Once I had started to create digital art, I posted it on forums and communities etc..my first customer saw some of my earlier works, and thought I could create something for one of their websites, so they got in touch with me and I did, we were both pleased with how it turned out, and I realised that it was easier than I thought and had fun doing it at the same time, I just had got paid for something I enjoyed doing..surely that’s everyone’s dream job. If one customer liked this, then i am sure other’s would too, so that’s when I started to take designing a little more seriously, and set up a website to showcase my artwork..

2. When you started freelancing, what were your goals? Do they differ to what they are now? What conscious decisions did you make to reach your goals?

I had several goals on the road to freelancing, I think most of all I wanted to enjoy what I was doing, and what I was working on, I set goals like to evolve my work, and make new websites, set up projects and do more networking too. I dont think differ too much now, although at the beginning I was less picky and took pretty much most jobs, even with low budgets just to broaden my portfolio as I was breaking through into the industry.

3. What was the most important thing that allowed you to grow your business?

The most important thing I think was setting up my website. This was a key factor in looking more professional and getting more clients. Most of my clients now email me from finding my website actually. My business definitely grew from here, and now I will set up a website for each project, and always update current one’s to keep things fresh.

4. You have also created an ecommerce shop (Funkrush), could you tell us how that came about?

Funkrush originally started out as a hobby as I was developing and bringing myself into the creative industries. I had made a lot of contact with illustrators and designers via networking and in person. So I got friends to design shirts, found a printer and set up a quick website and started selling! Born and bred in the online ghetto, it features designs by some of todays most recognised contemporary illustrators. Funkrush produces a variety of products, mainly focusing on tshirts but also zip up hoodies, socks and even prints.

I tout Funkrush as being urban apparel but it’s more of a mixture of urban infused graffiti street art mixed with cool, funky, and unique characters. We use the tagline “clothing that makes you smile” for the business, and it’s a very accurate take on our products. It has developed ever since and is now stocked all over Europe, I have more plans to develop it too!

5. How do you balance your time between selling tshirts and Freelancing?

Well to be honest, I think its about 50/50…although recently I have started designing more and have spent less time on Funkrush. Ideally I will get people to run Funkrush for me so I can concentrate on designing more and not have to worry about things like order fulfillment, which is actually starting to annoy me, however sales have grown its still enough for me to handle. It would be great to market and advertise Funkrush more, actually..im pretty busy, so organising time between the two is pretty hard, but I am a pretty laid back kind of guy so I dont let it stress me too much.

6. What are your plans for 2010?

Relaunch my personal portfolio (which should have launched while you are reading this – www.peteharrison.com), also relaunch Supercombo, I have a lot of new products for it, I was going to build a new Funkrush website, which not only stocked Funkrush but other brands too, like supercombo..so I can start to combine my projects and things will be easier to handle! I want to upgrade my stockroom, print a bunch of new tshirts, and get some nice clients design wise. I also want to upgrade my studio, and sell a lot of stuff I have that I don’t need..perhaps do more traveling too!

But then I realized that a large portion of Chris’s audience is made up of freelance designers, and since I’m a freelance copywriter, this would mean I’d be talking to a lot of people who dress cooler than me.

But if you’re willing to overlook my writer’s penchant for Fred Perry cardigans, I promise to talk about something we all agree is of utmost importance to every freelancer, regardless of stripe, (or argyle) and that is: making money.

And so today I’d like to share advice on how to market your freelance business when you already have business coming in the door.

Why is it so important to market yourself when you’re already flush with projects?

Because money in the bank and a few projects on the go can be the death rattle for freelancers. The reason is because these things provide a false sense of security. As a freelancer, when money is rolling in, it becomes too easy and too enjoyable to “go with the flow.” With less pressure on you to bring in more business, you can become undisciplined.

Maybe you start to sleep in an extra hour. Or you spend a little more time each day e-mailing friends, clicking around on Twitter and generally wasting time.

But the defining characteristic of freelance work is that it’s project based. And all projects, however lucrative, eventually come to an end, so you must keep up your search for new projects.

This doesn’t mean you need to be obsessive about this, but it does mean you should consistently market your services.

Here are four things you can do to help keep your marketing funnel full.

Send thank you notes to clients and colleagues. This is an easy one. Buy a pack of 50 thank you cards, and keep them on your desk. Every Friday, write five thank you cards to clients, colleagues, and others who have helped you in your business, or have the potential to do so.

