freelancing

Essentials in freelancing

2008-04-27T04:35:00.001-07:00

With the costs of living going on the upside and regular pay no longer enough to make both ends meet, it is no wonder that people look for other means of paying for the day to day expenses. One of the alternative that people turn to when they need extra cash is freelancing.

Unlike other sidelines, freelancing allows you to do the work that you have already been doing. This means that while you are working on the side, you are able to practice the things that you are equipped to do.

Often, people who freelance on the side are in careers that are creative in nature. Examples of these are writers, photographers, web designers, graphic designers and a whole lot more. These people use their creativity to think of new concepts and then produce them into something concrete. Another plus why people in the creative business are the ones who usually do freelancing is the time.

Freelancing do not have any prescribed hours. Unlike other sidelines like doing part time work in the local mall or doing several hours at the McDonald’s store, freelancing work ends when you finish the work. The hours that you work will actually be dictated by you, on how fast you can finish the job or how often you will be doing it.

Most people who do freelance accept work per project basis. A specific period of time will be given to the freelancer to finish one project. The shorter the time period, the better or higher will be the pay. It is then up to the freelancer to manage or budget his time. The freedom in time is also the reason why people who do freelancing can still hold their regular jobs if they want to. This is of course if there are no conflicts with the jobs and ethical considerations have been met.

Although it is not really a bad thing to do freelance work while holding a regular job, it is still best to avoid this unless freelancing is already an established profession within your profession. For instance, writers in major publications and newspapers are allowed to write for other publications provided that the publication is not a direct competitor of the company they are working for. The same goes with graphic design. Others who already have contacts do a referral system wherein they do not actually do the job but find someone who can do the job and get a percentage for it.

There are many freelancing opportunities that are available in the country. The birth of the Internet has actually widened the scope and reach of mass media, allowing freelancing work to double and even triple. Writers, for instance, have become very much in demand because of the need for online content updating. Writers now are hired on a freelance basis to write articles on the site to boost readership.

Photographers are also given more range through sites that sell generic photos. These photographers sell their stuff over the internet for a minimal fee. Of course, websites also require freelance photographers to provide them with photos for the articles that they are featuring.
The same goes with web designers who are hired to update websites and other contents on the internet.

The internet has also given more freedom for freelancers in terms of time. Because data can now be transferred over the internet, more and more freelancers send their projects through these avenues. They no longer have to personally submit their works.

Finding freelance writing opportunities

2008-04-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

Freelancing work is one of the major sources of extra income nowadays. The profession has been so lucrative that people leave their work sometimes in order to do freelance full time.

This is of course not recommended for people who are not yet established in the industry. In order to do full time freelance, you have to make sure that you have the contacts to back you up and the extra money to tide you over when freelance work is not so many. Remember that freelancing is not a stable profession.

Unlike with working for a regular company, freelancing does guarantee a steady income. Assignments come in trickles. Some months will find you with many assignment while others months will give you none. This is why it is also important to know how to budget your money and to have savings that you can use in case of unforeseen expenses.

When you think about it, it is not really hard to look for freelance writing opportunities. In fact, a lot of writing jobs especially freelance, have opened up because of the increasing demand for people who can update online content. In addition to the other areas and industries that they can write in, websites have given them greater number of potential assignments and jobs.

Still, where you will write or what kind of freelance writing you will do will depend entirely on what know and where your expertise lies. This is actually one of the great things about freelancing. You get to do the things that you already know how to do. In addition to earning more money, you are also gaining experience and enriching yourself through training.

Below are some of the areas and industries where freelance writers are needed. Read on and find the freelance path that is right for you.

Magazines

Freelance writers are frequently hired to contribute articles for magazines. In fact, this is one area where you can actually get regular assignments as freelance writer especially if they find your work good. The rate for every article is quite generous especially if it involves interview. Some writers even kill two birds with one stone by also taking the photographs for the interview. This way, they are also paid for the pictures that are published.

