I get a lot of questions from people seeking advice on how much to charge, how to handle a certain type of client, and other freelance related things. Following the mantra of every teacher ever, if one person has a question more people probably have the same one. So I figured why not post a question every week from a reader and I will answer it, and of course leave it open for comments.

So here’s a call to action- Fill out the contact form or email me at joe@freelancingthenet.com with a freelance question you have. I will publish the first question/answer next week. If you’re not sure what you should ask, here are some things I consider myself very good at:

• Being a student/freelancer (that’s all I was up until May)
• Finding Work
• Web Development
• Client Relationships

I look forward to hearing from you!

Tags: answer, Q/A, question, site news, tips | Posted in Advice, Announcements, Ask Me About It | No Comments »

About two weeks ago I posed my question sheet for clients as a resource for thise who might find it useful. Today’s resouces comes from Smashing Magazine, who posted a list for 45 Lists and Questionnaires for web designers. They range from client focused stuff like the question sheet I posted to checklists about the design process. Definitely a set of resources that are helpful throughout the entire process of web design.

(link to post)Visit 45 Useful Lists & Questionnaires

Especially when you’re just starting out, finding work can be a difficult and intimidating process. You might not be sure where to look or exactly how to word that email. Fear not: I’m here to help. Today I’m going to talk about three ways to find work, what to look for, and how to keep it coming.

Tags: clients, Freelance Switch, gigs, networking, people, referrals, relationships, work | Posted in Advice | No Comments »

Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is  gauge a new client. What do they do? Who is their audience? What kind of designs work best for their industry? Even before eliciting requierments for the website, it’s good to get to know the client by using some of these questions. About a year ago I came up with this question sheet to do just that. I ask for information about their business/organization, their basic needs for a website, and what they want from me. I also ask for and provide them with contact information. I’ve added it the Freelancing the Net Documents Folder. Feel free to use it for yourself!

(link to post)Visit Question Sheet

As per usual, FreelanceSwitch has published a great article, this time regarding college freelancers. As someone who up until a couple of weeks ago has been exclusively a student freelancer, this stuff really rings true. Especially this little number:

Try to keep your student status out of it

Words cannot describe how frustrating a client can be pre-contract when they find out you’re a student. I do feel however, that once you’ve developed a rapport it’s ok to mention- my clients have been very understanding, especially when it came to crunch time in the semester.

So go ahead and check out the other 4 tips. All really great adivce if you’re a student looking to freelance.

(link to post)Visit 5 Tips for College Freelancers

Way back in March I started using FreshBooks as my bookkeeping tool of choice. This was the last time (hopefully for a while) that I changed my method of bookkeeping. Since high school I knew I wanted to keep my books and general accounting organized but when I was new to the game I wasn’t quite sure how. I did what made sense to me and used Excel. This actually went on for quite a while- well into college- because it worked for me, I wasn’t making that much money so I didn’t have a whole lot to keep track of, and it wasn’t costing me money. Then I switched because I wanted something more sophisticated- it was more of a need based thing. Whatever it is you’re looking for, really think about it so you’re not switching software or processes when it’s least convenient- information can get lost and you don’t want to have it in several places as opposed to one. Whatever you choose, it needs to work for you.

Tags: accounting, freshbooks, invoicing, productivity, tips, tools | Posted in Advice | 2 Comments »