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People often complain about freelancers being too competitive—but that’s not such a bad thing.

As a freelancer competing for jobs, you have to make it a point to stick out from the rest. And as long as you’re professional about things, there’s nothing wrong with maintaining an edge.

Here’s how to—and how not to do it!

DO: Make your marketing collateral flawless. These days, a simple click to your website by a prospective employer could mean the difference between getting the gig and getting passed up. So make sure that your logo is solid, and your branding carries across things like your brochure, business card and website. Content matters just as much as design, and you’ve got to have both to compete against

DON’T: Ask colleagues for specific referrals. While there’s nothing wrong with seeking out a mentor, I think it’s vital not to try to step on their toes. I’ve had plenty of people ask me for specific leads and referrals—and it wasn’t the way to enlist my help. Stick to asking others for advice on how to do things and don’t try to dig for anything more, such as asking them who some of their clients are. They’ve gone through tons of hard work to get their connections and it’s only fair that you do the same.

DO: Keep learning. It’s vital to stay on top of your game—and that means staying on top of your industry, too. Whether you read books or attend seminars, it’s always great to learn the newest techniques, tricks and players that affect your industry. This is especially true if you’re in a more technology-based field, as that’s always changing. Even writers that only use Firefox and MS Word to get by can still learn new tricks and make new connection.

DON’T: Get nasty with networking. I attended a networking event once geared towards creative professionals. Everyone was nice, except the other writers. It seemed that everyone within their own specialty wasn’t too chummy, and instead were only nice to those who could possibly give them paying work. But even others in your field can provide connections. No matter what happens, it’s best to be nice to others in your field, especially at networking events where people can pick up on your vibe easily.

DO: Enhance your services. As a writer, there is still plenty of ways for me to improve. Because I do mostly Web collateral, I try to make an effort for more print work. I also try to complement my book-writing with magazine-writing. I’m always looking for more to give my clients, and always looking to make things easier on both parties. Staying competitive means constantly taking stock of what you can improve—and your services offer direct benefits to your clients so exploring this area of your business is worth the time.

DON’T: Bad-mouth the competition. This should be a given, but I feel the need to say it. Because some freelancers don’t insult others on purpose—but that doesn’t mean they don’t do it. When clients ask why they should use you over a competitor, it’s important to highlight your advantages rather than the competition’s shortcomings. This saves you from burning bridges and also helps you appear more practical.

Even though you may not play for a team as a freelancer doesn’t mean that good sportsmanship doesn’t count. Put your best foot forward and continue giving yourself that competitive edge—the right way, of course.

Kristen Fischer is a freelance copywriter and author living in New Jersey.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

In a previous article, Managing Multiple Freelance Gigs With Mind Maps, I covered how to use a grid/ mind map to track your freelancing projects and tasks. In this post, there’s a bit more detail about actually working on tasks, not just tracking them. ( See bottom of article for a free MindJet MindManager 8/Pro 7 map template of my work grid, as per some requests in the comments of the last article.)

The freelance task management process is best demonstrated by an example. Since my work is mostly freelance writing, that’s what I’m using here, though you can extrapolate for other types of work.  Assume that you have a big writing project and several smaller ones for a given week - possibly with some of the larger projects spanning several weeks. Here’s what you do to manage and work on your tasks.

1. Determine your scope. Scope out your outstanding projects. Sometimes it helps to cluster related projects and scope them out simultaneously. Make sure that you understand your real objectives for each project.
2. Break it down. Break the tasks of large projects down into manageable sub-tasks. This gives you at least three benefits. Firstly, it’ll be much clearer what work needs to be done. Secondly, this allows you to take one step at a time for projects that might otherwise be overwhelming. Thirdly, since you’re assigning approximate income value to each subtask (as per my previous article), you’ll get the emotional satisfaction of feeling like you’re making work progress and income. You can assign value by the hour (based on your hourly rate and how long each subtask might take), or estimate it as a fraction of the total project value.
3. Outline. Come up with an outline for each project by using the objectives for each. When it comes to freelance writing, an “outline” is literal. I’ll start off a mind map with sections, even if they’re just labelled for my own use while writing a rough draft. (E.g., intro, points, summary, references.)
4. Start with what you know. For small projects, this might not be necessary. For large projects, it helps you to consciously realize what you do know. Even if you just record this in point form, either in a list or a mind map, it helps reduce the risk of a type of creative block that comes from thinking you don’t know enough about a topic.
5. Leverage your efforts. Could the research for a larger project also be used for a smaller project? This is more likely when it comes to writing and design, but I have also reused code snippets in different projects for the same client/ employer. If you can reuse research or content, then start work on the larger project first, and keep notes. Filter your references and copy them to any suitable smaller projects. This way, you reduce your overall workload and effectively increase your earnings per hour.
6. Work in layers. Write for related projects in layers. A good writer takes time to think about what they’ve written so far for a given project, and the same applies to other types of freelancing work. What I do for writing is start fleshing out the outline for a project, first by writing down what I know (see above), then doing some research, writing some more, taking a break, then finishing up.
7. Take a break. There’s only so much time in a week, and sitting back to think about what you’ve written might be a luxury. Let your mind think about the last project for a while, while you move on to another task in another project. This gives you some relief time, and is actually the proper way to multitask. (At least, it’s been effective for me for over twenty years.) As long as you don’t fragment your project time into “too small” slices, jumping from project to project, you can make multitasking work for you.

