Please note this is not a sponsored review. This is a tool I’ve recently started to use and thought it may be of interest to some of you. I asked Brian to share the vital info on it’s creation and features. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and Brian will be happy to answer them.

A potential new client contacts you to inquire about your awesome freelance service. So you set up a meeting, put your game face on, and get down to business. You and your potential client discuss goals, technical requirements, budget, and so forth. Exciting! Another new business lead! But you haven’t landed the gig just yet…

Now it’s time to go back, organize all the information you gathered in your meeting, and put together your proposal. Otherwise known as a bid, it’s a document presenting the project details (scope), time estimate, price quote, and any other information you choose to include. In the back of your mind is the notion that you’re not the only freelancer this client contacted for this project. Your proposal better shine so that you win their business!

That’s where WP Bids comes in.

It’s a specialized WordPress theme for creating (awesome) project proposals. Not only does it help you produce outstanding web-based proposals that will wow your clients and win more projects, it makes your life easier and saves you valuable time in the process!

Here are just a few of the features that make WP Bids an excellent tool for your freelance business:

• Easily add your own logo / branding to the header of every proposal.
• Creating and formatting proposals is a piece of cake since you already know (and love) the familiar WordPress interface.
• Set up a proposal template, drastically speeding up the process of churning out new proposals. Now you can focus your time on doing things you enjoy… Like working on projects!
• Mobile, iPhone, iPad and Print optimized.

The Story Behind WP Bids

I am a freelance web designer. In the past, when clients would contact me about a new project, I’d spend hours crafting a proposal document using Microsoft Word. It was always a process I dreaded for a several reasons:

• I was limited in terms of design and layout. MS Word doesn’t offer much in this regard.
• It took forever for me to create each proposal.
• I felt the overall presentation didn’t reflect my attention to detail as a web designer.

So I knew I had to scratch this itch by creating a solution that is; elegant and impressive, saves me valuable time and is fully customizable.

Since I’ve been specializing in WordPress, it was the logical platform to base my proposals app on. I had been creating Premium WordPress Themes at ThemeJam for a while, so I had a solid foundation in theme development to base WP Bids on.

After a few months of carefully crafting this highly specialized theme, I’m happy to have produced something that is simple, elegant, and offers an immediate benefit to one’s business. I’m truly passionate about the business of freelancing and I’m thrilled to have created something I know my fellow freelancers / small business owners will make use of.

So how much does it cost?

WP Bids follows the same pricing model as all of my premium WordPress themes on ThemeJam. For a one-time purchase of $59, you get:

• The WP Bids theme, complete with 4 built-in color schemes.
• The layered Photoshop design file.
• Detailed documentation.
• Lifetime access to theme updates.
• Lifetime access to customer support.
• Use it on as many domains as you want.

And now a little reward for making it this far…

Here’s a discount code: GRACE20 for 20% OFF your purchase, today through to the 9th August.

Pssst! WP Bids not for you? You can still use the above discount code on any ThemeJam theme!

Here is a short video demonstrating WP Bids in action:

Brian Casel is a freelance web designer and creator of the WP Bids WordPress theme. You can follow Brian on his personal blog briancasel.com and on Twitter @CasJam.

WP Bids – WordPress Theme For Freelancers is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

£40….Did I just read that correctly?

As designers we know there will always be the cousin or ‘local lad’ who can build their website for £40 or $50, what surprises me is the fact that perfectly professional and legitimate businesses think this is good value! It’s unfortunate that the power of design is currently so misunderstood and undervalued by many businesses.

Design essentially provides an external ‘face’ for your customers (of your business). So why have a website that is such a poor representation of your business to potential customers?

The cost of web design also applies to logo design, which Jacob has superbly laid out in his article, which also inspired me to write about my recent experience.

• Design Process

How can we qualify that professional, quality web design doesn’t cost £40? Let’s first look at the typical design process, in fact this is the process I typically follow.

Phase 1: Concept and Consultation

We start with a discussion on the scope of the project which provides a solid foundation before we begin. Your project is then defined using the Creative Brief (a Wufoo form which I ask all potential clients to fill in), which is often referred back to during the project. By clearing defining the concept we are able to map out the goals and requirements of the entire project before moving on.

Phase 2: Discovery

Once there is a clear concept for the project, we move into discovery and research. I get to know and understand the exact needs of the project along with research into users needs and goals, target audience or demographic until there is a complete outline. I also build up a thorough picture of the personality and intended style of the website.

Depending on the scale and complexity of the project we may then move into creating a visual sitemap of the project which is essential for organisation of content on larger projects.

Phase 3: Wireframes

I then create sketches of the layout which are turned into wireframes (using the grey-box method) for review and approval before the design process begins.

A wireframe is a basic mockup of the page without any design elements which gives a stragetic view of the positioning of elements within the layout and shows how the content will flow on the page. It is an important step in determining the placement of content, function and navigation. It is used to iron out any problems or missing elements, and will act as the blueprint for the content, design and construction work that comes later.

