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Strive To Do Less, And Watch Your Productivity Skyrocket

September 6, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Strive To Do Less, And Watch Your Productivity Skyrocket

Strive to do lessIn a lot of ways, freelancers get more done than the average worker. They choose where to work, when to work, and how, thus maximizing their productivity in ways regular office workers can’t control within the confines of a “normal” job.

But it also seems that freelancers are always trying to do more with what they have. I see many work-from-home freelancers who, besides working with interesting clients and businesses, are blogging, writing a book, posting to social media, networking, and juggling all the other things that real life requires.

So how do you get it all done? What’s the secret to being a highly productive freelancer or solopreneur vs. one who struggles to barely meet deadlines?

The Big Two Productivity Rules

I’ve read a lot of blogs and articles about increasing productivity. Most advice comes down to these two bullets:

  1.    Decide what you really want to get done.
  2.    Do the difficult and important stuff first…

Then they go on to list all the tools you can use to accomplish it all.

Take Caution!

I distrust time productivity tips that lead me to download more apps. Sometimes my phone is part of the reason my goals get derailed in the first place! Furthermore, those time suckers management tools are not solely on my phone but my desktop, too.

This month, I intended to dedicate my blog’s content to the topics of productivity and time management, but now I’m having second thoughts. Is it really necessary to rehash what so many others have already said on the subject? Do I really want to point you in the direction of more tools and apps and processes you may not need or use? No.

And I don’t think you want that either. What most people really need and want, is some space to breathe and the freedom and time to do what makes you truly happy.

I love freelancing and having a small business I can run from home. This kind of freedom allows me (and if you’re reading this, probably you, too) to create a unique lifestyle. I’m not saying you can slack off and still be successful, but it means you can decide for yourself if you want to create an empire — and that’s certainly within your powers to do so — or have more time to garden, paint, drive your kids to the skate park they love 40 minutes away. Yes, you get to choose; and that is true success!

If you want to make a few thousand more dollars each month, you can do it. If you want to make more, or less, or simply have more flexibility, you can do it.

Say your definition of success is daily workouts, walks, or hikes. Then a freelance job that requires you to be at your desk during your favorite spin class would never work. Maybe you want to be able to attend your child’s swim meets on the weekends. Then you obviously wouldn’t accept a job that asked you to be on call during those hours.

At the same time, you may have a personal dream of public speaking as a sideline, starting a small agency, or adding a service to the ones you already offer. As you work on your client’s projects, you strive to find extra hours in the day to also get your personal projects moving.

Maybe you’re an employee in a company… do you also have a dream of starting something on the side that earns you a few hundred extra dollars each month, or allows you to pursue a hobby as a business? Then I’m talking to you, too!

High Achievers Want More

Time management and productivity are issues for everyone who wants to do more with their life. At the end of the day (and your lifetime) you want to say you accomplished more than just the bare minimum. You are here to do more than just survive.

Regardless of your position, or your role in your company, whether you freelance, or report to a supervisor, etc., doing more and achieving more require you to do things differently. Different from the average way of working. Probably even different from the way you’re working now.

First, always focus on where you want to be and take a few steps every day to get closer to that vision.

Never just settle for your current role, because you can always do better. You know you were born to be great, do something memorable, and create something extraordinary!

To achieve that greatness within you, and to be your most productive, please do what you love and want to do! (That should go without saying.) Do your work with enthusiasm — even the parts you don’t enjoy — and make sure your transitions are quick so you can get onto the next thing. If you dawdle in between tasks, then you’re going to lose a lot of productivity! You won’t believe how much time you’ll waste, if you don’t know your next step.

Be Honest with Yourself About Your Passion and Strengths

But also, be very choosy about what you “want” to do. Avoid claiming too many goals, or else your to-do list become a wish list, not an accurate list of tasks you can plausibly accomplish.

For example, don’t tell yourself that next month you want to add 500 followers to your Facebook page, write an ebook, connect with 20 influencers, hire a new team member, and bill $5000 in client hours. It’s great that you have specific goals, but you may have too many of them going on at once.

I’ve made this mistake so many times, I can’t emphasize enough how a long to-do list can throw off your ability to get the most important things done.

What would happen if you did less?

Decide what’s most important — to YOU.

Just because you see someone else in your network or someone you admire online is doing (and apparently succeeding at) a dozen projects simultaneously, beware of this mirage. It’s probably not true. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s possible or even desirable to do so much at once.