This is one of the oldest techniques for keeping your name in front of clients and prospects, but very, VERY few freelancers actually do this. (Good news for you – you’ll stand out.)

Set up Google Alerts and check them! Assemble a list of keywords in Google Alerts that are relevant to clients in your industry.

With a constant supply of relevant, fresh industry news, you’ll have a list of topics you can pass along to clients, with a little note saying, “Saw this, thought you’d be interested in the part about…”

You can also use these Alerts as fodder for your own blog posts, newsletter articles, tweets, or as part of a larger special report you might write as a lead generating “buzz piece.”

Create your own Case Study. Sure, you have a nice portfolio of work, but just showing clients your “book” doesn’t always communicate the impact that your design work had on a project does it?

Why not write some short narrative copy about the project, explaining what your design helped your client achieve? Show this narrative alongside images of your work, convert it to a nice PDF and you’ve got a one or two-page “case study” – an impressive, professional looking sales tool that you can send to prospective clients.

Rather than just taking the laid-back (read: lazy) attitude that “the work speaks for itself” invest a little time writing up a narrative that makes it crystal clear how integral you were to the project.

“But I’m not a writer!” you might say. Fine. But I’ll bet you know one. Trade some design services with a copywriter in return for help with your case study narrative. (Example: You design her case studies, she writes yours. Easy-peasy.)

Set aside a block of time for your “marketing” activities. All this means is that you schedule time to actually do things that relate directly to marketing your services. Maybe 30 minutes every morning, or maybe 2 to 3 hours every Friday, it really doesn’t matter when, as long as you do this consistently.

This may not be your idea of fun, but once you make a habit of it (and once you start getting clients as a result of it!) it will feel like much less of a chore.

Of the four tips above, the most important one is number four. Most freelancers are strapped into the feast-and-famine roller coaster because they only get out and market themselves when they’re desperate for money with no projects on the horizon.

Do not let that be your fate. Keep marketing, even when you’re doing well, so you can step off that roller coaster once and for all and start living the balanced, wealthy freelancer life you deserve.

Pete Savage is co-author of The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle. Order Pete’s book this week from Amazon.com and get up to $300 in free instructional materials to help you attract more clients and better paying projects. Click here for more info!

With the importance role that networking plays for freelancers, the question then becomes where do we network? As far as events and organizations go, networking can be done in two ways. One approach is to register and attend events organized by industry associations for the industry to which the you belongs. For instance, if you are a copywriter, find and join international, regional and local copywriters associations. Given the dynamic and fluid nature of the freelancer’s job description, there are times when there might not be an industry association that completely represents what you do. When faced with that kind of scenario, you can look for associations that are closest to representing your area of work.

The second approach is to join the industry associations that your clients belong to. This is probably the more effective of the two since you get to interact with a large number of potential clients and there is a likelihood of getting positive responses from at least some participants as long as you present yourself effectively. Such workshops and conferences organized by these associations provide a highly accurate form of marketing where you are able to access a sizeable number of clients and compares well with other forms of advertising such as posters and brochures where a lot of energy might be expended in marketing yourself to people that might not really need your business service.

But just attending the events is not enough. How you carry yourself holds the key to whether your networking is effective or whether it backfires and, in one swoop, ruins your reputation in the industry. One tip is to arrive early (10-15 minutes for instance) for any meeting or event. This is not only a good show of professionalism but also allows adequate time to talk to the attendees before the sessions kick off. As you interact with other people in attendance, you must be careful not to fall into the trap of selling yourself too hard. Looking like you are only in the event to network, even though it might be true, might not set well with others. Carrying yourself with confidence as opposed to appearing desperate is one way to win the trust of a future business associate. Take time to listen to everyone you interact with before introducing what you do. Chances are that they are the ones that will ask what you do.

1. Job Opportunity.

With today’s economy there are many people who simply can’t find work or who are working less hours than they need to make ends meet. Becoming a freelancer will provide you with job opportunities as long as you are willing to go out and search for them

2. Financial Gain.

You can either work as a freelancer in your spare time which will help supplement your income or you can choose to work at home full time. Either way if you put in the time and effort you can actually gain financially over what you make at your day job.

