Freelance Graphic Designer: How Self-Disciplined Are You?

One popular reason for an office employee-turned-freelancer is because he wants flexibility in terms of employment. But flexibility does not mean no discipline. In any situation, whether as an office employee or a freelancer, discipline is one of the keys to success.

When I was working in an office, a boss or a leader, however, had 'forced' me to stay disciplined in the office routine. What about when I have decided to work as a freelance? Disciplining myself is an absolute thing. So, if you think that you can succeed as a freelancer without self-discipline, think again. well now the question is: what your level of self-discipline is?

Here are 5 marks of a Self-Disciplined Freelancer,

Signs You Have Discipline About Your Self

You've managed to avoid excessive shopping habits

Yes, a freelance also means an uncertain income. It was very different from office work that in fact you receive your salary in a timely manner. If you already have 2 bank accounts (one for day-to-day needs and the other for saving) this means that you are disciplined enough. Set a monthly budget for your everyday needs. When you receive payment from the client, get a separate fund for savings and spending. That way you can 'unload' accounts to be transferred to the account of expenditure when you have lack of orders or clients.

Your mood doesn't influence your work

You're not in the mood? You make an excuse to delay your work? Your clients going to hit the ceiling! Remember, your performance is closely correlated with your reputation. Being a freelancer means you have to work in a professional and responsible way. It is important not to miss the deadline that has been set.

You're not in the mood even to the idea yet? Do not wait for a better mood but be proactive to get rid of a bad mood. Maybe you'll want a refresher moment, perhaps by playing your favorite music, or maybe a nice lunch with friends? Do what's best for you until you return good mood, and your work will eventually be resolved.

You love to learn new things

You may some times be required to follow some specific training while working in an office. What is the purpose of all this training? Surely to increase your skills and mastery in a particular field.

When you become a freelancer means no HR department which will set your training schedules. You will determine for certain training courses or to add your own expertise. Get familiar yourself in self-development!

Pouting your clients-No More

Well, okay, maybe that annoying clients are wandering out there, but that does not mean a good reason to vilify them publicly (on forums, twitter, or facebook), instead of making you considered being defame a person's reputation. If there is a fellow freelance client asked about a certain reputation which in fact turned out to have worked with you, you should consider talking about using private line.

You put a lot of effort into maintaining healthy

Staying up late, eating late, eating potluck without considering nutrition, lack of rest, rarely exercise. With this kind of lifestyle, sooner or later, you will get sick.

Health is a major concern for freelancers, the completion / failure of a job only depend on yourself. Therefore adjust your lifestyle, maintaining healthy.

Now it's your turn, freelancers. how do you discipline your self?

Freelance Graphic Designer: How Digital Marketing Can Help Your Business

As entrepreneurs both in the real and virtual world, the success we have today can not be separated from how the marketing efforts we have done so far. As freelance graphic designers, marketing is needed to capture the target market or potential clients. Marketing is nothing but a form of our efforts in promoting products or services that we sell.

Digital Marketing is where you conduct business promotion and market reach through digital media online.

Marketing today has been greatly developed, modern and it is directly proportional to follow the development of technology which also has entered the era of cyberspace. The virtual world is no longer just linking people to the device as a source of information, but it connects people all over the world through the devices, and a variety of technologies such as social networking therein.

So, What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?

Type of marketing is called as digital marketing, where you do a promotion, search market through digital media online. By utilizing a variety of resources such as social networking sites, be it friend networking such as facebook, or specifically to build a professional network like the one being offered by the Linkedin. We can also market our product / service by displaying our portfolio through a blog, or through a personal website, there are several sites that offer free website builders.



It became public news that almost everyone uses the internet and do a search on what they are looking for through search engines like Google and Bing. Nielsen / NetRating has done research in 2008, that 73% of internet users use search engines to find products and services they need around them on regular basis. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to utilize the virtual world as the land to reap a potential buyer or user of our service. So the activities that you do in the virtual world can be recorded as a path that can give good feedback for all of our efforts as Graphic Designers.

9 Android Apps for Freelancers

Android. Yes! surely you must have been familiar with this new trend of the smart phone world. Either denied or accepted, Android 'virus' has managed to 'infect' the human world since it first launch in 2007.

For those freelancers, Android has become one super tool to help us work on the project. There have been many useful applications that can be utilized on Android.

