Tag: entrepreneurship | Page 6

It’s Not What You Start, It’s What You Finish

Thursday, August 8th, 2013|

Multitasking seems like a fact of life. Especially for entrepreneurs and freelancers, who are constantly both working on projects and building their businesses, it’s impossible to focus on one thing from beginning to end without interruption.

We don’t have to let the necessity for keeping all those plates in the air affect our productivity in a negative way. Here are our tips for effective time management and reaching that satisfying moment when you cross something off your to-do list:

Block out your time–If you know a certain two-hour span is reserved for a specific project, you can put everything else aside. Don’t check emails, put the phone on silent, be fully present for your project. If you set a timer for the end of your time block, you don’t even have to think about how long you’ve been working. Work until the bell rings. And then take a break–you deserve it!
Don’t take on too much work–We’ve all had those times when a favorite client calls with a rush job right when we are totally booked up. We want to do it but we really ought to wait a week or two so that we can give it our full concentration. Be honest and don’t get yourself overwhelmed. All of your projects will suffer and you might lose more than that one client in the end. There are ways to say “not right now, sorry” that will keep your favorites around.
Delegate–You probably know some freelancers in your field who could pick up the ball and take over some parts of your project if you need them to. Don’t hesitate to ask them for help in a tight spot. Only ask people whose work you can fully endorse. It would be even better to have someone already in your network for backup before the need arises.
Do sweat the small stuff–Correcting mistakes definitely takes longer than doing things right the first time. Don’t miss the trees for the forest. Pay attention.

It can be a challenge to focus on one thing long enough to get it done, but we’ve all had those days

where we feel like we finished nothing and have no sense of accomplishment. Good time management make you better able to finish a few things instead of starting a lot and not finishing any.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Are You Missing a Personal Branding Opportunity?

Thursday, July 11th, 2013|

With more of us cutting the cord of our landline phones, freelancers are using their personal cell phones to take business calls, often from potential clients whose names won’t come up on the screen. Most of us were taught to answer the telephone with Hello? but for those of us taking business calls on the same number as we take personal calls, it might be time to rethink our phone answering best practices.

What are your options?

Business name – Although it might confuse your friends for a while, they would get used to this option and your potential customers would be comfortable. A very professional choice, you will sound more like an office than a home office if you use your business name.

Your name – We hear it on TV all the time–first name or full name with no other greeting. It can feel a bit abrupt, but there is no mystery about who is speaking and that could put potential clients at ease where a more generic greeting leaves them wondering whether they’ve reached you, your assistant or your boss.

Stick with Hello – This is the most personal way to answer and arguably the warmest, but it doesn’t get your name or your business name to the front of your caller’s mind and might make them have to ask to whom they are speaking. Getting your caller comfortable quickly could be a major asset to your business.

Consistency is important if you want this level of nuance in your personal branding. If you are quick on your feet, answer one way when you know who the caller is and in a more businesslike way when you don’t or if your caller is a professional contact.. If you are more of a creature of habit, make a thoughtful choice and stick with it.

I’m going to go follow my own advice now and start answering my cell phone with “Hello, this is Wendy” and see how it goes! Let us know if you make a change and how you feel about it.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Top 10 Must Dos for Creative Freelancers

Thursday, June 27th, 2013|

As part of Artisan’s presentation at the recent SoCal UX Camp, we addressed the best ways Creative Freelancers should position themselves successfully in their field and how to best market their services to maintain a consistent pipeline of work.

1. Design your Brand. Let your personal style guide the color palette, font treatments & images used to create your brand/logo. Utilize the same design, mission statement, service offerings & profile pictures across all print collateral & the web – including Business Cards, Portfolios, Social Media Platforms, and Directory Listings/Ads.

1. Perfect Your Portfolio. Be sure to keep work relevant & up to date, presenting your best pieces first. Work should also be well-organized with simple navigation and include a description of the project and your role.

1. Be Specific. Focus your expertise on 1 – 2 areas only. These skills should be complimentary and stated clearing in both your resume and portfolio. Do not include irrelevant or outdated work.

1. Become an Expert in your field. Join an online discussion, share articles, blogs or tweets, start your own blog or podcast, guest blog or write articles to industry publications – anything that will help establish your credibility and brand in your area of expertise.

1. Fill the Downtime. Between projects is the perfect time to work on exploratory pieces for your portfolio, take a class, attend a conference, complete tutorials on new software, or volunteer for an organization that can benefit from your services. All will help improve your portfolio/skillset and offer built-in opportunities to network as well.

