9 Networking Tips for Freelancers

9 Networking Tips for Freelancers9 Networking Tips for FreelancersWhile many freelance workers have a solid group of repeat customers, that might not be enough to keep them busy and make sure the bills get paid. And that means they should always- always- be networking.Unfortunately, networking doesnt come easily to some freelancers, especially if they chose that career path because theyre not highly social creatures.If youre in that boat, or you are otherwise struggling to find new clients, here are nine networking tips for freelancers that may help you meet the right people at the right times.1. Commit to building your network.Successful networking starts with getting yourself in the right mindset. You know you have to do it, so decide now that you will devote a certain segment of every day to building connections, either online or face-to-face. Then hold yourself to that schedule, keeping track of what works and what doesnt.2. Start with your family and friends.Theres no need, at f irst, to jump way outside your comfort zone as you build your networking skills. Focus first on making sure your friends and family members are aware of exactly what you do and what kinds of jobs you can handle. Encourage them to spread the stimmt genau among their own networks. Youll be surprised how much business can come your way through this simple step.3. Contact past clients.If you completed several jobs for a particular group or company, they obviously liked what you were doing. Why not reach out to them and see if they have recommendations for other kompetenzprofil clients? You could even offer a finders fee in return for any help they provide. This is a great example of leveraging the network you already have.4. Look for opportunities to help.By giving assistance to others, you create a community of people who will also want to help you. Overall, giving not asking is the basis of good networking, says an article from Torque. One of the best ways to get new business is to be generous with your help. Supporting others to succeed is one of the best ways to get noticed for your skills and abilities (as well as your friendly personality).5. Join groups online.With minimal effort, you can find groups of other freelancers online with whom you have much in common. (Hint LinkedIn and Facebook are great places to start your search.) Be active in your virtual conversations, learning from others experiences and offering your own bits of wisdom when possible. Again, offer help to them, and it will come back to you.6. Seek role models.While youre communicating in those groups, look for specific individuals with whom youd like to connect more closely. If youre part of a particular online community, try connecting with someone a few paces ahead of you whose work and successes you admire, recommends The Write Life. If youre starting totally from scratch, look for someone in your chosen niche. Once youve found that person, read everything they post and learn all you ca n.7. Attend local networking events.You cant depend entirely on virtual attachments if you want to succeed. Youll have to meet people in person, too. Fortunately, its not hard to find events in most communities that offer those opportunities. Search carefully and choose those most likely to fit your needs.8. Go to trade shows.Sometimes, a change of scenery will boost your networking opportunities. The Upwork blog suggests focusing on trade shows. You dont have to have just one niche, but targeting a specific industry is a great way to get to know players in that space that can connect you to all kinds of work. Instead of going to networking eventsgo to trade shows and vendor events in your industry. Youll connect with tons of potential clients, get talking points for leads, and get an ahead of the game look at whats hot in the industries you love most.9. Always follow up on your networking efforts.This advice comes from an article by TheSelfEmployed.com. Whether its sending out a co uple of emails or using social media channels to approach prospects in a more informal way, be timely with your follow-up- as other freelancers will be competing for the work youre interested in securing. A quick and enthusiastic approach to follow-up can turn potential prospects into paying clients- which is the end goal.Even if you follow these networking tips, you may still be uncomfortable as you try to build your community. But remember a little discomfort is preferable to an inability to make ends meet.Searching for freelance work?Browse Open Freelance Jobs

