Paul D. Jacobs - Freelance Web Programmer

Which is Better for Mobile Freelancing? Netbooks vs. Laptops

neojakey51 — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:49:14 +0000

As a busy freelancer, your life constantly involves darting from place to place at break-neck speed, whilst trying to juggle your various streams of freelance work.

To accompany this mad mobile lifestyle (that only the bravest of people choose) you need a tool that can keep up the pace and never drag you down.

So, you go to the computer section of your favorite electronics outlet and you begin to wonder what equipment to purchase. What will best meet your needs?

You wonder, should I get a netbook, should I get a laptop, or something else?

In this post, we’ll discuss the pros and cons for selecting a laptop and a netbook.

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Do You Have the One Crucial Skillset All Freelancers Need?

neojakey51 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:52:19 +0000

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of building your freelancing skillset here on Freelance Folder. It makes sense that to be successful as a freelancer you should be good at what you do.

If you’re a freelance designer, you should be very good at design. If you’re a freelance programmer you should be very good at programming. If you’re a freelance writer, you’d better be good at writing. If you’re a freelance photographer, you should be good at taking pictures. And so on.

However, there’s one skill that’s crucial to freelancers, but rarely talked about. Can you guess what that skill is?

In this post, I’ll identify that crucial skill and explain why it’s so important.

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How to Make the Most of Google Alerts

neojakey51 — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:28:53 +0000

As a freelancer, your business revolves around the online world. From working with online companies to keeping up with the latest trends, you would likely be lost without the assistance of online searches. However, while you may depend on internet searches to remain a successful freelancer, you may not be using searches in the best or most efficient manner.

Specifically if you haven’t yet harnessed the power of Google Alerts, you’re missing out on many benefits such as better results and reduced search time. The following are five ways Google Alerts can benefit your freelance business and why you should begin using them today.

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What to Do When You Have too Much Work

neojakey51 — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:55:17 +0000

We all strive to be there–we want to have so much work we never really have to advertise or cold call or do much marketing ever again. We want enough clients so that we can pick and choose the best ones with the best projects. But what happens when you actually make it there?

Personally, I have a tendency to overschedule myself–which is normally a good thing because clients usually take longer than they think they will to get the project to me. However, every so often it seems everyone does decide to start their projects on time and I end up working 15 hour days with little sleep.

No one likes working overtime, least of all a freelancer, so what do we do when we have too much work? How do we get our schedules on track?

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Why Freelancers Don’t Really Need a Business Plan

neojakey51 — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:59:24 +0000

Pick up any old business book and what’s the first thing they tell you that need to do before starting your business? Write out a business plan. While I can’t speak for any other types of businesses, I’ve found that as a freelancer, business plans are utterly useless, and in some cases, harmful.

Interestingly enough, larger companies are starting to come to the same conclusion. If you’ve ever read 37signal’s Rework book, you’ll know they’re also not a fan of the business plan. It’s interesting how a seemingly innocent piece of paper has now come under fire from several sources.

So why don’t you, as a freelancer, need a business plan? How can it do more harm than good?

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How to Switch Your Freelancing Niche

neojakey51 — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:19:45 +0000

If you’ve been a freelancer for a while, you’ve probably heard the advice that you need to select a niche. It’s much easier to stand out if you don’t try and be all things to everybody.

Many freelancers start off as generalists, and then narrow their focus down to one or two specialties. For example, if you’re a freelance copywriter, you might specialize in writing case studies for the B2B marketplace. Or a technical writer might specialize in user guides for networking-related products.

When you’re starting out, you often sell the skills you used in Corporate America as a service. Ideally, you find something you are good at that people will also pay you to do.

As you mature as a freelancer, however, you may find that you want to sell a different service. That’s perfectly okay. In this post, I’ll describe how I changed my niche and why. I’ll also list the steps you can take if you’re ready to change yours.

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5 Ways to Always Be Highly Motivated

neojakey51 — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:46:53 +0000

Work for me is not work. Why? Because I love what I do. Sure, I expend effort. I’m up early, before the rest of my colleagues, creating, planning and strategizing.

Even as I prepare this article I am seated in one of a few of my favorite cafes at 7 a.m., as is my habit, writing.

I’ll be at my office around 8.30 a.m., and before I get there I will have already written yet another ‘winning’ article designed specifically to help others to reach their full potential.

How do I do it? In this post, I’ll share what motivates me. It may work for you too.

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10 Ways to Zap Freelancing Stress Now

neojakey51 — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:46:58 +0000

Freelancers may have escaped office politics to pursue what we love from the comfort of their homes… or the nearest coffee shop. But that does not make us immune from stress.

In fact, if anything, life as a freelancer can be just as stressful–or even more so–than life as an employee.

When business is bad, we worry about bills, what we’ll feed our children next week, or where our next client is going to come from. When business is good, we struggle with deadlines and the fact that there are ONLY 24 hours in a day.

Whether our workload is heavy or light, we may have to contend with isolation (no more chats at the water cooler), lack of sunshine and exercise… all of which add up to one stressed out freelancer.

In this post, I’ll identify ten techniques you can use to zap your own stress.

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The Freelancer’s Pros and Cons of Participating in Interviews

neojakey51 — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:57:03 +0000

If you’ve been actively promoting your freelancing business and demonstrating your expertise in your field, chances are that eventually you will be asked to participate in an interview. The interview request could come from another freelancer, a blogger, or it could come from a member of the mainstream media.

Often, freelancers are uncertain about how to handle such requests. In this post, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of agreeing to an interview and provide you with tips that will help you prepare for a successful interview.

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Confessions from Inside of a Freelancer’s Own Family

neojakey51 — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:06:56 +0000

“Honey, I love you but….At times you really @#&% me off.”

At least that’s what one freelancer’s family member recently told them.

Did you ever wonder how your own family members feel about your freelancing? This guest post takes a look at freelancing from the perspective of a freelancer’s own family member.

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