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Freelance Insights

23 Featured Articles

A hand-picked selection of my best articles to help you navigate the complex world of freelancing

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Payments & InvoicingProposals & Contracts

What To Do If Your Freelance Client Refuses To Pay

Unfortunately, many freelancers encounter clients who delay payment, ignore invoices, or simply refuse to pay altogether. Learn how to navigate these difficult situations!

Matt Olpinski
•
8 min read
Client CommunicationProject Management

How to Prepare for Client Calls (and Avoid Nervous Rambling)

You're on the phone with a potential new freelance client. The conversation is going smoothly until they ask about cost and timeline. Suddenly, your anxiety kicks in...

Matt Olpinski
•
10 min read
Pricing & RatesProposals & Contracts

How to Estimate the Cost of a Freelance Project

Estimating the cost of a project is one of the most important requirements of freelancing. You'll need to calculate hours, set a rate, and present a proposal to the client.

Matt Olpinski
•
11 min read
Career TransitionsLifestyle

What to Know Before Buying Your First Home as a Freelancer

Buying a home as a freelancer can feel impossible. The process can be complex, intimidating, and stressful, especially when your income is unpredictable. In this article, I'll share what I wish I knew before…

Matt Olpinski
•
15 min read
Getting ClientsNews & Opinion

10 Things Every Freelance Business Has in Common

Whether you're a designer, makeup artist, glassblower, or dog walker, all freelance businesses share 10 fundamental similarities that are the pillars needed for success.

Matt Olpinski
•
13 min read
Career TransitionsNews & Opinion

Why I Took a Full-Time Job After 10+ Years of Freelancing

On November 29th, 2021, after more than a decade of freelancing, I started a full-time job as a Senior Product Designer II at Instacart.

Matt Olpinski
•
7 min read
Getting ClientsGuest Articles

How to Get Your First 10 Clients as a Freelancer

The gig economy is growing faster than ever, but breaking into the freelance lifestyle can feel like a daunting task. These expert tips will help you get your first 10 clients.

Amanda Winstead
•
6 min read
Career TransitionsLifestyle

Why Freelancers and Remote Workers Need Community

Freelancers need community now more than ever. Human interactions are how we learn and grow. But when you quit your job to freelance or work remotely, you leave all of that behind.

Matt Olpinski
•
8 min read
Client CommunicationGuest Articles

How to Systemize Communication With Leads (+ 11 FREE Templates!)

When I first started freelancing, I'd spend hours of precious, billable time writing the same responses to the same requests and questions practically every day, which added up to lot of wasted time and…

Annie Maguire
•
10 min read
Career TransitionsMarketing & Positioning

How to Smoothly Transition from Full-Time Employment to Freelancing

When you quit your day job and transition into full-time freelancing, it's important to make the career adjustment as smooth as possible. These 7 tips will help you do that!

Matt Olpinski
•
8 min read
Client CommunicationGetting Clients

7 Questions to Ask Your Freelance Clients Before Starting Work

Almost every major conflict you'll face as a freelancer will stem from asking the wrong questions to your clients before starting a new project.

Matt Olpinski
•
11 min read
Getting ClientsProposals & Contracts

What’s the Difference Between a Proposal and a Contract?

Freelance proposals and contracts serve different purposes and should be presented to the client as two separate documents. Find out what to include in each of them!

Matt Olpinski
•
5 min read
Finances & TaxesGuest ArticlesPayments & Invoicing

Creating a Financial Foundation for your Freelance Career (A Step by Step Guide)

When it comes to setting up a freelance business, no matter the industry you work in, creating a financial strategy is vital to both your business’ survival and your own personal finance.

Matt Olpinski
•
6 min read
Marketing & PositioningPortfolio Websites

5 Reasons Why You Need to Have Your Own Portfolio Website

Have you ever wondered why you should have your own portfolio website? Having your own website will increase your online visibility and help you get more freelance clients

Matt Olpinski
•
6 min read
ProductivityProject Management

How to Schedule Multiple Freelance Projects (and Avoid Burnout)

You must have a system in place for scheduling freelance projects, setting your availability, and maximizing your down time if you want to avoid burnout and keep your freelance business running smoothly.

Matt Olpinski
•
6 min read
Career TransitionsFinances & Taxes

Why I Switched from 1099 to S Corp (and How It Impacted My Freelance Business)

Forming an S-Corp can offer massive tax savings, legal protection, and improved client perception for freelancers and independent contractors.

Matt Olpinski
•
15 min read
Pricing & RatesProject Management

A Beginner’s Guide to Value-Based Pricing

A value-based project is simply a fixed-fee project where the price is determined by the value of the outcome to the clients business – not the estimated time it will take to complete.

Matt Olpinski
•
10 min read
Getting Clients

How to Earn Freelance Income Without Any Clients

Did you know that you can start earning money right away, without any freelance clients? All you have to do is sell your own work!

Matt Olpinski
•
4 min read
Client CommunicationProductivity

Teach Freelance Clients to Respect Your Time By Setting Business Hours

Do you ever wonder why clients assume that freelancers are available 24/7, over weekends, and after hours? It's because too many freelancers respond to their requests over weekends and after hours. Teach clients to…

Matt Olpinski
•
2 min read
Payments & Invoicing

How to Properly Name Your Freelance Project Invoices

Most freelancers don't spend time thinking about invoice naming conventions, but caring about the seemingly trivial aspects of your business is what will set you apart in the eyes of your clients.

Matt Olpinski
•
6 min read
Career TransitionsPayments & Invoicing

How I Turned One Small Freelance Project Into Years of Predictable Income

There's nothing more valuable than having predictable income when you're a freelancer. Unreliable income holds us hostage to our business even if we've managed to free ourselves from past employers.

Matt Olpinski
•
9 min read
Finances & TaxesPayments & Invoicing

How to Structure Your Bank Accounts for Massive Financial Success

As a freelancer, getting paid is at the top of the priority list. But what do you do with the money once you have it? It's time to structure your finances.

Matt Olpinski
•
10 min read
LifestyleProductivity

Add 50 Hours to Your Month by Subtracting Social Media

Do you ever wish there were more hours in a day? Most of us end our days feeling like we haven't accomplished enough. The truth is, you can grant yourself that wish if you're willing to…

Matt Olpinski
•
4 min read
Matt Olpinski
I teach thousands of freelancers how to level-up their careers.
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Topics
  • Career Transitions
  • Client Communication
  • Finances & Taxes
  • Getting Clients
  • Guest Articles
  • Lifestyle
  • Marketing & Positioning
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  • Pricing & Rates
  • Productivity
  • Project Management
  • Proposals & Contracts
Products
  • Project Proposal & Contract Bundle
  • Mastering Portfolio Websites
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  • Recommended Resources
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