Building Your Portfolio With Zero Clients & No Spec Work

We’ve all been there before — no clients, no work for our portfolio and nobody giving us the proper direction to move forward. Potential full-time freelancers are often scared because of this instability and not knowing where they’ll find those first portfolio-building jobs (if they aren’t allowed to pull their work from their previous employers website).

So how do you build your portfolio with zero clients and zero spec work? In this article I hope to show you some clear cut, easy methods to building an awesome portfolio that will attract your perfect clients and also showcase your best work — all without doing spec work and without having any clients.

Why Avoid Spec Work?

For anyone who is new to freelancing or has been living under a rock for a long period of time, spec work is where people and/or companies have “contests” or ask the potential designer/writer to create something and only get paid IF they like it enough to buy it. The end result could possibly mean you get paid for the work, but then again, in most cases the work is passed on to someone else and you’re out the time, energy and creative juice you put into the work.

The killer part about spec work (from what I have seen) is that it’s very hard to put pieces in your portfolio from spec work you’ve created. Either the person/company will ask you to remove it because it doesn’t show their website/copy (ie: they’ve chosen another person’s work and yours should not be shown to the world) or potential clients will look at it like you weren’t good enough to make the final cut so something must be wrong with you. You don’t want that.

The topic of spec work regularly generates a lot of debate, though. Most people believe that it devalues the work of designers/writers/freelancers everywhere — and that it should be avoided. On the other hand, some people say that spec work is okay for new freelancers and students to use for building a portfolio. Personally I would avoid it, for the reasons above, but where you fall in this decision is ultimately up to you.

But I Don’t Have Clients, What Do I Do?

The answer to this is quite simple really — you can build your own portfolio and make your own sample peices. Here are two steps that will help you come up with a great plan to get your portfolio built and land the types of clients you want:

1. Create your portfolio in the style you like most — Do you like to create grungy, beat up websites? Or what about clean cut “web 2.0″ style web designs? Does your copy tend to be edgy and a bit crass or do you write strictly professional, by-the-book copy? Whatever your style is, make sure your portfolio portrays that. If you write romance pieces, there’s no need for your website to look like it’s in the music industry. Same goes for the designers who create sleek, blog style layouts. Why would you want to showcase your work with a portfolio that looks like it belongs to a punk-rock band?
2. Create personal portfolio pieces — For the same reasons as above, create some portfolio pieces that are built with your personal tastes. If you don’t want to attract the 50+ age group, do not design to cater to their needs. The Hot Topic store doesn’t attract people who are business professionals or in the hip hop industry because that is not their target market.

The benefit to creating work you like and enjoy is that your work will be great. The quality will be awesome because it’s what you like. Not only that, but you’ll attract the type of clients where you can create even more work like that. What’s not to love about being able to do what you want, when you want? Thats one of the biggest benefits to being a freelancer, right?

So class, what have we learned today?

Below is a quick breakdown of the things I hope you’ve learned today:

• Spec work isn’t a good option for building a portfolio
• It’s ok to have no clients when starting
• Design your portfolio in the style of clients you want to attract
• Create personal pieces for your portfolio in the style you like most
• Attract great clients because of it!

In this article we’ve gone over the important aspects of why spec work is bad for portfolio building, and what you can do when you’re just starting out and have no clients to build up your portfolio.

What do you think about building a portfolio with no clients? There are lots of other possibilities out there — what are your thoughts? Do any of you experienced freelancers want to chime in and offer some advice?

As always, we value the input of the readers here — you are all awesome!

Going Freelance: Rules of Preparation

Written by
Samuel Ryan

When I graduated from college 4 years ago, many of my programming and design peers spoke of starting their own business/studio. The idea seemed simple: work at home, charge the masses for your work, sleep in every day. However, I only know of one guy who pulled it off, mainly because he does really amazing stuff. Freelancing isn’t a walk in the park. That’s why most people work for someone else. And to be honest, I don’t think I could be freelance now if I didn’t work for three “someone elses” before making the switch. If you’re thinking about going freelance, here’s a few tips to help:

1) Save Ahead of Time: I wouldn’t say freelancing is riskier than a normal job, but the risk is all on you, so you better have a little savings. I personally had about 6 months of living expenses saved before making the switch. Good thing too, because believe it or not, on day one of “no more corporate health insurance,” I found I had  major kidney stones, and had to use some sonic therapy that eventually cost me over $5K (thankfully I had new health insurance — without it, I would be almost $30K out.)

