…does your body have time to be sick.

It’s Tuesday night. I’m just settling into the bed. I’ve come off a really long week wrapping up office projects, freelance projects and a sold-out four-night run of a new theatre production. You could say I’ve been busy.

But it’s only when you slow down (last night and tonight) that your body has time to catch up and throw a horrible head cold at you.

I’ve been blessed health-wise since I turned my diet around at the beginning of the year. Admittedly, things have stopped moving in that area thanks to two back-to-back theatre productions but the knock-on effects of sharpening up food-wise are still being felt. I don’t usually get colds, don’t usually get sick, don’t usually get chest infections, migraines, everything is under control.

I don’t get sick because I don’t have the time to get sick - there’s always something to be doing.

However, allowing myself Monday night off and finding Tuesday the first week night I’ve had off in a few weeks, I’m lying in bed cooped up with a nasty headcold and the laptop.

My cure for the headcold? Starting a new project… something I’ll be doing on Thursday after picking up another nice job earlier in the week.

In the downtime inbetween, it means that I get to spend tomorrow planning from the bed, cleaning out my inbox of the 100+ unread emails from during the week and making headway on the project start for the end of the week. No point in sleeping it out now is there?

Do you find the same? It’s only when you slow down that you get sick?

Popularity: 6% [?]

“Are you sure you’re happy with €XX.XX?” asked a client of mine this morning. To which I replied “yes, it’s fine, sure the computer did most of the work”… which is pretty true.

The job was a tech repair call… something I do on free time and it’s usually to someone I’ve carried out some freelance web work for. As most web designers will have experienced, if you can do something on the internet it’s automatically assumed that you can also fix it when it’s broken.

Cutting a long story short, the callout was to deal with a virus and spyware-riddled PC, a cleanup job which took a grand total of 5 hours including an XP Pro repair install, guessing admin passwords and restoring internet, network and printer connectivity, as well as some guidance on antivirus solutions and general security issues.

In hindsight, I should have doubled the fee at a minimum as the bulk of the work (3.5 hours) was carried out on the Friday, with 1.5 hours spilling into my Monday.

Not realising the overall extent of the issues at hand or the time it would take and ultimate steps needed (an XP repair along with a chkdsk and fixboot scan were rather time consuming) I decided to quote for the service, as opposed to the time spent on the job.

I had felt this a fair move for the client as quoting for time would have been the more expensive option, but given the time lapses in running an XP repair, hard disk scanning etc. I was able to make up time on other projects (have laptop and mobile broadband, will travel), so felt that while the job might have taken 5 hours to carry out in total, I was able to make up 2-3 hours working remotely at the client’s premises.

That said, if I wasn’t connected to the web or had decided to travel without my laptop, the resulting invoice may have looked quite different.

Finding the balance between quoting for your time spent on a job or quoting for a service can be a tricky one. It certainly gets easier the more you do it. Some jobs I’ll quote for time, moreso with new clients. With existing and repeat clients I find I’ll quote for a service, increasing the possibility for me of repeat business (which I find, sometimes you’ll turn the service around in minutes, sometimes in hours).

But at the end of the day, I’ll still look at a project and ask myself “time, or service”. When the client asks you if “you’re happy” taking a certain amount, possibly in the back of their mind thinking “I’m getting away lightly here”, you have to be certain in your own mind that you made the correct choice.

I know I did today and I also know there’ll be a repeat phone call for more work in the future because of it.

So how about it… are you happy with your own pricing or do you find a difficulty in debating whether to quote for time spent on a job or for an overall service on a whole?

Popularity: 7% [?]

I use the term “remote office” here rather loosely, as it is more about working remotely than from an office. This week (as you may tell from my late-night posts) I’ve found myself working from a theatre, getting my “office” work done there during the day (and repeating the same when I get home) as I have a new production opening tonight for the remainder of the week.

In working remotely, there are a few things I need in order to function.

