Here's hoping your Festive Season is full of love and laughter, and that 2007 brings happiness and prosperity to you and your family
- From everyone at Freelancentral.
issue 9 ::
december 2006
Saying 'no' to speculative work
How often have you worked on spec, designed up a storm and got paid nothing? Wilma Lensink shares her experience, and advice.
What's on your Christmas list?
What would you like to see happen in Freelancentral in 2007? How can we improve our site and service? Email your Christmas list to us and we'll see what Santa can arrange...
All WE want for Christmas...
... is for you to send us your stories, news, articles - whatever you think the Freelancentral community might be interested in. We're always looking for advice, tips and feedback to publish on the site. Email them to us.
Coming soon:
Keep an eye on Freelancentral in 2007 for these new developments:
- Templates for estimates, invoices and other useful business documentation
- An online forum where members can share expertise and ask for advice
- And of course our exhibit at the Design Indaba Expo in February!
Prepaid, affordable ADSL
The Freelancentral team can't say enough good things about our broadband ISP, WebAfrica. We use their prepaid ADSL which costs just R70 per gigabyte. Once you've used it up, simply go online and buy another one. It doesn't expire at the end of the month and you pay only for what you use. Plus their customer service is outstanding.
WebAfrica has a December offer on where if you sign up for ADSL you get a free prepaid gigabyte. Click here to find out more.
Running your own small business?
Freelancentral recommends Business Warriors: a fantastic resource and community site for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Members have access to invaluable training materials and information, as well as the wealth of knowledge, experience and general support of the other members.
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The end of a great year |
2006 has been a big year for Freelancentral - firstly we launched at the Design Indaba Expo in February, overcoming power outages to get the site launched in time... And then in the 10 months that followed, we've had just under 1,000 freelancers register with us!
We've had great feedback from clients who appreciate being able to view freelancers' work online and contact them directly (for free of course!). And we've had some great success stories from freelancers who have been getting fantastic work through Freelancentral - from both local and international clients.
Thank you for supporting us in 2006 - we have so enjoyed working with you and we're planning on making 2007 an even better year for freelancing!
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Freelancentral will be showcasing the work of our freelancers at the 2007 Design Indaba Expo in February.
Clients: Come and see the high calibre of the talent on Freelancentral and chat to some of our members.
Freelancers: There are still a few spaces left on our stand if you want to catch the eye of the 20,000 expected visitors at the Expo. Click here for more information and to reserve your space.
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From someone who's both a client and a freelancer |
Clinton Lord sits on both the freelance and client sides of the fence. He's currently working in a full-time job where he's responsible for finding freelancers to help out from time to time. But he's also a freelance graphic designer and production/traffic manager.
He tells Freelancentral: "I have contacted some of the freelancers on Freelancentral [one is working with him at the moment] but I must be honest - I was not keen to look at the ones that were just a basic listing. I only really looked at the ones that had their portfolio and details on the site. I just did not have the time to call all of them only to find that they weren't suitable."
For this reason I'd really encourage freelancers (and I'm one too!) who don't have a proper profile to get one. It certainly has opened my eyes as to what clients look for when trying to find freelancers and has encouraged me to get my Full portfolio back up again!
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New category: Events |
Now you can find events managers, logistics whizzes and production co-ordinators on Freelancentral... simply click on the EVENTS tab.
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Make Christmas Matter |
'Tis the season for giving and our friends at the Greater Good SA have made it easy for us to help an organisation in need this Christmas. Check out their site to see how you can 'Make Christmas Matter'. (Their Wish Upon A Star site is lovely too!)
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Be sun smart |
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and a hat if you're outside this summer, and keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm. Malignant melanoma is on the increase in 20- and 30-year olds. It's curable if detected early; fatal if ignored.
See your dermatologist annually or if you notice a change in a mole. Click here for more information.
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