So you’re a freelancer. Maybe you write for businesses. Maybe you’re a graphic designer. Whatever kind of freelance work you do, it’s essential that you keep track of your time. You need to know how long it takes you to finish a 3-panel brochure. Otherwise, the next time you quote your project, you may estimate incorrectly. You might also need to work on an hourly basis from time-to-time, so of course you’ll need to know exactly how much you should charge the client.

The wonderful thing about freelancing, from your client’s perspective, is that they pay you only for time on task. You’re not paid for phone breaks, laundry time, or the 20 minutes it took you to wash your dishes. If you work from home, these little interruptions can add up. Unless you’re able to work for uninterrupted blocks of time, you need a system to keep track of your time.

Now, how fancy do you want to get? There are lots of cool tools you can use on your computer. Check out this list from Freelance Switch. Or you can use a stopwatch that allows you to stop it for breaks and restart it from the last time when you’re ready. You can download a stopwatch application for your smartphone also. Or you can just take note of the time on a piece of paper, and write down when you stop, and write down when you start again. Later, you just add up all the time.

After you’ve done timekeeping for several projects, you probably will need to have some system in place to keep a log of total time spent. This is great for future projects of a similar nature that you want to price, and it’s also a good idea for your tax records (in case anyone ever asks).

What methods for timekeeping do you use? Have you tried one method, only to realize it didn’t work? Share with us!

According to Facebook’s press room, Facebook is a superpower. Well, I’m paraphrasing, but that just about sums it up. Active users number over 500 million, the average user has 130 “friends,” more than 700 billion minutes are spent on Facebook (each month!), and users share more than 30 billion pieces of content with their friends. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

So it makes perfect sense for businesses, especially small businesses who have a tougher time reaching their markets, to get very involved with this online powerhouse. I started out with just a personal page. At first, I used it for keeping in touch with friends and family across the country (and the world). Later I expanded into connecting my blogs to my page, so my friends get instant updates whenever I post content on them.

Recently I took the plunge and started fan pages for this blog and my other blog, Marana Unwrapped.

What is the benefit of a fan page? There can be several, actually.

For one, you have a quicker way to interact with your fans. A blog post is usually a few paragraphs, and for me, it takes a bit of thought. Twitter is a useful mini-blogging platform, but there are so many tweets from others that your users have to read. I have a Twitter account, and I follow around 500 people, so I get multiple tweets in just a few minutes. There’s no way I can keep up unless I’m constantly looking at my Twitter stream.

But with a fan page, I can write shorter posts than on my blog, but longer than via Twitter. And unless your fan’s friends post constantly, your post will actually be noticed and read.

Exposure to new people is another benefit. When your fan first “like”s your page, it is announced to all of their friends on that user’s feed. You now have instant exposure to lots of new potential fans. And if your fan comments on your page or, even better, decides to share a post, you’ll get added exposure.

Facebook also has a built-in analytics feature, so you can find out how many impressions each post has received.

And your page doesn’t have to look just like everyone else’s. With Facebook Markup Language (fbml), you can personalize your page and make it stand out. If you’re so inclined. You can add applications and tabs, and even have new users land on the tab you want them to. Building lists can be done also, because you can request that users fill out contact forms when, say, joining a contest you’re running on your page.

The possibilities are almost endless. Harnessing the power of this social media giant is still in its infancy – Facebook has only been around since 2004.

Look to the sidebar on your right. You may have to scroll a bit. You’ll notice a nifty little rectangle right under the Donate box that mentions my Facebook fan page. Just click “like.” Or, if you’d prefer, head over to the Crayon Writer Facebook fan page directly. I haven’t done much with it yet, but like I said, the possibilities are endless (almost).

Do you have a Facebook fan page? How has it worked for your business or blog?

I’ve been learning a lot of cool things from watching the replays from International Freelancers Day (replays are only available until October 31, 2010). One of the messages I took to heart is that it’s crucial to prospect in order to get business. While that’s obvious, it still bears repeating. In order to make money doing any kind of freelancing, you need to let potential clients know you exist.