And, those Android Apps for Freelancers are :

10 Android Apps for Freelancers

1. Swype and Swiftkey

Swype is a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods - at over 40 words per minute.

SwiftKey gives much more accurate corrections and predictions than other keyboards, because it’s powered by natural language technology. It understands how words work together, meaning very sloppy typing just works and the word you’ll probably want next is magically predicted.

2. Astrid and Wunderlist

Astrid is a perfect personal to-do list, even better when shared with friends. As millions of users have discovered, Astrid is more than just the perfect to-do list -- it's the personal assistant you've always wanted. Get your life organized and never miss a deadline with fun reminders, subtasks, lists, and widgets. Then access your tasks anywhere with automatic syncing across your phone, tablet, and Astrid.com.

We can also all use a little help to be extra productive -- use Astrid to collaborate on projects with your friends and loved ones. Divide up tasks for that trip you're trying to plan with your best friends… Astrid reminds them so you don't have to. And when your sweetheart picks up the dry cleaning, Astrid notifies you!

Wunderlist makes it downright simple to organize your daily life. Just create a list and start filling it with things that need to be completed. Keep track of your more important tasks with reminders and notifications. You can even create a new task for Wunderlist straight from your email inbox. Oh, and did I forget to tell you? Its free!

3. Timr

Timr is a comprehensive time tracking tool which easily adopts based on your needs. With timr you can track your Work- and Projecttimes easily, instantaneous and anywhere.

5. Concur

Concur is free mobile app complements our Web-based solution, allowing travelers to manage their entire business trip. From booking travel, to managing itineraries, to capturing receipts and submitting expense reports - employees can do it all at their fingertips.

6. TweetDeck

TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what's happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.

7. DropBox

Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!

8. Doodle

Doodle: You don’t have to stop using Doodle when you’re on the run. By using your mobile device, you can respond to a meeting poll, initiate a poll, and see all of your polls at a glance. That’s what the different mobile versions of Doodle are all about.

9. Zxing

ZXing (pronounced "zebra crossing") is an open-source, multi-format 1D/2D barcode image processing library implemented in Java, with ports to other languages. Our focus is on using the built-in camera on mobile phones to scan and decode barcodes on the device, without communicating with a server. However the project can be used to encode and decode barcodes on desktops and servers as well.

How to handle clients who don't like the work you've produced | Video Tips

Sure, the customer is king but let's face it, some of them are just irrational, difficult and downright horrible. Fortunately, they don't make up the majority. So, what do you do when you're faced clients who don't like the work
you've produced.

This video covers a few useful tips to help better how to handle clients who don't like the work you've produced. Demonstrates a few strategies for freelancers to deal with unhappy clients. This is for you Freelancers. Enjoy

What Inspires Freelancers at Work?

Working on a writing project requires commitment, consistency and also the ability to manage self-motivation. Not infrequently, the 'ghost writer' and a variety of other freelancer's professions will condition their environment in order to keep a good mood at work. What sort of things that could spur the creativity of the freelancer while working?

What Inspires Freelancers at Work?

Someone

Who's the person? The answer may vary depends on freelancer marital status. For those which are single, the 'someone' could be parents, brothers or sisters, boy/girlfriend or even their friends. As for freelancers which are married, the creativity trigger generally come from family members, spouses and children.

A Place

If you're an online freelancer and dreamed of traveling to a place, for example, to the holy city of Mecca, will certainly try it out so that the dream can be achieved. By imagining a situation as if it had been there, it is expected that spirit we will be encouraged in order to make it as a reality.

Time to Write

Writing at night, and during the day has its own impression of the 'ghost writer'. As with other areas of freelancers, most freelancer writer prefers to write at night. This is understandable because at night is a preferable condition where the atmosphere was fairly quiet, the brain can be relaxed with minimal interference from the environment.

Music

Some of copywriter admitted that their creative ideas can arise when working while listening to soft music. Some were excited when listening to rock music.

Appreciate Other People's Work

It is true that the freelancers world are not far from visual arts and literary arts. I personally feel more 'excited' while enjoying the photowork of freelancer photographer.

Last Month's Bill

I am sure this last way will be able to increase the creativity of the freelancer while working. By the time they're analyzing last month's bill (either telephone bill, electricity or credit card accounts) indirectly they would think something like: "oh, this month I have to get more jobs".