Freelancing Virtually / Online

Both.

Particularly in the beginning,  you will have to work more.  When you’re fresh in the market a lot of your time will be spent researching, looking for jobs, submitting proposals, figuring everything out, etc.  And none of this is paid time.  Then you have to work on the jobs you land to get paid.

It’s a lot of hard work at first but as you build yourself and your reputation, land clients, figure out your best resources, how to manage your time properly and iron your schedule out you will find that you have to work less.

And if you land a project that pays top dollar, that may be all you have to do that week.  On the other hand, if something you’re working on doesn’t pay as much you’ll have to work a little more that week.

Some days you’ll need to work all day, some days you might be able to just work part of the day.

There’s no set value here; everything in this arena has variables.

I probably work approximately 20 hours a week and maintain a nice living.  I’m the only income in my house.  But there are weeks I work more.

My advice is to be prepared to work long and hard and be happy when you don’t have to.

Once you establish yourself, getting the clients will come easier and you won’t have to spend as much time trying to land work; you’ll end up actually turning down or passing over jobs or projects that you don’t want, don’t pay enough, etc.  But this luxury only comes if you put in the sweat and time in the beginning.

Anyone who fails to make this venture work for them either didn’t utilize the proper resources or just wasn’t willing to put in the time and effort.

This is a much more satisfying way of life than a 9-5 prison but you can’t just do nothing and expect to succeed.

Keeping a calendar is a good idea.

I keep one that contains everything from my kids schedules to work deadlines, personal meetings, etc.  Then I can take a glance at it and know everything that needs to be done and how to mold my day or week.

You can use something like Outlook but I find that a printed calendar works well too.  I am way more dedicated to writing in my print calendar than my Outlook calendar.  It sits on my desk open to the current month.  Because it’s open on my desk, I remember to look at it every day and again, with just a glance it’s all right there.

Do whatever works best for you but I do suggest utilizing a calendar, there’s less of a chance of letting something slip by and it makes management of your week a lot easier.

I don’t know any successful business owners that don’t maintain a calendar.

Working from home opens the doors to a lot of distractions.

A lot of us work at home to be home with our kids. Mine are in school so they are gone for the first part of the day. But I’m no early morning person so I’m just getting into high gear when they get home.

And I have dogs - one older dog and a puppy who requires constant monitoring, bathroom breaks, etc.

My phone rings throughout the day. There are emails coming in - both business and personal.

And a hundred other distractions.

If you don’t figure out how to combat distractions, you’ll end up losing time and money.

If you work while your kids are at home, you need to transition them into your new life provided they aren’t babies because they aren’t having it and YOU’LL have to work around THEIR schedule period.

Let your kids know that when you are on the computer you are working and making money to support them. It helps when kids know what’s going on. They’re smarter than you think. Let them in on your life and hip them to your schedule. After all, if you were working a 9-5 you wouldn’t be there at all anyway right? So now you can be there but they also have to learn to let you work too.

Take breaks to fix them a snack, play with them, help them with their homework, etc. but don’t allow them to distract you otherwise unless it’s an emergency. These breaks will also give you a break but it will also give your children the time they need and then allow you to get back to work.

If your dog has to go out, remember in an earlier post I mentioned taking your dog for a walk as a break for you. So use this as a little break from work, again also giving your dog what she needs. Then back to work. Don’t allow this break to turn into hours of time off.

Make it a habit not to answer personal calls while you’re working. Trust me, that can be one of the biggest distractions. Even if the phone call is short, it can totally take you off task.

Also make it a habit not to check personal emails while you’re working. That’s another thing that can totally take you off task.

Surfing the web! At the top of my list for distractions. Working online it’s WAY too easy to see something you want to look at or read and then you end up spending an hour or two, or three, surfing and checking out this new subject. Huge time loss - which equates to money loss.

Try making a folder under your bookmarks titled “Things to check out” or something to that effect. If you see stuff that you absolutely must check out or read, bookmark it under this folder. Then you don’t have to worry that you’ll lose it or forget about it. You can come back to it later and catch up. Now you’re not losing working time and you can leisurely browse when you’re on your personal time.

