Every Wednesday, we will do a roundup of news that we feel would be of relevance to our readers. These articles come from other sites, as we cannot possibly cover anything and everything that would be of interest or relevance.
5 Economic Trends that Affect Freelancers - Freelance Folder - The economy is affecting everybody, including freelancers. This is driving up the needs for companies to hire freelancers, while driving more people to dive into freelancing. From the perspective of the self-employed, it's not as bad as it could be.
20 Creative Examples of Business Cards - Fuel Your Creativity - Okay, this one doesn't exactly relate to freelancing, but it's always nice to get an injection of creativity every once in a while. Could freelancers and solopreneurs get this creative with their business cards?
Freelancer's Guide to Building a Brand Identity from Scratch - FreelanceSwitch - When you are a freelancer or a solopreneur, you are your brand. You are the face of your company. How do you create a personal brand that's reflective of who you are as well as the products/services you offer? This article is a nice how-to in building that personal brand from the very beginning.
How to Love Your Nightmare Clients - Mens with Pens - This is a must-read for anyone who's had a nightmare client (read Clients from Hell if ever think you've seen/heard the worst of it). It illustrate's that with nightmare clients, the silver lining is in learning what makes a nightmare client, and how to handle them as a professional.
Inside the Mind of a Freelancer [Infographic] - Mashable - Infographics are always fun when they are done well, and this one is done well. It turns out that freelancers are happy people, and that a majority will make more money in 2012 than in 2011. But, we all knew that already, right?
Using Whiteboards to Stay Organized: Low Tech, High Satisfaction - Wordcount - I've had a whiteboard sitting next to me for over eight months now, and I have no idea what to do with it. It used to help me keep track of freelancing projects, but since I'm not exactly freelancing anymore, I have little use for it. Until I read this article.
8 Things I Wish I'd Know Before I Became Self-Employed - Freelance Unleashed - I'm sure all of could come up with our own list of eight things we wish we'd known. My personal favorite from this list is, "Personal growth is a daily activity." If you're not growing each and every day as someone who is self-employed, then how to do you expect to be good at what you do and to be successful?
You Know How to Write Great Content: Should You Start Your Own Blog? - Freelance Writing Gigs - Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes! Whether it's a personal or a professional blog, if you write well and are able to blog consistently, then there really isn't a reason not too. Plus, it's easy to set up your blog and get started!
How to Run Your Freelance Business like a Corporation - Elance - Let's face it: as a freelancer, you are a business too. It's can be too easy to let clients run all over you just because you are a one-man operation, or to get caught up in the work without looking at the processes you use to complete the work. However, corporations worry about those things too, and treating yourself like one may help you be a better freelancer.
9 Great Ways to Capture Your Most Creative Ideas - No Matter Who You Are - Renegade Writer - All freelancers and solopreneurs have to spend time brainstorming once in a while, or coming up with a good idea to handle a tricky situation. This article outlines some great ways to find good ideas, or at least keep one eye open for them.
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