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8 Things Freelancers Need To Think About Before Something Critical Happens

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Being a freelancer has some incredible perks, but it can also be tough at times. You don’t always know if you’re going to get paid, and what exactly are you supposed to do if you fall ill and can’t work? Here are 8 things freelancers need to think about before something critical happens!

Getting Insurance

Getting insurance is possibly one of the smartest things that a freelancer can do. Insurance can help to cover you when you’re ill, even in the hospital, and you won’t be left in the lurch so badly if you can’t work. It’s a small expense to pay each month for long-term peace of mind!

Knowing Your Worth

Knowing your worth is crucial as a freelancer. Have you ever considered that you could be undervaluing yourself? Many freelancers make the mistake of offering really cheap rates to get clients, but this could be a huge mistakes. Your clients will want quality, rather than to save money. They want to make sure they get the most out of their money, so rather than trying to do the cheapest price, figure out your worth and make sure they get the best value for money. If they give you $3000 to design their new business website, make sure you design the best business website for that price imaginable.

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Finding Somewhere Suitable To Work

Finding somewhere suitable to work is imperative as a freelancer. Working from home is relatively cheap, but it can come with many issues. You can experience interruptions, find distractions, and find it difficult to separate work and home life. It could be better to lease an office – there are sites out there that make leasing offices easy for you. You need to consider what’s more important; getting things done in a healthy environment, or working in your pyjamas?

Keeping Accurate Records

Keeping accurate records is something every freelancer must do to avoid getting into trouble with the government. You must make sure you accurately record what you earn, what your business expenses are, and every other relevant piece of information that impacts your business. When it comes to filing your tax returns, you’ll need this information, and you’ll wish you had it if you ever get audited!

Building A Wonderful Reputation

You get a wonderful reputation by consistently producing quality work, pure and simple. You must do your best for your clients again and again, and this will help you in terms of recommendations and things like that. If you cut corners, chances are, your reputation will be mediocre at best.

Developing A ‘Paid Up Front’ Policy

A paid up front policy can be a little scary to reel out, but it makes sense when you have unpaid invoices to worry about. You should ask for a deposit at least from new clients or those who haven’t been to you in a while. This not only ensures you get your money, it shows you that a client is serious about the work.

Turning Clients Down

Turning clients down is sometimes something you have to do if you’re going to be true to yourself. You must be honest about limitations if a client asks you to do something you’re not comfortable or confident with. Clients are not as scary as they seem, and will respect you for being honest. You could even offer to refer them to somebody else who can do the thing you can’t. Who knows, the client might hire you anyway!

Knowing When To Take A Break

It’s too easy to exhaust yourself mentally and physically when you’re a freelancer. You must set boundaries for yourself and only break them in exceptional cases if you’re going to produce the best work and have a great work/life balance. You should take at least one day off and do not work on that day. Everybody needs some down time and a day off! During your work days, make sure you get up from the computer, stretch, meditate, go for a walk, or do something else to give you a break from the screen. It can be tempting to sit there and plug away to get things done as quickly as possible, but sitting in front of a screen for 10 hours without even having eaten lunch isn’t healthy at all. Never feel bad for taking a break!

If you’re a freelancer, make sure you make a note of these things today. The sooner you take them on board and implement them, the more your quality of life should improve and the safer your business will be!

Make Your Business Go Green And Save Money

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As a company being aware on the certain requirements needed of you to the environment is important. Ignoring these can lead to fines and legal issues.

With so many products and services to choose from, it has never been more important to differentiate you from the competition. Going green can land you on the Greenest Companies list making you stand out from the crowd.

As a company, you want the best for the environment but you also don’t want to get sucked into a money making scheme. This guides you to being able to go green and sustain an eco-friendly business.

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Recycling paper is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of being environmentally friendly. Reducing waste is the best step into reducing the amounts of waste produced through offices and operations. However, sometimes this isn’t always possible, and you will produce an excess amount of waste if this happens, look into an environmentally conscious rubbish removal company that will be able to recycle it for you. It’s a large and crucial part of beginning the business set up.

There are easy to use methods to put into practice for you to make your business greener. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s Greening now offer guides on what you and your staff can do together.

Equipment that isn’t in use can reduce energy by up to 25%. Computers that aren’t in use and switching off completely at the end of the day saves an extra 50%.

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If something doesn’t need printing then don’t unless it’s necessary. Communicate through emails and read on screen with devices instead of printing. Reducing use of fax- related paper rubbish. Start using a fax-modem as documents can be sent directly without requiring a hard copy.

waste carriers can hold more waste, think of using a commercial waste disposal. These hold more waste and are more environmentally friendly, not only this but the costs are more beneficial to the company.

