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!

Microwhat?

Microstock companies are essentially stock photography and illustration agencies. Photographers and designers resell their images as royalty free for a small commission. Microstock sites sell images at a much lower price than the traditional photo agencies. The idea is that because the prices are more affordable, you will have a lot more sales from a lot more people. Sounds good so far.

Tell me more…

Microstock sites such as iStockphoto are free to join. You need to submit various samples of your work for initial approval as a contributor. The process can be quite strict depending on the Microstock agency. iStockphoto is one of the most difficult to get onto because the standard is very high.

When you are approved, you can upload files for sale. You’ll own all the rights to your work. The best sites will have a royalty free license that prevents your work from being resold or used for logos or branding.

From then on it’s pretty straight forward. You upload your best work, people download your best work. You get some nice royalty for each downloaded. Commissions vary from site to site.

Can I Earn Much?

Here’s the killer question, and your probably wondering whether it’s worth investing your time to make it work for you.

Well, many people get some quick results. They usually earn their first dollar within days or weeks of uploading their first files.

After a bit of investigation, i’ve found that there are a few ‘Microstock Celebrities’ emerging such as Lise Gagne and Yuri Arcurs. They make a full time income from Microstock sales.

Part of Your Plan

Overall, I think Microstock should be part of your plan and income strategy. It will be more work at the start, but you will reap the rewards from this further down the line.

Sometimes the best place to start with your freelance career is where your out of the home career ended. Many women find that they can become independent contractors in the field that they previously worked in. You can use your previous work experience as a launching pad for your freelance career. Some of the ways to use your experience to your advantage are: finding a company that hires people in your field to work from home, using your previous experience to become an ‘expert’ writer in your field or starting a business related to your previous field.

However, some people look at their freelance careers as a way to break out of their old job. If you’d like to try something completely different, there are plenty of opportunities for entry-level work as an independent contractor. Many of these jobs deal with telephone or online customer service. When you work as a customer service agent from your home, you just need a reliable Internet connection and a working phone. Companies also hire medical transcriptionists, data entry professionals and virtual personal assistants to telecommute.

If you want to start your own business, the opportunities are very vast. You can start with a direct sales company and sell products from an established brand to friends and neighbors. You’ll make commissions through your sales and also off of recruiting other people to sell the products. There are hundreds of direct sales companies that offer everything from aromatherapy products to candles to cooking supplies.

Another option for starting your own business is offering a service in your community. Day care center operators, florists, professional organizers and hairdressers all have the option of working at home, among many other professions. Of course, starting a business in your community normally means that you’ve had some experience in that field. However, there are some small business ideas that can be started without much experience at all.

Many women turn to the Internet for a source of at home income. The World Wide Web offers a plethora of job opportunities. You can offer your services online as a freelance web designer, writer or virtual assistant. You can also start an online store that sells products that you make yourself or have the rights to resell. Many freelances establish their businesses online by using one of the popular auction sites, like eBay. Still others find a home in internet marketing, by directing web traffic to a website and then recommending certain products and services.

Decide first what type of job you’d like to do and then work from there. If you are truly a people person and need to get out each day, direct sales or a local service business might be right for you. If you are the type of mom who lives online and is comfortable with the Internet, try finding a job or starting your own business on the web. If you like the comfort of having a weekly paycheck, look into telecommuting positions.

Once you’ve decided what category of job you’d like, do some research on what it takes to be successful at that type of business. If you feel like you are drawn to one particular business or company, then sit on your decision for a week and see how it feels. Imagine what your life will be like as you take on the duties of that job. Most importantly, be realistic with yourself about how much time you can devote to your business. Finding the right match isn’t hard when you thoroughly consider your options.