The “Hustle” (à la Gary Vaynerchuck) only works if you have targeted goals.

The main detail I can add to this ongoing productivity conversation about which too much has already been said, is this: Know exactly what you want to get done, but be discriminating about those things, for heaven’s sake!

You weren’t made to do everything, especially when you’re working as a solopreneur and/or just starting out. Your job is to accomplish only a few extraordinarily cool things, that make you happy, and help others at the same time. (Other people have to need your offer and benefit from your efforts, otherwise you probably won’t make any money doing what you do. Hobbies are great, and flexibility is wonderful, but at the end of the day, freelancing means your services earn you an income!)

I like the advice to list the top 3 -5 things you want to get done every day, and then do them. Even if they are the same things every day, do those.

I was chatting with a friend today and she told me that she has free time in the morning, and she knows she needs to get more exercise, but she doesn’t make a point to get to the gym, where she’s a member. My advice was to simply put on the yoga pants immediately after brushing her teeth. Set an alarm for 20 minutes before you need to leave the house or office. Don’t think about it, just go.

Why be so creative with your to do list? Why add a lot of things that don’t make your heart sing?

By the same token, If your goal is to write a book over the next three months, then you’re going to need a table of contents, and plan for writing that content a chapter at a time. It’s not difficult. Start with a short book to see if you actually enjoy and excel at writing, then work your way up from there. If you only ever write one chapter, at least you’ll have that content to add to your accomplishments and publishable files. You can share it in an article on LinkedIn or Medium if nothing else.

Does narrowing your options mean you don’t set new goals? Of course not. You must add new constructive goals (small parts of your goals) to your task list every day. In other words, make goals, but make sure you set goals that can be chunked down and followed, each little step of the way. Make time for those compartmentalized tasks that help you reach your new goals, but don’t add so much to your plate that you choke.

Want to write a book? Plan an event? Make a promo video? Make one long deadline, then reverse engineer smaller deadlines you can meet every day. That’s the way all successful, productive people get things done.

I’m one of those people who want to do everything. I’m always busy doing things I think “should” be done, but it’s easy to get too busy and forget the ultimate big picture. If that one thing isn’t absolutely clear in your mind, you end up busily doing tasks that never get you any closer to your real goals. How sad is that?

Chasing toward things you never set out to do only wastes time and serves no one.

Meanwhile, stick to your routine. It will provide the framework for additional tasks. Just put the non-negotiable tasks on your list first and work everything else around those.

Can you imagine actually getting those few things done? Most people don’t even get a handful of tasks finished to their satisfaction each day.

But you can be the exception.

The problem with productivity is that people think they will get more done if they are more productive. But what about getting less done? Less done, but really DONE. Not half-done, not “wish they were done.”

No, I mean Really. Done.

Choose less.

Choose less and you’ll see… you’ll actually do more. You will find that you have the mind-space and even the time to do stuff you thought would be gravy. You finish a few tasks and feel good about them; then have the energy and desire to go the extra mile on those things you didn’t even think you’d have time for.

Strive to do less. That’s my advice for productivity. Now, I’m not a productivity “expert” and it sounds crazy, I know. But I’ve found that taking my to-do list and cutting it in half, works! I just stuck to a few small but uber-important tasks each day, and I can do more than I imagined when my to-do list was miles long.

To get more done, take something OFF your to-do list! Is this just semantics? A trick of words? Not really. When you start seeing your time as your most valuable resource, and making priorities as to what you choose to do first, second, and third every day, suddenly you get really good at doing only what is really important to you.

Less is more. Good luck! And tell me how it goes.

Get more business building resources for blogging and freelancing here…

free content library for freelancers

 

Filed Under: Freelancing, Inspiration Tagged With: productivity, simplify, task list, time management

The Top Twelve Essential Oils That Support Freelancers

August 8, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

The Top Twelve Essential Oils That Support Freelancers

essential oils for freelancersYou may have seen those little brown bottles on the shelves of your grocery store, or maybe you’ve heard people talking about the wonderful effects of essential oils on their physical, mental and even spiritual health.

With the growing popularity of essential oils, isn’t it time you at least looked into them?

