Advanced Freelancing

Episode number 64 is an interesting one because Laura talks about how she achieved four $20k months in a row over the summer, and what it took to get there. 

In this episode, you'll hear about how she's had to critically assess the different parts of her freelance business and focus her attention only on those projects and clients that fit the direction she was headed. She also reflects on the tough decisions that come with onboarding bigger clients, and what that means from a client portfolio management standpoint. 

Coming soon in the Better Biz space is a new Facebook group that delves into freelance marketing mastery, particularly for freelancers looking to succeed on Upwork. It's called "Make Money on Upwork - Freelance Marketing Mastery." 

Links:

Guide to Killing it on Upwork course

Hello fans of Better Biz Academy. I'm excited about this episode because I'm going to do something a little bit different and I'm going to talk about six ways that graduate school, in particular, has made me a better freelancer or a better freelance writer.

I decided to do this particular episode because there are a lot of people that I know in graduate school who could really benefit from thinking about developing a freelance career as an editor or writer or honestly as anything else that they are passionate about. And all too often, these opportunities are never presented to people in that scenario. In fact, in graduate school when I was doing my Master’s program, I wish I had known about becoming a freelancer. There have been times when I have reached out to local universities to offer to give a free talk to their classes in digital media or the English department or the career department and I will get rejected because they say, well freelancing is not a career. They are so focused on those graduation job placement rates that they write off a legitimate career that a lot of people just don't know about. If I had known about freelancing earlier, it would have helped me tremendously in my own graduate school journey and just in my life, it would have given me a lot better perspective

In fact, in graduate school when I was doing my Master’s program, I wish I had known about becoming a freelancer. There have been times when I have reached out to local universities to offer to give a free talk to their classes in digital media or the English department or the career department and I will get rejected because they say, well freelancing is not a career. If I had known about freelancing earlier, it would have helped me tremendously in my own graduate school journey and just in my life, it would have given me a lot better perspective

If I had known about freelancing earlier, it would have helped me tremendously. It would have given me a better perspective on the type of career opportunities that were out there. I like to say I was an accidental freelancer but that doesn't have to be the case for everyone.

Enjoy!

Laura is back for an episode that goes into the complementary services that you can add on to your menu of services either at the beginning of your freelance journey or as you take your company and writing skills to the next level.

There are a lot of complementary services that you can offer along with your writing services, and Laura talks specifically about editing and proofreading. These complementary services can really be crafted around your unique freelance writing goals, which makes them an ideal addition to your service offering, but they are also a great way to build your confidence and credibility in the field. 

When pitching your expertise, Laura goes into the importance of focusing on your writing background and showcasing your talent. She also shares some tips and advice on how to effectively manage your end to end process based on her own experience.

Links

Better Biz Academy

How to Become a Freelance Editor Udemy Course

Laura is back with a solo appearance and she is tackling the feast or famine cycle almost every freelancer is familiar with.  

It doesn’t matter what you do in the freelance world – whether you’re a virtual assistant, a designer, or a writer – it can be hard to view the slow seasons positively but in this episode, Laura talks about how these down times are the perfect opportunity to up your game and prepare for the busy season (which will come!) or even to get all the pieces of a big marketing push together so that you are ready to take advantage of the upward swing when it happens.

There are many seasons to the freelancing experience and knowing when they are and what you're going to do with them can really help you embrace the craziness that is being a freelancer.

Website: http://www.betterbizacademy.com/

Online Courses: http://bit.ly/2iGor8u

Welcome back to the Better Biz Academy Podcast!

It’s the end of August so we're getting ready to head into what I like to call the freelance busy season. Having just reviewed 212 freelance writing applications for a client project I am managing, it was shocking to see how many people were doing things in the pitching process that were costing them the opportunity to land a new client.

When you are pitching a new client, you could be the only person who's sending them an email, or one of hundreds others. Either way, you need to stand out from the crowd and avoid these freelance pitching mistakes.

I also have a YouTube video that goes into a shorter version of this, so if you don't want to listen to the full podcast episode but want to get the gist of it, go ahead and check out that video right here - https://youtu.be/xLG2CMQ9KKM.

Welcome back to the Better Biz Academy podcast! As we transition out of the summer and into the fall, I think now is the perfect time to talk about successfully riding the feast or famine cycle freelancers typically experience at different points in the year and which marketing strategies are still the most effective for those in the industry. One of those is Upwork. 

Laura returns to walk her listeners through a critical shift she made in her freelance business that had a massive impact on her ability to earn money and only work with her ideal clients. If you are new to the freelance world and are still juggling ten, or

If you are new to the freelance world and are still juggling ten, or even twenty client projects, this episode is for you! In it, Laura explains how one-off and retainer clients are different, as well as how you might start the process of converting one-off clients into retainer arrangements.

Laura returns with another solo podcast to share the most common mistakes made by freelance writers. She offers advice in several areas of freelance basics, including the way you position yourself and your services to potential clients, as well as managing your own expectations going into the freelancing world.