Working from home requires more discipline than working a regular job. At first, you might be really focused because it’s a new venture with fabulous perks. But after you do it for a while, if you don’t go ahead and implement some rules for yourself, you will find yourself distracted and losing time - guaranteed.

I saw this idea on the blog of a person I work with and I think it’s fabulous. I have implemented it. Make a daily checklist for yourself. DO NOT get distracted or do personal things until you finish checking off your tasks. For one, it helps you ‘get it done’. For two, you’ll feel accomplished when you see all of your tasks checked off. Mine consists of things like, “check support desks”, “write a blog post”, “test software”, etc. It’s way more than a reminder of what I need to do. It’s an “accomplishment list”.

The most successful business owners are disciplined. They have plenty of time to play because they were disciplined in making sure things got done and their company made money.

This can be the best life ever if you just work it right.

Some people just aren’t sure what they can do to make money online - what services they have that are valuable to online employers. The truth of the matter is anything and everything - I say this over and over again. The possibilities are ridiculously endless.

Take a minute to think about all of the skills you have - even the smallest ones.

Obviously there are a million admin, typing, data entry, accounting/bookkeeping, transcription, etc. jobs but here’s a few more to consider.

• Can you post at forums? People pay people to do this.
• Can you write articles 300-500 words long on random topics or topics you already know about? They pay people to do this too!
• Can you post ads that people have already written and they tell you where to post? Then you can get paid.
• Can you upload images to websites that are provided to you? Well, get paid then!
• Can you enter data into a spreadsheet? Contact info, etc. from websites? Okay, there’s another job!

These are just a FEW of the projects out there that require no real skill. There are hundreds more where those came from. And if you get into more skilled positions like some of the ones listed above, you’re getting into thousands more available positions and projects.

There’s no reason whatsoever that you can’t make money working online if you have a computer and an Internet connection.

K

Not many people have grasped onto this, at least not that I’ve seen.

Videos are your online commercial and videos are in.

You can use videos for literally everything these days.  Consider creating a video about your services or yourself to upload to your website or to video sharing sites to build an online presence.  It never hurts to build an online presence.

A few ideas:

• video yourself introducing yourself and your services
• show yourself and your home office, talk about your services and the fact that you have a nice work environment
• create a slideshow presentation in video form outlining your services and fees, why you’re great at what you do, etc.

Get creative!  Again, this is a fabulous idea if you have a website.

And if you don’t, you can still upload it to video sharing sites.  You may or may not get a ton of clients from there but even if you land one or two, it was worth the few minutes it takes.

When I put my Freelancing eGuide out, one of the bonuses will be a Resource Guide and I will get into more detail about what you can do with these videos to pick up clients and create a nice online presence.  You’ll want to keep your eye out =)

If you want a slideshow video or need someone to edit your video and spruce it up a little, check out Virtually Connecting for video creation.

K

One of the questions I frequently get is “When do I have to report my earnings?”  The answer is when you make $600 or more in a year.

Keep in mind, you will owe a self-employment tax since you have your own business.  It may not be much depending on how much you earn.  One of my first years, when I was doing it part-time, I think I made a little over 7k and my self-employment tax wasn’t much.  I don’t remember exactly what it was but I didn’t have to come out of pocket because of my filing status, child tax credits, etc.  They still ended up sending ME money!  So don’t fret, it will even out with what you make but the more you make, the higher it will be.

No one told me about self-employment tax when I first started!

As a freelancer it’s always a good idea to save every receipt for everything and try to get every possible write-off.  You can get more information on what you can write off by consulting a tax specialist or doing a search on the Internet.  I prefer a tax specialist because they will help you get every little penny written off - things you didn’t even think of!  You might want to shop around for a tax specialist because some are simply better than others and more helpful when it comes to saving every little tenth of a penny and to us that’s important!

