Archive by Author
Be your change agent
Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by Amod.
Don’t just hope, dream or think about changing your future. Just Do It (thanks Nike!). If you are thinking of sprucing up your profile, do it. Put up that website / blog advertising your business that you were putting off for more than 4 months. Go and Do It.
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Avoid being too friendly with clients
Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by Amod.
An occasional chat about weather and family is alright – only if initiated by the client. Never ever try to be too close as it may be construed as something else. This is especially applicable to Western clients (including the North America, West Europe and Australia)
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Bid on weekends – reduce competition
Posted on 08. Jun, 2009 by Amod.
When your competitors are being idle, get on with your job. Cold call on someone if they want that special service from you. Beginning Friday afternoon to Sunday evening is a great time to bid on projects as most of the established pros are having their weekend “off”.
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Top 6 Freelance Marketspaces Reviewed
Posted on 03. Jun, 2009 by Amod.
I had written a review of online freelance marketplaces on Entrepreneur.com way back in Aug 2005. These marketspaces have since then changed in terms of feature enhancements as well as policies. These top 6 marketspaces viz. Guru.com, Elance.com, LimeExchange.com, Rentacoder.com, Getafreelancer.com and oDesk.com, together capture about 90% marketshare (based on the revenues reported by them), [...]
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My bid is accepted- Now what?
Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by Amod.
TIP: First, dash off a note via PMB, thanking the client for awarding the project and telling him / her how excited you are to work with them. And then ask them for the files / content / access info / other info etc. WHY: This is a pleasant way to inform that you are [...]
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Why recession is good for freelancers
Posted on 27. May, 2009 by Amod.
No one needs to be reminded of the “R” word and anything ugly related to it. Layoffs and worthless investments notwithstanding, recession might actually be a boon for some viz. freelancers. As businesses go cost-cutting eventually they do see some business sense in hiring freelancers for some of their work like accounting, web presence and [...]
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Entry Strategies for Newbie Freelancer
Posted on 18. Apr, 2009 by Amod.
Every business person requires to formulate an entry strategy – when to enter, where to enter and how to enter. It applies even for a freelancer, especially now, when the online freelancing market has become very competitive. When to Enter. Although, there is no restriction on when, you should begin obviously when the number of [...]
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Are you sharpening your saw?
Posted on 10. Apr, 2009 by Amod.
One of my favorite motivator is Stephen Covey and I love his “7 Habits of Highly Effective People“. The 7th habit is “Sharpen the Saw”, which metaphorically speaking, means revitalize yourself. For a freelancer who is usually neck deep in work, it is vital for me to step back and “sharpen my saw”. Here are [...]
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How to write a winning bid proposal
Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by Amod.
What is a Bid Proposal? Bid Proposal or just proposal is an offer by the service provider or freelancer in response to a project s/he is interested in working on. Usually the mandatory components of a bid are: the bid amount (hourly or fixed), the proposal and time to complete. Other things like attachments (for [...]
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9 Most Common Mistakes made by Newbie Freelancers
Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by Amod.
If you are just starting out on online freelance marketspaces (Guru.com, Elance.com etc), then this is a must-read as it may mean the difference between earning top dollar or getting no job at all. 1. Not portraying yourself as a business person. If you are interested only in pocket money, this attitude may be fine. [...]
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