

Coda

I’ve used both CSSEdit and Espresso but always come back to Coda. It integrates everything that I need; namely a code editor, CSS editor, preview pane, SSH Terminal, website management and an FTP client.

Google Apps

I run all my mail through Google Apps as a desktop app using Fluid, with all my accounts streaming into a single inbox and then filtered into their own labels to keep thing organised. Previously I used the native Mail app, however I switched to Google to better streamline my email process. Google Apps is essential to my business, especially Google Doc’s which is fantastic to use with clients and collaborators, to work on Specs, Scheduling and project specifics.

Curdbee

I was a Freshbooks user for several years but recently switched to Curdbee as I needed a simpler, more cost effective solution. Curdbee is an excellent service, offering the necessary functionality and features which suit my needs perfectly.

TaskPaper

After longing for a super simple, ‘get your stuff done’ to-do list app, I knew my search was over once I found TaskPaper. No bloated complex software, just a fast, simple app that makes sure I keep up to date with my tasks.

Noteable

I started using Noteable just a few weeks back and so far have been hugely impressed. It allows me to easily and efficiently get visual feedback from clients via a slick, intuitive interface. It’s by far the best method of getting feedback and signoff I’ve ever used.

Photoshop

I’ve been using it since the days of Photoshop 6 and can’t see myself usng any other app. It’s where every design I work on is created and polished.

What are some of the upcoming trends you are seeing in web and User Interface design? What trends do you see on the decline—or perhaps that have become too overused and abused?

With the development of CSS3 and HTML5 I think we are going to see designers and developers utilising these new features to add more unique and innovative ‘touches’ to their designs. A small number have already implemented some of the new techniques, and this will increase greatly over the year, in my prediction.

Like myself, more and more designers and developers are stepping into Mobile design, I would expect a marked increase in 2010 in mobile specific design.

I think overall we’re going to see a continuation of some of the major trends of 2009, namely;

1. Huge Typography
2. Oversized footers
3. Modal boxes
4. Grids & Magazine Layouts, and
5. Hand drawn illustration

I would personally like to see an end to the overuse of cliched stock photography! I love it when a site uses rather quirky imagery rather than the obvious, even if it’s stock, it doesn’t have to be boring.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far in your freelance design career? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge would have to be the fact I was quite shy. I’ve found though that freelancing has been a great way to build my confidence, force me to step outside of my comfort zone and push myself to become composed and confident when communicating with others to the point where I’m now completely at ease when speaking publicly, meeting new clients and in large groups, for example.

Now I actually teach IT & Design classes in a local development centre so it’s certainly paid off!

Lastly, what advice would you have for beginning freelancers—or those who are looking to grow their freelance business?

To any new freelancer it’s important to be prepared! Not just with the obvious such as your portfolio. Have a rock solid contract in place, create proposal and estimate templates, setup your email (including signature) and have reliable hardware and software.

Being thoroughly prepared, setting your rates and routine, knowing exactly how you will operate and what you will offer, will not only save you time but it will mean more billable time in the beginning. Instead of spending 2 hours in Photoshop and 22 hours trying to sort out your admin and finances!

For those looking to grow their business, it’s always difficult though there are some excellent resources available such as: 101 Ideas to Get More Freelance Work and Generate New Client Leads.

Personally I’ve found referrals have helped grow my business to a point where I now usually collaborate with other trusted freelancers on projects, which has allowed me to grow the business and take on larger projects without the expenses of physically employing someone. Plus I get to work with some awesome people!

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Thanks Grace, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your story with the Freelance Show!

Again, be sure to connect with Grace on Twitter, her design blog, and her Freelance resource aggregator—The Freelance Feed.

A guide to offering Email Marketing services to clients

Neil Brown — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:51:20 +0000

By Ros Hodgekiss,
Community Manager
at Campaign Monitor

Pitching a new service to your clients is never easy, regardless of how compelling you perceive the case to be. When the service is email marketing, there’s an additional twist—often your introductory conversation will not so much consist of explaining what it is (‘a compelling way to get in touch with your customers’), but deconstructing what it isn’t (‘spam’).

So, how do you bring your clients around to seeing the value in email marketing? What can you charge for? Perhaps most importantly, what’s in it for the designer? In this article, we’ll go through some of the core selling points you can pitch to your clients and the range of services that you can offer.

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Why should my clients be interested in email?

If you have the blessing of tech-savvy clients, then getting them to be involved in email marketing, or even self-manage campaigns shouldn’t be a great stretch of the imagination. Even if your clients are distinctly hands-off, here are some reasons why they should consider collecting subscribers and sending campaigns:

It works

Regardless of the size of your clients’ enterprise, email marketing is a channel that consistently delivers return on investment, for comparatively little cost or effort. In fact, on average it delivers almost $44 in revenue for every dollar spent. Your client can use email to facilitate a relationship with their customers using personalized messages and relevant content, support other marketing channels such as social media and print, or simply widen their sales funnel to receive more inbound enquiries. What’s better, you only send to people who have expressed an interest in hearing from your client, unlike the pay-and-pray approach of placing an ad in your local paper (that inevitably ends up in the compost heap).