Even if you’re located in a drought-stricken area, reducing water is an obvious way to saving money whilst conserving a valuable source. There is various way to reduce water usage, start by checking anything that needs fixing such as dripping taps and plumbing leaks. Instead look into low-flow toilets, another thing to consider is the use of eco-friendly hand dryers. There are plenty on the market that conserves energy by being efficient with the air usage.

If you plan on renovating the offices before you consider chucking away electrical items think about where to distribute them. Computers, monitors, tablets anything that is less than 5 years can be reused in the area by schools, other offices or charities. Be sure to check with what you can do with certain electricals before giving away.

Doing little things around the office can greatly improve the area you work in but efficiently helping on costs for your business. Over time you’ll see how they can benefit your company, you’ll also feel good knowing you and your team are working together to better the environment for years to come.

Strategize Your Work Environment And Ensure That It’s Working For You

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Interior Design And Layout

If your organization has a dark, dull, and gloomy appearance; it will affect the atmosphere and the mood and motivation of your team. Therefore, you’ll need to put together a plan of action regarding your offices or workspace, and how you’re going to design and decorate them. Natural light is the best way to boost moods and will impact the momentum and productivity of your staff; so let as much window light into the space as possible. You can learn more about the psychology of light and how it affects productivity here and gain some inspiration.Take down tired looking vertical and roller blinds and step out of the 80s and 90s to expose the light and any sun that may creep through. Your staff will appreciate the lift in the mood and feel of the office environment which will push them to work harder.

Keep paint colors as fresh and light as possible; it will help to enhance the natural light you’ve encouraged into the space and help to keep busy brains focused and clear-thinking. Don’t over clutter an environment with too much on the walls; motivational artwork, quotes, and targets are a great idea. However, an overly-crowded wall space will affect the clarity and thought processes of workers.

The layout of the desks, chairs, equipment, and other office furniture should allow the room to feel open and filled with air. Cramped and claustrophobic office environments, from furniture that’s too close together, will only stunt the abilities of your organization and your staff’s willingness to work hard. If a person wants to leave their desk the whole day due to feeling uncomfortable and squashed; their focus will not be on the task at hand, which will slow down your productivity and any results that you need. You don’t need to create a totally open-plan environment for your team; but bear in mind the size of surfaces, people’s storage solutions, and gauge the mood of the space before making any changes.

Exterior Maintenance And Refurbs

Alongside the interior space where your team keep your organization in full swing; your exterior will have a major role to play in the comfort, happiness, and productivity of anyone that walks through your doors. If buildings are left shabby, damaged, and unkempt, they can begin to cause damage to the inside of the property. Ensuring that your building is weatherproof will help to protect it from the element and any damage in the long run. Therefore, it’s worth seeking the help of commercial builders and industrial roofing contractors who will make sure the property is watertight and windproof; preventing damp, structural damage, and interior mold from affecting the smooth running of your business.

Maintaining the outside of the building will also help to improve its aesthetic appeal as people enter and leave the space. First impressions are crucial in the successful running of an organization, so make sure that as any potential clients enter your doors, they see quality and begin to grow confident in your business. Your team will also get a boost if they’re walking into a space they feel proud of; your organization needs to show that it cares about the details, so a tired looking exterior will never be good for business.

Make sure that you hire a commercial service to clean your windows regularly so that the light can continue to penetrate the inside space and the outside of your building will feel clean and tidy. Little touches, like your branding on new signage and hardy plants at the entrance, will also make a difference to the appeal of the building’s exterior. Make your company’s building a space that’s inviting and people will want to enter; invest in professional services where needed and carry out regular checks on the appearance so that you can fix what’s been changed as soon as possible.

Accessibility And Utilization

You will want your staff, customers, and clients to be able to reach the entrance of your building with ease so that nobody feels frustrated before the working day has even begun. Therefore, you’ll need to ensure that all of your paving, parking, and pathways remain tidy, clean, and safe. Make sure that outside surfaces are as flat and smooth as possible, and replace any wobbly slabs, stone, or brickwork. It will affect the aesthetics of your building as mentioned before, and will also ensure that everyone walks through your doors content and they won’t feel disheveled. You don’t want to risk a lawsuit either; you’ll be the one liable for accidents caused by potholes, broken walls and pathways, and badly maintained pathways, so invest wisely before you end up paying out.

Facilities, like bins and any parking meters and dividers, not only need to be provided but also need to be kept an eye on. If your exterior bins are overflowing, it can cause a health hazard and will upset visitors to your organization, so make sure they are emptied regularly. If you do have onsite parking with a meter; ensure that it works properly, so as not to frustrate and add stress to anybody’s day. If there are any problems; call the relevant help immediately and deal with the issue. Make sure that the maintenance and safety of the access and parking areas of your building are a priority; once these are up to a high standard, you can begin to think about the decorative aspects of the exterior space.

