A few months ago, I created a mailing list to share opportunities with local freelance writers. Recently, one of the writers on the list had a less-than-impressive experience with one of the shared job boards. The communications he had with the prospective client raised some red flags for him, and we thought it might be good to point out some typical signs that a job is a scam. Your next project might be a scam if: the website is unpopulated or rife with errors – This is a good indicator that a) the company is not legit or b) they’re … Continue reading
Before I was fully committed to going back to school to kickstart a career that ideally involved writing, I joined a local comedy troupe to see if I was funny or just funny looking. Turns out I was a bit of both, and as a group we had a lot of fun. Mike Vardy was one of the ringleaders of our group, the 30cent Players, and he told me something that really struck with me as a comedy writer, as a student, as a fulltime freelancer, and as a part-time author. His words of wisdom: Writers Write. In his defense, … Continue reading
How I Became a Fulltime Freelancer, And How You Can Too I’m often asked how one can make the switch from fulltime work to fulltime freelancing. They usually want to know if it was easy, but mostly they want to know if it’s possible to make a living at it. Here’s a brief version of my story – how I went from suit and tie to fuzzy bunny slippers and pajamas. I started freelance writing while I was completing my degree in Professional Communication at Royal Roads University, and continued after graduation when I was hired by a local … Continue reading
Ok – maybe I failed my class on alliteration, but it might have been due to excessive time spent on the internet looking at brilliant infographics. They’re a great way to convey a message in a fun way that is easily shareable. Warning – you might accidently learn something from one (or more) – you’ve been warned! J www.FlowingData.com www.lokeshdhakar.com Not sure of the difference between a latte and a cappuccino? The next iteration needs a shot in the dark (shot of espresso in a cup of drip coffee) and a cafe affogato (espresso with ice cream) (read his … Continue reading
Freelancers for Hire in #YYJ and #YVR Yesterday we did a post outlining why a freelancer is a good option for local businesses, especially if you’re just getting started. Today we’re sharing the names and contact info of some of the local talent, to help your business do more while spending less. Please give them a call for your next project: (please contact me if you’re a freelancer near Victoria or Vancouver and you’d like to be added) In no particular order Copywriters/Communications/Writers Nic Springer – BitPiston Lisa Weeks – Minding Your Own Business Lillian Sue – in Retrospect Kristin … Continue reading
Just a really quick post today because I want to know more about you and I image you probably want to hear less from me! I’m going to be adding a section to the Brandscaping blog to feature local freelancers, including some good info as to why local businesses should choose a freelancer to help them find success. Victoria has an amazing cross-section of small and medium sized businesses, but I don’t think they know how much talent is available to them locally. With your help, I’d like to help change that. So – what kind of freelance work do you do? … Continue reading
Your interest in a local freelance camp has been outstanding – thank you for the support and suggestions you’ve provided so far. Skip to the bottom of the page if you’re interested in going to the 604FreelanceCamp in Vancouver on September 10. I’d love to procrastinate a bit further – but it looks like there’s more than enough interest and available talent, so a Freelance Camp in Victoria is looking to be a necessity, not just a whim. Since Vancouver is holding their event in September, we should plan our event for October. If you’re interested in volunteering to help … Continue reading
Stake Your Claim on the Internet If you’ve got a website that ends in .blogspot.com, .wordpress.com, or .squarespace.com, or anything other than yourwebsite.com/.ca/.info/.net – you need to read this post. There’s nothing wrong with using any of these free blogs or websites. They’re a great way to quickly and easily get online and establish your online presence. Free is a very good thing, and there’s no reason for you to change if you don’t want to. The challenge with any of these services is that they are branding themselves – not you. So if they ever make a change, you … Continue reading
First of all – thanks to everyone for taking the poll to vote on what you want to see at a FreelanceCamp in Victoria this fall. (To read all of the posts on this topic, please click here) The topics that got the most votes: Freelance Best Practices How to Set Your Rates How to Maximize Your Profits How to Outsource How to Prospect New Clients We’re still working on an appropriate venue, but one of the most important decisions we still need to take care of – who do you want to see at the event? We’ve got some … Continue reading
I haven’t been overly active in Google+ yet, more lurking/stalking to see how the space is going to be used and what the expectations are within it, but since I love tools, I figured I would share a few of the ones I’ve tried out. Hopefully they will help you enjoy the Google+ space, if you’ve taken the time to check it out. If you haven’t, give it a try. It’s still in its infancy, and watching the (r)evolution is quite interesting. At the moment, it looks like most of the tools for Google+ exist for Chrome only, but since … Continue reading