1. Laptop with mobile broadband
   I can’t rely on a client premises or a remote location to have a network I can plug into or a wifi connection in the building so having the mobile broadband option (via Telefonica O2) allows me connect to the home and office server to pull out much-needed project files
2. Mobile phone
   A given really as it never leaves my pocket. I do, however, carry a second handset in the possibility that my primary handset might run out of juice. Especially if I forget point number three.
3. Mobile phone charger
   Vital ingredient, especially if you don’t have a second handset. I got caught out last week and wound up missing some important text messages and a particular call but I’ve had my charger with me all week.
4. Headphones
   I use Skype the odd bit during the week for connecting back to the office, joining a podcast call or sitting in on a video call. Not wanting those around me to hear what’s going on, I make sure to have a set of in-ear headphones handy in my bag.
5. A trailing socket / extension lead
   If you can fit one in your bag, I tend to have a gangway with me (4-way adapter). Sometimes power points can be a bit tricky, or limited. I might have the laptop plugged in, would need to charge the phone, maybe power a video camera - having easy access to power points in the one location is a great help, so I’ll usually have a 4-way in the van.
6. Pens & Paper
   An A4 spiral refill pad and 2-3 biros and I’m set. It saves you scrambling for bits of paper or using envelopes to get your ideas down.

If you’re unsure about the working and eating setup, you could also go the extra step and add some toilet paper / tissues / cup-o-soup packets to your bag of tricks, as I have often done in the past.

The great thing is that all the above fit into the one bag. Remembering to leave the house with everything is the trick though. Have you anything of vital importance you must bring with you when working remotely?

Stock photo from here.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The majority of those I know working freelance choose to work from the home.

It saves on commercial rent, saves on parking fees, can save you from the distraction of ducking to the nearby pub or restaurant at lunchtime as you “just happen to be” in town. You can also write portions of your home electricity, rent, telephone charges etc. off against tax.

However, there’s more to a home office than just the kitchen table. I had mentioned last week about technology in the home of a freelancer, but are there certain things to watch out for when setting up a home office?

I had a discussion with a freelance journalist recently who was considering converting a spare bedroom in the house to a working office, something I’ve semi-attempted. I say “semi-attempted” as I wanted to have that professional feel, but didn’t want to have that stuffy, office-like feel either.

Powerhomebiz.com has seven simple rules for setting up a home office.

1. Establish your home office in a part of the house that has lots of light and air
   In choosing to convert a bedroom myself, I have two desks at opposite ends of a room with a large window in between. Plenty of natural light during the day and two small window panes that can be opened out be each desk. I don’t go for overhead lighting, preferring localised desk lighting and a standing lamp in the corner of the room, much nicer when working late at night.
2. Set-up shop away from the busy areas in your home
   With the possibility of people dropping in or the door bell ringing, I’m away from the busy areas in the house. No distractions in the kitchen, no distractions in the sitting room or from the TV and if the door rings, at least I have to get up out of the room and down a flight of stairs to get to it. The movement helps!
3. Organise your supplies
   This is something I do at regular intervals during the year. Online suppliers like Viking Direct will ship large boxes of pens, paper, refill pads, post-its, CDRs - whatever you need. Keep your regularly used office supplies to hand and tidy away everything else. With next-day delivery from most office supply companies you need not worry about getting caught short on supplies. I tend to buy own-brand pens, paper - they do the same job and keep my wallet happy.
4. Set up things so they function smoothly
   This relates to maximising your office space. Avoid clutter on the floor, avoid those piles of books, avoid moving one pile of papers off the desk to the floor - get a press for yourself or a filing cabinet. A clean desk for me is a must, the clear space around my immediate working area can have such a calming effect at times, try it for yourself!
5. Limit the things in your home office to items that you need for your business
   There is a temptation, I feel, to add a lot of “officey” things to your office. Some people I know have gone down the mini-fridge route, added a kettle, (when they already have a kitchen in the house) a mini TV, new stereo, a five-door filing cabinet instead of a 3-door… As their own post says “It is difficult to work in a place filled with stuffs irrelevant to your business”.
6. A home office does not need to be a separate room
   If you’re lacking on space, you can choose to establish your working area in the corner of another room. I’ve chosen to convert part of a room, lucky enough to have the space to set up clear working areas, but in converting a bedroom I chose to leave the bed there (it’s nice to be able to offer a visitor a place to sleep!) However, I’m comfortable knowing I have more than enough room to work in. Keeping the distractions to a minimum if working in other rooms is key.
7. Have a dedicated work area
   It goes without saying and should really be point number one. When the weekend hits, I tend to ramble around the house (wifi is a great thing). I could be blogging in the kitchen, emailing in the garden, browsing in the sitting room, but when it comes to work, I will return to my desk and get myself in “work mode”. While you don’t have to have a separate room in order to work, having a dedicated work area will add to that sense of purpose, increase your focus and productivity.