I discovered essential oils a little over two years ago, and have since incorporated them into many parts of life. One of the areas essential oils have made a huge difference is in my work as a freelance copywriter. From creating a better work/life balance, to helping me focus and concentrate on tasks at hand, to improving the health of my body as I deal with ergonomic challenges of working at a desk all day… they’ve changed the way I enjoy my work and lifestyle.

Sharing 100% pure essential oils with others is important to me, as I see so much improvement in people who begin using them. Today, if you work as freelancer, or solopreneur;  I know you juggle work and personal life as you serve your clients and customers from your home business, just like I do.

My Favorite Essential Oils for Freelancers

I’d like to share my favorite essential oils for work, and how they help me be more creative, balanced, happy, and focused on copywriting and content marketing projects, while also managing a busy household of three teenagers.

As a distributor of Young Living Essential Oils, I have access to all of them, but I do have some go-to oils, and everyday favorites.These are my top “Twelve Can’t-Live-Without” Essential Oils.

#1 I couldn’t live without my Lavender

… because it’s the “Swiss Army Knife” of Essential Oils. When you body needs zigging, it zigs. When your cells need zagging, it zags. When you’re depleted and exhausted, it invigorates; and when you’re revved up, it relaxes you.

Not to mention its soothing comfort to skin, it’s traditionally been known to balance the body and to work wherever there is a need.

If in doubt, use lavender.

I keep this oil on my person at all times. You can use it topically, and aromatically. Whenever I want to feel better, I place a drop in my palm, rub my hands together and cup my hands over my nose and mouth. Then I breathe slowly and deeply for about 20 seconds. I usually say a little prayer, too. After that, everything is alright again.

#2 Frankincense

… was that rare oil-gift the three kings brought Mary for a very good reason! Back in the days when people valued essential oils for their medicinal uses, Frankincense was a wonderful gift for a new mother. I like to imagine that they brought enough for Mary to use it every day with her little baby Jesus, and for all the little postpartum nuisances new moms face. I like to think the kings brought a giant jar that lasted throughout Jesus’ childhood, too.

“Frank,” as I like to call it, is great for modern life as well.

It grounds you spiritually, and gives you the focus to hum along writing all day with a sense of peace and goodwill. It’s really earthy, so if you think all this spiritual jabber is nonsense, then just know that it reduces “brain noise” and enhances calmness, allowing the brain to better use its own innate abilities for learning and decision-making.

I love Frank. You would love it too. Everyone I’ve ever seen exposed to this rare oil… literally swoons.

Purify your hotel room

#3 Purification

… is an oil blend that consists of Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary cineol, Melaleuca (Tea Tree Oil), Lavendin, and Myrtle. This is a fresh, purifying scent that makes my office come alive with a bright, cleansing aroma that everyone loves. Well, almost everyone. Rodents, pests, and insects hate this stuff; so does bacteria and icky smells of all kinds.

Any mildewy smells, stale odors, lingering cigarette smoke smells… nothing can last when my little diffuser is pumping out Purification. You can also use it in a hotel room when you’re traveling for work or pleasure (because freelancing requires travel sometimes), a garage, barn, even the car. It smells wonderful, and even improves air quality as all those refreshing molecules are emitted into the atmosphere!

 

Make some Thieves Tea

#4 Thieves

Let’s just say I have this oil blend in a number of different forms (housecleaner, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. But my favorite is the simple oil blend. It cuts through gunk, cleans everything (I keep a little spray bottle of thieves and water on my desk for spot cleaner), and when I’m not feeling great I diffuse it, rub the bottoms of my feet with it (covering all the vitaflex points that lead to other parts of the body), and even drink it in a warm water tea. Just a drop or two with a drop of lemon is all it takes to soothe a throat and keep those mucous membranes healthy through all the winter months. So cozy and nice.

By the way, the “thieves” that this oil is named for, were grave robbers during the plague. Guess what? They never got sick, and succeed in raiding many a tomb before the King (which king, I don’t know… there are many versions of this story out there) finally captured them and demanded their secret. What was the secret recipe?

No one knows for sure, but this effective blend includes the pure essential oils of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus radiata, and Rosemary cineol. If you are looking for bodily protection, immunity from all the weird stuff going around this season (especially if you have school-aged kids or aging parents in and out of doctors’ offices), then this is your oil!

#5 and #6 have to be the one-two combo of essential oil blends Clarity, then Brain Power.

I can’t remember who taught this to me, but I love this combo at around 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon when I’m starting to fade.

