A Few Things Every New Freelance Writer NEEDS to Know
If you want to make a living as a freelance writer, there are some things you need to consider before you start. Fail to follow a few things that are considered the norm in the industry, and you may be doomed to failure before you have written your first piece.
Good Access To Resources
There is more to producing a piece of work than the actual writing. In any one day you could be tackling 3 or 4 different subjects. To write effectively about them, you need to understand them. You need access to good resources for research purposes. You may think you know a subject inside out, but things develop and change all the time, and you should never write a piece assuming you know it all.
Part of this is ensuring you have a good Internet connection, or you will not be able to find the information you need. Next, look for information from trusted sites. Government and university websites are ideal. Zoos, museums, trusted news sites and Consumer Reports are good sources, too. Be sure that the site is unbiased and doesn't have an affiliation with a product for the best information.
Good images are also important. Here are 20 Free Ways to Get Photos and Multimedia Content for Blog Posts and Articles.
Insurance
This might not seem relevant, but what if you have a break-in and your computer is stolen? You should have home based business insurance, as no device means no money is earned. This relatively inexpensive insurance that will pay for you to get up and running again much quicker.
Edit, Edit and Edit Again
Editing the piece you have written is crucial. Walk away from it for a bit and come back with fresh eyes. There are also programs available that will check your work for obvious errors, but they won't turn it into a good piece of copy, that is up to you.
editing
Don’t Miss Deadlines
Never miss a deadline, as these are vital for some of the people you will be working for. Clients don't ask to have your piece by a certain day and time for no reason, there are often other things that need to be done after you have finished. They may have to add links, images or videos and these can all take time to source.
Accept Feedback With A Smile
You could send the same piece of work, as a freelance writer, to two different people and one love it and the other hate it. This could be for several reasons. Each piece has to be suitable for the place it will be published, whether that is online or in print. You may get negative feedback if an article is the wrong tone or aimed at the wrong audience. All these things should have been part of the brief you were originally given, and if you don't follow that you should expect negative feedback.
Don’t take it personally though. Look at is as part of your learning curve to becoming a freelance writer, and remember what has been said. It could be useful in other pieces you do.
Freelance writing needs a strong work ethic as you could find you have very little one day and need to work 20 hours the next. It is the nature of the beast, but one that can easily earn your living if you are prepared to work at it.
Here are some more tips:
Music and Writing? Music Has the Power to Change the Mind
Hey writers, do you listen to music while you write? Maybe you should. Studies have shown music’s almost magical impact on healing and music is being used in a variety of new ways.
Hey writers, do you listen to music while you write? If not, maybe you should. Studies have shown music’s almost magical impact on healing and music is being used in a variety of new ways, such as teaching stroke patients how to walk and helping premature babies gain weight.
music is life
“Music treats the soul, and If you treat your soul the body will ultimately positively react,” says D. Kenny Davin Fine MD, a gastroenterologist who is also creator of Oro-Intestinal Fitness Products. “Music is under appreciated as a healing source that can be just as powerful a prescription as drugs.”
Fine, a musician himself who recently recorded a “Rockspirational” double music album, has used his scientific and medical expertise to pioneer new paradigms to diagnose and treat a variety of illnesses and conditions. But he says music can be therapeutic as well.
“Music can be an integral part of creating a unique prescription of health, happiness and hope,” says Fine, who has also created the FinerHealth, FinerLife Travelling Musical Medicine Show which he will soon take on the road to live events.
Fine offers these recommendations for people who are having medical issues and want to incorporate music as a healing therapy:
Sing to yourself even if it is just in the car or the shower. Research has shown that music not only engages the auditory system but many other parts of your brain as well, including areas responsible for movement, language, attention, memory, and emotion. The impact can be felt regardless of if a person is listening to music, playing an instrument or singing.
