Hi Reader, When would you like to be paid for work? Probably as soon as possible, right? If I can, I'd want to be paid upfront before I start work. And in full. Unfortunately, I don't always get my way. Some clients, like big organisations and government agencies, have established finance processes that involve: Minimum 30-day payment terms (or longer 🫠), and/or Accepting invoices only after the work is completed If I want to work with them, I have to follow their playbook. This is usually...
21 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I recently renewed two client contracts for another year. 🎉 Here's my process for this in case you have a contract ending soon and want to increase your chances of getting it renewed. My renewal plans start when I sign the contract The contract usually states an end date for the engagement. So, after signing the contract, I immediately add a new to-do list task to follow up on contract renewal. I set the task's date to at least one month before the contract's end date. This way, I...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, PSA: I'm conducting a free workshop about contracts for Singapore-based freelance coaches on 27 Feb. More details below if you're interested! I've been getting more inbound leads for email marketing work ever since I was certified as a Kit email expert. I receive a few inquiries every week on average. Some people provide detailed write-ups of their issues, while others' descriptions are as short as three words. If I can't help or am not keen on the project, I'll politely turn it...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, PSA: I'm conducting a free workshop about contracts for Singapore-based freelance coaches on 27 Feb. More details below if you're interested! Sorry for sending this a week late. I was caught up in Chinese New Year festivities last week. Happy CNY to you, if you celebrate! 🍊🍊 In today's email, I want to talk about...how I handle my emails. 😂 I reply to emails in the morning This is a personal preference. Some people I know like to use their mornings for focused work because they'll...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, First newsletter of 2025! I hope January has been treating you well so far. As promised, I wanted to share a bit about my overseas trip last November. This trip was to attend a conference called brightonSEO San Diego, which is in—as its name suggests—San Diego. I'm based in Singapore, which is roughly on the other side of the world. So, why did I fly all the way to the US to attend the conference? Because I won a free ticket for it...in Februrary. 😂 You have no idea how many months...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Heya Reader, It's been a while! I sent my last newsletter more than a month ago because I was travelling (more about this in a future newsletter 👀). And then, I was almost immediately sucked back into the work grind. I thought December would be a chill month, but apparently not 🥲 Anyway, with 2024 ending soon, it's time for the annual year in review, where I look back at the year's highs and lows! Here are the things that stand out in my mind: I started this year on a not-so-good note I was...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, I've always felt the need to diversify my revenue instead of relying on writing to bring in the money. Because the competition can be stiff and businesses may slash their content budgets. And of course, I can't ignore AI, which has already taken away work from writers. And I've diversified. Though not in the way I planned. 😂 I toyed with the idea of offering freelance coaching late last year. I did a trial session to see what this would be like, but didn't go further than that (for...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, October has been a crazy month work-wise and I have constantly been reminded of two boundaries I need to stick to. So, here are my two DON'Ts that you could apply to your freelance business, too: 1. Don't take on more work than you can handle It's tempting to say "Yes" to every opportunity that comes your way, for reasons like: Wanting the money Fearing that saying "No" now means the client will disappear for good Not wanting to let the client down, especially if you like working...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, It's the start of a new quarter (October to December). So, I've been reviewing my net profit for the previous quarter (July to September) and deciding how much of a bonus to pay myself 🤑 Here's a simplified look into my bonus-paying process. Check my net profit At the end of every quarter, I pay myself a bonus out of my net profit (i.e. income minus expenses) for that quarter. Finding out my net profit is easy. I just open my accounting software and generate a profit and loss...
6 months ago • 3 min read