2) Already Have Clients: You should be doing freelance long before you switch to it full-time. I’d been doing freelance since college, and way back then, I was doing these large sites for pennies, and often, pro bono. Back then, I was unmarried and had only a couch and sheets of Taco Bell Coupons, so the “hard knock” education was worth it. It took four years of said education and experience to have the clients and the hourly rate I have now. And in the months leading to the switch, I made sure I had clients lined up, even starting some before I quit my day job (although be sure not to let your freelance buildup suck away from your day job — that’s just unfair and unethical.) Of course, it meant very little time with my wife for a couple months, but the payoff (freelance freedom now) is worth it.

3) Crunch the numbers: It’s exciting to land your first multi-thousand freelance website. But if you are a middle-class married American, you better be able to land those every other week and get paid on them too just to reach normal salary levels. Remember, you’re probably also paying double taxes, health insurance, any retirement plans, etc. Freelancing takes monetary discipline, and you better be ready for it. Don’t go for the midtown loft just yet, don’t buy the latest gadgets (except for maybe the iPhone), and count yourself lucky if you have a spouse that works.
    
4) Create passive income: Truth is, even freelancing, you have “employers,” deadlines, and the nagging truth is that if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. So find creative ways to create passive income. Start a specialized blog or website or service (after all, you ARE a designer/developer). Sell your goods (code, illustrations, programs). Try alot of things and eventually, one will pay off.

5) Work hard: Yeah, this is a no-brainer. But without a boss over your shoulder, it’s much tougher than it sounds. I prefer to work short days (4-6 hours) seven days a week, and in the down time, look for passive income opportunities. This schema is enjoyable for me, and as a freelancer, I have that freedom. I’m also willing to take on more than I can handle at times, and work 14 hour days, because I know there’ll be slow times too (i.e., November-December). Find what works for you, but remember, working hard has a very strong correlation to success.

Feel free to add any advice you’ve learned yourself…

10 “Nos” for Freelancers

Written by
Samuel

When I first started freelancing as a college student, I was eager to do any website and would say “Yes” to anything, regardless of my skill set or the time involved. It was just nice to know that someone needed me for a skilled task. Unfortunately, I quickly found myself working all the time, eating Ramen noodles, and not getting anywhere in terms of paying off my wonderful college debt. To make things worse, these people were also giving my contact info out to other such people (you know, the lady who has been thinking about selling dog sweaters online and has a $100 budget for an e-commerce site, 1000 brochures, and a guaranteed #1 Google search result for the words “dog”, “sweater”, and “love”).

Anyways, now four years later, my world (AND financial success) now requires ample use of the answer “No.” And here are ten questions I almost always answer “No” to:

1) Can you show me a mock-up to help us choose a designer/developer?
I fell for this once when I was young and naive. I made no money and wasted lots of time. Don’t do unpaid work for the chance to be paid — this wouldn’t fly in any other industry, so why web design? The best case scenario (though rare) is that you get a job with a client who knows that you’ll work for free when necessary. The worst case scenario is that they don’t pay you, and still use your stuff, knowing you don’t have the legal resources to do anything about it. Most likely though, you’ll just waste time.

2) Can you give us a discount rate?
There are A LOT of companies out there that do not see web design as a service worth more than $20 an hour. These should never be your clients. In my early post-college years, I used to value “getting the job” so highly, I would take on an inordinate amount of work for the pay. Let me tell you that it’s not worth it. Ever. Remember, you may be doing this company a favor, but on the flip side, you’re hurting your own future, and your family’s. Nowadays, I give my hourly rate immediately, and it weeds out many potential clients. It’s simple math really — if doubling your rate loses half your client work, then you’re still making as much in half the time. If you do excellent work, get paid for it – there will always be comparable “firms” charging double what you are.