I inhale Clarity first and it’s like a cleansing blast to the brain. It really sweeps all the cobwebs out and helps me focus. Then I follow up with the driving, and wonderfully warm Brain Power for a solid finish. After the two oils hit my system (it usually takes about 2 minutes) I’m refreshed and wide awake again. It’s a no-brainer for writers who need to, well… write!

I’m also a single mom, and the primary chauffeur for several people in my family. If you’ve ever been on the road in the afternoon, and have experienced falling asleep at the wheel, then you know why I keep these two oil blends in my purse at all times.

I can take a good whiff of these oils at a red light, get an instant, powerful boost, and be on my way again. I promise you, the jolt-iest energy drink has nothing on this combination. No jitters; just pure, healthful, open-eyed wakefulness.

Pliny liked peppermint oil#7 Peppermint.

As I write this, I keep thinking, how could I ever pick just one? It would be like trying to choose your favorite child!

I’d be so sad without invigorating, refreshing Peppermint in my daily water bottle. For fresh breath, mental acuity, digestive health, even as an appetite suppressant, Peppermint is an everyday oil, for sure!

Not only does it keep mice and spiders out of the house (just spray a few drops in water around the floorboards or wherever they get in), it is so invigorating to the human body! **Don’t use this on kids, or if you’re pregnant, by the way. It’s a doozy!

#8 Lemon.

We live in an environment that is just plain toxic. There are so many weird, lab-invented toxins that are floating around, it’s impossible to isolate yourself. And who’d really want to? You don’t want to live in a bubble. You want to live in the world and enjoy it!

But still, when I go into a big box store and my eyes water like crazy, and my nose tingles, I wonder what strange chemicals are getting into my and my kids’ bodies. Yikes!

Here’s my antidote. The limonene in lemon oil is a powerful antioxidant. Think of rust on a car. That crap just eats away at metals, right? Well, the very same thing happens when your body is highly acidic. Most of the average diet is pretty conducive to cellular oxidation — and you don’t want your cells rusting from oxidation! Lemon oil quickly raises your body’s alkalinity (the opposite of acidity), lowering its susceptibility to acidic influences and balancing out all your cells.

It also destroys petrochemicals in your home and your body. A few drops in your water or sparkling water is refreshing and OH so good for you!

joy in my office

#9 Joy.

Do I really need to tell you why I love this? Want to be grinning like a fool in happiness in no time? Then just inhale some Joy. Really. You’ll start smiling.

If you’re working from home, and everything is piling up on you, you need more joy in your life. The easiest way to get it is in a little brown bottle. (Yes, you can BUY Joy!)

Why does this stuff work? One of this blend’s oils is rose oil, the highest-frequency oil on the planet (by a long shot). It makes you vibrate with good energy.

I had a 100-year-old friend, Jane, that I shared some Joy with. She said, “OMG, I can’t smell this stuff, [her smeller had gone out years ago], but I can FEEL it!”

I swear by the stuff when I’m down. And being a solo-preneur is all about keeping yourself UP. At least it is for me. You can’t be sad with Joy on your heart — yes, put it directly on your heart and temples — or diffuser. Everyone who comes in your office will be happy, too. If you’re working from home, this could be your silver bullet!

 

#10 Aroma Ease, Relieve It or Pan Away (depending on the muscles involved)

… because working at a desk all day is no fun when your body is sore. 

I’m a strong advocate of keeping healthy if you work from home as a freelancer. You simply cannot sit and work at a desk all day, never moving your body, and expect to feel good, look good, and be friendly to people. It just won’t happen. You have to MOVE your body. Our bodies were made for movement, so you must find time to exercise daily.

And as a work-from-home (or anywhere) freelancer, you simply don’t get an excuse not to. You can fit it into your schedule better than anyone… IF your intention is there.

That said, movement sometimes makes your muscles sore. Even sitting on a chair too long, and using a mouse and typing… all those things cause sore muscles. For me and many of my gym rat friends, any of these three oils are always close at hand, to soothe muscles naturally and powerfully. Wrist, shoulders, forearm, lower back knees, you name it. They all function better with essential oils to keep them healthy.

#11. EndoFlex

This beautiful oil blend supports the vitality of the body and the endocrine system. If you’re older than 12, then your hormones are at play in your body.

