Not Content With The Status Quo For 2010

What are your plans for 2010? Hopefully, the new year will find you actively pursuing your goals including taking a more nuanced approach to your freelance writing. I’m certainly looking forward to Christmas, but I know that once the holiday season has come to an end, 2010 will be in full swing.

I sense that 2010 will be far different from the past two years which had all of us battling through a tough recession. I’m grateful that I’m still getting plenty of work although, sadly, a couple of my favorite clients have cut back or canceled some of their assignments due to economic pressures.

Yet, I can’t look back as what is done is done. A new year offers a chance to start over and, more importantly, to move forward. What better time to outline a plan to press on than with the new year? Unless, of course, you’re content with maintaining the status quo for the coming year.

Nah, I didn’t think so.

On the occasion that someone asks for my advice regarding their plans for the coming year I try to help them as I can. One friend, who is a gifted artist/teacher, has been mulling starting her own website for many months now. Once she commits to making that move, I’ll be advising her on the approach she should take.

This will be a huge, but important move for her as she isn’t particularly computer literate, but knows that expanding her options will bring in much more work. And, when you’re pushing 60 you can’t rely exclusively on tried and true ways to sustain you. Linda’s fresh outlook will help her and has inspired me to make some important changes myself including doing the following:

Visibility – I often feel as if I’m in a non-stop campaign mode, showcasing what I do to current and prospective clients. More than half of my work is with the auto industry, a market that has been battered for several years. Yet, hope springs eternal and I believe 2010 will offer additional opportunities for me. I’m currently the automotive columnist for a pair of regional publications and have contributed to two other publications in the past month. For me, 2010 is all about cashing in on my visibility by querying people I’ve crossed paths with in 2010. My Twitter presence has yielded several excellent leads, people whom I will contact in the first two months of the year.

Reassess – I absolutely enjoy blogging and can’t see myself ever stopping this activity. Still, I understand that some of that time spent blogging for myself should shift to writing copy for clients. The former brings little remuneration except through ad income while the latter can help sustain my lifestyle. I expect that I’ll be selling or perhaps merging one of my blogs in 2010. Auto Trends is the most likely to go before 2011 rolls in.

Target – Relating to my first two points is my desire to target specific clients while opening up the possibility that I may ditch my freelance work to become a staff writer. Yes, I’ve certainly have said in the past that I prefer to freelance, but if the right opportunity presents itself, I’ll gladly reconsider. There is a dream employer whom I would like to work for and, no, they don’t have anything to do with the auto industry. Naturally, if an opportunity to work for them turned out to be a freelance assignment, I’d still be interested.

How about you? Do you have goals you would like to see realized in 2010? If so, please share them here – inquiring minds want to know!

See Also — Will You Be Reaching Higher In 2010?

Photo Credit: Poormanz Graphixz

Will You Be Reaching Higher In 2010?

Sample planning calendar to help you succeed in 2010

Forgive me if I appear to be blowing past Christmas with this article. That’s certainly not my intention.

Instead, I thought I’d stimulate your thinking by having you consider your course of action for 2010. I’ve been writing a series of business articles for SayEducate lately, focusing on the coming year purely from a business owner’s angle, therefore I’m taking stock in how I manage my own affairs too.

But now I want to look at things from a more personalized vantage point – your own work. What plans do you have for the coming year?

Freelancing, 2010 Style

I fully understand that it can be hard to say in detail where you’ll be this time next year – only God knows – but I do think that each one of us wants to see some changes in 2010, not least being an improvement in the way that we live.

Living in a market based society, the kind of work we do and the rate of pay we desire will go far in determining whether we reach higher or not. That sage maxim – if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail – is so true. How well we do depends a lot on our personal attitude and desire for self improvement.

The Self-Employed Depression

Last week, I read several articles where certain freelancers thought that it was within their right to judge other freelancers for working for a so-called content mill. I won’t link to those articles nor will I give those conversations much credence. Everyone has a right to work for whom they want and under what conditions suit them. Perhaps reading about the plight of other freelancers can bring clarity to this sort of thinking (The New York Times: The Self-Employed Depression).

But, if you’re seeking to better yourself in 2010, there are some steps you can take to increase the odds that the year turns out to be more profitable for you then this year. These are fairly simple, disciplined steps that can be taken gradually as the months unfold.

A Sample Calendar

Not everyone can hold to an ambitious schedule, so with that in mind I’ve come up with a calendar that you can follow, so adjust it to fit your goals and schedule:

January – You’ll be paying quarterly taxes on January 15th and again on April 15th, so make sure that you have enough funds in place to tackle that project. Use this month to review 2009 including asking clients for 1099-MISC forms. Get your receipts and other paperwork together for the tax man.

February – If all of your tax data is in place, then complete your return or make an appointment with your accountant. Hopefully, you’ll get a refund. If not, file after you have enough money to pay what you owe your state and the IRS.

Spring – With tax season behind you, use the month of March and early April to query editors. Send out letters to magazines, newspapers, and journals; cold call companies; touch base with your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn associates. Over the ensuing weeks follow up with everyone; negotiate deals, sign contracts, begin new assignments from mid-April through May.

Summer – From June through August you’ll be busy working with new customers while keeping current clients happy. You’ll also take a much needed break with your family. Make sure that everyone is on the same page as to when you’ll be unavailable and how they can reach you in an absolute emergency.

September – With Labor Day past, you’ll have the strange feeling that the year is fast drawing to a close. I like to use this month to review current client contracts and reassess my relationships with them. That includes whether I’ll be continuing with a particular client or not, if I’ll be asking for more money, or whether we’ll be changing the terms of our agreement.

Early Fall – October and November can be good months to query for new work. At this stage of the year, plenty of companies are fast at work cutting costs for the year to clean up their balance sheets. Staff will be let go which means that some of their work will be outsourced. Be sensitive to corporate turmoil, but also consider that there may be an opportunity for you.

Holiday Season – The holiday season stretching from Thanksgiving to Christmas and through New Year’s Day seems like a positively awful time to take on a new client, right? Only if you’re super busy balancing family, church, social, and other functions. Use this season to enjoy time with loved ones; you’ll be busy enough come January.

Make More Money

So, what will following this calendar yield? Better opportunities, more money, and a balanced lifestyle, if you hold to a disciplined plan. No, I won’t put a figure or percentage on your gains, but if you develop a sensible schedule then you should see good results over time.

Photo Credit: Bartek Ambrozik