Articles with the business Tag

You know the saying “Love makes the world go round? ” Writing  from experience and imagination can wager a pretty penny for those looking to grow and prosper from their creative writing …The language of love is alluring. Speaking from a woman’s perspective, the very idea of love harbors some fantasy of a Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, minus the tragic ending of course.

Feburary 14th is Valentine’s Day. It is on this day that women look forward to the reminders from their mate; that they are loved and desired. Loving verse from a greeting card, penned by an ambitious writer, conveys this message quite well. In Roman Times, a young priest named Saint Valentine was jailed and ordered put to death. This is where love gets tricky.

Valentine, as the tale goes, fell madly in love with the jailer’s daughter. He wrote her love letters from his jail cell on a regular basis… love letters written from behind walls of separation and signed “from your Valentine”. Saint Valentine’s expression of love via letters survives to this day. The oldest known love letter was a poem written by Charles of Valois, Duke Of Orleans, to his wife, Bonne d’Armagnac, after he was wounded and caught in 1415’s Battle of Agincourt. That manuscript can still be found (reportedly) at the British Library in London, England.

I believe that writers are true romantics at heart. Whether they’re penning a love letter to a one and only, a new love interest smoldering with possibility, or reaching into memories of past loves, writing sentimental stories and poems can lead to an increase in cash flow for the freelance writer in 2010. Love rocks!

Some sites to consider when researching where to send your sentiments of love :

1. Anthologies:

Contributing to anthologies might not pay highly, but, it does offer greater exposure and networking opportunities. There is a market for anthologies in all freelance writing genres, particularly romance. To find anthologies seeking love stories, poems, and essays, go to AnthologiesOnline.com

2. Lyrics/Songwriting:

There are many writing competitions that require a small entry fee to judge your work and perhaps award you the prize. In 2005, I entered the VH1 Song Of The Year Competition where I’d written lyrics to what I thought was a lovely remembrance of a soft/melodic love (at a price)… To make a long story short, I didn’t snag the big prize but my son was nominated as “Selected Artist” for that year. That nomination is a fantastic reference.

While you might not always win, writing lyrics and songs for competitions builds your experience and in time you might consider entering the song writing industry. Many talented writers earn their bread and butter writing the words to songs sung by popular artists. Interested in this field? Have you seen Coyote Ugly or Music and Lyrics?

3. Poetry/Prose:

April is National Poetry Month and poetry writing is on the move. Making a profit from poetry can be challenging but is still possible. Every year new poetry is published across the world in many different forms. I have a friend, Mark Anthony Hall, who made his career writing romantic poetry. An Author of several books of romantic poetry/prose and essays, he’s a success in writing letters from the heart.

Mark Anthony also publishes a newsletter, “For Romantics Only”, that takes submissions of romantic short-stories, cartoons, and poetry. I was one of his very first submissions back in the 90s. Visit his website and read excerpts from one of his books, ”Romantic Bedside Stories”, to jump-start your own romantic juices and spark a creative flow.

The possibilities for publishing and profiting from romance writing are endless. From greeting cards, Ezines, and eBooks, to CDs, audiotapes, and books; Writing about love in any art form can be fun and lucrative. Who knows, your work might label you a” Love Guru”!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, writers should take the initiative, write those letters in whatever shape, form, or fashion; Stakeout, identify and bombard your market with submissions and get in on this lucrative boom promoting the essence of love!

What has been your experience with romantic writing?

Photo Credit: ildalina

I’m taking a page from one of my favorite Tina Turner’s songs, “I’ll be your private dancer, dancer for money!” as the incentive to set fire to my creative endeavors and get the ball rolling, the juices of creativity flowing, and the networking on full blast. I’m dedicating 2010 to reach my goal of garnering profit from my Freelance Writing Business.

There are things I’m still learning on this solo journey into freelance, but, I’m already set in motion by landing my first major client just before the Christmas Holidays (can you say, “oh, happy day?!”) and I’m gearing up for my first at home telephone interview from another possible client. I’m not a great dancer and I’m a bit too settled to do it for money, but I am confident in my ability to create other people vision into their reality. Over the last three years, through trial & error, submissions and rejections , encouragements and online classes, I’ve gained a bit of know-how in learning/incorporating steps to build up my Freelance Writing Business. The stuff I’ve learned from seasoned pros is meant to be shared, I think, as a preamble to accomplishing ones dream. 

