This has been an exciting week for me, with some great new projects in the works and some old ones coming to fruition. Here's a little rundown of what has been going on:
- Received payment from client that had seemed to have disappeared. Woo! Paranoia got the best of me in this case, I guess.
- Alternative Health website that I have been writing for has finally launched. Have to love the expert status I get through this one!
- Picked up a great new gig through a client, that could be a huge deal for me in the future. I'll share more about that whenever I am able. VERY good stuff though!
- Started a new blogging gig with the Today.com network. I'll be talking about cooking with kids. Not much to look at right at the moment, but I think I'll have some fun and exciting posts that many will enjoy
- I now have hosting and have arranged to buy a laptop very soon. Two major goals met! Up next, building that elusive professional site.
- On a more personal note, my baby turned one on Tuesday. It really has me feeling a bit sad, but happy at the same time. He's getting so independent now. I just can't believe that it has been a year already.
As part of her 3 year blog anniversary celebration, Deb over at Freelance Writing Jobs just posted a piece from the archives about making her move from keyword content to professional blogging. I remember this post well, as it inspired me to take on some new challenges, which have certainly paid off. I can't say that I will ever be as bold as Deb, to completely walk away from keyword content, but I find now that it makes up much less of my income.
The nostalgia got the better of me and I started to pour over my own archives, for the first time in months. What a rollercoaster ride my freelance career has been, up to this point. From my first post about my reasons for working at home to my mother's heart attack to the challenges I took on after returning to the freelance world after having my youngest. I have grown so much as a writer and have learned a heck of a lot about the business.
Blogger friends, take a minute to walk down memory lane and see just how far you have come. It will give you new inspiration to keep pushing toward your goals and to continue to grow as a writer.
Image: Flickr
Over the past week or so, I have decided to try a couple new approaches to finding clients. I have a solid client base at the moment, so branching out and trying some new tactics is something I have room for. When things are tight, I usually go with the tried and true client searches, afraid of losing opportunities that will keep my head above water, but right now I feel as if I can take chances and not lose out on anything.
I have signed up for Entrecard, which so far has increased traffic a bit, but they are in the middle of updates and changes, so I'll reserve commenting on its effectiveness for awhile. I haven't yet posted on their network offering my services, but I plan to in the future. For now, I'm finding new writing blogs to read, as well as dropping cards on blogs in other markets that may have the need of a writer.
I've also jumped on Twitter, though I haven't quite figured out how that is going to get me business. Quite a few freelancers are testing these waters and if nothing else, it is a lot of fun for the camaraderie and banter between us. Laura, at Writing Thoughts, is journaling her Twitter experience on her blog, so follow along to see what influences it has for her.
Should things continue to go well, I plan on working on my own professional website within the next month or so. If anyone has recommendations on hosting services that have easy to use design templates, I'm all ears!
I'll keep you all posted on my new experiments in stepping outside my daily routines!
Over at Freelance Writing Jobs, Deb dug up a nice list of old posts that offer a lot of great advice for freelancers. I have been a daily reader there for a couple of years, and some brought back fond memories of my own learning process in the freelance game.
One particular post that caught my attention was "Do You Have All Your Eggs In One Basket?" This post has some great advice about spreading out your income streams, warding off a financial crisis should a client run out of work, go out of business, etc.
While I have tried to keep a fairly steady stream of work through multiple clients, I have experienced some very lean times when workloads got light in one place or another. If you are new to freelancing, this is a great lesson to learn. Dependency on a sole client or position when in freelancing can be a recipe for failure!
That said, do not overextend yourself either. Taking on too many clients can be disastrous, as well. Experiment with adding one client at a time until your plate is full. Keep looking for additional gigs as you go. As you learn and grow as a freelancer, you may outgrow some early clients and be ready to replace them with bigger and better things!
Have a wonderful weekend!
