The Freelance Resource: freelance resources

Showing posts with label freelance resources. Show all posts

Five People the Freelancer should have on their Speed Dial

Freelancing is not a simple job. When a person is freelancing, they not only have to look at their work schedule, but they also have to ensure that their entire outfit is in good working order. Of course, there are several people who are responsible for the smooth running of a freelancer's business. These people can be considered to be the invisible freelance resource.Here are the people whom a freelancer should have on their speed dial:

Freelance resource # 1 - The Network Guy:

In many cases,a freelancers business depends on the Internet connection. In other cases, the freelancer uses the Internet connection for interacting with clients and such. Any which way, the Internet connection is quite important for the freelancer. Therefore, make it a point to keep the number of your ISP or if possible, the local person who oversees the Internet connectivity in your area.

Freelance resource # 2 -The Computer Guy:

Remember, the computer guy is different from your network guy. Call the computer guy if you have a problem in the software, or if you want to upgrade or have some kind of software installed, or even if you want to upgrade on your RAM or storage space, etc. It goes without saying that if your computer conks out there's nobody to help you except the computer guy and you if you have any computer knowledge.

Freelance resource # 3: The Furniture Guy:

Your furniture needs do not end at the computer table and the computer chair. Sometimes, you will need a file cabinet, or some specific furniture to place an odd shaped telephone or something. Also, if you have already bought your furniture, make sure that you note down the number of the furniture guy, because you have no idea even how the smallest of flaws in the chair or the table that you will be using everyday will irritate you to no end.

Freelance resource # 4: The Pizza Guy:

Running through deadlines is part and parcel of a freelancer's life. There will be many situations in your freelancing life where you do not have time to cook, but are very hungry and have a deadline to meet in the next hour. To save you from making such unpalatable decisions, make sure that you keep the pizza' guy's number where it is easily visible, so that you can call for pizza during those dire strait times.

Freelance resource # 5: The Telephone Guy:

This may not seem as necessary, because even I do not when was the last time I took up the phone and called someone for my business interactions, but nevertheless, the telephone is a important part of our lives, and it may cause some kind of irritation if it is not working.

Adult Articles: Should the Freelancer Accept this Freelance Job?

The Internet is a medium that is used by everyone to make a business.The Adult industry is also thriving on the Internet, and they have now begun to understand the power of Web 2.0, SEO and user generated content. Therefore, there are several adult and mature websites that now require the services of content writers for the promotion of their website. This raises the question whether the freelancer should accept an adult assignment or not. Here are some factors that should play an integral part on your decision.

Is it Legal where you are?:

Of course, there is a difference between pornography and adult themed articles, but you should make sure that your government and the governing institutes understand the difference. If possible, read up some law of your land, and you will get a better idea whether it is legal to write adult themed articles in your country or not. Even you find out that it is illegal to write such articles after you have been commissioned for the project, you can always contact the client and inform him or her about the issue.

Are you comfortable with it?:

Many a times,a person is not comfortable with writing a particular topic and category. Under these circumstances, the writer should decide whether the project is actually worth it for them. In the same manner, you should decide whether you are comfortable with writing adult articles and whether you would be able to do them. And with adult articles, we just don't mean sexual articles, or gay and lesbian articles, some of the fetishes that you would find out may be positively revolting for you. Make sure that you are cool with writing about fetishes of all sorts, before you embark on writing adult articles.

Adult Articles are Not Porn:

Yes, we all had our share of fun saying to our college friends that we were adult stories writers, well some of us actually were, but that is another matter. Know that most of the good paying article writing jobs for the adult niche will require you to actually know something about the lifestyle, like Cuckoldry or even the fetishes like BDSM, Gor, etc, and you would have to be an extremely talented story writer to actually make some money writing adult porn.

In fact, there are so many fiction writers who would write fiction for free, just so their thoughts and ideas would see the light of the day in the deep depths of the Internet, there is little hope that someone would pay you for writing fiction, but informative articles are an entirely different matter.

Writing Adult Articles is not just Fiction Writing:

Working in the adult domain is like being a filmstar, everyone thinks you have it cool and only know the kind of work that you are doing. The main thing is that most freelance writers think that working in the adult industry would just mean writing fiction and soft porn, but it is not so. Most individuals would have a website, which they wish to propagate and promote, and you would be writing articles about the website, just like how you would be writing articles about a vehicle.

Multitasking: The Bane of Freelancing

Keeping in mind everything that the GUI has given mankind, you cannot but curse the GUI for giving one ability to the entire population of people who use computers - multitasking. While multitasking has its own advantages and in fact, it is supposed to be one of the best aspects that a hardcore computer can have, multitasking has its own disadvantages for the freelancer. Here are just some of the disadvantages that multitasking can have for a freelancer.

