If you’re thinking about becoming a self-employed freelance writer, you need to weigh up the pros and cons. Certain authorities on the subject will describe and exaggerate the positives – working the hours you choose, working from home, working in your pyjamas, working on assignments you prefer – without filling you in on the negatives…

Today’s business world is almost entirely information-driven. Whether you run a small business or occupy a small corner of the org-chart at a massive multinational corporation, chances are that the bulk of your job consists of communicating with others, most often in writing. Of course there’s email and the traditional business letter, but most business…

This is the third and final installment of my interview with Kevin Reeth of Outright.com (See Part 1 and Part 2). In this part of the interview, I talk to Kevin about the new organization he’s helped create, Unintentional Entrepreneur, which is currently holding events around the country to help provide newcomers…

In Part 1 of this interview, Kevin Reeth (Co-founder and CEO of Outright.com) and I discussed some of the challenges and benefits of entrepreneurship and the emergence of a new breed of “unintentional entrepreneurs” – people who, because of the economic downturn, find themselves exploring the possibility of going freelance, starting their own…

With a background including successful stints with Yahoo, eGroups, and Intuit, Kevin Reeth was well-prepared to strike out on his own as a co-founder and CEO of the web start-up Outright.com, a free online bookkeeping platform for small businesses and self-employed persons. In today’s economic climate, though, more and more people are finding themselves…

I’ve lost count of the number of articles I’ve seen recommending that folks take on freelance work to make ends meet during the current economic crisis. From keeping the wolf away from the door to working on top of a full-time job, I’ve seen freelancing cited as a panacea. It’s especially promoted to anyone working…

Most people don’t take the time to discover their own personal brand. I believe the reason for this is because of the very many influences we have on our lives, from our parents, to our teachers to our managers and even our friends.  I have many friends who are instructed to become lawyers…

Combining social networking and your career isn’t exactly a new idea. LinkedIn launched in 2003. But the idea of using microblogging to support your job hunt or freelancing career is relatively new. This week, Blellow launched; the social networking site uses a microblogging interface familiar to anyone who has checked out Twitter to create…

One of the most important steps (if not the most important one) you can take when starting a business is to talk with your partner/spouse before you embark on your adventure. It’s absolutely crucial to have your partner with you on the same page when you start a business. Without their support and “buy-in,” in…

Before you make the transition into non-traditional work, you need to do at least five things. Some are easier than others, but all are crucial to your success. Follow these steps to ensure that when you finally take the leap, you make a splash instead of a bellyflop. 1. Have a clear vision and a plan. Before…

I’ve received so many e-mails and comments about my “Change The Way You See Work and Change Your Life” article that I decided to write a follow-up article to talk more about the specifics of what some call “non-traditional work” but what I call “business in blue jeans”: why do it, how can you do…

If you’re a freelancer or run your own business, it is important to know how well you would cope after something like a computer crash where all your work is lost. If your income relies on you having work, then when you lose everything you need to know how well you can get back into…

If you’re thinking about working full-time in a freelance field, this list of why it’s so great will probably give you the push. Not everything stated here is true for every freelancer, but there is a lot here to look forward to. Just don’t jump to any conclusions of it being easy! You choose your boss: Everyone…

A fundamental skill to learn for any freelance work is pay negotiation. If you don’t get good at this you can be sure not to get as much as you should. Andrea Dickson at Wisebread has written a great article for those of us who aren’t entirely comfortable haggling a better wage for work. She in…

Only because we posted a list of 22 tips and habits from successful freelancers a few days ago, we’ve got 24 more for you. Always get at least 25% in advance Clients almost never know what they need. For example most people want to have a website for all the wrong reasons. Because their competitor made…