The ability to say “no” is vital to freelancers. While there are many good freelancing opportunities out there, there are also many bad gigs that every freelancer should turn down.

Sadly, I read about a freelancer trapped working for a bad client on social media nearly every day. But, we freelancers often accept jobs that we really shouldn’t take. We need to learn to say “no.”

In this post, I list twenty-one situations where a freelancer might need to say “no” to a prospective client. I also provide a sample response (as well as some discussion) for each situation. At the end of the post, add your own tips on how to say “no.”

What to Say When You Need to Say “No”

Here are twenty-one ways to say “no” to a prospect or client:

1. The prospect asks you to work at a rate far below your normal rate. In this case, state your rate and don’t spend too much time on the inquiry. They may be asking about work, but realistically they aren’t a prospect for you. Try saying, “I never work for less than $X.XX”
2. The prospect asks you to work for slightly less your normal rate. Negotiate with this prospect. First, decide what to negotiate. Can you be flexible on price? Do you want more time? Do you want to reduce the scope? Then, respond by addressing that area. A sample response could be, “That’s a little less than what I normally charge, but I could do it if you could let me have an extra week.”
3. The prospect asks you to work outside of your specialty. Are you interested in learning about this new specialty? If you’re not interested, be up front about that. If you can, refer the client to another freelancer. For example, say, “I never write about medical topics, but I know that Jane Doe freelancer specializes in that area.”
4. The prospect asks for a deadline that you cannot meet. Prospects often throw deadlines out without understanding the true effort required. Again, try negotiation. Say something like, “I know that the project seems simple, but there’s more work here than meets the eye. I think that project would actually take x days to complete.”
5. You researched the prospect and they have a bad reputation. Run, don’t walk, away from this prospect. You don’t need to send out a detailed response. Your answer can be something like, “I’m not interested in this project, but thank-you for thinking of me.”
6. The prospect is excessively critical. Usually, you wouldn’t know this about a new prospect, but you might know it if you’ve worked with them before. Respond the same way as you would to a client with a bad reputation. If you want to make a point you could say, “I didn’t enjoy our last project together and for that reason I don’t wish to accept another project from you.”
7. A client asks you to do additional work that you didn’t agree to do. Most freelancers face this problem sooner or later. When it happens to you, estimate how long the additional work is going to take. If it won’t take long, most freelancers choose to just do the work. However, if the new work requires substantial effort, let the client know that additional work means a higher bill. Here’s a sample response, “Our contract specified six articles, but now you are asking for eight. The additional articles will add $X.00 to the cost of the project. Please let me know if you want me to proceed.”
8. The prospect uses foul language or obscenities. Some freelancers don’t mind foul language or obscenities. If you do mind, don’t feel that you have to take that sort of treatment (which can actually be a form of disrespect). Let the prospect know that their language bothers you. I say something like this, “I work from home and my children can easily overhear what is said in my office. I would appreciate it if you would keep your language clean when you deal with me.”
9. You are too busy to take on new work right now. Being busy can be a good thing. It means that you’re in demand. When I am too busy to take on a new project right away, I usually say something like, “my time is completely booked for the next two weeks, but after that I could get started on your project.”
10. The client wants you to do more work when they haven’t paid for the last project. Be frank. If the client is seriously late with an earlier payment, don’t start another project with them. Say something like, “You’ll have to bring your account with me up to date before I can start another project. Invoice #xx is 30 days overdue and you owe $xxx.00.”
11. The prospect has more work for you than you can realistically handle. See if the prospect will let you subcontract some of the work. Say something like, “That’s a lot of work, but I know that my team can handle it.” That way the client should understand that it won’t be just you doing the work. Be sure that you write your agreement in such a way that subcontractors can be used.
12. The prospect stands for something you don’t agree with. This is tricky. Be careful not to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, or national origin since this would be a violation of the Federal Civil Rights Act. (Leanne Phillips has published a great article on this topic at LegalZoom.)
13. The prospect asks you to come in to the office and work. I face this a lot since many technical writing jobs require on-site work. I prefer to work at home so I always negotiate this by suggesting that I only come in occasionally or offering to be available during certain business hours. I say something like, “I’ve found that I get a lot more done when I work at home, but I’m willing to come in on Fridays to attend the weekly meeting.”
14. You suspect the prospect is lying to you. This is another tricky situation. While you can’t accuse your prospect of lying without proof, your gut feeling is probably right. When in doubt, it’s usually best to trust your intuition. You can say something like, “I don’t feel comfortable taking this project,” or “I don’t think this project is for me.”
15. You can’t find any information about the prospect. A lack of information could mean the client is a fly-by-night scam artist, or it could mean that he or she is simply very new to business. In this situation you can ask questions such as, “how long have you been in business” and “who are some of the companies that you do business with?” Be sure to charge a healthy percentage of your fee up front.
16. The prospect asks you to do something illegal or unethical. As a freelancer, never get involved with anything illegal. If asked to do this, refuse the prospect’s request and explain why. Stand your ground. You could say something like, “no, you can’t use that copyrighted image on your website without permission–that’s against the law.” It’s always possible your prospect doesn’t realize what they are doing is not allowed.
17. The prospect asks for something that’s not possible. Many freelancers eventually meet the prospect who wants something that just can’t be done. For example, consider the client who says something like “I want the audience to be able to smell the perfume that my website sells while they are sitting at home.” Again, it’s best to be straightforward with your client. Say something like, “the technology to do what you are asking doesn’t exist yet. Instead, I suggest that you offer a free sample instead.”
18. The prospect wants to barter for your services. Some freelancers don’t mind bartering their services. If that’s you, great! However, many freelancers prefer to be paid in cash. Try saying, “my policy is to accept only cash for my work.”
19. The prospect wants to pay you a portion of their profits. Since the prospect’s project may not be profitable, this arrangement can be bad news for a freelancer. Once again, fall back on your policy. Say, “my policy is to charge a fee for my services, due when the work is complete.”
20. The prospect is a friend or family member. Working for a friend or family member can be stressful. Many freelancers don’t like to do it, but it can be hard to say “no” to someone you’re friends with or related to. Try saying, “I value our relationship too much to mix it with business.” Or, you could simply say, “I think (another freelancer) would do a much better job for you.”
21. A charity asks you to volunteer your services. Don’t let anyone “guilt” you into doing work for free. If you love the charity and you want to volunteer, fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re not committed to the charity or if volunteering will set you back, say so. Try saying, “I can’t afford to do charity work at this time.”