Newspaper correspondent

Another area where you can get freelance work are the newspapers, who often hire correspondents. This is especially true with areas that are outside the city. Newspapers find it cheaper to hire correspondents and pay for their services than send their own writers to coverages and provide for their transportation.

Online writers

As mentioned before, online writers are in demand nowadays because writers are needed to update the online content in websites. The writing industry online is so on the upswing that magazines that keep their own websites hire writers just to do online content. In fact, not all the write ups that you see in the Internet can be found in the magazines and not all articles in the magazines are used for online content.

PR writing

Public relations writing is the new and more effective way to advertise products. Because of this, companies are often hiring writers to do their pr write ups for them. This is because not only one article should be done. One topic or even is rehashed in several ways to fit different sections in publications.

Freelance writing jobs

2008-04-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Doing extra work is the way to go in this day and age especially if you want to earn an extra amount of money. With the rising prices of food and other basic commodities, it is not surprising that the trend is becoming the rule now rather than an exception. And more and more people are actually looking for additional sources of income especially if you have many mouths to feed.

Most are now working for more hours than they should be, holding more than one job at a time. Some who have to render long hours of time in their regular work, use their day off or the weekends to do some extra work. Some work on the local cinema or mall for a few hours while others do some babysitting on the side after office hours.

One of the alternative for people who wish to make extra money is to do freelancing. Most say that freelancing is actually better than holding part time jobs. This is especially true with writers by profession who can actually make use of their talent and their expertise to earn extra pay.

Writers are very much in demand these days because of the rising demands for their services in websites. Writers are needed to do online content and to update websites in order to boost site visits and viewerships. The pay is oftentimes better and the hours are not so long. Some even do freelancing for full-time.

But before you decide to venture into the professional world of freelance writing, read on. Below are some of the advantages that freelance writing jobs have.

Flexible hours

Freelance writing do not have a prescribed schedule. You will not be asked to render a specific number of hours. This means that you own your time and you will determine the schedule that you will have for a specific time period. Often freelance writers will be given a specific time period in which they can finish the assignments. The shorter the time period given, the higher the pay. In fact, they can actually negotiate for the pay if the assignment is a rush one.

Because of the flexible hours, freelance writers can do several assignments in one day and accept more than one freelancing assignments at one time. This will mean higher income for them and of course no stress to do finish the job. This of course will depend on how you will manage your time.

Family matters

Freelancing is also a viable option for people who can have to take care of children or who need to do something for the family. This is especially true with women who need to be at home to take care of the children. Freelancing is a good option to earn money and still stay at home. After all, you can just write almost anywhere.

Training while earning

Compared to other part time jobs that you can do, doing freelance writing jobs will allow you to use what you are already doing. This will allow you to increase your knowledge and to widen your experience. Your part time work will also enable you to practice what you know and use your expertise. What is more, every freelance writing job that you do is a feather in your cap, which you can add up to your credentials.

Tips in getting Freelance writing

2008-04-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about being a writer is the fact that you can hold a permanent job and still write on the side. That is the good thing in having a creative profession. You can do sidelines and freelancing jobs while still being salaried regularly. In fact, many writers in magazines and newspapers accept writing and editing jobs on the side while others who can afford not to have a permanent job will settle in with freelance jobs.

Actually, there are some freelancing jobs that can pay a lot and can even exceed a person’s monthly pay. Permanent writing jobs however provide the security. You wouldn’t want to wake up one morning without money to pay for the rent, right?

Freelance writing jobs are a dime a dozen especially with the advent of Internet. Writers are frequently commissioned to do online content to keep websites updated and informative. Still, one needs to know where to look and how to look if you want to get regular assignments. Below are some tips in getting freelance writing jobs

Go online.

There are a number of writing jobs that one can find in the internet and what is more, these freelance jobs can be accomplished at home. Some do not even require you to pass the articles in person. Because of the great convenience that the internet provides, telecommuting is already possible.