It’s targeted and measurable

One of the great advantages of sending email is that the results are readily available—and fast. Your clients can look at reports and discover what’s working and what’s not, then rapidly make tweaks. As we touched on earlier, email is targeted—if your client believes a certain segment of their subscriber list will respond better to an email promotion or message, then they can send to that group only, or run split tests to identify what tactics work best. That can’t be said for a lot of other marketing channels.

It’s easy to use

It doesn’t usually take much effort to set up an account in an email marketing application and let your clients access reports, or edit email templates themselves. Web applications like Campaign Monitor, MailChimp and My Emma handle the administrative niggles such as unsubscribe and bounce management, maintaining deliverability and even invoicing. This allows you and your clients to simply get on with the fun stuff — designing sweet email creatives and optimizing your campaigns.

It’s flexible

The beauty of email is its flexibility. Does your client want to promote time-sensitive events like holiday promotions or product releases? Or do they value communicating with their customers based on their interests or purchasing habits? With email, you can tailor your message to specific audiences, land your campaign in customers’ inboxes at exactly the time you want and drive engagement in creative ways. Get your client excited by suggesting they use email to tie in with new or existing campaigns like customer surveys and seasonal sales. Or look at their marketing pain-points—if your client is concerned about their carbon footprint, introducing email newsletters or catalogs is a great way to lessen their dependence on print media, while providing customers with a more convenient (and timely) way to keep in touch.

It’s hands-on

Get your client involved by sending them a demo newsletter featuring their branding, giving them access to an account in an email marketing application, or setting up an email template that they can customize using an in-app visual editor. If they can take a part in the campaign lifecycle, or simply view post-campaign reports, they will not only see how manageable it is, but be reassured that the money they spend produces quantifiable results.

If this isn’t enough to convince your client, take a look at Beautiful Email Newsletters or Campaign Monitor’s email design gallery to find fresh ways email is being used to drive customers to a site, supplement promotions or simply get in touch. For a lot of folks, HTML email is synonymous with spam and slow-loading graphics. Show them that it can be done legally and professionally and you may have a new convert on your hands.

Your email templates can be just as beautiful as your landing pages

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Charging for email marketing

Just like any web design project, providing email marketing comes with its own set of potentially billable tasks. Regardless of whether you bill at a fixed-rate or by-the-hour, here are a few of the services you can charge for:

Template design

In a similar vein to designing and building a site or landing page, you can charge your client for creating and testing an email template. If done right, a solid template can also save you a lot of recurring work in the future, too—your more savvy clients will be able to use the template to insert their own content and send campaigns with little intervention, time and time again.

Campaign review and consultation

Providing insights into campaign results and suggesting email optimizations doesn’t have to be something that you trade for a cup of coffee – you only need to read a case study on A/B testing to realize that it’s serious work. Develop a mature email marketing strategy by trying different approaches to the use of subject lines and email content, developing key learnings from campaign results or diving into Google Analytics to track conversions.

Amends

Client-issued changes are often the bane of a designer’s life. A lot of folks offer a few rounds of amends as part of the normal testing and sign-off process, but as soon as you start amending email templates based on your recommendations, or substantially refactoring campaigns, it becomes a billable item.

Delivery

Delivery is potentially one of the more obtuse line items you can include when billing a client. If you’re on a monthly plan with a service provider like MailChimp, then it effectively costs you nothing on top of what you would usually pay. When billing your clients, however, it’s often used to charge for tasks like production and testing.

Using Campaign Monitor’s internal billing system, you can set your individual clients’ delivery and per-recipient sending fees as you see fit, providing the opportunity to come up with flexible pricing schemes while still having these marked as line items on system-generated invoices. For example, if you’re offering a complete design-and-send service, your delivery fee can be marked-up high enough to cover production costs, or if your clients are sending on behalf of themselves, you can set your prices competitively to encourage frequent sends. Alternately, you can bill independently of an in-app invoicing system, say, by simply a charging a monthly fee for your services. It’s entirely up to you.

Charging your clients markup on top of Campaign Monitor’s base rates also provides the opportunity to generate passive income. If your clients send their campaigns themselves, any amount they pay above the base rates will be sent to you each month as profit. Campaign Monitor is rebrandable and all invoices are white-label, so your clients won’t know that they’re paying anyone but you.

You can rebrand and customize Campaign Monitor to make it your own

For more tips and advice, take a look at this comprehensive article on charging your clients for email marketing.

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Lets get the party started

The great news is that if you’re already developing sites commercially, you’re ready to offer email to your clients—most of the tools required are free to use, plus there’s an abundance of resources to help you on your way. Furthermore, you can set your own prices, offer your clients everything from templates, to comprehensive campaign management and not dramatically change your business model while you’re at it. If you’re going to add to your service offering this year, give email marketing a try—not only will it clear your clients’ misconceptions, but it could possibly bring a new revenue stream to your business, too!

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Your Turn:

Do you provide email marketing services to your clients? If so, what types of services do you charge for—template design, consultation, delivery?

Interview Series: Talking with Brandon Cox—designer, blogger and Pastor

Neil Brown — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:46:54 +0000

Brandon Cox is a Pastor, logo, identity and web designer and blogger (Life Here and There, Fuel Your Blogging, and Creative Cox) in northwest Arkansas.

He’s originally from Kentucky, but now lives in northwest Arkansas with his wife Angie (who blogs at The Sweet Life), his daughter and his little dog Beau, and is expecting a son in April of 2010. He also really loves sweet iced tea and Pixar movies!

