I’m a big believer in defensive freelancing — handling problems before they become a problem. Tactics like using contracts, expectation management (which we’re covering in the Academy this month), and even using your website to communicate your price ranges and processes can go a long way in preventing freelance issues…and if there’s one area where […]
How to Become Your Own Mini-Marketing Department
This post will help you with Phase 3 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! Marketing is the hardest part of freelancing. No, really. That’s why so many freelancers stay at the mercy of platforms like Upwork or shouting into the void of social media, hoping […]
Ready to run back to employment? It’s time to take action.
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! I really can’t blame anybody for wanting to go back to relying on employment. I mean…they send you checks on a regular basis, they keep your work flowing…they set up your vacations and sick […]
What is “Strategic Freelancing” Anyway?
I’m a big believer that most freelance “failures” come down to not having a plan. If you follow me over on Twitter you’ve probably seen me mention “Strategic Freelancing”. It’s a concept I credit for my own freelance career and what everything here at BlackFreelance points back to. A strategic approach to this whole […]
How to Get to $75/hr as a Freelancer
This post will help you with Phase 3 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! Since we’re going to be doing more with strategy in 2019, I wanted the first BlackFreelance post of this year to be about just that…but…after this discussion on Twitter about setting a standard […]
Want to Work in Multiple Niches? These 5 Tips Are For You.
This post will help you with Phase 2 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! When I first started BlackFreelance, I was ALL about focusing on one niche…not just for myself, but also that’s the advice I would give other freelancers. Lately though, I’ve changed my mind a little. […]
3 Reasons I Pay My Freelance Taxes Monthly (U.S.)
I know taxes are something most freelancers trip over at some level from the get go, but I’m still embarrassed at how long it’s taken me to get comfortable. As much as I loved international accounting in business school, freelance taxes just turned out to be a much different, and much more personal game. Eventually, I […]
5 Ways for Web Designers and Developers to Build Trust
I should probably start this post off with why you should even listen to me in the first place. I’m not a developer. I’m not a designer. Without a solid template to start with, I’m basically dead in the water. So this is an advanced request for forgiveness if I use any terminology wrong. […]
Review: BlackFreelance Workbook
I was SO happy to run across this thread on Twitter. It’s a review of the BlackFreelance Profile Workbook as well as the site overall. It was totally unprompted and unsponsored, but what made me happy is seeing the freelance challenges it answered. Here’s a look at the thread. So I just spent a […]
Quick Thoughts: How Writers Should Get Into Social Justice
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I’m not a big fan of social justice as a niche. Not because it doesn’t matter or it doesn’t need writers (it does), but mostly because people tend to approach it thinking that sheer energy will translate into income and a great career (it won’t). The thing is […]