I’m also writing this post from a position of needing to explore my own passion. Put myself and my vision out there freely for an oftentimes discriminate world to examine. I ask that you be kind in your critiques, but, if not, it’s all good! The five steps to promotion that I’ve found works best in bringing  my own personal vision to the forefront and that I offer up to all creatives with dreams, are:

1. Define your niche

Initially, I fought against this because I felt I’d dipped my pen into too many inkwells to be selective; no more! You must find that one thing that drives you and explore the possibilities. When you answer the questions people are sure to ask as in “What makes your product different?” you know you’re on the right track.

2.  Stay positive and focused

It’s hard when your thoughts are like jumping jacks. Your dreams are many and your vision ever changing, but, you must find a way to manipulate your creativity. Have it do your bidding in a purposeful, concise manner. Organize your thought patterns.

3. Seek counsel

I’ve been blessed to have an older woman/adviser who acts as my writing mentor. She has encouraged and soothed away my writing insecurities  over the years and for this I remain truly grateful… I also have a firm belief in “spirit”. I “know” that I am never alone in this often lonely freelance writer business. It matters very little who/where you turn for comfort. It matters most that you do.

4. Network

I’m finding myself opening up to the possibility of making new friends on this journey in freelancing. Recently, I came across a blog whose writer impressed me. I invited her, along with several writer friends, to meet and greet at my home. The events of the evening included good conversation, poetry recitals, tales of life lived  in foreign countries, business cards, plugs, and plentiful helpings of good food & wine . Also, the blogosphere & Twitter have allowed me to network with people as far as New Zealand and as close as the Southside of Chicago, Illinois and the hits just keep on coming!

5. Enjoy what you do

I think this last bit of advice when embarking upon growing your freelance writing business is a given. If you don’t like the long hours, hard, and sometimes tedious work… if you’d rather be out and about having fun with your friends, instead of sitting in front of a computer screen 99% of the time or just abhor waiting for a response to a query… if rejection causes you to go into a eternal funk; Maybe you’d better get out now while the getting is good!

Have you considered how you’re going to do 2010 differently? What do you think are the most important habits you need to develop for success in the year ahead?

Peace: such a simple, short, one syllable word. Yet, this one word represents the difference between a calm heart, and a tortuous soul. Isn’t that the battle we freelance writers are always enduring?

We all yearn for peaceful lives, don’t we? The desire for peace unites many people who otherwise wouldn’t be in the same room together, right?

Peace (or Zen) is also something we writers desire. I don’t know about you, but I fantasize about waking up after a long, peaceful night’s rest, finding my way to the kitchen, grabbing an oversized hot mug of tea (sometimes coffee), heading to a giant chair that swallows me up, cuddling up with my laptop – and muse – and lounging around in my pajamas all day, while writing ’till my heart’s content. Ah, it sounds so very nice. Don’t you think so?

Okay, back to reality for me!

With the new year, comes endless opportunities for new beginnings.

I’ve decided that one (important) thing I’m going to focus on incorporating in to my life, is Zen. I actually started before 2010, but I feel like I cheated myself – and others – because I never really applied Zen living like I originally planned.

5 Ways 2010 (Can) = Freelance Writing Zen

1. De-cluttering my e-mail. I started doing this before 2009 ended, but I’m going to continue in 2010. (I had subscribed to a lot of stuff!) This includes unsubscribing from newsletters (or blogs) I never read, updates I subscribed to because of contests, etc. There’s no reason to waste time deleting e-mails every single day.
2. Practicing yoga often. This might not mean daily (although I’m going to shoot for that goal), but I’m definitely going to put forth more of an effort to make yoga a big part of my life. (Others even told me that my writing became much more prolific when I was practicing yoga daily!)
3. Reflecting on where my freelance writing journey began, so I can stay focused on where I’m going. What a blessing to look back on where I came from so I can encourage myself that I can make my writing dreams come true!
4. Staying organized. Organization is crucial for not only keeping stress down, but for maintaining a feeling of control – and a fresh (visual) sense of cleanliness.
5. Nipping procrastination in the bud. One of the worst things we writers can fall into is procrastination. Acting on thoughts like “Oh, I’ll just dive in to Twitter for a while until my muse visits again” or “I’ll get caught up on my blog reading” can prove fatal to your deadlines. It’s fine to reward yourself with social media or other Internet “play time” once you’ve polished off a chunk of your work, or met deadlines for the day/week, but don’t procrastinate until you hurt your business.

