News and updates

SHOWING NEWS 11–20 OUT OF 746

WEEKLY DIGEST #2 OF 2025

• Why we don’t support each other, by our member Magdalena Cevelova — Freelancing, especially for women, can sometimes feel isolating due to a lack of support from loved ones, stemming from fears, misunderstandings, or societal stereotypes. Magdalena shares ideas on how to overcome these challenges and find additional support.
• Freelancers, stop giving away free advice: How to hook clients without giving away too much in consultations, from The Freelance Informer — Free consultations are a balancing act. As the article states, the key is providing value without giving away your entire strategy for free. You can share insightful observations and past successes, while setting clear expectations about the consultation's purpose and value.
• How to rock your freelancer portfolio when you’re starting out, by Lizzie Davey — Creating a strong freelancer portfolio is crucial for landing jobs. But how can you do it without prior client experience? You can build your credibility by showcasing bespoke projects, guest posting, blogging, and more.
• Why creative freelancers hate marketing, by Justine Clay — Marketing is essential, even for freelancers who dislike it. Justine's successful strategies involve three levels: the long game (building brand trust through blogs, newsletters, and guides), the mid game (targeted efforts like webinars, collaborations, or speaking engagements), and the short game (immediate actions like flash sales, lead magnets, and streamlined client processes).
• Scheduling time-effective meetings as a freelancer, by Stephanie Whalley — For us freelancers, time is the most valuable asset. We thrive on effective time management, so here are a couple of tips on how to organize this part of our business: client meetings.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #1 OF 2025

• The 2024 annual review: A December ritual, by Chris Guillebeau — Have you done your Annual Review? As Chris states, this practice can help you achieve your goals, stay focused on your priorities, and create positive changes in your life.
• How to package your freelance work to attract quality clients, by Lizzie Davey — Saying ‘yes’ to every client request is tempting, but it can lead to endless scope creep, lower pay, and a pile of work we don’t enjoy. One solution could be packaging your services, offering clear, bundled options instead of an à la carte approach. This can help you earn more while securing long-term relationships through ongoing deliverables.
• Freelance Business Education study — Elina Jutelyte, our member and the founder of Freelance Business Community, is sharing a short questionnaire to better understand how freelancers approach the learning process and which skills and knowledge are most important to them.
• Outsourcing overseas: What are the best countries to hire freelancers, from Useme blog — This article highlights top countries for hiring freelancers, emphasizing the advantages of hiring independent professionals from Europe (e.g., Poland, Spain, Romania, the Czech Republic), while including key factors to consider and addressing challenges in global hiring, such as communication, data security, and intellectual property.
• The top 8 mistakes beginner freelancers make + Why you’re not landing clients, by Deya — An older but still very relevant article on common mistakes and how to avoid them for fast-tracking your success as a freelancer.

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YEARCOMPASS 2024

If you'd like to do a personal and business recap at the end of the year, try YearCompass. This handy booklet has 20 pages of ready-made questions to help you reflect on the past year and plan the next one. You can download it for free in a range of languages, for print or to fill out the PDF on your computer.

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FREELANCER VS. KING

Wondering what fairy tale to watch during Christmas? What about this one about a brave freelancer (the knight) who, as an independent professional, tries to fulfill the assignments of a constantly dissatisfied client (the king).

PS: As the description states, no dragons were harmed during the making of the film.

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HOW WERE YOU DOING IN 2024?

As in previous years, the UK-based Leapers community for the self-employed organises an annual survey on the mental health of freelancers. They mainly target UK professionals, but people from other countries can also complete the questionnaire. It consists of 40 questions, and all responses are completely anonymous. Results will be published in January 2025. You can view past survey results on the website.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #51 OF 2024