3) Will you register and host my site?
Sure it seems like a good idea — free recurring revenue right? Well, maybe… if you can first get them to pay, and then if you can justify making $10 a month for the endless phone support you’ll have to give at all hours of the night. You see, once the client thinks that you are responsible for their email and website functionality, you WILL get called all the time when their email shows the slightest wavering or their website 404s for any reason on their home computer. Believe it or not, I’ve even known someone who had a client call about his cell phone functionality just because my friend hosted his site. Don’t do it…it’s not worth it. Give them a registrar and hosting company and let them sign up themselves.

4) Can you copy this site?
Now you may think that I answer “No” strictly from a moral standpoint, and although that is true, there are other equally important reasons. First, if they’re copying a site, they have shady ethics themselves and the chances of you getting paid on time and in the full amount are unlikely. Second, doing this type of work reduces you to a monkey, and although some of your work may be like this to pay the bills, why purposely pursue it? Third, if it’s a true copy, the only benefit you may receive is payment – you really won’t get to use it for a portfolio or example work, and furthermore, this type of client is one you do not want work from in the future.

5) Can I pay for my e-commerce site from my website sales?
I hate to be the pessimist, but when I am asked this, I want to tell them that they most likely won’t make any money so they might as well ask me to do it for free. Yes, I know there are exceptions, so sometimes I will ask them about their business, marketing, and revenue plans, which 99% of them don’t have. They just thought that selling t-shirts would be a novel idea for the internet. I usually go into a spiel about having to support me and my family, and I can’t do it with speculative work — I then recommend Yahoo! Shopping or CafePress, and 9 times out of 10, they never get their site up anyways.

6) I have a great idea. Do you want to…?
Not much different from #5, but could be a much larger time waster if you buy in. Again, not trying to be a jerk, but if the person adds little to the potential business outside of speaking an idea, then any work you proceed to do is mere charity (which may be okay with you). But to be honest, I’d rather be charitable with my family and friends and make them partners for free versus partnering with a stranger. Trust me, if someone really has a great idea, he will make you partners AND pay you as well.

7) Do you have an IM account?
I might give it out if it’s to a person I can trust during an intensive project, but as a general policy, I tell clients that it’s my general policy not to. The reason here is obvious — you have a life and other clients beyond them. Many clients see you as an on-call employee, and this is bad. This is why you quit your day job…

8) Can I just pay the whole amount when it’s done?
I require 50% up front (unless it’s a huge job — then maybe 33%). I need that assurance that they have “bought in” on this project, and that I can plan on the income, pay bills, and eat. People who want to pay at the end are much more likely to back out after you’ve done tons of work.

9) Is there any way you could get this done tonight or this weekend?
Once they know that you helped them out one time, they will expect it in the future. Now you might choose to get extra done at night (I do all the time), but don’t start making promises about getting things done at night or on the weekends/vacation. I know a lot of freelancers that charge night/weekend hours as well, so that might be a possible route to take. Because the reason you freelance is for the freedom, right? Right?

10) Can I be sure you won’t use this work in anything else?
This is a very sensitive subject because most clients misunderstand it (intellectual property is a tricky subject anyways). In my Terms and Conditions that I require all new clients to sign, I make sure they know that (1) their code has utilized code from other projects which I haven’t charged them for, and (2) I will probably use code from their project on other projects, and (3) they own the code and implementation of the project (finished website), but not the actual code pieces (login system, image uploader, etc.). I pride myself in productivity and speed, and I need to use other code all the time to accomplish this. Not to mention that I sell stock Flash which I may need old code to help build. They’re not paying you to create code that they in turn will sell, so make sure they know that it’s the implementation and not the coding that’s theirs.

There are others I’m sure. Feel free to add your own and remember, it’s the opportunities you avoid that will define your success just as much as the ones you take…

Note: I’ve gotten a good deal of traffic and comments on this post the last few days. Now that you’ve finished, keep this in mind: this post is by no means a systematic, all-inclusive look at the relationship of freelancers and clients. I have tempered several of these depending on the situation and because flexibility is necessary to success. Furthermore, I am also likely to break some of these for a client just because I love the client and/or project; however, such observations are moot in a post that is defining the negatives of freelancing. So don’t think that this list is a holistic philosophy, but merely a guide that has helped me avoid some pitfalls I myself have fallen into. Best of luck!