Your Turn

What freelancing situations have you faced where you’ve had to say “no?” Share your stories in the comments.

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Like most freelancers, my time is important. I have to spend it wisely if I want to earn a profit.

Most days I face a challenging to-do list with more tasks on it than I could possibly accomplish. That’s why I make it my mission to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The alternative, working extra hours or missing a deadline, is just not acceptable.

Of course, a mountain of self-help books, blogs, videos, and other materials already exists to help us learn to manage our time more effectively. The trouble is, like most freelancers, I just don’t have enough time to go through all those resources.

In this post, I pulled together some of the quickest and easiest time save hacks that you should be able to use right away. If you’re looking for even more time saving tips, you can find some more here.

Timesavers to Use Right Now

How can I get more things done? Have you ever asked yourself that question? I think that most freelancers have.

Well, at least I know that I have. Here are a few of the answers that I discovered to help save time:

1. Use productivity tools. It just takes a few minutes to download a productivity tool, but once you’ve got it set up on your computer you can use it to help you stay focused indefinitely. A few good productivity tools include focus booster and StayFocused.
2. Pre-plan your day. Before I end work each day, I make a list of what I need to do the next day. The most important things are always at the top of the list. The least important things are at the bottom. When I start work the next day, I already have my day mapped out for me.
3. Voicemail. Unless you know for sure that you will receive an important call at a particular time, train yourself to let your phone calls go to voicemail. Better yet, turn off the ringtone. Designate two or three times a day to listen to your voicemail and to deal with any urgent business.
4. Don’t multi-task. Multi-tasking when you’re busy may seem to be good common sense, but it’s not. Experts have found that trying to do more than one thing at the same time is counter-productive. Multi-tasking slows you down. It also causes you to be more likely to make a mistake. Do one thing at a time.
5. Use your mobile devices. I used to hate to waiting in line or in a waiting room. What I hated most about such waits was the time wasted when I had so much to do. Fortunately, now you can turn your wait time into productive time by bringing along a mobile device.
6. Pick the right project. When you choose your work projects, try to stick mostly to projects within your own area of expertise. You’ll be able to use your existing knowledge as well as apply lessons learned from earlier projects. You’ll work more quickly and your client will be happier too.
7. Don’t check email. At least, don’t check it more than two or three times a day. Checking email more often merely interrupts your workflow. The same goes for anything else that you check frequently (web stats, Facebook account, Twitter, Google+, and so on).
8. Have a life. Really. Schedule some rest and relaxation time for yourself. When you’re done, you’ll come back to work refreshed and ready to go. I always find that I work more slowly when I’m tired (and that’s not a very good use of time). I’ve also come up with some of my very best ideas after taking a break.
9. Exercise while you work. Have you been wanting to go to the gym, but can’t seem to find enough time for to work out? Good news if you’re trying to stay fit. You may be able to combine work and exercise. This special desk featured on the Lifehacker blog might just do the trick. It’s got a built-in exercise bike and space to put your laptop. (I’ve never actually tried this, but the idea intrigues me.)

Your Turn

I’ve shared my easiest timesavers with you and linked to twenty more tips that will help you save time. Now it’s your turn.

How do you save time? Share your best tips in the comments.

Image by Alan Cleaver

I first read “Getting Things Done” (GTD) by David Allen in 2007. Back then, I was working full-time in UNICEF, juggling my work responsibilities with a family.

Although I didn’t implement GTD completely, it did allow me to unclutter my entire work area (not just my desk). It allowed me to tame my overflowing email inbox. It allowed me to leave my files neatly organized for my successor.

GTD was written for corporate executives and office workers. Is it relevant and useful to freelancers as well?

If it’s any indication, I still find myself using some of the strategies I learned from GTD. When I’m in the middle of something and an idea or to-do pops into my head, I immediately write it down in my Moleskine notebook. I still file my reference materials the way I learned to do it from GTD. And when I’m overwhelmed, I sit down and ask myself, “What’s the next step?”

Because freelancers’ productivity has a direct correlation with their income, it’s essential for us to constantly find tools and systems that can help us get more quality work done, in less time, and with less stress. There’s plenty we can learn from “Getting Things Done” to help us achieve all that.

