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Contract Worker - Freelancing Experiences

Archive for December 2007

December 20th, 2007

Two More Ways to Just Have Fun

If you need a break and have had your dose of cute, here are two more ways to just have fun
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By Rico -- 3 comments

December 19th, 2007

The Easy Way to Create Ideas and Maximize Your Creativity

A common complaint I hear among fellow freelancers and contract workers is the apparent inability to come up with new ideas. And I totally understand where they’re coming from, having suffered through dry creative spells myself. Along the way, I’ve discovered a technique that’s great at producing ideas. It’s not a guaranteed end to your […]

By Rico -- 5 comments

December 18th, 2007

Why Refusal to Work is No Longer an Effective Threat

Once upon a time, Otto Von Bismarck unified Germany. His skillful use of diplomacy and military power enabled him to contend with other countries, while his refusal to back down from what he wanted proved effective with his superiors.
The usual pattern in his career was that of a superior refusing to approve Bismarck’s plan, Bismarck […]

By Rico -- 1 comment

December 17th, 2007

Gliffy: A Free Charts, Diagrams and Floor Plans Creator

The benefits of Gliffy are that it’s free, runs on virtually any computer, and is a powerful Flash-based application. The chart, diagram, and floor plan creator features pre-built visual components which you can drag-and-drop to quickly compile an effective visual. It has proven pretty useful when I recently dabbled briefly in interface design. More so […]

By Rico -- 1 comment

December 17th, 2007

The Right Way to Use Email

I have no problems teasing, flirting (only with my girlfriend of course), or otherwise conversing casually through email, even if I’m sending and receiving short and sweet messages.
But I have different standards regarding business correspondence. Nothing frustrates me more than a business contact who sends short messages, asking different questions every time. A relatively long […]

By Rico -- 2 comments

December 16th, 2007

Even the Best Work Hard; Are You?

A friend was complaining about how he wasn’t earning enough money. But before I automatically suggested picking up some freelance commitments to improve his bottom line, I sensed that he was actually interested in working less to earn more.
Perhaps he was “inspired” by the example of those who seem to make everything they do look […]

By Rico -- 2 comments

December 14th, 2007

Protect Yourself by Protecting Your Email Address

No doubt, keeping your email address secret from the public will help you avoid spam. But there are more significant benefits gained from such a practice.
Surprisingly enough, an email address is the key to its owner online identity. On many social networking sites, locating a specific person is as easy as searching for their email […]

By Rico -- 2 comments

December 13th, 2007

Making Sure the Price is Right

(source)
Jean of Small Business Boomers wrote about pricing a product or service. Here are the five questions she came up with:

What is the competition doing? Are they raising or lowering their prices?
Can a change in pricing get you a bigger market share?
Can you create additional value perception?
Is the demand for your products/services increasing or decreasing?
If […]

By Rico -- 3 comments

December 12th, 2007

Learning from the Greats the Easier Way

A few minutes ago in a restaurant, while waiting for my dinner to be served, I couldn’t help but watch a bunch of men surrounding a chessboard. Apparently, they were studying a grandmaster-level game, with one of them reading from a handout while moving the pieces. They were all throwing around comments and ideas, and […]

By Rico -- 4 comments

December 11th, 2007

The Career-Saving Effects of a Long-Term Outlook

Right now, I’m facing a crisis of motivation. I literally don’t see the point in writing and designing anymore, even if it has proven lucrative as a corporate and contract worker.
Right now, I literally don’t see the point in getting out of bed, getting ready for the day, and settling down to work. I’m feeling […]

By Rico -- 4 comments