Money Saving Strategies For YOUR Business

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Whatever your business, whatever its size and whatever industry you operate in, you doubtless walk the same fine line as any other business, the line between maximising your profits and keeping your operational costs down to a minimum. All SMEs need cash, not just to pay their bills and vendors, but to give them the liquidity that can help their business seize vital opportunities for growth.

There are many and diverse ways of saving money, from using heat tape to save on plumbing costs to filling your office with energy saving fluorescent bulbs but, as with most things, the difference between success and failure is strategy. It’s not enough to implement a money saving measure, it’s important to monitor its effectiveness by monitoring its effects on costs over a quarterly or monthly period, enabling you to strategize accordingly.

Here are some money saving ideas that can benefit virtually any business.

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Outsource your marketing

Marketing is not a luxury or a frivolity, it’s a vital tool in ensuring your business’ reach and longevity and it’s not an area where you should skimp. You may not find it prudent to outsource your entire marketing strategy. A potent content marketing strategy, for example, will most likely be based around your personal blog, which relies on the uniqueness of your knowledge, insight and experience.

Marketing campaigns can be tailored to suit whatever budget you choose to allocate to it, although it’s worth noting that marketing is one of the most prudent investments you can make. It’s important to build a good relationship with a marketing firm you can trust. They should be able to show you examples of previous successful campaigns and all their costs should be transparent and explained upfront with no hidden expenses.

Negotiating with vendors

A good relationship with your vendors is important, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of your business. If your vendor isn’t rewarding your loyalty then it may be looking elsewhere. Vendors face difficulties with the economy as much as any of their customers, and they should be making efforts to incentivize your loyalty. Most vendors would rather negotiate a better price with their customers than see them defect to another vendor who may lure them in with a special introductory price.

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Substitute traditional advertising with inbound marketing

The world of advertising and marketing is changing. There was a time when small businesses were limited to advertising on local radio or in local papers or (if they were big spenders) on a local TV network. Now, SMEs have a medium through which they can get their message across for free… The key is getting their leads to engage with it. If you’ve allocated a budget to old media advertising, it may be worth considering re-allocating it to Search Engine Optimization or a Pay Per Click campaign. You can even grow your reach organically through your content marketing campaign. Youtube videos, blogs, white papers, slideshows and webinars are great ways of expanding your business’ reach at little or no costs.

Freedom And Business: How To Balance Both

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Everyone will have a different reason for why they go into business for themselves. For some, it has been a lifelong dream of making their own fortune, for others they just kind of fall into it. And for some people, it’s all about the freedom and flexibility that being your own boss brings. When you want to balance your life out equally with your work, running your own business is great. But, you can sometimes find that your business requires a lot of attention and dedication. So, how can you make sure that you’re able to balance your freedom out right?

Have A Strong Vision

Firstly, it’s important to have vision. Whether you have strong sustainability views, you want to make a difference in your customer’s lives, or you want to be able to have your own freedom in life, you have to keep that in mind. Business can suck you in and consume you, so it’s easy to lose sight of why you started out. But if you’re able to keep a strong vision, you should always be able to keep on track.

Set Strict Working Hours

When you run your own business, it is tempting to work flexible hours or whenever you feel like it. Whether you’re a freelance contractor or you have your own small office, it’s important that you set yourself office hours. Not only will it give off a level of professionalism to your customers and ensure that you’re more productive, but it will ensure that you’re able to keep your flexibility and leave your work at work too.

Blur Lines Finely

Next, you should feel comfortable by blurring the lines between your working world and home life. Some people say that you should keep them completely separate, but when you want flexibility, it’s often best to blur. Because your business can often boost your life. Take your work truck with BAK covers and head out of town with your family camping for a few days, just because you can. Take your other half on that corporate entertainment trip, just because you can. But just be sure that you blur the lines to benefit your life and enjoy your freedom, and not the other way around.

Always Be Productive

When it comes to balancing your freedom with work responsibilities, the best way to ensure that it always happens is to focus on your productivity. To do that, you may want to use something like a time tracking app to make sure you’re working to your full potential. It’s okay to be flexible and want to spend more time out of work than in, but you do need to make sure that you’re getting everything done in order to enjoy some freedom.

Know It’s Okay To Say No

And finally, you should also realize that it is okay to say no every once in awhile. If you started out on your own to enjoy more freedom and a flexible life, then you don’t have to feel obligated to tie yourself up with work commitments. You should have limits. That way, you can keep your freedom and enjoy the flexibility that comes with being a business owner.