This means that you don’t have to physically go to work. You can just submit your works online. Payments for these kinds of jobs are often deposited through bank transfers.
You can find freelance work listings in websites that feature freelance works. Some jobsites also have listings of these kinds of assignments.

Establish a network

Being a writer, you have to establish a network of people who will later on recommend you for jobs and writing assignments. PR professionals for instance look for writers who can do assignments for them. The same goes with owners of companies that advertise over the internet or those who maintain websites which you can write for. Editors of magazines and newspapers are also often in the lookout for writers in publications.

There are a lot of people who are looking for part-time or freelance writers and the bigger your network is, the more people you can associate with who can help you.

Ask for a referral or a recommendation

The first step in asking for a referral is to do a damn good job that people will want to refer you to another. Although writing is big business, the industry is actually pretty small. Chances are your boss in one project will also know someone who is doing a similar project. Ask for a recommendation to another person who is in need of a writer or better yet ask them if they know someone who might be looking for a freelance writer. This is one way to get assignments.

Write well

The key to having a great freelancing career is to take care of your reputation not only in terms of your writing but also in the way you deal with people. For instance, you can write so well but if you are always late in passing your assignments, no person would want to deal with you. Remember that writing involves deadlines and you have to keep up with it if you want to really stay in the industry.

Essentials for a freelance writer

2008-04-27T04:30:00.002-07:00

In the industry of freelancing, among the most in demand are writers. This is especially true with the birth of the Internet, which tripled the need for writers because of the various websites and online content that are constantly being updated.

There are actually lots of work that a freelance writer can go into especially if they have established the right contacts. Freelance writers, as mentioned, are needed for writing online content to boost website viewership. In fact, online content is fast becoming one of the major sources of freelance assignments not only for writers but also for other freelancers such as photographers, web designers and graphic artists.

But though there are lots of assignments and freelance jobs waiting on the sidelines, this does not mean that you’ll be getting a fair share of them. Because just as there are lots of jobs, there are also lots of freelance writers that you have to compete with. To make sure that you stay competitive, here are some tips.

Self-market

If you plan to do freelancing, make sure that people know that you do freelance. How else will they know unless you tell them? It’s not as if you can advertise and that is an added cost that most people cannot afford. When you meet people, don’t hesitate to give them your card and to tell them that you do freelance work. Self-marketing is essential as this will give you the contacts that you need in order to start a freelance career. This is especially true with people who are working in similar industry like writers for magazines, webzines and other publications.

Always do your best

Because you are actually doing the work that you are doing in the company that you work for, it is important that you always do your best and to make sure that you take care of your work reputation. Your work, whether they are PR write-ups or newspaper articles, will be the basis for you being commissioned for freelance work. So make sure that you always give your best in every assignment.

Establish a sound and solid reputation

It is not only your work that you should take care of but also your attitude in dealing with people. You can be the most brilliant writer but if you are known in the industry as difficult to work with, you will find it hard to get side lines and freelance jobs. Take care of your reputation especially in terms of work ethics and meeting deadlines as these are important factors that employers consider in hiring freelance writers.

Look for jobs

Of course, it is not also right that you just wait for people to give you work. You can actually look for assignments yourself, just to tide you over before actual assignments come in. There are many ways to look for freelancing jobs.

You can log on to job sites where they have a special section that features freelancing jobs or part time jobs. Some are even located in different states, which you can actually accept since most just require telecommuting and not your actual presence.

Another way to look for jobs is to ask people that you know for referrals. This way, you can use the contacts that you have established in your profession.

Becoming a freelance webmaster

2008-04-27T04:30:00.001-07:00

For some people, going freelance is the best way to start up a new career. And why not? By becoming a freelancer, you don’t have only one boss, you don’t have restricted working hours and schedule, and you won't even have dress up and go to the office because you can earn money by working inside the confines of your own abode.

FINDING A WHOLE NEW WORLD

One of the industries wherein freelancing is highly in demand is being a webmaster. With the help of the Internet, more and more webmasters are given opportunities to find livelihood and projects. Delving into design and web developing as a professional and even as a part timer will require a certain amount of planning and preparation. If you are a webmaster or if you have background in web developing and you would want to work as a freelancer, here are some of the things you might want to consider.