3. Set You Own Hours.

You can set your own hours. If you choose to work 12 or 14 hour days for three or 4 days and then have a long weekend you can. If you prefer to work during the wee hours of the morning and then sleep during the day time you can do that as well. You can choose your own hours and work as much as little as you choose without worrying about getting demoted or fired.

4. Accept only those jobs you want.

When you work for a big or little company, you work for the clients they accept. Here you accept only the jobs and clients you want.

5. Be your own boss.

By becoming a freelancer you become your own boss. Which means not only can you set your own hours, your own vacation time, but your own rate of pay as well.

6. Saves Money.

Becoming a freelancer can actually save you money. You don’t have the expense of gas to and from work, or eating lunch out. You can dress anyway you please which helps to save on your clothing budget and you are not asked to put in for co workers birthdays, baby showers, weddings, and other celebrations which can add up to a big chunk out of your paycheck.

7. No daily commutes.

You no longer have to fight rush hour traffic or drive long distances to the office. You can simply jump out of bed, grab a cup of coffee, and you’re at work.

8. Less Work Related Stress.

When you work as a freelancer you can eliminate a lot of the work related stress that surrounds working in an office with other people who may have conflicting personalities or annoying habits. Since you set your hours and take the amount of work that you know you can comfortably handle there will also be less deadline stress.

9. Independence.

As a freelancer you have the independence to work from anywhere you please. You can work from home or pack up the laptop and do a bit of traveling while working on the road.

10. Personal Satisfaction.

There is nothing like the personal satisfaction you get from building your freelance career from scratch and becoming a success at it.

11.Doing Something You Love.

This last reason is possibly the most important. You get to do something you love. So much of our are lives spent working why not do something you truly enjoy?

But be encouraged, there are also some very successful freelancers running great businesses.

The difference? Well, there are many and if you look around the blog you can find a load of ways you can be more successful. But for the purpose of this post, I am going to suggest that great freelancers understand personal branding.

Branding a business, even if only a one person operation, can do a lot of things in terms of the business’s sucess. A good brand builds credibility, client loyalty, delivers a target message to clients and other businesses, and even helps in your marketing strategy.

There’s many components that make up a brand, so we’ll start with one of the first considerations and that’s your company name.

What’s in a Name?

Just like your own name, your freelancing business name is significant.

As a freelancer, you really have two main options.

1. Use your full name as the brand name.
2. Create a specialized brand name.

This choice should be made with the future in mind. Don’t be flippant and assume you can just change the name at any given point.

If you plan to turn your one man show into a firm one day, you need to weigh up whether ‘Your Name’ will work as an appropriate business name. Just think about Adidas, Johnson & Johnson and Ogilvy.

On the other hand, a very clever brand name can be very memorable. When I first started as a freelance designer, I used the name Breadlegs. Nearly everyone asked me why the business was called Breadlegs and I made up a different story each time. I haven’t traded under that brand for over 5 years now, but I still get people asking.

So to summarize, there is no right and wrong. You will, however, need to refer to the name a lot in your day to day activities, so make sure it’s pronounceable and clear.

The bad thing about freelancing is that unless you work, you don’t get paid. The hardest part is actually getting through the projects that you have. You’re probably familiar with the creative block, which is an inability to create anything at that particular moment in time. There are of course, other things that can get in the way of getting your work done such as sicknesses, other chores, etc. Luckily, there are ways to get over every imaginable obstacle out there.

Here’s 5 tips to help you increase your productivity and get your work done in a timely manner:

1. Create a schedule

Do this before you go to bed every night so that you will have a generalized idea of how your day is going to look. Keep in mind that nothing ever goes exactly as planned, so be prepared for a dozen unexpected things to occur. Create an outline of how your day might go, and make it a point to pave out a time frame at which you will get your work done. Doing this will help to mentally prepare you for the day ahead.

2. Rise Early

Make writing the first thing you do in the morning. If there are other chores, go ahead and get them out of the way as well. Some days it may be easy to get up and start writing, and then others, it may be easier to get up and do your other chores. Consider alternating to keep things interesting, or, if you would prefer, stick to one certain way of doing things everyday in order to create a routine.

