Saturday, January 30, 2010
Top 10 Tips and Tools for Freelancers
Lifehacker: "Freelancing isn't something you should just jump into, but it makes sense for a good number of workers. If you're looking into, or getting started with, working on your own, here are 10 resources we think every freelancer can learn from."
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I think several of those points are good to pay attention to, especially for those of us who are planning to 'freelance' for awhile. The taxes thing is kind of a given. It's not really feasible to call what we do a 'side job' but you could potentially have another job to help pay the rent. I definitely plan on continuing to sell my jewelry to keep a little extra money coming in, even if it may be a negligible amount in the long run.
It seems like we get a pretty good foundation in our education already to be headed in the right direction for freelancing, if we choose to do that. Being organized seems to be one of the most important things here. It's nice to see direct example of all the areas our education can enable us. Makes that $160,000 even more worthwhile :p
There were some useful tips in here. I liked the idea of tracking your pitches and figuring out ways to get paid quicker. I've certainly been in the awkward position of "hey, where's my check". The idea of handing your employer an invoice at the end of the gig with the agreed upon fee for services, as well as any related business expenses is a good one -- pieces of paper are probably less likely to get lost than a mental note to pay someone. And finding incentives for on-time payment is a good idea too -- perhaps I'll explore that more.
Probably one of the less useful, but my favorite, is the one that advises you to plan around your family. I've known my fair share of directors and designers who were very talented, and really valued their work, but always seemed to neglect their kids. Personally, I've never thought you could juggle both tasks and perform the two effectively, even though I know it's possible, but I think it's something that people need to ponder for a lot longer before having children. It's my pet peeve when parents think that having a kid is just another add-on to their daily schedule, when really it's the step that should take priority over everything else.
As I've been thinking about work and my future, plans for freelancing as a carp, electrician, or even graphic designer have crossed my mind. While I don't plan on actively looking for freelance gigs for a year or two, these tips are great to keep in mind. Page bookmarked.
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