Read, then act on it
Long-form pieces you can put to work this week.
Can you subcontract your way to a profitable freelance living?
Here's a common misconception; by subcontracting you limit your earning potential as your price is limited by what the client can pay at the top of the chain, with your rate the one that's squeezed to accommodate. What if I…
What do clients really (really) want?
If women are from Venus and men are from Mars, where the hell did 'The client' come from? From strange silences to broken promises; mis-steps to breakdowns it can be a minefield. In this post I wanted to open up…
Stop trying to automate every task in your freelance business
It’s the ultimate dream for most; build a (design/dev/writing) business that can grow to not need you. The whiff of passive income, the tempting allure of well oiled automated processes and the Zen-like harmony of a four-hour workweek. If you…
Ditching bad apple clients for good and using positioning to your advantage
My field is web design. Specifically I’ve grown a $1.5m web agency from a laptop and a shared desk in a co-working space. Does this mean I haven’t had my fair share of bad apple clients? Do we at the…
What you should really do when your lose your mojo as a freelancer
It happens to the best of us. One day you'll wake up and think... What am I actually doing? I have no clients, my last project fell flat and the thought of a stable salary is actually quite comforting right…
The business side of freelancing and the 6 traits of those who succeed
At some point in the past you've likely been an employee of someone else's business. You had a skill that served them and felt you could take that skill elsewhere, to serve yourself. That was the plan at least. You…
Raise your rate by 20% for an existing client, in less than 150 words
You know the type, that client we all love to... well... accommodate. They pay on time (mostly), are kinda bearable to work with and keep you going with regular work which helps in the lean times. You genuinely find their…
How to amaze your clients, be remarkable and ensure a flood of referrals
The subject line was ominous “Your vehicle health check”. It certainly wasn’t expected; I’d only dropped the car off a few hours ago for it’s '1 year old' service. Moving into the email was more of the same alien-yet-intriguing territory.…
Understanding what makes a client reject (or not reply to) your proposal
There are far too many reasons a client won't buy your service. It's vital to understand that for every reason a client should buy, there are probably 10 reasons they'll find to convince themselves they should not. Indeed, in the…
Running lean as a freelancer - with Brant Cooper
An insightful chat with Brant Cooper; author of “The Lean Entrepreneur”, I picked up a lot from the call hope you will too.
The ultimate guide to NOT working on Elance, oDesk, Upwork and Fiverr
When it comes to finding and winning clients as a freelancer, there isn't much I haven't tried; I graduated the school of hard knocks with several scars and the odd badge of merit. So when it comes to giving advice…
263 Time management & productivity tips to help you better manage your time
So yes, I’ve finally succumbed to the junk food of blogging - creating a compilation list, but this content deserves it – I’ve compiled 10 of the best reference points for making headway with time management Yes this could be…
50 Books to inspire you on your entrepreneur & business growth journey
Fortunately you’re not the first to make the journey, so by combining the experience of several ‘been-there-done-that’ books you can find something that fits for you. Learning from the experience of others and understanding which path you are likely to…
Increase your likelihood of winning the gig by decreasing your pool of clients
How many competitors do you really have? According to Google 492,000 people also consider themselves a “freelance web designer” . Or if you’re a “freelance copywriter” you’re just one of a sea of 492,000 others. It turns out freelancer anonymity…
Who are you accountable to as a freelancer and what should you focus on in 2015?
As freelancers and solopreneurs very few things are certain; we work in an agile environment and can never be 100% sure what's around the corner. But I do have one certainty to put to you. That you can point to…
Freelancers need to understand copywriting too - With D Bnonn Tennant
I have a hunch, which is slowly being confirmed. That as freelancers we do what we can to build a website for our services which looks pretty and which we think might deliver us leads for our service, without changing…
![How to find time for a commitment to be ‘doing better’ – with Justin Jackson [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2014/09/waveform.png)
How to find time for a commitment to be ‘doing better’ – with Justin Jackson
We all have a pretty clear idea of what it might take to earn more or 'do better'. Growing lists of ideas borrowed from blog posts lay atop sprawling Evernote folders and pages of iPhone notes we tapped out while…
10 things I learned failing spectacularly as a freelancer and how I overcame them
I've failed plenty of times. Indeed, I thought I'd never make it back to freelancing after almost losing the shirt on my back about five years ago . As we all do, I tried to 'stem' the losses and offset…
How do you describe your service? Words matter – with Robert Williams
One of the key points I underscore in the book is the importance of words for freelancers. The way you describe your service to prospective clients on your site, proposals and emails is an often overlooked catalyst for winning more…
Surviving 26 years as a freelancer with sanity intact - with Shawn Hesketh
It’s sometimes difficult to consider how we’ll still be around in 26 hours as a freelancer, let alone 26 years . So it was a pleasure to host my latest guest on the Freelancelift Q&A call, Shawn Hesketh. A freelancer…
Is it really possible to build a $1m freelance design business?
