Ten Excellent Freelance Resources
Whether you are a writer, web developer, graphic designer or virtual assistant; there are more and more online opportunities every day for freelancers who want to work from home–either full time or to supplement their existing income. Here is a list of 10 excellent online resources that you can use to start and operate a successful freelance career, regardless of your industry.
1. One Word: Google
You can literally manage your entire online business for free using all the apps provided by Google, including real time document sharing, blogging software, email and an interactive calendar. Granted, some of the stuff is simple and has limitations; but if you’re starting out and aren’t familiar with a lot of the other apps this is a great “one stop shop” for everything you need.
2. Taxes for Freelancers
A comprehensive tutorial for calculating the taxes you owe, including depreciation on your home office and protecting your losses.
3. Creative Commons
A site which lets you license your photography or graphic designs with various levels of permissions. Creative Commons is a non-profit organization and offers their licenses for free, making it simple to protect your work and share it with others.
4. You Send It
No need to take up space in your email when sending bulky files. You can instantly send files up to 2GB to your clients using this free service. They will receive an email with a safe link to download your file directly to their computer.
5. Protolize
Web designers and developers collaborate and rank the best web tools for their work.
6. Form Site
A service with several levels (including a free basic) which allows you to create web-based surveys and forms to gather valuable information or register your clients for services, appointments, etc.
7. Fax Zero
Free internet fax service to send signed documents to companies who require a paper fax.
8. Free Contracts for Freelancers
Includes free templates, how-to articles, and tips for drafting your own agreement, regardless of the type of work you do.
9. Freelance Switch
A massive freelance community that includes a job board and message board for making connections. Includes an informative blog that will keep you up on the news affecting the freelance market.
10. Zoho
If Google Apps had a big brother Zoho would be it. This service provides an enormous array of business management tools that Google does not (yet), including invoicing software, document management, presentation software, a database creator, a customizable wiki…and much more. Pricing is very reasonable starting at $12 a month for up to three users.
Most of the sites listed here are either free or available a nominal cost. However, for each item on this list, there are at least twenty more similar sites out there with a loyal following. I would love to hear some comparisons between these sites and the ones you are using. Do you have a favorite place to search for freelance job postings? Are you using another form-building site? Is there something you’ve used that you think everyone should know about? Leave a comment and let me know.
15 Online Resources for Women in Business
A mere 90 years ago, women did not even have the right to vote in this country. Since that time, women have not only gained the right to vote but have made huge strides in every facet of society, including business. While there is still a long way to go to ensure women receive equal pay and are given the same opportunities as men; March celebrates women’s achievements and women’s history. In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s History Day (March 8), I’d like to highlight 15 excellent online resources for women in business:
1. Woman Owned (http://www.womanowned.com/)
WomanOwned.com was founded in 1997 by Christina Blenk as a resource for other women business owners online. As a new business owner, Christina shared with her visitors the wisdom that she was learning through her own experiences. She still owns and operates her own web development studio in Columbus, Ohio. If you want to find out more about how Christina started her business, take the Business Quiz - she developed the quiz and the commentary directly from her own experiences.
2. Count Me In (http://www.makemineamillion.org/)
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro businesses to million dollar enterprises.
3. Franchise Solutions for Women (http://www.womensfranchises.com/index.cfm/fa/about)
Franchise Solutions for Women is geared toward everyone, from the mother looking for supplemental income, to the career sales executive who wants to build her own empire using franchises as a foundation. The variety of franchises represented is the same that are available to men. The only difference is, Franchise Solutions for Women uses case studies and interviews to highlight women owned franchises with which women are finding noteworthy success.
4. Catalyst (http://www.catalyst.org/)
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business.
5. Freelance Mom (http://www.freelancemom.com/)
A community based site for work and home mothers and home business owners with a forum, business directory, and resource area.
6. Life Tools for Women (http://www.lifetoolsforwomen.com/index.htm)
A one-stop women’s resource center providing articles, books and links with the latest information on health, family & relationships, business, faith, personal growth, fashion, and home decorating. Life Tools. The goal is to provide busy women like you with practical resources that will help you find your purpose, build better relationships and achieve success in every area of life.
7. Women-21 (http://www.women-21.gov/)
Official government website offering resources for the 6.2 million women-owned firms currently employing 9.2 million people and generating sales of $1.15 trillion.
8. Mom Inventors (http://www.mominventors.com/)
The mission of Mom Inventors, Inc. is to develop, manufacture, and sell quality Mom Invented™ branded products throughout the United States and Europe; To help inventors take their products from concept to market by providing a highly informative, interactive community-based website and offering the best inventor-education services in the field; And, to highlight and publicize the historical and present-day inventive contributions of moms by both licensing products invented by moms and publicly crediting them for their inventions.
