Happy Friday.

This week I (re)learned a business lesson: when things aren’t going the way you expected, ask for help. A second set of eyes, another brain, and some outside perspective can do wonders for a problem you’re stuck on.

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The Best Networking "Hack" I’ve Ever Used (doubleyourfreelancing.com)

Brennan Dunn has a great networking hack here to create a community but I want to highlight another point: "Brennan, you’re not giving them anything [of value]."

It’s easy to get stuck in a me loop (me, me, me) instead of thinking about the lead/client/human on the other side.

Working On Your Sales Funnel (casjam.com)

Brian Casel has great advice about how to look at your sales funnel based on what stage your business is in. This is timely for me because I’m working on a new service that is very much in the early days and I’m even doing work for free in order to have conversations with clients.

Learn How To Start Freelancing, Find Clients, and Create a Successful Business (theadmin.org) SPONSOR

If you’re starting to freelance or need help finding the ideal clients for you, join my free newsletter for freelancers. With 67+ weekly lessons, you’re sure to learn something new every week.

7 Rules for Working From a Coffee Shop (Like a Boss) (bidsketch.com)

Coffee shops can serve as a good second office if you can find a good one near you. Tom Ewer goes through some etiquette when working at once. One more tip, bring a surge protector especially if it has a long cable (instant friendships).

It’s okay to be stupid (freelancersunion.org)

When working with clients you need to be honest with them. Saying "I don’t know" is sometimes the best option, especially if you’re willing to research and find the answer for them. In this article Bethany Buer discusses how you can start doing this.

How to Prevent and Deal With Overdue Invoices Like a Pro (kurtelster.com)

One of my first clients screwed around by paying late on a few invoices. At least until I started calling their accounting department everyday. Kurt Elster has great advice for preventing late invoices in this article.

Where to find your ideal client (theadmin.org)

Continuing my Ideal Client series, I get into the strategy for finding where your ideal clients can be found. This detective work, while vital, isn’t done by many freelancers and can give you a leg up on the competition.

Are you underestimating the time you spend on a project? (freelancersunion.org)

Estimating is hard, especially early on in a project before you know all of the factors. What’s worked for me is to have a solid technique that counters your biases but also protects you from being overly optimistic or pessimistic. Kate Hamill wrote about a simple one in this article that anyone can start using.

How do you speak about your clients? (curtismchale.ca)

Curtis McHale has a great story about how we talk about our clients. Sometimes you may be frustrated by them but you need to watch if it’s happening all of the time.

Performing a Project Premortem (hbr.org)

This older article from HBR talks about a premortem process. Basically before starting a project you brainstorm what could kill a project which can give you more options and insight into risky areas.

Freelance Freedom #367: Creepy kids (envato.com)

Parents will get this one. My toddler has recently learned how to say "creepy eyes".

Thanks, I’ll see you next week

Eric Davis (@edavis10)