5 Absolute “Yes’s!” for Freelancers

Written by
Samuel

Just so I don’t invoke bad karma from the client gods that be, I’ve decided I should follow up on my previous post, ’10 Absolute “No’s!” for Freelancers.’ I’ve been fortunate enough to usually fill up my freelance hours, and I think the following answers have played a big part in this success. Feel free to add what has worked for you!

1) Can you tell me your rates? Yes
Many people will demur from voicing their rates because they want to feel the client out and see what they can “get” from them. I’m not a fan of this game and feel that your best bet is to simply tell them exactly what you charge. Just be ready to defend your rate if need be as they probably know someone cheaper. Unfortunately, hourly rates do not tell the client how much you actually get done in an hour, but hopefully, you have a portfolio and client testimonials to back you up. Furthermore, I would rather work for someone who up front “buys into” my rate and my worth.

2) Can you get this done by _________? Yes.
Even if the client has a somewhat unreasonable timeframe for the project, then do all you can to get it done on time. Trust me, you will be better than 90% of other freelancers that your client has dealt with. I can’t begin to tell you how much people appreciate and take note of punctuality. Sure, sometimes you get an unreasonable due date, one that will make you stay up all night to finish. But if it’s for the right client, you probably just locked in a lot of future work. I personally know many freelancers whose work is not particularly stellar, but they ALWAYS finish on time, and thus, they always have work and are paid well for it.

3) Are you able to do _________? Yes.
I wouldn’t advise a blanket “yes” here, but the truth is, the more you can do, the more likely you’ll get the job and repeat business as well. I understand that they may ask things outside your expertise, but you have to be willing to put in the work to create a solution or find someone who can. After a while, you should know all the common requests and it will be a breeze. But until then, remember that some potential clients are used to full-service firms, and if all you can do is Photoshop comps, you may be missing out on business. Although I know that many people that thrive with just their niche skill, I prefer the route of being closer to a full service web freelancer.

4) Can I edit the site on my own?
In the early days of the internet, I would often avoid this because content management systems were clunky, had a lot of financial and time overhead, and generally, I didn’t want clients messing up a design. But nowadays, a CMS is almost a given on websites, and if they are paying for it, although you might be able to give them some design warnings, they should be free to edit their site at will. I personally use a custom CMS that allows the editing of only text/events/blogs/etc. which I then wrap in the site’s CSS. It took a lot of work to build the CMS initially, but it’s the perfect solution for me (I find that solutions like Joomla or Mambo are overkill and a bit clunky, but your experience may vary .

5) Do you offer support after the site is finished? Yes.
I found that many potential clients have this innate worry that when their site is live and the final payment is sent, the freelancer will vanish from existence. I’m guessing this worry is based in enough actual experiences to be true. So as a standard policy, I give them one month of free support after the site launch (bugs and fixes mind you, not new features . To be honest, I probably average less than half an hour per client project because of this support, and yet, it’s a huge selling point for most clients.

6) Do you want to form, an alliance, with me?
Absolutely I do.

7 Tips on Quoting Freelance Projects

Written by
Samuel

One of the tougher aspects of freelancing is making sure you get paid a fair amount for your work. I’m sure every freelancer has at least one story of either getting grossly underpaid or not getting paid at all. So here are seven tips to help you improve your quoting.

1. “Discover” the client’s budget. When you initially talk to clients, very few will volunteer their budget because they want to hire you for the least amount possible. So to get them to show their cards, try using a preliminary “discovery” worksheet for them to fill out. Have this worksheet ask questions about their goals, timeframe, and of course, budget (although you may want to assure them that this is not for quoting purposes, but to better “explore” possibilities). Clients seem to be more forthright when the process is formalized.