Take off the headphones. Headphones cranked up too loud cause hearing loss. Listen more to soothing music that relaxes you at lower volumes. If you can’t give up the headphones, a good rule of thumb is to not turn the volume up so loud that you can’t hear other sounds around you.
Learn to play an instrument. This not only enhances your appreciation, but will encourage you to listen to more. Learning to play a musical instrument also is one of the best exercises for your brain.
“Music is an important part of our lives, but for people who have health issues, it could play an even more important role if they only utilized it,” Fine says. “I believe we are only beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to the healing power of music. I think in the coming years we will have more hard evidence of its potential. I even predict that in the future people will choose their health practitioner not only for their specialty, and personality but in what area of creativity they dwell.”
About Kenny Davin Fine MD
Kenny Davin Fine MD, creator of Oro-Intestinal Fitness Products (www.finerhealth.com), is a gastroenterologist who has held staff positions at both Baylor University Medical Center and the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School. His medical research has appeared in prestigious medical journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Gastroenterology, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, and The American Journal of Gastroenterology. He has been professionally involved in patient care, medical research, teaching, directing clinical laboratories, nutritional pioneering and original health product and unique organic health food product development for almost 30 years. Fine is also a highly regarded singer-songwriter, guitar and harmonica player, and recording artist with 11 album releases to date. He has worked in the recording studio with Grammy and Oscar-winning producers, including Michael Lloyd, Niko Bolas, and John Hampton. He proclaims he is the world’s only Physician-Musician on a Mission!
Profitable Tips For The New Freelancer
It can often pay to consider how to profit when first taking on a freelancing role. Freelancing is often stereotyped as a career path for lazy students who cannot spend an hour of the day outside of their pajamas, perhaps eating cereal as they work on their editing commission.
While there are likely people out there like this right now that fit that stereotype to the T, this is not the vast majority of working freelancer portfolios.Most freelancers have to double down on self-promotion, self-confidence and the willingness to sustain and impress repeat clients. This does not mean that the income stream is ever guaranteed. If you find yourself in this position and wish for a little extra cash flow in your favor, you may consider taking on these attitudes and habits for doing so:
Starting In Your Free Time
Starting in your free time is perhaps one of the wisest steps you can take as you build your reputation. It might be that you already have a skillset that you can apply, but before you gain clients and complete a few jobs, you will have little to offer and little clients interested in you. This means that taking the time before you quit your day job to refer to your side hustle in the evenings can help you keep your standard of living while also working hard to build your clients.
This arrangement won’t last years. Just a temporary period of this can help you prove yourself without financial worry, even if you might be a little pressed for time. If you have the funding or the will then, by all means, it could be worth making this your full-time gig immediately, but don’t jump into that with haste unless you are sure in more ways than one.
[bctt tweet="Profitable Tips For The New Freelancer #freelancing #business" username="alinabradford"]
A Home Side Income
It can be that as you establish your main freelancing desires, you decide to nurture a home side income. You may decide to tutor beginners in your freelancing skill, allowing you a secondary form of income instead of just trying to secure standard jobs through reputation alone. You may also decide to make the use of sitting at home all day working on your craft, by focusing on Algo trading as a hobby, an automated investment portfolio management system that can help you manage your bonds and stocks with a degree of finesse, and educate you on how these systems work. It’s not hard to see why diversifying your skillset through methods like this can make you a more rounded person, even if you were initially only targeted to complete your one artistic endeavor. It’s good to have side hustles.
Quality vs Quantity Of Clients
While you may want to establish many clients in the early days to build your reputation (this is a good option,) sometimes it might pay to ensure you only take on good jobs that you can really utilize your flair in to help build your unique offering, and develop your testimonials to an impressive degree with larger names. If you ever have the choice between one excellent and well-known client and two lesser known ones, decide if quantity or quality is more important to you. There is no right answer, but carefully thinking how they might benefit your operation could help you in the long run.
With these simple tips for the new freelancer, you will surely start with the best attitude to hand.
