Taxing Topics: A 9-Point Q&A For Your Schedule C
The first 3 1/2 months of the year are known in the US as tax season. If you are an independent creative professional, that means you
Alvalyn Lundgren
March 1, 2017
The first 3 1/2 months of the year are known in the US as tax season. If you are an independent creative professional, that means you
Filling the Gap Between School and Career So you’ve gone through school and developed a creative portfolio. You’ve tweaked it up one side down the
First of all, let’s define who your ideal clients are. An ideal client is one for whom you do the kind of work you want to do, and
Self promotion is the practice of telling potential clients about what you do. With it you build your brand, engage prospects and find clients. As a
What do you do about scope creep? Should you avoid it? Should you agree to it? The affect of scope creep — when a scope of work
The difference between discounting your services for Client A and charging Client B full price is one of positioning and communication. Both of these are value propositions.
To begin with, social media is not about selling, but about conversations and providing value. Be knowable, likable and trustworthy. To make the most of
When you’re in business (and freelancers are in business), you build reputation through social and in-person networking. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a network is a
Every independent creative professional should have a web site. Hands down, WordPress.org is the most popular self-hosted content management web site framework. Over 50% of self-hosted
Q: As a freelancer, do I need a marketing plan or can I just wing it? A: Indeed, you do need a marketing plan. Marketing
…your process of emerging from school into the (design) profession needs to be as carefully framed and designed as any of your projects.
So you have a brand-new shiny client that you’re excited to be working with. You’re looking forward to helping them achieve their goals. They’ve accepted
One thing I struggled with in the past as an independent creative is money. I have a lot of experience with the all too common
If you know me well, you know that baseball is my favorite sport, and I often employ baseball analogies to explain concepts to students and
Most problems freelancers experience when working with clients are due to contract mistakes. Do any of these statements sound familiar to you? “I started working
One fact about playing baseball: To advance to the next base, you need to leave the one you’re on. Baseball forces you to advance to
Setting and maintaining boundaries will help you avoid relationships and circumstances that are potentially harmful.
Client retention is tied more to character than to talent.
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Of Influence, Time and Trust Branding is a popular discussion in my circles, and in the course of those conversations I gain great insight into perceptions
Has something like this ever happened to you? You have a solid contract with your client that includes payment terms and penalties for late payment.
Without the aesthetic, the computer is but a mindless speed machine, producing effects without substance, form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form. –Paul Rand
Aesthetic sense and talent are raw materials. They amount to nothing without discipline. Education forces you to add skill, discipline and expertise to your talent. And in order to meet project deadlines, you learn to steward your time.
Did you know that most freelancers struggle with time management, project management, and getting things done — on time? With margin? We deal on a