Some Take-Aways for Freelancers

• Self-management is key

David Allen asserts that we cannot manage our time, the amount of information we’re exposed to, or the priorities we have. We can only manage our actions: what we do with our time, how we handle information, and what actions we take towards our priorities.
By accepting this, we can reduce the pressure we often put on ourselves. As I’ve said in the past, “time management” is a misnomer, because no matter what we do, we only have 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nobody else, no matter how rich or powerful or influential, gets any more or less than this.

What we can manage is ourselves. We can control our level of health and energy, so we’re at the peak of productivity when we do work. We can control whether we allow the telephone to distract us from our work. And we can control what we do, when.

• You don’t have to be stressed out

According to Allen, stress comes from all the open loops that keep nagging at our minds. Open loops are anything unfinished or unresolves in our lives, whether relating to work or our personal lives. For example, let’s say you’re trying to get some writing done. And then you remember you have to send some documents to your bookkeeper that week. You have two open loops in your mind: the writing and the documents. Most of us would brush off one item, put it at the back of your mind, and tell ourselves mentally, “I’ll do that later.” However, that open loop is still there. Because our minds can attend to only one thing at a time, having all these open loops makes us stressed out.

Allen’s solution is to capture all our open loops in a working container. Containers can be physical, such as a box for all your snail mail or a notebook for all your ideas. It can also be digital, such as a computer or your smart phone.  In the example above, we could easily write “Send documents to bookkeeper” in our calendar, and that open loop would no longer occupy our minds. We would be free to continue writing without distraction.

• Get rid of “stuff” by processing them

Another useful takeaway from “Getting Things Done” is Allen’s workflow for processing stuff (whatever is in your collection tools). His workflow is based on asking a series of questions about everything:

1. What is it?

2. Is it actionable?

3. What’s the next action?

Let’s try out this process with the things I have lying on my desk right now.

What is it?

A notebook with notes from conferences, meetings with business partners, etc.

Is it actionable?

No.

If no, Allen says you either throw it, put it in a tickler file, or file it away as a reference for later. I decide to file the notebook for future reference where it will be easy for me to retrieve.

What’s the next step?

If an item is actionable, the next question to ask is whether the next action will take less than 2 minutes to do. If it does, then do it now.

If it will take more than 2 minutes, either delegate it or defer it.

By following this process, I’ve cleared away one stack of documents that have been cluttering my desk for weeks.

The Bottom Line

“Getting Things Done” has many useful, practical and effective strategies for increasing your productivity, even if you’re a home-based freelancer.

However, it is not the end-all and be-all of productivity. For me, it lacks guidance on how to set priorities. After I have captured all my next steps for various projects, how do I decide which one item to do next?

It also isn’t for everyone. As in my case, I’ve adopted some of the strategies in GTD, and they’ve become a habit. But others just didn’t stick with me. It’s a matter of personal style and preference.

If you’re looking for a way to increase your productivity, get more organized, and reduce your stress, definitely check out “Getting Things Done.” It has helped so many other people, and it just might work for you. Keep an open mind and give it a fair try.

What Do You Think?

Have you tried GTD before? If so, what did you find most helpful? And which ones were difficult for you to implement? Post a comment below and share your thoughts.

If you’re active in social media, you may have recently heard of Pinterest, a new social media site that is gaining popularity. In fact, it seems like everyone is suddenly talking about Pinterest. From all the talk it’s hard to tell whether it’s a trend or a fad.

You may even wonder if there is any way that your freelancing business could possibly benefit from using Pinterest. You may be asking yourself whether you should get involved in Pinterest.

In this post, I’ll take a look at Pinterest from a freelancer’s perspective. I’ll explain what it is and also take a look at some benefits and drawbacks of the site for freelancers.

Of course, ultimately every freelancer needs to make their own decision about Pinterest.

What It Is

Pinterest is known as a pinboard. Offline, a pinboard is a type of bulletin board that you pin photos and other images to.

Online, a pinboard is basically a bookmarking service that lets you save the images of things that you are interested in. While Pinterest is currently the best known pinboard, others include Pinboard and Trello.

One thing that distinguishes pinboards from other social sharing sites is the visual aspect. Members are invited to share and comment on images that interest them. Pinboards (and especially Pinterest) are heavy on the images and light on the text.

If you’ve ever visited Pinterest, you’ll find a variety of topics. Here’s a small sampling of what you might find:

• Recipes
• Decorating Ideas
• Fashion Ideas
• Organizing tips
• Inspirational quotes

There’s even a category titled “Design,” although it’s not necessarily just about graphic or web design.

Benefits of Pinterest

I can see four possible benefits of Pinterest for freelancers:

1. Great for finding inspiration–Whatever it is you need to be inspired about, there are probably images of it out there. Do you want to do a design based on a sunset? With Pinterest, you can see hundreds of photos of sunsets. What about creating a design based on leaves? Again, with Pinterest you can find lots of different leaf images.
2. Visual emphasis–Pinterest has a visual emphasis and as such it’s great for visually oriented freelance professions such as design, art, and photography. Of course, you will find some quotes out there and other short bits of text, but for the most part the content on Pinterest is graphics and photos.
3. Good for branding and building an image–Pinterest can be great for building a brand or an image. Pinterest is still in its early days, so for the most part big name brands aren’t out there yet. However, I can see some visually oriented freelancers creating a gallery of their work and possibly referring clients to it.
4. Links to Facebook–Right now it’s easy to share to your Facebook account when you pin an item to Pinterest. All you need to do is check a box. Currently, there are no links to other social media sites, but who is to say what the site has planned for the future?

