Pens

Buy promotional pens! They are a fantastic investment. They really are one of those things that customers hang onto. This is most likely because we have all had that moment when we can’t find a single pen in the house. They’ll be reminded of your business every time they reach for a pen to write a quick note. This will remind them and also bring your business back into the front of their mind. Provide your business name, logo and information but don’t be afraid to get creative. You could simply go with your business colors or you could get a lot more creative. All you need to do is to take some time to consider your options. You want your product to stand out from the rest.  Along with 8 helpful tools for the productive freelancer you will always find pens an effective ‘pitching’ tool as a giveaway item when aiming to promote your business to the masses.

Magnets

Magnets are always handy. This promotional tool is in the eye sight of customers every time they enter the kitchen. It’s a great way to insure that your business information will be readily available for them. It won’t be hidden under tons of paper and most likely advertisements from rival businesses. You want to be the first and only business they think of.

Business Cards

Business cards are a must have. You need to have business cards readily available at any time. It’s always best to hand out business cards personally. You want customers to associate a pleasant interaction with your business. This means they will be more likely to hold onto the business card as well. By giving them a business card after having a conversation with them it also means you have provided them with more information. They will know from this if they need your services. Vistaprint business cards are free for first time customers so make sure you take advantage of this offer.

There are plenty more promotional too out there, this article merely lists the basics. It aims to get you thinking and considering a method of advertising that may have never crossed your mind. It’s easier and cheaper than you think. All you need to do now is consider what kind of item would promote your business best. All you need to do is ask yourself if it’s relevant to your business. The more refined you can be with your choice, the better the outcome will be when your operative goal is to promote your business.

Greetings, Nelson!

Written by Nelson Harris – Nelson is a bar owner in NSW, he often gives out promotional T-shirts to client just to keep clients to remember his bar whenever they see the T-shirts.

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Freelance Computer Engineering In Nicosia

Though most of us use a computer on a daily basis, all of us are not professionally equipped to know and understand what can be done with this machine and how it can be fixed if broken. The academic courses in the University of Nicosia offer guidance and knowledge that help to build a foundation in understanding computers and the various engineering technologies associated with it. You can get a degree in computer engineering in three parts. The first part is the bachelor’s degree where you need to study for 4 years.

In the next stage you get a master’s degree. But to enroll to this course you will have to complete the bachelor’s degree either in computer science engineering or in mathematics. Finally, you get the doctoral degree that is the highest rank available in this university. The courses are designed so that the students can study and at the same time engage in research work. They are guided by the elite faculty members who themselves are also continuously learning and trying to create something new. This makes the course all the more exciting as the students not only learn what is there in the books, but also things that are being researched in the present times.

Excellent Laboratories

There are well-equipped laboratories that help the students to utilize these machines as and when they want for study and development. There is a ready group of trouble shooters who are there to help especially during peak hours of the day when everyone wants to use these machines. Students who pass out of this university with a degree in freelance computer engineering technology find themselves in a very promising situation. They can get glorious and well paying jobs or they can continue to research in the university.

Many people take to teaching as this gives them an opportunity to teach and study at the same time. The university boasts of excellent staff, equipment and provisions that facilitate the education of students who enroll in these courses. The technology prowess in these countries is a step ahead of the other major countries pioneering in the field of education. The University of Nicosia hence forms a perfect destination for students who are looking at a blend of Culture, Technology & Recognition.

These Mediterranean universities have developed a great repute for themselves worldwide and slowly their influence is penetrating into student communities worldwide.  As you see, the growth of freelance computer engineering in Nicosia is exponential, with only a brighter future ahead.  Jump aboard the education wagon before your freelancing future falls apart.

Thanks To Our Contributor

I write on education/career building, avenues in education. Have been part of advisory committees across schools in South East Asia, India & Europe. I like staying abreast with what all is developing globally in the field of learning and science. I am a net enthusiast and I enjoy traveling.

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Less Pay, Less Effort

Freelancers already expect work will come sporadically, and with much lower final payment.  Article directories are being penalized by Google, meaning few requests for ‘spun’ content are left standing.  Professional freelance writing gurus are using two, three or five platforms simply to pull full-time incomes because clients are posting opportunities at ridiculously low rates per word.  Sure, Elance and oDesk are making huge profits with low overheads because they’re clipping 8-10% off the final job cost – just for allowing what amounts to be an ‘advertisement’ to exist on their website.  Newcomers to freelance writing are shying away from sites like this, and with merit.  All this transpires while freelance platforms scramble for piece of outsourcing pie they’re afraid will end up on someone else’s table.