1. Consider working on your own site. By now, you should be working on your own site because it is your shop front where people and potential clients would be looking at. As much as possible, your site should be free of errors and mistakes both in the code and the copy.

It should also be cross-browser compatible, easy to use, readable and at least formal or professional looking. If you already have a personal site, don’t use to promote your services as a web designer. It is best of you create or build a new site with a different domain dedicated in promoting your services as a web master or designer.

2. Start building your portfolio. Since you will promote your services virtually, it is advisable that you come up with a portfolio that will showcase the best of your work. If you are just a beginner in the world of freelance web designing, most freelance webmasters will suggest that you offer your services for free to voluntary groups that don’t have a site yet.

You can also build sites for your friends, relatives, and family members. By doing this, you can promote your services and talent to those who visit their sites.

3. Sell your portfolio. Aside from building good and reputable portfolio, you should do everything you can to build up your portfolio. By doing this, you can showcase you work while you gain experience in building sites.

4. Expect and accept that profit is some way off this early. Being a freelance webmaster can help you earn a lot—that is if you already have a stable and steady list of clients and a reputation in the field. Since you are just starting, don’t expect that projects will be rushing in this early. You are lucky if you get your paying clients this early. For the meantime, just continue building sites and who knows, potential clients will be inquiring about your services soon?

5. Keep a day job. Since you are just starting your career in the world of freelance web design, it is wise to keep a day just to sustain your financial needs. Although it may mean that you have to work double time, don’t worry because it will pay off soon as you get a paying client. If you can keep a day job and still maintain doing your freelance stint, then it will be better because freelance work by nature is unpredictable.

If you don’t get clients, giving up a regular pay check will only make your financial constraint worse. Even if you already have paying clients, it will still be a wise decision to keep a day job because it is ca safe fallback once you don’t develop a steady stream of income from part-time web developing. It is also advisable to use the early payments you have earned in doing freelance web design in other projects or by keeping it in a bank so you can use some of it when emergency comes.

Getting Help From A Freelance Web Designer

2008-04-27T04:28:00.000-07:00

In the movie Star Trek, space is considered to be the final frontier. Since ordinary civilians are not yet able to complete the voyage to seek new worlds, the best thing anyone can do is reach out to people in different states and countries by communicating in cyberspace.

The Internet has become a valuable for a lot of people. Not only can someone send an email or do research, this can also be used to transact business. This is better known as electronic commerce and the only way to do this is by creating a website.

The website should feature the products or services that the entrepreneur is offering. Those who want to sell NBA apparel should offer the merchandise so that customers can check it out. Those who like it can place an order and the only thing to do is pack it and send this to the recipient.

Not everyone is a computer expert or has the slightest inkling of how to make a website. Fortunately, the entrepreneur can get help from a freelance web designer who can put everything up and make it happen.

The first thing the entrepreneur should do is talk with the specialist. There must be a level of understanding in terms of what should the website accomplish. The first part is coming up with a name.

Online businesses have to register a trade name similar to what is done with the Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC. This certifies that the entrepreneur is the rightful owner and no one can use this to transact business or profit from it.

When the name has been established, the next thing the entrepreneur should be working on is the objective of the business. Research shows that there are more than a million businesses doing trade online.

A newcomer is just another statistic. What makes this site stand out among the others? Why should a customer patronize this new one when there are others out there that have already established itself in the industry? This may be tough but those who are determined may succeed.

It will takes weeks to get everything running. The entrepreneur should not sit down and just wait for the freelance web designer to pop a rabbit out of a hat and make it operational. This should be checked every so often if this goes to the specifications of the client.

Before launching the website, the last thing to do is test it. The entrepreneur can pretend to be a client and test all the systems. A better way of doing it will be for a few friends to check it and offer feedback.