Brandon is very active in the design community. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, as well as Fuel Your Blogging on Twitter.

First off, thanks Brandon, for taking time out of your schedule for this interview! Can you tell our readers how you first got started in design and about your freelance design studio, eGrace Creative?

Sure thing. My brother is a web developer and writes applications in Coldfusion. Way back in 1998 he created a website for my church and installed Macromedia Homesite on my computer and showed me the very basics of managing the site, which was good old-fashioned static html. Soon after that, I bought a copy of Macromedia Studio, which of course has since been absorbed into the Adobe family, but I really began to love creating for the web.

Over time, other churches and friends would ask for my help in getting basic sites up. About three years ago, I met Wordpress for the first time and began dissecting the platform and some of the free themes that were available at the time and started developing my own themes. Because of increasing demand for commercial work, I launched eGrace Creative in January of 2008 and the rest is history.

Through eGrace, I focus mainly on logo and identity design and Wordpress theme development for businesses and nonprofits. Because of my many roles and because design is not my primary calling, I have to turn away work and be selective, which certainly has its advantages.

You recently switched from Windows to a Mac, correct? What has that experience been like for you and what prompted the switch?

Macs are just cool. I’d been wanting one for a couple of years, but had always opted for less-expensive PC’s so that I could get “more” for my money in terms of specifications. Never again. I realize now that Macs just make life easier. I open it and I’m typing. With my PC’s, I always had to wake up the hamsters inside and wait till they had the wheels turning fast enough for me to work.

What are some of your favorite apps (web or desktop) that you incorporate into your freelance business?

I used to be a big Dreamweaver fan for coding, but since getting my Mac, I’ve fallen in love with Coda. I use Illustrator for logo design and Fireworks for web design (I still think it’s better than Photoshop for this purpose). For productivity, I like the extremely basic Google Tasks. I handle all of my billing with Freshbooks and my budget with Mint.com. I’m a Wordpress junkie, not only for site development, but even for personal writing projects on my Mac. And I browse with Chrome (the dev version so I can utilize extensions).

As many readers may know, you are the Editor of Fuel Your Blogging and run a couple of your own blogs and occasionally guest post on others. What got you interested in blogging and how has blogging impacted your design business?

I began blogging personally way back in 2004 and then expanded to multiple blogs about two years ago. I really don’t blog for the money (directly) but rather for the increased influence. For me, blogging is both an art form and a matter of personal branding and brand expansion. It’s an outlet for ideas and one of the more addictive sides is the connection factor.

Blogging has definitely expanded my business connections, probably at least double. As a matter of fact, many of my business relationships have formed not only via blogging, but through Twitter and Facebook. I’ve never really “sold” my services in this way, it’s just that you build relationships with people and they see you as a knowledgeable person on the subject of design.

As readers who follow you also know, you are a Pastor in addition to designer and blogger. How long have you been in the Ministry and how do you manage the sometimes-challenging work-life balance of your responsibilities there, with your design business and your family.

I’ve been a Pastor since I was 19 years old, serving my first church in 1997 (I’m spilling my age, aren’t I?) I’ve been in my current position just over four years.

Balancing my various responsibilities is the single greatest challenge I face, especially since they all overlap to some degree. I joke that my favorite productivity tip is outsourcing my sleep. Actually, I made a decision when I began doing design work that I would never let design or blogging out-prioritize ministry, but I’ve watched growth happen in my ministry role that is the direct result of my other roles.

It also helps that design and blogging are my hobby, which everybody in ministry needs to have anyway. In ministry, you can’t always control results or people, but I can go home on Sunday night and use css and html to make something happen and see the results on the page — it’s a therapeutic and financially beneficial hobby to have.

There is a tremendous advantage sometimes being a designer with friends in ministry, just as there are advantages to being a Pastor with lots of friends in the design world.

Lastly, what advice would you have for beginning freelancers—or those who are looking to grow their freelance business?

I think every beginning freelancer needs a multi-pronged approach to growing your business. Build your skills even if it means tearing apart old stuff to see how it works. Make connections and get involved in the larger design community. And always work on personal projects that give you a nice outlet from the frustrations of working to please clients.

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Thanks Brandon, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your story with the Freelance Show!

Again, be sure to connect with Brandon on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, as well as Fuel Your Blogging on Twitter.

Four Types of Freelancing: Running a Freelance Business Full-Time (Part 3 of 4)

Neil Brown — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:25:41 +0000

This is part 3 of a 4 part series that looks at different approaches to freelancing and which one may be best for your situation: Part 1: Working Full-Time while Freelancing and Part 2: Working Part-time while Freelancing.

Freelancing Full-time

To me, there is nothing like the feeling of running your own freelance business. It’s one of the most rewarding —and most challenging—things I have ever accomplished.

I spent the majority of my design career working full-time as a Creative Director for a publishing company while running my freelance business on the side. A few years ago, I left to start a business with a partner who was a friend. I ended up leaving that business after one year because of some unexpected issues that arose. My wife and I were expecting our first daughter at the time and I was fortunate to return to my previous employer and soon to my former position.

That was a tremendous learning experience, however, that made me much stronger and wiser. I resolved that the next time, I would only go into business for myself and I would be much better prepared for success. That ‘next time’ was a little over one year ago and, so far, has been such an incredibly rewarding experience.