For a more detailed rundown on this, read the in-depth look at my wireframing process.

Phase 4: Design

Once the wireframes are approved we move onto the design phase. The wireframes are taken and given the design treatment and polished. They are then presented for feedback and iteration as necessary until approved.

Phase 5: Build

I then build the design into working prototypes using CSS and XHTML (all according to accessibility guidelines). These are presented and given feedback on all aspects of the build. This is where incoporating a CMS also takes place (if required). We work together to polish and tweak until the build is finalised and complete.

Phase 6: Testing, Launch & Signoff

Although the project is tested through each stage of the build, this stage involves a complete usability test across all platforms and browsers, checking for cross-platform functionality and appearance. I use a combination of my own testing environment and Browsercam to do a complete check, with the results forwarded onto you for review. We are then ready for launch!

Phase 7: Monitoring and Maintenance

Once the site is launched I will do a thorough link check and monitor the site for 7 days to squash any potential problems that may arise. Once the monitoring period is over I can set up a maintenance plan if desired.

But why follow a process at all? Because this type of process will allow us to:

(a) Get really clear about what the goals of the site are.
(b) Know what the site’s visitors want (after all they’re the ones using it).
(c) Gain an insight into users’ goals and behaviour.
(d) Get a good picture of the personality and style of the design.

Without this, we’re designing ‘blind’, essentially just delivering something pretty with no awareness of your audience, targets or goals, so how do you expect it to be a success?

I think we can all assume that £40 isn’t going to cover all of the above, but does it cover your experience or expertise?

• Knowledge

The story goes that Picasso was sitting in a Paris café when an admirer approached and asked if he would do a quick sketch on a paper napkin. Picasso politely agreed, swiftly executed the work, and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for a rather significant amount of money. The admirer was shocked: “How can you ask for so much? It took you a minute to draw this!” “No”, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years”.

You weren’t just paying for that drawing, you were paying for the countless hours, days, weeks and years of research, knowledge, experience and talent that it took to create that drawing.

Many of us in the design industry spend countless hours refining our knowledge wherever possible, constantly learning and challenging ourselves to be better in all aspects of both design, development and business. Why? One of the core reasons is so we can provide a better quality of service to our clients.

As Benjamin Southworth points out, that £40 “would price my 10 years professional experience at £4 p.a – which I deem as less than minimum wage?”

• Operating Costs

Freelancing isn’t cost free, there are a wealth of overheads that most of us have to incorporate into our pricing. Some of the more obvious expenses include:

(1) Broadband
(2) Stock photography
(3) Web hosting
(4) Email marketing
(5) Hardware (iMac/Macbook/Printer)
(6) External hard drive(s)
(7) Software (Including Online Apps)
(8) Office Equipment
(9) Fonts
(10) Stationery
(11) Marketing
(12) Insurance
(13) Tax
(14) Travel

Mosts Freelancers are serious about their business, and run a credible professional small business. In doing so there are numerous costs involved which have to be taken into account when costing a project. The reason the local lad can do it so cheap is because he has no overheads because for him, it’s just a hobby.

• Community Response

In order to get a more in-depth view on how the design community views these type of requests I asked for some input from those smart folks on twitter, who had the following to say:

@garethbotha A company or brand’s first impression to the world at large is worth more than £40.

@brimanning If it costs that much, that means anyone can do it.

@ianglang Clients by far are uneducated: copyright: (just get it from the web) process: (I want to see it before I decide to pay).

@egeek Audi garage charges £98/hr for a mechanic and surely that’s just screwing parts on a car. So £40 would get you < 30min.

@paulashton1979 Because web design/dev = html, css, photoshop, cms knowledge, seo, copywriting, typography, design, infoArchitecture & fontReplacement etc.

@ianglang “You wouldn’t compromise your integrity. Why would you ask us to compromise ours?”

@helo_biagi Well, you have costs… your equipment, maintenance, studies, rent, time and the programs you use cost way more than £40.

@mohdesign How about the fact that designers and developers spend a huge amount of time just learning and increasing their skills to make a living.

@StuRobson I’d say “how much page space would £40 get you in a magazine or newspaper?”

@cun I’ll input… “£40 wouldnt even get you a full years worth of hosting + domain” let alone the coding work and time involved.

@pixelcellar Definately worth chucking in the mix the phrase “you get what you pay for”, one I use a lot with prospective clients!

@DanielApt We’ve spent an amazing amount of time to master our skills, we need to compensate this learning time in the bill.

@goody815 My first reply is always “the copy machine repair person is $150/hr so lets start over shall we”.

@deakaz Awesome, If someone expects it that cheap they should sign up to a free service and use a stock theme.

@jhuskisson Because web design isn’t done in an hour (£40 is an hourly rate, or lower than an hour for a lot of designers).