1. Network – both in person and via social media. Create personal and/or business pages across social platforms, join social media groups and discussions, attend local business or industry events, take classes in your field and find co-working spaces

1. Get Listed. Find Directories, Portfolio & Resume Portals as well as Local Organization Websites where you can list your work and advertise your services (oftentimes for free!)

1. Work with Recruiters. This expands your marketing efforts for free by enlisting teams of connected specialists who also benefit from you getting work. Recruiters also have access to opportunities that are not listed on job boards.

1. Befriend Like-minded Creatives. By having counterparts who understand your industry, they can serve as your “team” when consultation is required, they can be partners for projects that require additional resources and be a great referral to clients if have to say no to work.

1. Never Stop Selling. Everyone you meet is a potential client (or knows someone who could be a client). Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Perfect your elevator pitch. And always be professional when conducting business in public places – because you never know who could be listening.

How is your business performing? Could you be doing something better? Do you do something in your business that we’ve forgotten on this list? Let us know!

And, if you missed our full presentation at SoCalUX Camp, check out our Top 10 recommended resources for keeping freelancers efficient, effective & excited about business.

Jessica Bedford for Artisan Creative

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Dog Days of Summer

Tuesday, June 18th, 2013|

If you are a dog person, you know the benefits of having a furry companion at home. Dog owners recover more quickly from being sick, suffer less frequently from depression and loneliness, and have a built-in conversation starter. But there are also some benefits to bringing your dog to work or encouraging your employees to do so:

Attract and retain quality candidates—A “dog-friendly office” is an appealing perk to a job seeker and a tough perk to walk away from once hired.
Improved Morale—Dogs don’t just make their owners smile, they increase levels of the brain chemicals that make us happy and calm. Plus they are pretty entertaining!
Increased Productivity—Letting dogs come to work will keep your employees at their desks until a project is finished since they don’t have to be home to walk or feed their pet. Dog owners also miss fewer days of work due to illness.
Team Building—Dogs don’t just help you get dates, they also help you build connections with co-workers.

Freelancers are accustomed to having their dogs with them while they work. Full-time employees would love to have the same opportunity to bring a little bit of home with them to the office. Have you ever worked for a dog-friendly company? We would love to hear about it! And have a terrific Take Your Dog to Work Day on Friday, June 21st!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Reflections: Charlie Brown

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013|

I was privileged recently to see a middle school production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” I say privileged because not only were the performers adorable (of course), confident and committed, but they really brought home the simple but important themes of the show that we could all stand to be reminded of:

Lucy is a crabby person. A very crabby person. She could use some of our tips on being a leader instead of just a boss. But Lucy is also filled with determination. No one would expect Lucy to be unsuccessful in her work life. And she is smart enough to learn how to deal better with people. Determined leadership can take you far.

Sally is an amazing negotiator. She has taken the lessons of being a younger sibling and her emotional intelligence to heart and uses them with her friends and with her teachers. There is no doubt that she can win an argument or close a deal. Emotional intelligence is an important element in success.

Schroeder is a creative force to be reckoned with. He does not let the the opinions of his peers make him question his passion or his choices. He even brings his friends into his world and shows them other ways of thinking through their celebration of Beethoven Day. Schroeder is already using his marketing skills to promote what he is passionate about and he is thinking like an entrepreneur.

Linus is an innovator. He thinks outside the blanket. He is always ten steps ahead of the other kids, but he is empathetic enough to want them all to understand with him, not to want to leave them behind. When Linus ditches that blanket, watch out! He’s not afraid to come up with something new.

And Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is my favorite. On first look, Charlie Brown could be depressing. He is depressed. He is lonely. He is unfulfilled and has no self-esteem. But Charlie Brown has a quality that the other characters—and we all—need to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. Charlie Brown has hope. No matter what has happened, Charlie Brown starts over every day sure that today will be better. Today is the first day of the rest of his life. Today has every possibility of being the best day ever.

And so I find myself inspired: to persevere, to lead, to build, to be passionate, to reach out, to innovate. And, yes, to hope. And to start each day fresh.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Business Cards: Trash or Treasure?

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013|

Life gets more and more paperless every day. And in most ways, that’s a good thing. We archive our emails instead of printing and filing; we view attachments on the screen instead of using up expensive ink or toner. We share documents in the cloud instead of distributing paper copies before a meeting. Are business cards going to go the way of the memo?