One of the best ways (in my opinion) to prospect is to make cold calls. Whenever I do a cold-calling campaign, I get new qualified leads (which, when handled correctly, may turn into paying clients). Whenever I stop making cold calls, my business grinds to a halt. According to Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-fed Writer (and also a presenter on International Freelancers Day), this mostly has to do with the low volume of calls I’m making. He suggests doing a full-force cold-calling campaign with hundreds of calls (and follow-ups once you get leads). Then you’ll never have to do such a huge number of cold calls in the future after that initial push.

Knowing what I know, and having heard the message repeatedly, why is it still so tough to pick up the phone? I actually like cold calling. I’m very much a phone person, and I love to talk to people. I don’t get discouraged when I get a ‘no,’ and I don’t even mind the occasional abrupt secretary. I’m good at cold calling.

But for some reason, the hurdle of that initial call is huge for me. So I start avoiding it. I make long Excel spreadsheets with prospects to call, I color-code the columns, I research more prospects to add to my list (which is easily over 100 already), and I start to negotiate with myself the best day and time to start calling. I write out my script by hand, then I re-write it on the computer and print it out for a neat copy, and I practice saying it (over and over).

My next procrastination step is thinking about the ideal location to make the calls. I check the batteries on my phone, think about whether or not to use Skype so I can use a headset, I research how to cold call, and then I’m finally ready.

Or not.

Now comes the hard part. I start deciding which company to call first. Surely I can’t call the first one, because they probably won’t need a freelance writer. So I look at their website. Yeah, I’m probably right. So on to the next one.

You get the idea. By the time I am really and truly ready to call, days or weeks have passed with absolutely no action being taken.

My advice to you (and me)? Skip most of the steps. The most important one, which I didn’t mention above, is to pick up the phone, dial the number, and ask for the name of the person in charge of hiring freelancers. Then ask for his/her email address so you can email your portfolio. Easy, right?

How you do handle your prospecting? Do you make cold calls easily, or do you procrastinate too? Any advice for the rest of us?

I did get a chance to see a few of the presentations, and they were simply wonderful. You certainly can’t beat the price. So what are you waiting for? Go check it out. But do let us know how you liked them. I can’t wait until next year!

One of the common themes on Crayon Writer is making money online - something I do, but something I strive to do even better. Believe it or not, I had NO idea that I could make money with YouTube and video blogging. Maybe I’m just the last to know, but in case I’m not, let me tell you about my friend Gideon Shalwick who has it down to a science.

How many videos have you watched today? How about YouTube videos? If you do ANYTHING online, you cannot help but watch at least a few YouTube videos daily.

But did you know there’s a way to make money off of YouTube? And NO – you don’t need a channel with millions of views every month.

Gideon Shalwick, an online video expert, has it all figured out.

And he’s telling it ALL in a 92-page, easy-to-read, report he just put out for you and me: Rapid Video Blogging. I sure thought I’d heard it all before. But after reading Gideon’s hotly awaited report…I realize this is a Whole New Game!

After you download Gideon’s free Rapid Video Blogging report, also check out the video that comes up. Because I just bet it opens your eyes to how ANYONE can succeed online without having to bow down to gurus. In fact, doing it Your Way is the KEY to this system. Check out the report that got the industry buzzing
about it even before it got out!

PS. Gideon has fine-tuned his method over years of experimentation, and it’s all in there, at zero cost.
So if you’d rather ditch outdated methods of making money online, this is the place to be:

Rapid Video Blogging

Once you’re done reading the report and watching the first video, check out the second and third videos. Gideon cranks out cool videos pretty much as fast as he can think. In the second video, he takes us behind the scenes of his famed home studio setup, showing us everything from lighting to editing to ‘getting comfortable’ tips. In the third video he goes through a case study of an ordinary guy whose making decent money on the topic of acne.

You can find the report and all three videos here, at Rapid Video Blogging.

Will YOU be the next Rapid Video Blogging success story? You’ll have your chance very soon!

One of the things I love about the Internet is how much information is available online. Recently I listened to a webinar about Internet marketing, and I got very intrigued. I’m no stranger to making money online, though I haven’t made a ton. I’ve dabbled in making websites and blogs, I’ve done some affiliate marketing, and I do freelance writing online as well.