Success With Money | 5 Bad Money Habits That You Can Easily Change
Freelance writers, are these simple money mistakes keeping you from achieving financial success and true wealth?Let’s take a look at five of the most common money mistakes. Are you guilty of these bad habits? Is there room for improvement? Change might not be as hard as you think. Financial success begins with taking small steps. Doing one right thing with your money today can make a world of difference to the security of your tomorrow.
5 Bad Money Habits To Change Today
Guest article by Beau Henderson
Bad Habit #1: Waiting to save until you are making more money.
Saving money isn’t a function of your paycheck, it’s a lifetime habit. You don’t wait to save until you feel rich; you do it to get rich. Waiting only cheats you out of the money you could be earning due to the magic of compound interest.
Change your mindset to paying yourself first. Start now with whatever amount you can afford, and treat it like you would any other important bill that needs to be paid. If you have a 9-to-5, take advantage of any free money offered through your employer and contribute to your 401(k) or IRA. Have an amount deducted from every paycheck and put it on auto-pilot for success. If you never see the money, you’ll soon learn how to live without it.
success with savings
Bad Habit #2 Putting emergency expenses on the credit card.
This habit is a trap that leads to a vicious cycle of mounting debt. The only people who benefit are the credit card companies who receive billions each year in interest payments.
The solution starts with the establishment of a simple emergency fund. Open a savings account you can easily access – one different from your retirement or long-term savings goals – and start putting away money every month. To fund your emergency account, make only the minimum payments due on your credit cards. Put the rest into your emergency savings account. Continue until you have accumulated one month’s worth of living expenses in your emergency fund, and then tackle that debt.
Bad Habit #3 Saving for your kid’s college expenses before saving for retirement.
Whenever the subject of retirement comes up, I hear the question, “But what about saving for my child’s college education?” This concern leads to confusion and feelings of overwhelm. A lot of people end up so paralyzed, they don’t save anything at all.
The solution starts with the realization that while you can finance a college education, you can’t finance your retirement.We all want to give our kids the best start we possibly can, but the situation is a lot like flying in an airplane during an emergency. You have to put on your own oxygen mask before helping your children. Take care of your retirement first. That will put you in a stronger position to help others.
Bad Habit #4 Keeping the majority of your retirement savings in the bank.
This is a bad habit created by fear. While the FDIC does insure the base amount of your savings, it doesn’t protect against inflation and the rising cost of health care. The average cost of a one-bedroom stay in an assisted living facility unit rose 4.26 percent from 2008 to 2013, while the rate of inflation rose just 1.64 percent over the same time period.* If you are relying on the banks to keep your money safe, then chances are you’re going backward when it comes to your retirement savings.
Cure yourself of this fear by getting some education about investment alternatives. Insurance companies have developed newer products designed to give retirees with both safety and a rate of return that can keep up with the rising cost of health care.
successful freelance writer
Bad Habit #5 Spending 100 percent of every paycheck.
It has become the norm in our culture to finance a lifestyle we can’t really afford. The banks tell us we qualify for loans and we accept their numbers. This puts us in a position of needing every penny of every paycheck just to pay the bills and keep the lights on.
Adopt a new habit of living below your means. Even though the bank says you qualify, go by your numbers instead. Even though you can afford a new car, buy a used one and put the remaining funds in an emergency savings account instead. It doesn’t matter whether you earn $20,000 a year or $200,000, you will become wealthy if you keep to this simple rule: live on less than you make.
*Reference:
About Beau Henderson
Beau Henderson is the Bestselling Author of several books including The RichLife: Ten Investments for True Wealth, The Roadmap to a RichLife, The 5 Thieves That Will Steal Your RichLife, The RichLife Stewardship Principle and Masterful Communication For Success With Business and Life with Dr. Bill Lampton. He holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia as well as the designations of Retirement Income Certified Planner, National Social Security Advisor, Certified Long-Term Care, Master Certified Success Coach and Certified Master Behavioral Analyst, in addition to his role as CEO of The RichLife Advisors. As a media contributor, Beau’s message of the RichLife has been featured in media outlets including Fox, The Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNBC, and MarketWatch.
