The Ultimate Freelancer's Guidebook: Learn How to Land the Best Jobs, Build Your Brand, and Be Your Own Boss
272
The Ultimate Freelancer's Guidebook: Learn How to Land the Best Jobs, Build Your Brand, and Be Your Own Boss
272Paperback
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Overview
Freelance writer, internet marketer, and mobile entrepreneur Yuwanda Black specializes in helping young freelancers build a business and "live the freelance life," and in The Ultimate Freelancer's Guidebook, she gives you the tools you need to be successful in the ever-growing freelance market. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow and expand, you'll learn how to:
- Break into the freelance market
- Find the best-paying jobs
- Negotiate a contract
- Build a brand
- Create a strong online presence and portfolio
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781440596780 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Adams Media |
| Publication date: | 09/02/2016 |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Sales rank: | 1,072,671 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Introduction 15
Chapter 1 The Freelancer Mindset 17
Why Freelance? Why Now? 18
Eight Habits of Successful Freelancers 21
How to Mentally Prepare to Freelance 27
Transitioning 33
What You've Learned 35
Chapter 2 What to Sell and What to Charge 37
Decide What to Sell 37
Pricing: Guidelines to Get It Right 39
What You've Learned 43
Chapter 3 Writing Your Business Plan 45
The Most Important Thing 45
What a Traditional Business Plan Includes 46
Refining the Plan 49
Final Issues to Consider When Writing Your Business Plan 61
Chapter 4 Start-Up Costs 63
Categorizing Your Start-Up Costs 63
Things That Can Wait 71
Three Things to Remember 72
What You've Learned 73
Chapter 5 Building a Brand on a Shoestring Budget 75
Three Keys to Branding Success 75
Construct an Elevator Pitch 79
Conclusion 80
Chapter 6 Marketing 101 81
To Niche or Not to Niche 81
The Five Ws of Marketing 82
Key Questions to Consider 85
What a USP Is and Why You Need One 85
How to Develop Your USP 87
Competition: What You Need to Know 89
Free or Low-Cost Marketing That Works 91
Your Website 95
Chapter 7 How to Land Your First Client(s) 105
1 Join a Chamber of Commerce 105
2 Get Your Former Employer on Board 112
3 Use Cheap Gig Sites 117
How to Leverage Freelance Marketplaces 121
How to Retain Existing Clients 124
Chapter 8 Structuring Your Workday 129
Allocating Time 129
Twenty-Four Hours Is Enough 130
How to Set Up Your Office 131
How to Use Time-Blocking to Earn More 134
Four Ways to Avoid Distractions 136
How to Handle Dry Spells 138
Chapter 9 Working with Clients 143
How to Vet/Screen Clients 143
When to Say "No" 146
Keep the Door Open for Future Business 149
Freelancing and Contracts 149
How to Set, Meet, and Beat Deadlines 151
Getting Paid 154
Chapter 10 Kicking It Up a Notch! How to Get Ongoing Clients 163
What Exactly Does It Mean to "Scale" a Business? 163
Service-Oriented versus Product-Oriented Businesses 164
How to Scale Your Business 165
What to Expect When You Scale 170
The One Thing Almost Every Successful Freelancer Does 171
Chapter 11 To Incorporate, or Not 173
What Does Incorporating Mean? 174
Common Business Structures 174
Some Overall Pros and Cons to Incorporation 180
Five Questions to Help You Decide 182
Legal Advice Every Freelancer Needs to Know 183
Covering Yourself 185
Chapter 12 Common Freelance Pitfalls to Avoid 187
The Scams Pitfall 187
The Pricing Pitfall 194
The Confidence Pitfall 195
The Friends and Family Pitfall 197
The Competition Pitfall 198
The Procrastination Pitfall 199
The Transitioning Pitfall 203
Embrace Change 205
Chapter 13 Medical Insurance for Freelancers 207
1 The Affordable Care Act (ACA aka "Obamacare") 208
2 COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) 211
3 Medicaid 211
4 Membership Organizations 212
5 Faith-Based (Christian) Health Plans 212
6 Health Savings Account (HSA) 213
7 Spousal Insurance 214
The Best Healthcare Plan 214
Chapter 14 Know Your Numbers 215
Six Numbers Freelancers Should Know 215
Three Things to Know about Taxes 222
Retirement 224
Banking 227
Chapter 15 Freelance Success Stories 233
From Inner-City Schoolteacher to Freelance Writer 234
How to Turn a Past Employer Into a Freelance Client 237
From Software Developer co Gaming Writer 241
How to Master Branding 244
Leverage "Cheap Gig Sites" to Earn a Full-Time Living 247
What Freelancing Taught Me about Money Self-Worth, and Honing My Craft 254
Why So Many Freelance Writers? 257
The Five Most Sought-After Skills in Online Freelance Professionals 257
Conclusion 258
Bibliography 259
Index 263