Getting a head start with the right technology, advice, and tools for the freelancer and entrepreneur!
Never stop learning and reading as a professional. You’ll never know what you’re going to learn even if you think you already know everything. I make it a goal to read at least one self-help book every 6 months and it ain’t easy. So lets run down a list of a few books that have really stuck out to me that I think every entrepreneur or freelancer should read!
SEO is that magical buzz word that you hear a lot of web development and design firms use. All it boils down to is how to get the right people to your site. No matter if you have an online brochure or a content rich eCommerce website, you’ll need some form of SEO. Bobby Kircher and I chat about the best practices to optimize your website traffic.
Everyone’s got a great idea or has heaps of ambition to become the “Next Steve Jobs of [insert industry]”. A lot of people get caught up on where to start and sometimes need a guide or a map to get started. Freelancing or being an entrepreneur is an exciting and fun adventure. If you’re wonder about where to find clients, how to validate an idea, or generally how to run a freelancing business, you’re in the right places! Lets talk about the different ways you can start your journey.
It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a service or a physical product, you may have to pay attention to taxes when you cross that state line. Your LLC or S-Corp is your shield for taxes and can help guide you in how to take care of those taxes. Its very difficult to cover ever scenario, as your taxes can change from multi-State transactions AND how you/what are selling. Jacki and I chat about the basics of across state line taxes and how it might affect you.
Don’t think you have to do everything at once with your business. Pace yourself and take things one step at a time. That old joke of “How do you eat an elephant…… one bite at a time…” is a perfect analogy on how to tackle big tasks. The phrase ‘Eating the Elephant’ can teach us how to take our time with growth and progress to avoid burnout or more. Here are some tips to help you slow down and grow.
Some people shy away from the word “contracts” because a lot of time it triggers that feeling of “being sued”. A contract, by definition, is a promise or set of promises that are legally enforceable and, if violated, allow the injured party access to legal remedies. In short, its an agreement between two or more people.
A product can look polished and pretty but fall flat when it comes to usability. The same can be the opposite; a dull looking app but does everything you ever want or need. Finding that nice middle ground and having a good UI/UX person on your team can really shift the outcome of your product. I chat with Matt Rix about the importance and usability of UI and UX.
I don’t want to talk about Freelancing and Consulting without talking about the gotchas of Freelancing and Consulting. Its not all rose colored glasses and sailing off into the sunset. Working for yourself takes a lot of hard work and dedication that some people may ignore. So if you’re reading tons of blog posts of the happy and fun and great sides of working for yourself, you may be overlooking the downside all together….
In todays world you cant get away from the internet or digital products. Pop culture is becoming more and more shaped by what goes on online and we need to pay attention. I chat with Pete about how pop culture, technology, and digital culture tends to shape how we view things. We’re almost at that stage where its become one and the lines are blurred.
The awesomeness of being a freelancer or entrepreneur is that you decide how you want to work to get the job done. There are dozens of applications and freelancer tools out there that help you become more efficient and effective at whatever you need to do. They can range from free to pay-to-use but we cant seen to live without them. Freelancer tools wont make or break your company, but here are a few tools that you may find using over and over again.