@shredcreative I’d say that when people send emails like that, we as web designers/devs should educate them as to why they should spend more.

• Conclusion

So if web design doesn’t cost £40, what does it cost? The answer is, it depends on both the project specification and the designer you’ve approached. There are numerous variables and just like logo design, the best way to approach this question is to draw up a customised quote for each individual.

• The Pitch

I may not charge you £40 but If you’re interested in working with a seasoned professional web designer then please get in touch via my contact form or through my portfolio.

• Further Resources

(a) Why Design Can’t Be Billed By The Hour
(b) The Added Value Of Design
(c) Communicate the ROI for Design
(d) You Get What You Pay For

• Let’s Have Your 2 Cents

Have you experienced this type of request before, if so, how did you handle it?

Is it actually our fault as designers for failing to effectively communicate the ROI of design? Because clearly people do not understand how important and valuable it is to their business.

Or does there need to be a shift in current thinking from regarding design as an afterthought to being an integral part of business strategy?

Here’s your chance to talk….

Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost £40 is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

This is the second in a three part in-depth series on how to get the best out of both the in-built features and the applications available in OS X, to take your productivity to the next level.

Part One delved inside QuickSilver and Spotlight, while Part Two gets inside Applications and Spaces. Part Three concentrates on both the Dock and Email Productivity. So make sure you are subscribed so as not to miss out when these are published over the next two weeks.

In this article I’m going to briefly show how I use Spaces & Expose along with a multitude of Applications to help stay productive.

Applications – Productivity Boosters

Apple has a truly amazing operating system in OS X but it’s the wealth of fantastic apps that makes it the perfect combination of brains and beauty. There are numerous applications that can help you work faster and efficiently, however these are my personal favorites.

• Concentrate – This is an app I’ve recently started using and it’s been fantastic value for money. It helps eliminate distractions and lets you concentrate on the task at hand. I personally use 4 main actions: Write, Design, Build & Admin. Each of these has a small set of tasks it performs to help me accomplish the goal. Once I click ‘Concentrate’, it performs the tasks and allows me to get working and stay focused. It can also block sites, open sites/documents and even change your iChat status.
• Taskpaper – After longing for a super simple, ‘get your stuff done’ to-do list app, I knew my search was over once I found TaskPaper. No bloated complex software, just a fast, simple app that makes sure I keep up to date with my tasks.
• Default Folder X - This really speeds up navigation through file dialogs. You setup default folders for any of your apps and is an incredible time saver. It allows me to locate frequently used folders without cluttering my sidebars or finder windows. It also has great favorite and history features with folders.
• Text Expander – The ultimate keystroke saver. It enables you to setup system-wide text shortcuts that when typed expand to the full text provided. For instance when I type notAv, Text Expander inputs my paragraph giving a polite ‘I’m not available’ when I can’t take on further work. It’s also insanely useful for auto-correcting common misspelled words!
• Fluid – Along with Quicksilver this is quite possibly the most useful app any Mac owner could have. It lets you create a Site Specific Browser (SSB) out of any website or web application, effectively turning your favorite web apps into desktop apps. I use it to run Google Reader, Google Apps Email, Mockflow (Wireframing), Flickr and Curdbee (Invoicing).
• Shovebox – Is my other ‘brain’. It catches all those little scraps of information that I can’t act on at the time but would rather not forget. It sits up in the menubar and you can drag in text, images, URLs, and more. It really means spending less time processing and more time actually working on the things that matter.
• Gmail Notifier & Growl = Email Heaven. I use Notifier and Growl together so my email notifications are not only efficient but stylish. I can even open messages in my browser straight from the notification. Sweet.
• Photoshop Batching – This is particularly helpful as a blogger, as I run several blogs, all requiring images at various sizes. I have a batch command setup that sizes the image (along with other adjustments such as sharpness and DPI) to the required size. It saves at most a minute, but when this is multiplied over the course of a week, it soon adds up!
• BackDrop – A super useful utility which allows you to fill your screen with a giant blank window. Either with a solid color or a custom image. This allows me to focus on a few windows at a time, or on just one by choosing a window from Expose. It also means I can take screenshots of one or many windows without having to clean up my desktop!
• ClipMenu – This is a fantastic little app which I only installed a few days ago. It’s one of the best clipboard managers for Mac OS X. You can record 8 clipboard types, from plain text to images.
• Service Scrubber – One of the most underestimated features of a Mac is the services menu. It’s very powerful and can aid in your productivity, unfortunately it can also become pretty cluttered. Service scrubber lets me restructure it, change keyboard shortcuts and enable and disable services. Which all means this menu actually becomes useful again.
• Hazel – This is a nifty ‘housekeeper’ for OS X. With Hazel I have created rules that automatically keep my files (and especially my download folder) organised. It processes and organises certain file types into their specified folders, cleans up after deleted apps, gets rid of incomplete or duplicate downloads and also works with Automator and Applescript. You can basically tweak it to suit your own needs and requirements.
• Skitch – Who doesn’t love skitch?! It’s a fantastic app that i use regularly with collaborators on projects to give/get instant feedback. While I use Notable with clients, Skitch is perfect for collaboration.
• Choosy – I’ve only just started using Choosy, which is a browser picker. I usually have Chrome, Firefox and Safari open for various tasks throughout the day and when I click on a link, Choosy pops up a simple chooser and I can select the browser I want. It can be tweaked to suit your needs and is a snip at $12.
• Caffeine – Injects your mac with a boost to stop your screen saver and sleep from kicking in. I use this mostly when I’m having Skype calls as it can become tiresome to keep kicking your Mac out of it’s beauty sleep!
• Timeout – As small business owners it’s easy to get so caught up in our business that we forget to take care of ourselves. Timeout controls your screen and stops you from working and makes you take a break. It’s an essential app for a workaholic like myself!

