We weren’t surprised to learn that Bay Area writer/marketing consultant Alisa Bonsignore was the first person to register for this year’s Creative Freelancer Conference. She’s been to the first two. I recently interviewed Alisa about what she’s learned from past CFC’s and what she hopes to gain from the event…

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, Travis King and Thursday Bram look at how to start your freelance career and what to do with an empty portfolio.Ask FreelanceSwitch is a new regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question…

Lots of stuff about money today…
Talk of finances is heating up over at the CFC LinkedIn Group. I posted two discussions recently. I’m looking for tax questions you need answered (for my new book), and I want to know whether or not you know your numbers.
And, if you’re…

Some clients just keep asking for a little more: a four page website design can turn into a design plus copy or even a design plus copy plus marketing. It often happens just a little request at a time, as the scope of the project creeps ever larger. Scope creep…

Isn’t working at home great? That’s why so many of us are either already doing it, or dreaming about doing it. We know it’s just the thing for creative types who don’t like structure and hierarchy. Working at home has its perks.
However, working at home also brings many temptations…

Today’s post is a personal post. It’s about the trials and errors I went through to launch my first start up, Giant Themes. I hope you enjoy the post and it helps anyone who is on the verge of launching their first start up. It’s been a fun ride and…

Writer’s Digest is searching for the best self-published books of the past few years. If you have one, find out more about entering the Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards.

The design firm Method is turning 10, and it’s celebrating by looking ahead with a thoughtful series. read more

How do you make sure that you get all of your work done on time?
As freelancers, we wear many different hats. In addition to performing our freelancing specialty for the client, we’re also the sales staff, the manager, the support team, and the accountant all rolled into one person.…

During our stint over at Fuel Your Creativity, one of our favorite parts was interacting with the community in the discussions we would have. We always valued those opportunities to connect and the insights that were shared, so we wanted to bring those discussions back to the forefront of what…

Competition is fierce in the world of freelancing. In the clients’ eyes, one of the few factors that differentiates you from the competition is the quality of your portfolio.
While much of what makes up a portfolio is both subjective and based on personal preferences, there are still several surefire…

Recently, the FreelanceSwitch community was asked what simple, one-line advice they would give newly minted freelancers. The result was a surprising and poignant mix of wisdom, humor, and insight on topics such as clients, money, marketing, and keeping one’s sanity. Read on for the best advice from the FreelanceSwitch community!…

Two years ago, I was the full-time web guy at a conservative insurance company. My wife could see my frustrations there and encouraged me to quit and pursue a freelance career. She suggested that we could use her income as our base if things got really tight, financially. I’ve never…

I can’t believe that I nearly completely forgot about this – but as of a day or two ago this blog is officially a whole year old. Join me as we take a short trip down memory lane and see what’s gone on in the last 12 months, and where…

This is the second installment of our Guerrilla Marketing tactics series – you can view the 10 guerrilla marketing tactics for designers by clicking here.
Illustrators are some of the most talented people that I know. I’ve admired illustration work for years and I have dabbled in drawing since I…