2. Spend time on your proposal. As nice as a potential client may seem, as agreeable as his terms may seem in your initial communication, always create a proposal and always put in the time to make sure it covers everything. And of course, don’t start without it, even if the client is in a hurry. Make sure it covers both client and contractor responsibilities, expectations, requirements, payment terms, terms for changes outside the proposal, and everything else you can think of. Since clients often have a larger scope in mind than they communicate, a couple hours on this document could save you dozens later.
3. Charge by the hour. Instead of providing a project price and finding out later that you misquoted (and thus, you have to eat some costs), simply tie your quote to an estimated hourly rate and time frame ($70/hr for 40 hours). Not only does this make quoting easier, but clients understand that they are buying a block of time that you think will be enough to finish the project. They will be more forgiving if you need more hours (versus quoting a project price, which clients will hold you to).
4. Up your estimated cost by 10%-20%. Especially when you’re starting out, it’s natural to want to impress clients with “best-scenario” quotes that are lower than all your competition. However, you never want to be put in a position where you need to cut corners or give a subpar effort just to achieve a quote that you set too tightly. Furthermore, there are many hours that you will spend in communication, asset collection, and general administration (not to mention any snags you may run into). So do yourself a favor and give yourself enough time (because asking a client for more time/money is generally not a good habit). You will probably still be on the lower end of the quotes the client receives.
5. Set and manage expectations. If you’re quoting by project, let them know the cost and timeframe for additional changes. If you are quoting by the hour and giving them a total time estimate, let them know when you’re getting close to that quoted total time and whether you will be able to hit it. It may be helpful to have a clause that says if your total time is within 10% of your time quote, you will not charge more (this gives you extra money for finishing quicker and saves them money if you take a bit longer). Clients don’t like surprises: keep them informed on your current time status and let them know at proposal time the possibility of “run-over” and charges associated with extra changes.
6. Collect up front. Outside of recurring maintenance work or very tiny projects (under $500), always collect some portion up front. This shows that the client is serious and much less likely to bail mid-project. You shouldn’t have an issue getting 50% up front on most projects. If the project is pretty large, you may want to try 33% at the start, and another 33% at a predetermined milestone.
7. Set a final payment milestone. If you create websites, invoice the final payment the moment the site is live. If it’s a print job, invoice upon delivered goods. And so on. Since the client knows these invoices are coming (and that their project is effectively done), use shorter payment terms as well. If you aren’t exact and business-like about your payment schedule, clients will ride ther debt as long as they can.

5 Good Ways to Waste Time

Written by
Samuel

Designing websites, building applications, and writing content can be very draining activities requiring as many “breaks” as your schedule or boss allows. These breaks are even more frequent for freelancers, who can often justify taking a nap or watching the tube in the middle of the day. But before you turn on the Wii for your third break of the day, consider these other, more useful ways to “waste time.”

Visit The FWA
A proverbial playground of websites, The FWA showcases the best of the best Flash websites. Even if you’re not a Flash designer/developer, you can get great ideas about user interface and interactive design (which is becoming more and more important on the web). Plus, it’s a lot of fun compared to all those boring blogs about freelancing.

Play with a Business Idea
When’s the last time you took a look at that backburner holding all of those business ideas you never got around to? Well, why not start playing around with a logo or begin setting up a website? There’s nothing like making actual progress to get the ball rolling. Sure, you could argue that it’s not worth the time, but considering you were just about to watch Seinfeld reruns, is that really an argument?

Surf the Blogosphere
There’s no shortage of designers/developers/writers/freelancers who are blogging about hundreds of things that you otherwise wouldn’t know about. Spend some time browsing such blogs – this list is a good start (warning: shameless self-promotion ahead).

Go Take Pictures
As I type right now, large white flakes fall outside my window, begging me to take a break with my Canon or Holga. Photography is a great way to gain some inspiration, often taking you down new trails, roads, or alleys. Besides the relaxing aspect of it, I’ve been amazed at how often I’ve used old photos in designs, as microstock on sites like iStockPhoto, or even in my portfolio to impress a client.

Lay Back and Listen to Pandora
For those who aren’t familiar with it, Pandora is a free streaming music service that let’s you name a song or two, then tailors a complete playlist according to your style. And it’s pretty darn good at picking songs. So if I’m in a particularly lethargic mood, I’ll turn on Pandora, kick back in my Papasan chair, and daydream (about productivity of course).

5 Tasks You Should Stop Putting Off

Written by
Samuel

William James, the 19th century philosopher and Pragmatist, rightly noted that “nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” So in the spirit of the new year and getting things done, here are a few tasks you should stop putting off.

1. Placing Your Portfolio/Blog Online

I enjoy checking out the websites of those who comment on the blog here. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, a number of these sites have the ubiquitous “Coming Soon” tagline. Spend a few hours and get something up (even if it means being “short and sweet” to start).

