How To Freelance With Little Experience

All too often people are discouraged by the idea of freelancing. Freelancing can be stressful regarding not knowing when your next pay check will come in, but the task itself is anything but difficult to accomplish when putting your best foot forth. Here are some tips to keep in mind when entering the realm of freelance work.

Make yourself stand out

The reality of competing against other applicants is that you both may be able to produce the same results, but the client wants someone they feel they can trust to get the job done on time and meets the client’s standards. Differentiation is key!

Update your resumé regularly and make sure the most up-to-date version is uploaded to your profile. Completely fill our your profile on job sites for freelancers, as well as professional networks like LinkedIn. Take the time to verify your account. Provide examples, references, and any credits applicable to illustrate you have not only actually completed the project listed in your profile, but that client was happy with what they received! Provide examples of your projects to illustrate your greatness beyond references and credits. Lastly, have a catchy tagline associated with your name so people can see how capable you are of offering something different.

Where to find work

There are endless websites to find work! Websites like: Elance, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, Guru and oDesk are some of the more popular ones, but work can be found even on sites like Craigslist and the Facebook Marketplace. Make sure to check the websites and your email daily for notifications and updates regarding a job you applied. Check daily rather than every other day so the client does not opt to give the job to another applicant over you due to lack of response time.

Highlight your qualities

Do not fall into the category “jack of all trades, master of none.” Define what you are good at to a specific skillset; about 5 to 7 skills will be fine. Try to have your skills correlate together in some aspect. For instance, copywriting, social media, and content marketing can all work together. Clients will be more inclined to award you with a job if they feel your skills align, as well as possibly persuaded to hire you for more than one job.

Keep your clients happy

This does not change from the salary world to the freelance realm. If your client is happy, they will hire you again over posting, finding, and hiring another … it is simply easier and more efficient on the client’s part. Simplicity goes far!

Send an initial job confirmation email to your client highlighting the expected completion time for the project you will be working on for the amount of money you will be receiving. This will further confirm you and your client are on the same page before getting half way through the project to realize something was miscommunicated. Proofread everything, and cross-reference information if accessible. Make sure to save your file by a simple to read title and the format (PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.) you save will open on the client’s end. List your name, company (if you have one), word count, target market (demographics), and title at the top of your project.

After you have completed your assignment, sent the project over to the client, and received full payment from client for your work, follow-up with the client saying thank you for the opportunity to work together and if there is anything else they need completed in the future be sure to let you know. You can even take that final step and say you will put their work first before other clients, or some other benefit to reel them back in for more work.

If you have not already gathered, freelance work is far from scary, just time consuming. Fill out one profile and start from there to see who responds to your work. The worst that will happen is nothing if you don’t try!

Tumblr The New Social Media Platform

For years, Tumblr has been the social media outlet for photo-interested college students and creative users. With call-to-action pieces being implemented in blog posts, along with other web-based content, Fortune 500 companies are taking advantage of this social medium.

Tumblr is just now being tapped into as social media specialists are looking for new ways to differentiate their company’s audience, especially as Generation Y and the Millennials take over where their company’s posts are being displayed.

Tip: Since Generation Y and the Millennials evolve as social media does, let them take the reigns and see how your company progresses. Take a chance to come out ahead.

Here are some benefits to Tumblr and why the big guys are reaping the benefits of this less unexploited social site:

Blogging alternative:

Not every company operates a written blog, even though they should. Sometimes, people are too busy to write or are not comfortable with their public voice, so they prefer a photo blog instead! Since Tumblr is photo-based, companies manage their image and increase impressions by posting detailed, interesting, or beautifully designed images instead. Your consumers will retain the same message without having to read a description, and a photo always lasts longer in a person’s mind anyways.

Tags are still tags, no matter where they originate

Tumblr uses the same basics to connect as all other social sites. You can still tag, which shows up in Google search results. This is the primary component to finding other’s blogs to follow and directly why users are able to discover one another. Pay attention to tags that are trending and used most often.

Operations are a-go Captain

Each user can follow, like, tag and post, as well as install tools to make operating the site easy. The trick to being “popular” on social media sites in interaction! Follow people you have not yet discovered, reply to posts you favor, and post often to boost your traffic. You can also view and monitor traffic via Google Analytics!

"Tumblr is one of the most visually appealing and user-friendly platforms out there, so it was an effective way to build our community online," says Lucy McIntyre, VP Communications at Andre Balazs Properties. McIntyre also helped to set up a Tumblr account for The Standard Hotel, who’s blog is packed with content from guest bloggers, downloadable music, and product pictures, reports Mashable.

Try something different to stand out. Worst-case scenario, your name appears more frequently in Google search results!

 

Your Reputation Is Everything, But Why?

All anyone ever truly holds as their own is their name and reputation. A name determines your self-worth by representing who you are. Once a rotten connotation is associated to your person, all may be lost if recovery isn’t accomplished right away. Never let someone wrongfully slander or dismantle your reputation, always be on the alert for potential attacks.

People will always judge what they can see to make an opinion. It doesn’t matter if you are the sweetest person in the world … what people don’t know they don’t care about. Think about it this way … we make someone out to be a certain way just by what he or she wears. If we see someone in all black they must be depressed and if we see someone in all pink they must be an airhead. How did we get this way? By making assumptions that a person is a certain way based on an appearance that ultimately associates a type of person to that individual.

So what can you do to prevent destruction before riding into war?

·       Ignore bad comments on social media outlets. It is better to delete a negative comment and block someone rather than comment back. Trolls develop and people will never back down from a comment battle.

