I’ve got quite a variety for you this week: learning, Elance/oDesk/Fiverr, salary, and more. But make sure you read Naomi’s article first (the first link).

Also, if you’re a Rails developer or work on a Rails project let me know. I’m looking for some additional testers with my productized service I’ve been working.

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On Learning and Keeping Stuff (ittybiz.com)

If you’ve ever read a book, went to a seminar, or signed up for any kind of training course but never found the time to put it into action, you must read this.

In fact… read it before you open any more resources here. I dare you.

The ultimate guide to NOT working on Elance, oDesk and Fiverr (freelancelift.com)

Freelancer exchanges and marketplaces are popular but Liam Veitch describes why they’re only good as a stepping stone for your business.

The Freelancer’s Guide to Long-Term Contracts (theadmin.org) SPONSOR

Long-term contracts have been the one technique that really made my freelance business a success. So successful in fact that I’m able to work one week each month, taking the rest of the month off, and still make enough to live off of. This training teaches you how.

How Much Should an Entrepreneur Pay Themselves? (bidsketch.com)

Over the years I’ve figured out a good salary for myself where I make enough. Carrie Smith outlines six different ways to pick your salary (I do option #2 with a bonus around tax-time).

How to Fight Scope-Creep (Politely) (freelancersunion.org)

Kate Hamill writes about three ways to fight scope creep on your projects. Even if it’s not common on hourly projects, if you gave your client estimates then there is a real risk of scope creep.

Build a Successful Creative Business (envato.com)

On the Envato blog Melanie Brooks writes about things you need to remember when running a creative business. Many of them are financial because, lets face it, screwing up the financials is the #1 way to lose your business.

How to disconnect and be more productive in your life (nusii.com)

Setting your own hours and work is great until work starts to take over everything else in your life. Disconnecting from work, especially with always-on technology, can be difficult but extremely beneficial.

Thanks, I’ll see you next week

Eric Davis (@edavis10)