But what was it about the allure of running my own freelance business that kept drawing me to it?

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The pros:

Control
When you freelance full-time, you are finally in control of your own destiny. You’re no longer at the whim of a company buyout or other circumstances that are beyond your control. My business is dependent upon many different clients and I’m constantly gaining new clients through word-of-mouth, referrals and a little marketing here and there. If I do lose a client or two, the impact on my overall business is minimal—or at least short term as I continue to pick up new clients.

Freedom
Being an independent designer is the ultimate freedom. Want to work from home? Then do so. Want to take time off? Then take it. You set your own schedule. Sure you have to be self-disciplined and motivated for it to work—but how powerful is that to no longer be under the control of an employer’s rules and restrictions?

Flexibility
My wife and I have two young daughters. I didn’t want to be the Dad who gets off at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. and has to face an hour commute home. And if one is sick or has a special event coming up, I don’t have to ask someone’s permission to spend time with my own child. Think about how crazy that sounds! I didn’t want to look back on this time of their lives and have any regrets.

Ownership
You get to create your own brand that uniquely reflects who you are. You’re the one who lays out the vision and direction for your business to go. That was very appealing to me as a designer and entrepreneur. I was used to designing brands, websites and marketing materials for other companies. Now I had the opportunity to apply my knowledge and skill to my own business.

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The cons:

I even hesitate to call them ‘cons’—perhaps ‘challenges’ might be a better term. Fortunately, each one can be addressed and managed, but let’s take a look at some of the biggest challenges.

Many Hats
As a full-time freelancer, you have to wear many hats. You’re now the bookkeeper, the receptionist, the owner, the designer, the salesperson, the collections department and even the janitor.

Long Hours
There is no doubt that with success comes hard work. As a result, you can find yourself working longer hours than if you just worked full-time.

Feast and Famine
If not careful, you can experience the feast and famine cycle where you may have little work or receivables coming in for a while. Then by contrast, the next month you may be faced with multiple projects that are all due at the same time.

Isolation
A common theme of freelancing is feeling isolated if you don’t take the proper steps to guard against it. Sometimes, it can even lead to depression.

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Summary:

The pros far outweigh the cons here in my opinion. You just have to be aware and manage the cons so they don’t get out of control. I believe when you freelance full-time, you can experience the most rewarding and creative time of your life. It takes hard work and dedication, but so does anything in life that is worth having.

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Your Turn:

What is your experience? Do you freelance full-time? How long have you been doing so and what are some of the biggest rewards—and challenges—that you have faced?

Top 10 Productivity Tips for Freelancers

Neil Brown — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:00:04 +0000

At the end of the day, do you ever find yourself wondering where the day went? How many items did you get to cross off your to-do list? Do you even have a to-do list? One of the things that many of us struggle with on a daily basis is productivity.

The old saying is true—time is indeed money. And being more productive can have a tremendous impact to your bottom line.

If you can effectively manage an additional website project per month, how much have you increased your revenue for that month? Now multiply that over the course of the year.

And notice I said effectively manage. I’m not talking about sacrificing quality to take on additional projects. We should all know exactly where that strategy will eventually lead. I mean working more efficiently while still producing quality work.

There are entire books and blogs written on the subject of productivity. I want to just share my recommendations based on what has helped me. Everyone works differently so you will have to find methods and a system that best fits your personality and work habits.

Also, don’t get discouraged when you have periods of lower productivity—it happens to the best of us. Just learn to recognize it and continue to make adjustments.

Here are my top 10 productivity tips:

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1. Begin with a clean slate

I don’t know about you, but when I have a cluttered desk, or my office is in disarray, that has an adverse affect on me. Same with my computer’s desktop—lots of screenshots and other files on the desktop and multiple windows open can be very distracting.

Develop an organization system to manage your clutter. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. There’s a place for everything and everything has its place. Once it’s organized, then take a few moments during each day to maintain it so old habits don’t lead back to the same clutter issue.

Now you can focus more on the tasks at hand since you have removed a lot of visual distractions around you.

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2. Plan your day

This is something I still have to work on occasionally. It can be easy to slip in to what I call “reaction mode” where you let interruptions—such as impromptu client changes—dictate your schedule for that day. You end up spending most or all of the day “putting out fires” and the tasks that you needed to complete end up taking a back seat.

Of course, things are going to happen that you will have to address. But if you start each day with a plan of action, you’ll be able to keep your focus so much better and get more done.

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3. Begin with your most difficult task first

Most of have certain tasks that we just dread for one reason or another. We find other things to do in order to avoid the task at hand and often that is when distractions usually occur.

But if we tackle that task first thing and get it out of the way, then it is such a relief to know you don’t have to face it later. Procrastination is the enemy of productivity so if we can be disciplined to address the tough issues head on, the rest will all be downhill.

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4. Take regular breaks

We’re all human. We must have some mental downtime on a regular basis or our productivity can plummet. It can be as simple as getting up from the computer and going to grab a drink. Or perhaps go outside and take a short walk to just get some sunlight and fresh air. It’s amazing how much better you feel and how much your focus increases when you return.