If the website has glitches or is not user friendly enough, adjustments need to be made. These errors may be minor but this may cost the entrepreneur millions of dollars if this is not take cared of properly.

When it is all systems go, the entrepreneur should market the website. This should be featured in the various search engines or an email attachment can be forwarded to friends.

The hard work will pay itself off in the next few weeks and months. The most important part of having a website is maintenance so the entrepreneur can still use the services of a freelance web designer or learn the basics to become hands on in this new endeavor.

A lucrative venue in the field of freelance web design

2008-04-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most lucrative venues the Internet has provided is in the field of web designing. Today, more and more people and business establishments are in need of skilled people who can create and maintain their websites and this is where web designers rush in.

With the continuous roll out of broadband services in various parts of the globe, it is not surprising that there are so many businesses who have not thought of having a corporate web site before are now seriously contemplating of having one. After realizing how the Internet can help their business, more and more company owners are considering to put up their own web sites to boost their marketing and promoting strategy.

Aside from jumping into the bandwagon of modern technology, having a website will also give companies as online presence and representation once the site is complete.

BECOMING A WEB DESIGNER

Undeniably, there is a growing market for freelance web designing today. If you are a web designer and you are considering freelance work, then it is now time to narrow down your options clearly. The market for web designing continues to grow as long as there are companies who need web designers in creating a front for traditional businesses or services.

Aside from having business as potential clients, freelance web designers can also rely on the billions of existing web pages in the Internet because these sites will need to be designed, built and maintained later on. If you're planning to do freelance web designing, then you should gain knowledge and experience you need to become one.

The first thing you need to consider is getting educated about the field. Today, there are many colleges and universities that offer multimedia courses and degrees. By enrolling in one of these educational institutions, you can learn different disciplines needed in order to become an expert in the field of freelance web designing.

Secondly, you need to reassesses the skills you need to be able to become a successful freelance web designer. Most freelance web designers agree that to be able to become a competent web designer, you should be able to complete a web site on your own. By doing this, you will have the knowledge in designing the layout of your client’s site while designing the elements that involve the use of Photoshop and Illustrator (Adobe) or Fireworks and Freehand (Macromedia).

Also, to be able to become a successful freelance web designer, you need to understand aspects such as design and image optimization in order to give good download, make the site easy to use, make it more search engine friendly and most importantly, to make it cross browser compliant. You will also need to have a good knowledge of HTML as well as an editor to be able to create a page.

If you're just new in the industry of freelance web designing, you might be using Microsoft Front Page but most freelancers say that newbies should veer away from using it because it has a lot of proprietary codes that are oftentimes non-cross browser compliant.
Macromedia's Dreamweaver is the advisable option in creating a site because it will save you time and energy when compared to hand coding. Aside from that, it is also quite important for you to understand the HTML behind the design.

Aside from Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop 5.5 with Imageready 2.0, Illustrator 9.0, and Flash 4 can also help you create better web sites.

Freelance Translator

2008-04-27T04:23:00.000-07:00

Freelancing is one of the surefire approaches most professional use in order to earn extra income. Some of them even use this as a as stepping stone in order to accomplish a stable career. Today, one of the most lucrative areas where freelancers earn a great deal of income is the field of translation.

More and more freelance translators offer their services. Although the profession sounds good and the translation industry is steadily booming, it can be hard to find well-paying work if you weren’t able to earn a degree in translation, translation experience, excellent language skills, and training and experience in a technical field of translation.

If you are interested in freelance translation, the easiest way to do it is to get samples and references. You can do this by being a volunteer or intern in agencies that need translation services such as the American Red Cross, Translators Without Borders, refugee assistance programs, and public health clinics who are in need of volunteer translators and interpreters or by working for low-paying translation agencies that are willing to train beginners.

Aside from getting experience and references, you also need to be a writer. The profession of translation also needs excellent writing skills because the translation should be correct not only verbatim or "word for word" but should also be grammatically correct. And last but not the least, you will need subject-specific knowledge in your own native tongue in order to translate subject-specific documents requested by your potential client.