9. WomensBiz.us (http://www.womensbiz.us/)
Provides meaningful, up-to-the-minute information about women in business…to women in business and educates, inspires and connects top women professionals and business owners to one another and to give them a more powerful voice.
10. Women’s Business Development Center (http://www.wbdc.org/)
The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) is the oldest, largest, most comprehensive, and successful women’s business assistance center in the United States. They are nationally and internationally recognized for their responsive, innovative, and effective programs and advocacy efforts.
11. Home Based Working Moms (http://www.hbwm.com/)
Home-Based Working Moms (HBWM.com), founded in 1995, is a professional association and online community of parents who work at home and those who would like to. HBWM is an advocate for home employment & home business to allow parents to spend more time with their family.
12. Ladies Who Launch (http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/)
Ladies Who Launch is the first new media company to provide resources and connections for women entrepreneurs. Women are launching businesses at twice the rate of men, and they are doing it primarily for lifestyle reasons–they want more freedom, flexibility, and creativity in their lives. The Ladies Who Launch mission is to make entrepreneurship accessible to any woman with a project, dream or aspiration to start her own business and be successful. We have found a definitive link between launching a business and higher self-esteem and happiness; it is our hope that women will come to Ladies Who Launch and take advantage of our trusted community, tools, resources and success stories and live their dreams.
13. SBA Women’s Centers (http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprogr…wbc/index.html)
The women’s business section of the Small Business Administration; offers guidance, resources, information on funding and government contracts for women-owned businesses.
14. Working Mother (http://www.workingmother.com/)
Workingmother.com is the modern mom’s online resource for how to stay balanced–with style! With a focus on balancing work with family (while leaving time for you) they’ve gathered all the best solutions and recommendations they can to serve and inspire the working mother community. Workingmother.com covers health, careers, parenting, relationships, organization, beauty, fashion (and much more). Theirreader-generated momblogs have become an online forum for moms to make sense of the joy and exasperation inherent in being a working mom.
15. WWork (http://www.wwork.com/)
Dedicated to helping women-owned home-based businesses determine the best possible business for them and getting it established. Includes an excellent blog written by site founder Susan Smith.
Bookkeeping: The Entrepreneurial Buzzkill
Most entrepreneurs are visionaries. We have the ability to see the ‘big picture’ and make things work when we need to. We’re resourceful, creative, and motivated. But when it comes to the details, many of us come crashing down to earth with a resounding thud.
One of the greatest Achilles heels of small businesses is bookkeeping. In order for you to do it right, bookkeeping must be done on a daily basis. But very few people actually enjoy bean counting.
The fact remains; it is a necessity for any business - large or small - to keep basic accounting of daily transactions. Even if you have someone who helps you with your bookkeeping, tax preparation, or other filings, as a business owner you are required to have a basic working knowledge of the principles of bookkeeping so that you can maintain a process for keeping track of your income and expenses and audit the reports you are given by your accountant.
Thankfully, there are now more resources than ever that a business owner can access right from their computer. You can learn the basic techniques of bookkeeping, or brush up on your existing knowledge using these helpful (and free) internet articles and tutorials:
Top 10 Bookkeeping Mistakes Made By Small Businesses
http://www.allbusiness.com/accounting/methods-standards/4016-1.html
An informative article that can help you spot red flags in your small business bookkeeping methods.
How to Hire a Bookkeeper
http://www.bookkeeperlist.com/bookkeepers.shtml
This article will help you identify a bookkeeper that is professional, proficient, honest, and trustworthy.
SCORE Basic Bookkeeping Tips
http://www.score.org/fc_10.html
Simple but useful article from non-profit organization dedicated to helping small businesses start up.
Betts Best Bookkeeping Blog
http://www.bettsbestbookkeeping.com/
Bookkeeping Basics Blog
http://www.bookkeeping-basics.net/bookkeeping-blog.html
Beancounter Bookkeeping Web Tutorial
http://www.dwmbeancounter.com/tutorial/Tutorial.html
Free Bookkeeping Course
http://www.bookkeeping-course.com/
Remember, as a business owner, you are ultimately responsible for any mismanagement of your finances or tax filings. You have to know what is going on at all times. Successful businessmen have found themselves in court—or in jail—because they trusted the wrong person, or simply didn’t pay close enough attention to what was happening with their finances.
For all the work you put into your small business, it would be a shame to lose it because you aren’t willing (or able) to manage your basic bookkeeping.
