Issue #29 - May 1st, 2015 - Freelancing Digest

I’ve been thinking a lot about the knowledge we collect but never put into practice. Many of the resources included here give you different tactics and ideas to use in your business, but how many of them are you actually implementing?

I know I keep adding things to my todo list that I don’t get to.

I’ve been thinking about how to change that. Maybe commit to 5 minutes of doing for each idea and if it goes well, then put in more time later? Or maybe put a constraint or limit on the number or types of new ideas you’re looking at?

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Isn’t There Something You Should Be Doing Right Now? (ittybiz.com)

One downside to freelancing is that you have the freedom to do (almost) anything in your business. But this has a cost because you have to make the decision that X is better than Y. Naomi Dunford has a simple question that you (and I) can ask yourself to help cut through and make a decision.

Double Your Freelancing Conference (doubleyourfreelancing.com)

Brennan Dunn is hosting a conference for freelancers and consultants in September.

Stop hating writing emails to prospects and start asking the right questions (curtismchale.ca) SPONSOR

Email is hard and few of us like to do it. Stop reinventing the wheel and use a proven email system to start asking clients the right questions so you stop wasting your time. Effective Client Email also includes a guide to winning work with cold emails as a FREE BONUS.

Consulting Company Names: Is It Time To Rethink Yours? (consultingsuccess.com)

Some good advice from Sam Zipursky on company names. If I started over again, I’d name my company based on my personal name and wait a few years to see if I needed to rename it.

Sitting in the middle is nothing to be ashamed of (curtismchale.ca)

Curtis McHale writes about how being in the middle and not one of the industry superstars is still great.

2 Protocols For Handling Mistakes Fast (Or, "I screwed up. Now what?") (ittybiz.com)

Much of freelancing is managing your client relations. Sometimes that requires handling a mistake you made. Naomi Dunford shares two ways to start to move past the mistake.

Why you should put everything in writing (freelancersunion.org)

One tip I have is to send emails after any meeting with includes a summary of what you talked about and any tasks. By having it in writing it’s much easier to correct expectations later on.

Why your fear of self-promotion is holding you back (freelancersunion.org)

In this article Michael Katz writes about an all-too-common fear with freelancers: they’re afraid of promoting their work even to people who need their help. If that’s you, it takes a mental shift but it will really make running your business easier.

2015 Marketing for Consultants Survey Results (consultingsuccess.com)

You always have to look at surveys with a critical eye but this one has some interesting findings. Make sure to read after the infographic.

Quick Links

Freelance Freedom #373 (envato.com)

Stop consuming, start acting / Paul Jarvis (pjrvs.com)

An Interview with Marketing Director, Jake Jorgovan (nusii.com)

The Business of Freelancing, Episode 24: Ed Gandia on Positioning Yourself as a High End Freelancer Writer (doubleyourfreelancing.com)

Why my initial client questions are not on my contact form (curtismchale.ca)

8 Practical Reasons You Need To Drive Your Marketing (bidsketch.com)

How the digital signature helped shape modern business (nusii.com)

Don’t sweat: how to take the angst out of client meetings (freelancersunion.org)

How to Reach Buyers When They Are Ready to Buy (consultingsuccess.com)