Category: Freelance resources

16 May

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43 of the Best Freelancer Tools, 2013

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You know how when you first started thinking about freelancing you thought about how incredible it would be?

Those thoughts of being able to work where you want, when you want. And that belief that you’d finally have tons of time to work on different projects.

Agreed, freelancing is amazing, BUT there’s that whole issue with time.

Because from the minute you decide to put your slippers on and become a freelancer, you’re suddenly expected to do more than just what you rock at professionally. Now you’re also expected to be:

  • office manager,
  • accountants department,
  • meeting coordinator
… you get where I’m going with this.

There are a bunch of ever growing tools out there to help you out.

The question is, how are you supposed to figure out what tools you need and which ones are the best?

We asked hundreds of awesome Donanza freelancers what are their favorite freelancer tools, and put together this comprehensive list of the best tools for 2013.

Check them out, use them, share them with your other freelancer pals, and let us know if there’s anything we missed that MUST be on there, before the year is out. Continue Reading
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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, News

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20 Aug

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The Value of the Deadline

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Today, I’d like to share one of the best secrets to my success. Don’t. Miss. Deadlines.

While this isn’t the only thing you need to find success – we can’t forget about Pricing Strategies or Understanding What the Client Wants, for example – it is one of the most important. When it comes to deadlines, here’s the number one thing to remember.

Clients can, and will, miss deadlines. Freelancers can’t. Ever.

Every project you work on is going to have a deadline. Our job as freelancers is to negotiate the project needs and let the client know how long it will take to complete. The client will need this information for their own timeline, so they can meet their own objectives.

Here are a few Dos and Don’ts that I use on my projects: Continue Reading

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16 Jul

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Estimate the time for your projects

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As a freelancer, you’re often juggling multiple projects at once, creating one of the most daunting tasks for many: Time management. But if you accurately estimate the time commitment required to complete a project, you can safely meet your clients’ needs while maintaining balance in your schedule. Creating a time outline will help ensure you keep those proverbial balls in the air.

Here a few key components to consider when estimating the time needed for project completion: Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, News, Tips & Tricks

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13 Jul

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Five Ways to Make More from Your Writing

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Freelance writers are lucky. Really, we are. That’s because writing is the ultimate transferable skill and we can use that skill to cross niches and sectors and make our writing careers even more lucrative. When it comes to freelance projects, there’s no rule that says that you have to stick to writing web content, white papers or press releases for clients. You can also write for yourself and make some welcome additional income. Here are some suggestions. Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, News, writing

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21 Jun

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The Hidden Costs of Freelance Projects

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Bidding for freelance projects is not an exact science. Especially when starting out, we can accept a rate for a project and then realize that we’ve actually undercut ourselves by not taking into account all of the little extra things we do on projects that we don’t count on the bid. Here are a few examples of costs we may forget to think of when pricing a job.

Mistake No. 1: The Cost of Research

When I first started freelancing, I was happy to get a gig writing 100 articles on an aspect of the finance industry. As many new freelancers do, I hunted around for what I thought was a suitable rate per article, placed my bid and was very pleased when I landed the gig. However, by the end of it, I wished that I had charged more. Because of the specifics of the job and demand that the content needed not to flout restrictions about financial probity, I had to do a lot more research on the topic than I would have normally. – That took considerable time; time that I wasn’t being paid for. Of course, I completed the job for the agreed rate, but I never made that mistake again.

Solution: Include a couple of Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, Freelancers, News, Tips & Tricks

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21 May

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Avoid Freelance Burnout

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Don’t sacrifice your health for your projects

There are times when you get so caught up in a project that you might forget to eat, sleep, or bathe; you’re running purely on deadlines and caffeine. That’s okay to do sometimes, but if you do it too often or for too long, you risk burning yourself out and jeopardizing your health and your ability to work on great projects in the future.  Here at DoNanza, we want to make sure you find balance in your life so you can enjoy a long career of freelancing.

What is Burnout?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, News, Tips & Tricks

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14 May

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Pricing Strategies for Freelancers – part 2

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In the last article, I looked at per piece and per hour project pricing models for freelancers. Today, it’s time to look at pricing per project. This strategy offers protection for both freelancers and clients, but you have to do it right.

Image credit:  401K

Pricing per project

Give a project price and both you and your client know exactly where you are. The question is, how do you create a good project price? The work you have already done to set your target hourly rate will help you with this process. The other thing you need to know is how long it will take you to do key project tasks. It’s always a good idea to time yourself for a while when doing projects so you know what’s realistic. You’d be surprised Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Finance, Freelance resources, Freelancers, News, Tips & Tricks

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06 May

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How to Create Laser-Like Focus when Freelancing

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Distraction is the enemy of successful freelancing, but it’s something that happens to many freelancers. It’s all very well to be able to work in your pajamas, set your own schedule and create great designs and content on the move (not to mention keeping up with social media), but those advantages can also be major distractions. How do you create a laser-like focus and get the job done every time? Here are some tips and tools for being a focused freelancer.

The Work Environment

Many freelancers work at home and creating an environment that’s conducive to work is a good first step. Some work best with people present, though having kids or dogs running around may be too much. Other prefer a private workspace with a door they can shut to keep distractions out. Some freelancers Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, Freelancers, News

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22 Apr

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Understanding exactly what the client wants

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As a freelancer, you’re going to find yourself working with a multitude of clients. In some cases you’ll work with them just one time, while in others you’ll have the opportunity to develop lasting business relationships. Regardless if a client is new or old, it’s important to treat each project as new and be sure to understand exactly what the client wants.

Don’t ever make assumptions

Understanding the client’s expectations is crucial. Do not work based on assumptions. It’s vital to gain as much information from the client as possible before beginning and in some cases before accepting the job. Sometimes, a client may know they want an app, but have no idea what kind, what it should be for, or even whether it’s a reality. Other times you’ll have a client capable of providing you with in-depth details but doesn’t due to time constraints or communications issues.

It’s important to ask the client Continue Reading

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, Freelancers, News, Tips & Tricks

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17 Apr

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Gorgeous new designs for freelancer websites

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Hi Freelancers,

We’re very excited about our latest step in turning DoNanza into the Freelancer’s home in the cloud. Here’s what we’ve been up to:


New Freelancer Pages

We hired some of the best design talent on the web (For freelancers – by freelancers!) and came up with beautiful templates and themes. A smart editor lets freelancers add content from existing web-services, social networks and online marketplaces. Adding an impressive portfolio is easy as uploading a photo to Facebook or instagram. We believe we came up with an agile and sexy “no brainer” solution that will help freelancers promote their business online easily, without distractions, letting them focus on their work and freeing up their time. We will continuously be rolling out gorgeous new templates and themes that focus on different, specific strengths and expertise. The Freelancer page service, like always, is 100% free for all users.

Join Now for Free

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Filed Under: Featured, Freelance resources, Freelancers, News, Uncategorized

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