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5. Be passionate about your work

If we do work that we truly love, it won’t seem very much like work at all. When I used to work full-time and freelance, I’d have friends wonder how I could stand working evenings on the computer when I had been at it all during the day. I never saw it as an issue. I absolutely love what I do. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Sure, there are times of stress, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other job out there.

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6. Remind yourself of the big picture

It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily tasks and to-dos. We need to set aside time to take a couple of steps back and look at the big picture.

Why do I freelance? How does my work impact my family’s well being? What projects do I have coming up next month? In the next couple of months? What are my goals for this year?

When you have a clear sense of where you going and how you’re getting there, then the how part of the equation suddenly becomes easier.

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7. Get up early or stay up late

How would getting up an hour earlier impact your productivity? Perhaps you could catch up on all of your email correspondence and scan over the day’s RSS feeds and Twitter/Facebook posts during that time. Then with that out of the way, you can focus on projects.

Same with working late. One of the quietest times in my house is when my wife and our two girls are asleep. I have found for myself that I am most productive during that time. Even if you just take an extra hour at night to plan your schedule for the next day that would make a big impact.

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8. Work in bursts

Along the lines of taking regular breaks, I have found it very effective to work in bursts of time with a break in between. For example, I may work from 8–8:50 a.m. on Task A, then take a break and work on Task B from 9–9:50 a.m. During that break time, I try to at least step away from my computer briefly. I may also use that time to reply to a couple of emails or check Twitter and Facebook.

I don’t follow this precisely to the minute all of the time. But I try to be mindful of working in chunks of time, while ignoring email, Twitter or any other distractions. You can set manual timers (such as kitchen timers) or use software apps to help with this process as well.

I also know designers who divide their day up so they work on one large project in the morning and another in the afternoon. So experiment with what works best for you. It has to fit your personality and working style or you won’t stick with it for very long.

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9. Break down large projects into manageable tasks

When faced with a large project, you can get overwhelmed with all that there is to do. So break it down into phases and tasks and set aside time to work on them one at a time. If you stick with it and work through the tough spots it will help keep the project moving and deadlines met. And the sooner you finish, of course, the sooner you get final payment!

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10. Reward yourself!

All work and no play is not good for any freelancer. Decide ahead of time what kind of reward you will give yourself for finishing a certain task or wrapping up a project. It can help motivate you through any tough times. It can be as simple or as elaborate as necessary. Just try to keep it fun and be creative!

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YOUR TURN:

Do you struggle with productivity? What system or tactics have you found helpful to become more productive? I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions on what works for you.

Announcing the Winners of the Massive Holiday Giveaway!

Neil Brown — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:02:48 +0000

Even though Christmas has passed, I feel like I’m experiencing it all over again. Why? Because I’m excited to announce the winners of the Freelance Show’s Massive Holiday Giveaway! Our contest promotion was a huge success. Thanks so much to each person who took time to leave a comment, follow us on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our RSS feed.

Also, a heartfelt thanks to each of our sponsors, whose generosity allowed us to put together this Massive Holiday Giveaway of over $4800 worth of prizes.

PRIZE:

1 year Standard Plan
($228 value)

WINNER:

Garett Mayfield

Thanks again to all who entered as well as each of the sponsors!

Enter the Freelance Show’s Massive Holiday Giveaway!

Neil Brown — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:11:07 +0000

In only the first two months of existence, the Freelance Show has received an overwhelming amount of support and positive comments from our readers. In appreciation of your interest and support, I have assembled a massive prize giveaway contest—just in time for Christmas!

We have some big things in store for 2010. By participating in this contest and following us on Twitter, Facebook and RSS, you’ll stay up-to-date on the latest happenings and help the Freelance Show continue to grow and become a resource of freelance advice.

A sincere and special thanks go to each of the generous companies who have contributed almost $4800 worth of prizes to this promotional giveaway.

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Entering is quick and easy!

We have provided multiple ways to enter—each listed below.

Each time you enter, you earn points. The more points you earn, the better chance you have.

Simple enough?

When the contest ends, we will total everyone’s points and determine the top 28 points earners (that’s how many total prizes we have). Then those will be put into a random drawing to determine their prize.

You may enter each day from now until Thursday, December 24 at Midnight (EST). Winners will be announced here on the Freelance Show on Tuesday, December 29.

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Ways to Enter…

We’ve made it quick and easy to enter in many different ways and earn lots of entry points! Remember you can continue to build points each day until the contest ends!

Follow us on Twitter (2 points)

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Become a Fan on our Facebook page (2 points)

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Subscribe to our RSS feed by email (2 points)

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Tweet the contest, using @freelanceshow and #fscontest in your tweet (2 points for each tweet*)

Here are some example tweets you can use to make it even more convenient.

• Great contest @freelanceshow! $4800 worth of great prizes donated by some awesome companies! http://bit.ly/7tTDCS #fscontest

• Just entered huge giveaway from @freelanceshow. Easy to enter and lots of great prizes! Check it out http://bit.ly/7tTDCS #fscontest

• Have you seen the Massive Holiday Giveaway by @freelanceshow yet? $4800 in prizes for freelancers: http://bit.ly/7tTDCS #fscontest

• I just entered the Massive Holiday Giveaway by @freelanceshow. Awesome prizes from great companies! http://bit.ly/7tTDCS #fscontest

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Post a comment below and list your biggest challenges or questions in freelancing
We will use these to form upcoming blog posts! (2 points total)

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Write a blog post about this contest (5 points**)

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Post a video about this contest to YouTube (5 points**)

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The Rules…

There is a maximum of one prize per person. You will be randomly matched with a prize from the list below. No substitutions or cash value given. All decisions are final.