Website: http://www.richlifeadvisors.com/ and http://beauhenderson.com/
How Writers can Start Investigating
There are loads of investment options on the market which come with an easy way out, taking away all of the risk if you simply follow the right rules. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the most popular investments with this sort of trait.
When you first get started, navigating the world of investment can be a very scary thing. A lot of people are put off at this stage, worried that the field is too complex for them, with most of the online guides they can find being confusing and often unhelpful.
This is a shame, as it doesn't have to be this way. There are loads of investment options on the market which come with an easy way out, taking away all of the risk if you simply follow the right rules. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the most popular investments with this sort of trait.
Property
For a lot of people, property is a go-to when it comes to investment, and this makes sense. When you buy a home, you aren’t putting money into something you will never see. Instead, you will have a tangible object to show for your spending, and it will keep a lot of its value going long into the future. To get out of an investment like this, you’ll need to make a sale. This shouldn’t be too hard if you have the help of a professional.
Spread Betting
When it comes to things like stocks, Forex, and other resource-based investments, you have an excellent option to help you to get out of your spending; spread betting. Giving you the ability to make money in any circumstance, regardless of when you sell, this is just one of many great examples of a secure investment. Of course, if you want this to work, you’ll have to do some research for yourself.
Peer Funding
Over the last few years, banks have become increasingly strict when it comes to giving out loans. Opening the doors for investors, this has sparked a huge trend online, with loads of companies starting with the help of their future customers. Providing loans like this is easy to get out of thanks to the sheer number of investors. Your share will only be small, and this means that you can leave without impacting the overall pot.
Funds
Finally, as the last option on this list, funds have long been a go-to for clever investors. With your bank being able to handle most of this work, this option will give you loads of freedom. Best of all, though, is that you don’t have to wait to have access to the cash, as you can withdraw it at any time. Of course, you have to be careful with this, as some funds will want to you stick around before they give you any of your interest.
Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder on the investment options you choose. Having a way to get out of something like this is very important, especially when you first get started. Some investments are much stricter than this, though, making some research essential if you want to succeed. A lot of people ignore this when they first get started.
Is Your Business Ready for Hurricane Season?
Home homeowners are already pricing generators, restocking hurricane supplies and getting ready for Mother Nature’s annual visits. But what about businesses? What should they do to prepare for hurricane season – or for any disaster that could strike and potentially upend the business?
Hurricane season arrived on June 1, but the busiest period is fast approaching - typically mid-August to mid-September generates the most hurricanes in the United States. Home homeowners are already pricing generators, restocking hurricane supplies and getting ready for Mother Nature’s annual visits. But what about businesses? What should they do to prepare for hurricane season – or for any disaster that could strike and potentially upend the business?
Peter J. Strauss, a captive insurance manager and author of the book The Business Owner’s Definitive Guide to Captive Insurance Companies (www.peterjstrauss.com), says the time is now for businesses to prepare.
“A remarkable number of business owners will spend a lot of time preparing their homes, but very little time preparing their businesses,” Strauss says. “Once a storm is on the radar, there is barely time to prepare your home – let alone your business.”
Experts from Colorado State University — regarded as the nation’s top seasonal hurricane forecasters — recently predicted 2018 will have seven hurricanes among 14 named tropical storms. Both numbers are above the average of six and 12, respectively.
Strauss says some preparations a business needs to take include:
Survey its staff members to determine what their needs will be during a storm and what they will need in order to return to work once the storm passes. The staff is the company’s biggest resource, so this should be a priority.
Start stockpiling water now if you have some extra space in your business. In an emergency, the first thing most retail stores run out of is bottled water. Also stockpile canned goods and extra food items that can remain fresh for your employees.
