So you want to be a millionaire?
A rock star adored by the crowd perhaps?
How about an authority in the niche you’re trying to dominate?
It’s easy to become these things in your head, but everything gets messed up when you try to make your dreams happen. Why?
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There’s a new website in town called Sandbox at mysandbox.com. It’s rare for a local website to be advertised on TV and the radio so I decided to check out if it’s really worth the buzz. But before that, let me tell you what the site is about.
According to their site:
“Sandbox is a portal that brings all content and services you love on the web all in one place.
“In Sandbox, you can create your own profile and update your status for your friends to see. You can upload and view photos and videos, write a blog or join a forum discussion. You can also go shopping on line. You can send and receive email and download music, games and various other content.”
So basically, it tries to bring together everything that you do on the web into one place. Which begs the question: do you really need a new website to do everything that you’re already doing on the web?
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As a freelancer, you’ll encounter low balling clients at one point or another in your career. You know, the type who wants you to give them super fantastic results but are not willing to pay for it.
I’ve had my fair share of this type of clients. I remember this fairly mid-sized local company who needed to have their site updated. I sent them an email that I could do it and they replied, requesting for a quote. So I gave them the quote they requested. It was detailed enough to show them where and how their money would be spent.
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First of all, my apologies to people who literally don’t have balls. No offense meant. I meant to say it in a figurative sense.
Now we return to regular programming…
Do you have the balls to become a freelancer? We all know the risks that are involved with freelancing: late payments, irregular paychecks, clients who don’t pay you. The list goes on.
Surely, it’s much more secure to work in an office, right? After all, you get regular paychecks and that’s all that matters.
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Doesn’t mean you have to do it too.
Just like commuting to work everyday. If you can’t stand the traffic and the long lines at the rail station, why don’t you look for alternatives that will get you a job without commuting.
Don’t like spending 8 hours everyday in a tiny cubicle? Why don’t you find work that will allow you to work at home or wherever you please?
What I’m getting at is that sometimes, work isn’t just about the money. It’s also about keeping your sanity so that you can still take care of your family, live your life, have time with your friends.
Freelancing can be scary because you have to look for clients yourself and do other stuff by yourself that normally requires several people to perform. But it also gives you the freedom to work at your own pace, choose which jobs to take, manage your own schedule and other things that you can’t do if you have a day job.
It’s all about being able to find that balance of happiness and financial stability.
Since the internet has become mainstream over the past few years, it’s easy enough to assume that a lot of businesses will take advantage of this new medium. Unfortunately, a good number of them still don’t appreciate the capacity of the net as a new revenue stream.
So you finally found a prospective client who’s interested in working with you. They set up a meeting with you at the soonest possible time. Do you have time to prepare? Probably not. So remember these few essentials for any client presentation because it will save you time.
1. Look presentable.
Alright, people might tell you never to judge a book by its cover. But in the case of doing client presentations, your appearance may affect your client’s decision in hiring you. Look professional. I have gone to meetings without needing to wear a button-up shirt or slacks, but I made sure I still look professional in the clothes I wear (read: no shorts or tank tops) and exuded an aura of confidence.
2. Don’t be shy.
Your prospect won’t eat you up so don’t sit in a tiny corner of the office and look nervous. An aura of confidence lets your prospects know that you know what you’re doing. That’s why they’ll hire you in the first place – because of what you can deliver to them so don’t be afraid to show them what you’ve got. Give them a firm handshake, look them in the eye when talking to them.
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In order to be a successful freelancer, you must know how to market yourself to your prospective clients. But this can prove difficult if you’re starting from scratch and you don’t have that little black book of former clients unlike more experienced freelancers.
So how do you spread the word out about what you do? Here are a few things.
1. Get your family and friends’ help.
You might not have a Rolodex of clients, but you sure have a family and friends who will be more than willing to help you find clients. And they probably know or work with people who might want to work with you.
Say you are a web designer and you have a friend who’s working in a company that badly needs to have their website redesigned. If you tell your friend about what you do, then that friend can refer you to the company he/she’s working for. And with an insider’s referral, you get a better chance of getting hired for the gig.
2. Put together your portfolio.
Your portfolio is a sort of a catalog of all the previous work you’ve done. If you’re a freelance writer, for example, your portfolio may include your published articles and other written material.
What if you don’t have a significant body of work yet? You can start out with speculative or spec work. Spec work is basically just articles or designs, whatever the case maybe, that you created for the purpose of showcasing your skills. Showing a portfolio of spec work will give your prospects an idea of the kind of work that you do.
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It’s sometimes surprising when you find out that a big company doesn’t realize the value of marketing. As an example, let me tell the story of one of the biggest magazine publishers in the Philippines.
An insider told me that one of the company’s vice presidents suggested scrapping their entire marketing department. Why? Because the VP didn’t find the value in it.
But I think I understand where she’s coming from.
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I’m a little late with my blog reading since I’ve been pretty busy with work lately (and thus the infrequent posts too), so my response to a post by the Men with Pens is a little late as well.
Anyway, the post that I’m referring to is to whether or not freelancers should ask potential customers their budget. Here’s my take on it.
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So you want to become a freelancer? Get started by reading my freelancing tips and more!
RUNNING A FREELANCING BUSINESS