Disturbance:

Whenever a freelancer works, it is a given that there will be three to four windows open on the computer. If it is a writer, they will have their research sites and the word processing software, a graphic artist will have references and a graphic software, while a programmer will have ten thousand code windows open. All these windows in all three scenarios do not cause problems, but it is the other window that causes a problem. With multitasking, the writer may lose his flow if he decides to play a game of Solitaire, the graphic artist may forget the right color combination while they are busy poking someone online, while the programmer would just have to shut down the computer and walk away even if he loses one component of the code. It is a well known fact that multitasking can disturb a freelancer, but the level of disturbance can be so high, that the person might just stop working for the day because of something interesting that they found on the Internet.

Distribution of Resources:

Another important reason as to why the freelance should not multitask is that it simply distributes their important resources like concentration and other physical resources like sight sound, typing etc. Because of the distribution of resources, there is a increased chance of errors or mistakes in the assignments that they are working on. These errors may be as simple as typos that are overlooked, or code that has not been rightly closed down. Seriously, erroneous assignments have ended more freelance careers as compared to non submission of assignments.

Increased Time:

Basically, multitasking is a lose lose situation for the freelancer in the short as well as the long run. If the freelance starts mutlitasking, they will start spending more time on the assignments than actually needed, and this will actually create a situation where the person has a lot of work, but simply does not have the time to do it. This will also cause the deadlines of the assignment to 'whoosh by them', which will also cause the ripe assignments to fly away from them too.

Free Software: Your Best Freelance Resources

Working freelance from home does not come cheap. Basically, you would have to pay for everything that you require to work freelance from home. Just some of the things that you would need is atleast spartan office furniture, a computer, a file cabinet, a telephone or even a fax machine and several other objects that come quite down the list. Considering all these costs and then thinking about the insane cost of software, you would think that you are starting up a small business - which is true - but that does not mean that you have to pay through your nose for software for your computer. Here are some of the best resources that you could use for work from home.

Free Internet Browsers:

Firefox: A browser that had grown consistently and rampantly since the past few years. The browser is known to be one of the first pieces of software that came from the then ambiguous 'Open Source' clan and was widely appreciated and accepted by mainstream people. Would you not like to become friends with this champion of the underdog, Firefox? If you do, it is quite simple, and free! Just download a copy from the Net and you are on for the ride.

Opera: Opera is another browser that yin and yangs between being the best browser and being the pits. However, it silences all its critics with the next release, every time, and that next release launch timeframe is quite short. Definitely a check worthy software if you are one who 'doesn't want what everyone has'.

There are several more Internet browsers that are available and free. You could always check the various types and find out which browser looks good for you. I personally use Firefox and Opera.

Free Word Processing Software:

Open Office: The war between Microsoft and Open Source has been epic, and Microsoft has been losing all the battles, though it still came out trumps in the great war with Windows 7. Anyway, one battle that Microsoft is slowly losing is the Word Processing domain, that Microsoft basically owned with MS Office. However, some five years ago there cam options for all Microsoft products, and so did one come for Word Processing - Open Office.

When Open Office was launched, it was quite like MS Word, and was actually a good software if you could learn how to operate it with the ease that you could operate a Microsoft product. It took some time for it to offer .doc support, but all that is a thing of the past today,with Open Office slowly creeping up against its old time rival.

Open Office was definitely a work in progress when I first saw it, some three years ago, but I am sure that it has come a long way from that. It has to, because of the next entry in this tab.

Google Docs: Think about Google and you wonder what aspect of the Internet and computers is it enhancing next, and if you are thinking whether it has come to changing the way we handle our online documentation, the answer is yes. Google Docs can be considered to be a word processing software along with some social sharing aspects, but I am not a tech geek, and I do not know whether I used to right term there. But Google Docs allows you to share your document, online, and then share with any person who has a gmail account, and both of you can work and edit the document in real time. Isn't that sweet? - Yes, it is.

Free Online Billing Software:

Curdbee: Curdbee is a cute and nifty little free online billing tool that makes your invoices to your clients seem more snazzy than the typical Excel or Word document. Play with the software a bit and you will understand that it is the best thing to happen since sliced bread, not the software, but the idea of free online billing software.

Billing Boss: Another free online billing software, the working of this and Curdbee is almost the same, with the user creating an account and then adding their clients to their account. This software basically snazzies up your invoice.

Invoicera: Invoicera is another software that basically makes your online billing software free. All you have to do is to create a profile on the site, add your clients, determine the type of payments that you would like to go with and you can send your clients a request for your payment right from within the site.

Understand Your Freelance Resources

Freelancing is fast moving from a non lucrative to a very lucrative and in fact preferred mode of working in today's fast moving world. However, to become successful in freelance, you should know what kinds of resources for freelancers make freelancers successful, and whether you have them in you. Here are some resource for freelancers which can be considered to be the make or break ones for a successful freelancer.

