How often have you said to yourself, “If only I could be my own boss…” In a world where job security is practically non-existent and fighting corporate red tape is as much a part of the daily routine as that first cup of coffee, many people dream of starting own businesses. Working for yourself is [...]
Free Quickbooks: Accounting for Writers
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Sometimes life’s timing is perfect. After writing a small series on money matters for writers and then sharing my glowing praise of Quickbooks, Intuit decided to offer Simple Start 2008 – full-feature accounting software – for free. Track your project payments, invoice customers, or keep it all internal to just stay on top of your [...]
Four Tips for Providing Add-On Services
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The Internet is rampant with opportunity for people to start their own business. Those who never thought they’d leave the nine-to-five grind of a boring office job are realizing the potential offered by the virtual world. Freelancers and businesses are cropping up left, right and center – and doing very well, thank you very much. [...]
Selling Ebooks: All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go
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Here’s a scenario: Prince Charming (or Cinderella) gets ready for his Grand Ball. He’s all dressed to the nines in great clothes, he’s looking good, he’s feeling great… and three hours later, he’s standing in the middle of an empty ballroom, hands shoved in his pockets wondering why no one showed up. Ever feel that [...]
Olympic Pricing Strategies for Writing Rates
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This is gonna be a quick one, folks. Michel Fortin proposed an excellent method of setting your service rates. We already use this standard for certain services we offer, and it really does make a different for the client. They get to pick and choose to their needs, and they have comparison rates to help [...]
“What’s a Blog, exactly?”
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“So what’s a blog, again?” “It’s like a live journal,” I explained to my buddy over a beer. This was the third explanation that night. “People use them to promote products and services. They drive traffic to their websites. Blog. Combination of ‘web-log’.” “A blog.” he repeated slowly, still trying to grasp the concept. “So… [...]
7 Deadly Fears of Writing – Part 1 of 8
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There is nothing quite like a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do but enjoy a little guilt-free time. The fridge is full and doesn’t echo, the pile of laundry is soundly beaten into submission and banished from sight, and I’m all caught up on work. I picked up a book by Jurgen Wolff called Your [...]
Mixing Business and Personal: When Clients Get Too Close
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“So… Tell me if I’m getting too personal, but do you have a particular fetish?” People crave companionship. In a world where human contact and interaction are becoming more limited, we all find ways to compensate for the lack of face-to-face encounters. But what happens when business becomes too personal? Blogs feed off theintermingling of [...]
Writers Cry Wolf and Do a 180 on Elance
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Ever get the feeling that the cry of insult, the tossed gauntlets, the stomping away, and the slammed door was all just for show? Elance made some changes to its new membership plans after writers spoke up in protest. Writers were upset. They cried outrage. They tossed around accusations and painted Elance administration black. They [...]
Take the Heat or Get Out of the Kitchen
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If you’re a blogger, you’re joining a community of people. You’ll develop fans and followers, and you’ll gain loyal readers steadily if you do all the right things. A warning: you are joining a community of people. Why is that important to state? Because these people – your readers – aren’t always going to like [...]