At the end of the webinar, the guest host, Adam Short, discussed his company’s website. He has a virtual classroom called Niche Profit Classroom where students learn about how to get into niche websites. Since the class was only $1 for a 14-day trial, I had to give it a try.

I was amazed. His classroom is simply overwhelming. There is so much information, and it’s all good information. His teaching method is through videos where the student is literally looking over his shoulder while he’s at the computer. There are hours of videos and webinars to learn from, and the video/audio quality is top-notch.

Even better, if you remain a member you can use Niche Profit Classroom (NPC) to host domains for you, and he has an awesome download that allows you to create websites/blogs with the click of a button. I found the site so helpful that I was compelled to write a Niche Profit Classroom review.

Now, Internet marketing requires a LOT of work, primarily in keyword research and traffic building. You have to find hot markets and then research them thoroughly to make sure they’re really good. And once you finally get around to builidng your website, you still have to drive traffic to it and make their visits worthwhile.

Niche Profit Classroom makes this easier for you by giving you access to downloadable “niche packs.” These packages include keyword research already done for you, and they give blueprints about how to go about building traffic.

If you’ve ever considered getting into Internet marketing, which involves selling a product (usually an e-book), I would highly recommend checking out Niche Profit Classroom. It truly has a wealth of valuable information. And the 14-day trial will let you try it out for only $1, or if you do pay the monthly fee, you have 30 days to get a full refund.

I haven’t yet built my first niche website (I joined only 14 days ago), but I’ll be sure to report back when I do. I know that a well-built and well-positioned niche website can make money even when you’re not actively working on, which is perfect for being a stay-at-home mother.

So what are you waiting for? Now that you’ve read my Niche Profit Classroom review, head on over there and give it a try!

Have you tried Internet marketing? Are you considering it? If you try NPC, let us know how it went.

I haven’t used an alarm clock in many, many years.

Why not?

I hate them. They’re loud, obnoxious, and they wake me up! I know, I know. That’s the point of alarm clocks. But I find them an intrusive device, and I don’t use them anymore (except on very rare occasions).

You may be thinking, “The nerve of that woman! Alarm clocks are a necessary part of life. Just like wearing a watch.” Well, actually, I don’t wear a watch either, but that’s a story for another time (no pun intended).

My disdain for loud alarms may actually have its roots in high school. I went to a school that didn’t use bells. When it was time to change classes, we changed classes (when the teacher gave his or her okay, of course). We had to use our minds to stay on-time while stopping at our lockers or chatting with our friends.

Sometime during college, I started realizing that I often wake myself up before the alarm goes off. I must have started practicing this skill, and I tried my best to make sure I didn’t have to be anywhere super early. Also, I generally find that I won’t sleep past 8a.m. no matter what time I go to sleep at night.

Eventually I had my daughter, and that just solidified my habit. Babies wake up all the time, and my daughter especially can’t stand sleeping once the sun is up. Surprisingly, I can always go back to sleep when I want, but somehow I can still set my mental alarm for how long I plan to stay asleep.

Waking without an alarm doesn’t work so well when there is a schedule change, though. If I suddenly have to start getting up at 5 a.m., I will set the clock. But worrying about sleeping through the alarm generally wakes me up before it sounds.

Not having to rely on alarm clocks is refreshing. There’s something unsettling about being awoken from a sound sleep by a loud, scary noise. It makes waking up harsh and unkind. I highly suggest giving it a try, maybe starting with a weekend or during vacation.

What about you? Do alarm clocks play an important role in your daily life?

Happy New Year! I hope you had a productive 2009, and of course I hope this year goes even better for you.

I’m not one to make resolutions just because there’s a new year, but it makes sense to mark the beginning of something (day, week, hour, minute) with some sort of goal or plan. My personal goal is to work harder on doing what I need to be doing. Making myself “go” has got to be one of the toughest things.

What general plans do you have for this beginning? Do share!

]]> http://crayonwriter.com/2010/01/02/happy-2010/feed/ 27 http://crayonwriter.com/2010/01/01/get-it-in-writing/ http://crayonwriter.com/2010/01/01/get-it-in-writing/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:20:09 +0000 Theda K. http://crayonwriter.com/?p=526

Recently I agreed to do an editing project for an acquaintance of mine. We agreed that I would be getting paid for my services, and I agreed to work for less than I usually do.