When clients want quick content solutions at cheaper prices, content across the internet immediately becomes devalued.  Clients are after search position, freelancers are after sustainable employment – who wins?  Not the latter, as we’re experiencing with each passing day.  Writing 10k words each day is one thing; doing so for less than tipped employees make before tips is ridiculous, considering many freelance writing specialists have degrees.

Freelance Writing Is Depreciating

You’re working 12 hour days, busting out SEO articles for lesser pay than you’re worth, yet it appears that your pay is decreasing.  Not only did you settle for $4.00 per 500 words of flawless content, you get shafted when payment is due.  So it becomes an issue of morality: do I piss away my college degree in English simply to keep food on the table, or should I have followed the crucial resume advice for new college grads that I was offered years ago? Work collaboration sites, in an ostentatious display of greed, would rather allow your work to depreciate if making $5.00 of your final payment is imminent.

There’s nothing wrong with participating in collaborative environments where clients request ‘x’ amount of work, contractors complete said work beyond satisfaction while allowing the ‘host’ site to collect finder’s fees for providing the environment.  What makes the process unfair is getting these individuals on the front end, Uncle Sam gets them on the back end, and freelancers are left wondering what they’ll do with what little is left.  Reaching out to potential clients isn’t difficult if you know where you’re looking.

Seeking balance to avoid further depreciation of freelance writing, in general, is ultimately a burden which contingency employees must content with on their own, unfortunately.  If you’re feeling rode hard and put away wet throughout your online work day, make sure to keep open communication with your client, retain email addresses, and have backup plans in place should your chosen collaboration platform fall apart – this may turn depreciation into appreciation, albeit slow.

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1. Indemnity Insurance for Freelancers

This type of policy can also be referred to as errors and omissions insurance. It protects you from clients suing you due to an error in your work or an important fact being accidentally omitted. It can also afford protection to you if your freelance work involves making a certain product.

2. Homeowners Insurance

You should inquire of your homeowners insurance carrier whether your home office and equipment are adequately protected under your policy if there should ever be a fire or even a theft. You may need to obtain a rider to your current policy to provide you with the protection you require, and it is better to find this out before you need the insurance rather than after. You might ask your carrier about contents insurance, which is a specific policy applying to your home office equipment.

3. Business Interruption Insurance

If freelancers or their business is interrupted for any reason, such as a natural disaster, and your business income is affected, this type of policy can be very effective. Believe me, you need to learn about freelance work insurance before business interruption is imminent.

4. Health Coverage

You will need to acquire your own health insurance when you freelance, and it may take a bit of research on your part. If you are the sole or major breadwinner for your family, your insurance may need to cover your loved ones if they are not protected under any other type of policy. Check out the National Association for the Self Employed to obtain free quotes.

5. Media Perils Indemnity

Here is a policy that will offer you protection against libel and defamation suits, something that all freelancers are susceptible to at some point. It is something to consider if your work could put you at risk for anything of this nature.

6. Disability Protection

You will need some form of protection if you ever become disabled and cannot pursue your work for any length of time. With disability insurance, you can still count on having an income.

7. Auto Insurance Policies

If you need to use your auto for business, such as making a delivery to a client or attending business-related meetings, you should check with your auto insurance carrier to make certain these types of trips are covered under your policy.

8. Liability Coverage

You should invest in this insurance if you, or freelancers you know, have clients or customers coming to your home to conduct business. It is a policy protecting you if someone has a slip and fall or other type of accident on your premises.

Freelancing can be a rewarding way to earn a living. It is nice to be your own boss, but take care to have the proper protection so that all of your hard work does not go to waste.

Welcome, Charlotte!

Charlotte Fletcher writes for Monkey Insurance which has more details on different types of insurance.

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1. Don’t talk about how bored you are on social media.

Not only is this pointless, it makes no sense. Why tell the world you are bored? Are you expecting people to jump on your status and ask you to hang out? Must they help you in perfectly writing your first article because you’re too sidetracked? Personally the phrase “I’m bored” is a huge pet peeve of mine. The reason? You are in total control over your happiness. So if you are feeling bored, do something about it. Don’t rely on the social media world to alleviate your boredom. It never works. In fact, you just look like a huge complainer and now no one wants to hang out with you. Way to go, champ.