As a general rule of thumb, anything you paid for as part of your business or freelance work is a deduction.  I’m talking everything from paper to postage, to printing supplies, memberships, classes, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.  Lunches or dinners can be written off if they are ‘business related’.  NEVER throw away a receipt!  Keep them all, it all adds up at the end of the year!

You may even be able to write off some of your home expenses if you have a ‘home office’.

There can be some pros and cons to some of this which is why I recommend talking with a tax specialist, particularly once you start making some decent money.  If you’re only doing this for a little extra income here and there, it might not even be worth it to worry with all the small stuff, just be sure you still file your taxes - you really don’t want the hassle of Uncle Sam.

And it’s a lot easier if you not only keep all of your receipts but track your expenses throughout the year.  This way it doesn’t seem so overwhelming to figure it all out at the end of the year.  There are a number of ways you can do this and you just need to figure out what works best for you and the easiest method you see yourself keeping up with!

I’m sure this goes without saying, but be sure you keep a record of all of the money you made.  It’s best if you keep a journal or a spreadsheet and write down the details every time you get paid.  This will really make your life a lot easier when it’s that time.  Waiting until the last minute can really end up being a headache.  It’s easy not to do this so just start doing it from day one and you’ll be glad you did!

If you plan to file yourself, instead of having someone prepare your taxes for you, you can order the tax forms you’ll need from the IRS website.  Go ahead and order them in advance so you’ll have them.

You can usually get these forms at the Post Office and office supply stores too.

Believe me when I say it’s much easier to prepare for all of this than find yourself trying to figure everything out, get the forms you need, sort through deductions, go back and tally up how much you made, etc. at the very last minute.

So be prepared and track your earnings and expenses throughout the year - even if you set aside a day once a week to enter it all in and tally up.

Don’t be the one pulling your hair out when it’s tax time feeling overwhelmed with the big mess you have to tackle!

K

You just raised an eyebrow? LOL

Granted, I’ve never been a huge exercise freak but you really need to add this to your work at home regimen.  It can be as simple as walking the dog (a good walk) but you have to realize you have cut out the walking you used to do to and from your car when heading to work or coming home, walking around the office, maybe walking to lunch if you work downtown, etc.

Those steps might not seem like much but they add up.  I used to do a ton of walking when I worked as a paralegal.  I worked downtown.

I walked:

• around my house getting ready in the morning
• to my car in the morning
• from my car to inside the gas station on my daily stop for cappuccino, back to my car
• from my car to my office
• to lunch oftentimes at places downtown
• to and from the car during the day to attend depositions with my boss or other work-related ventures
• all over the office, all day long
• back to the car at the end of the day
• maybe to the gas station again
• from my car to my house

Those steps add up.  After working from home for a while, and not thinking about any type of exercise, I wondered why I felt more tired more often.  I was like I KNOW I used to work a full day at the office without feeling this tired.

Then I realized that I don’t do nearly as much activity anymore as I did then.  Every little bit added up.  I recently got a new puppy and I have to walk her a hundred times a day to work on house-breaking her…BINGO, I started feeling better, that was it - I was bumming way too much!

I love to be at home.  If I don’t HAVE to leave my house, I’m not - except for the occasional outing with the girls.  Granted I do a lot as a mom who has two active boys in sports, etc., and in order to run my household but when I subtracted all the work related stuff, it still was a lot less getting out and about.

Just adding a bit of walking into the day gives you back that extra pep in your step, is healthy and recommended by doctors anyway, makes you feel better, gives you a break you need, and lets you enjoy some fresh air so you feel refreshed!

Whatever you prefer, but do this and I promise it will make a difference.

K

WARNING!  It is really easy to fall into a lazy pattern when working from home.

Seriously.  It’s too easy to say “I’ll do it later”, “I want to watch this show first”, etc.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  One of the HUGE perks from working from home is the ability to have a flexible schedule.  But you must work or you won’t make any money.

By all means, watch your favorite show every day!  I do.  But if you find that you’re not getting as much work done as you need to, create a bit of a schedule.