Now that we’ve looked at the benefits of Pinterest for freelancers, it’s time to look at the drawbacks.

Drawbacks of Pinterest

I can also see four possible drawbacks of Pinterest (based on the current version) for freelancers.

1. Privacy–Right now, as I understand it, there’s no way to restrict who can view your pinboard. That means that right now it’s really not a good tool to work on or share proprietary materials. With such a restriction in place, however, Pinterest could possibly be used for collaboration.
2. Possible copyright issues–Of course, any time that you share something that is copyrighted online you run the risk of it being stolen. When I discussed Pinterest with some of my Google+ friends, they expressed concern that sharing on Pinterest somehow transferred the rights of what was being shared to the platform. (I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t know if this is true.)
3. Not widely available–Probably one of the biggest drawbacks for freelancers who want to use Pinterest is that it’s not widely available. You have to ask for an invitation. In fact, to write this post I had to look on with a friend to get an idea of what Pinterest is about since I haven’t received my login yet.
4. Limited user profiles–The final drawback that I see for freelancers is that user profiles seem to be very small–just a photo and a few lines. So, Pinterest isn’t really about meeting and getting to know people so much as it is about sharing things that you are interested in.

More Resources

Are you ready to learn more about Pinterest? Here are five more resources:

• 5 Ways to Use Pinterest as a Community Building Tool from Deb Ng at Kommein
• Online Pinboards–Is This the New Way to Facebook? from Eli Goodman at Search Engine Watch
• Pinterest for Brands: 5 Hot Tips from Lauren Drell at American Express Open Forum
• Pinterest: A Tool to Curate Relevant Visual Content for Your Audience from Beth Kanter at Social Media Today
• How to Use Pinterest for Marketing from Monika Jansen at Grow Smart Biz

Your Turn

Are you already using Pinterest? If so, how are you using it? Share your answers in the comments.

Image by 7263255

Freelancers usually operate solo, but sometimes it’s a good idea for us to enter into partnerships.

As a one-person team, there are only so many clients you can serve, and so many skills you can deliver. A partnership can be a good way to expand your freelancing business.

However, as in all things, freelancing partnerships have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re considering partnering with another freelancer, read this post to see if you really know what you’re getting into.

The Pros

Provide more comprehensive services

Sometimes it makes sense to partner with another freelancer, so you can give clients a complete package of services. For example, as a copywriter, a logical partnership for me would be with a web designer. That way, I can provide a total website package to my clients.

• Accept more projects

Another advantage of partnering with other freelancers is the ability to take on a larger volume of work. This works whether you partner with a freelancer whose skills complement your own (as in my previous example of copywriter + designer), and it also works if you partner with a freelancer with similar skills.

In my case, I could partner with blog writers, email marketers, and other types of copywriters. We can divvy up tasks and accept more clients than I could ever do by myself.

• More effective prospecting

When you partner with another freelancer, you’re effectively tapping into your partner’s network and promotional efforts. It’s like having another person doing the prospecting for you, and vice versa. This synergy is more powerful than simply adding up what each of you could accomplish individually.

• Tap another freelancer’s expertise, experience, wisdom

A partnership benefits from the knowledge and wisdom of each party. You’ll have a wider pool or expertise and experience to tap into. Decisions are made from two different perspectives, which may lead to better management and results.

• Be part of a team

Partnering can relieve much of the loneliness of freelancing. You and your partner will have each other to provide support and encouragement. You’ll have someone to share successes and failures with. This can make freelancing more satisfying and less stressful.

The Cons

Now let’s look at the other side of the coin. While freelancing partnerships have their advantages, they can be difficult as well.

• Finding the right people to partner with

The biggest challenge in a freelancing partnership is making sure you’ve picked the right partner. Aside from ensuring you complement each other’s skills, you also need to consider your working styles, ethics, communication skills, and other aspects. Because you’ll be working closely together, even the smallest annoyances can snowball into big issues later on.

• Losing control

When you work with a partner, you have to be willing to sacrifice a little control. You need to trust that your partner will deliver their end of the deal. This can be very difficult to do, especially when your own reputation is on the line.

• Increased logistical requirements

Partnerships require effective communication to work. This could include collaboration software, clear work processes, a means to track projects.

• Longer, more complicated decision-making

With two or more people involved, decision-making will take more time. More points of view and opinions will have to be considered. Disagreements will arise. Compromises will have to be made.

• Flexibility required

Here’s the bottom line: You and your partner have to get along. This means both of you need to be flexible, communicate well, and trust each other. This is also why partnering with the right person is of utmost importance. Not only must you work together, but you have to get along well, too.

Partnerships: Yes or No?

When the right people come together, set clear expectations and have effective work processes, freelancing partnerships can work.

What do you think? Would you ever partner with another freelancer to expand the reach and scope of your work? What would push or pull you from such an arrangement?

Have you ever partnered with another freelancer before? What was that like? What lessons did you learn from the experience?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Going the freelance route can be quite an exhilarating process. You drop the 9-to-5 workday in exchange for a whole lot more freedom and independence. But with this job track also comes the burden of management.