6 ways to create the perfect vision board

6 ways to create the perfect vorstellung board6 ways to create the perfect vision boardWhen it comes to your ultimate goals, sometimes you really have to see it to believe it. Whether its backpacking across another country or dreaming about your ultimate job and what it will take to get there,a little visualization can go a long way.Although theres no way to verify this, the concept of planting the seeds for success through positive visualization or guided imagery has inspired everyone from pro sports teams,Pinterestusers and the author of The Secret, a bestselling book about The Law of Attraction - or the idea that getting clear in your mind about what you want allows you to manifest that thing in reality.Lets say youre willing to give it a try - how do you actually go about crafting board that speaks to what you really want deep down?Keep your goals in mindYou have to know where youre coming from to know where youre going.The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself wi th images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires, Christine Kane, author of the book, The Complete Guide to imagination Boards, writes.No matter which method youre choosing, how to make a vision board that is right for you should be started with a little ritual. Sit quietly and set the intent. With lots of kindness and openness, ask yourself what it is you want, Kane explains. This process makes it a deeper experience. It gives a chance for your ego to step aside just a little, so that you can mora clearly create your vision.Dont let every image fool youLife coach Martha Beck says if youre planning to fill your vision board with glossy magazine ads of red convertibles, diamond rings, McMansions and models with impossible abs, youre probably drumherum yourself up for disappointment - because odds are, theyre not what you really, authentically, desire.Many peopl e hear the basic instructions - Find pictures of things you want in your life and stick em where you can see em- and create virtually identical collages a wad of cash, a handsome husband, a gorgeous body, a luxury car, a tropical beach, she writes, Snore. These images constitute our cultures idea of the good life. Even a rich, happily married beauty queen with a Porsche in the driveway and a house on the ocean will crank out this same damn vision board. This has no juice at all. To really work, a vision board has to come not from your culture but from your primordial, nonsocial self- the genetically unique animal/angel that contains your innate preferences.Dont forget that vision boards are more than just imagesBut its not all about the images - in this video, Chicken Soup for the Soul author and success coach Jack Canfield mentions that you can also include symbols, photos of yourself having a good time in the past, quotes, affirmations and pictures of material things youd also li ke. He says you can make a career vision board to keep at work, and a personal one to keep at home, among other points.Dont harp on material thingsEntrepreneur Joyce Schwarz, consultant author of The Vision Board and trainer of Certified Vision Board Coachestold Tech Insider about how the pictures are supposed to signify your goals.This is not a wish list where you put a picture of a Coach purse. The visual reminders are really crucial. Images evoke feelings, feelings are the reasons we change our lives,the reasons we change behavior, she said.Pay attention to how the images make you feel.Dont just look at it, do something about itVision boards arent rocket science. But they do require a commitment to make changes in your mindset and in your life.As Martha Beck explains, Sparking your incredibly powerful creative faculty is the reason you make a vision board. The board itself doesnt impact reality what changes your life is the process of creating the images - combinations of object s and events that will stick in your subconscious mind and steer your choices toward making the vision real.Susan Steinbrecher, CEO of the Texas-based management consulting firm Steinbrecher and Associates, writes in Entrepreneurthat Essentially, creating a vision board or using a vision journal means you are projecting your own productive endgame.But it would be foolish to believe that just because you consistently visualize something, it will magically appear on your front doorstep. Your vision must accompany steps to bring your dreams to fruition. The vision board or journal simply acts as a catalyst for change. It is always a balance between vision and action, she explains.Shoot for the starsDont let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big. Only you know what you want the most, so have no shame Load your board(s) with things that will spark your creativity, and help you come up with ways to achieve those goals. After all, lifes too short to limit yourself.