If you enter multiple ways, and your account names do not match, send us an email (or comment below) listing your Twitter, Facebook, YouTube account names so we can make sure to match them up when totaling your points!

* We do not encourage spamming your friends or followers. To that extent, we will only count a maximum of 10 tweets per day, per entrant. Any tweets beyond 10 per day will not be counted. Excessive entries derived from automated means (scripts for example) will be disqualified.

** If you write a blog post or submit a video to YouTube, you must either email us the link, or leave the link in the comments section below, by the contest deadline in order to have your points counted.

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PRIZE:

1 year Standard Plan
($228 value)

Thanks again to all of the sponsors for donating these great prizes. Good luck to everyone who enters! Remember, you can enter every day until Thursday, December 24 at Midnight (EST).

10 Tips to Survive Working from Home

Neil Brown — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:24:26 +0000

For years I dreamed of being able to work from home. The freedom to work in my pajamas, to cut my commute time down to only a few steps and to work on my own terms. Now that is the life, right?

After freelancing full-time for a year now, I have experienced the challenges that come with working from home as well. Here are 10 tips to help you through some of the challenges so you can focus more on the benefits of the freelance lifestyle.

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1. Have a separate room with a door you can close

This is one of the most important points to consider. While many people have started out working from their kitchen table or from a desk in the corner of their bedroom, try to avoid that if at all possible.

You need a completely separate space that is your own and is not shared by anyone else. This is especially true if you have a spouse or children who are at home during the day while you are trying to work. It could mean converting a spare bedroom or finishing a basement, but the investment will be worth it.

Imagine trying to concentrate on a task at hand, or talk to a client on the phone, while your three year old keeps wandering in wanting to play dolls or watch Dora the Explorer. I can hear productivity screeching to a halt now.

For me, I’m lucky in that regard. My wife teaches, our oldest daughter is in kindergarten and our youngest daughter is in daycare. But during the summer months, everyone is home and that is when my separate office really becomes important!

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2. Communicate with your family and friends

There is a common misconception that when you work from home, you are free to run errands, do chores, pick up the kids or a number of other tasks that are normally associated with being ‘off work.’

You need to communicate to your family and friends that you are working—just the same as them. Would you drop by your friend’s place of work to chit chat for a couple of hours? No, unless you wanted to get him or her fired! Would you expect your spouse to do laundry or wash dishes while on his or her job? Not a chance.

Now, does this mean that you never do those things? No. After all, you do have more flexibility by working for yourself and working from home. But it shouldn’t be expected of you. See the difference?

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3. Maintain a working schedule

You left the corporate world, in part, to be free from schedules right?

Well, you don’t have to conform to the Monday–Friday, 9–5 world if that is not for you. In fact, you may find that your most productive time is late at night or early in the morning and your least productive time is early afternoon.

If so, adjust accordingly. But it is important to maintain some consistency in your schedule. I have found that late at night is a highly productive time for me. It may be that I was accustomed to that schedule during the many years that I worked full-time and freelanced on the side. Or it may just be because everyone else has gone to bed and it’s a nice quiet time!

It’s important to me to stop working when my family comes home so that I can spend time with them. If you’re not careful to maintain some kind of schedule, you’ll let projects, marketing, bookkeeping and all other tasks fill up any spare time you have. And your family relationships will suffer because of it. So be proactive, set a schedule and stick to it.

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4. Stay focused

It easy to get distracted when working from home. You don’t have a boss or manager looking over your shoulder. You can get quickly absorbed with Twitter, Facebook or blogs. Or your email chimes constantly and you are compelled to check it right away.

Maybe you have a television nearby and get caught up in the latest celebrity scandal plastered across CNN—or you just have to watch the highlights on SportsCenter for the 10th time.

A good tip is to turn everything off for a set amount of time while you are focused on the project at hand. Eliminate all distractions during that time and concentrate on working efficiently. Then periodically check email or your social networks—but limit the amount of time or soon your working day will have passed without anything to show for it.

There are a lot of different approaches, tools and resources that attempt to help with this. Experiment with different ones until you find the system that works best for you.

Additional Resources: Some apps that may help eliminate distractions

Photo credit: sskennel

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5. Take breaks

It can be draining to sit at the computer all day. After so long, your concentration and productivity levels drop and it’s much harder to stay focused.

So periodically make sure you take breaks. Get up and move around. Fix some coffee. Take a short walk outside and get some fresh air. You’ll be surprised by how refreshed and refocused you become by taking short breaks throughout the day.

Additional Resource:

Five apps to take a break and stay healthy

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6. Get out of the office

Freelancing can be a lonely profession. Often we overlook how much we benefited from social interaction in the corporate world—chatting with co-workers and listening to the hustle-and-bustle of phones ringing, fax machines beeping and people talking.

And unfortunately for many freelancers, depression even sets in—especially when first adjusting to working from home or during times where business is slow and cash flow is tight. Get help if you need it—for yourself and your loved ones.