We don’t think so. Whether you work for a company, own your own business, or are a freelance entrepreneur, business cards still carry relevant information in an inexpensive and convenient format. And with a couple of 21st Century tweaks, they can be a great little marketing tool:

Design—Make sure the design of your business card effectively reflects your business services. Colorful or subtle, austere, or complex. Think about the visual image as well as the information you present. For creative companies/individuals – the design of your business card is as important as anything you could say to a potential client. Your card should represent the type of design you prefer to deliver. Misrepresent yourself here and risk losing potential business – before you’ve even connected.
Email—Of course you will include your email address on your card, but if you are a freelancer, you might want to consider obtaining a more businesslike alias than your personal email address. Find out if your email service will let you have more than one. You can have it automatically forward to your regular Inbox and not miss a message.
Portfolio—Don’t forget the URL of your online portfolio or website
Social Media—If you are marketing your services on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or another platform, include your contact information on your card. You never know where someone you only met for a moment might look to find out more about you. Make it easy.
QR Codes—The latest trend seems to be putting a QR code which leads to your portfolio or website as well as the URLs on your card. People with smartphones can get all the information they need with just a moment’s scan.

Without business cards, the people you meet will have to remember your name to look you up later. Will they or won’t they? Don’t take a chance. Business cards will be around for a long time and for good reason.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Looking (and Feeling) Confident

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013|

One of my roles is Vocal Coach and I’m spending many hours working with some Middle School singers this month while they are preparing for auditions. Some of the work we are doing is very technical—breathing, tone, pitch—but some of the work is on their presentation. Especially with the exceptional singers. And this work is making me think about the presentation in other areas of life.

Whether you find yourself in an elevator with someone you want to connect with, in a job interview that you really want to ace, or even meeting with a client about a project, the level of confidence in yourself that you express could be the difference between success and frustration. Here are some tips for expressing yourself confidently (even if you may not feel it) in singing and in life:

Keep a level head. Literally. Your chin should be neither lifted nor pushed down but in a comfortable position. Try thinking of a string coming out of the top of your head that attaches to the ceiling. Ballet dancers use this image and it really helps to put your body in balance.
Turn up the volume. Not a lot, but speaking a bit louder than you would in a typical conversation will add more energy and timbre to your voice. Practice when you introduce yourself. Saying your name slowly and clearly is a great way to get in the right place.
Focus. Making eye contact alone is not enough; you must hold eye contact for three to five seconds to make an impact. Watch movie actors. The “great ones” don’t even blink while the camera is on them. It’s quite amazing and one of the reasons they are the “great ones.”
Make statements. Many people allow their voices to go up, the way we do when we ask a question, at the end of sentences. Practice your interview answers so that your sentences come to a definite conclusion.
Don’t hem and haw. Or um and you know. If you are in the habit of using sounds and repetitive phrases to give yourself time to think, practice your stories with trusted friends who will tell you when you do so. It’s hard for any of us to hear these things in our own speech, we are so used to them.

Thinking through these tips, I can see how they also apply to my Middle Schoolers. They need to sing well, sing strong, keep their focus, and project the emotions of their songs clearly and definitively. I know they can do it. Can you?

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Freelancer Tax Tips for 2013

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013|

Last year we gave you some helpful tips for your 2012 taxes and, believe it or not, it’s almost that time of year again.

Self-employed or incorporated Freelancers, how did you do? Did you…

Track your mileage – If you drive to meet with or deliver work to your clients, you can take a deduction for the miles you drove this past year – as long as it wasn’t part of your regular commute. Mileage to industry-related / networking events as well as trips to get supplies for your business count, too.
Create a dedicated office space – Even if you don’t rent a formal space for your business, you can still take a percentage of your rent and utilities as a business expense if your home office is used only for work.
Keep your Receipts – Whether for business meetings over lunch, new software, industry news subscriptions, or a new computer – you should have a nice fat envelope of proof of your expenses for your business.
Put some money aside – If you are going to end up owing the government this year, we hope you were saving up for it all year long. Did you know that if you owe more than $1000, you probably should have been making quarterly payments?
Make a list – Are you sure you have all of your 1099’s for 2012? Your clients have a deadline of January 31st to send them to you, but sometimes they run late. If you kept track of all of your clients over the year, you can check them off as they come in and pester the late birds if necessary. That should help you avoid the hassle of filing an amended return because someone was late and you had forgotten about them. Remember that if a company paid you less than $600 for your services, they will not send you a 1099.