I’m also going to work on just being. Do you have a problem making that happen, too? It seems that even when I’m away from the computer, all of the unfinished “tasks” haunt me. It’s like a little devil sits on my shoulder, whispering: “You should be writing this” or “You could finish that.” Freelance work is always, always sitting there. We’re never finished are we? Work – even if it’s our own, personal projects -  is always calling our writerly soul.

So, yes, in 2010 I’m going to do my best to make time to just be, like the gal in the photo up there. It’s high time I actually stop to smell the roses!

Here’s to a successful, blessed – and very Zen – 2010!

Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.

How are you going to bring Zen living in to your life in 2010? Have you already started? Do share; I might want to add it to my life!

Photo Credit: kudumomo



Are you wondering why your writing business is stagnant? Why you were zipping through article after article, word after word, cashing check after check, and were living high on the writing mountain – and now you’re not?

You look around your freelance life to see that clients have dried up, emails have waned, the phone is quiet. Editors and clients have simply quit contacting you. It seems like your business is as stale as package of crackers someone forgot to close up.

There are many reasons our writing, and our business, can become stagnant. If you’re looking for solutions, you’ve come to the right place because I’m going to tell you what the root cause is for your business’ stagnation. Are you ready to hear it? The answer is one small word: you.

That’s right. The root cause of your writing – and your business – becoming stagnant lies within you.

Are you a one woman – or man – band? If you’re like most of us freelancers, you create your own invoices, write for various clients and editors, do all your own marketing and networking, and so on. It can become exhausting. It isn’t hopeless, though!

Stagnant Sources and Solutions

Let’s see what we can do to change your stagnant situation….

Source:

Lack of exercise. When we stop moving and just sit all day, not only is our blood not pumping through our bodies to make us sweat the impurities out, but our minds aren’t pumping those endorphins that bring us inspiration, creativity, happiness, and peace.

Solution:

Get moving! Invest in a small trampoline and start rebounding. Even if it’s a couple of minutes here and there, at least you’re moving and it’s quite addictive. Once you start bouncing, you feel like a kid again and want to just keep going!

Source:

Lack of reading. Sometimes we writers need to walk away from the blank page, curl up with a good book and cup of hot tea, and just read, become lost in someone else’s mind.

Solution:

Start reading again! Since your looking at a decrease in income from your stagnant business, it’s not really feasible for you to be spending money you don’t have on reading material. There is a way to read without spending money, though. First, your local library is a fabulous resource. George Angus, from Tumblemoose Writing Services, is always reminding us how we should be taking advantage of such a precious treasure of literature: your library. And Google Books is a fantabulous resource for readers. SwapTree and BookMooch are two sites where you can sign up and list books you don’t want to keep. Then  you can trade books for books others have, that you’re interested in reading. From my understanding, the only cost to you is postage!

Source:

Lack of nutrition. Not eating enough – or eating the wrong things while tied to your desk – is a problem a lot of writers face each day.

Solution:

Make your health a priority. Don’t live on donuts, chips, fast food, sandwiches, pizza, ice cream, or any other processed food you can grab on a whim. I’ve already mentioned that fueling your body helps you fill the page. It’s amazing what keeping healthful foods within reach, and in your tummy, can do! So eat up on the healthy stuff! Prepare veggies and other healthy options ahead of time so when you reach for something, you’ll grab a healthy choice — at least most of the time.

Source:

Lack of joy. How can you crank out happy words if you aren’t happy?

Solution:

Don’t allow your joy to fade away. If you have, take it back! What used to make you happy and bring you joy before you started freelancing and lost yourself in your work? Did you have a hobby? Did you volunteer somewhere? Are you a painter? Did you take time to read or garden or spend time with family? Would you go shopping? Visit the gym? Would you see the latest movie with a friend?

Source:

Living a friendless life. Not having friends can make for a very lonely, sad life.