Learn from the best as Laura shares her personal experience as both a freelancer and a project manager, hiring and managing other writers. If you’re just getting started in the freelance writing business, this podcast is a must-listen!

85% of small business fail within the first 12 months because new entrepreneurs don’t take the time to identify and understand their ideal customer. If your new venture is struggling to get off the ground because you are hurting for clients, today’s guest is prepared to offer guidance around getting your product or service in front of the right audience and then creating an automated system of lead generation to produce consistent sales.

Oguz ‘Oz’ Konar grew up watching his father start business after business, all of which ended in bankruptcy. Motivated to understand what makes a business successful, he studied sales and marketing strategy to identify common mistakes made by aspiring entrepreneurs – and how to avoid them. With seven years of sales management and marketing experience under his belt, Oz founded Local Marketing Stars to assist small business owners in the implementation of productive marketing strategies. He has written two books about online marketing and marketing automation, and he is currently running four companies of his own.

Oz is an expert in the area of results-driven marketing strategy, and today he explains why automation is essential, the seven marketing strategies you need to know, and the function of a small business website. Listen in as Oz reveals his greatest challenge in building his consulting business and how to get your product or service in front of its target audience!

Key Takeaways

The importance of marketing automation

• Too many small businesses rely on ‘random acts of marketing’
• No systems in place to measure results
• Automated system of generating leads, sales is essential
• Business must run itself when you aren’t present

The first step toward automated lead generation

• Look at products, services
• Determine what has been most successful
• Develop system to get right offer to right people

The greatest challenge Oz faced in building his own business

• Difficulty focusing on single vertical
• Felt like missing out on opportunities
• Wanted to do lead gen for variety of small businesses
• Realized niching down was easier to scale, produced better results for clients

Oz’s seven marketing strategies you need now

• Understand your audience
• Work on offer (solve problem for audience)
• Find your customers (identify channels)
• Develop core message
• Create proven sales model
• Establish system to retain customers
• Develop system to generate referrals

Oz’s advice regarding small business websites

• Understand their function – to generate, convert leads
• Capture email addresses of visitors
• Ensure that your site accommodates search engines
• Study your analytics and optimize page by page

Oz’s #1 tip for aspiring entrepreneurs

• Interview 10-15 potential buyers
• Get their feedback re: your product/service
• Ask them to walk you through pain points
• Build your business based on feedback

Connect with Oguz Konar

10K Revenue Club Website

What is holding you back from pursuing the life you want? In most cases, the answer is fear. Change makes us really uncomfortable, and our brains are wired to resist anything that takes us outside our comfort zone. But today’s guest is ready to help you forge a new neural pathway and expand your comfort zone through clearly defined goals and strategic action.

Jill Ethier is a personal strategist who combines her passion for business with the power of energy to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs who want more in every aspect of their lives, from business to relationships to health and personal growth. Her online programs provide the framework to shift your mindset, reclaim your power, and fulfill your purpose.

Jill spent a number of years as the Director of Marketing for SIGA, managing four casino marketing departments. After the passing of her young daughter, she knew she wanted to live her life differently, and Jill began to study Feng Shui and other energy disciplines. In 2000, she united her love of business strategy with the study of energy to found Jill Ethier Consulting. Today she shares tactics around cultivating the right mindset, tackling resistance to change, and avoiding distractions. Listen in to understand the importance of a strong WHY and how to prioritize daily actions as you work toward a meaningful life.

Key Takeaways

Jill’s ideal client

• Moms 30-48
• Want more for selves in all areas
• Aspire to build businesses

The greatest challenge Jill’s clients face

• Developing mindset (belief they can do it)
• Fear, discomfort is normal

How to cultivate appropriate mindset

• Brains wired to stop when outside comfort zone
• Must create new neural pathway
• Provide structure/framework (e.g.: three actions per day)
• Acknowledge resistance, but commit to take action regardless
• Dig deeper into the WHY

How to tackle extreme resistance to change

• Complete most significant tasks first thing in morning (highest energy, focus)
• Sets you up for WIN
• If get off track, get back quickly

How to avoid distractions like social media and email

• Ask yourself if activity will move you forward toward goals
• Prioritize actions that are more important

Jill’s energetic platform

• Focus mental, physical and spiritual energy first thing
• ‘Sets the table’ for your day

How accountability plays into success

• Depends on person, level of change
• Investment in coach tends to raise the stakes
• Accountability helps shift habits

Jill’s advice around goal-setting

• Establish five-year goals (global perspective)
• Define one-year goals
• Break into 90-day cycles and 30-day sprints
• Determine daily actions
• Set objectives in all areas – business, health, relationships, personal growth
• Design goals that are realistic with a stretch, rather than idealistic
• Avoid setting too many goals (only so much time, energy and effort)

Connect with Jill Ethier

Website

Podcast

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