Freelance Topics
Browse all of my articles, organized by popular freelancing topics
Featured Articles24 Articles
Getting Clients22 Articles
Pricing & Rates8 Articles
Proposals & Contracts9 Articles
Project Management14 Articles
Payments & Invoicing11 Articles
Marketing & Positioning17 Articles
Finances & Taxes10 Articles
Client Communication12 Articles
Portfolio Websites10 Articles
Career Transitions11 Articles
Productivity18 Articles
Lifestyle12 Articles
News & Opinion20 Articles
Guest Articles19 Articles
Year in Review9 Articles 
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.
Getting ClientsPortfolio Websites
How to Supercharge Your Website’s Contact Form (and Attract Better Freelance Clients)
If your websites contact form only collects name, email, and message, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to get high quality freelance leads.
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…
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 –…
Pricing & RatesProject Management
6 Pricing Strategies for Freelancers (and When You Should Use Each)
As a freelancer, you get to decide how to bill your clients – and there's no right or wrong billing strategy. In this article,…
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…
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…
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…
Payments & InvoicingPricing & RatesProposals & Contracts
Why You Should Charge 100% Upfront (and How to Actually Do It)
Have you ever been stiffed by a client? You convinced them to hire you, everyone was eager to get stared, and everything seemed to…
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…
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…
Getting ClientsProject Management
What is Project Roadmapping and When Should You Use It?
Don't waste hours talking with a freelance clients only to have them "go in a different direction". Use Project Roadmapping to build trust, provide…
Payments & InvoicingPricing & RatesProposals & Contracts
Why You Should Charge 100% Upfront (and How to Actually Do It)
Have you ever been stiffed by a client? You convinced them to hire you, everyone was eager to get stared, and everything seemed to…
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…
Finances & TaxesPayments & Invoicing
Should You Add Tax to Your Freelance Project Invoices?
You may need to apply sales tax to your invoices when selling products, but you can't just arbitrarily add a tax to your invoices…
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…
Getting ClientsMarketing & Positioning
How I Earned My First $10,000 as a Freelance Web Designer
It took me a full four years to earn my first $10,000 of freelance income. I didn't know what I was doing, but I…
Getting ClientsMarketing & Positioning
How to Identify and Attract Your Ideal Freelance Client
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the perfect clients always reaching out to you for work? It’s not only possible, but completely attainable for…
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.
Finances & Taxes
How Do Taxes Work When You’re a Freelancer?
When you're a freelancer, taxes become much more complicated. In this article, I'll explain everything you need to know about freelance taxes in the…
Finances & TaxesProposals & Contracts
What Do You Need to Start Freelancing, Legally?
What are the minimum legal requirements to start freelancing? You don't need contracts, tax forms, or a legal business entity. Just pay your taxes!
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.
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…
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…
Marketing & PositioningPortfolio Websites
12 Things You Should Remove From Your Portfolio Website Immediately
A collection of brutally honest tips for what you should remove from your portfolio website immediately before someone decides to not hire you (and…
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…
Getting ClientsPortfolio Websites
How to Supercharge Your Website’s Contact Form (and Attract Better Freelance Clients)
If your websites contact form only collects name, email, and message, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to get high quality freelance leads.
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…
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.
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.
ProductivityProject Management
5 Tips for Managing Sick Days as a Freelancer
You aren't allocated a specific number of sick days each year as a freelancer. That's why it's important to have a plan for sick…
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…
LifestyleProductivity
How to Maximize & Manage Your Time as a Freelancer
Freelancing awards us the freedom to choose the hours we work, but it is important to have a plan for your days and weeks, even if…
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…
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…
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…
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.
News & Opinion
Why I Pulled the Plug on Social Media and Deleted My Accounts
If you can't find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram anymore, it's because I permanently deleted all my accounts. I don't like what the…
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.
Guest ArticlesPortfolio Websites
4 Ways To Get Better Testimonials From Your Freelance Clients
When businesses look for a freelancer, they’re looking for someone they can trust. Great copy and a nifty design aren’t enough. You need to…
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…
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…
News & OpinionYear in Review
2023 Year in Review
This year I found out I'm going to be a father! My wife and I spent two weeks in the Outer Banks, Instacart had…
News & OpinionYear in Review
2022 Year in Review
This year was all about routine. It was my first year full-time at Instacart and I continued working with my own freelance clients. My…
News & OpinionYear in Review
2021 Year in Review
2021 was a great year. It was quite different than I imagined and ended with an unexpected plot twist! As always, I'll highlight professional…