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Actual for You - A Day in the Life of a Freelance Copywriter
If your business has made the decision to invest in promotional printed mugs as advertising, it’s worth taking the time to determine the best one for a particular customer base. With so many models available, you will be sure to find more than one that meet your business and customer needs, as well as your budget.Since your company name, logo or motto can be reproduced on almost any material chosen for your mug, the first factor to consider is the use of color. If your advertising relies on a specific color, choices will be limited to those that can best reflect it. Obviously, stainless steel or other metal finishes probably will not be the best choices, but plastic, acrylic or ceramic should accommodate true and vivid color reproduction.Is your design simple or complex? There could be flaws and irregularities with mass-produced ceramic mugs, which may show more readily in a plain image. On the other hand, if your logo depends on sharp lines, remember that eventually paint wears from plastic surfaces, resulting in a compromised image. Acrylic is always a good choice, but eventually gets scratched. (If you are only going to have name branding on your printed mugs, h
When learning the trade of lock picking there will be a number of terms that you will have to learn. Much like a doctor or a lawyer must learn the words and expressions of the trade the same is true for the profession and hobby of lock picking. The more you understand the terms used the easier you will be able to pick up new procedures and techniques since the ones that will be doing the instruction will be using the right words you will not benefit fully unless you are able to speak the same language. There are a lot of websites and books that will cover all of the more common terms and even many of the obscure words used so that you can get an idea of the types of terminology used in the trade.Another area that you have to become familiar with when getting into the area of lock picking is the tools of the trade. Just like any other profession, lock smiths use a number of different tools to accomplish the task. The cool thing is that the basic tools of the trade can actually be made at your own home and using very basic household items such as steak knives and allen wrenches. A simple pattern and an everyday bench top grinder can be used to put together a basic and crude lo
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great job, and for some of us it’s a calling that won’t be denied. And you definitely do get to write clever and inspiring prose. It’s just that you don’t do it all day, every day. In fact, when you sit down at the end of the day and think about what you’ve done, the percentage of time spent writing is surprisingly low.
So what does a freelance copywriter do other than write copy? Well, basically, they run a business. This article discusses 11 daily rituals involved with running a freelance website copywriting or advertising copywriting business (other than writing). It also provides some tips for performing them successfully.
1) Quoting
Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They generally have quite a few clients, and spend quite a bit of time quoting on new jobs. When you quote, you’re calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are a number of important factors influencing quoting. You need to have some way to accurately estimate time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in your tracking. If you know how long past jobs have taken you, you’ll be much more confident and accurate in your estimates. You need to know how much time you spend not writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is prepared to pay (are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be.
2) Submitting Proposals
A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it’s not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you’re marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you’re justifying your price, and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it’s not just about WHAT you say. It’s also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client’s decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an “investment”, not a “cost”. Show the client you’ve thought their job through by summarising their requirements. Outline your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action (“Where to from here?”).
3) Chasing reviews
The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussin
In recent years, UK and European firms have scrambled to hire people to fill internal audit jobs, created in response to the passage of SOX in the U.S. and other similar ethical and audit guidelines in other countries. That scramble had the effect of pushing the role of auditor into the ‘high demand’ category on the employment boards and among recruitment agencies. But it seems that those pursuing auditor jobs are not necessarily motivated by high wages and job security, if the recent survey is to be believed. Instead, many may be motivated as much by the chance to do something good and help big business find its ethical high water mark as any other reason.Those in an auditor job, whether they serve in an internal or external capacity, are charged with ensuring that companies operate to high ethical standards. No matter their position, they are privy to the inner workings of the firms whose books and policies they audit, and it is a part of their job to identify risks and wrongs and point out ways to make them right. While the general public may view auditors as number crunchers, the reality is much more colourful. It is the job of an auditor to review the financial statements o
1) Quoting
Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They generally have quite a few clients, and spend quite a bit of time quoting on new jobs. When you quote, you’re calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are a number of important factors influencing quoting. You need to have some way to accurately estimate time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in your tracking. If you know how long past jobs have taken you, you’ll be much more confident and accurate in your estimates. You need to know how much time you spend not writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is prepared to pay (are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be.
2) Submitting Proposals
A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it’s not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you’re marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you’re justifying your price, and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it’s not just about WHAT you say. It’s also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client’s decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an “investment”, not a “cost”. Show the client you’ve thought their job through by summarising their requirements. Outline your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action (“Where to from here?”).