For further Productivity apps check out:

• 25 Free Mac Apps That Will Boost Your Productivity
• Top 10 Mac Productivity Applications For Developers!
• 20+ Mac Apps to Increase Your Productivity
• Top 100 Essential Mac Applications

Spaces & Exposé

Using Spaces and Exposé seem to divide many Mac users, some swear by them while others don’t go near them. For the last few months I’ve slowly been incorporating Spaces into my workflow and have found a few tips along the way.

I’ve personally found that by categorising apps into different spaces, I’m more likely to work on one specific task at a time, which has led to greater productivity.

• Collect all windows in one Space – When you are in the birds-eye view of Spaces (F8 by default) press the ‘C’ button to collect all open windows into a single space with a nice effect. And if you hold down shift when you hit the ‘C’ key, it will happen in slow motion.
• Moving Between Spaces – You can press Ctrl + Arrow key to move between Spaces, however I find it easier to press Ctrl + # key. For example Ctrl + 2 would move to to Space 2.
• Hyperspaces – Hyperspaces adds the missing key feature – customized backgrounds in each space.
• Warp - Warp lets you change spaces by dragging your mouse across a screen edge into the new space, as well as showing a preview of the new space before it switches.

For further Spaces related resources, check out:

• Minimising Distractions On Your Mac
• 30 Must-Have Tweaks For Your Mac
• Exposé and Spaces tricks
• How To Organize Your Mac Desktop With Spaces

That covers my Spaces, Exposé and Applications tips, but are there any I’m missing or that you personally use? I would love to hear your feedback on this.

Image Credit

Mac OS X Productivity Series: Part Two is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Interviewed on The Freelance Show is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

This is the first in a three part in-depth series on how to get the best out of both the in-built features and the applications available in OS X, to take your productivity to the next level.

Part One gets inside QuickSilver and Spotlight before parts two and three discuss Applications, Spaces and the Dock. So make sure you are subscribed so as not to miss out when these are published over the next two weeks.

Why A Mac Is My Greatest Productivity Weapon

Any freelancer will tell you when it comes to working in and on your business, productivity is high on the agenda. Being as efficient as possible is extremely important, to keep within budgets, deadlines and to ensure we are making the most of our time and energy.

Since buying an iMac just over two years ago, It has been far and away the best investment I’ve ever made in regards to my business. Personally I find a Mac makes me more productive and happier at work.

In this article I’m going to briefly show how I use Quicksilver and Spotlight to help stay productive.

QuickSilver – A Mac Owners Best Friend

QuickSilver is so much more than an application launcher. With a few simple triggers I can create lists, launch websites, tag folders and run detailed searches. The more I get used to doing things with Quicksilver, the more things I want to do with it.

I use Command + Space to launch the Quicksilver interface and from there my usual tasks are:

• Applications – I type in the first few letters, Quicksilver will then show the best matches, from there I just hit return to launch the app I need. Every Quicksilver query I do ‘teaches’ the system a little better about what objects, apps and actions I’m likely to use.
• Bookmarks – Very often I want to quickly search my bookmarks or launch one without going through Safari or Firefox. I just type a few letters of the title of a bookmark, an icon and name appears for it. I hit return and voila.
• Browse/Control iTunes – Once iTunes is running (heck it always is with me), I invoke Quicksilver, type browse then an item called Browse Albums comes up along with more iTunes options.
• Write a text note – I press period to go to text entry mode, this is extremely handy as I often need to write short notes throughout the day.
• Recent Documents – I type the name of the app I want to open, then press the right arrow to put the most recent document that was opened with that app into focus, with the other most recent docs off to the right.

This is only a taste of how Quicksilver can be used, for further Quicksilver resources check out:

• Quicksilver Plugins
• Quicksilver Power Tips
• Time-Saving Quicksilver Triggers

Spotlight – The Mother Of All Searches

Spotlight is no substitute for good file organisation, however it can be extremely useful when searching for certain documents. It’s power can’t be underestimated!