3. Eat Breakfast and Exercise

This may sound like it has nothing to do with increasing productivity, but it is very important. A lot of people assume that sitting at a computer all day is a piece of cake – not exhausting in the least bit. Well, as you may already know, that’s a big fat load of crap! Writing can be very exhausting, especially mentally. You’re going to need energy, and the best way to get it is to make sure you eat breakfast and get some exercise. You don’t have to exercise early in the day if you do not want to. Some people work out when they first wake up, others do it on their lunch breaks, and then others workout a few hours before bed at night. You’re going to need that extra boost every day.

4. Take Breaks

No one says that you have to work for a solid block of five hours straight, or even two hours straight for that matter. When you find yourself feeling distracted, mentally exhausted, or even a bit tense and irritated with what you’re doing, get up and move around. Go do something totally different for about 30 minutes. Take your mind completely off your writing and just relax. Take the dog for a walk, do the laundry, wash the dishes – whatever you do, just keep it simple. When you return to your computer, you’ll be ready to write!

5. Know When to Quit

Do not assume that you have all day to do your work because it won’t get done. Set a time limit for yourself. For example, you might say, “In the morning, I am going to wake up at 5:00 AM, work for 1 ½ hours, and then get some chores done for two hours. After that, I am going to sit down for 3 more 90-minute rounds of working, and then I am going to be finished. I plan on being completely finished by 4:00 PM.” When it’s time to stop – stop. You can’t let your work drag out all day, if you do that, you’ll be miserable.

Over the last few years I have used various freelancers. Their jobs have ranged from writing or graphic design to web-design. I have provided work for musicians, fashion designers, artists and consultants. I have been impressed and at other times seriously disappointed.

So here’s my list (and forgive me for starting with #2…)

2. We want you to listen.

Yes… listen! It’s a very simple exercise that many fail at. We want you to listen to what our needs are for the project. We don’t want you to push your favourite piece of code or your latest flash animation trick. Only suggest them if they will add actual value to our project (not your invoice).

1. We want you to listen.

Did I say that already? Being a freelancer means a lot of work in creating clients and sales. Yes you need to put bread on the table, but to see us just as clients will mean you miss a returning customer or a recommendation.

We buy into you first your skills second. Take ‘L’. L is an extremely friendly guy. He will take calls from clients even when there is nothing to be sold. He is a top seller in his company because he sees people first and sales figures second. His clients and vendors return to him not necessarily because he provides the cheapest or best products and services. He gets taken out to lunch often by people passing through to say thank you. He has listened to life-stories and problems.

Likewise I have returned to certain freelancers, coffee-shops and clothing boutiques because I felt valued as a person (not a customer).

If you’re not a ‘people person’ you may have picked the wrong career. Am I saying we just want to be friends? In a way yes. And if you don’t like us FAKE IT!! I would be grateful if you were sincere in caring, but the truth is we won’t know the difference. Email clients such as outlook have sections for detailing information concerning spouses, birthdays, anniversaries and children. They are there to be used within a business context rather than forgetful dads.

3. We want you to be professional.

We want the services/product you agreed to provide at the price we agreed to by the time we agreed to. If you can be early- even better. We want you to be on time for meetings; to reply to our emails and phone-calls.

4. We don’t want to be ripped off!!

This is a particular pet peeve of mine. As most freelancers would place themselves in the entrepreneur bracket they are very quick to ’steal an idea’. This has happened to me on several occasions. Word gets around when someone has no or little ethics in their business dealings. If you think you can do a better job with the project or product then set-up a separate meeting and request a ‘buy-in’ if you really think it’s that good. You may make a quick buck now, but people will soon realise you are not worthy of their time or ideas. You will lose integrity*, ‘friends’ and money in the long-run.
*personal and professional integrity go hand-in-hand.

If you can fulfill these four and a half criteria and provide a great product/service we will always be returning customers and recommend you to others we know.

Not just any old site will get onto these galleries though. Your site needs to be built solid and have a level of uniqueness to it.
There’s many different galleries and you’ll be blown away to start with. So maybe pick 10 at a time and just get submitting.

If you’re going to go through this process, you might as well submit to the higher quality sites that will give you the best results. Especially ones with high levels of traffic to get you more exposure.

Here’s a short video explaining more:

Here’s a list that I think are high quality.

CSS Mania
CSS Drive
CSS Beauty
Web Creme
Best Web Gallery
CSS Remix
CSS Elite

Feel free to comment with the best CSS sites that you’ve found.

