All posts with the ‘ practical advice ’ Tag

If you want to be a better negotiator, you need to train.

You need to exercise your negotiation muscles regularly, executing each exercise with proper form and control. When you first start you can improve very quickly, but you shouldn’t expect mind-blowing results overnight.

Here’s one exercise you can try at home to build muscle and fight the dreaded anxiety of conflict.… Read More

It’s nice when you spot all the problems with a contract well before the job is supposed to start, but that doesn’t always happen.

What should you do when you spot issues with the contract right before you’re supposed to sign?… Read More

Boldly we charge ahead in our mission to deal with those that prove most difficult to our hero, The Freelancer!

This week: managing the Scope Creep, he who yearns for additional work without extra payment or adjustment of deadlines.

Hey, Scope Creep. I’ve got your number and I’m coming for you.… Read More

Let’s be honest, sometimes dealing with people just sucks.

They can be needy and demanding, stubborn and impatient, frustrating and irrational.

But if you’re a freelancer, there’s no avoiding working with difficult people. There is no boss to run interference between you and Crazy Cathy and unless you defend your boundaries well, “Just One More Thing” Jonathan will drive you to drink.

Instead of throwing … Read More

Dear Person With a Great Idea/Product/Opportunity and Little and/or No Money,

Welcome to the blog! I understand that you’re in search of some high quality work  from a freelancer but don’t have a lot of cash on hand.

You may have found this site by Googling “Getting freelancers to work for free” or someone you’ve approached for work may have sent you to this post … Read More

Oh but my goodness has there been a recent uptick in demands for artists to work for free!

Or maybe it’s just that Twitter makes these fools so much easier to find.

This week’s post is about how to avoid the psychological mind tricks people use when they ask you to work for free (or for booze or for the glory of [Fill in the … Read More

Hey Ace Freelancers! This next installment of The Ace Freelancer’s Guide to Asking Questions introduces you to a type of question you can use to figure out what your client really wants before you send them a proposal.… Read More

If you’ve ever had trouble getting much needed information from your clients, this week’s installment of the Ace Freelancer’s Guide to Asking Questions is for you!… Read More