The most regular searches I perform are:

• Search by Kind – This is easily the most useful search for me personally, It helps to restrict the search to a certain file format, the searches I usually perform are – kind:image, kind:font, kind:pdf and kind:word. For instance if you wanted to find a PDF called Freelance your search query would be – Freelance kind:pdf.You can also limit your search to e-mail messages, music files, System Preferences, applications, and more. For phrases rather than keywords just use quotation marks, for example, “Mac Tips”.
• Calculations – For quick calculations I often use Spotlight, for instance if I type 2*2, I’ll get 4. There’s a real range of calculation formulas available to use, so don’t be shy in testing it out! Although you should avoid hitting return in Spotlight as this will launch Calculator for you.
• By Creation Date – This can be extremely useful If you are not sure of the exact file name but know the approximate date it was created. To perform this type of search you can use the following characters [ < > = ], for example, created:>1/11/09 will find files that were created AFTER November, 2009 while created:=1/11/09 will find files created ON 1 November, 2009.
• Search Filters – Spotlight indexes your entire hard drive and by default searches within everything on Leopard. However to speed up your searches you can decided the exact search filters used by going to System Preferences > Spotlight Preferences > From there you can enable and disable the categories of te spotlight search by ticking and un-ticking boxes.
• Time Saver – To save a little time I use Command + Return to open the selected file in Finder.

Spotlight Resources

• Every Spotlight keyboard Shortcut
• Terminal commands for improving Spotlight
• Re-Index Your Drive for Better Spotlight Results

That covers my QuickSilver and Spotlight tips and tricks, but are there any I’m missing or that you personally use? I would love to hear your feedback on this.
Image Credit

Mac OS X Productivity Series: Part One is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

The Freelance Advisor is one of the most in-depth freelance resources online and is designed to help freelancers and contractors in every field with detailed setup advice and ongoing help that even the most experienced freelancers and contractors will find useful.

The fact that all the contributors to the site are all freelancers and contractors with years of work in the marketplace under their belt means it’s one freelance resource you should most definitely be subscribed to!

It’s been on my radar for some time (even more so now with The Freelance Feed regularly featuring it), and I wanted to feature on this blog for those in my audience who may not have heard of it before.

I had the chance to talk with Michael Rose recently who is one of the main contributors. In this interview we discuss his background, the foundation of Freelance Advisor, freelancing in general and UK Freelance Conferences.

Can you tell us about yourself and your involvement with Freelance Advisor?

I’m a Web Editor living in Brighton. I fell in love with the web over ten years ago when I was at University and used Mosaic (one of the first graphical browsers) for the first time. With a degree in journalism and a love of all things hyperlinked, a career in “Web journalism” seemed obvious. Since then I’ve worked for AOL, Netscape, BT.com and FT.com and also some really small startups and I saw a few crumble and fail along the way (no names!).

Of course with the advent of blogging “Web Editor” doesn’t seem to mean much these days so I guess you could call me a “Site Manager” too. Basically I’m a rubbish designer and my code is even worse but I’ve always been able to get projects off the ground and bring a journalistic, end-user-focused eye.

I joined Freelance Advisor right at the beginning when it was a small blog with only a few posts. The founder, Darren Fell, asked for help on a local new media mailing list and jumped at the chance.

Why was Freelance Advisor setup and what do you hope to accomplish with it?

FA was setup to help everyone who freelances for a living. That includes contractors and consultants too but, like the PCG, we see ‘Freelance’ as the simplest umbrella terms for everyone who works for themselves from B&B owners to high-powered consultants and entrepreneurs. We hope to become the place to visit to have your questions answered whether it’s a query about tax, legal advice or just a recommendation for a good home-office chair – we hope to cover every aspect of freelancing, working from home and working on short-term contracts.

If we’ve not got a blog or podcast covering a topic then we’re certainly going to have someone in our community with a view or opinion – our forums are full of really interesting and helpful folk and they love sinking their teeth into difficult questions about tax or contract law.

What makes Freelance Advisor different to other sites focused around freelancing?

I think we’re unique in that we’re a community site and it’s been built exclusively by freelancers for freelancers with blogposts, designs and code all created by people passionate about the project. We’ve got blogs and jobs listings (who doesn’t?!) but we’ve also got a great series of podcasts, an events feed which anyone can add their events to, an awesome employment service called Workline which helps people get advice about the contract or job they’re currently in, plus the forum (a new addition this year) which is growing really quickly.

What topics do you discuss on the podcast and how do you choose your guests?

Our next podcast is with author Barbara Winter, author of “Making a Living Without a Job”. I think I spotted a tweet of hers (probably re-tweeted by someone else) and I thought the book would be interesting to FA readers. I sent here a message and we took it from there. It’s a great two-part interview, really inspiring.

We also have a lot of setup advice, accountancy advice (the podcast is sponsored by Crunch.co.uk) and there is always lots of discussion about marketing yourself, getting inspired and getting out there.

