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Do you give free custom samples to potential clients?

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Betty in Contests and Spec Work, Freelance Business No Comments
Is there a free lunch?

One of my favorite websites for freelancers, freelanceswitch.com, published a blog post titled “Should You Create a Free Sample for New Clients” (April 30, 2012). That article was in turn based on a post on allfreelancewriting.com titled “Should You Provide a Free Sample to Potential Clients?” http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-news/commentary-analysis/should-you-create-a-free-sample-for-new-clients/#more-28872 http://allfreelancewriting.com/2012/04/16/freelancing/general/should-you-provide-a-free-sample-to-potential-clients/ I was disappointed that the authors of both […]

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Get inspired at creative conferences

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Betty in Conferences, Freelance Business, Networking No Comments

HOW Design Live – Boston 2012, a series of conferences put on by HOW magazine with other sponsors, is coming up fast. The extended early bird discount ends on April 30, so it’s a good day to sign up if you want to go. I’ll be there for the whole time, starting with the Creative […]

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Tax day, plus a bonus for the self employed

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Betty in Freelance Business, Taxes in the USA No Comments
Pay Your Taxes

It’s Tuesday, April 17, 2012. That’s tax day in the U.S. this year (because the 15th was a Sunday, and Monday was Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C.). For people with regular jobs, today is the last day to file your 2011 tax return unless you file for an extension. But you knew that. Bonus! It’s […]

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Time tracking technology

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Betty in Freelance Business, Freelance Q & A Recommends, Time Tracking No Comments
Time-tracking technology

I’ve talked about why it is important to track your time. The next question is how. I’ve moved from low tech to a high tech solution. When I first started out, I used a paper day planner. I bill in 15 minute increments, so I bought a planner that had one week on 2 pages, […]

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Tracking time keeps me on track

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Betty in Freelance Business, Time Tracking 2 Comments
Watch your time!

I’m always amazed when I talk to freelancers who tell me that they just estimate how much time they spent on a project, or have a time sheet that they fill in at the end of the day or end of the week. Or worse yet, who say, “I bill by the project, so I […]

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Should I charge a rush fee?

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Betty in Client Management, Freelance Business, Pricing & Rates No Comments
Run Rabbit, Run

Q: I just had a call from a client: he needs an ad created and it’s due to the newspaper tomorrow! As it happens, I’m free. But should I charge a rush fee? And how much do other people charge? A: It’s reasonable to charge a rush fee for such a fast turnaround. I know […]

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How much to set aside for taxes?

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Betty in Freelance Business, Taxes in the USA No Comments
Calculate your taxes before you owe!

As freelancers, we don’t have taxes withheld from our paychecks by our bosses. Which is awesome, because it means we don’t have bosses. It does mean that, in the U.S. at least, we need to be responsible and pay our income and self employment taxes on time. For many freelancers, that means paying quarterly taxes. […]

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Logo design contest

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Betty in Contests and Spec Work, Freelance Business No Comments
Design contests are a gamble.

I saw this last night, and it makes me … mad? annoyed? sad? A smallish city nearby is asking professional designers to submit logo designs (along with documentation showing that they are professionals). The top five get $200 plus a lot more work with only two weeks to adapt the logo for various uses. Then […]

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Sneaky mistakes

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Betty in Freelance Business, Mistakes No Comments
Don't cry over spilt milk. Clean it up and pour another glass!

I spent a few hours yesterday writing a proposal for a potential new client. I did some research. I figured out pricing based on my time tracking of previous projects and the brief from the potential client. I looked at the potential client’s current materials and thought about how possibilities for a redesign. I wrote […]

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How can I work odd hours without having clients contact me at odd hours?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Betty in Client Management, Freelance Business No Comments
Crescent moon watches while I work

Q: I thought that ‘freelance’ meant I could work when I wanted to. I get energized at night and crank out my best creative work from 10pm to 2am. My clients seem to think they can call me at any time, and who can blame them? They see that I email them at midnight! How […]

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About me

I'm Betty, and I created Freelance Q & A to share what I've learned as a successful freelance graphic designer.

I'm based in Boulder, CO and work with clients across the USA. You can visit my business site and see my portfolio at
Betty Taylor Design.

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