I’m a sucker for numbers. Big, complicated, ugly-ass numbers. It defines the way I do business; strategic, process-driven, pragmatic and above all, ambitious. Digging back through my historical business data and making it work for future business strategy is something…
How to build a lead pipeline for your freelance business
Prospecting for new clients has to be the hardest part of building a business. When you’re building a freelance business, it often comes down to you to do the lead generation. So if you don’t consider yourself a natural salesperson,…
5 reasons you're not converting website visits into client enquiries
The chances are you’re doing a pretty good job at getting visitors to your site but if you can’t push them over the edge (to give you their brief) , or they won't stick around then this post is for…
How to offset your freelance earnings - with Nathan Barry
I was joined on the latest Freelancelift Q&A session by Nathan Barry. Web designer turned teacher, of everything from app UI design (with the excellent App Design Handbook ) to self-publishing books & guides (with the equally awesome Authority book).…
How to win a $50k client project without ever meeting face to face
What really separates a sole freelancer from a brand or lofty agency? Is there really that much difference, especially online? This is a question I'm often asked. An agency (or freelancer with the backing of a team) is justified and…
A simple guide to building a predictable freelance business
Is inconsistent client work or your unpredictable income getting to you? Are you frustrated with not knowing how much you’ll be working each week? Is it hard for you to schedule time off or make plans with your friends or…
Are you taking yourself seriously enough? 5 things to remember when working for free
I was compelled to put this post together by great comment I received today on a prior post . "Great article, Liam. Particularly the example letter. I noticed that you (knowingly?) used specific language there when referring to you free…
How I write ebooks, and why you should steal my process (free structure guide)
I'm often asked how I find the time to create relatively in-depth short books, which I generally give away for free on Freelancelift. I consider myself to be relatively adept at sitting down and being able to produce something of…
The truth about hourly rates
When it comes to freelancer pricing I tend to remain largely passive. In my opinion you either take pride in your work, or you don't. You either understand your work has value, or you don't. The simple fact is, if…
![Focus on the problem you're solving, not the service you're providing [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2014/02/brennan.png)
Focus on the problem you're solving, not the service you're providing
Brennan Dunn was my guest on this Q&A session. Brennan is the author of the hugely successful 'How to Double Your Freelancing Rate' Book. So in this 18 minute all-action session I wanted to dig into the methodology behind that…
What Corbett Barr's journey to 6 figures can teach you (even as a freelancer)
A short while ago, I interviewed Corbett Barr of the awesome Fizzle on developing your "Me Project". The interview was a roaring success and it highlighted some key moves you can make in content, audience development and productising your expertise.…
Do the portfolio hustle. Capture attention, muscle out competitors and get better clients
Your portfolio is everything. How are you supposed to win any clients without proving what you can do? Your portfolio will determine the perception your potential customers have of you. It can be the make or break factor with regard…
10 things Las Vegas can teach you about being a better freelancer
I just returned from a week in Vegas (was attending a conference but did manage to fit in some leisure time!) the place is awe inspiring. Nestled beneath the neon lights and obvious distractions though are some sound business principles…
![Untrain your brain, get off the email drip feed [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/Adii-Pienaar.jpg)
Untrain your brain, get off the email drip feed
I chatted with Adii Pienaar , founder of WooThemes and PublicBeta to talk the entrepreneur lifestyle and creating good habits. We walked back through his time at Woothemes and his experience building a "support-first" competitive advantage. We also talked around…
![How to really build traffic and a social following [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/neil-patel1.jpg)
How to really build traffic and a social following
I had a great chat with a veritable don of the digital marketing space Neil Patel. Neil is the co-founder at Kissmetrics and CrazyEgg and operates a kick-ass blog at Quicksprout.com. You should be leveraging social Build up those channels…
![Developing your "Me Project" and building a secondary revenue stream [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/corbett.jpg)
Developing your "Me Project" and building a secondary revenue stream