3) Chasing reviews
The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussi
Too often I hear experienced businesswomen putting forward the idea that the best quality women bring to business is our nurturing ability, and it makes my blood boil. Worse still is when this ‘pearl’ has the usual ‘be assertive not aggressive’ rule tagged onto it. Does anyone really believe that the individuals advocating this blah got to the top by cuddling competitors, playing coochie-coo with a disgruntled colleague or by soothing a grazed ego with an Elastoplast and a kiss?More likely is that the job of nurturing is so familiar to females that whether at home or in business, women accept it as their lot. But nurturing is a quality that both men and women are equally capable of; it’s just that this attribute has been assigned a female face for so long that it has become habitual for women, not for men. In itself nurturing is a splendidly generous act but it is behaviour more suited to being a spouse or a parent rather than being a forceful influence in the boardroom.Now this is not to say that by dispensing with ideas about nurturing, every woman risks becoming a hard-nosed ball-breaker. Although this is what both men and women fear, complex issues like behaviour
2) Submitting Proposals
A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it’s not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you’re marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you’re justifying your price, and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it’s not just about WHAT you say. It’s also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client’s decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an “investment”, not a “cost”. Show the client you’ve thought their job through by summarising their requirements. Outline your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action (“Where to from here?”).
3) Chasing reviews
The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussi
In 2006, two out of three chiropractors increased billings (67%), while almost ninety percent (88.3%) of chiropractors sold retail products to patients. At an average $28.5 collections per patient visit (PVA), retail product sales to patients remains a major revenue source. But for junior practitioners with a humble patient growth record, point of service sales is the fastest way to increase practice revenue.An added benefit of such sales is improved patient relationship. By offering your patients quality products that enrich their lives outside of your office, you demonstrate your care. Your patients are reminded of you – and of your care about them – every time they use the products you sell them. Better patient loyalty means lower attrition, frequent referrals and, eventually, improved profits. Stick to familiar products. Offer products you use during your treatments. Offer items like topical analgesics, hot and cold packs, orthopedic pillows and supports, water-based pillows, herbal packs, massage tools, lotions, oils, butters, scrubs, aromatherapy, etc., which can be used in your office to benefit your patients daily. Maintain exclusivity. Ch
3) Chasing reviews
The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussi
The 2006 CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover survey highlights that currently the employee turnover rate for UK companies is 18.3%!These levels varied widely from 13.3% in public sector organizations to in excess of 50% in retailing, hotels and restaurants. They also vary by location. In areas with the lowest levels of unemployment, there were higher levels of turnover as there was a much higher demand for skilled staff.Also, different companies will record turnover in different ways. Is it purely the number of people that hand in their notice? The number made redundant? The number sacked? As far as I am concerned it is a combined total of everyone that has left your company, no matter the reason.Why is it a problem?The UK is suffering from an unprecedented skills shortage. It may take several weeks or even months to find a suitable candidate, and with notice periods and restrictive clauses in contracts, it may take even longer for this candidate to start working for you. In this day and age time is money. For every day you have a vacancy you are losing money.Measuring itThe vast majority of compa
4) Project scheduling & tracking
No matter whether you work on big projects or small, project scheduling and tracking are vital. You need to know the exact status of all work in progress (tracking), and you also need to be very aware of what’s coming up and how you’ll manage it (planning). If you’re doing it right, you should be using your tracking and planning tools several times a day. In fact, they should be the hub of your business. TIP: A good way to track copywriting projects is to use a job (and contact) tracking database. I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Click to download a 208KB working copy for FREE. You’ll need Microsoft Access 2000 to run it. I’m no database expert, so it’s not a work of art. It’ll certainly get you started though. (TIP: When using the database, press Ctrl + ; to enter today’s date.)
5) Accounting
Issuing invoices, processing payments (and part payments), chasing outstanding invoices, recording expenses, managing bank accounts, putting tax aside… It all takes a lot of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You’ll understand why the first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you’ll understand why whenever you need to chase down outstanding invoices
6) Visiting clients
Although the wonders of modern email let a freelance copywriter get through about 95% of their work without ever leaving the office, it’s sometimes still a good idea to do things the ‘old-fashioned’ way – especially if you expect to work with them quite a bit. Shake hands and put a face to a name. And remember, everything about the meeting reflects on you and your business. As with your proposals, think about WHAT you say, HOW you say it, how you PRESENT. Always organise the meeting with plenty of notice, confirm the day before the meeting, be on time, summarise the meeting, and provide a call to action. (Try to do these last two both at the end of the meeting and via email after the meeting.)
7) Office admin
Even for a low overhead business like copywriting, there’s always something! Changing phone plans, upgrading/fixing computers, your internet service is down, your website is temporarily unavailable, you’re enhancing your data storage procedures, you need new printer or fax ink cartridges… Office administration takes up a surprisingly large chunk of your day. Make sure you allow for it. This means allowing time to do the work, and factoring that time into your quotes. If you don’t, you’ll be continually working into the wee hours and/or losing money.
8) Marketing strategy
How do you generate business? Cold calls? (See http://www.divinewrite.com/coldca
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