If you’re an independent creative professional, you probably already have a website showcasing your amazing portfolio. Portfolios are a necessary component of any freelancer’s website,
How to nicely turn away the wrong clients to say “yes” to the right ones. by Alvalyn Lundgren Having completed more than 42 years of
How can you invest your product or service with “lovability” and create devotion in your customers? Here are some options: Love it yourself. If you’re
Art and design students focus on developing their portfolios during the final terms of their education. The portfolio is the most important tool when entering
From time to time I’ll fire off an email to a client during the late evening or early morning hours. Occasionally, an immediate response comes back
You can get more out of a creative review than just a go-ahead to move to the next phase of the project. In coming together
To be meaningful, design needs to connect on five successive levels of significance…
You probably already know that you can deduct mileage as a business expense. But did you know that, if you work from home, all mileage
Did you know that there is more than one way to be a freelancer? Independent creatives — freelancers — can choose a variety of working scenarios
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
Misunderstandings can exist between clients and freelance designers regarding their working relationships. Questions of who owns what, what files are provided to the client, when and
When a client is looking for a creative firm, process and procedures are not obvious priorities in evaluating performance. The prospect is going to look
An up and coming freelancer asked me about how to deal with unusual requests. We all get these from time to time. Once someone learns
Like any design, websites are experienced. Your goal should be to provide the best experience to the largest percentage of people who visit your site.
Recently, I met with a start-up business. As we discussed the scope of work and began putting the design brief together, it became clear that
One of the benefits of freelancing is: You get to decide for yourself what you will accomplish in any given year. You’re able to set
Productivity is a popular and expansive topic, and it’s also big business. From apps and books on the subject to courses and mastermind groups, tools
As with vehicles, your freelance business needs regular tune-ups to ensure smooth performance and prevent breakdowns. If you’re the owner of an independent creative services
A significant percentage of my clients are non-profit enterprises. I have had many opportunities to design campaign materials, annual reports, and graphic assets for non-profit
A mistake freelance creatives can easily make is to diagnose and strategize with a prospective client before they become an actual client. This often happens
With value pricing for design and illustration projects, I am able to custom-tailor my services and fees to fit each client and project. But even
Freelancing is on the rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the freelance (contract, temp worker and freelancer — in all industries) economy has a healthy
As a part-time freelancer, knowing the difference between having a hobby and running a business might seem confusing. And actually running a business might seem unnecessary. The thing is, it’s more necessary to have a bona fide business as a part-timer.