15 Helpful Blogs No Freelancer Should Forget
Compared to other professionals, freelancers seem to be a separate beast. They're even a different breed than the rest of the online community. They pay whatever costs are required to be their own boss. Most became freelancers after having evolved to the point that the corporate shackles became more than uncomfortable, and they longed to break free and blaze their own trail. This evolved being now has mostly the same basic needs as the rest of the online community: feeds, /home, networks. But the freelancer seeks a different type of Web experience.
You see, freelancers want to maximize their time online at every opportunity, to establish or build their business. They make contacts, hone their skills and solicit or share advice with others in their field to grow their businesses and create opportunities. For them, the online community is a kind of Freelance University, where they find mentors to lead class discussion and clients to assign projects.
Below is a collection of some useful websites that no freelancer should do without. Whether because of the awesome resources and information contained therein or the oodles of opportunities they promise, these 15 blogs should be at the fore of any freelancer's mind as they find their way in cyberspace.
Freelance Folder
Freelance Folder is a multi-author blog dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and freelancers. Whether you’re a blogger, writer, publisher, designer, artist, small-business owner or entrepreneur, Freelance Folder is for you. You will find articles that provide you with the tools and information that you need to succeed!
Outstanding Posts from Freelance Folder
3 Things Your Customers Won’t Tell You … Unless You Ask 5 Easy Ways to Start a Productive Day How To Get Your Clients to Take You Seriously Ten Tips To Stay Motivated — Even When You Really Don’t Feel Like Working Building Your Portfolio With Zero Clients & No Spec WorkGet More from Freelance Folder
Visit Freelance Folder | Subscribe to Freelance Folder | Follow on TwitterFreelance Switch
Freelance Switch is a community of expert freelancers from around the world. If you’re a freelancer, whether a young buck or seasoned veteran, this is the place to get all of the information and support you need!
Outstanding Posts from Freelance Switch
How Freelancers Can Use Active Listening to Improve Business How to Tweak Your Home Office to Be Productive Full-time 10 Ways Freelancers Can Get Help and Support How to Handle a Missed Deadline Errors and Omissions Insurance: Do Freelancers Need It?Get More from Freelance Switch
Visit Freelance Switch | Subscribe to Freelance Switch | Follow on TwitterAll About Freelance
Well, the name pretty much says it all. All About Freelance is just that, a great resource for freelancers new and old and covers all things in the freelance arena.
Outstanding Posts from All About Freelance
Freelance Advice: The 4 Hour Work Day… Freelance Inspiration Does Not Necessarily Mean Freelance Motivation… Freelance Design Tips – Don’t Be Too Available… Noise Canceling… Freelance Design, 101: Touch Every Project, Every DayGet More from All About Freelance
Visit All About Freelance | Subscribe to All About Freelance | Follow on TwitterBloom - Freelance Business Management Advice
Visit Bloom Blog | Follow on TwitterWake Up Later
Wake Up Later addresses website-building, freelancing, blogging and online entrepreneurship. It covers a variety of topics, from freelance tips and programming to SEO and Internet marketing. It is a growing repository of Flash, audio and other stuff that are free for personal and commercial use. And it encourages the sharing of ideas and experiences through interviews and groupthink.
Outstanding Posts from Wake Up Later
10 Useful Tasks for Slow Times Get Smart: 12 Free Educational Resources for Web Workers Deciding When to Use Project Pricing Setting Guidelines for Turning Down Freelance Work Client Communication: The Most Important Part of FreelancingGet More from Wake Up Later
Visit Wake Up Later | Subscribe to Wake Up LaterAll Freelance Directory
All Freelance Directory is a directory and blog aimed at freelancers, consultants and the self-employed. It offers advice and many helpful tips and resources for home-business owners.
Outstanding Posts from All Freelance Directory
Getting Started Freelancing While Keeping Full Time Work Position Subcontracting Out Your Freelance Work 20 Ways to Promote Your Freelance Services Using Forum Marketing Techniques The Freelancers Guide to Setting Deadlines Freelancers’ Guide to Time Management: Setting Limits On How Much You WorkGet More from All Freelance Directory
Visit All Freelance Directory | Subscribe to All Freelance DirectoryFreelance Venue
Freelance Venue is where freelancers can network. Join the Freelance Forum and connect with other freelancers on the Web. The website is dedicated to anything about freelancing: working at home, business opportunities, money-making opportunities and so much more.
Outstanding Posts from Freelance Venue
How to Get Traffic or Visitors To Your Website WITHOUT Google! How to Get Started in Freelance Graphic Design Have You Already Set Goals For Your Business? Here’s How to Setup Business Goals How Entrepreneurs Succeed With Their Business Freelancing: A Business That Still Thrives in a Down EconomyGet More from Freelance Venue
Visit Freelance Venue | Subscribe to Freelance VenuePro Freelancing
When people hear the words “freelance writer,” they often think of a starving individual tapping away at a keyboard for hours on end. While Pro Freelancing owner Chad does love typing away, he has accomplished a lot in his short time in the business and has built a successful foundation for his long career ahead.
