30 Ways to Succeed at Freelancing - Part II

Are online bosses difficult to work with? That the relationship between freelancers and their clients is one of love and hate is not necessarily true. 

Most dealings are purely business, but transactions that span a long time cultivate familiarity and friendship. Today's freelancing tips are geared towards developing a healthy working relationship with your boss.

By putting yourself in the employer's shoes, you will get an idea of how to be the ideal freelancer.

1. As much as possible, insist on a contract. Written agreements iron out potential disagreements and help protect you and your client's interests. The typical contract sets out the job scope, compensation, time frame and non-disclosure agreement.
   
   
2. Observe a reasonable margin in estimating how soon you can complete the job. If you feel like you can complete the project in 3 days' time, say the finished file will be ready within 7 days. The extra days give you some leeway in case unavoidable emergencies arise.
   
   
3. Meet the deadline. The value of time is underrated in the post Working Hard vs. Working Smart but for the employer, time is really a precious commodity. Unlike freelancing where you own your time, businesses have to stick to a deadline. Your role is to deliver quality output that will help the client stay on track and on target.

Bulk Work - Should You Take it or Leave it?

Freelancing has its highs and lows. Job security is one aspect where holding a day job is more advantageous than a freelancing stint. 

During seasons where job projects are scarce, a number of freelancers find themselves in a dilemma to accept bulk work or not. Should you do it?

People who have had some success with online work say that going for the small fish might not be good for you. Here's why: 

1. The volume of work can be overwhelming. Unless you work in a team or plan to outsource the workload to a third party, a bulk project can burn you out. As a single provider, can you really churn out 100 articles in a month? Fewer hours of sleep, little or no time to pursue other interests, the increasing pressure to deliver well and on the dot -- For how long can you survive the pressure?

Ways to Get Paid Working from Home

No matter which way you look at it, one of the best things about working from home is thinking about how to get paid for your work and what you'll do with your earnings.  While there are actually a number of ways that work-from-home employees can receive compensation, this blog post will give you an overview of the most popular payment options for freelancers.


Online payment processing entails the sending and receiving of money via a website. When you use a payment processor, you have to log in to the site in order to initiate a transaction.  Your funds are technically held online until you decide to transfer them to your credit card or bank.

PayPal, Alert Pay and Moneybookers are some of the trusted and reliable online payment processors being used by freelancers and their clients today.

Freelancers Should Avoid Check Payments - 3 Reasons to Say No

Of the many payment options, getting paid by check is one that freelancers should avoid. It's rarely a win-win situation for both parties and must only be used as a last resort. Based on experience, there are 3 obvious reasons that you should not agree to being paid by check.

Is Midnight Snacking Healthy for Freelancers?

I stirred to the tune of a Happy Birthday song from my superfwend and some soft scratches and meows from my cats. My midnight snack had arrived!

The mocha and chocolate creation from Goldilocks came with a festive ribbon, 3 lighted candles and a generous serving of chocolate syrup and icing. Yum!

Every now and then, I indulge in a good bite or two before bedtime, but is midnight snacking healthy for freelancers?