2. Organizing Your Files or Email

Fonts on the desktop? Stock images in folders called “Stock3″ and “Good Pics — Keep!” Still looking for that form from the IRS that was due 8 months ago? Spend an evening re-foldering and re-organizing your files and email. Besides making future work easier, you’ll find all sorts of cool stuff you forgot you had.

3. Implementing a Backup Solution

Don’t be like most web workers (including me). Don’t wait until after you lose your files to think about a backup solution (and then lose all your files a second time to actually implement that solution). With 500GB hard drives now under $150, you really have no excuse for not backing up your files. Just do it weekly with at least one drive you can keep off-site (remote online backup is a possible solution as well, but not really efficient if you’re dealing with many large and oft-updated graphic files). Also, don’t forget to backup your email and program settings as well (like FTP passwords).

4. Learning _______________

Most people (and especially creatives) would rather be actually creating “stuff” with their current skills than spending time learning new ones. This is swell if you’re working with acrylics and canvas (because as far as I know, not too many advances have been made in that field for a while). However, in that ever-changing cyberscape that is called “the web,” if you’re not learning the new stuff, you could soon find yourself working the “boring” projects in a large, unambitious corporation. On the flip side, knowing the hot technologies ahead of your peers can open up all sorts of opportunities (as someone who “job shopped” a little this year, it seemed like every great firm was paying top dollar for any RIA developers, specifically Flex).

5. Applying For _______________

You fill in the blank. More freelance jobs. Harvard. A blog writing position. Google. Mensa. If there’s any position, job, or organization that you’ve always wanted to taking a running leap at, why not do it this year? The worst that can happen is that they’ll deny you and call you an unskilled hack, thus causing you to cry every time you see yourself in a mirror. On the flip side, you just never know what opportunities you’re missing out on…I’m sure the folks that got into the Facebook offices last year aren’t regretting it…

10 Productivity Tips are Better Than 101

Written by
Samuel

There are many popular mega-lists out there nowadays (75 Ways to Boost your Self-Esteem, 101 Ways to Open Firefox, 503 Ways to Make Your List Longer). But often, these lists have too many “filler” items, and many items have such diminuitive returns that I’d rather just have a list of their ten best items. So in that vein, here is a list of what I consider my favorite productivity tips – ten in all. Feel free to add your own favorites (and then maybe we can get to 101).

1. Make Lists and Finish Them – Write down goals for the day, the week, and the month — using a simple Hipster PDA or a giant whiteboard will do. And more importantly, get it done (i.e., be willing to stay up until 2AM to finish that blog post you had on your list).

2. Blackout Your Communication – A common methodology of writers, block off a chunk of hours, lock the door, shut down the email and cell phone, and force yourself to work on your task list. And when you feel like you’re getting nothing done, don’t give in – force yourself to keep working.

3. Don’t Sleep with Unanswered Emails – It’s understandable if some emails require a short wait, but for the most part, always try to answer emails the same day. Besides just “getting it done,” it builds a healthy rapport with your correspondents.

4. Prioritize Commitments – Decide what’s important and what’s not. Then decide if low-priorities are killing the high-priorities. If so, drop some of the commitments and don’t take on any more.

5. Start Gap Tasking – Unfortunately, life is still full of commutes, long lines, and waiting times. This is a great time to do a bit of reading, phoning, or note-jotting (just beware of becoming the annoying cellphone-talker in the supermarket). Personally, I like having a moleskine and something to read at all times (either a magazine like Inc. or the RSS feeds on my iPhone).

6. Socialize Positively – There’s something about being around positive and motivated people that fires up productivity in oneself. Not only do you get chances to bounce new ideas off others, you will often get encouragement and perhaps a little competitive drive from such interactions.

7. Just Launch It – No project is ever really complete. So instead of playing the perfectionist and continually investing time and effort into dozens of revisions/additions, just launch the project as best you can. Not only will you feel like you’ve accomplished something (which feeds into a productivity boost), but you’ll also quickly know what revisions/additions are the most pertinent.