I was joined for this Q&A call by Corbett Barr. Founder of the awesome Think Traffic blog and the equally excellent Fizzle . Having built several blogs to success and coached many others along the way Corbett is a voice…
![Out-run the 'Failure Bear', use your advantages [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/amy.png)
Out-run the 'Failure Bear', use your advantages
I was joined on this action-packed Q&A call by Amy Hoy. Former freelance web developer who made the leap into product creation with Freckle (amongst others) and who talks about all things online business at UnicornFree . This was super-enjoyable…
![Always be providing value - with Tom Ewer [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/itstom.png)
Always be providing value - with Tom Ewer
Unfortunately we had a big audio fail on this call - but the show must go on, so here are the notes from the Q&A call Tom Ewer is a professional blogger who's built a service in and around freelance…
![Stop making puddles, make waves [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/david.png)
Stop making puddles, make waves
David Okuniev is the co-founder of the beautiful Typeform . The recent beneficiary of $750k VC funding, David has come a long way from his freelance UI design roots. This call dives deep into the transition from providing a service…
Why freelancing is broken and how to fix it
Simple, don't do freelancing the way you're told to do it You'll make it more stable when you stop this self imposed limitation on the business growth you're capable of. Whether you've come to terms with it or not, billing…
![Growth Hacking for Freelancers [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/10/bronson-taylor.jpeg)
Growth Hacking for Freelancers
Bronson Taylor , a serial product builder, founder of the awesome GrowthHacker.tv and former designer. All action as usual, we talked in and around adding value & building an online voice - and the starting points for moving into product…
Nice freelancers finish last. How to dominate with a clear conscience
This is an excerpt from the "Nice Freelancers Finish Last" Playbook. You can download the book in its entirety for free, by clicking here . If you're a freelancer, chances are you're used to being 'nice'. After all, niceties &…
What a colourwheel freakout has to do with your business progress
I’m sketching out this post on my iPhone with the WordPress app (which is pretty awesome by the way) as my machine has just gone into colorwheel ‘goodbye cruel world’ mode. The freakout began innocently at first with a few…
If a freelancer whispers in a forest, does anyone listen? Amplify your online voice with these 4 quick actions
A large majority of freelancers know precisely what will take them to the next level. Yep, that big client win or that redeveloped website would knock the stripes of your competition. So why do so few actually get to that…
14 traits of successful people - how many do you have?
I've been fortunate to have been exposed to some of the most successful online entrepreneurs in this space and I've certainly learned a lot from the Q&A call time I've spent with most of them. When it comes to growing…
4 quick actions to unleash the power of processes for business growth
Without wishing to build up too much suspense, hype or hyperbole what I’m about to lay out was a defining factor in helping me grow my business from a one-person freelance operation to a business which can now grow and…
5 time investments you can make today, to save you time tomorrow
One of my five core principles is 'working less & focus'. There are a few ways you can 'work less' but today I want to look at the least exciting way - productivity . This post isn't about the minutiae…
![Know precisely who your audience is and find their influencers [Q&A]](https://osyffcskfwenhrjtikii.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/legacy/uploads/2013/11/itsdan.png)
Know precisely who your audience is and find their influencers
My guest on this insightful Q&A session was Dan Norris . Dan heads up WPCurve , Inform.ly and several other product focused businesses following on from his time as a freelance web designer . He has some great things to…
10 questions for creating products that provide long term, ongoing revenue
The majority of my coaching compadres are freelancers and service providers but I like to show them how to break away from the hourly rate ‘earnings ceiling’ by developing a secondary (which sometimes flips to primary) revenue stream using products.…
Do one thing every day that grows your online reputation
So I'm putting together freelance business manifesto of sorts... One of the aspects I touch upon is to do one thing every day that grows your online reputation. The inspiration for this stems from the Baz Lurhmann track - Wear…
How to get noticed by your dream freelance client - with Paul Jarvis
I was joined on this call by Paul Jarvis. A designer who rarely struggles to have a full pipeline of clients, so what are his secrets?