Personal branding and marketing is a big part of growing your own freelance business. You need to get your name out there into the world and hopefully reel in a few clients. It can be difficult, but I have offered a few ideas below which can get you off on the right foot. It’s best to plan ahead even with a small marketing strategy.

Once you put something in place to get the ball rolling things will only get easier. It’s important not to get discouraged and always keep pushing forward! There will be difficult months, but stay focused on the end result and you’ll pull through like a charm.

Determine a Branding

When you think of brands some popular mainstream franchises may come to mind. McDonald’s, Best Buy, Sony, Apple – these are all examples of big business. But small businesses and freelancers alike should have a style of branding. Even if it’s simply your own name and icon.

This step is crucial to begin with since it can affect so many alternate areas of marketing. At some point you’ll likely need to put up an online portfolio of work, maybe even purchase a domain name as well. Typically freelancers will purchase a domain under their own first & last name. But you could also come up with a creative company name and use this instead – whatever you feel more comfortable with.

The point is to build a solid brand and stick with it. It takes a lot of time to leak out your URLs into the web. So it would be a pain to change domains after 1 or 2 years of solid link building. Take note the type of work you do may also influence this decision.

For example, a freelance web designer may be more inclined to work under their own name. This makes their work easily recognizable by other potential clients. However a mobile app developer launching a few concepts may consider branding under a design studio instead.

Master Social Media Platforms

The fastest way to get your name recognized is through social media. Networking was performed in person for the past couple hundred years. But with the Internet technology has advanced so quickly that we can find each other from any point on the planet!

There are a handful of networks to consider joining right off the bat(excluding Facebook!). I even frequently scour the web looking for new startup ideas with strong potential just to get my account early. But we don’t all have time to signup for 20 or 30+ different social media platforms. So I put together a small compilation below of networks you may consider.

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Tumblr
• Behance
• Artician
• Instagr.am
• DesignBump
• Stack Exchange
• Design Snack
• Pixel Groovy

Google itself is also a very powerful networking tool. The company provides you with tons of free web apps which you can access all through a single account. Examples include Gmail, Analytics, Google Chat, and Documents. If you aren’t already using at least some Google products I recommend giving them a chance.

Network with Other Professionals

By far the best way to get yourself recognized is to connect with other people within the industry. You need to get yourself known amongst designers, developers, and webmasters all over the world.

There are a number of ways you may accomplish this. Some of the social networks I listed above are viable solutions. You may also post on forums and bulletin boards which can attract some attention as well. But my personal recommendation is to stick with a niche field and build up recognition there.

There are many different freelancers out there including graphics designers, illustrators, writers, marketers, and even programmers. When you have work to show it provides a jumping off point for getting your name linked around the web. Some of my favorite networks including Dribbble and Github showcase wonderful design and development work, respectively. These websites often include further contact details such as the user’s personal URL or Twitter account.

Always Keep Working

Even throughout this entire marketing strategy you should be trying to land some freelance projects. These are ultimately the works which end up in your portfolio and get shown off to future clients. And we all need money to pay the bills each month.

Never underestimate the power of landing an extra design job. This can be just the kick you need to build up a bit of credibility and positive buzz. Repeat customers are the best people to build long-term relationships with. They will value your work and often look to you for professional advice. Just don’t set yourself up swamped with work to the point where stress takes over!

Freelancing is all about relieving yourself from the hectic Monday-Friday work schedules. Take advantage of this and build projects around your own comfortable timeframe.

Conclusion

The process of marketing your brand will not build to a climax overnight. You’ll need to stay focused on the goal and continue sharing out your name for months, possibly even a couple of years. It’s a steady climb upwards but if you have the skillset to back up your ideas you’ll quickly build a powerful name for yourself.

Do you know how much time your next project will take? As a freelancer, you should at least have an idea.

If you’re freelancing, you must be able to effectively estimate the time each of your projects will take. If you can’t do this you won’t know how much to charge for your work or how to best schedule your time.

Estimating is one of the core freelancing skills, yet it is one that many freelancers struggle with. If you have trouble in this area, you’re not alone.

In this post, I’ll give you three easy tips to help you improve your estimating skills. I’ll also briefly share task-based estimating.

If you’ve ever underestimated the time it takes to complete a project, this post is for you.

Tip #1. Know the Scope of the Project

Before you can estimate how long a project will take you, you need to understand exactly what is involved with the project. You can’t estimate a project properly if all you know about the project is that the client wants you to “write some copy” or “design a website.”

If you’re not sure what the project entails, ask questions until you are sure you understand. It should be a red flag if a client is not willing to define the project for you.

Freelancers who accept projects through agencies, collaborations, or through some other arrangement where you don’t communicate directly with the end client should be especially cautious. Make sure that the person coordinating the project fully understands both your profession AND the client’s requirements. If they don’t, their poor communication could wind up costing you time and money.

Tip #2. Know the Level of Support Needed

Besides the actual work requested, some clients need additional support. If you fail to consider this support in your estimates, it may throw your estimate off.

