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An Introduction to Freelancing — Definitions, Ailments, Mindsets, and Advice for new and veteran freelancers — The Busy Creator Podcast 73

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Release Date: 12/31/2015

The Big 100! A Live Meetup Event with guests Rashan Casseus & Gabby Wallace

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

That went quickly! Listen in to our live event where we commemorate 100 episodes of The Busy Creator Podcast and remark on the journey. This event was a crossover with the New York City Podcast Meetup, recorded at Small City Co-working space in Brooklyn.

There and Back Again, Craig Ward Discusses Joining A Large Agency After Years of Successful Solo Practice

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Craig Ward (@MrCraigWard) is a designer, art director, typographic artist, and author currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A UK native, he came to New York in 2009 shortly after being selected as an ADC Young Gun.

Going Hollywood, How Brittany Cormack Thrives as a Costume Designer Amid the Madness of Show Biz

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Brittany Cormack is a costume designer for film and television. Following her training in fashion and dance, Brittany arrived in Los Angeles without a clue how to work in the movie business, but has since found her groove. She works primarily on independent films, commercials, and music videos, but every day is an adventure.

Practical Typographic Advice and Building an Education Business Alongside a Design Firm with Michael Stinson

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Michael Stinson (@MWStinson) is a veteran designer, educator, and business owner. In addition to his work as a professor of graphic design, he also runs Ramp Creative, a branding studio in Los Angeles, as well as Type Ed, a dedicated typographic education business which helps creative pros return to form in the fields of typesetting and layout.

Becoming a Multi-Faceted Creative, and The Movie-Making Process with Filmmaker & Podcaster David Power

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

David Power is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made.

Business Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs & How to Launch an Online Community with Designer, Writer, and Podcaster Kathleen Shannon

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Kathleen Shannon (@AndKathleen) is a graphic designer, brand strategist, and co-founder of Being Boss, a podcast and community for creative entrepreneurs. Kathleen began as a staff art director, but learned entrepreneurial habits working on her side projects and blogging. She's now seeking to become a media mogul and serve the creative community.

B-SIDE: Planning A Modern WordPress Website, with guest Avery Swartz

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Avery Swartz (@AverySwartz) joins Prescott to discuss the possibilities for the next version of BusyCreator.com. Together, the two discuss the capabilities of WordPress, best practices which Prescott is adopting (and should start), and the shortcomings of WordPress themes and plugins.

Methods and Mindsets for Successful Web Design Projects with Agency Boss Ben Seigel

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Ben Seigel (@versastudiollc) is a web designer and developer, and head of Versa Studio. In addition to managing projects and writing the necessary code for client sites, Ben has examined and written about the underlaying value of design, how small businesses and design agencies can work together toward successful ends.

Exploring Business Issues Faced by Creative Pros with Author & Professor Douglas Davis

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Douglas Davis (@DouglasQDavis) is a graphic designer, professor, consultant, and author of the new book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design. The book, which follows his recent talks and workshops, explores business issues that face creative professionals, especially those which may not even seem apparent.

Balancing a Design Practice and Co-Working Space in New York City, with Jessi Arrington & Creighton Mershon

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Jessi Arrington (@JessiArrington) and Creighton Mershon (@Cr8tonMershon) are the founders of Workshop, a Brooklyn-based creative agency, as well as the proprietors of Small City, a new co-working space and home to dozens of independent creative pros.

More Episodes

Freelancers can no longer be ignored as fringe workers, in-betweeners, and the occassional slacker seeking to hide his true unemployment. Freelancers now make up a significant portion of the creative economy, especially in Cities like New York where fashion, film, theatre, design, and music industries thrive outside the walls of conventional employment relationships.

In this episode, we hear from Alex Signh (@AutomaticYes), Co-Founder of Domino, an online community for freelancers, Matt Inglot (@MattInglot), host of the Freelance Transformation podcast, and Jaime Campbell (@TierOneServices), a CPA and business coach who has worked with freelancers throughout her career.

Together we examine some definitions, ailments, and mindsets shared by freelancers. We also drop a few action steps any freelancer can take to make the transition — or the next step — that much smoother.

Show Notes & Links

6 Mistakes Every New Freelancer Makes by Domino
The New Normal by Kristen Fischer
Kristen Fischer on The Busy Creator Podcast ep 60
WashPo WorkBlog: Freelancers' Union lobbies new bill

"A Freelancer to me is essentially just an entrepreneur."

—Alex Singh

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"Calling yourself a freelancer is the greatest way not to get paid."

—Matt Inglot

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Finding clients & managing relationships are the key struggles, according to Alex Singh
Most freelancers get started because they're "really good" and want to collect the full fee, according to Jaime Campbell.
Only ten percent of experienced freelancers know their monthly expenses, according to Alex
Being a freelancer is like being Batman; suddenly, you're called on to save the day. But the rest of the time, you're an orphan.

"20 clients is a lot of proposals to close."

—Matt Inglot

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Tools

Techniques

Don't describe yourself as a commodity, jump right into your positioning and story
Be specific about who you will — and won't — work with, and the types of projects you will take on.
Look for clients who can best benefit from your work, not just the person who needs work done today.
Call yourself an Agency (and raise your rates)
Get referrals from other people via relationships. Make other people your "sales team."
Leverage other people's time so you can work on different tasks
Track "income by referral source", or build it custom if needed
Solve people's problems on online forums/sites. Do it publicly.
Get registered as an expert so you get notified first.
Get clear on numbers, especially your effective income.
Develop a long-term strategy