The above process is simply one that I use for freelance work (writing, screencasting), in tandem with mind mapping to manage everything. Adjust it to your own needs. Even I find that a process I developed for my own needs slowly changes over time and might be unrecognizable months later.

A Sample Task Management Grid Template

As promised above and in the comments of my previous managing multiple freelance gigs post, I’ve created a sample work grid template as described in that article. (It looks like the above image.) It’s in MindJet MindManager “.mmap” format, and should work in at least MM 7 and 8 (newly released), for both Windows and Mac (although I have not tested the latter). Version 8 for Windows is available on a free 30 day trial basis. Version 7 Pro for Mac is also available for a free 30 day trial. Both are fully functioning, with all features available.

The .mmap file is available from two file sharing services: MediaFire and FileFactory. Click on either of the preceding links to go to a page to download the .mmap file. If you do not have/want MindManager, you can also use MindJet’s free Map Viewer software.

For those of you who asked in the comments of the previous article, I got rid of the grid lines by changing the “Topic Line Style” of the parent nodes (mon, tues, wed, etc.) to “None,” from MindManager’s “Format” menu.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

You’ve got to ask! Asking is, in my opinion, the world’s most powerful - and neglected - secret to success and happiness. - Percy Ross

We work. We work hard! Yet, sometimes we forget to do the simplest of things to advance our business and earning ability. Personally, I’m terrible at networking (quite possibly the single most important act!). Needless to say, I’m awful at making small talk in elevators as well. Typically, I’m that guy who acts as if he’s on the phone - all for the sake of avoiding the awkward silence while waiting to arrive at my chosen floor (Another good trick is to act as if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to chat. Repeatedly looking at your watch helps.) However, I have learned one extremely important task for any business situation. I ASK.

Let me explain a bit further. When completing a project for a client, I typically send him or her a final thank you letter. In it, I mention that, if he happens to come by a colleague that needs a similar service, I would appreciate it if he would pass my name along. It may not sound like much, but I promise you that, over time, you will benefit tremendously. Such requests may seem trivial, but they aren’t. It could be argued that, ironically, they are more important than the job itself! The job leads to the request. The request leads to the referral. The referral leads to increased income. Then, the cycle repeats itself, exponentially.

Remember, your business is YOU. That means that, any chance you have, you should be promoting yourself and expanding your client base. The only person that is aware of your desires is you! If you don’t ask, you’ll never receive - as cliche’ as it might sound.

In addition to my own business, I also am the editor for NETTUTS the potential future editor of a site that I can’t speak about just yet, a contributing writer to FreelanceFolder, and, as of today, a staff writer for the site that you’re currently reading. I attribute each of these positions to my asking. When you speak up you accomplish three things.

• You create a small place in the person’s mind specifically for you. They’ll remember you when the time comes!
• You show eagerness. By speaking up, you present yourself as someone who is actively seeking to better himself. Such traits are desirable.
• Exponentially increase your odds. It’s a simple fact that the more times you swing, the more likely you are to hit one out of the park. A simple request never hurt anybody.

What to Ask

• Denied for a Position?Thank you for considering me. If you have anything open up in the future, please do consider me. I’ll check back with you in a few months.
• We Can Offer you a Part-Time Position.That would be great! But, if you have a bigger position with greater responsibility available in the future, I would jump at the chance to be considered.
• It Doesn’t Really Matter!The important thing to remember is that you must always send chance out into the air. Just keep asking, as long as it is appropriate. You’ll be remembered.

Real World Example

A nominee for the 1977 Oscar for best screenplay attributes his success to a single moment. After being denied yet again by a producer for a role, as he made his way to the door, he quietly mentioned, “I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I also do some writing.” Upon hearing that, the producer responded, “Oh really? Let’s schedule a meeting.” Because of that brief request, the writer went on to become hugely successful and, subsequently, made millions of dollars on future projects. Sometimes, all you need to do is ASK. They might just say, “Come on back!”.

Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want. - Joseph Wood Krutch

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com