Your endocrine system controls the glands that regulate all those hormones circulating between your organs and cells. (OK, that’s not an official definition, obviously I am NOT a doctor! But it’s how I like to think of it.) Your liver, pineal and pituitary glands, parathyroid, thymus, and adrenal glands are all important senders and receivers of hormones that regulate metabolic and hormonal functions. This oil keeps that whole system balanced and healthy.

According to TeensHealth, the endocrine system is important because it regulates tissue function, mood, metabolism, growth and development, sexual function and reproductive processes. It influences nearly all cells, organs and functions of the human body. 

Endoflex is also emotionally and spiritually soothing. Not a day goes by when I don’t apply this oil to all my glandular points, and feel grateful.

abundance

#12 Abundance.

Ah, abundance! Freelancing is a sometimes-on-sometimes-off business. You always have to be hustling for the next gig. Or at least have your eye on it.

Some mornings when I have a serious cash “imperative” to bring in the bacon, I say a little prayer, put a few drops of abundance in my diffuser and on my palms, and get down to business.

By the way, one the oils in this blend is Myrrh, part of the formula the Lord gave to Moses (Exodus 30:22-27). It helps open the heart and mind to receiving. When you are open, true gifts will be given. Some people even put it into the paint when they paint their office to expand their ability to attract wealth.

The Life Force of Plants for freelancers

The Life Force of Plants

I hope this list of essential oils for freelancers is helpful to you. I can’t help sharing these with you because I’m passionate about making the most of this amazing gift of life. I’ve seen how they’ve improved my family’s and my life and health, and I know they can make a big difference in your life, too.

Essential oils are living, non-patentable, true forces of nature. Always slightly different from one batch to another due to differences in harvests, rainfall, sunlight, etc, these “smart,” miraculous, God-given plant oils, created to work for the good of all human beings. The more we know, the more we can make natural, wholesome choices about what we put on in and around our bodies. 

If you’re curious about how to begin incorporating them to see positive changes in your life, and the health and happiness of your family at home, I’m always open to sharing what I know. Questions? Give me a call, or contact me through the contact page. Just want to investigate more? Grab the free ebook I wrote about getting started with Young Living Essential Oils.

*The FDA has not analyzed this statement for accuracy. This statement is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or heal any known or suspected disease. Consult your doctor.

Filed Under: essential oils, Freelancing, Health and Lifestyle Tagged With: copywriting, essential oils, essential oils for freelancers, freelancing, healthy freelancing

8 Ways To Make Your Clients Love You

August 1, 2016 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

8 Ways To Make Your Clients Love You

.make clients love youWouldn’t you just swell up in pride when a client delights in you and says, “We appreciate You” or “Good to have you onboard!” These are not polite diplomacy remarks. These are real comments, given by some genuine clients, for being awesome.

Now look at these compliments – How would you feel if you get one of these – ?

  • Because you are a star!!! Thanks for your work on this. 🙂
  • Look forward to some more excellent work from you 🙂
  • You were a soldier in this.

These are just some of the compliments from my clients. Don’t assume it may take a long time for you to make your clients love you. For me, I have delighted clients from the first project on! I have been freelancing only about a year and in this (very) short span of time, I have managed to create a great rapport with all my clients.

Follow these simple tips if you want to get more and better freelance jobs.

Tip #1. Be Passionate

About your work.

Maybe you got into the freelance business out of necessity. I know I did. I wanted to be a full-time parent and it was only after I started writing, I discovered my passion for it.

Pro Tip: Work with all your heart and all your mind, and it will show in your work. 

If you have any kind of mind block for your assignment, your client, or maybe you are simply bored — as a ripple effect, all of these aspects will trickle down to your work and that is never a good thing.

Your clients want to work with people who are like them. And if they are passionate about their business, and you are not – it simply would not work.

If you are compelled to freelance but are not “feeling” anything for it, try to be grateful for the many benefits freelancing offers – the flexibility and the freedom is great compared to the million others who have to work inside tiny cubicles, all day, all week.

Tip #2. Treasure Your Clients

So maybe you are passionate about your work and you have great clients to work with. It’s when you start taking them for granted, things start to fall apart. You start missing deadlines or you fail to update them about your impromptu mid-week break. These are simple things that can spell DOOM for your freelance writing career. Don’t do these things to lose your client.

When you treasure your clients, you care about their business. You care how much your work will affect their business. You wouldn’t be in it for the money. That will show your clients what a treasure you are to keep! 