2. Don’t update your status every minute of every day.

I had a friend who did this. Do you know what happened to that friend? They got deleted off of my page. That’s right. De-friended. Just like that. Honestly, no one cares if you are going to the grocery store. Just like no one cares if you just got back to work after lunch. Why are you telling the whole world about it? I don’t understand.

3. Don’t take pictures of everything you do.

This one is so hard for people to understand. Let me spell it out for you: unless you are my future husband Adam Levine, then I do not care about your meals, your shoes, your manicure, the treadmill you are running on, your selfie, or anything else you do that day unless it is monumentally awesome. If you have to ask yourself, “Is this thing that I’m about to take a photo of monumentally awesome?” Then it probably isn’t frugal for social media inclusion.

4. Don’t ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ someone the second after you shake hands with them.

When I was in college, it was all about making new Facebook friends or gaining more Twitter followers. So people would meet me and then about five seconds later, I would have a friend request from that person. Don’t be that guy. If you are that guy, I will ultimately de-friend you later on in life. Unless you are monumentally awesome. Again, if you have to ask yourself, “Am I monumentally awesome?” Then you probably aren’t.

5. Don’t post pictures of how drunk you were that one night.

No one cares.

6. Don’t post pictures of you doing anything illegal.

No one cares. Except the cops. And then you will go to jail, a total social media embarrassment.

7. Don’t ‘friend’ your boss and then talk about how much you hate work.

I mean seriously? I see this all the time. People are always complaining about how much they hate work when their coworkers, boss, and CEO of the company they work for are all on their friends list. Are you stupid or do you want to get fired? Just don’t do this. Plain as that.

Thanks, Carly!

About the author: Carly is a blogger for Smith Monitoring, the leading Houston alarm company and provider of DeSoto home security. Carly specializes in all things social media including Facebook stalking and figuring out ways to get closer to Adam Levine.

The post The 7 Rules Of Social Media Everyone Should Live By appeared first on About Freelance.

Making Financial Sacrifices

To make it as a successful freelancer in any occupation, a person must be willing to make sacrifices. When bills come due, there may be times when money is a bit tight. Occasionally, one may need to take out payday loans to get by until the check from that last job comes in the mail. But despite any financial difficulties when starting out, most people who begin freelance careers say they would never go back to their previous jobs.

With the internet offering people more opportunities than ever to work from home while balancing family responsibilities, workers who like to work independently and have a wealth of experience can do quite well. In the beginning, freelancers need to be aware that money may be tight and jobs may be scarce. Often it can be something of a feast or famine atmosphere, with times when there may be plenty of jobs and other times when the well dries up. To increases one’s chances of success as a freelancer, it’s best to have some savings built up to help get through the slow times early on. Credit cards can also come in handy to get by on in the beginning, but be sure not to go overboard with them and wind up creating more financial problems for yourself.

Work Is Abundant

The good news for potential freelancers is that there is now more work than ever before for independent contractors, making the freelancing field one of today’s fastest-growing and lucrative professions. With no one to hold you back, the potential income is only limited by how many hours are spent working on projects. Nobody is around to limit how much you work, what you can work on, or when you work. Some people work during the day, others at night. So long as the work gets done, a person can work any schedule they choose.  Amongst the 8 helpful tools for the productive freelancer available today, keeping abundant work while avoiding cash-strapping yourself is the most vital.

When Times Get Rough…

Remembering that pay will now fluctuate, freelancers will have to be good at budgeting. Health insurance will no longer be provided by an employer, and will now be the responsibility of the individual. Freelancers who have a spouse working full-time may be able to be included on their coverage, saving a considerable amount of money. Retirement benefits will also be the individual’s responsibility. Being able to save some earnings and establish a retirement fund will provide lots of peace of mind while striving to meet those tight deadlines on the latest projects.

Despite having to juggle multiple tasks, produce top-quality work and sometimes worry about how to pay bills, most freelancers agree that once they get a taste of freedom, they never want to do anything else. Whether it’s a writer working on a magazine article, a computer programmer writing code for a business project or a graphic designer creating a work of art, freelancing is quickly becoming a way of life in today’s modern workforce.

This has been a guest post from Fon at Australia’s PayDay Loan specialists.

The post How Freelancers Make Ends Meet appeared first on About Freelance.