Outstanding Posts from Pro Freelancing
Stop the Madness and Start Hand-Picking Your Clients Always Make Your Purpose Greater Than Your Paycheck Why Aren’t People Buying Yet? 5 Secret Habits for Success How To Turn Your Dreams Projects Into RealityGet More from Pro Freelancing
Visit Pro Freelancing | Subscribe to Pro FreelancingPodcast for Freelancers
The Podcast for Freelancers (which, ironically, also includes a blog) serves all those who currently or aspire to freelance. Whether you're freelancing or want to, this website will help.
Outstanding Posts from Podcast for Freelancers
7 Reasons Why It Sucks To Be A Freelancer 6 things to do when your ill 5 ways to make your clients happy Q & A: How to move away from the Job Boards 10 tips for freelance twitter-ers.Get More from Podcast for Freelancers
Visit Podcast for Freelancers | Subscribe to Podcast for Freelancers | Follow on TwitterSelf Employed Blog
The Self Employed Blog was created to share ideas, products and opportunities that help others move closer to their dream of being their own boss. The content focuses primarily on home-based businesses run on the Internet.
Outstanding Posts from Self Employed Blog
Why You Should Create Your Own Info Product Ebooks Should You Start Freelancing? Pros and Cons of 3-Way Calling in Network Marketing How to Keep Making Progress in Your Business and Life No Risks, No RewardsGet More from Self Employed Blog
Visit Self Employed Blog | Subscribe to Self Employed Blog | Follow on TwitterSocial Media Rockstar
Social Media Rockstar is another fantastic resource for freelancers who need a little guidance navigating the social media landscape, because social media is so key for freelancers.
Outstanding Posts from Social Media Rockstar
6 Tips for Creating “Sticky” Social Relationships How to Build a Strong Reputation With Blog Comments Is Social Media Marketing a Rat Race? 5 Signs You’re NOT a Social Media Expert, Yet A Brief History Of Social MediaGet More from Social Media Rockstar
Visit Social Media Rockstar | Subscribe to Social Media Rockstar | Follow on TwitterZen Habits
Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so that we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing and find happiness. Zen Habits features three powerful articles a week on such topics as simplicity, health and fitness, motivation and inspiration, frugality, family life, happiness, goals, getting great things done and living in the moment.
Outstanding Posts from Zen Habits
The Only Way to Become Amazingly Great at Something How to Stop Being a Workaholic Coding Simplicity: How to Avoid Feature Creep in Your Life How to Defeat Burnout and Stay Motivated The Habit Change Cheatsheet: 29 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a BehaviorGet More from Zen Habits
Visit Zen Habits | Subscribe to Zen Habits | Follow on TwitterPersuasive.net
Persuasive.net offers a wonderful way to learn persuasive communication, providing compelling articles without the fluff that usually accompanies content from trainers in the personal development industry.
Outstanding Posts from Persuasive.net
Use Conversational Hypnosis To Be More Persuasive It is Written All Over Your Face: Understanding Facial Expressions What Gets Buyers to Say “Yes, I’ll Buy?” How To Handle Objections, After You’ve Made The Sale The Difference Between Being Influenced and BrainwashedGet More from Persuasive.net
Visit Persuasive.net | Subscribe to Persuasive.net | Follow on TwitterThe Simple Dollar
The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare 500 mutual funds; we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.
Outstanding Posts from The Simple Dollar
The Best Money Advice, in Ten Words or Less When Is Frugality Stealing? Teaching Money Management Through Self-Responsibility 24 Ways to Save Money TodayGet More from The Simple Dollar
Visit The Simple Dollar | Subscribe to The Simple Dollar | Follow on TwitterSix Pixels of Separation
Six Pixels of Separation is a blog by Mitch Joel. Mitch brings you digital marketing, new media and personal branding insight, provocations and foreshadowing from his always on, always connected world.
Thanks for the info. I have not made the switch to freelance yet but when I do, I’ll know where to look :-)
Hi this is really useful will pass to all my freelance friends and colleagues I’d only heard of 4 of them so proves I’ve been missing out!
Thanks
Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback and kindness! Glad the post is proving useful.
Great and useful post. There is another site, http://www.elance.com that I think should be included. And, though it is a shameless plug, I also run an artist site called ArtAnywhere.com where artist can lease out or sell their work. Since artists are in a way freelancers too, have a look and let me know what you think. Always happy to get feedback. Thanks for this set of tools and links.
Thanks for reminding me about these freelancing sites, life gets so busy trying to produce your own work and blog and you just sometimes forget about some of the really cool stuff others are doing…
Thanks for the reminder…
Rob, what sites are good for employers looking to hire freelancers? I am especially interested in medical writers and editors, as well as graphic designers (both print & web).
Thank you!
Some of these are among my favorites to read, but a few I’d never heard of, so thanks for sharing! I feel so grateful as a freelancer that we have this wonderful online community! :)
so helpful :) , thank you .. now following some of them on twitter
i like Zen habits the most
I quess I have a question and im new to this I have done photography for the last ten years and am certified should I be taking photography at the Art Institute of Chicago or should I just move forward with digital designs
Like many others I’m partially freelance, and these sort of resources are utterly invaluable. Where would we be without the internet, and without posts like this?!
thank you ….