Latest Businessofdesign Podcast Episodes
Are Local Business Listings Good For Getting Business?
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - May 09, 2020 21:14 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsFreelancers have so many options for self-promotion and marketing online. Are local business listings like Yelp, YP.com, Manta and Alignable good for getting more business? It depends. I unpack some pros and cons of signing up with local business directories, share my own story, and number of al...
Should You Charge for Your Work During a Crisis?
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - May 01, 2020 19:10 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsAre you feeling pressured by influencers, businesses, and your clients to stop charging for your creative work during the crisis? In this episode I expand on 3 reasons why giving away your creative services for free is a horrible idea: economy, resiliency, and value. States are beginning to open...
When Clients Ask For Your Working Files
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - April 24, 2020 00:48 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsProtect your (intellectual) property rights. Although it’s a common assumption, clients are not automatically entitled to a designer’s working files. The client pays for and receives the end product, not the elements that went into creating it. In this episode I cover really good reasons — legal...
10 Items On My Don't-Do-It List
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - April 17, 2020 00:35 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsManaging time and being effective in work and personal life lies as much in what we don’t do as in what we do. Creating boundaries help you focus and respond to problems and glitches. You can define your boundaries in terms of a don’t-do-it list. In this episode I share my don’t-do-it list, why ...
Of Discounts, Charge Backs, and Junk Drawer Design
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - April 09, 2020 21:46 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsWhat do you do when a client does a charge back? Should you discount during a crisis? How do you convince a client to stop demanding junk-drawer design? In this episode I answer 3 questions from freelance designers, share real-life answers by looking at how to solve the problems right now and wa...
How To Downshift When Things Go Downhill
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - April 02, 2020 21:36 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsFrom finding new ways to generate income to reducing expenses and budgeting, these tips are specifically targeted towards creative freelancers who want to maintain momentum in their businesses during a crisis. Take control of what you can control. Hit up the show notes for links to resources.
7 Things you must do to start your freelance business
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - March 27, 2020 02:23 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIn addition to your business plan, marketing, website, social media and, of course, portfolio, there are foundational steps you need to take to legitimize your creative enterprise as a real business. In this episode I share 7 things you must do to start your business and ensure long term success.
How To Respond Creatively To Crisis
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - March 20, 2020 00:25 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThis isn't about COVID-19. This show is about responding to turbulence and storms, and things beyond our control. I share ways to make the most of this time of trouble, what your top priority should be, how to lean in and apply your creative problem-solving to the situation. You have the ability...
How To Build a Better Portfolio
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - March 12, 2020 19:14 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsUse your work to get better work. No matter where you are in your freelance career, your portfolio is your most important marketing tool. In this episode I share pro tips, strategy, and tactics you can start using today to help you level up your creative portfolio to attract your best freelance ...
It's All In Your Head
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - March 05, 2020 23:33 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThe best mindset for developing a relationship with success and maintaining your creative drive is abundance. How you look at the world matters in your attitude, how you think, how others relate to you, and how successful you become as a creative freelancer. Here is a strategy for maintaining yo...
How's That AB5 Thing Goin' For Ya?
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - February 29, 2020 03:50 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsCalifornia’s AB5 law — the Opportunity to Work Act — took effect on January 1, 2020. Since its implementation, it’s essentially killed the creative economy in California by denying freelancers the right to work as an independent contractor. This is an update about the fallout, response, and gear...
Working For Free Is Not A Sustainable Business Model
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - February 22, 2020 18:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsNeither speculative nor pro bono work generate income for you. With each, you're working for free. In this episode I compare the concepts of spec and pro bono work, lay out reasons why you should pursue one and entirely avoid the other, and offer a safe approach to accepting and managing pro bon...
First Impressions Happen On Both Sides of the Table
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - February 15, 2020 22:14 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsNot all projects and clients are a good fit, and you can figure that out during the very first conversation you have with a client. Freelancers often approach a prospective client hoping the prospect will like them and want to work with them. What if the tables were turned? In this episode I sha...
Q&A: Sketchy Prospects, Side Gigs, and Getting Paid
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - February 08, 2020 22:43 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsWhat do you say to a prospective client who won’t commit? How do you manage part-time freelancing and a full-time job? How do you prevents clients from using work they haven’t paid for? In this episode, I give practical, easy-to-do answers to three questions from working freelancers at various s...
Unpacking the Freelance Contract
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - January 31, 2020 22:44 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsUsing written contracts should be routine and a regular part of your creative freelance business. In this episode I deconstruct the four aspects to include in every contract: copyright, legal concerns, the working relationship, and getting paid. This is part 4 of a four-part series on contracts.
