MARKETING BUZZ
3 Freelancer Survival Tips
By: Julie Kirchner
Monitor your time. Knowing how much time you spend on typical client deliverables is key to marketing your business successfully, managing your time, and giving you the confidence to say yes (or no) to additional projects at a given time.
Even for projects that bill by completed deliverable (versus hours), you’ll want to track the amount of time it takes you from start to finish, for your own knowledge. Are you charging the right rate, given the time it takes? Do you need to schedule some time to learn a new digital tool that can help you scale projects faster and cut down on wasted time?
To start tracking your time on work projects, try using a time tracker tool such as Toggl, a free app that allows you to track your work hours for different projects and clients conveniently from your phone. You can add depth to the information you track (such as clients and project titles) and even run simple, visually appealing reports online at the end of the month that really showcase how you’re dividing your time. Over time, you’ll develop a keener sense of the time involved in each type of deliverable. This can also help you set more accurate rates when you’re asked for quotes in the future.
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
20 Quick Tips for Freelance Survival
By: Karen Pinkston
In our smart-phone, text-message cult
ure, it’s sometimes easy to forget that business is about people. If you want to thrive as a freelancer, you must get to know the people behind the organizations you serve. Having proper etiquette will help you foster client relationships and grow your business. Here are some tips to help guide your freelance journey.
1. First impressions matter.
When you first meet clients, introduce yourself with your first and last name. This shows confidence and makes you more memorable.
2. Find common ground.
Break the ice. Ask your clients about where they’re from or what they’re really passionate about. Do they have kids? Pets? When you get to know people first, you’re creating a comfortable environment from the start. You see them as people and not just as a paycheck.
3. Don’t schmooze too much.
Relationships take time. Find the right balance of getting to know your clients yet focusing on the work as well. Even though you can use a more relaxed tone, you should maintain a certain level of professionalism.
POWERHOUSE SERVICE & SUCCESS
Client Profile: Coastal Addiction
Powerhouse Service Provided: External Communication
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Jessica and the Powerhouse Planning team. Building a business is difficult, but building a business from halfway around the world is even more challenging. The Powerhouse team has been an instrumental part of every step of the process, from the initial planning and design phase, to website layouts, and more. Jessica has made me feel like a top priority and has worked diligently to answer every question and concern that has arisen. If you want a top-tier team to help you build a successful venture, then Jessica and the Powerhouse Planning team is your one-stop shop. I truly appreciate all of their care, time, and attention to something that has been taken from a dream to a reality.”
– Tommy Bowling, President, Coastal Addiction
Freelancer Resources
The challenges and opportunities afforded by freelance work are monumental and potentially life changing. However, a little planning, dedication, and willingness to make adjustments can mean the difference between being a successful freelancer and one who will continue to struggle.
For the newbie: Upwork.com offers tips on how to survive your first year as a freelancer—everything from ways to shift your mindset to tips on how to organize your days.
For the freelancer with a full-time job: Sometimes, especially when making the transition, that full-time job is a must-have. For tips on how to survive as a freelancer while juggling that day-to-day grind, find tips here.
For an overall freelance survival 101: Check out Creative Bloq’s whole host of tips for freelancers. With plenty of links to additional sources, it’s kind of like a one-stop shop.
For a creative, easy-to-read-in-one-sitting resource: Find Powerhouse’s “20 Tips for Freelance Survival” on our resources page.
GIVING BACK & GETTING INVOLVED
Butterfly Circle of Friends: From Great Grief to Infinite Beauty
By: Randi Cairns
Giving back to one’s community is ingrained in so much of what Powerhouse Planning does. We give at least 10% of all profits to those in need through our Share the Goodness program. We support the causes and efforts our team is passionate about. And we highlight the great people and places making a difference in our communities. This commitment to giving back is one of many reasons I love being part of the Powerhouse team. And when I was given the opportunity to write about a superhero doing work for causes I care about—well, that was just icing on the cake.
I met Ida Gonzalez years ago. We were both involved in military family support efforts and open to collaborating to better meet the needs of those we served. I fell in love with Ida from the start. She was so down to earth and genuine (and the giver of hugs that make you feel warm and safe). And she had a fire in her belly to make the world better.
While we worked together on several projects, what Ida likely doesn’t know is she kind of saved my life. I was a mama of four trying to hold down the fort while my soldier was Afghanistan-bound when police knocked at my door to tell me my baby sister was dead. She had been my person for my whole life and she was gone, and I really didn’t think I was going to survive that.
But Ida told me I could and I would. And she knew this because three years earlier, her son SPC Michael L. Gonzalez was KIA in Baghdad. And from grief and loss and pain, she not only survived, but she also created a remarkable legacy in memory of her son: the Butterfly Circle of Friends. (more…)
Powerhouse Planning Goodness and Resources: For the Freelancer and the Business Owner
By: Jessica Bertsch, Powerhouse Planning President
I received an email from one of our freelance team members this week wanting to brainstorm how Powerhouse can help during the madness of what is known as COVID-19. I think many of us are uneasy, and if you’ve heard me speak before I always say in times of suck, the easiest way for me to cope is to serve.
Well, with COVID-19 we can’t exactly serve in the traditional ways we’d like. I think many of us would like to wrap ourselves around sad families and give them hugs, deliver tons of goodness to their doors, and assure them it will be all right, but we’ve been instructed social distancing must occur. (Which is so hard for a wraparound-hug-loving lady.) So, then you sit and question, “What can I do?”
The Powerhouse team took a moment and compiled some tips from past articles, blogs, and e-newsletters our team members have written. Hopefully these knowledge nuggets will help and resonate with freelancers and business owners who might be in need of some gentle reminders, humor, and overall goodness to help you POWER though the madness.
Freelancer Tips
Powerhouse Planning President Jessica Bertsch shares her personal self-care tips for freelancers and business owners
20 Self-Care Tips to Reduce Stress and Increase Productivity
Three Ways to Keep You and Your Business Organized When You Work from Home
Finding Work/Life Balance When You Work from Home
Self-care tips from one of our PH freelancers who balances both a full-time job and freelancing with grace and efficiency
Business-Owner Resources
Small Business Stressors and How to Combat Them
Staying Connected to Your Team (The Powerhouse team currently uses slack.com for team networking and we love it!)
Ways to Maintain Team Morale in a Virtual Working Environment
Fostering Creativity in the Workplace (including virtually)
Four Best Practices for Contracting Freelancers
Everything, including your Strategic Plan may suddenly need to be adjusted overnight. (We can all hear Ross say “PIVOT!”) Use these articles for support on how to reset your mind for planning purposes: Seeing 2020—A New Protocol for Strategic Planning and Why Early Planning Is Crucial to Success
Calm in the Storm
Our military families have spouses currently or continuing to work and deploy. Here is a calendar with “30 Ways to Pray” for a family that serves (this, now, includes our medical professionals, support services, grocery store teams, and anyone who must still go out and work). In fact, we could all use these prayers.
When you feel like something is missing or you are out of work right now, it may be a good time to lean on the strength of giving back.
The Powerhouse team is thinking of all affected by the challenges facing business owners and remote workers. We hope these resources from the Powerhouse archives will be useful during this time of uncertainty and adjustment. At Powerhouse, we’re well aware times aren’t easy, and for many business owners you might be feeling at a loss. Here’s what I will say: We’re here for you. I mean it. Our team is here for you. Is there something we can create to help you? Do you need to chat through the way ahead? We’re here. We’re ready to listen. We are hopeful that together we will look back and remember that COVID-19 was hard, but we came out on the other side stronger than ever. Together.