Here are some common things that clients sometimes ask for:

1. Technical support requests–Web developers in particular and programmers are often asked to continue to support a project after they have completed the initial work. Try to find out what the client’s requirements will be to determine if you should charge a modest fee for this service.
2. Revisions–Whether it’s rewriting copy or code, many freelancers have faced the dilemma of endless revisions because the client keeps changing his or her mind. It’s best to try to define the number of revisions you are willing to make at the start of the project. Charge extra when the revisions get out of hand.
3. Meeting time–While many clients are satisfied communicating mostly through email, some clients require more. They may wish for regular phone meetings or video chats. Other clients may require you to write a weekly status report of your progress.

Whatever the client’s support needs are, remember that they are likely to take time. So, be sure to schedule for client support in your estimate.

Tip #3. Know Your Past Work Speed

Some freelancers work quickly. Others work more slowly. While speedy work doesn’t necessarily imply a better freelancer, it’s important that you know your typical work speed when you are estimating projects. In general, most freelancers underestimate the amount of time that a project actually takes.

If you’ve been a freelancer for a while, you can use your past projects as a guide to determine your work speed. For example, if your business is to design logos, look at the last few logo design projects to see how long they took and factor that information into your new estimate.

For years, I have kept a spreadsheet of all of my projects with recorded start times and finish times. I always know exactly how many hours I spent on the project. Not only does this keep me from undercharging for my work, but it also helps me estimate future projects.

One Approach to Estimating

There are many approaches to estimating project time, but I generally like to use a task-based approach. This means I break a project down into smaller tasks and estimate each task separately based on the information I get from the client and my past work. This method usually produces a more accurate time estimate.

Here’s what this approach might look like for a very small copywriting project:

1. Preparation for initial client meeting (1 hour)
2. Initial client meeting (1 hour)
3. Customized contract or written terms (1/2 hour)
4. Project research (2 hours)
5. Write draft (3 hours)
6. Revisions (1 hour)

Total time required 8 1/2 hours

The first thing you’ll notice is that I’ve included some phases of the project that many freelancers don’t include in an estimate. Many freelancers would estimate their time based only on task #5 and would call this a three-hour project. But, they would be wrong.

Those other steps really do take time and should be included in the project’s time estimate. (Note that in the example I only included 30 minutes for creating a contract with the client. This is because I have a standard agreement that I customize for each client.)

If a freelancer was quoting a flat fee for this project and based the fee on only three hours of work, they would wind up doing five and half hours of work for free. You can see how this mistake could really impact a freelancer’s bottom line over time.

Your Turn

How do you estimate your project time?

Share your tips in the comments.

Image by Brooks Elliot

Sure, everyone faces some challenges from time to time. But, due to the unique nature of freelancing perhaps freelancers are a bit more susceptible to some challenges than others.

If you’re properly prepared, though, you can handle most freelancing challenges that come your way while minimizing your stress.

In this post, I’ll outline some of the common challenges that freelancers face. I’ll also discuss how to handle those challenges that are most unique to freelancing.

Types of Challenges

There are basically three common types of challenges that freelancers face:

1. Personal challenges–While they affect freelancers, these challenges aren’t unique to freelancers. Nearly everyone faces challenges related to their personal lives such as the birth of a new family, the death of a family member, serious illness, and so on.
2. Professional challenges–Professional challenges have to do specifically with the work that you do. For a freelancer this could be changing technology, changing your niche, starting (or ending) your freelancing career, or even losing a client.
3. Socioeconomic challenges–These challenges are also often not specific to freelancers. They have to with such broad issues as governmental change, marketplace conditions, and cultural changes. These challenges can even include dealing with natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and other weather-related changes.

While there’s no denying that all types of challenges can affect a freelancer, the professional challenges that freelancers can face are somewhat unique. That’s why this post will focus mostly on those.

Dealing with Professional Challenges as a Freelancer

As a freelancer, you may have already faced one of the challenges listed below. (If you haven’t dealt with any of these yet, you soon will.)

Here is a list of unique freelancing challenges and a few words of advice on how to deal with each one:

1. Starting freelancing–Starting out as a freelancer can be quite a challenge. Most freelancers have preconceived notions (often idealized) about what freelancing is like, and usually the reality turns out to be quite different. So, what’s the best way for a prospective freelancer to tackle the challenge? Read everything you can about freelancing before you start, paying particular attention to materials written by actual freelancers. Make a list of recurring problems in what you read because if something is being written about over and over again, chances are that it is happening to most freelancers. Brainstorm and come up with possible fixes for the items on your list.
2. Ending freelancing–It’s not often written about, but ending a freelancing career can be just as stressful as starting one. If you’ve decided to stop freelancing (for whatever reason), realize that you’ll need to make some adjustments. If you’ll be assuming a traditional job, remember that there will be certain restrictions on your activities. As a freelancer, you enjoyed an immense amount of freedom that may not be yours as an employee. Just some of the challenges that you may face include adherence to a dress code, set working hours, a commute, and dealing with office politics. To prepare yourself, try easing into your new schedule. Even before your job starts, begin getting up at what will become your regular time and dressing up. You may want to practice driving the route to work.
3. The feast or famine cycle–A popular topic among freelancers is the feast or famine cycle. This is a reference to the fact that one week you may be very busy with project work and the next you may have practically nothing to do. Nearly every freelancer has experienced this challenge at one time or another. If the famine part of the cycle persists, the freelancer may even find themselves facing financial difficulties. Prepare for this challenge by keeping in touch with prospective clients (even when you are busy), saving money for your slow periods, and negotiating better deadlines when you are overbooked.
4. Losing a long-term client–Long-term clients often become friends, but even without that relationship there’s a certain amount of comfort in knowing that you have work to keep you busy for the foreseeable future. So, when a long-term client leaves you may be tempted to torture yourself by wondering what went wrong. While a little bit of introspection can be healthy, make sure that you don’t wallow in it. Sometimes clients just leave through no fault of yours. To prepare yourself for the loss of a long-term client, avoid relying too heavily (emotionally or financially) on a single client. Continue to communicate with prospective clients even if you feel that your long-term client is giving you enough work. Finally, if they move on, be ready to move on as well.
5. Changing a niche–Freelancers often change niches. Sometimes they discover an area where they excel or that interests them more than their original direction. Sometimes they become bored with they are doing and decide to make a change. Whatever the reason, this challenge can be almost as stressful as starting a new freelancing business. Do minimize the stress, do your homework. Learn everything that you can about your new niche before you make the change. Make sure that there’s a market for what you plan on doing. Decide whether you will continue to offer your current specialty to existing clients only, or whether you will refer them to another freelance professional.
6. Client criticism–If you’ve ever had to deal with the public, you know that people can be mean and clients can be worse. Many freelancers are wrapped up in what they do, so if a client offers criticism it can seem personal (even if it isn’t). This is especially true if the client uses a harsh tone of voice or otherwise seems angry. This is a difficult challenge for freelancers to face. To prepare yourself for it, establish a policy of not responding immediately if you are angry. It’s better to let the client wait while your emotions die down than to fire off an angry email or make an angry phone call. If a client phone conversation unexpectedly takes a turn for the worse, try to stay calm until you can get off the phone. Try saying something like, “let me research that and get back to you.” This has the dual purpose of allowing your emotions to settle while you investigate the client’s complaint.
7. Technology changes–Freelancers must stay current to stay marketable. This means constantly learning and updating your skills. While some freelancers enjoy learning new things, others may find it a stressful addition to an already busy schedule. In addition, getting training can cost money and freelancers are often on a tight budget. To overcome this challenge, learn to expect it. Set aside a portion of your budget and part of your time for training every month. Make a list of skills that you need or would like to learn. Update it often. (What you’re doing is developing your own professional training plan.)

Your Turn

Did I miss any common freelancing challenges? If I did, be sure to share them in the comments.

Have you faced any of these freelancing challenges? If so, how did you solve them?

Image by andy_c

Are you one of those people who always get the Monday Blues?

Do you have to drag yourself out of bed? Do you feel sluggish and unmotivated all day Monday? And does every thing seem to go wrong on this day?

The Monday blues are common. In fact, a study by the firm Mercer found that 35% of all sick leave is taken on a Monday. In another study, more than 25% of people surveyed said the thought of going back to work on Monday morning was enough to ruin their weekend.

These studies were done among employees, and you’re a freelancer. But I’ll bet if you could take Mondays off, you would.

What’s Wrong with Mondays Anyway?

It’s natural to be in a bad mood on Mondays. Most likely, you spent the weekend having fun, going to bed late and then sleeping in. You’re sleep deprived, and your body clock has been reset to “weekend mode.”

Of course you’re going to be particularly exhausted on Monday morning. You won’t be ready to take on a new work day, because your physically fatigued.

You’re also longing to extend the leisurely pace of the weekend, the absence of obligations, and the time spent with family and friends. Weekends mean fun and relaxation. Mondays mean work and responsibilities. The choice is obvious, isn’t it?

And if you hateyour work, then Mondays become even more torturous.

Make Mondays Marvelous

You don’t have to give in to the melancholy of Mondays. Below are six tips for making Mondays marvelous.

1. Wake up early — or not

The jury’s still out on this one. Some people advise getting up early on Monday mornings, so we can get an early start and avoid the stress and problems that come with being late.

Others suggest sleeping in for at least an hour, and then gradually easing into the rest of the day.

I say you experiment and do what works best for you. In my case, when children have school, I have no choice but to get up early, pack lunches, and get the munchkins ready for school. On vacations, I find that waking up late tends to make me more depressed. The morning seems to fly by and I find myself having very little time left to tackle my to-do list.

2. Cheer yourself up

You know yourself best, so you know how to get yourself out of a Monday morning funk. This could mean wearing your favorite clothes (fortunately for us freelancers, we can work in our jammies, if that’s what cheers you up). Ladies, put on some makeup. You’ll look and feel better. Put on your fave music. Talk to friends who always manage to make you laugh.

3. Schedule a fun activity

Nothing will get you jumping out of bed faster than knowing you’re going to do something you enjoy. Schedule a favorite activity on Mondays. Plan to work in a coffee shop, if that floats your boat. Make a lunch date with a friend. Or reward yourself with a cupcake at the end of the day. Promise yourself a long, hot bath before bed.

It doesn’t have to be extravagant. It does have to be something you’ll look forward to.

4. Take it easy

Don’t schedule difficult, complicated, or important activities on Monday. Instead, use that time for menial tasks, jobs you enjoy (to the point you’d do them even if you weren’t paid). For example, if you hate updating your books, don’t do that on Mondays. Fridays might be a better day.

If you can help it, don’t arrange interviews or client meetings on Mondays. Your client or prospect is probably having the Monday blues too.