Four More Contracts Creative Freelancers Need To Know
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - January 24, 2020 18:52 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThe working relationships you have with your clients should be built on a foundation of trust and agreement — written agreement. In this episode (part 3 of a 4-part series about freelance contracts) I describe 4 less-known contracts you will have good use for as a creative freelancer: purchase o...
Why You Should Always Get It In Writing
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - January 18, 2020 02:04 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIn this episode we’re continuing the conversation about freelancers and contracts. The work you create is your intellectual property. It's valuable. You work hard to create it. Why would you ever let it go unprotected? Did you know the majority of freelancers don’t use written contracts? I prese...
Got Clients? Use Contracts!
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - January 10, 2020 22:55 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIf you’re a freelancer working with clients, one of the best things you can do is implement a safety net in the form of contracts… especially written ones. That means you need basic knowledge of contracts and also copyright. In this episode (part 1 of a series on the topic) we cover three common...
A 5-Point Tune-up for Your Freelance Business
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - January 03, 2020 21:30 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsAs with cars, your freelance business needs regular tune-ups to ensure optimum performance. If you don’t do regular maintenance, you could end up running into costly trouble down the road. In this episode I share my 5-point business tune-up which you can use to keep your freelance business runni...
Do You Want To Succeed? Make A Plan!
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - December 28, 2019 18:34 - 35 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsWhether we have actually taken the time to write it down, most of us have a preferred or ideal future. We have a definition of success, and criteria to measure it. Many freelancers don't intentionally plan for success, but instead react to whatever comes along. In this episode I present a design...
The Difference Between Leads and Referrals
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - December 20, 2019 20:40 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsBoth leads and referrals are vital for finding new clients and growing your freelance business. They're not the same thing. In Episode 21 I compare and contrast leads and referrals, why you should pursue them, and how to obtain both. I talk about a better alternative to referrals, and share ways...
Are You Idling Or Accelerating?
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - December 13, 2019 18:22 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsNothing’s accomplished by taking the easy road. We don’t get anywhere simply by deciding. We become ready by taking action on our goals. In this episode I share the four sequential phases we cycle through over and over again to build excellence in our creative work and momentum in our businesses.
Word Of Mouth Marketing Is Bad For Business
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - December 05, 2019 17:51 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsFocus on the marketing activities you can control. In Episode 19 I share my own experience with resting heavily on referral business, and why relying mainly on word of mouth can be dangerous. I present four areas of outreach every freelancer needs to include in their marketing mix.
Stop Believing These Limiting Lies
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - December 01, 2019 00:57 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsSuccess comes from mindset. Each of us has what it takes to succeed, but we hold ourselves back when we think the wrong way. Taking control of your own success begins by replacing lies with truth. I share 5 popular lies and the truths that overcome them so you can get free of “stinkin’ thinkin’ ...
A Vocabulary Lesson For Your Freelance Business
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - November 23, 2019 07:46 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIn this episode we’re talking about using the language of business in your own business and with clients. The words you use matter. Not only that, but adopting a business vocabulary helps you make good decisions for your own business and create common ground with your clients’ concerns.
What Business Owners Do That Most Freelancers Don't (but should)
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - November 14, 2019 19:19 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsGetting paid what a project is worth is challenging. This is especially true if you need to charge more but you feel bad for the client, or fear losing them because they might think you’re overpriced. On this episode, I share several mindset shifts creative freelancers can easily make to positio...
The Golden Rule of Freelancing
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - November 09, 2019 19:04 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIf you're struggling with clients who don't respect your work or your value to them, the reason could be that you're not educating them in how you want them to relate to you. Overcome assumptions on their part and create an easier relationship by positioning yourself as a valuable creative partn...
What California's AB 5 Means For Your Freelance Business
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - November 01, 2019 20:59 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsAssembly Bill 5 (AB 5) is an expansion of California law making it more difficult to qualify as independent contractors. The law requires a 3-criteria test to determine whether a freelancer is considered independent or an employee. Certain types of freelancer–client relationships will drasticall...
The CASE Act plus Why You Should Avoid Spec Work
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - October 25, 2019 23:44 - 27 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThe Copyright Alternative in Small-claims Enforcement Act — The CASE Act (HR 2426) — passed in the House on October 22, 2019, and moves on to the Senate (SB 1273). What does the legislation mean for freelancers, and why you should care. And I dive into the differences between pro bono and specul...
Do Business, Not Favors. Make Scope Creep Work In Your Favor.
Freelance Road Trip Podcast - October 18, 2019 18:39 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsIn this week’s episode we’re answering two questions from freelance designers about doing favors and managing scope creep. How do you ask a friend to pay you when a simple favor morphs into a complicated project, and how can you make it work in your favor when clients add more work to a project ...
Related Businessofdesign Topics