Time Management: Time Management is one of the most important resources that a freelancer can ever have. With time management, the freelancer can get work done quickly and in an efficient manner, which basically translates into more work and therefore more recognition and success.

So important is time management, that if one does not have this one singular trait, they may actually face long months of joblessness, while they wander from one client to another, till they reach a day when they altogether are abandoned by anyone who wants work on a consistent and time demanded basis.

Honesty: Honesty is another freelance resource that is sadly lacking in today's freelancing world for the most part. There have been several freelance gigs that have been called off simply because the freelancer or the client was not honest enough to own up to their mistakes.

And then, there have been several freelancers who may not be the best in the business, but have been existent simply because they have been able to give honest deadlines and timelines and honest reasons in the case that they do not meet the deadlines.

Commitment: Nothing is possible in this world without commitment, whether it the professional world or the personal life. A freelancer has to show a kind of commitment to the person, the assignment and the work, only then will they ever be taken seriously by their clients.

Expertise: A Freelancer is a person who more often than not is on their own in the big bad world of business. There is a chance that the person comes across some assignment which has aspects that he cannot handle. It is at this time that the expertise of the freelancer comes in handy. With the said expertise, the freelancer can ensure that they either barter their services with another resource that can handle the aspects of the assignment that the freelancer cannot handle, or even simply do such a good job of their part of the assignment that the client is only too happy to hire someone else who can do the part of the job which the freelancer did not or could not do.

VoIP: Your Freelance Resource

Freelancing is no longer something that is done by someone for local companies, organizations or people. Freelancing has today become a global phenomena where a person can get connected and get work from any corner of the world and do it while working in part of the world. In such a scenario, communication has become the most important aspect of freelancing. With communication gaining such kind of importance, there are several options that one has today if they wish to pursue communication with their clients. One such resource for freelancers is VoIP, or voice over internet protocol

What is VoIP?

VoIP is basically a feature that allows one to have voice transmission via internet protocols, and therefore the internet. To use VoIP all you need to do is to download any of the software that offers VoIP services. Commonly, your favorite instant messenger will offer such services. Also, there are special software and hardware that you can buy and use if you wish to get better quality at a price. There are VoIP phones available, which enable you to hold conferences with people with only the phone.

How do I use VoIP?

You first have to download any of the instant messengers, like GTalk, Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or Skype. All these programs offer voice over internet services. You need to have a sound card installed into the machine, as well as a microphone. That is not of an issue because most computers today have an inbuilt sound card and you can get a microphone within $20 or INR 600. Basically, if your computer can play music, you can listen to a voice conversation, however to speak to the user, you would need to have a microphone.

How is VoIP a freelance resource?:

Communication, simple. There are many assignments that you will get from foreign countries and it would not be economically feasible to cal them up and have a chat with them. Also, sometimes it is simpler to get your point across or understand the clients brief over voice. It is at these times that having a VoIP comes useful.

Freelance Resources for Writers

Freelance writing is one of the most lucrative professions on the Internet today. Simply put, if you have a strong vocabulary and a firm control over grammar, half your issues about whether you can become a freelance writer or not are answered.. However, to become a good freelance resource for their writing needs, you should take into consideration the various resources for freelancer writers that are available for free.

Wikipedia: If you are a freelance writer, or just someone who browses the internet, you must have certainly come across Wikipedia, or you have been living under a rock for a while. Wikipedia is the world's largest information resource, which you can use without any qualms for general infomration, knowledge and anything related to historical or general article facts. Because Wikipedia is so vast, it is one of the best resources for freelancer writers today.

Copyscape: The Internet is not without its flaws, and one such flaw is that anyone can copy the content from any website. Of course, there are some freelance writer resources that try to put an end to it, and one of them is Copyscape. Copyscape is a website which you can use to find out whether any of your content is being copied by any other individual or website.

Search Engines: Though Wikipedia is a good enough research for your Internet research, you would be hardpressed to find all the information that you are looking for at one site. Therefore, you should also know how to use the other search engines like Google, Bing etc. It would also be good if you can learn some advanced searching concepts for websites like Google.

Article Marketing Websites: If you are new to the world of online writing and do not have enough gigs, you would have to do what you do in real life, plug your services. Every online writer has their own favorite article marketing website, be it ezinearticles, or eHow, Mostly, these articles marketing websites allow the writer to write articles and then post them on their websites. The writer can put in their name and contact id in the resource box. This is one of the most economical and quick ways to make yourself known, or bring traffic to your website.

'Bid for Work Websites': Bid for work websites are websites that actually work as a connecting point between people who want to work freelance and the people who ar eoffering freelance opportunities. There are several websites that offer these services, like Freelancer.com,Scriptlance.com, etc.

These websites basically require you to make an account with them, which then enables you to view and apply for the various projects that are available on the site. If you get an assignment, the website ensures that the project goes through well. These websites are some of the better freelance writer resources that exist on the Internet.