Ummm, virtually all of the time . . . !
However, they tend to operate as sole proprietorships, which has its dangers, not the least of which is unlimited liability in the face of lawsuits.  There’s also a tendency not to see oneself as operating a business, but more like an employee in search of a next project (but without the health insurance benefits).Â
That lack of cohesive business planning can have a negative affect on your ability to get work, too, if you don’t put the right “spinâ€? on who you are and the value you can provide. As Lord Brar points out in his post, “When the Word ‘Freelancer’ Can Totally Screw Up Your Sales Pitch,â€? perception is the golden rule. He cautions freelancers to avoid referring to themselves as such at (1) networking events, (2) sales materials, and (3) seminar presentations.Â
I would take it one step further and say avoid it altogether. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong or embarrassing or illegal about it, mind you, but I think it keeps your focus on the ground in front of you instead of “above the dashboard.� Picture yourself walking along the sidewalk. What’s your mindset and attitude when you’re looking down? And how do you feel when you’re standing upright, shoulders squared, head level? There’s a difference. That difference plays out, too, in business. When you’re focused on the minutiae of how you’ll get to your next project, I liken it to looking down. When you have given thought to creating a pipeline of contacts so that business flows to you, you’re looking up.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 at 3:04 pm and is filed under Running Your Company. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.Leave a Reply