8. Discipline Your Waste – Most people have some sort of recreational “vice” — movies, video games, Wikipedia, family (okay, just kidding about that last one). The problem usually isn’t the participation in such activities, but the lack of knowing when to stop. Sometimes, it may take the cancellation or the uninstallation of a service to be more productive.

9. Try Acting Like a Business – Both designers and developers alike tend to enjoy relaxed environments that usually include a Wii, casual wear, and maybe an Airzooka. Freelancers can be even more laid back, usually sporting pajamas and living in paper-piled offices. Unfortunately, slackness in your clothing and office space often leads to slackness in your work. Try cleaning the office, increasing the lighting, and wearing semi-casual wear. See if your productivity increases…

10. Show Up – Building anything of value is never easy. Just “showing up” day after day is often the hardest part of any project. Always be the most reliable person you know…

8 Common Misconceptions About Freelancers

Written by
Samuel

From friends who think I make easy money to my mother who (lovingly) admonishes me to get a real job, everybody seems to have their own idea of what freelancing is all about. Many of these ideas come from misconceptions of the freelancing life, and here are eight of the most popular:

1. Freelancers Only Have to Work a Little
Many folks assume that the real reason people begin freelancing is so that they can finally work their own hours and relax. This is not altogether true (hence it being on a list entitled “Eight Misconceptions About Freelancing”). Although it’s true that I do “wake up later,” it’s only because I’m up until 4AM working on something or other that needs my attention. One day, I hope I can wake up later due to passive income streams, but for now, freelancing requires multiple hats and overhead. And yes, there are some days when I wonder if I made the right choice (but those days are still few compared to the days that I’m glad for my own schedule and the ability to cook large amounts of bacon at any time).

2. Freelancers Make Lots of Money
This misconception is more popular among people not in the website industry. They know a friend who’s a freelance web designer and charges $70 an hour. Given a 40-hour work week, that’s $10,000 a month! Right? Well, that’s true if you could always fill 40 hours a week and only do billable work (and if you’re the one freelancer who has accomplished this, then check a mirror because you actaully don’t exist). The reality is, you’re fortunate if half your hours are billable. Plus, you’re usually paying more taxes (about double here in the States), often covering your own health insurance, and supplying your own retirement account. All in all, many freelancers actually make less than they could in a corporate world.

3. Freelancers Live Stress-Free Lives
When you’re freelancing, you’re not just enduring the stress of one job (whether that be designer, developer, or writer), but you’re also dealing with the stress of every other job. This includes clients, finances, schedules, budgets, subcontractors, and many other issues, all while knowing that your paycheck is dependent on handling all of this.

4. Freelancers Have Few Future Career Outlets
The logic goes, if you’re the only employee, there’s no vertical career mobility. What this logic doesn’t take into account is the fact that, unlike the corporate employee, the freelancer is the boss. Freelance your whole life? You could. Start your own firm? Why not. Build web apps or the next big idea? If you want. Plus, I’ve seen many freelancers get great offers from companies or startups looking for someone who can operate efficiently and effectively on their own.

5. Freelancers Live Paycheck to Paycheck
Unlike #2 (where outsiders believe that freelancers make a lot of money), this misconception is often assumed by people within the website industry. They may have had their share of freelance and found little money in it. So do freelancers live from paycheck to paycheck? My answer is “no more so than your normal corporate employee does.” And actually, if a freelancer has been solo for any amount of time, chances are that they are pretty good at handling finances and keeping good tabs on invoices and mortgage bills. It’s true that freelancers don’t have that assured biweekly check, but it’s not like they’re waiting insecurely for random donations – after all, they are the ones sending the invoices and setting the payment terms.

6. Freelancers Get Socially Starved
If you know a freelancer who seems particularly introvertive, it’s most likely because he or she chooses to be. The world is just too big and connected (thanks to the internet and the plentitude of social networks) for anyone to not have some social outlets. Work is not the only place to meet people nor do all your friends need to know what CSS stands for . And if you live near a decent sized city, there’s bound to be a MeetUp group to your liking as well. Sure, we don’t have the dynamics of having coworkers, but most of us find other ways to connect.