5 Employers Awesome Quotes About Work Flexibility FlexJobs 10th

5 Employers Awesome Quotes About Work Flexibility FlexJobs 10th5 Employers Awesome Quotes About Work Flexibility 10thOne of the recent arenas where we heard great quotes about work flexibility was at the TRaD Works Forum, a-sponsored event held in Washington, DC. The forum gathered proponents of flexible work together to exchange insights on the challenging and benefits of telecommuting, remote, and distributed (or TRaD) work.Check out these awesome quotes about work flexibility from five major flexible employersJennifer Jones Newbill Director, Global Employment Brand atDellOur employees really value flexible work Our employees have told us time and time again that they appreciate being treated like adults. They like to self-monitor, and that would include how they pace themselves, what times of day they work, where they choose to work from.The power of my kollektiv right now is that were global We really bring a powerful collective by not all being in the United States, sitting in t he same building together If we were doing what we are doing with 10 people, all in the U.S., all in the same office, all in Texas, I dont think we would be as cohesive and strong as a kollektiv. How people work or want to work is very unique and personal to them.About DellA global technology leader since the company was founded in 1984, Dell has offices around the U.S. and globally, and has long been a leader in workplace flexibility. Headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, Dell has more than 100,000 employees worldwide and offers job flexibility including part-time, compressed work weeks, flextime and remote positions.Recent flexible job titles at Dellbusiness development consultant accounting senior analyst software sales engineer credit advisor IT systems integration consultant solutions principal. Click here for current flexible job openings at Dell.Amy Freshman Senior Director, Global Workplace Enablement atADPIt is about workplace flexibility. Its about giving our associates the opportunity to be who they are as an individual, whether that is a community member, a spouse or parent, or anything in between. That flexibility has come to be very important for our associate base.About ADP ADP specializes in human capital management and business outsourcing solutions. Established in 1949, ADP today employs more than 60,000 people and has operations in more than 40 countries. Flexible job options at ADP have included part-time, work-from-home, and flexible schedule options.Recent flexible job titles at ADPsocial medial analyst lead technical security analyst print and insertion operator employee service representative vice president strategic advisor payroll specialist. Click here for current flexible job openings at ADP.Mika Cross Director of StrategicCommunications, Digital and Public Engagement atU.S. Department of LaborHaving a choice and a suite of flexible options that employers can offer their workforce is extremely important, especially when you are cons idering the generational differences of five different generations in the workplace.About U.S. Department of LaborA federal agency, the U.S. Department of Labor works to ensure and promote the rights and welfare of wage earners, job seekers, and retirees. The agencys mission includes oversight of work-related benefits and rights and improving working conditions for people at all levels of the U.S. labor force. Work flexibility at U.S. Department of Labor includes remote and part-time jobs .Recent flexible job titles at U.S. Department of Laboreconomic assistant attorney advisor librarian program analyst safety and occupational health manager workers compensation technical specialist. Click here for current flexible job openings at U.S. Department of Labor.Nicole McCabe Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion atSAPYou are enabled to really attract the best talent to your organization. If you are not limited by a specific office location, you can look anywhere in the country or an ywhere on the globe. We all know that life can throw you curves and the ability to be flexible and react to that is huge.About SAPHeadquartered in Walldorf, Germany, SAP is a global leader in enterprise application software. SAPs workforce of more than 65,000 employees serve clients in 180 countries. Options for work flexibility at SAP include part-time, freelance, and work-from-home jobs.Recent flexible job titles at SAPcloud platform sales specialist cloud analytics principal consultant user experience visual design specialist marketing executive translator senior Java software developer general business pre-sales specialist. Click here for current flexible job openings at SAP.Peter Yobo Ideation and Innovation Consultant andMillennial Voice atPricewaterhouseCoopersIf you need to blend work into your life, we want to be there for you and we want to invest in that.Theres a great opportunity to begin to explore how we create an environment that is safe for people who want to have c onversations about flexibility, who want to be flexible, vs. fighting that change.About PricewaterhouseCoopersPricewaterhouseCoopers is a multinational professional services leader and one of the Big Four accounting firms.The more than 200,000 professionals at PricewaterhouseCoopers provide tax services, audit and assurance solutions, and business consulting. Committed to work flexibility, PricewaterhouseCoopers offers a flexible career advancement program and offers work flexibility such as seasonal, temporary, and alternative schedule jobs.Recent flexible job titles at PricewaterhouseCooperstax financial services senior associate team assistant process assurance senior associate seasonal tax senior associate seasonal tax financial services senior associate seasonal real estate experienced associate seasonal assurance technology senior associate.Click here for current flexible job openings at PricewaterhouseCoopers.Readers, what are your thoughts about workplace flexibility? Join t he conversation and add yourquotes about work flexibility belowCelebrate with us Visit the 10th Anniversary Pageto register for our webinar How to Find a Flexible Job with CEO Sara Sutton and to enter our contest with over $3,600 in prizes