Why the "Little Pleasures" That You Allow Yourself Might Be Hurting Your Cash Flow

As a freelancing professional, you work hard and are extremely dedicated. You always think of ways to craft a marketing strategy to attract new clients. You return your clients' calls as soon as possible, and you submit your work promptly.

But here's the deal: you realize that while "dry spells" are happening a lot less often in your career, your cash flow could still benefit from, well, a few tweaks here and there.

Plenty of people have aspired to turn freelance, but the ones who manage to stick and thrive in this business of being your own boss did several things radically. There will be a time when projects and assignments fly left and right, raising your confidence in your abilities and earning capacity.

But beware. This self-confidence might border on complacency, leading to a lack of budgeting and planning your finances.

Here's what you may need to do if your savings aren't as huge as you'd like it to be: evaluate your spending habits and see if you've been spending on items that may not cost a lot, but when added up after, say, a month, three months, or even a year, would have put a huge dent in your income.

To illustrate, when I started supplementing my writing with designing and selling greeting cards in 2007, the money came pouring in in ways I could never have imagined. I hit a nerve among employees in a corporate office that needed my prototype paper product, the gift card, and I found myself with a constant supply of jobs. 

I set aside small amounts with every sale, but I didn't think twice about shelling out Php200 on a thin-crust pizza and Coke every time I went out to replenish my supply of cardstock. My magazine reading habit reached an all-time high at that time, too.

For other freelancing professionals, three-figure lattes or having a sweet snack all too often might be the culprit. And think about this: a bag of potato chips might not cost much at Php14-Php16, but if you buy two bags a day, seven days a week, you would have spent roughly Php224.

So what's the solution to these "little holes in a freelancer's ship that might cause it to sink"? I'll give you a hint: it doesn't involve depriving yourself. Next week I'll give you practical tips on how you can enjoy on a freelancer's wages.

"Clip-less?" No Need to Worry! (Part 2)

I have mentioned that for newbie freelance writers, not having any clips (or published articles) to show magazine editors can pose as a hindrance to breaking into their target publication. But thankfully, there are many ways to obtain publishing credits.

While I can already consider writing without pay and blogging as "gold mines of a training ground" when it comes to getting some experience and honing your skills, here are three other ways you can secure those much-coveted clips: 

(3.) Ask a small business owner or entrepreneur if you can write a review about his products or services.

Over the last several years I've seen more and more businesses in their start-up stage peddling their wares through web sites, or social media sites like Facebook to save advertising costs.

If you see yourself writing for trade or consumer magazines, making it easy for the buying public to understand what constitutes a good bargain, writing product reviews would be an excellent way to get started. Usually, reviews take no more than 300 or 400 words. 

(4.) Get some exposure by submitting to article databases found online.

When I was just starting out, I got published in databases like SelfGrowth and EzineArticles, which are two of the best known sites when it comes to article marketing.

The newbie freelance writer may not have too many resources in terms of cash reserves and time, so building a professional platform is crucial if you want to be taken seriously. 

Web sites like the ones I mentioned above allow members to create an account for free, and you will be asked to specialize on several topics, making it easier for you to be known in a particular subject (e.g. entrepreneurship, parenting, workplace etiquette, etc.)

(5.) Join online writers' groups and be open to having your articles critiqued by fellow writers.

I highly recommend looking in Yahoo! Groups, or join Writing.com , where I have been a member since 2010. As soon as you sign up for a free account, you will immediately sense the upbeat spirit in these sites backed up by stories and testimonials of writers of all stripes.

The rewards you'll get from online writers' groups stretch far beyond recognition for your work. You will mature by learning to take constructive criticism, and there are countless opportunities to encourage other aspiring writers as well.

"Clip-less?" No Need to Worry!

Experienced features writers for magazines are aware of the importance of presenting clips to editors of magazines and periodicals. For the newbie writer who'd like to make it as a contributor, a "clip" means any published article.

You can probably guess by now why editors require samples of your previous works. If it's your first time to try to break into their publication, the editor would at least like to know that he's not wasting his time reading your query. 

And when you have clips to show a magazine editor, it would be convenient for him to check if your writing style suits the publication.

But since we're talking about being a newbie freelance writer, having no clips would definitely make it hard for editors to sit up and take you seriously.

Fortunately, there are several ways to approach this problem if you really are determined. The following is not an exhaustive list, but just a few ideas to get you started: 

(1.) Volunteer to write for a community, church, or corporate newsletter.

Some people frown upon writing without pay, but volunteering is something a newbie must do willingly if he wants his articles to be seen in a magazine someday.

Writing for newsletters tops my list when it comes to getting some experience because people are the life and blood of communities, churches, and corporations. I did some volunteer work before, and it forced me to network with people, which led me to develop my communication and social skills.

Having said all of these, I'd like to give you additional advice: don't bother writing for free if you're going to deliver the article in a half-baked manner because you know you won't get paid. Think about volunteering as a training ground for you to get better at your craft, and you owe it to yourself to give it all you've got.

(2.) Start a blog.

In the past decade hosting services like Blogger and WordPress have become extremely popular among online users, and for good reasons: you can choose from a variety of templates and lay-outs that look clear, crisp, and professional, and you can even have them customized to suit the contents of your blog.

When publishing your own blog, avoid posting a hodgepodge of rants and ramblings, and unless you can offer some specialized knowledge about dogs or dog breeding, don't upload random photos of your pet.

A blog works best when you choose a topic and stick to it. All of us are knowledgeable about certain topics. But an even more important aspect of blogging is getting you to cultivate the writing habit.

Stay tuned for more in my next post.