Make it a point to schedule times to get together with former co-workers for lunch. Attend local meet-ups or events. Explore some co-working opportunities in your city. Take your laptop and work from a Starbucks or local bookstore every now and then.

The point is, we all need interaction with people at some level. Even us introverts .

Additional Resources:

Meetup
Jelly

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My home office. Still a work in progress, but it’s getting there!

7. Invest in proper office furniture and equipment

It’s tempting to cut costs on office furniture in the beginning. But you need an adequate desk so that you are not cramped and can spread your work out comfortably. Obviously your chair is important so you need one with good support and one that fits you well. Consider office layout, lighting and other ergonomic aspects.

I’ve gone through two desks this year. The first one I had was a very nice L-shaped desk with a hutch. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough leg room and every time I swiveled in my chair to get up or to sit down, I would bang my knee against the pedestal file cabinet drawer. Also, there wasn’t enough elbow room since you had to sit in the corner of the L-shape. It’s hard to explain but it was just awkward.

I thought the next desk would be better. I have a thing against using keyboard drawers. I prefer my keyboard on the desktop in front of my iMac. This desk was more shallow than I realized when I bought it and I couldn’t rest my elbows on the desktop. So I had to type at a weird angle that put pressure and strain on my wrists. Not good for a long term set up!

Finally, I invested in a nice bow-front desk that is wonderful. Plenty of room to spread out my work and deep enough to accommodate my computer and keyboard arrangement. Plus I added an additional 23” monitor to create a dual monitor set up. Now I can arrange my windows and applications better and not constantly move things around.

I went into all of that detail to demonstrate that sometimes little things can have a negative effect. So plan for a good office set up that is going to help you be more efficient and comfortable rather than hinder your workflow.

Additional Resources: Home office examples

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8. Connect and collaborate with peers

I’ve mentioned the importance of being around others. In addition, you will benefit greatly from having fellow freelancers with whom you can communicate, ask questions, share resources and get feedback.

It today’s world, this commonly takes place over Twitter, Facebook or email. I can post a question on Twitter and have a couple of responses within just a few minutes from fellow designers. Or there are sites and forums you can participate in and get feedback on designs or ask questions about client dilemmas. I have fellow freelancers that I can email with a specific problem, if I don’t want to discuss over social media, and they can help solve it.

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9. Take time off

Sometimes it’s just too much—the projects, the client changes, the bookkeeping, the client changes… You need to get away from it all so you can recharge and relax. When you worked in the corporate world you may have had two or three weeks paid vacation and often it was mandatory to take it before the year’s end.

Now you’re working so much that you “don’t have time” for a vacation. But you need to make time for your own health and sanity. Schedule a trip and book your reservations ahead of time. Then mark that on your calendar and adjust your schedule leading up to it accordingly. Let your clients know, at least ones who have current projects. With planning and care, there is no reason you can’t take time off.

Both you and your business will benefit.

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10. Take time to reflect on the alternative

What were the things you hated most about working in the corporate world? Was it the office politics? Or the endless meetings where nothing was ever accomplished? What about the commute? Rush hour traffic? Do you have horror stories about a former boss or supervisor?

Occasionally looking back can help put things in perspective. After all, you left that world for a reason. Remind yourself of that reason from time to time.

Then sit back in your pajamas and take a sip of that fresh-brewed coffee and enjoy one of your “scheduled” breaks. Oh—and take out the trash while you’re at it

Photo credit: Mark Woodbury

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YOUR TURN:

What about you? What tips do you have for working from home? Or what challenges do you face? Please comment below.

Interview Series: Brian Hoff of The Design Cubicle

Neil Brown — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:36:48 +0000

Brian Hoff is a self-employed graphic designer living in Philadelphia and known to many in the design industry as the founder of the popular design blog, The Design Cubicle.

Brian has over 8 years of print, web and logo design experience. His specialties include working in the fields of identity (logo design), print design, web design & development and branding. Brian typically works with a wide range of clients designing, developing and providing creative direction for small to medium-sized businesses. His portfolio ranges from, but not limited to, logos, brochures, websites, business cards, stationery (letterheads, envelopes, etc) and more.

Brian is very active in the design community, both online and locally and you can find him on Twitter @behoff.

First of all, thanks Brian, for taking the time to be interviewed on the Freelance Show! How long have you been a full-time independent designer? Describe your path to self-employment.

Only in the past year I have run my own full-time independent business. Prior to working towards self-employment, I was a software trainer at Apple while working towards establishing my own design business after the hours of my 9 to 5 job at Apple. I would come home, eat dinner, blog (a major part of my marketing), and work on client’s logos and websites. Although with my hectic schedule I was only able to work with 2–3 clients at that time.

As my blog, The Design Cubicle, grew more popular I began receiving an increasing amount of work inquiries—more than I was able to handle. It came down to a decision for me: either pass up work or quit my 9-to-5 job at Apple, so here I am!

Although I was a bit nervous about making the jump into full time independency and leaving a steady position with Apple for 3+ years, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. With more time focused on my work and marketing I am able to pick up more work than I had initially expected and hope to continue it in the long run, and eventually expand my business.

So tell us what inspired you to start
The Design Cubicle?

As an avid reader of many other design blogs (I subscribe to over 300 blogs), I felt that I too had something to offer to the design community. A place to share my passion, experience, inspiration and perspective, as well as a place where people could interact and ask questions.