Freelancers have been benefiting from the Payroll Tax Holiday just like employees for the past two tax years, but it was not renewed in the recent Fiscal Cliff talks. This means that your self-employment tax bill will actually be 2% higher than it has been the last two years. Sorry! At least we are all feeling it together!

We would love to hear your favorite freelancer tax tips in the comments! Happy refund!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative*

*I’m not a certified CPA and Artisan cannot advise on the best tax advice for your situation. So please, see a tax specialist if you have any questions about how to file! Here are some helpful links:

The Internal Revenue Service Website
FreelanceTaxation.com
Tax Tips for Freelancers at about.com
The Freelancers Union

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The Importance of Mentorship with Artisan Founder Jamie Douraghy

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013|

I sat down with Artisan Creative’s Founder Jamie Douraghy recently to talk about mentorship. Jamie has mentored and is a mentor and is committed to mentorship from both sides.

Jamie has been an entrepreneur for more than 20 years. He is also intimately involved with the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), where he has served in leadership roles including both Area and Regional Director. He is currently the Chapter President of EO Los Angeles and a Board Member of AIGA LA.

Jamie is passionate about mentorship and we asked him for his insight into these important relationships:

Choosing whom to mentor

Jamie meets people and networks all the time. He looks for some special qualities in his mentees: “Shared values, and a spark in their eye that indicates they are ready for personal growth, and are willing to follow though with what it takes to change.”

What has he learned from being a mentor?

Jamie takes mentorship very seriously. “As mentors, we have a responsibility to share our experiences and life lessons with others to help them avoid some of the mistakes we made along the way.”

What about from having a mentor?

“The most important thing I have learned from a mentor is that we have the capacity to do so much more than we initially believe. I have also learned that, through aligning my values and living a life that is proactive vs. one that is reactive, I am able to accelerate that capacity.”

Deciding whom you would like to mentor you

A mentor can have a profound effect on your future development. How do you choose a mentor? “I look for a depth of life experience, combined with the same values I use to determine a mentee. This type of relationship changes the direction of lives, so both parties must be in sync for the long run.”

Do you ever outgrow needing a mentor?

“There is so much more to learn and there are so many people to learn from. That is why I still take fencing lessons from coaches that are both younger and older than me.

We will never have all the answers, but the quest for these answers is much more interesting when we listen and learn from others.”

Thank you, Jamie!

I have had the privilege of being a mentor to a new colleague for the last couple of months. She has her feet under her now, but she recently asked me, “When do you stop being my friend?” Of course my answer was “Never!” One of the wonderful things about mentorship is that the relationships you build are lifelong connections as well as lifelong learning experiences.

We look forward to talking to Jamie Douraghy further about mentorship in business and in competitive fencing later this year.

Wendy Stackhouse for Artisan Creative

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7 Tips for Your Online Writing Portfolio

Thursday, February 7th, 2013|

For copywriters, the work samples of today are often easy to find on the internet and only a click away. However, if you’re looking to secure future clients like your designer counterparts, it’s best to have an online portfolio with examples of all the different kinds of writing you have completed.

Some may choose to use a more traditional, hosted portfolio sites like Behance, Coroflot, Creative Hot List, or Krop. But if you’re looking to create your own website of work, there are some important elements to consider:

Include an example of each kind of writing that you do—whether it is long-form articles, websites, instruction manuals, catalog copy, or blog posts, be sure to include at least one high-quality example of each genre of content that you produce.
Links—A list of links is not enough to be called an online writing portfolio. However, make sure you include links to other published pieces. An interested client might want to see any comments or discussions that came from your original publication.
A summary—If your crown jewel is a 14-page in-depth interview, a client might want an overview before diving into the whole piece.
Purpose—A potential client wants to know what you set out to accomplish with your piece so that they can evaluate how well you did, as well as how well you wrote it.
Scans of printed work—If your work was not published online, scan the printed article, and post it as a PDF or image. Better yet – try to obtain the original PDF files from the designer.
Publication and Date—Don’t forget to give clients information about where and when your work was published. If you are able to share the client and/or agency – even better.
Add images—Your writing is the focus, but you are still trying to get people to read further so make your portfolio is visually as well as verbally interesting and compelling.

Although it is still a good idea to have a printed writing portfolio (or at least a collection of print and/or packaging pieces of your work), no copywriter should be without an online portfolio as well. Don’t forget to put the web address of your portfolio on your resume and business cards as well. Make it as easy as possible for clients to decide you are the best copywriter for their project.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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