Take stock of all your software, hardware and data and arrange for duplication and off-site storage if necessary.
Purchase a generator and make other precautions for the inevitable disruption of power that will happen during the storm. Come up with an alternate plan of how you will be able to continue to service customers if there is a prolonged outage of power or if there is structural damage to your place of business.
Call your insurance agent and review your policy to make sure you have all the coverage you need. Also, videotape and photograph everything in your business and store for insurance purposes.
Strauss stressed that procrastination is not your friend when it comes to hurricanes. “Once a storm is approaching, everything moves twice as fast as you think it will. Generators, water and plywood will go fast,” he says. “Gas lines will get longer sooner. You can save yourself a lot of headache and worry by being prepared.”
About Peter J. Strauss
Peter J. Strauss (www.peterjstrauss.com) is an attorney, captive insurance manager and author of several books, including most recently The Business Owner’s Definitive Guide to Captive Insurance Companies. He is the founder and managing member of The Strauss Law Firm, LLC, on Hilton Head Island, S.C, and also the founder and CEO of Hamilton Captive Management, LLC. A graduate of the New England School of Law, he holds an LL.M. in estate planning from the University of Miami and speaks regularly at public seminars.
Mistakes to Avoid when Planning Your Career Move
Instead of jumping in head first, you should think the new business or career through to make sure that you are able to tackle the challenges ahead. Below you’ll find a few mistakes to avoid when planning a career move.
If you want to try yourself at a new career or start your own business, it is easy to believe that - if you buy some books and enroll in a training - you are guaranteed success. Instead of jumping in head first, you should think the new business or career through to make sure that you are able to tackle the challenges ahead. Below you’ll find a few mistakes to avoid when planning a career move.
No Market Research
No matter if you would like to become a professional medical freelance writer or get started with flipping properties, you need to get to know the market you are entering. A good way of assessing your chances for success is completing a SWOT analysis. Once you have a clear business plan, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your model, the opportunities, and the threats. Further, you will have to assess the competition in the marketplace.
Lack of Investment
While people will tell you that you can make money without investing, this is hardly ever the case. Even if you are looking for remote jobs for graduates, you will need to upgrade your laptop and software, invest in research training, and get a home office built. If you want to enter a manufacturing market, however, you will need to buy equipment and get professional certifications and insurance.
Not Paying Attention to the Latest Technologies
Many people think traditionally when entering a competitive market, and they fail to differentiate themselves. No matter if you want to make money through oil production or consulting, you need to be aware of the trends. For example, check out greasebook.com to find out more about the latest developments in the oil and gas industry. Do your research and order white papers, read research studies and patent documents to be in the picture.
Not Being Realistic
You must create measurable and clear goals for your business. It is highly unlikely that you will break even in just a few months’ time. If you are starting a freelance business, you will need to take lower payments in the beginning, until you have a solid reputation and great feedback score.
Neglecting Marketing
Whether you seek a paid position with a company or want to work for yourself. It is important that you learn how to market yourself as a professional. Learn basic CV writing skills, find out more about what customers and companies are looking for, and invest time and money in marketing. Use social media, start networking, and find out as much as you can about your potential employers, customers, and business partners.
If you would like to change your career, more often than not you will need to change your mindset, too. Don’t set unrealistic expectations, but invest in your training and research, as well as marketing your skills and services. Find out as much as you can about the latest trends, and learn how to differentiate yourself in the competitive market.
Hey Carries! Enter to Win 2 Tickets for the Sex and the City Tour
Hey Carries! Enter to Win 2 Tickets for the Sex and the City Tour
I've been in business for 20 years! Guess who else is having her 20th anniversary? The world's most famous fictional writer, Carrie Bradshaw! For this occasion, I'm giving away two tickets to the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour.