A total job costing is great if it results in being fair for both parties involved once the job is completed. These can be great for cash-flow, as well as when planning other work to complete alongside the ‘hours’ already ‘booked’. There is also the added bonus of making more money on a job if it does not take you as long as you expected.

On the downside, design can be subject to a lot of change and rethinking even if brand, target market, colour ideas etc. are already known. Freelance Designers can be stuck with jobs that are taking a lot longer than the cost really allows, then being left with the dreadful choice of either being paid less than the job deserves, or worse, not at all.
Alternatively you can bill the client on an hourly rate. This can be invoiced as a retainer during the work. This is often based upon a number of hours per week the project is expected to take. Any additional hours or half hours can be added to this via individual invoice. By invoicing extra work in smaller chunks this is much better for your cash-flow as well as for the client as they have no nasty large bill at the end.

By billing in half hours as well as hourly keeps the timing accurate and clients really appreciate this. It encourages them to work efficiently on a project but not rush it, which is ideal for good creative input on both sides as well as ensuring a result that both parties are really pleased with. Ensure you keep good time records, so a clear picture can be built.

Clients are often quicker to sign off copy and images, as well as not revising copy as much as if the price was ’set’ This has the added bonus of making the work more straightforward as well as knowing you are always being paid for the hours put in.

Although this method of working is criticised in the Freelance world, there is a lot to be said for being paid hourly for design jobs. Clients are happy paying a fair price for the time effort and work they receive. I would argue that both parties can work much better, especially if to complete a job well, it needs to take longer than anticipated.

Think about how this pricing structure could affect the way that you work. If you think that introducing hourly rates would be good for you, try it. There is some great time sheet software online that can help you, it could really improve the way you work alongside clients and the way you approach your work.

However, there’s a multitude of skills that will translate well into working freelance and one of those that we will focus on here is the freelance virtual assistant.

If you have some experience in an administrative field, or can offer virtual services to business clients, then you are a prime candidate for having a successful virtual assistant business.

Getting started as a virtual assistant requires a few simple steps. There is no formal credential process to become a virtual assistant, but there are several companies who offer training and their own credentialing. This is not absolutely necessary to be a successful virtual assistant, but it can be helpful in obtaining jobs as a newcomer. Before you sign up for any program or course, do your due diligence and investigate the company. Get recommendations from other successful virtual assistants and consider finding a mentor who can help you get started.

Legally, you’ll need a business license in order to become an independent contractor. By obtaining a business license you’ll be able to open up a business bank account and keep your business and personal finances separately. Being legal also means you can declare many of your business expenses as tax write offs.

Once you’ve set up your home office, youíll need to establish your virtual office. On the Internet, you’ll use a website to advertise yourself as a virtual assistant. Having a website is essential to establishing your presence. If web design is not in your skill set, find someone who can make a website for you. Try to contact other virtual assistants and see if you can barter for the design if it’s something that you cannot afford to begin with.

On your website you should, at minimum, list your services and who you are. You can also include an hourly rate, although many virtual assistants like to charge by the project instead of by the hour. As far as services go, don’t offer services that you don’t like to do. If you can make spreadsheets but don’t like to do it, then don’t offer that service. If you have background in a specific field, for example law, then list this as a specialty. You can also specialize in the type of work that you offer. Many virtual assistants limit their business to writing and editing, web design, data management or planning, but some offer a mixture of all types of services. Remember, this is your business and you can choose what tasks that you want to perform.

The best way to get virtual assistant jobs to begin with is to start networking. Your best leads will come through people that you already know, whether they are online or in your hometown. Let people know what you are offering and promote your website address so people can see who you are and what you are doing. Make sure to include up to date contact information on your web page, including a phone number.

When you get your first client, its important to have a contract set in place before you start working on a project. You can get many sample contracts online that you can adapt for your needs. Make sure you and the client are both on the same page about the type of work that you will be doing. That way there are no surprises when you deliver the project and your bill.

After you have a few projects under your belt, you’ll begin to build a reputation. Then your virtual assistant business will grow naturally to include repeat clients and new projects. When you consistently do good work, your reputation will precede you and you may have more projects that you know what to do with in a short period of time. Make sure not to overbook yourself, and collect a network of other virtual assistants who are willing to take overflows for you if the need arises.

Getting your virtual assistant business off on the right foot is simple when you follow the basic steps mentioned above.