Pro Tip: Never Take your Clients For Granted

don't take clients for granted

Tip #3. Be Accountable

When you accept to work on a certain project or assignment, make sure you are 100% committed. If, for any reason, you cannot deliver your best or deliver anything at all – you need to keep your clients in the loop about it. If you work on hourly basis, don’t cheat on your productivity. If you say yes to a client, then be sure to deliver and do it quick.

Pro Tip: Be honest about what you can and cannot do. 

Tip #4. Be Quick to Deliver

For clients, time is money. The faster you deliver, the sooner it will help your clients. When your clients give you a deadline and you deliver before time, you earn a ton of brownie points! You get more work because the client appreciates your delivery timelines. When you work with this attitude, your productivity hits the fan and you get more and better freelance jobs.

Pro Tip: Deliver before the deadline. 

Tip #5. Deliver the Best

Exercise caution when you want to be quick to deliver. Do it only when you really can. Of course, doing it regularly has its perks, but delivering half-baked assignments will probably get you fired. Quick or not, persuade your soul to deliver only the best work, each time, every time.  

Tip #6. Be Dependable

When you only deliver the best each time, and within stipulated timelines, your clients learn to depend on you. Say Yes every time they come to you with an assignment. Even if it means for you to burn the midnight oil, burn it! …and deliver so they keep coming back for you.

Pro Tip: Work extra hours, only if you can. 

be a proactive freelancer!

Tip #7. Be Proactive

When you have completed a deliverable, be sure to be enthusiastic and ask your client if they have more work to give you. You don’t have to wait around for your client, you can take the first step. This will show your client that you are proactive and ready for more work.

Pro Tip: Ask for more work. 

Tip #8. Build Relationship

Care to know their birthdays, their children’s birthdays, anniversaries. Be tuned to what your client is feeling. Share some of your personal stories. When there is a real and a genuine connection, your client will never forget you. You will be the first person they think of when things need to get done.

Pro Tip: Get on a video call at least once a month.

Do you have some sure fire ways to make clients love you? Share how you do it in the comments below.


Writer Elizabeth AlexElizabeth Alex is a freelance content writer for hire. Follow her on her website, Honestliz.com, Facebook and Twitter.


 

 

Filed Under: Freelancing, Inspiration Tagged With: connection, copywriting tips, customer service, freelance writing from home, leadership qualities of freelancers, marketing tips, work from home

The Three Best Ways To Lose Clients As A Freelance Writer

July 21, 2016 by Elizabeth 5 Comments

The Three Best Ways To Lose Clients As A Freelance Writer

ways to lose clients as a freelance writer

Yes, you read that right!

In the world of working from home and especially freelance writing, getting to work with good clients is winning just half the battle. If you want to make a steady income, then securing long-term clients is everything. You don’t want to lose them by making silly mistakes or being ignorant of some of the obvious ones.

Some Background

I have been a successful freelance writer for just over a year now. I have had the privilege of working with some of the most wonderful clients from around the world. Clients from Singapore, the United States, Israel, Canada and many others.

I have also hired writers. Owing to my second pregnancy and childbirth, I had to hire writers to help keep my freelance work afloat. So in the span of just two months, I had to gracefully let go and even ruthlessly fire many writers for these mistakes and more.  

Sure, getting fired sucks and I am guilty of hurting the self-esteem of a few writers. So, if you are reading this, then good on you, mate! You’ve come to the right place. These are real things some freelance writers do, and you can avoid, to get fired in no time.

Don’t Plagiarize Your Work

One of the writers I hired had given me an exhaustive resume – proving she was a writer. I assigned her a test job, which she did well and I was so impressed!

I should’ve done a plagiarism check though because the five articles that followed were all dangerously plagiarized!

There are clients who cut you some slack; they can let you go with just a warning. But I couldn’t do the same in my post-delivery mental state of affairs. We had to dissociate immediately.

Remember, the golden rule of freelance writing is to avoid plagiarism, by all means. This stands true whether you are a reporter, a student, or a blogger.

Why plagiarism sucks so much? Because it’s worse than stealing. You can’t even be penalized for it, you only stand to risk your good reputation. It’s the clients who face potential lawsuits and what not. Submitting plagiarized work is the worst thing you can do to your clients. And it’s the best way to hurt your own reputation as a freelance writer.