Are there any freelance specific events that you would recommend to UK freelancers?

National Freelancers Day has just gone… so… National Freelancers Day 2010!

I’d also encourage people to think local when it comes to events. Freelancing can be a lonely business and local, social, evening events are a great way to get out of the house, meet people of a similar mindset and find work.

In Brighton we are blessed with a thriving community with five co-working spaces, most of which have evening workshops and events, plus there is a huge Brighton New Media mailing list and ‘The Farm’ and ‘Writeclub’ meetups are great for getting connected and involved. It’s a very techie scene (lots of developer and designers) but we also have lots of small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs and local events are the best way to tap into that. BarCamps are also excellent! I’ve done three now and they’re quite addictive.

Your Introduction to Freelancing e-book is excellent and has been very successful, do you have any plans to follow up with any further books or premium resources?

Yes, the “Go Freelance guide” is one of our most popular posts and still gets hundred of downloads a month after a year of being out there. We’re planning on a ‘Go Freelance 2010′ update in January and several smaller ‘bite-sized’ guides throughout the year.

UPDATE: This is now available to download via The Freelance Advisor website.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to break into freelancing but doesn’t know where or how to start?

Well, again the ‘Go Freelance’ guide is a good starting point as it covers everything from ‘should I?’ to ‘how do I?’.

I think if anyone is considering it seriously then they should just go for it… most people don’t even want to think about life without a steady pay-cheque, so if you’re even considering it you are well on the way.

I’ve known a lot of people who have agonised about the decision for months before taking the plunge and none of them have since regretted it… so… what are you waiting for?

What three articles from Freelance Advisor would you recommend for my readers as an introduction to the site?

• Go Freelance: Guide to starting out in freelancing
• Freelancing FUBARs: 8 common mistakes
• Podcast #9: Finding your perfect pricing point

I’d like to say a huge thanks to Michael for taking the time to take part in the interview and for his continuing work with the extremely helpful Freelance Advisor.

Interview: Michael Rose – The Freelance Advisor is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

I was inspired to write this by Sarah and Elliot’s posts on their look back at 2009 and their resolutions for 2010.

I started blogging back in March 2009, so was a little late to the New Year resolutions party, however I’ve decided to publish my thoughts on 2009 but more importantly my plans for 2010.

If nothing else it should make for some interesting reading next January!

Freelancing

It proved to be a breakthrough year for my business in 2009. I’ve worked on a wider variety of projects this year than ever before, ranging from microsites to large e-commerce redesigns and development. This was a conscious decision on my part at the start of the year to expand my expertise and knowledge and work with a wider range of people and businesses and it’s been extremely rewarding to see this pay dividends throughout the year.

I’ve also said No a lot more than I’ve said Yes when potential projects arise. I aim to continue being selective when accepting work as it’s not just good business sense, it also means freelancing continues (for me) to be extremely enjoyable and rewarding.

One of my main goals for this year is to gain more experience within iPhone & Mobile design and development. I’ve actually just begun a long-term project with an exciting government related startup to undertake both their web design and design and development of an innovative iPhone application which will offer citizens mobile access to city & county services and information.

I also aim to further push my Consulting service which in it’s first year has been a moderate success but I feel can be developed to provide even more value. It’s also an area that the redesign and development of Postscript5 will help with.

Work/Life Balance

Being self-employed it’s always difficult to switch off when you’re in the office, we constantly want to improve profitability and productivity, so making sure we take time away from work is a challenge. This year I decided to effectively cut-out any work over the weekends and limit time spent checking emails.

One of my main shifts this year was cutting down on the amount of office telephone calls I take and over the year it’s improved my productivity tremendously. Switching to Skype and email (much like Sarah) has been a major plus and helps me to keep both organised and interruption free.

I also took up Photography early last year and found my desire to constantly think about work lessened. Now when I’m not in the office I’m usually thinking about lenses, shutter speeds and planning the next photo walk!

Having a hobbie I’m so passionate about has provided me with endless inspiration and allows me to be creative in a completely different field.

Tools of the Trade

Overall I’m pretty happy with my office setup although there are some items I’d like to add including a second monitor, preferably a Cinema Display (as I’m rather envious of John’s setup). I also need a stand for my Macbook which sits on my desk and for me the only choice is the mStand, which looks amazing and stylishly fits with the iMac design.

Projects
The year has been mixed in terms of my own web projects. My major twitter related app still hasn’t got off the ground due to lack of time which has been hugely disappointing as I know this is a rather special (and unique) addition to the many sites and apps that make use of Twitter.

However I did manage to successfully launch The Freelance Feed in late November which is the premium aggregator of hand-picked freelance resources and articles. It now has nearly 400 subscribers and over 650 Twitter followers. It was covered on a wide variety of blogs and continues to grow and attract a loyal following.

I’m determined to make 2010 the year of the Side Project!