Here's more information on the tour:
"On this guided Sex and the City tour, follow in the footsteps of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda – you’ll drink where they drank, shop where they shopped, and gossip where they gossiped. This Sex and the City tour includes more than 40 locations from the show! Whether you’re a Sex and the City fan eager to learn more about your favorite show or a tourist looking for an entertaining way to see Manhattan’s best neighborhoods, the Sex and the City Hotspots tour is a must-do!"
Tour "Haute" Spots
Visit the site of Carrie and Big’s wedding rehearsal dinner
Walk past Carrie’s famous brownstone stoop
Hop into the Pleasure Chest where Charlotte buys her “Rabbit”
Scout the bar owned by Steve and Aidan
Reminisce Miranda’s embarrassing underwear moment in the Village
Venture into the trendy neighborhood, MePa, where the girls frequent
Pass the café where Samantha invites the girls to Abu Dhabi
Get some retail therapy like Carrie & Co. at Greenwich Village boutiques
Indulge in cupcakes like when Carrie confides in Miranda about Aidan
The upscale restaurant where Samantha Jones met her senior citizen millionaire
The storied jeweler where Charlotte York picked her engagement ring
The New York Public Library, site of the would-be wedding of Carrie and Big
The chi-chi department store where the ladies discussed Alexander Petrovsky
The quaint church where Samantha wooed “the Friar”
ABC Carpet & Home, where Charlotte and Bunny McDougal fought over a bed
Carrie’s brownstone apartment stoop
The expensive men’s clothing store where Miranda took Steve shopping for a new suit
The shop where Charlotte bought her “Rabbit”
Aidan’s Furniture Company
The Bakery where Carrie and Miranda ate cupcakes
Charlotte’s gym
Boutiques along Bleecker Street – these could include Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Toosh, James Perse, Brunello Cucinelli, Fresh, Lulu Guinness, Creed, Mulberry, Olive and Bette, and more!
And more!
The winner will be drawn on August 1st, 2018 and will be notified by email. One entry per person.
Freelancers! Give Your Neck a Rest
Is your neck giving you hell? Here’s how to ease the pain.
Well before the invention of cell phones, medical experts agreed that poor posture is the leading cause of back and neck pain. But the explosion of 24-7 cell phone use has seriously compounded this problem - and even given rise to a new medical condition: ‘Text Neck”.
“Text neck” is the nickname for all the back, neck and spinal issues affecting those who spend too much time on their cell phones and mobile devices. It is due to the constant hunching over people do to peer into their mobile screens, which malforms the spine. Physicians are reporting children as young as eight years old are affected.
Collectively, Americans check their smartphones over 8 billion times per day. And young adults age 18 to 24 send or receive an average of 109.5 text messages on a typical day.
“Just look at any crowd of young people, chances are most are exhibiting very poor posture from tilting their head down to read their device. This forces their neck & back muscles to work at awkward angles - just to keep the body upright, and pain and strain is often the result,” says Robert Gearhart, an operating room nurse and co-inventor of Body Aline, an exercise machine designed to strengthen the back and realign the spine.
“Cell phones aren’t going anywhere, so it looks like text neck will become a health problem of epidemic proportion in the years ahead,” Gearhart said. “If the trend continues, it looks like in 20 years the number of people who will have spine issues due to this will be astronomical.”
He says the best way to check your mobile device is to stand up straight and look at your device at eye level instead of reading it next to your torso, which usually results in your chin going down towards your chest. Or lie on your stomach when spending long periods of time on your phone. This provides a safe and natural passive isometric exrcise to restore the natural curve to the neck.
Of course, it is not just mobile devices that can give a person back problems – there are many causes and some, such as arthritis, have no easy answers. However, Gearhart says frequently the cause of back pain can be something that can be adjusted with proper lifestyle choices, such as:
Take breaks from desk jobs. When working at a computer, take a short break every 15 or 20 minutes, then move around and change your body and head positions.