Pro Tip: Always give credit to the source, the author deserves it; plus linking to credible sources increases your credibility too!

Don’t Give Fake Credentials

I wanted to explore the realm of freelance transcription work once. I had worked only one transcription project so far, yet, I boasted to a potential client that I had “enough” experience to take up the job. Turns out, the job didn’t pay well and I was incredibly frustrated spending so much of my time on it. Owning up to my mistake, I had to politely end the contract.

If you listen to this podcast featuring Kim Egan, she shares that there is a remarkable power in being your true self. Egan says, “When you are comfortable in your own skin and are the person you really are, then you actually attract people you meant to work with. If you were being false and were not being true to who you are then you’d be in business with people you don’t like or care for. AND they wouldn’t like you because you’re being false.”

This was perfect for what I had just been through with this transcription client. Not only was I not completely truthful from the beginning, but the client was not a pleasure to work with at all.

Pro Tip: Be open and honest about what you can do, your timelines, and your limitations.

lost trust is hard to earn back!Don’t Flake out

I hired another writer and it just got worse for me. Their assignment came in a day late and it was half-baked as well.  There was no notification of the delay and not even proofread. I was in the soup! Since I had other deliverables, not only was I hard-pressed for time to do this job, but the delay would have potentially tarnished my reputation with this client.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only writer who flaked out on me.

You see, it would be a different ball game if you notified the client about a break from work or vacation time. What sucks is when a writer accepts the assignment, sits on it for a few days and then comes back saying they cannot do the assignment for whatever reason (or not at all). Now that sucks hard.

With repeated flake-outs like this, clients will not hire you again in the future nor give you more work now. It would be so hard to trust you again.

Pro Tip: Inform and apologize for any inconvenience caused to your client, as soon as possible. Make sure you don’t do this often. Emergencies only.

Hope these tips help you. Do you have some tips too? Leave a comment here.


Writer Elizabeth AlexElizabeth Alex is a freelance content writer for hire. Follow her on her website, Honestliz.com, Facebook and Twitter.

Filed Under: Freelancing Tagged With: content writing tips, copywriting advice, freelance writing, working from home

Why Baby Boomer Entrepreneurs Will Rock The Start-Up World In The Next Ten Years

July 5, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Why Baby Boomer Entrepreneurs Will Rock The Start-Up World In The Next Ten Years

baby boomer entrepreneurs

Which generation will start the most long-lasting businesses in the next ten years?

While it seems all the talk is centered on the entrepreneurial tendencies of Millennials these days, the much-cited Kauffman Report of 2015 states that Baby Boomers are actually in a better position to start and run a business, and are starting new businesses at twice the rate of Millenials.

Can you feel it? Entrepreneurship is in the air.

The native techies, those born between the late 70s and the early 2000s, are beginning to enter their 40s, the traditional “power age” for entrepreneurs and workers in general. Among these folks a whopping 67% of them have dreams of starting a business.

Alongside them, Baby boomers have always had an entrepreneurial streak, and that’s showing no signs of fading for at least the next 15 years.

So which group will lead in charge in forming new companies that last?

Many serial entrepreneurs from the boomer generation are on their second, third, even fourth business.

Many other baby boomers have tasted retirement and decided it’s not for them. As ever, they want to lean into new opportunities, to contribute and stay involved with idea-makers and dream builders like themselves.

With all the new ways to work, and the ease with which you can start a business these days, entrepreneurship is the smart way to create your work/life on your own terms, no matter what your age.

Here’s why I think Baby Boomer entrepreneurs will have an equal if not more profound impact in the start-up arena.

boomer entrepreneur
Baby boomer entrepreneurs will crush it in the next decade.

Sure, the rate at which baby boomers start businesses will slow as they age, but just as in decades past, my bet is that baby boomers will shape entrepreneurship in new and different ways we haven’t seen before.

And why not? Boomers are living better, healthier, and more vital lives longer than any generation before them.

In addition to the fact that there is hardly any barrier to entry, Baby Boomers have more financial resources to fund a new business.

While Millenials grapple with failure to launch and unprecedented levels of college loan debt, Baby Boomers are in a better position to start businesses. Even though they lost an average of 25 – 28% of their savings in the Great Recession — in fact, because so many saw their wealth diminish, they are motivated to stay in the workforce longer.