You can see the full post here.

If Feng Shui is your thing, then you might want to check this quick guide on eHow.com on using Feng Shui to set up your home office. I also have a post this year on “Are you using the right chair?”

Have you had any success or horror stories with your home office? Any photos you would like to share? Leave a comment or drop me an email.

Popularity: 8% [?]

One project I’m working on this week is sound design for a new theatre production, something I’ve walked into at relatively the last minute.

In the past I’ve hired sound designers for theatre productions - those who can source the sound effects, get the music right, get the cues sorted for the stage and leave us with a magnificent soundscape of pure audio delights.

This job also falls into my ‘free work’ category due to my continued involvement with and development of the theatre company.

What’s been making my job that bit easier are the samples available from Free-Loops.com. Over 5,000 of them in fact, with a lot of the samples covered by a Creative Commons. If you don’t want to go through the downloading process of single-clicking 3,000+ sound loops, you can contribute $20 to the site and get access to a single download file of the entire free loop archive.

If you’re working as a podcast producer, in radio, freelancing with some audio work then this is a solid starting point to explore. There is also a selection of free VST plugins you can download to integrate with your preferred audio editor along with some free standalone multimedia applications to help you with your work.

More Free Sound Loops

Another resource I picked up during the week was SoundSnap.com offering a multitude of free MP3 samples to download. The interface is a lot cleaner and certainly easier to navigate around with clips also available in WAV format (not all clips).

Then there’s the old reliable of SoundDogs.com, which I find to be hit and miss quality-wise depending on what you’re after but it’s always worth a look for short effects / sounds.. You do indeed have to pay to download samples from SoundDogs.com (or grab the MP3 links if you want a low-quality copy.) For commercial use and project use you must open a professional account. The previews, which are low in quality are for demonstration purposes only, with high quality samples available with a pro account.

As with any audio or video download, be sure and read any accompanying license agreements or terms and conditions if using samples in a commercial project or venture.

If you have any free audio resources you would like to add, just leave a comment and I’ll get it added to the list above.

Update 1: Try also, Free Sound Project

Popularity: 10% [?]

The term ‘pro bono’, to quote Wikipedia is

…sometimes used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms. Pro bono service, unlike traditional volunteerism, uses the specific skills of professionals to provide services to those who are unable to afford them.

Some times I like to do some work, gratis. The community bone in my body likes to give up some of my (ever decreasing) time to particular projects. I love getting involved in BarCamp and PodCamp type events. I’ll sometimes give up some time to help others on a design projects, assist with online installations, provide some artwork for bands… whatever takes my fancy at the time.

I will do this regardless of whether the person on the receiving end can afford the service or not.

While some people might look on it as turning down the chance of income, however great or small, I’m a fond believer that one good turn deserves another and often I’ll find that small projects or favours you’ve done for people using your professional skill set will come back to you, possibly opening doors to new referrals, new clients or the opportunity of more work from the person you’ve helped in the first place.

What I don’t like is someone throwing the usual “eh, we don’t actually have any money but we’ll give you more work” or “we can’t afford to pay you but…”. I don’t take well to people asking me to commit time to a project with no return, but if I see an opportunity to assist someone without their asking, I’ll happily offer my services.

One good turn does indeed deserve another.

Popularity: 8% [?]

On Saturday last I passed a significant milestone. I had reached the three year mark in business for myself.

I say “milestone” as that what it really was. Before forming the actual business and getting our first client under our belts we had laid out a three year plan. Everything was done with a three year mindset. Now, those three years have passed, though no plan exists at present for year four to year six.

I think this comes down to the evolution of the web business, the way the current industry and market is working (everyone keeps talking up “the recession”), technologies changing, service requirements changing. Sure enough, the original plan altered over the course of the three years to date but ultimately all goals were met.

Financially, things became stable. We hired our first employee. We lost our first employee (after a fantastic 18 months). We enhanced our complimentary services. We networked. We picked up and continue to work with great clients. We lost a client along the way. Plenty of lessons were learned. But we continue to evolve, continue to grow and continue to enhance the services on offer.

