Business Issues
October 20, 2008
While it's great to use Google tools, it's important to keep in mind that you want to use them, not totally rely on them. I read about a situation where a person's Google account was disabled, which caused a LOT of trouble for him. I don't want to be "that guy" and I'm sure neither does anyone else.
July 1, 2008
If finding questions with a lot of different answers made me money, this question would be a goldmine. It seems every freelancer has their own formula for determining how much to charge. Rightly so - as your price can make quite an impact on your business. If you charge too much you'll be less competitive, and if you charge too little you aren't going to make money. Most freelancers charge their clients by either an hourly rate or a fixed "per project" or "per item" rate. Regardless of which method works better for you, it's a good idea to establish an hourly rate that is going to keep your head above the water. You can then use this rate as a basis to establish fixed-rate prices.
June 25, 2008
It's happened to us all at one point. You toil over the design of your newest website project, cross all your t's and dot all your i's and finally complete that mockup for submission to the client. The client is overjoyed! You hit it right on! Oh but wait, he'd like a small change. He has this cute little animated gif of a butterfly that he thinks would look perfect right next to his horizontal menu. Oh and that nice neutral color you chose, he wants it bright yellow.
June 23, 2008
I read an awesome article this morning that really made me happy to be a freelancer:
A guide on how freelancers can compete against large design studios
Customer service is so absolutely important in the freelancing business. I'd rather lose time and money than have a single unhappy customer any day.