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Just Busy Enough

Thursday, September 26th, 2013|

“How is everything?” friends and colleagues ask. If your answer is–like mine is often–” I’m super busy!” we hope it is for the right reasons. Perhaps we should be aiming for “Just busy enough, thanks!”

Lots of projects

It’s nice to be wanted and appreciated for your skills and innovative ideas. Having a lot of projects to choose from is a great reason to be busy, as long as all of those projects are ones you want to do for clients who are professional and trustworthy. Choose your clients wisely.

Balancing work and life

When you’re working, you’re working hard and working efficiently, but you are also spending time on your hobbies, doing things that you are passionate about, and with friends and family. Busy during working hours is definitely the right kind of busy–as long as working hours aren’t 24/7.

Focus

Goal-oriented, once you have started a project, you work at it until it’s finished and then take a break. You probably experience a high degree of job satisfaction because you can check things off your list and relax when you’re done. And then you have time to relax, reflect and recharge.

There are times when we all get too busy, though, and it seems like a never-ending cycle. How can you get out of that loop?

Set a schedule–Separate working hours and personal hours and stick to your plan. You will soon teach yourself to work more efficiently within those limitations.

Be honest with yourself and your clients about how much you can take on—More work is great for the pocketbook, but if you are reaching your effective limit, negotiate for a start date a couple of weeks away. If your client really wants you, they can probably wait a reasonable time.

Turn off your notifications–Often overwhelming levels of busyness are a factor of how many times we are interrupted. We all need to remember we don’t need to check our email every 3 minutes or even answer the phone right away. Get to the end of that block of time and then check and see if anything was urgent.

“Just busy enough” is much better than not busy enough, but if you hear yourself complaining about how busy you are, it might be time to evaluate the reasons why. I really am “super busy” but it’s all with projects and clients I am passionate about, as well as volunteer responsibilities. I take regularly scheduled breaks and never work on Saturdays, no matter what. And I carry my hobby with me so I can relax when I find I finished something earlier than I expected. Just busy enough, thanks!

What do you do to make sure you are just busy enough? Give us your tips in the comments!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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5 Tips for Choosing Freelance Clients

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013|

As a freelancer, it is tempting to say “Yes!” to every opportunity that comes along, whether it’s a graphic design job or a long-term marketing contract. After all, there are dry spells in every career. You don’t want to take the chance of having created one yourself. There are, however, times, when you should resist temptation and wait for the next project to come along. How can you tell what time it is?

Too rushed–If your client doesn’t have time to give you detailed instructions, is too busy to get together to sign a contract, or has a deadline that seems unreasonable, this might be a skip.
Not enough money–Don’t sell your skills short. If a client is not willing to pay your usual rate, you will spend the whole project wishing you had said yes to the next one, the one you don’t have time for.
Unpleasant manner–You don’t have to be friends with your clients, but if your impression is that you are not going to get along at all, trust your gut. Having difficult or even rude people around all the time affects your company culture. In a business world where we are all entrepreneurs, you are the company.
Unappealing project–Being too picky could find you eating beans out of a can, but if you can’t think of one interesting or creative quality you can bring to a project, it might be better to wait for the next one.
Big learning curve–Although we are in favor of learning new skills and keeping your current skills up-to-date, getting your education on the job–especially on a deadline–is a sure route to pulling your hair out.

Taking on a project that really isn’t right for you is definitely worse than having some free time between contracts and probably worse than getting a bit tight on funds. Pay attention to your instincts and you will know when to say “Yes, of course!” and when to say “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Wendy Stackhouse for Artisan Creative

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Announcing The Artisan Creative Weekly

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013|

We are publishing a newsletter!

Artisan Creative invites you to subscribe to the Artisan Creative Weekly. We will be publishing links to stories about leadership, creativity, talent, job search, time management, design, marketing and entrepreneurship. Once a month, we will publish a newsletter on a particular theme.

We are finding inspiration all over the internet and we want to share it all with you. We also welcome your feedback. Let us know what you think of the Artisan Creative Weekly and what you would like to see more (or less) of.

At this time of new beginnings, we have one of our own. Hope you like it!

Wendy Stackhouse, Consultant for Artisan Creative

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Freelancers on a Job Hunt

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013|

At Artisan Creative, we often place people in contract and temp-to-hire positions, giving our talent a chance to test the waters, while giving our clients time to try out talent and find the perfect cultural fit. Freelance roles tend to be more short-term and a long list of them on a resume may make a job seeker who is also a freelancer feel like he or she looks like a job hopper, but those freelance gigs can help if you frame them well:

On your resume:

Instead of listing your freelance jobs by company, list them by category. If you have had consistent work as a Graphic Designer, for example, create a Graphic Design category and list your clients and how long you worked for them, as well as one or two accomplishments for each project as your bullet points.

