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...
about 2 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...
about 2 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...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Have you ever procrastinated on client work? Like, you know you need to do it (especially if its deadline is looming). But you just keep dragging your feet. I know I have. I would do something else—reply to messages, read the news, scroll Twitter/Reddit, play a short game etc—anything else except the thing itself, until I have no other places to get dopamine hits from and am left to reluctantly grit my teeth and get on with it. Why does this happen? Upon reflection, I've concluded...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, How are we approaching mid-September already? While I'd like to say I'm surviving and thriving, the flavour of the month for my work situation feels more like "crying and dying". I read about other freelancers writing 4 articles and refreshing other articles in one week and I go, seriously, how do they do it? Lol. Anyway, I wanted to share 4 free(!) tools whose existence I'm so thankful for. Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to share this iconic line from the Pokémon games: So,...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, (In my previous newsletter, I mentioned not being able to find YouTube's built-in setting for viewing a video's transcript. I found it! You have to click to expand the video’s description, and then scroll to the bottom to click the “Show transcript” button. Now, on to this week's email.) Prospecting for clients is like planting seeds. You plant your seeds and water them. Then, you wait. Despite your best efforts, some seeds will never sprout. (The prospect ignores you.) Meanwhile,...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I'm trying to get better at spending money. It's so hard, because: My business' money is still my money, unlike how employees generally don't think of their company's money as their money It seems we're brought up to save, save, save as much as possible because whatifeverythinggoeswrongandIneedmoneyhelp! But spending money on the right things can be life-changing Take interview transcription, for example... In the past, I was a cheapskate who transcribed interviews using YouTube's...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Pop the champagne, because today marks my second year of full-time freelancing! 🎉 Keeping calm and carrying on This second year felt a lot calmer than the first. It's probably because I've been working on fewer projects after losing several clients last year. (I just checked: over 120 projects versus 180+ in my first year.) This isn't a completely bad thing, though. Having fewer clients means having fewer client requirements to manage and remember (e.g. Client A uses this project...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Even though I generally don’t bill by the hour, I still record how long I spend on each writing task. I track time using the Toggl app. I activate its timer just before I start writing something. Then, when I’m done writing, I stop the timer. Rinse and repeat. On one day earlier this week, for example, I spent about 4.5 hours working on three tasks: I also label each time block with the project I’m working on and the work I did. This way, for any given project, I know: How long I...
5 months ago • 4 min read