·       Not sure what to do? Do nothing at all. Making a move you are not 100% sure about could hurt you more than it would help.

·       Do what you say you are going to do. If you know you cannot follow through, revert back to elementary school rules and don’t make promises you can’t keep.

·       Take the extra step and go beyond what is expected of you.

·       Be likeable. Watch your body language when around others as you may not be aware of how you come off. Don’t cross your arms. Dress the part. Smile!

·       Be involved with your community and what is going on around you. This will not only be easy networking but reflect back upon you with clear and brilliant lighting!

Unfortunately, we live in a society where the opinion of others matters. If you happen to attach yourself to a bad personality, use it to your advantage like Oscar Wilde did with his reputation making him seem arrogant and isolated. He became unapproachable and feared even. You are the master of your fate, so decide where you want your future to be.

Getting What You Want In Business

Have you ever wondered how people get to those higher-up positions in a company? They seem so confident and sure of themselves but all they did was use a few strategy techniques to get what they want in life. These few simple tricks that go unnoticed can help in life, your relationships, and especially your career. In my experience, attitude and how you handle or approach a situation is everything! There are only a few things to keep in mind.

Be kind. Burning bridges never gets you anywhere. And once it’s burned, good luck putting it back together.

Be different. Don’t be afraid to go about a situation in an unorthodox manner. Why? Without stepping outside appropriate behavior pertaining to language and politeness, find a way to differentiate yourself. There are over seven billion people in the world today. Imagine that you are competing with every single person … why should someone choose you? Figure out why you are special, and don’t think you aren’t! If you lack in one area you excel in another. We can’t be great at everything, but figure out what your highlights are.

Speak your mind but don’t overstep your boundaries. This goes a long way in the business realm. Let’s take a typical marketing scenario for instance. Your boss and you are creating a marketing strategy targeting young architect students right out of school. Your boss thinks you should socially post to LinkedIn as it is a professional network. However, you believe that the best social network for this target market is Facebook and Twitter, as those are the networks your audience spends most of his or her time on. What do you do? Simply voice your opinion, explain why, and if your boss does not see the light after your justification there is nothing you can do but bite your tongue. Who knows, your boss might change his or her mind later on. Either way, your insightful voice won’t go unnoticed.

Ask permission, subtly, if you ask at all. Let your hunger for power guide you and not overrule and destroy you. If you show your boss why something works better than what he or she is suggesting, rather than simply stating what needs to be done, it will illustrate your point more clearly. Better to show the zebra where the watering hole is rather than tell him which way to go.

Show some control. The second you let your emotions run wild you have lost. The less you care the more someone else will. This isn’t to say not to care, but you don’t have to wear your heart on your sleeve for all to see. Play the game. A predator waits for the right time to pounce instead of rushing into a losing battle.

Everything you do in life should be approached from a standoff point. This will allow time to think how to handle a situation before acting out drastically, resulting in detriment. Like everything else, these simply tactics take practice, but anyone can accomplish what they want if handled properly. Make a plan, ponder the execution, and then when ready, go for the gold! We believe in you! 

Retro Logo Attracts Home Buyers

Branding is all about imagery. The colors, the shape, texture, even the layout of the images all have cognitive induced responses influencing customer’s reactions. There are certain logos that appeal to the building family more so than others. Triggers that work well for building companies are images that evoke a feeling for strong relationships, reliability, and personal interactions.

An old-school theme shows results. The new “grandpa graphic” has a 1940’s retro-styled feel and construction companies are taking advantage of how much their clients love the new look. The building and home improvement audiences like to see a logo they are familiar with.

This greatly improves upon the diversification of a construction company, as it is difficult to emerge against competitors when rivaling on a platform with the only real differences is between the products available and prices offered. The image your companies see should align with your services as well though. Do not commit to a visual upgrade if the services you provide lack in quality. Make an overall change if you are going to pledge to the change.

There are 5 prime ways to successfully brand yourself:

Know your audience

The construction industry is middle-aged. These people like what is easy, familiar, and low-cost-friendly. Look into the demographics of your customers. Know if they watch television for the news, or listen to the radio more. Are they conservative or like to live on the edge? Where your company is based will also be a factor to consider.

Uniqueness

Stand out! Even if this is giving away a free wrench with every service provided. The roofing and construction industry is a niche market since it is so technical. What is your unique product or service? What makes you different from the next contractor? If you are speechless, than some branding strategy may be in order.

Passion

Passionate people are educated people. If you are not passionate or educated learn to fake it. Make sure you can fake it for the long-run though as customers might lose interest if the short-run flair fades quickly. Think about influencers like Steve Jobs who are very passionate about their products and services. They don’t just tell you what the product or service does but describes it and will sell you on it on the simple fact that Steve Jobs is passionate.

Consistency

When customers receive a service and come back for more, they expect the same service when they return. With the saturation of the industry being filled with so many competitors consistency is something the customer can rely on. Take McDonald’s for instance … the customer knows he or she will receive the same Big Mac in Florida as in China.

Exposure

Posting on social networks helps, but posting to the right social networks has a greater effect. This relates back to the demographics of your customers. Know if he or she spends more time on Linkedin and Pinterest than Twitter and Facebook. Offer deals for customers who share your page. And remember, interacting with people is the social aspect of social networking … talk back to your patrons!

The retro logo speaks to a generation of people as well as gives light to a company in a niche market. Find a way to stand out in such a memorable way someone will have to fall through a roof to remember!