5. Get a head-start

Sometimes, we dread Mondays, because we left loose ends the week before. Make Mondays easier for you by preparing for it the week or the day before.

On Fridays, make sure to tie up loose ends involving work (that is, unless you work on Saturdays). Write Monday’s to-do list on Friday, too, or on Sunday at the latest.

On Sunday evening, review your task list for Monday. Imagine yourself tackling each activity with energy and clarity, completing each one on time. Make plans: schedule when you will do each task and rest easy in the knowledge that you’re prepared for Monday.

6. Look on the bright side

Finally, a simple change in attitude and perspective will make Mondays, not just tolerable, but something you look forward to. Remind yourself how many people are struggling because they don’t have work. Imagine the unemployed who does not have a reason to get out of bed — except to hit the pavement again, looking for a job. Look at all the blessings you have: your clients, your projects, your family and friends, your health.

Soon you’ll realize each Monday is a sign that you’re still alive. You have a fresh week to achieve your goals and accomplish what you’ve set out to do.

If you think about Mondays this way, then you just might be grateful for each Monday, instead of dreading it.

How Do You Deal with Mondays?

I know someone who actually gets a high every time Monday rolls in. While I’m not that enthusiastic about Mondays, I don’t dread them all that much, either. I use some of the techniques I described above to recognize the gift and all the possibilities that each Monday offers.

How about you? How do you deal with Mondays? Is it a tough day for you to get over? Or is it just like any other week day?

I’d love to hear about your experience. Tell us about it in the comments below.

Image by Perfecto Insecto

Do you crave a balance between your work and your personal life?

Most freelancers do, but the challenges of working from home can sometimes make life/work balance seem unattainable. You may feel like you are constantly being pulled towards both family and work commitments–a bit like being in the middle of a tug-of-war.

One answer that can help you achieve better balance between your work and personal life is boundaries. In this post, I’ll explain how boundaries help freelancers. I’ll also list some of the areas where you should consider establishing boundaries in your own freelancing business.

Why Boundaries Help

All of us have many personal and professional responsibilities. While sometimes the two can be handled simultaneously, often they cannot.

For most freelancers, boundaries can help maintain a semblance of order in their lives. When you set up a boundary, you are creating a separation between your work and personal life. Or, you are limiting the scope of your professional life so that it doesn’t affect your personal life. While some freelancers may not wish for such a division, most find it helpful.

Setting boundaries also helps protect freelancers from burnout. Without boundaries and with an office in your home, it can be just too tempting to work all of the time. But, overwork is a sure path to stress and ultimate burnout.

7 Areas Where Boundaries Can Help

Where should you set your boundaries? Every freelancer will have a different answer. Some may wish for a quiet environment, while others can happily work in the midst of a commotion. You will have to decide which boundaries will help you the most.

Here are some common boundaries that many freelancers set. You may find that one or more of these also works for you:

1. Space boundaries. Many freelancers benefit from having a specific space dedicated to work in their home. This can be an actual home office with a door (think: spare bedroom) or an unused corner of a much larger room. Designating a particular space for work tells others in your home that the space is off-limits for other uses. Be sure to enforce your boundaries. If another family member wants to use your space, tell them that it is not available.
2. Privacy boundaries. Often freelancers seek to keep personal information (such as their home phone number or the names of family members) separate from professional information. This can be accomplished with a dedicated business line. This keeps clients (and others) from calling you on your home phone at all hours of the night and day. Many freelancers also dedicate one social media platform (often Facebook) to sharing with friends and family only.
3. Limiting interruptions. Interruptions can really throw a freelancer off. That’s why many freelancers develop a boundary that helps limit those interruptions. For physical interruptions, an office with a door helps. For telephone interruptions, requiring an appointment for calls (and otherwise using voice mail) can keep interruptions to a minimum. Some freelancers designate certain hours during the day as the “office hours” and only answer calls during those times.
4. Managing expectations. It’s important to have happy clients. Surprisingly, one of the best ways get happy clients is by not promising too much initially and then exceeding expectations. If you fail to set a boundary of reasonable expectations with your client and promise too much, your clients will expect you to live up to your promises. Worse yet, they will have unreasonable expectations in future dealings with you as well.
5. Limiting distractions. Distractions are everywhere. If they’re not managed carefully, distractions can really cut into a freelancer’s time. Who hasn’t lost track of time while surfing the Web? Fortunately, there are now many online tools to help you eliminate distractions. A good schedule can also help. If you plan how you are going to spend your day, you are less likely to fritter time away.
6. Protecting your daily schedule. Limiting distractions and interruptions is just one way of protecting your time, but it is important to have boundaries in place to make sure that you get the most out of your day. Unfortunately, freelancers who work from home are often perceived as being “available.” Friends and family members come out of the woodwork to ask for favors. Make it clear that you work too. Refuse time-consuming tasks by stating unapologetically, “I’m sorry, I have to work.”
7. Protecting personal time. As a freelancer, I’ve been tempted to work right through weekends and holidays, haven’t you? However, it’s important to take time off if you’re in freelancing for the long haul. That means you have to set aside personal time. When a client asks you to work on a day that you already have scheduled as a day off, try negotiating with that client. Usually they will understand.

Your Turn

How do you set boundaries in your freelancing business? Share some of the specific boundaries you’ve set and explain why you set them in the comments.

Image by sludgeulper