Ergonomics Are Affordable

The good news is that ergonomic furniture is no longer the financial burden it used to be. Regardless of price, the impact it will have on your employees’ health and comfort is worth the investment. Good ergonomic furniture has been shown to massively improve office productivity, boost freelancer morale and increase the happiness of employees in the workplace. Comfort is a big factor in the way employees work, as sitting on an uncomfortable chair for the majority of the day can cause discomfort that they can’t ignore which can be distracting and may lead to time off work for doctor’s appointments.

Ergonomic chairs are the most important piece of ergonomic furniture in an office. Most employees will spend the majority of their days sat down at their desks, so it’s important to give them the physical support they need. The main health benefit of an ergonomic chair is that it provides far superior back support than an ordinary office chair. This is because the backrest is higher and it mimics the natural curve of the spine, reflecting the natural sitting posture and not forcing people to sit bolt upright, which can put strain on the spine, hips and shoulders.

A lack of foot support is another problem. When the feet are left suspended or at an uncomfortable angle for hours, this can lead to problems with circulation and nerves in the feet and calves. Normal office chairs don’t have the right support for feet and legs, so an ergonomic chair will allow staff to adjust the footrest so that it’s at the right height for their legs.

Ergonomic Equipment

Ergonomic keyboards and mice are also becoming more and more prevalent in the workplace. RSI is a common complaint, which can be worsened by using cheap office equipment. If, instead, you opt for equipment molded to the hands and arms, ideally with some form of wrist support, injuries caused by repetitive actions can be greatly reduced, leading to healthier, happier and ultimately, more productive staff.  Writing as much as freelancers do means having utmost comfort for extended periods of time.

If you were to sit down and really think about it, you may be a little disheartened to realize just how much time you spend at your freelance office compared to the time spent at home. Everyone knows that productive freelancing in a home office means being comfortable. The truth is that the office is almost like a second home for the vast majority of us. This means that we should do whatever possible to make it as comfortable and inviting as possible. With this in mind, have you taken a look at your office furniture recently to upgrade to ergonomically correct chairs?

Meet David

David Tulley is an office consultant advising firms large and small on the best products and equipment in order to maximize workplace efficiency.

The post Why Freelancers Need Ergonomic Office Furniture appeared first on About Freelance.

However, for a website to incur a high rank in the search engines, the content in every page should not only be well-established, but also be competitive with other websites of the same niche. To enhance the content’s competitiveness, every page should have a engaging title. Basically, the title of the content is a key component that will help call the attention of the readers, and unless the content is well-written one, it will not be acknowledged by the readers. If every page has a very engaging title, then the whole website is more likely to be visited by more and more online users.

But how can marketers take advantage of such? Below are the following tips to consider:

•    Always be creative. Marketers who take advantage of content marketing for the search engines should know that they are establishing a business name, and it should reflect on the well-constructed content, as well as its title. As it is, the content should still be relevant to the title, but the latter should be as creative as possible. The title should also be something that will not be duplicated by competitors. As for readers, a title won’t be something that would result in them reading the whole article, but it will give them something new and interesting.

•    Consider making a title for content depending on the topic. Getting the attention of the targeted readers should lie on a well-though content title. It should contain appropriate words or phrases that won’t only identify the content itself, but will also spark the interest of the readers. However, one must consider constructing a content title based on the topic. There are narrative titles, which will help describe what the content is all about. Then there are distinctive titles, which will stand alone and can compete with other contents from other competitors even with the content itself.

•    Make a connection with the readers. Not only should the title be appealing, but it should also help establish a connection with the readers, especially if they are having difficulties on something. This is where the how-to’s and step-by-step articles come into play, and including such words and phrases in the title should work. It is also imperative to identify the problems that certain people are experiencing in order to come up with a relevant title.

Creating a title for content should be one of the topmost priorities in search engine marketing. Of the 5 professional jobs that will allow you to work globally in today’s economy, creative writing is perhaps the most demanding – meaning title creation is perhaps just one small component in a larger mixture. If the title is eye-catching and interesting, then everything else will follow: frequent visits and shares. It is through the article title that will dictate the success of the brand or the business website.

Welcome, James!

James Leonard is a specialist in search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing (SMM). With content writing as one of his passions, he is currently writing relevant articles for SEOP.com.

The post Using Valuable Titles In Marketing Content For The Search Engines appeared first on About Freelance.

