Archive for Working From Home
Wrapping Up Another Year
Posted by: | CommentsWhile the first thing you might think of when I say wrapping is presents, my immediate task is wrapping up another year in business. Its time to tie up all the loose ends on existing projects and time to start closing out the books financially so I can be prepared for the most wonderful exercise of the year (NOT) – taxes.
In addition to wrapping up another year of business tasks, I will be taking time to look back at this year and see what worked, what didn’t, what I enjoyed working on, and what I didn’t, and using that insight, I will start to map out my goals and priorities for 2009.
I do know that I will be bringing my business site and this site together as one site with a whole new look and feel. The new site will contain my portfolio, details on the types of projects I can be hired for, more tips and insights into web working, design, and marketing, and I am working on some free tools to add to it as well.
Enjoy your holidays! Spend lots of time with loved ones and friends – eat, drink and be merry. And if you have to work on wrapping up your year in business, too, tie a big red bow on it – it’s more fun that way.
Home Office Essential – A Back Up Office Location
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For the second day in a row, our hi-speed cable has gone out. Yesterday I took it as an opportunity to go enjoy the sunshine and take a nice long walk, but today won’t cut it – I have too much work to do!! Rather than freak out on the phone with Comcast again, I decided to find the nearest Wi-fi hot spot, pack up my stuff and take my mobile office on the road!
I live about 20 minutes from civilization in any direction so its not like there is a wi-fi hot spot on every corner. The local library was my first choice but they are on the same pipeline as our house and are also without connectivity today. Starbucks and Panera are always safe second choices. I prefer Panera’s food, work space and location so it won out today.
If you work from home, do you have a back up office location? You should! Whether it is the local library or a local cafe, you should identify a handful of back up office locations so you can keep your workflow going when you can not work from your home office.
Another option is to get a wireless air card through your wireless provider. While we do have one, it doesn’t do me much good when my husband has it with him while he travels. I could pick up a second one, but am have a hard time justifying the expense if I am not using it all the time.
Not sure if there is a wi-fi hotspot near by? Try looking one up at JiWire where they have listings for over 200,000 wi-fi locations in more than 135 countries.
Do you have a home office plan B? Â
Do You Want to be a Rockstar Freelancer?
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Many people think being your own boss is really cool – but how do you even think about taking the leap of faith from working for someone else to being a freelancer that actually makes money? What about finding clients, setting rates, getting paid and branding your new company? The hugely successful team of Cyan and Collis Ta’eed from Freelance Switch have just released their e-book and ultimate guide to starting a successful freelancing career called, How to be a Rockstar Freelancer.
I have been working as a freelancer for 11 years and while I would not trade it for the world, there are plenty of challenges you face when you are both the boss and the worker bee. How to be a Rockstar Freelancer outlines the steps to take, things to keep in mind, and pitfalls to avoid as you build your brand and your business.