Obviously, make the schedule comfortable for you but if your fav show comes on at 1:00 p.m., make it a point to work 2 or 3 hours before then.  Then use your show as a bit of a break.  Watch your program, eat some lunch.  Then go back and finish up whatever work you need to do.

It’s best to have your environment quiet when working because it’s too easy to get distracted.  I admit, I have my T.V. going in the background way too much…and yes, I get distracted sometimes, but I do turn it off when I know I need to really get some stuff done.

If you find at the end of the week you only worked 10 hours when you needed to work 25, set a schedule for yourself…again a flexible one, yes, that’s one of the reasons you’re in this right?  But make an outline that you can stick to for the most part of when you will set everything else aside and work.

For me, my most productive times are at night.  The kids are in bed, the dogs aren’t wrestling, no phones are ringing…it’s just me and my computer.  If I need to get something work-wise done during the day, I do…and I do bits and pieces of work during the day…but I’ve always been a bit of a night owl anyway and because I work from home, I do what works for me.

I don’t really take jobs that require my full attention during the day.  It doesn’t fit my work-at-home plan so I don’t do it.

That’s the great thing…you make your OWN work-at-home plan:  when you will work, what your fees will be, what type of jobs you will or won’t take, whether you take on a long-term or short-term position or project or a mix of both, and so on.

So make your plan and make the rest of the world fit in it!  Just be sure that you don’t get too lazy and distracted with your freedom and that you still bring home the bacon…FROM home!

K

Two words - Not Interested.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some legit ones out there but quite frankly, I’ve just never been one that got with that whole program.

You definitely should be wary of people or companies asking for a start-up fee. Research them thoroughly. Check with the BBB, Google them, check every nook and cranny for information on them. If they don’t check out 100%, don’t even think about it.

And, something to keep in mind, is that you have to be a pretty hardcore go-getter to make these ventures work usually. Now I’m a go-getter but I’m not THAT much of a go-getter. For me, there’s just too much work involved. I’m a lazy worker! I’ll admit it.

Some of these ventures may very well pay off in the long run if you work hard but again, they’re just not my cup of tea. I’m not big on sales or having to get people to sign up for stuff, buy things, etc. And that’s what a lot of these types of programs are. So that’s another thing you need to realize and ask about when considering something like this.

So, do I recommend it - no. But, I don’t ‘not’ recommend it either. Some people enjoy it and are successful at it. It’s just totally not my thing.

I’m a risk-taker but I’ve never been huge on risking my money either. Knowing that if I invest in this, I have to make sales, get people to sign up, etc. or it’s all a loss just isn’t that enticing to me.

I’d rather sit here and do admin work, create videos, etc.

In summary, if you’re considering it:

• RESEARCH THEM VERY THOROUGHLY
• Understand you will likely have to grind hard to succeed
• Realize that you will likely have to make sales, get people to sign up or buy stuff, etc.
• Know that if you don’t make it happen, you will likely lose your investment and your time
• You must be motivated for this type of work
• You’ll often need to be creative in finding ways to get this to pay off

Again, I don’t discourage it - I just feel strongly that this HAS TO BE YOUR THING for you to make it work and be successful.

K

If you’re in a household where one partner is the bread winner and the other is a stay-at-home mom or dad, working online for yourself is a great way to bring it a bit of extra money.

You can earn extra shopping money, vacation money, college funds for the kids, savings, or whatever you want or need extra money for without having to work for someone else.

You can bring in an extra $100/week or whatever you like if you just want to do it part-time or even just sporadically. This is really nice around birthdays and holidays…especially Christmas.

I’m well-known for picking up extra work and projects at Christmas time! My kids love all the high-tech stuff — video iPods, top of the line cell phones, PS3s, PSPs, etc. They are expensive little somebodies!

That’s the great thing about this gig, you can literally mold it anyway you like. You don’t have to take on a full-time or long term position if you don’t want to.

There are jobs and projects that only take a couple of hours to complete, week-long or month-long positions, and every other size and type of project you could hope for.

Even if you just love your 9-5 prison, you can still pick up some extra cash working at home online.

This business offers it all.