Walking out the college doors a few years ago with degrees in hand, I don’t think I would have envisaged running a business quite so early in in post-college life. When all of your friends and close contacts are taking off to Australia, the US, doing some travel, seeing the world, you’re sitting up at 3am revising business plans, projected figures, meeting with the local Enterprise Board, revising more figures, getting lists of products and services ready, defining your business practices… the list goes on.

One thing is for certain though, I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world and would recommend it to anyone. Even knowing that you’re facing into late sleepless nights, changes to your diet, changes to the way your body and mind functions - but the rewards are massive as only you can reap the benefits have done all the work yourself.

So here’s to the past three years and onwards to three more years, no doubt packed with more twists and turns than one could imagine.

Popularity: 11% [?]

One question to ask yourself before embarking on a freelance career is “how well do you work on your own?”.

This can be looked on from two perspectives.

Firstly, when you’re left to your own devices, how likely are you to press on with work at hand. If you’re currently in an office environment or working with a group of people and you find you’re the only one in the room, are you likely to maintain you’re current work level or slack off a bit, starting browsing the web, maybe dip into an online game or two? Would you get distracted easily or look for a distraction?

Secondly, are you fond of your own company? While you might be able to press ahead with the work, are you too much of a people-person to be able to work on your own? Do you need the company of others around you, the human interaction?

Working on my own is something I adjusted to rather quickly and entering the world of work as a freelance anything (designer, writer, photographer), I think you’ve got to get used to working on your own a lot. It’s not a scare tactic to put you off working for yourself, but I’ve found over the last few years that you do spend a lot of time working by yourself.

Of course, if you do need the water-cooler morning chats, you could look at something like co-working or hot-desking in a local business centre.

When you’ve been a few days on a particular job and haven’t seen sunlight, you’ll want to hope you’re good company to yourself!

Me? My CD collection keeps me going.

Popularity: 24% [?]

I arrive back after a few days away, happily recharged and ready to approach another week. I couldn’t even let the fact that I had to travel to the Big Smoke (Dublin) for a day on Friday, drive to Mayo on Saturday, set up for (and perform) a packed gig on Saturday night and hit the road at 6:30am this morning sway me.

Why?

Because I got to spend time away from everything else - no internet, no laptop, a mobile phone on silent (though I did field one call and a few messages over the weekend) with the philosophy that “everything else can wait”.

I can’t stress enough the importance of and the value of taking time out for yourself. The opportunities that I’ve developed for myself over the past 3-4 years means I’m open to working around the clock - eight hours in the office, three hours in the theatre, time spent over music, promotions, gigs etc. I’ve been looking for an eighth day in the week but it’s just not happening.

However, making sure you take time out for yourself and yourself alone can make all the difference in allowing you to refocus your energies and get a firm grip on the weeks ahead. In my case I know that this weekend gone is my only “free” weekend until July at a minimum so I certainly made the most of it.

As a result, I’m heading into this week well rested, refocused and ready for the tasks ahead.

Some of those tasks include emptying my growing list of draft blog posts for Pro Freelance Blogger!

Popularity: 14% [?]

While I had mentioned on Friday that I’d just come off a lengthy stretch on a project, I certainly hadn’t anticipated the weekend being just as busy!

An interview Saturday morning, a project meeting Saturday afternoon, a gig Saturday evening (delivery, setup, sound checks, strip down etc. - a group of us cater for music acts on available weekends), mixing Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon meeting, dinner Sunday night…

Then you go straight back to the office.

However, this morning, I said “no thanks”. After a few days on the go, I’ve booked a few hours off this morning - caught up with some Seinfeld, Scrubs, King of Queens, mostly anything Paramount could throw at me for morning TV.

Working for yourself it becomes very easy for your weeks to blend into your weekends and if you feel it slipping away, then book a few hours for yourself on the couch, shut off, charge the batteries and get yourself back on track. Do something some way unrelated to your work - if you’re a writer, why not watch a DVD? If you’re a designer, switch off your laptop or computer and open a book. On the plus, you may find something inspirational in what you do but the main thing is to make some time for yourself.

There’s nothing wrong with allowing yourself to switch off once in a while.

Popularity: 22% [?]