Freelancing – How to Make Money
By Stephanie Hancock – Editor and CEO of JustContent
How to make a living at freelancing – well, first of all, you have to be willing to commit. I used to be a reporter at the newspaper and freelanced on the side. However it didn’t take me long to realize I could make more freelancing than I could at the newspaper. I quit the newspaper and started writing full time at home, yes, it was dangerous, but I had to make ends meet and I knew I could.
Mind you, the work is not always available so it’s important to expand your horizons and work for a few different companies. It’s one of the things that I hear most often – “there’s never any work available anywhere”. Even though I run JustContent, I still have my own clients on top of that, and I still work for other companies as well and work a lot for them.
I write everyday, even when I don’t have an article due, except for my ‘day off’. I blog (here and elsewhere) and do other job related projects.
However now that I have JC, my own clients and other work, I make sure I take time off for myself too…that’s important. I take at least one full day off from writing and anything writing related each week. This gives me time to recharge and relax, spend time with my kids and my fiance. It’s also good to give yourself regular working hours. Now, mine aren’t ‘normal’, I would rather write at night than in the morning. But do what works for you, and when you’ve been at it for eight hours in a row, it’s really time to stop for the day.
Put your hands in many pots and you’ll see that there’s lots of work.
freelancersalliance Said:
on February 28, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Let me know if you have an interest in learning more about particpating in an alliance to write a business plan. Here is an excerpt from my website: http://www.freeagentalliance.com
This is a business concept that is initiated with some very smart people working together to build a company with the wisdom of a time honored company and the flexibility of an innovative small company. It is a challenge that many will not take seriously, many will not be qualified, and many will not agree with the requirements for participation. For those that see the potential there is a great deal to be gained. This business concept will require “out of the box” thinking and setting aside preconceived notions concerning business ideology. This enterprise is not about any one individual’s power or ego trip. It is about realizing the potential for growth by openly sharing and participating as a team to accomplish stated goals.
The goal is to create a home based consulting business that has all the luxuries of an existing large bricks and mortar company without all the baggage. A business where the participating members own 100% of the business and are in total control of its’ destiny. A business that is operated through a “central control facility” that will offer its members and their clients all of the technology, networking capabilities, and wisdom of an established company but without the baggage. It will be geared to make quick adjustments and be constantly evolving as needs dictate and the business climate changes. It will never be boring and everyone will not only get the credit they deserve but their rewards will be in direct proportion to their contributions. The right hand will always know what the left hand is doing because there will be open communication between all members. If someone is screwing up everyone knows and likewise if someone has performed well everyone will know.
Everyone in this company has an equal vote and will have an ownership interest. Everyone’s performance has a direct impact on the value of the whole and therefore it also reflects on each individual members value. A business where everyone shares ideas, knowledge, and contact information (in a fair and equitable manner) so that the young company gains the advantages of an established company. There will be a collection and categorization of the knowledge of all members and when this knowledge is needed it will be there and the contributor will receive a value for this. This collection of knowledge will also be used in the website with a purpose of selling information and marketing the services of the owners of the site (and members of the FreeAgentAlliance). The draw to this site and its purpose will be discussed further in the “protected” area of the site.
All members will be required to provide contact information and this information will also be collected and used in a way that will also be profitable and beneficial to the contributor. This is not an easy task or by any means a “get rich quick” scheme, but a carefully thought out and methodical approach to what will lead to a new business model that offers substantial rewards for those that participate. The earlier a potential member decides to participate the greater the potential rewards, but the qualifications and competition for membership into this alliance will be rigorous. This is an internet based business model and has no predecessors. Whether you are already running a home based business or would prefer to be working out of your home, this is an opportunity that you might not have realized you were looking for.
All members will have a guaranteed payment for services as well as have the benefits of health insurance and retirement plans. This is a 3 phase process and the members of each phase will receive a greater share of the value than the following phase. The earlier a potential members participation the greater the potential reward, but also the requirements for membership. Phase I members will refine and detail the business plan and write the creative brief for Phase II. Let me share with you a business concept where profits are in direct proportion to a members contributions. The higher a member’s competency levels, the better their collaboration skills, the greater their ability to visualize future value, the quality of their contact information, and the degree of passion a member is willing to put into something they believe in, then the greater their potential rewards.
This is a supreme challenge and one that has the potential to provide satisfaction in a monetary and in the form of a “sense of accomplishment”. Many of those reading this summary may stop after reading the requirement of sharing contact information, but that has allot to do with the mind set of those that choose to become members of this alliance. One may just read that and think the worse without understanding how this information will be used and the gain that will come from it. If 100 members provide information for 10 contacts that is a total of 1000 potential clients instead of 10. If this information is used in a way that helps to promote a website that has the potential to attract more potential clients then that is additional value. If there is a monetary reward resulting from another member providing a service that results from sharing this contact information this is another plus. If the platform for collaboration, the networking capabilities, service guarantees, and additional services you can offer that client improve as a result then this is an additional gain. The way I see it if this contact information is properly marketed and protected there is no downside.
All members of this alliance will be expected to contribute time and this commitment will be repaid in the form of value. This commitment will only be a part time obligation and until the site is ready to launch and the infrastructure is in place the value will be building. No one can control this company in order for it to be successful this is only for those that are confident in there abilities, have the appropriate skill sets, and want to be a part of creating a new business paradigm.