Solution:

Make friends or  rekindle friendships you used to have. When your writing business took off, did you leave your “Real Life” friends in your dust? Think about it. If you did, bring them back into your life. And if you didn’t have friends before freelancing consumed you, go out and find some.

Source:

Isolation. It’s hard to come by inspiration, motivation, and joy when you’re isolated.

Solution:

Force yourself to get out of your comfort zone! No ifs, ands, or buts. Just do it.

I hope these ideas and tips have helped you realize that when our lives become stagnant, our minds and creativity do as well. If we’re unhappy, isolated, alone, stagnant in our hearts and souls, our clients and editors will read that in our stale, lifeless words. Oh, you’ll be able to hide it for a while. Maybe for a long, long time. If you’re really talented, you’ll probably even fool yourself. But do you want to? Do you want to become a burnt-out-fried-to-a-crisp-mushy-brain kind of freelancer? I don’t. And I don’t believe you do either.

Do you suffer from any of these stagnant sources? Do you feel like your writing business is stagnant right now? Are you going to follow any of these tips to turn your business from stagnant to successful again? Have I forgotten anything? Can I glean wisdom from you? I know WRA readers (and I!) would love to hear from you!!

Photo Credit: bizior

After you’ve read all these do’s and don’ts, you’ll probably be feeling like you’ve just received a lecture from your glaring parent. Okay, not really. I’m much more lighthearted than that!

But, seriously, there is a way to approach Social Media and there are definitely things you want to avoid as you brave the Social Media waters.

It can seem scary, but it’s not as bad as you think. Don’t worry about it so much that you don’t enjoy the experience, but do worry (in a healthy way) about presenting yourself in a professional manner.

For instance, you can share something fun, while maintaining your professionalism in every way. You don’t have to get rude, defensive, or vulgar to gain a following and become one of the “popular kids in school.”

Following are some things to consider as you mingle the online social scene, attempting to become a Social Media butterfly.

A Few Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media

Do share your personality.

Don’t share what color of underwear you’re wearing.

Do update often.

Don’t update so often that people feel overwhelmed and unfriend you.

Do be honest.

Don’t tell everything you know.

Do share tips to help others.

Don’t give away all your secrets.

Do be helpful.

Don’t help so much that you overextend yourself – you’ll burn out.

Do promote your business.

Don’t make it your primary purpose—Social Media is NOT a one-way street.

Two Ways is the Right Way

And that last don’t is one I’ve seen a lot on the various Social Media sites. I’ve seen accounts where the entire time the person has been there, they’ve promoted their own articles, products, or services. Where’s the “social” part of that?

Social Media is like gift giving. It’s about giving and taking. And remember the old adage: It’s better to give than it is to receive.

I do promote my articles, reviews, blog posts, and contests often on several different Social Media sites. That’s one of the reasons I went ahead and signed up for ping.fm. But I promote others way more than I promote myself.

I share quotes and other people’s articles, blog posts, or reviews/contests because I feel they provide solid value to my followers/friends/readers and because I consider the person/business I’m promoting to be a genuine source.

It’s very easy to get caught up in the taking aspect of Social Media. Don’t be one of those people who only think of themselves. Put others before yourself and you’ll be respected for that. Don’t do it simply because I’m recommending it – do it because you genuinely understand the theory and because you have a desire to approach Social Media in the best way possible.

Do I have all the Social Media answers? No. Do I have a million followers already? No. But the followers/friends I do have at this point know that I’m real. And they know I’m not all about me.

Social Media is a two-way street. Balance out the traffic flow and remember, it’s okay to “pull over” and let someone go around you sometimes.  You’ll definitely find great pleasure in gleaning and passing on wisdom from others. I know I do.

Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.

Are you active in Social Media? What’s your favorite? Do you promote others? Do you learn from the wisdom flying across the networks? Do you promote your work often, or not at all? Let’s talk!

Photo Credit: brokenarts

When I asked how freelancers handle their workload when sick it seemed unanimous, we all do our best to work right through illness and fatigue. Ultimately, continuing to work when unwell leads to lowered productivity and extended ailments. The simple fact is, if we don’t rest when ill, we won’t recover as swiftly. Indeed, the added stress of needing to meet deadlines and maintain quality can increase the severity of our affliction. What are some alternatives to working through illness?