Aside from having these three considerations, here are some tips that can help you in order to be a successful freelance translator:

1. Make sure that you are realistic. Just like in any field, you need to consider if you plan to work fulltime or freelance. If you are considering working as a freelance translator, you need to be realistic in the possible outcome. Since you are new in the field, you can't expect that you will have a sizeable list of clients on a regular basis.

2. Continue building up. If you are already in the industry, never stop marketing. Having a regular list of clients doesn’t guarantee that you can keep all of them for a long time. Make sure that you continue contacting prospective clients in order to keep the works flowing.

3. Never ignore the local market especially if you are able to present yourself better in person than on paper. In order to build reputation, you need to show a portfolio of your work personally. By doing this, you can ensure that you will have an idea what your potential clients want.

4. Try to join some associations. By doing this, you can add credential to your portfolio. Freelance translators can join associations such as the American Translators Association or its local chapters to help you establish professionalism as a translator. This can also open up a new door to meet other translators and learn from them.

5. Learn from experience by asking for advice. Try to talk to other translators so you will have an idea about the field you are about to enter.

6. Adjust your resume toward translation. The key in order to get clients is by marketing yourself as bilingual if you are. If you also have specialized professional skills, you can also include this in your resume or portfolio.

7. Try offering services that more experienced translators don't. As mentioned, the translation industry is booming and more and more translators are offering their services. In order to meet the demands of the competitive market, try to offer services that others don’t offer such as work on nights, weekends, and rush jobs.

8. Make sure that you get certification. If you are a freelance translator, make sure that you get certification so it can back up your credentials.

Gearing to become a freelance programmer

2008-04-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Freelancing has definitely become one of the trends in generating better income for most professionals today. In fact, one of fields where freelancing is popular is in programming. Today, the world of software development and programming world is going through drastic changes. In fact, many big companies and small companies are getting into different levels and options in order to gear their businesses towards stability.

Because more and more companies are gearing towards different alternatives to promote their products and services better, this need opens up a lot of opportunities to professionals who are doing freelance work. And because of this growing need and demand of companies for freelance programmers, the availability of freelance jobs in the market also increases as days go by.

If you are a freelance programmer and you are more than willing to spend extra hours to dedicate your skills, expertise and experience, then you have better chances of survival in the industry. In fact, being a freelance programmer is a potential option for you so you can earn more money.

If you are planning to become a freelance programmer, here are some of the things you might want to consider:

1. You must be able to finalize a certain set of goals. This is very important especially if you want to go freelancing because this will serve as your foundation for the shifting career.

Before you finally decide becoming a freelance programmer, make sure that you have developed a clear set of goals to know where you are headed. You should also be able to develop a good business plan to identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as your abilities. Once you have done this, then you can now sell your services in various clients out there.

2. Create a good portfolio. Your portfolio is your presentation in the market. If you want to go freelance in the world of programming, your portfolio should reflect what you are marketing.
Always remember that your portfolio is your "calling card," make sure that you build it well. Some of the good qualities of an effective portfolio are organized, clear, and professional-looking. If you are just planning to build one, make sure that you include your best works.

3. Try to build and maintain good working relationships with your clients. Working online makes it harder for people to create and maintain good working relationships. But, don’t let this prevent you from developing harmonious relationships with your clients. All you need to do is to open good communication lines with your clients and be there when they have questions or clarifications.

4. Get work by promoting or marketing yourself. You can do this by signing up with an on-line marketplace, by building your own website, by creating a self-promotion piece, program or design, or by networking

5. Always keep in mind that this is a business. You can do this by maintaining regular business hours when you accept a new project. You can also do this by always making sure that sign the contract and by getting half of your fee up as soon as the project starts to progress.

If you are surfing online and you would want to get freelance programming work, try to visit sites where freelance works are listed such as AllFreelance, icplanet, ework, elance, workexchange, smarterwork, FlipDog Jobs, and eWanted.