2010 Goal Summary

• 1. Work on at least 3 Mobile (iPhone App) related projects
• 2. Enter two photography competitions
• 3. Buy an L Lens and Tripod for my Canon 350D
• 4. Guest post on other blogs at least twice a month
• 5. Finish and launch 3 side projects
• 6. Go to more local and UK conferences
• 7. Redesign, rewrite and redevelop my portfolio
• 8. Grow this blog to 5000 subscribers
• 9. Land 6 consulting contracts

I would lastly like to thank all those who have supported both myself and this blog since it launched in early 2009. You’ve put up with a lot of spelling mistakes and also made my first year of blogging one to remember!

Now that I’ve laid out my experiences and goals for the next year, I would love to know your hopes and plans for 2010?

Image Credit

A Look Back At 2009 & My Plans For 2010 is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Last week I was contacted by a startup who needed to work with a freelance designer on a regular basis. I will call him Mr X throughout this article as this is not meant to cause them any embarassment or offense, simply to educate.

Mr X explained the work involved initially helping to steer their overall brand aesthetic in a new direction and then continue to work on and improve their website.

He was complementary, professional and polite and the conversations back and forth went well. We discussed the project as a whole, my rates, schedule and their expectations for the new brand direction.

Then they dropped a bomb.

Mr X stated they were choosing from 3 designers and in order to choose the most suitable candidate he wanted me ‘do a couple of mock pages for their site so that he could see my ideas and vision’. This was so the candidate who best understood their brand direction, be chosen.

There it was staring me in the face – Spec Work.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term, ‘Spec’ is defined as work produced on a speculative basis, meaning the designer/developer invests time and resources into a project with no guarantee of payment.

My initial reaction was one of disappointment, having only experienced this type of request only twice before, It came as rather a shock to think professional businesses still thought this was acceptable.

I decided to do some quick research and read through both No Spec and AIGA for advice on how best to respond. I found a fantastic sample letter from AIGA intended as a response to any request from a firm to compete for an engagement on the basis of spec work. It is a succinct explanation of why speculative proposals compromise the profession and the resultant work.

I combined this with my own response and promptly emailed Mr X. His reply was (as usual) polite and professional and that although he didn’t mean any disrespect, he understood my position.

Moving On…

The best way to deal with Spec Work requests is as follows:

1. Take emotion out of the equation and stay both calm, polite and professional in all communications with any potential clients.

2. Aim to educate (respectfully) the client in exactly what Spec Work is, how it affects both your business and the industry as a whole.

Since discussing this particular issue on Twitter, I was asked by a wide variety of you to make available the actual email I sent to the client. I have now created a Shared Google Docs template which you can access below:

• Say No To Spec Email Template (Google Docs)

If you would like me to make this available in another format please let me know.

Moral Of The Story

Figure out exactly where you stand, how you operate your business and what you’re comfortable with. That way when this type of request appears in your inbox, you’re ready with an appropriate response.

Further Resources

• Spec Work – Is It Good or Bad?
• SXSW Panel Discussion – Is spec work evil?
• Spec Work and Crowdsourcing
• AIGA President Debbie Millman on spec work
• Spec You! Never* Work For Free

Instead of focusing on whether Spec Work is good or bad (everyone has their opinion), I would like to know if you’ve experienced a request like this and if so, how you dealt with it?

I look forward to hearing some of your experiences!

Image Credit

How To Say No To Spec Work Requests is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

We all have our favorite Freelance blogs which consistently produce quality, insightful content. However in an alternate reality what if an entirely different set of freelancing blogs existed. The kind that broke all the rules….

With tongue firmly in cheek, I present a humorous look at the top 10 blogs every freelancer would like to exist:

• 1. Badclients.com

We all know and love Clients From Hell but what if there was a site that named and shamed clients that; don’t pay, treat us like slaves, endlessly micro-manage and generally behave very badly. Soon only the fabulous, deep pocketed, fantastic to work with clients would be left!

• 2. productiveinpyjamas.com

Do you actually wear real grown-up clothes when sitting in front of your computer? Well, Productive In Pyjamas will change that, with tips on how to use that ‘just got out of bed’ look to become a productive freelancing super machine.

• 3. taxfreefreelancing.com

Let’s face it seeing our hard earned money go into the Governments pockets each year…sucks. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we actually got to keep all of what we earned without going to jail? Hell yes! That’s where Tax Free Freelancing comes in.

• 4. freehealthcare.com

Fed up of paying for extortionate health insurance policies and high priced over the counter medication….I thought so. Well fret no more because Free Health Care will provide you with a lifetime supply of cash and insurance forms to pay for any medical bills that you may incur.

• 5. byebyeadmin.com

Say goodbye forever to every freelancers pet hates; accounting, invoicing, scheduling, filing and organising. Bye Bye Admin shows you how to forego all those painstaking tasks and instead enjoy seeing your office slowly being surrounded by paper, files and receipts!