When a traditional employee calls to take a day of sick leave the manager will make arrangements to have someone else work that shift. They might find an employee working on cross hours, hire agency staff, or temporarily increase the team workload, but someone is there to fill the shoes of the absent worker. Why don’t freelancers ask for help when they are sick?

Recently, I’ve been reading James Chartrand and Mason Hipp’s, The Unlimited Freelancer. In this fantastic e-book they talk about the vital need to outsource or cross-source. This could be a perfect example of how freelancers benefit from asking for help.

#1: Outsourcing or cross-sourcing can allow you time to recover while not losing the potential income or goodwill of your clients.

While it might seem like paying someone else to work on your behalf costs you money the truth is, the long term benefits far exceed the short term expense. When we are sick, every hour we work produces less; less quality, less quantity, less results. Our clients have expectations and we have to work harder than ever to meet those expectations. By hiring healthy workers we can still meet the demands of our clients, and even surpass them, while reducing the stress to complete everything ourselves.

#2: Leverage your time by outsourcing or cross-sourcing.

We all have a limited number of hours each week with which we can work. Many freelancers feel locked into those hours as the only hours available to them. Locked into these hours we have a limited growth potential, we can only take on a set schedule of clients, jobs, and commissions before making sacrifices in other areas of our lives. By employing others we can increase our available hours, two freelancers doubles your available time.

#3: Take on more commissions, expand your clientele.

Why sacrifice sleep to meet a crushing deadline? Why give up time with our children because we have one more article to research and write? Why turn down that fantastic commission, disappoint that potential client, because we’ve already a full plate of work this week? The truth is, we don’t have to give up or turn down, anything. By working with others we can accept more work than one freelancer could complete on their own. More commissions and more clients means more money, for everyone.

#4: Do more of the work you love and none of the work you hate.

Even when we are sick there are emails to answer, invoices to send, and any of a hundred small jobs that we hate to do. These maintenance tasks need to be completed but honestly, any able worker could do what takes many hours of each day. By outsourcing these tasks you can focus on the aspects of your freelancing career that you love.

When a freelancer gets sick, they can either work through the illness, turn out mediocre results, delay recovery, and miss deadlines, or we can ask for help. Develop a team of freelancers you can turn to when your workload becomes unmanageable or illness descends.

Can you think of other reasons to outsource? Have you ever considered outsourcing some of your work when ill? Where do you find quality freelancers when you need help? What other alternatives are there to working through illness?

How do you measure success?

What is the image that comes to mind when you think of yourself as successful, or when you imagine other successful people? For many of us, success is distant, something almost intangible that we are constantly reaching for, striving toward.

The real trouble with success is it’s a moving target. On our endless journey toward this obscure sense of what we wish for ourselves, we forget to acknowledge the small milestones. Each time we reach those milestones we are already looking ahead to the next.

There are two questions I try to ask myself regularly:
What is your concept of success, today? and
What have you already accomplished?

The first question gives us the target, the second rewards and acknowledges the milestones we’ve already reached. It’s important to pause and acknowledge your successes. Take a moment to look around you, see how far you’ve already come, because the horizon remains a distant point every step you take but the distance behind you becomes an expansive haven of success.

Alex Noble said, “If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day.”

For many, success equals happiness. Knowing that right this moment, we are already successful is uplifting and confidence-inspiring. In this very moment we have fostered many successes, there are a great many things we have done right. Right now, what have you accomplished up to this moment?

When building on your list of accomplishments look beyond your business or career and consider your personal successes. Do you have happy, healthy children? Wow! That is a HUGE success! Being a parent is one of the greatest challenges and every day offers a thousand potential successes. Have you done something to strengthen your romantic relationship recently? Have you read something interesting, written something inspiring, connected with others, had an idea, put a new plan into action, watered the garden, checked a chore off your to-do list?

Your life is full of these small, milestone successes. Pause in your dogged-determination toward your future success and see the pebble-strewn path you’ve already walked. Each pebble is an accomplishment, an achievement, a hurdle you’ve conquered and a step you will never have to take again. Reward yourself for having come so far.

