April 18, 2008
photo credit: nuanc
Freelance success, like most things in life, has less to do with talent and more to do with attitude. If you’ve been a pessimist most of your life, take heart. You can learn how to change your attitude by following these 4 simple success rules.
Rule # 1: Turn Your Doubts and Anger to Motivation
You’ll set yourself apart from 95% of all the other business owners out there if you resolve to stay the course, no matter what your emotional state. There will be times when feelings of doubt, guilt, and unhappiness will threaten to paralyze you.
As Dori says in the movie Finding Nemo “just keep swimming.” Write down the number one reason why you decided to start your freelance business. Whenever you feel like quitting, read your number one reason over and over again.
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April 17, 2008
photo credit: FelipeArte
In a former life, I helped put up Adsense sites with the best of ‘em. Part of that process was getting content to fill a 30-40 page Website. Being a shrewd marketer, I outsourced most of my article writing, on the cheap of course.
But, I soon realized that I was spending more time editing the articles than putting sites together. And fully built sites were bringing in the money. I thought outsourcing that piece—the article writing—would make my life easier. It didn’t.
After putting up with the re-writes for a year, something had to change. I was wasting time and money and losing my sanity in the process. So, I brainstormed.
If I was editing and re-writing most of my outsourced content, surely other marketers were in the same boat. Instead of being an Internet Marketer (IM), I wondered if there was a demand for quality content within the industry.
Here’s what I did…
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Posted in Freelance Marketing, Freelance Success 1 Comment »
April 16, 2008
photo credit: AdamLogan
Getting into college—especially an elite private college—is becoming more competitive as students from all over the world seek out the best educational institutions.
According to the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), top educational consultants come from the ranks of some of the country’s academic advisors and counselors who have gain experienced at both public and private universities, colleges, and secondary and elementary schools.
To be successful, then, you have to enjoy communicating with teenagers and dealing with demanding, and often times grouchy parents.
Services include coaching students for entrance exams, helping craft compelling entrance essays, or to simply guide students through the harrowing application process.
For example, the Service Academy application process starts after a student’s junior year in high school and doesn’t end (potentially) until the spring semester of the student’s senior year.
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April 15, 2008
photo credit: zachstern
I wasted a lot of time planning my startup. I don’t like to admit it but it’s true. I’m not talking about a few months, or even a few years. I’m talking four years! What the heck was I doing during that time?
I…
…dawdled about what business to start
I bought every business idea book on the market. I’d go through the exercises, pick about five ideas and then start the process all over again. It was cathartic in a weird kind of way. I didn’t have to commit to anything but I could at least fool myself into believing I was starting a business.
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April 14, 2008
photo credit: gierszewski
I love researching new business ideas. Not because I’m interested in starting any particular one—most of them I couldn’t touch with my lack of experience. No, it’s because there’s so much possibility for anyone to start and run a freelance business.
Today’s technologies provide a “no excuse” policy for many. If these posts inspire at least one person to start a new business, then I’m happy.
Get ready to get motivated with today’s four ideas…
Book Illustrator/Designer
As access to publishing technology grows, so does the opportunity to market to every wannabe writer on the planet. The exact number of potential authors is unknown but with a Website like National Novel Writing Month, there’s probably hundreds of thousands.
A book illustrator might contract with publishing houses or setup a site and market directly to writers. For the artistic entrepreneur, you might want to specialize in children’s books, since they maximize illustrations.
You’ll either get paid with royalties and advances—split 50/50 with the writer—or receive a one time fee for each illustration. To build your portfolio, check out freelance job sites. Once you get a few projects under your belt, getting more client referrals will be much easier.
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