• Reflecting on the year and planning ahead: A guide for freelancers, by Sarah Duran — 2024 is almost over, so it’s the perfect time to reflect and align your personal growth and business goals. Sarah prepared a handy guide to help you start.
• 5 beliefs that prevent freelancers from working effectively with subcontractors, by Austin L. Church — To keep growing as a professional, you need more support, and one way to achieve this could be learning how to delegate your work. This article addresses the most common limiting beliefs that keep many freelancers from delegating.
• How were you doing in 2024? Leapers organises an annual survey on the mental health of freelancers. They mainly target UK professionals, but you can fill in the questionnaire even if you are from other countries. Results will be published in January 2025.
• How to start consulting after retirement successfully, by Melisa Liberman — Feeling old? You can start your freelance business even in retirement, passing on your professional experience and know-how as a consultant. It’s a powerful way to stay connected to your industry and maintain your expertise and reputation.
• The freelancer’s guide to work-life balance: Tips for women juggling it all, from Freelancing Females — Simple but important principles to keep in mind when you're running a freelance business to maintain the right work-life balance.
• Why you shouldn’t fear rate increases: Strategies for success, by Lizzie Davey — Raising rates as a freelancer can feel risky, but it's essential for growth. This article presents a few points you should not overlook when pricing, especially how to communicate it clearly with your current clients.
• The power of prevention: Michal Novotný on movement and longevity, the Wisepreuners podcast with Nigel Rawlins hosted a Czech physiotherapist who works with world-class athletes such as Rafael Nadal and Hollywood actors such as Orlando Bloom. Among other things, Michal explained how prevention, personalized health strategies, and holistic wellness can extend longevity – a topic that is important not only for freelancers.

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RIDLEY SCOTT STORY

“There’s only one critic that means anything, and that’s you.” Ridley Scott, the legendary director of Blade Runner and Gladiator, shares a story about why he keeps a 40-year-old negative review of his work framed on the wall, reminding us that criticism—whether harsh or glowing—shouldn’t define us.

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MAKING A MARKETER

The team behind the Marketing Festival, one of Europe's leading conferences on digital marketing, has released a sequel to their "Making a Marketer" documentary. The video explores current marketing issues and challenges, featuring insights from industry luminaries such as Byron Sharp, Mark Ritson, and Steffen Saemann. The full documentary is available on YouTube.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #49 OF 2024

• The tricky task of discussing your freelancer rates with clients, by Lizzie Davey — Freelance rates can be daunting to discuss, but as Lizzie encourages, confidence is key. Reflect your value, adjust annually, aim for growth, and never undersell yourself.
• Be FreelanceAF course — Adam Faulkner has decided to release his online course for free; just use the code FREEAF. The course consists of six modules, in which Adam gradually goes through the different aspects of starting your own business, from developing a business mindset to pricing.
• Making a marketer 2 — The team behind the Marketing Festival, one of Europe's leading conferences on digital marketing, has released a sequel to their "Making a Marketer" documentary. The video explores current marketing issues and challenges, featuring insights from industry luminaries such as Byron Sharp, Mark Ritson, and Steffen Saemann. The full documentary is available on YouTube.
• Global workforce of the future, a report by Adecco surveyed 35,000 agency workers across 27 countries, offering valuable insights for freelancers as well. As the study shows, flexibility remains a top priority in the workforce, but many companies still struggle to implement it successfully. The growing demand for upskilling, particularly in AI and tech, underscores the need for freelancers to stay competitive by continually enhancing their skills. The report also highlights the transformative role of AI in boosting productivity, opening new opportunities for freelancers to adopt tools that enhance creativity and efficiency.
• Essentials: Using science to optimize sleep, learning & metabolism — Andrew D. Huberman continues his short-form podcast and, this time, answers the most frequently asked questions about evidence-based tools for improving alertness, enhancing learning, and achieving quality sleep.

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FREELANCING IN EUROPE 2024

The annual Freelancing in Europe 2024 report by Malt explores the evolving freelance landscape across the continent. With over 5,000 freelancers from six countries surveyed, the report offers a comprehensive view of trends, challenges, and opportunities. Supplemented by interviews with executives, it provides valuable insights for both freelancers and companies. Here are some key takeaways:

• Large corporations increasingly rely on freelancers, with a 55% rise in time spent on projects for big businesses since 2022. This underscores the growing role of freelancers in addressing skill gaps within major companies.
• Freelancers are focusing more on long-term client relationships, with 70% prioritizing the building of sustainable partnerships.
• Conversely, the top obstacles to successful freelance-client collaboration include unrealistic expectations, poor communication, and inadequate project briefings.

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