freelance

Freelancecamp San Antonio

Freelancecamp San Antonio 2009
Freelancecamp San Antonio 2009
This weekend I had the chance to travel to San Antonio with Sergio Chapa to the 2nd Freelancecamp in the nation, and first in Texas. As a recent freelancer, it was a great experience for learning what other freelancers are doing and for a little bit of moral support. When you make the choice to go it alone, you get that sinking feeling that maybe, you made a mistake. It was great to see that many others have made that mistake successfully for many years.

I appreciate the work that Luis Sandoval, Alysan Delaney Childs, Jennifer Navarrete, and Gylon Jackson put into organizing the event. After speaking with them I learned that more than half of the attendees had never been to an unconference, like a Barcamp. That is a great success. I can’t get over the energy that was present at the event. Great job, guys.

I got recruited into doing a couple of presentations, though the first was more of a group interactive presentation. The first presentation was titled, I’m a Freelancer… Now what? We shared experiences with taxes, health insurance, and dealing with the challenges of being a freelancer.

The second presentation was on Creating a New Market for Social Media. Sergio Chapa helped me out on that one. We learned that Corpus Christi has some of the same challenges we have in the Rio Grande Valley. Fortunately, it was recorded by Leslie Baldwin and is viewable below.

Get Beyond Self-Doubt

Last night, I posted about how you have to listen to that inner voice that tells you to do the right thing with respect to your career. When you go against that voice, your days will be long and you will be looking at the clock for 5 pm to roll around. Has that voice been nagging you? Why haven’t you listened? I know why.

Fear of failing is what makes us fight the inner voice. Many times self-doubt keeps us from confidently making a choice and carrying on. So what happens when you fall? Tim Ferriss shares a video about Nick Vujicic to help put things in perspective. The answer is, you get up.

My post was about going freelance. There is always the reality that you may fall flat on your face on the quest. But, I figure the alternative would be to stay at a job that is not fulfilling your needs and fall flat on your face there. In this economy with layoffs and hiring freezes, there was always the possibility of being knocked down anyway. In any decision you make, there is never any guarantee that you will not fail; there is no sure thing. One must get beyond self-doubt and reach for that goal or career that will bring satisfaction with life. You can’t have the triumph of getting up if you never fall.

Freelance Friday: Dealing with paperwork

Listen to the Show.

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Probably, the bane of your existence as a freelancer is the mountain of paperwork you generate for yourself. How do you keep track of it all? How do you organize it? How do you find stuff?

Let’s talk about what you can do to keep yourself organized as a freelancer.

LINKS
IGS Bookkeeping
Freshbooks
QuickBooks Online
ADP
BlogTalkRadio: Organizing Your Tax Related Paperwork

Setting a Goal and Working For It

I have been vacillating between going to PodCamp NYC and not going. John C. Havens, one of the co-organizers of the event, invited members of the San Antonio Podcasting and New Media Group to present at the event about our experience in organizing PodCamp San Antonio. For those of you who travel, you know that a trip to NYC is not exactly the most affordable thing in the world. The cost is what is causing me to hesitate and commit to going. I am about ready to commit. First, some background.

On the one hand, making it to New York and presenting to so many people would be a great “professional” experience. I put that in quotes because this is an unpaid gig. Like all BarCamps and PodCamps, you attend these things for two main purposes, to learn and to network. After presenting, I’d have plenty of time to learn from other podcasters and exchange business cards. It would cost me to go to PodCamp NYC, but it would also serve greatly to move me further along in the field of New Media.

The downside to attending PodCamp NYC is that it is scheduled very close to PodCamp San Antonio. That makes a double whammy on the pocketbook. The Texas Legislature does not pay me very much for my part-time work. Therefore, it is up to me to earn the necessary amount of money to attend both events.

After some research, I have learned that I can fly to NYC for about $200 round-trip starting in San Antonio, Texas. It’s about $300 if I leave from McAllen, Texas. This does not include food and lodging. $600 should cover my expenses, I believe. I’ll stay awake and wander around NYC if necessary. Having no place to stay is not a deterrent for me. That’s the goal, raise $600.

To accomplish this goal, I would need to bill about 15 hours at $40/hr or 30 hours at $20/hr. Both seem achievable to me. All I have to do is go out beat some new business out of the bushes, right? When looking at a fixed income, $600 seems like a lot. Yet, when thinking along the lines of what I need to do to earn that much, it’s not as daunting. So, I will make my reservations and proceed to earn what I need for the trip. When I ask myself how I can afford the trip, some gears clicked into place and I figured out how to do it. Nice.

The Morning Show: Creating Opportunities

Yesterday, we talked about your blog being your resume. People use your blog to judge you and your work. What you put out there reflects who you are.

Today’s Morning Show is about creating business opportunities for the freelancer. How can you bring in new business? How do you advertise? How do you land new clients? Join me.

Show runs 8:30 am to 9 am, M-F. You can call in at (646) 716-8227 to join the conversation.

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Freelance Friday: Ethics

Today, on the Morning Show on Blog Talk Radio, I talk about ethics for the freelancer. There is no doubt that as a freelancer, you have access and opportunity to do all kinds of things. What are some some instances of unethical behavior?

  • Accessing unnecessary records
  • Stealing from the jobsite
  • Software pirating
  • Selling inferior products/services
  • Working for an unethical business
  • Your scenario here