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Say ‘No’ to Freelancing for Free

For some reason, people get confused by the ‘free’ in freelancing. Teamup Team Even after you’ve established yourself as a ‘freelance business’ some clients will ask you to do ‘spec work’, ’wireframes’, or ‘just a quick sketch’ for free. This type of client wants you to prove yourself before beginning a project. Does that sound reasonable? If you’re thinking yes, look at it this way: would you be asking for free appetizers before the main course at a restaurant? Of course not! So how should you respond? For your sake, and the sake of the freelance business community: say, ‘No, thank you.’ Why? Because a client like this who ‘doesn’t know if he/she will like your work’ and who ‘isn’t ready...

For some reason, people get c...

August 20, 2019

Resources

TEEM App: Small Business Management Tool

Every small business owner knows the struggle of keeping track of your business and creating the work that keeps it running. It’s hard! And if you’re a one-woman company? Difficulty x 5, because you’re not only the founder, you’re also the designer/ accountant/ marketer/ finance person…etc. It’s impossible! How can anyone manage? Don’t worry. We got you. Our tool will help you manage your finances, create custom proposals and contracts, with ease and efficiency, so you can focus on doing what you love. We know you’re a strong and independent BAWS, who doesn't need anyone, but it's okay to get assistance. We’re here to help! Go to https://www.teem-app.com/ for a free trial. ...

Every small business owner kn...

August 20, 2019

Resources

Art Inc: book for professional artists

Who said you have to suffer to be an artist? To create emotional art? In some cases, maybe. To build a career doing what you love? Not at all. Art, Inc: The essential guide for building your career as an artist, written by professional artist Lisa Congdon, is a practical guide that will help you earn a living by making art. The book talks about creating illustrations, licensing, pricing, selling art, teaching art, marketing your art, and so much more. We love that it has a lot of advice from the successful artists in different fields. So, if you want to turn your passion into a profitable business, read this book! ...

Who said you have to suffer t...

August 20, 2019

Business Tips

Finding Your Design Voice

As a designer, you are free to work as you please—your field gives you the rare opportunity to match your skills to your interests, and combine your talent with issues you care about. This sweet spot is where your design shines.Teamup Team Still, there are things you can do to find your design voice: Work with people/brands that interest you. Your passion will drive you to excel.Feel free to change your style and process, if you like. It’s perfectly okay!Experiment at every opportunity; (great designs demand bravery!)Master the fundamentals first to develop the tools you need to find your own style. (Picasso mastered classical art before he was famous for cubist art)Practice makes you better, and with that, your design voice will shine! So...

As a designer, you are free t...

August 20, 2019

Resources

Recommendation: “Company of One”: business book

Working on growing your business is great, but what’s more important is making your business better instead of bigger; quality over quantity. We recommend this book that will help you do just that. Company of One, by Paul Jarvis, is a guide that focuses on the idea that staying small and avoiding expansion can be more profitable and more enjoyable over time, and will make you feel more fulfilled as a business. ...

Working on growing your busin...

August 20, 2019

Business Tips

Grow Your Business in 2019

Failure is part of the process when starting a small business; there’s no avoiding it. However, as a business owner, you can get ahead by learning from others’ mistakes. How? By doing your research to set yourself up for success. And to help you succeed, we’ve done the research for you, and now present to you these tried and tested tips: Automate everything you can, from email replies to your business news, and stay true to yourself—keep people engaged and informed about your business. Grow your audience, by designing a good web page, offering promotions, and running ads to drive people to your business.Learn more about your customer, and record their information. Use demographics to target content and invest your customer service.Optimize...

Failure is part of the proces...

August 20, 2019

Business Tips

Build A Brand for Your Business

Building a brand for your business is challenging, but there’s no rule that says you have to do it all by yourself. A good business owner knows when to delegate—hire a designer, not just for a logo, but to create context and extend your brand’s vision.Teamup Team Here are a few tips on how to communicate better with your designer: Invite them to meet you in a relaxed setting; a café maybe, not your office, so you can have an easy conversation.Don’t be afraid to say that you have no design background, so the designer can explain things more clearly, in an easy language you will understand.Discuss your business’s goals from the start, and talk about your ‘why’. Feel free to share...

Building a brand for your bus...

August 20, 2019

Business Tips

How to Negotiate Like A Pro

Talking about payment is tricky, but it’s a necessary skill to have when talking to clients, especially as you land more freelance projects. Here’s how to negotiate like a pro: Check salary resources and networking sites to educate yourself about pricing. Websites like 99Designs, Freelancer’s Union, and W.A.G.E. Guide.Calculate how much you personally need to make a job worthwhile. Consider how much you need to break-even with business expenses.Don’t be first to put out a number, if you can avoid it. Listen to the client’s first, he/she might offer a higher rate. You can try to bargain up if the price is too low.Highlight the skills that are relevant to the job’s needs. Most clients are willing to pay more to...

Talking about payment is tric...

August 20, 2019

Business Tips

Mistakes to Avoid with Your First Client

Even the most experienced freelancer, with 5+ years in the industry, makes mistakes. The important thing is to learn from these mistakes, and set expectations for yourself as a freelance/small business. Teamup Team We'll help you with that right now, by pointing out a few mistakes some freelance businesses still make, for you to avoid: Not considering multiple factors when pricing projects; like the quality of your work, the type of client, the scope and deadline…etc.Not asking where the work will be seen; so you can work on the appropriate medium.Not factoring in the client’s existing resources; no need to start from scratch if you have a good foundation to build on.Not having in-person meetings; communicating digitally is easy, but there’s...

Even the most experienced fre...

August 20, 2019

Resources

Lifelong Learning with Lynda.com

No matter where you are as a freelancer, or business, there is always more room to grow and enhance your practical work skills. A great resource to help you keep learning is: lynda.com (now called LinkedIn Learning) is the OG teaching tutorials, even before YouTube. With courses for variety of fields, and different instructors who are experts in their industry. ...

No matter where you are as a ...

August 20, 2019

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