The name ‘The Design Cubicle’ was inspired from, and sort of a pun off the “behind the cubicle” design jobs. One area that I particularly try to stray away from while running an independent business is the ‘independence’ aspect. Working alone can be lonely and the benefits of working with others, or “behind a cubicle” in an office is that you get to interact with others and learn—something that I wanted my blog to portray: a place to learn, share and inspire. You can read more about it here.
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As of this interview, it has been just over one year ago since you first launched The Design Cubicle (Oct. 11, 2008). Compare your design business prior to TDC launch with your design business now. How has it changed?

My business would be no where close to where it is today without TDC. Clients discover and read my articles and become more interested in working with me. It builds a level of trust to an otherwise ‘faceless’ internet, while also allowing my business, blog and services to be more visible in the search engines.

Before TDC, most of my work came via word of mouth. Talking with people, other people talking about my services, networking events, etc. With the rise and popularity of TDC, 99% of my work comes from all over the world because of my site—and I am extremely grateful for this, as well as a bit surprised by the results.

Although the majority of my work comes because of my blog, I still makes time to stay true to my roots and network in person. I attend as many local and larger-scaled design conferences/meet ups, as well as active in many organizations such as AIGA Philadelphia. Also, when meeting new people try to sneak in a bit or two about what I do.

Being a designer puts you in a great position because we are in a field where everyone needs our services. It’s just a matter of letting people know what you do and leaving a small impact on them enough to remember you.
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Other than design software, what tools
of the trade do you use (invoicing,
CRM, project management, etc)?

Rather than listing all the software and tools I use to ‘get things done’ on here, my personal site, www.brianhoff.net/about.html has a full listing of all the invoicing, CRM, project managment tools I use.
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How do you manage your design projects, writing for The Design Cubicle and social networking? Any time management tips you’d like to share?

Actually, I have no idea… it just gets done… somehow. Running your own business is a lot of work. It’s a full time job, and by full time I mean it doesn’t stop. I am always answering emails, responding to comments, working on projects, writing new posts, sending out proposals, etc.

The best tip I can share for getting everything done is you have to have passion for what you do, without it you will get burned out. Also, I am also a very organized person and try to stay on top of things and not procrastinate.

Lastly, what advice do you have for designers who are just starting to freelance or who are looking to grow their freelance business?

Passion and interpersonal skills are a must. Without a passion you will not be motivated to maintain a business and without strong interpersonal skills it’s hard to grow your business. All build trust with your clients and those you meet… the rest will follow.

Growing your own freelance business takes time and patience. It’s not going to happen overnight. Starting off with a steady day job and slowing growing your own business at night is a great way to start.

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Thanks Brian, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your story with the Freelance Show!

You can find more information about Brain Hoff at The Design Cubicle, view more of his portfolio at his business website, BrianHoff.net and connect with him on Twitter.
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Four Types of Freelancing: Working Part-Time While Freelancing (Part 2 of 4)

Neil Brown — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:57:12 +0000

This is part 2 of a 4 part series that looks at different approaches to freelancing and which one may be best for your situation. In part 1 of this series, we discussed working full-time while freelancing.

Work a part-time job while freelancing

The pros:

I call this the ‘hybrid solution’—working a part-time job while freelancing full-time. It can be a good transition from working full-time to going completely on your own, especially if you have limited savings or a spouse and family to support while building your new freelance empire. Many of the pros from having a “regular” job still apply—the steady paycheck, the social aspect, the steady paycheck…

But now you have more time to devote to building your freelance business. The steady pay gives you some security, knowing it will be there. And the additional time should be used to do client work, attend meetings, network and market the you-know-what out of your freelance business.

With some part-time jobs, you can work evenings and have your work day free to devote to your freelance business, which works well for communicating with clients. Or you may have a job where you work weekends or a couple days a week and you can freelance on your days off.

While working part-time, you can often increase the amount of hours you are working to help you get through slow periods—or decrease the amount of hours when you need to as your freelance business grows.

In short, you can combine the best of both worlds and ease down the steps of the shallow end of the pool rather than jumping off the high dive. Let’s face it, sometimes it can be hard to let go of the security of the 9–5 world, so this approach could be a good compromise.

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The cons:

You likely won’t have any benefits—or you will at least have reduced benefits—compared to working full-time. So you may have to pick up your own health insurance or go on your spouse’s plan. Of course, in the U.S., health insurance can be hard to come by and expensive.

You may make less money until you build up your freelance business, so you will need to be prepared to tighten up or work from a budget. If you don’t have adequate savings in place, this can make for a very stressful situation.

You may have to work a part-time job that is completely unrelated to your creative field. But there are many who actually prefer that and say it gives them some needed variety. So depending on the individual, that can be a pro or a con.

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Summary:

I recommend this situation as a transition between working full-time and freelancing full-time. For those who have fears about making it as a freelancer, this offers some security and peace of mind.

For most people, the long-term goal would be to phase out the part-time job and focus solely on the freelance business. Set a goal of at least 6 months of income in savings, establish a good client base and assign a date to cut ties with the corporate world forever!

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Your turn…

Are you currently working a part-time job while freelancing? What type of job is it? How long do you plan on working part-time while freelancing? Please take a moment to comment below and let me know what you think!

Photo by David Hilowitz