To follow without halt, one aim; there is the secret of success. And success? What is it? I do not find it in the applause of the theater; it lies rather in the satisfaction of accomplishment.” ~ Anna Pavlova

THEN, set your new target firmly in your sights. Make sure it is a new success that isn’t so far distant the edges blur. Ensure your vision of success today is sharp, clear, and inspiring. See your success, feel it to the very depth of you, and step those pebbles on the path toward it.

I was recently re-reading a guest post, “Learn it, Live it, Write it!“, written by Jenny Greenleaf about this time last year. In the post, Jenny talks about this mantra and how learning to live it and write it helped her career grow. In 2008 she continued to do amazing things as she learned, lived, and wrote. As I read over her post again, I started to really think about the questions she asked last year.

What Are MY Future Goals?

What are YOUR future goals? Have you thought about the direction your blog, career, or writing will take in the coming months? I have!

The fact is, I want MORE! In 2008 I made some significant leaps forward. I had some wonderful commissions, committed to a few long term projects, and began to step away from freelance writing to encompass my love of editing and web technology. I grew as a freelancer, and it was wonderful, but what I have today is not enough to sate my appetite for the work I do.

In 2009, I am dedicated to maximizing my potential. I am putting a great deal more of my every day energy into my current projects and spending several hours a week actively seeking new job leads, marketing my services, and socializing through the community.

What turn can you take to re-awaken your snoozing career?

I will develop strong, balanced, and giving friendships. Freelancers often lead rather solitary lives. I’ve found that embracing others enlivens me. I need to be able to turn to a friend when I’m struggling with fear or to share my joys.

I’ve never truly felt comfortable reaching out to others. As such, making friends is a constant struggle. This year I want to learn more about making and sustaining enriching relationships. I want to embrace friendship with people who share my passion for freelancing, web technology, writing, and more. Do you want to be a part of that with me?

What can you do to propel your career in the direction it wants to go?

I am committed to finishing my current novel. I will be in New York from the 26th of May to the 2nd of June, 2009 and will pitch my book at the pitch slam following Writer’s Digest’s Writer’s Conference. A great deal of work remains to be done. I really need to knuckle down and GET IT FINISHED!

This project has been hindered a great deal by fear. I fight against an anxiety attack every time I come to the screen with the intention of writing another scene. I don’t understand what causes this fear. There are a thousand reasons and yet none of them compare to the prospect of NOT finishing. To propel my career forward I must finish this book and fear is no longer permitted to stand in my way.

Are you working on projects that have become stale?

My plurk friend, Shelley Heath, recently said, “Maybe your heart is not really into it as a topic anymore. Maybe you need to spread the wings further and catch something of interest“. Honestly, I don’t believe it the case on that occasion but there are elements I’ve become disheartened with. As freelancers, we must be involved in the sales aspect of our business. It is vital to be able to sell yourself and your services. This is an aspect of the business I’ve always struggled with.

Part of what I do in cooperative effort with Miss Michele and Serenity Bly of Future-Tarot.com is write copy for their weblog. SALES copy. There are fantastic readings available but the copy on the page needs to ‘call to action’ those who visit, it needs to entice them to buy, it needs to SELL itself. I know I can write sales copy but for some reason the prospect has been leaving me stale.

The project itself is one I LOVE, either I need to find a way to get beyond my sales copy blockage, or hire a writer to write the sales copy for me. I would much rather focus on the web technology and maintenance aspects. That is one fact that leads me to Jenny’s final question:

Do you need to find a new niche?

I have spent a great deal of time focused on the idea of myself as a freelance writer. I write very well and I can admit that, but my heart isn’t really in putting words to a page. Writing non-fiction is something I feel dispassionate about. I NEED to create, and web copy, sales copy, non-fiction articles, magazine articles and etc. just doesn’t spark my fire of creativity.

I need to focus on those elements where I can FEEL my creativity thrive. The design and programming I do as a Web Technician, for example, creates something real and visually tangible. It also caters to my need for instant gratification because every time I write a new program or edit a design element I can SEE it in action immediately. THAT is where I want to put my focus. That is the niche I feel most comfortable within.

Ask Yourself These Questions

How are you feeling about your career and the direction of your life going into the coming months? Can you answer Jenny’s questions, make changes, and buoy your hope that this year will be one for fantastic change and growth?