This may not be a problem on its own, but I made the HUGE mistake of not getting a written contract. Or even a spoken contract. I trusted the acquaintance and thought that I’d at least get paid a fair wage for my work.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. And I know the damage is done.

Being a nice guy is great, I suppose, but if you want to get paid properly you really need to get some kind of contract. By just letting things fall where they may you set yourself up to be used. You can be a nice guy by giving your friend, family member, or acquaintance a “nice” contract to sign. It may seem harsh, but it’s the only way you can (sort of) protect yourself.

Even with a contract there’s no guarantee you’ll get paid. This is one reason it makes sense to get some type of deposit up-front…at least you get something for your work. But without a contract you set yourself up for getting nothing at all.

What kind of contract should you write?

The simplest (and maybe nicest) contract is an email exchange. After you talk on the phone or in person and iron out the details, send a short email summarizing what price and terms you’ve agreed to. I did do this with my last client, but I didn’t do one more crucial step. Before you start working on the project, WAIT for your client’s emailed response. In that responding email the client should clearly concur with your summation.

Another method is to write up a general agreement that outlines your terms and the price you’re charging. You should sign it and then give it to your client to sign. Either make a copy of the signed agreement or just have two agreements for the each of you to sign. Once you have that in hand, go ahead and start working on the assignment.

Contracts that are spoken — oral agreements — are legally binding, but they’re difficult to prove and, therefore, difficult to enforce. Don’t feel like you’re being a bad guy by running your business properly. As a benefit, you’ll start finding that clients treat you with respect when you command it from the beginning.

What kinds of contracts have you used for your freelance work? Do you have any horror stories?

]]> http://crayonwriter.com/2010/01/01/get-it-in-writing/feed/ 24 http://crayonwriter.com/2009/10/18/google-voice-for-freelancers/ http://crayonwriter.com/2009/10/18/google-voice-for-freelancers/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:18:44 +0000 Theda K. http://crayonwriter.com/?p=502

Thanks to a good friend of mine I recently found out about Google Voice. And am I ever so glad I did!

Google Voice is a freelancer’s dream.

Here’s how it works. You choose a phone number you like. I chose one that’s local to my current home.

Say you don’t have long distance at home, like I don’t. But your cellphone reception is poor in your home, like mine is. If you’re online with your computer, type in the phone number you want to call. Like magic, your landline home phone rings! You pick it up, and your call is connected (for free) to the number you typed in.

Not in front of your computer? No problem. Pick up your landline and dial your Google Voice number. You’ll get an option to place a call. Anywhere in the U.S. and it’s free!

Even better, give your new Google Voice number to anyone, like clients. When they call you, you can set it up so that both your home and cellphone ring. So you’ll never miss an important client call, unless you want to. And they’ll have a professional, local number to call, and you can answer it wherever you are. If you’re staying out of town for a week, you can set it to ring the phone wherever you happen to be residing.

I also like that you can block certain numbers, and you can even set it to make the caller give their name first. If you want, you can send them to voicemail (and even listen to their voice message as they’re leaving it).

Anyway, I think it’s cool, and I like not having to give out my real number to people. Their caller ID shows my Google Voice number as well. And if I ever need to make a change then poof! No one has my real numbers anymore. But call blocking should take care of any annoyances too.

The only drawback is that you have to request an invitation from Google Voice, and then you have to wait patiently (I waited about a month) for your invitation. I have no idea how many they’re giving out, or if it’ll always be free. But for now it is, so head on over and put in your request. But choose your number wisely. It costs $10 to change it later. You can enter a word you’d like your number to correspond to, or search through for certain numbers in a sequence.

One more perk…If you have an Android cellphone (like I do), you can automatically make all of your outgoing cellphone calls using Google Voice. So your cellphone number is still protected from folks, and if you’re calling local clients they still get that local number.

Do you have Google Voice? Let us know if you do, or if you plan to get it soon.

]]> http://crayonwriter.com/2009/10/18/google-voice-for-freelancers/feed/ 23