Listing the projects you worked on as a freelancer between full time roles is a far better strategy than having an empty space in your employment history.

In an interview:

A hiring manager will ask about your freelance work if you have it on your resume. Talk about what you learned and the challenges you overcame working on your freelance projects. Remember–when a company brings on a freelancer, they have a problem to be solved. You solved it and that is a great story. Make sure you practice telling it.

If you have been spending your time between full-time roles as a freelancer, embrace the lessons you have learned and the relationships you have built. Those projects have more than monetary value to you if you don’t apologize for them, but rather celebrate the successes you have had, no matter where or for whom. Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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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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3 Secrets to Vacation and Sick Days When You Freelance

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013|

When I came down with the flu last month, I had to take a day off from working for my freelance clients. I can’t think of the last time that happened. A sick day.

Now that summer is here, the temptation to take some vacation time looms as large as the thermometer in the corner of my computer screen.

What about time off for freelancers?

Full-time employees understand how important it is to have time for yourself and your family outside of work. They get weekends, holidays as well as paid vacation and sick days. But when a day off means losing a day’s pay, is it still worth it?

Absolutely!

Although sick days are not ideal when you just have the sniffles, the time you take to heal will most likely be shorter if you rest and let yourself recuperate. If you do work a day or two while you’re under the weather, you could find yourself worse and have to take more time off than you ever intended.

Vacation days or even just long weekends are also times to recharge, revive your creativity, engage in your hobbies and get some exercise. All of those activities can also increase your productivity better than if you would have kept your nose to the grindstone.

What are the secrets of taking time off?

Transparency–If you are too sick to work, communicate that to your clients. They will understand. It happens, and they should understand. If there is someone else who can cover for you or deal with emergencies, let them know as well.
Plan ahead—As soon as you know the dates when you will be taking personal time off, let your clients know. Also identify whether you will be contactable during this time, checking in, or doing any work while you are away. This is even more important if you are going completely “off the grid” or maybe somewhere you might not be reachable.
Don’t feel guilty—You’re probably saying to yourself, “I never feel guilty about taking time off!” But it usually hits when the smaller paycheck lands in the mailbox. Try to remember the benefits of your time off are worth more than money if you use that time thoughtfully.

I will be away for a couple of weeks soon, part of that time totally disconnected. I plan to enjoy my time off thoroughly. Let us know what you have planned for this summer in the comments!

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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A Change of Scene Can Work Wonders

Thursday, June 6th, 2013|

One of my favorite things about living and working in Southern California is the weather. And how could you blame me? Sure, it’s hot at times, and every couple of years it rains for three weeks in a row. But the weather here is great for outdoor activities all year round. It can also be a boon to your work life.

Sometimes we get stuck on a project and just can’t seem to move forward. Whether it’s trouble solving a problem or the need for an innovative idea, there are times when the solution just doesn’t come to us. If you’ve ever found yourself faced with a creative block, it is important to figure out how you can change your situation to overcome it.

What can you do?

Change your Location—If you always work in the same spot or the same room, go to another area or, better yet, go outside. Hear the birds, feel the breeze, work in natural light. Breathe.
Change your Routine—Take a break and do something you enjoy, engage in your hobby, take a walk outside, or go to the gym. Give your brain permission to be elsewhere for a while and it will come back refreshed.
Try a new Project—Unless you have a looming deadline, take a break and work on something else for a while. Maybe another project will give you a good idea for this one.

True – not everyone works in a job where they can leave the office and sit in a park or on the beach and wait for inspiration to hit. As a freelancer, I love having the perk of being able to work anywhere I can concentrate. But I promise, if you give yourself the freedom to change something—anything—then your creativity will blossom, right alongside nature’s garden.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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Taking the Summer Off?

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013|

It’s easy to get lackadaisical about your job search in the summer. Hiring managers are on vacation, everyone’s taking casual Fridays and business just seems to move slower. Many feel like September is a better time to start a new project or job – much like we used to start a new grade with new clothes and new teachers.

But to start a new job in September, you have to be out there doing your searching and interviewing in—you guessed it—the summer.

Believe it or not, summer can be the best time to:

Network—Find some summer activities that relate to your field and join in. Maybe your target company is sponsoring and you can meet someone new.
Freelance—When people go on vacation, it doesn’t mean their work doesn’t need to still be completed. Companies may be looking for temporary or short-term contract talent with your skills. Get your foot in the door for future projects.
Volunteer—Many organizations have special events or large-scale projects that they tackle in the summer months. Find a non-profit whose mission you are passionate about and put your skills to work for them.
Replenish your energy—Get outside, get more exercise, improve your health and your outlook and you will have more enthusiasm for your job search efforts in the second half of the year.

I have two friends starting new jobs next week, one of them with Artisan! They will spend this summer getting their feet under them in their new adventures.

What do you have planned?

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

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