Due in part to the wide pool of technical talent emerging from the Millenial generation, it’s the Baby Boomers that will realize the inherent challenges and opportunities of aging, see the opportunities, and capitalize on them

A few months ago, Gary Varnerchuk of Vayner Media, released a video where he challenged people age 40+ to go for it. If you want to start a business, now is the time… You have every opportunity the kid in the hoodie has, he maintained.

While I agree that the opportunity is there, I also know from experience J that as the body ages, you draw more from other resources than youthful vigor and Hustle, which Vaynerchuk is famous for.

I believe baby boomer entrepreneurs are primed to show a different kind of hustle as they remake the start-up world to their requirements.

Why Baby Boomer Entrepreneurs Make an Impression

baby boomers and millennials working together
Boomers and Millennials will (hopefully) work together.

As a kid, I often played with the kids a few years older than me. It’s not surprising, then, that while I’m a few years shy of being a Baby Boomer myself, many of my clients have been Baby Boomers.

There are a few qualities I’ve noted that distinguish them from business-starters in the generations that follow them. Today, these qualities are every bit as valuable as the high energy and drive and natural technical prowess of Millennials. Besides having more wealth to act on their entrepreneurial ideas, Baby Boomers will shape the start-up landscape for at least the next 10 years for the following reasons.

  1. It’s personal. No offense, but they don’t call Boomers the “Me” generation for nothing. Baby Boomers are the center of their universe. It really IS about them. They didn’t cause that condition and it’s not their fault. No judgment here. They just don’t know what it’s like not to have all eyes on them.

The businesses they start are businesses they want to start; they have everything to do with their own interests, motivations, and preferences. As they move through their 50s, 60s 70s and 80s, they will remake what it means to age gracefully, and solve problems no one ever thought to address. And future generations will benefit by their efforts.

  1. They LIKE to tell stories. What does a killer company or brand have that mediocre companies do not? A strong, almost mythical storyline. Baby Boomers have never been a generation to keep their experiences to themselves, and they’re not going to stop telling those stories now.

With their generational flair for unfolding a narrative, new services and inventions will emerge to fill in gaps and add color to their stories. The rest of us will give their new ideas and experiences our attention.

  1. Baby Boomer entrepreneurs in the coming years will be thoughtful, thorough, and loyal. Relationships will take precedence over other factors. Needing the technical savvy of younger workers, they will value others’ expertise and listen to options culled from a diverse pool of talent. They will genuinely want to apply the right tools to the jobs at hand and get it right the first time.
  1. Their networks matter. Their many years of experience have earned them status and respect. They will use this influence to display leadership skills and set expectations for top-notch performance. They know many other experienced colleagues in a variety of industries to find information and get their questions answered. Personal referrals and insider information will be an important form of start-up currency.
  1. Baby Boomer entrepreneurs still read lengthy documents and articles. They don’t max out from information overload after two minutes. They can understand and absorb articles longer than 800 words. They will always have this skill as younger generations lose it. This will be one of their hidden superpowers. And by the way, they will keep reading and using email. (A client told me the other day, “I use email like you use twitter.”) This will challenge younger generations.
  1. time-conscious boomers
    Boomers choose how they spend their time.

    Because they have experienced business cycles (and heard stories from previous generations) of more extreme economic cycles, Baby Boomer entrepreneurs will be less distracted or challenged by crisis than their younger counterparts and team members. Their experience will make them wiser and more flexible than other business people. They will surround themselves with younger workers, and model how to roll with things, and their businesses will be stronger for it.

  1. They are passionate. Although they may not want to change the world, but they believe they are working on something that matters. Baby boomer entrepreneurs have the option of doing other things with their time; they are choosing to build businesses. They’re not likely to jump on the latest bandwagon or take just anyone’s advice merely to move one step ahead. The big picture matters.

We’ll see if I am right, but for now, these qualities are ones we like working with here at Content Boomer. As content marketers may more attention to the selectivity of their markets, and preferring quality content to sheer quantity; we feel the focused efforts of Baby Boomer entrepreneurs fit well with out goals, too.

[Tweet “Not tons of content, but unique, valuable content.“]

Less aimless hustle, more focused meaningful communication through well-placed content.

Our team looks forward to serving this intrepid generation of entrepreneurs.

Want more content marketing information like this?

Filed Under: Home Business Tagged With: boomer entrepreneurs, start ups

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