Were you at the Flying Solo Unconference in Cape Town last Saturday? It was a fantastic day with a room full of inspired, interesting, dynamic and very chatty soloists. If you're in Gauteng, be sure to sign up for Flying Solo JHB, happening on 20 September. Our newsletter this month features some of the highlights from the Cape Town event.
issue 25 ::
July 2008
CURRENT PLACEMENTS
If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Jo for the full details:
- PR freelancer (6 weeks, JHB)
- PR writer - cycling (ad hoc work, CT)
- Adobe CS3 super-users who want to become trainers (CT, part time)
The more we know about our freelancers, the more likely we are to call you when we get a brief in. So, if you are available for placements, please sign up for a portfolio ASAP. Upgrading to a Lite portfolio is quick and easy.
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FEATURED RESOURCE:
www.freelanceswitch.com
This great international freelancing website consists of a blog, forum, job board, podcasts and the "How to be a Rockstar Freelancer" book.
Got a resource you'd like to recommend to the Freelancentral community? Send your favourite blog or website links, book titles or software recommendations to info@freelancentral.co.za.
SITE STATS FOR JULY
From Google Analytics:
- 3,632 visits
- 23,426 page views
- 6.45 pages per visit
- 32% bounce rate
- 09:19 average time on site
- 54.5% new visitors
PORTFOLIO CRITIQUES
Are you selling yourself effectively in your Lite or Full portfolio? Wouldn't it be great to have someone give you an honest assessment of your portfolio, and tips on how to improve it? Lite and Full members can get this by making use of our Portfolio Critique service, via our free Advice Line. Just call the Freelancentral team on 021 780 1364 or mail us on info@freelancentral.co.za.
GET 25% OFF YOUR NEXT FULL PORTFOLIO
Don't forget that if you send us your Freelancentral success stories and we publish them in our newsletter or on the site, you'll get 25% off your next month's Full portfolio. Submit your stories by just sending us a mail.
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TURNING SCARCITY INTO ABUNDANCE
Freelance graphic designer and life coach, Carol Hampshire, gave a short, highly impactful talk at Flying Solo Cape Town about how about coping in tough economic times.
"I realised that my limiting belief of "scarcity" was brining me exactly that - more scarcity! I also realised that I was interested in the end result - money in the bank - rather than really loving and my work and being completely fulfilled with it. I instinctively become extremely grateful for all in my life. I also committed to trusting the process and attracting abundance. The change that resulted from my inner shift was truly phenomenal. I have attracted so much work, far exceeding my weekly intention. I have been presented with completely "out the box" ideas on how to attract more clients, I am in committed action of doing things I have procrastinated on doing for months and I am powerfully working with my finances with a vision for it to work for me, not the other way around."
Read Carol's seven secrets for abundance here.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Up your game! These half-day workshops are being held in Cape Town in August and Gauteng in September:
Marketing for freelancers:
- How to promote yourself effectively and affordably, online and offline.
- Find out how 40 clients perceive freelancers and what they really need from you.
Common copy mistakes
- Sloppy copy can lose you business. Poor grammar, spelling and even your accent can be tripping you up. Learn what to watch out for. Click here for a copy test - if you don't do too well in it, you need to come on this course!
Portfolios and proposals
- Is your portfolio doing you justice? And what are the simple things you can do to make your proposal stand out from the crowd?
Click here for more information and to book for these workshops.
Flying Solo SA is a one-day 'unconference' where solo entrepreneurs and freelancers can meet and participate in a facilitated forum. Share experiences and tips, ask questions, get answers and generally improve your business smarts! Plus network with other soloists and explore potential collaborations. Read Freelancentral's report of the day and what the delegates at the Cape Town event had to say about it.
To register for the JHB event, please visit the Flying Solo SA Unconference wiki and add your name to the list.
TIPS FOR FACING YOUR FINANCE FEARS
Very few freelancers enjoy handling the finance side of their business. For Vanessa Clark, freelance PR consultant and writer, these were the top tips from Sarah Rossouw's talk at Flying Solo CT about facing your financials:
- Get 12 brown envelopes - one for each month of the year. Put your invoices, receipts and other financial documents into them month by month - immediately sorted!
- Get an accountant to help you - they are not as expensive as you think and you'll get their fees back in tax savings over time.
- Open a separate bank account for tax - set aside 20% of your earnings as soon as they come in.
Read ten more of Vanessa's tips here.
FROM THE COALFACE: No man is a Paarden Eiland
Hullo. Don't you love these Tuesday morning deadlines? In fact, don't you love Tuesdays full stop? Tuesday's the day when people wake up from their Monday stupor and all hell suddenly breaks loose. Before you know it your phone's ringing off the charger, the email's bursting with anxious queries and time (sorry Mick) is definitely not on your side. I call it Terrible Tuesday Syndrome. Read more from Pike here.
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