How can a Freelancer Compete & Beat the Large Design Firms

Freelancer

Most people have got it wrong: Freelancing is not about doing small free lance projects with clients who have tiny or no budget. Freelancers too dream of working with big, established firms and large clients. But being the shortest guy in the room makes it difficult & it isn’t always easy to get going. But sitting back and cursing a freelancer’s life isn’t going to take you anywhere. If you are stuck doing small projects then its high time you get up and get noticed. The key here is to differentiate your services from those of the large firms. And before you move ahead, get the following points planted in your head.

• You won’t be able to out perform the team of some of the best logo designers etc. that a large firm employs. You can match it but standing out isn’t going to be easy.
• Freelancers can out-price large firms, but more often than not cost isn’t as big a criterion with large organizations.

So your chances are already narrowed down but don’t lose heart. Follow the following pointers to the T and you’ll be moving onwards and upwards in no time.

• Customer Service – Use this as your asset.
• Lead & guide your client from the beginning till the end.
• Use flexible timings and pliable work schedules as your advantages.

Crowdsourcing, FTW!

Crowd Thinkers

Crowdsourcing has often been criticized for no reason at all, but the ball, amidst all the brickbats, hasn’t quite stopped rolling. More and more organizations are waking up to its power. But since most people tend to believe in the saying, “there is no smoke without fire”, it has become all the more important to kick out certain myths and fallacies that has pervaded the minds of people. It’s about time we give you the “absolute truth about crowdsourcing”.

1. Success and Crowdsourcing are Synonymous to each other
Every organization, in some form or the other, uses crowdsourcing but they don’t talk about it in public. It’s a fact! Most times, crowdsourcing is the reason for the success of these companies.

2. We Human have always CrowdSourced
Crowdsourcing is known world over for its abilities to simplify a task, e.g. design of logos etc. It’s a name given to an attribute that is inherent in every human being! It’s all about sharing and caring.

3. Offers Level Playing Field
Crowdsourcing demonopolizes the industry and is the reason why some monopolistic organizations keep on spewing venom against crowdsourcers and freelancer web design designers.

4. Crowdsourcing Does Work
Most people are so against crowdsourcing that they refuse, knowingly, to see the positives or even acknowledge them. But the fact is that crowdsourcing is here to stay and that’s only because it actually works & delivers.

5 Tips to Become a Successful Freelancer

Tips to Become a Successful Freelancer

Ask anyone about the benefits of freelancing and you’re bound to hear words describing their experience as; satisfying, flexible & liberating. Being self employed means being your own boss who has to manage everything. But are you doing justice to your potential? Odds are stacked against you and you know that! If you had an employee who wasted as much time doing a job 3d animation as you do, you would be fired. If you had a boss who took his free lance projects for granted the way you do, the company would sink.

As a freelancer, the success and failure is in your own hands. If you abuse the blanket of freedom that freelancing provides, the fall is imminent. Follow the following steps to see yourself through the hiccups that you as a beginner might face.

• Set up a regular schedule
• Act confident till feel confident
• Keep learning..Keep Networking
• Communicate your value to the clients
• Prioritize your time

Will the Apps Kill Websites and Web Designers?

Web Application

Are websites still relevant or rather are these the end times for freelancer web design experts? It has already been proclaimed that browsers are going to die out soon, unless they evolve to something totally different from its present state. And all this doesn’t augur well for the websites and freelancers handling web site design projects. With the arrival of smarter smart phones and tablets, the attention has shifted towards dedicated apps. We’ve got apps for emails, social networking (facebook and twitter apps), news apps, also music, movies and gaming apps. We will soon be spending more time on the internet but none on the web!

So does this mean that it’s time we switch off the websites? The answer is – No..not yet. But brace yourself for the day when it will be all about creating single digital experience for the user. Companies will have to re-think their strategy and align it with their social media efforts or else they’ll be App’ed!

Why Blog?

Blog

Blogging has become an art. Some of the best logo designers & other freelancers showcase & discuss their work related to design of logos through their personal blogs. But if you are new to the scene & have just arrived, then go through the post and believe me, by the time you finish reading it, you’ll have your answers.

• It’s a Reflection of your Work – Most freelancers use blog to show off their designs to the world. It’s another place where prospective clients can find you and go through your work. It’s almost like having a professional website for a freelancer who has limited resource.

• Networking and Marketing – Blogging allows you to build new relations with other freelancers around the world, and effectively market yourself by posting interesting tidbits about your daily work routine, designs etc.

Since we have already mentioned blogs as a marketing tool, it’s important to remember that ‘impelling blogging eschews the ornate’. Keep it Short and Simple. Clarity is an important criterion which in turn will attract all kinds of readers and potential clients to your blog.