Freelancing in a downturn
Whenever I teach I’m often asked how I set up on my own, how I am surviving in these harsh economic times, how to set up as a self-employed web writer and designer.
These last few months have seen me work on numerous site launches, email newsletters and courses for my clients. I have never been busier. But there’s no denying that starting up is tricky when budgets are particularly tight for clients.
This is a round-up of some recent articles and forthcoming courses that look helpful, whether you’ve chosen to go freelance or are forced to be self-employed (in other words, have been made redundant).
Always full of insight, David Airey, has recently written on:
Becoming a self-employed graphic designer
The design pricing formula
Nick Usborne has written extensively on freelance web writing. Some recent excellent articles and sites from Nick:
New Path to Riches blog
Freelance Writing Success
NMK (New Media Knowledge) run courses on setting up a web business. This one on March 10 looks good:
Drumming up Business – sales tactics for the digital freelancer
And NMK have a case study: Building a Web Business from Scratch
Follow NMK on Twitter.
Freelance Advisor have an excellent free 32-page guide to download: Go Freelance 2010
Freelance Advisor also have a podcast series, February 2010 was on The Challenges of Working from Home.
Follow Freelance Advisor on Twitter.
If you have any tips then put them in the comments.
I found some useful stuff in Chris Guillebeau’s guide to generating income from writing: 279 days to Overnight Success. There’s a free PDF available at http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/overnight-success/
Thanks Stephanie.
On a first quick look I love this Manifesto of his – so unconventional. Are you going to follow it?
New programme by Nick Usborne web writing guru: ‘Profitable Freelancing’ See http://www.awaionline.com/pro/profitablefreelancing/
New article by Nick Usborne: Put your freelance business first, not your clients:
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/blog-front-pages.html