7. Freelancers Appreciate Any Work They Can Get
Work opportunities are good. But it seems that when you’re a freelancer, all your friends will contact you with potential jobs from their sister, their uncle, and their orthodontist (I’ve had all three happen to me). They’re very well-meaning, trying to help out with referrals, but very few of these ever pan out. Although a lot of my pro bono work comes from friends, the work that keeps me financially afloat usually comes from my client/professional network.

8. Freelancers Would Never Go Back to Corporate
Ahhh…the freelance life…where you have no boss, no worries, and the freedom to work on the most amazing projects in the world. Why would anyone ever go back to a corporate job? Well, for starters, maybe because that first sentence is not true. Although there are a lot of perks to freelancing that I love, it’s by no means paradise, and there are some opportunities that only exist in larger companies. I’ve seen many freelancers go back to a corporate position that both gives them flexibility and allows them to be part of some pretty amazing things.

The Next Five Years of Website Freelancing

Written by Samuel

There were about five years between the Dot-com bubble (which had officially “burst” by 2001) and the ubiquity of Web 2.0 (whose roots began earlier but really came into mainstream by 2006). During those five years, people realized true strength of the internet as they utilized standardized formats like XML and RSS, service-oriented web applications, user-controlled data, and, of course, the social aspect of the internet. We’ve seen the rise of social networks, the appearance of some pretty interactive web applications, and overall, the integration of the online world and your personal information flow. If you were freelancing during these five years, you probably had your share of work on blogs, social-based sites, Flash, or web applications. Furthermore, you could (and still can) make a pretty good living by just focusing on being a good designer or developer.

So the question is, what about the next five years of website freelancing? And how will they affect your average freelance designer or developer? Here are five predictions…

Increased Globalization
It’s amazing how diverse the web landscape is. I’ve met great developers in eastern Europe, amazing bloggers from Australia, and awesome designers in South America. It’s not hard to see that globalization is affecting business, and in a good way. Freelancers can choose their location, businessmen can outsource work and grow quicker, and the pool of great talent is more accessible. So don’t be surprised if your best contractor is from India, your top client is from Spain, and your most loyal website visitors are from Canada.

Rise of RIAs
As noted in a recent post, web applications are becoming deeper and more interactive. More and more of your software and data is being moved online because of these technologies. For freelancers this means a couple of things. First, there will be greater demand for people who know and operate within the online culture. Second, you must stay relevant and informed if you want to keep your opportunities and career paths open. Back in the late nineties, “knowing some HTML and graphics” could still get you good work. Of course, that just doesn’t cut it nowadays — so as you look to the next several years, beware of the the same pitfall and always continue assimilating new technologies.

Strategists Win
Let’s be honest. There are probably quite a few people who can do your work either better or cheaper or both. That said, there’s a reason why more and more web workers are positioning themselves as “strategists.” A Flash or CSS coder can be outsourced quite easily (and it will get only easier in the next few years). So go beyond just being the the guy or gal who does that “one thing.” Become someone who can look at a problem and assemble a web solution. Have your own contact list of contractors and vendors. Position yourself as the first person clients go to when they have ideas. If you do this, you’ll be a lot less replaceable and much more empowered in the future of the web.

Increased Barriers Of Entry
In the early eighties, when PC games were still in their infancy, many individual developers and their small teams made names for themselves with some pretty cool games (like Richard Garriot’s Ultima series or Sid Meier’s Civilization). However, into the nineties and this decade, games are huge productions with multi-million dollar budgets and hundred-person teams. As some industries mature, so do the barriers to entry. Websites often follow this same rule. Even though many tasks such as payment processing and shopping cart technologies have become simpler, most website solutions include SEO, SEM, social marketing, CMS modules, interconnectivity with other websites, etc. What this means is that more education and experience is required to get up to speed in the online world. So although the website industry is still somewhat easy to “break into” with a little hard work and experience, be asssured that the learning curve will continue to increase.

More Opportunities
Although expanding website technologies means more information to mentally process and understand, it also means more opportunities. A decade ago, you basically had one class of web worker: “the website maker.” Nowadays, you have people earning pretty good money from WordPress themes, AJAX development, stock photography, SEO writing, online retail shops, Facebook apps, and the list goes on. So as the webscape grows even more in the coming years, don’t get discouraged in the growing complexities. Instead, try to see all the amazing opportunities being created every day and jump on in.