Helpful Articles on Freelancing

Advice and helpful tips from those who’ve been there…

• My Day Job’s Killing Me! First Steps to Freelancing
• 53 Steps to follow if you want to become Freelance Web Designer/Developer – Helpful list of steps to follow to become a freelance designer
• Full-time freelancing: 10 things learned in 180 days – An article by Cameron Moll
• Sell Your Services – Step by step instructions to market and sell your design services
• How to Deal with Upset Clients – Great article on dealing with upset/difficult clients
• Are you Ready to Become a Freelancer?
• Freelancing as a work-at-home web designer
• Go Freelance Articles – Several articles related to freelance work for both freelancers and employers.
• Freelance Web Design – Articles and links at about.com

Protect Yourself and Your Work

Information regarding your rights as a freelance designer including copyrights and contracts…

• Do You Know Your Freelancing Rights? – Important information about your rights as a freelance designer
• Bulletproof Web Design Contracts – Few Web professionals have contracts, and those who do may not be as well-covered as they think. Before you find yourself in the firing line, take John’s advice. Here, he reveals the issues that even the most basic Web work agreement should address, and explains why you need to make sure they’re in every agreement you sign.
• Web Design Contracts: Why Bother
• Web Design and Web Developer Contract Swipe File – Sample web design agreements and contracts for web designers, developers and programmers.
• Web/Graphic Designer Contracts – HUGE list of designers sample contracts, agreements, forms, and information on writing your own contracts.

Freelance Information Websites

Websites dedicated to providing information about freelancing…

• Freelance Folder – Freelance Folder is a multi-authored blog dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and freelancers.
• FreelanceSwitch – Advice, news, and opinions on freelance design
• Wakeuplater.com – Freelance and passive income blog
• Freelance UK – Everything for the creative freelancer

Online Portfolios

Showcase your designs to thousands of potential customers by displaying them in online portfolios for creative professionals…

• creativeHUB – Showcase your Creative Portfolio
• Carbonmade – Design and manage your online portfolio with a variety of tools that allow you to change how you display your work.
• Creativeshake – Create a portfolio and showcase your creative talent
• Coroflot – The fast, easy way to get your creative projects online and in front of the right people.
• FigDig – Free online portfolio

Freelance Tools & Downloads

Links to all sorts of helpful apps and resources…

• 101 Essential Freelancing Resources – Gigantic list of tools, links, & resources for freelancers : Freelance Switch
• 10 Adobe Air Apps for Web Designers – Awesome apps for Web Designers, list by Six Revisions
• Projjex – Free, easy, online project management application.
• dotproject – Open source project management software
• Toodledo – An easy to use, web-based to-do list. Get organized, stay motivated, and be more productive.
• Simple Customer – Manage your contacts and clients online – Developed for anyone who needs a simple and easy way to keep track of their clients, customers and contacts.

Social Networking Sites for Creative Professionals

• ComputerLove – The social platform for creative talents
• designerID – We created this site to help all designers connect, not just those looking for a job. It includes seasoned or mid-level designers who are happy with their job but just want to see what else is going on in their market or abroad and maybe contact designers of interest.
• Behance Network – Creative portfolios, projects, and collaboration
• Deviant Art – The largest art community in the world
• LinkedIn – Over 25 million professionals use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities

List Yourself/Site in these Directories

• Freelance Designers – Directory of freelance designers
• DMOZ Open Directory Project – Just click the letter of your last name and then click submit url in the top right corner and list your site in the largest directory on the web

Find Freelance Work at these Sites

Find tons of design and computer related jobs and projects at these sites…

• creativeHUB – The center for creatives finding work.
• Authentic Jobs – Full-time and freelance opportunities for designers and developers
• FreelanceSwitch – Freelance Classifieds Job Board
• Elance – Find the work you love – web design, programming, writing, virtual assistance, marketing, accounting and other jobs
• 37 signals Job Board – Companies such as The New York Times, CNET, Facebook, Adobe, Trek, and American Express use this Job Board to reach today’s best and brightest web minds.
• Get a Freelancer – Become a freelance programmer, web designer, copywriter or translator and let us help you find customers from all over the world.
• iFreelance – Get access to 1000′s of buyers in need of your professional services.
• Design Quote – Graphic and web design jobs, browse projects and find leads.
• WebProJobs – Freelance & Full-Time Jobs for Web Professionals
• Coroflot – Design Job Board
• Job Pile – Aggregating the best design job boards on the web
• Krop – Design, creative, and Tech Job Board
• Freshwebjobs – Web Professionals Job Board
• Sologig – Find consulting, contract, temp, or freelance opportunities
• Guru – Guru.com offers the opportunity to market to a global audience with minimal costs. Innovative features, such as an online Video Profile give Freelancers a cutting edge platform to highlight their skills and experience to attract new business and retain repeat customers.
• Slashdot – Jobs for Nerds : IT and Design related Job Board
• Creative Shake – Creative Job Board
• GoFreelance – Freelance work exchange – Connecting Freelancers and Employers to Get Jobs Done
• 99designs – Leading Designer Marketplace for Logo Designs, Web Designs and More…
• crowdSPRING – Global marketplace for logo design, business card design, graphic design and website design
• eLogoContest – Logo design contests

[adsense]