Pre-planning Stage

Pre-planning features activities that should be put in place before assembling the team. The pre-planning stage is the backbone of the team and thus, unclear plans or lack of these plans can hamper the success of the team. Some of the factors that should be defined prior to team creation include:

1. Define the purpose and goals of the team

It is imperative to ensure the purpose of the team is clear. In this section a manager should decide the role of the team and individuals in relation to the desired change or outcome. A well defined purpose will act as the team’s guide when solving challenges and making decisions. Once the team’s purpose is defined, the next step is to break down the vision into smaller manageable tasks and goals. This is because it will be difficult and confusing for the team to work on the broader goal. In this section, the manager should outline the required tasks and schedule with clear responsibilities, milestones and deadlines.

2. Assemble the team and set expectations

With the purpose and goal clearly set out, it is the time to establish the team. The team members should have adequate skills and experience to deliver the set goals and expectations within the defined timeline.  An instrumental part of conducting risk assessments more efficiently on teams is meeting or exceeding predefined expectations; therefore, the selection process should consider only highly motivated individuals with a desire to achieve success. However, it is important to ensure the team is well balanced with different personalities and traits to ensure the team works harmoniously and the members challenge each other when necessary. It is also important to set out the expectations of each individual during this process. This will enable members to have a real measure of performance and thus, reduce subjective decisions.

Roll Out Phase

At this stage, the team is ready to start its project. It is necessary to make sure the team members have the same understanding of the project and have good relationships with each other. A mistake at this point can ruin all the hard work and thus, should not be left to chance. Some of the factors that should be resolved at this stage include:

3. Communication

It is important to ensure the team has clear and well defined communication channels among team members and within the organization. It is also important to make certain all team members are well informed of their roles and the roles of other members. Therefore, the first members’ meeting should include details of the project, expectations of the project, dispute resolution measures and the context of members. It is also necessary to inform members about control limits. For example, it should be clear to members who the group leaders are and what the monetary resources or time limitations are.

4. Monitor, review and reward success.

As the project moves forward observe the progress toward the established objectives, review the work of the team members and reward them for their successes.

Introducing Dee

Dee delights herself in freelance ghost writing while spending her time guest blogging/writing for various publications. She writes mostly about current events or trends in various industries.

The post How To Build An Effective Team appeared first on About Freelance.

Best of the Best

The featured article platform is used as a way to give credit to excellent Wikipedia writers and editors while also providing an example of a high-quality Wikipedia page. There are over 4 million different articles on Wikipedia and not all of them can be as good as the others. Featured articles are there both because they are interesting and because they exhibit all the hallmarks that Wikipedia strives to maintain. Some of these hallmarks include:

• Neutrality in tone
• The use of verifiable sources
• A notable subject
• Inclusion of images that adhere to copyright laws
• Summarization of the subject rather than detailed analysis

In essence, if you want to see how a Wikipedia article should be written – or if you’ve entertained hiring a writer to create a Wikipedia page for your business, then you can take a look at any of the featured articles on their website. Again, these articles aren’t chosen at random and are often considered ideal in terms of their style, content, and citations.

Review Process

Any article can be nominated to be a featured article, but not every nomination will be accepted. An article that is nominated for the featured article spot on the front page will undergo an extensive review process that involves literally all Wikipedia editors (or, at least, those who choose to participate). The process is sort of a back and forth that includes editors who have not worked on the page and the primary editor of the page. Grammatical and content concerns are taken up and discussed at length so that any article that makes it to the front page will be of the highest standard.

Sometimes the discussion and editing process can go on for days or weeks and you might see nominated articles undergoing major revisions in that time. In order for featured article status to be achieved, there must be some kind of consensus between reviewers and editors. If no consensus is reached or if there is some kind of a protocol breach, the article will be dismissed from consideration. Obviously, seeing as there are 4 million Wikipedia articles and only one featured article per day, there’s a long list of nominations that have to be parsed out.

One of the hallmarks of almost any featured article is that it was likely written by an expert Wikipedia writer. Even if the review process takes some time, most of the basic Wikipedia guidelines will have been met. An expert writer can provide a special touch to an article, and many companies have employed these experts as a way to create, improve, or edit their own Wikipedia pages.

Let’s Meet Ricky

Ricky Martinez is a regular Wikipedia contributor and writes articles to help those wanting to contribute to Wikipedia.

The post How Do Featured Articles On Wikipedia Get Featured? appeared first on About Freelance.