How many hats do you juggle each day?

As a single mother running a freelance business it sometimes feels like I never wear one hat very long before it’s blown off in a flurry of activity. From one moment to the next a new item is added to a never-ending “To-Do” list. Tasks range; day to day living (laundry, dishes, vacuuming); business organization and maintenance (email, invoicing, queries, blogging, research). Parenting seems to be a blend between, especially these six weeks of Summer holidays.

Amongst all this activity it is no wonder I often feel like I’m racing in a hamster wheel. Busy, busy, busy, but just not getting anywhere. This is what the Writer’s Round-About is for freelancers. We spin in constant circles. Thankfully, imperceptible as it may seem at times, our circles spiral upward, boosting us at varying momentum toward greater success.

Repetition is a necessary downside to the most rewarding elements of life. To be rewarded with an enchanting home there are certain chores we must do every day simply to maintain the status quo. Each day our own bodies require the same vigilant, yet repetitive, care. We sleep, we eat, we wash, over and over again.

A successful business requires similar upkeep to avoid stagnation or decline. In the beginning, freelancers wear all the hats of their business. We must keep our own books, send our own invoices, do our own research, and keep our own home office space in an order of some sort. Each of these routine tasks take their toll on the time we have available for those projects that make up the bread and butter of our business.

The Hydra: Multi-Project Freelancing

I’ve been in an interesting position these last few months. Instead of having a diverse range of short, quick projects to work on I’m immersed in a handful of longer, more intense projects. Learning how to track the activities needed for these projects and the time I spend working in each aspect has been a challenge.

Do you ever feel torn between the priority of your projects?

Because each of these projects is grandiose in their entirety and on a long term deadline I often find myself working on one project and feeling guilty for not working on another. My own personal projects get pushed aside because they feel less significant. After all, I won’t have an angry client waving their fist at me if I don’t finish this book or put off another blog post.

Even with client projects I feel a conflict between, for example, building search engine optimization into the long tail of a blog and creating new content. Both tasks are important to the wellness of that project, they are both mandates of the job I am doing. How do I decide which takes precedence?

How Do YOU Juggle?

I am sure I’m not alone in this strange juggling act. In a way it is one of the benefits freelancing provides. There is always a diversity of projects to work with and it is impossible to get bored. Maybe a fellow freelancer has discovered the secret to working effectively across the range.

How do you juggle your various hats and the priorities of your projects?

Title: The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Starting Your Own Business
Author: Edward Paulson and Marcia Layton
Publisher: Alpha Books
ISBN 10: 1592575846

If you’re thinking about starting a business, there’s no shortage of books available on the subject. You can find how-to business guides that range from bare business basics all the way to MBA level in-depth business guides.

Edward Paulson and Marcia Layton collaborated on the Alpha Books release, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business“. Paulson is an MBA and engineer with entrepreneurial experience, and Layton is an MBA who runs her own business and marketing consulting group. The authors have years of background in starting and running small and large businesses, and they give real world advice in this basic business guide.

Like most books in the “Complete Idiot’s Guide” series, the Guide to Starting Your Own Business breaks down the basics of starting a business into easy to understand sections. Graphics are used to highlight special points and advice throughout the text.

All of the basic business topics are covered: what type of business is right for you, whether or not to incorporate, how to write a business plan, and sales and marketing techniques. The book addresses each topic clearly and most of the information is general enough to be applicable to many types of businesses.

The one drawback of this book, and this may be addressed in later editions, is the relative lack of information on home based and internet businesses. Granted, there are entire books written on those two topics themselves, but if you’re looking for information specific to those two industries, you may want to consider a different book.

As a basic business reference guide, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business” skims the surface of A to Z. It provides worksheets for discovering your talents and what type of business you’d like to run, and it walks you through all the most basic business procedures like incorporation. There’s even a section on hiring employees, and a very brief section on independent contractors and how they differ from employees.

Overall, if you’ve just begun to think about starting your own business and you’re looking for a basic reference guide to get you started, this book will suffice. If you already know the type of business you’d like to start, or if you’ve already started the process of working for yourself, you might be better served by a more in-depth book more closely related to the field you’re interested in.

Reviewer: AJ Kerr