• 6. paidvacations.com

Unlike most of the 9-5 population our vacations to {insert destination here} are unpaid. So when we leave the office we stop making money. Paid Vacations puts an end to this and shows you how to keep the {insert currency here} rolling in while you’re sunning yourself in Bali.

• 7. junkfooddiet.com

Junk Food Diet shows every freelancer how to cut back on those nasty things like fruit and vegetables and instead give our bodies much needed fatty energy boosts. By combining pot noodles with a mixture of crisps and chocolate to keep us both happy and contented in front of our computer for 12 hours a day.

• 8. pleasepay.me

So you’ve just finished this huge project, the client is overjoyed, you bill him feeling all warm inside waiting for the paycheck when said client does a runner and refuses to pay. What do you do? Well Please Pay Me has all the answers so never again will you be stiffed out of your cash. Suggested by @duncanmacgregor.

• 9. readingclientsminds.com

“Just do whatever you think”….”It needs more pop”….”I’ll know it when I see it”. Heard those before? Sure you have, you’re a freelancer! Reading Clients Minds shows you exactly how to take these vague phrases and workout exactly what your client means, plus you even get a free Crystal Ball! Suggested by @gariphic.

• 10. drinkcoffeemakemoney.com

To be a freelancer one of the criteria you must meet is a love of coffee. A true freelancer likes nothing more than sitting back in their Aero chair with a large cappuccino. Drink Coffee Make Money provides in-depth tutorials on how to keep both the coffee and cash flowing in. Suggested by @PixellicaDesign.

So that was my cheeky, highly sarcastic look at what type of freelancing blogs we could have in another reality. Most of these domains are available so in the unlikely event you actually buy one, please do let me know!

I would love to hear your domain ideas, so please feel free to share them in the comments below.

Image Credit

10 Blogs Every Freelancer Wish Existed is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Freelancing can be both fulfilling and exciting however in the midst of an economic recession it can also be extremely tough.

So how can we increase leads, build credibility and establish ourselves in our chosen niche, all on a low budget? Step in blogging…

Beyond the few bucks to buy a domain name the only real cost is our time. It can add long-term value to your business and brand, help you re-position your business and provide you with the base to become an authority in your niche.

Read on for 37 resources to help you get started blogging, craft quality content and take your freelancing business to new levels.

Why Blogging Can Be Effective

• Why A Blog Is Important For Your Freelance Business
• How A Blog Can Kick Start Your Freelance Business
• Freelancers Heres Why You Need A Blog
• Why You Need A Freelance Blog
• Three Reasons Why Every Freelancer Should Blog
• Six Reasons Why Every Freelancer Should Have A Niche Blog
• How To Make Your Portfolio More Effective By Adding A Blog
• 5 Reasons Freelancers Need to Blog

Getting Started

• How To Build A Successful Blog – 16 Lessons
• What Makes for a Good Blog?
• The Anatomy Of A Blog
• Blogging for Leads: Put some bait on your hook!
• How To Build A Successful Blog
• The Secret To Building A Popular Blog
• Blogging Tips For Beginners
• Start Blogging – Blogging Tips and Tricks
• Essential Requirements to Starting a Successful Blog

Improving Your Blog

• 32 Days To A Better Blog
• 5 Quick Ways to Improve Your Blog
• Six Impossible Things You Can Do To Improve Your Blog
• Twenty Usability Tips To Improve Your Blog

Focus On The Content

• 40 Ways to Deliver Killer Blog Content
• How to Write Great Blog Content
• 12 Essential Blogwriting Tips for Building a Successful Blog
• The Ultimate Blogger Writing Guide

In Need Of Inspiration?

• 111 Instant Blog Post Ideas
• 101 Great Posting Ideas That Will Make Your Blog Sizzle
• 52 Post Ideas to Help You Stay Inspired Throughout The Year
• 50 Blog Post Ideas for Business Blogging
• 9 Steps to Better Blog Post Ideas
• 3 Rules for Finding Great Post Ideas, and 15 Places to Look for Them
• How to Generate Post Ideas When You Are Stuck

For Designers

• 10 Reasons Web Designers Should Blog
• The Benefits of Blogging as a Designer
• Top designers discuss why they blog
• Guide to Blogging for Freelance Designers
• 7 Reasons Why Designers Need to Blog

Personally I’ve been blogging for just over 6 months and in that time I have seen a steady rise in leads and enquiries into my freelance web design services. I’ve also been interviewed countless times, participated in numerous blog posts and even been featured in the San Francisco Examiner.

It’s been brilliant for increasing my personal brand reach but most importantly i’ve been able to connect with other bloggers and grow my network.

Keep in mind though Michael Martines words of wisdom:

“If you don’t know how to write posts that turn readers into customers, you are wasting your time.”

Blogging aimlessly is not advised but preparing a solid content plan, crafting well thought out and quality content and speaking directly to your target market can reap tremendous rewards.

Photo by Annie Mole

Blogging For Freelancers – Start Now Guide is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.