Adjust your workspace. Set your computer monitor at eye level. Raise your smartphone to eye level rather than lowering your head. Get a tablet holder to elevate your device close to eye level. If possible, get a standing desk or an ergonomic chair. Don’t slouch at your desk.
Use voice-to-text as often as possible. This cuts down on the amount of time you are looking down at your phone.
Hold Your Phone At Eye Level. Do not look down and allow your chin to move towards your chest when you are on your mobile device. This causes the back of the neck to support the head instead of the shoulders.
“Taking some preventative measures,” Gearhart says, “is much easier than trying to treat a spine that is already out of alignment.”
About Robert Gearhart
Robert Gearhart, the co-inventor of Body Aline, is an operating room nurse. He noticed an increasing number of patients with back problems, and teamed with Jason Bowman, a certified personal trainer and former engineer, to create Body Aline. It is an exercise machine designed to strengthen the back and realign the spine.
Travel Writers: How to Keep Your Data Safe While You Travel
Writers, keep your data safe while on assignment. Here’s how.
June is Internet Safety Month. While you're traveling, it's important to keep your data safe. Keeper created this cool infographic that highlights some recommendations for travel writers or anyone else that will be traveling this summer.
Are Flexible Schedules the New Freelance for Writers? 30 Companies Hiring for Flexible Schedule Jobs in 2018
Are flexible schedules the new freelance for writers? FlexJobs offers their insight and the top 30 companies that hire with flexible schedules. This list may be a treasure trove for writers that want a full-time job with the flexibility of freelancing.
Are flexible schedules the new freelance for writers? FlexJobs offers their insight and the top 30 companies that hire with flexible schedules. This list may be a treasure trove for writers that want a full-time job with the flexibility of freelancing.
Having a flexible schedule is one of the most desired types of flexible work arrangements, second only to remote work, and well ahead of part-time and freelance jobs. Fortunately, jobs that offer flexible schedules are available across industries and career levels. To highlight the diversity of companies that hire for flexible schedule jobs, FlexJobs has compiled the top 30 companies hiring for flexible schedule jobs in 2018. This list is based on an analysis of over 50,000 companies and looks specifically at their flexible schedule job posting histories in FlexJobs’ database between January 1 and May 31.
These 30 companies represent a wide variety of industries, such as education, finance, human resources, and healthcare. Auditor, bookkeeper, email marketing manager, fundraising associate, occupational therapist, and senior HR specialist are just a few of the diverse flexible schedule job titles currently available at these companies.
“While facing a tight labor market, employers need to think strategically about how they can attract and retain top talent, and recognize how much people across all demographics value work flexibility,” said Sara Sutton Fell, founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “With improved work-life balance, decreased stress, and better overall health, workers absolutely prioritize flexible work arrangements, and smart companies, like the ones featured on this list, are making more and more of these types of positions available,” Sutton Fell concluded.
A “flexible schedule job” refers to jobs that allow workers to vary their hours and mostly be in control of the hours they work.
30 Companies Hiring for Flexible Schedule Jobs in 2018:
King and Prince Resort: The Ideal Writer's Retreat
During the month of May I had the pleasure of traveling to the lovely St. Simons Island on the coast of Georgia. While I was there, it struck me that this place is an ideal spot for a writer's retreat.
During the month of May I had the pleasure of traveling to the lovely St. Simons Island on the coast of Georgia. While I was there, it struck me that this place is an ideal spot for a writer's retreat. Driving in, I noticed the blunt lack of commercialism. You won't find super stores or billboards lining the streets. What you do find is pretty island cottages in bright colors and homey shops that specialize in everything from mead and other honey products, like Savannah Bee Company, to fine glass art, like at Pain in the Glass.
Nestled in with these shops are fun restaurants that feature local cuisine that will blow your mind. I loved the delicious down-home food at Gnat's Landing and the gourmet delights at Georgia Sea Grill.
Overall, the downtown area is a great place to walk around all day long. (Though I wish I had some trekking poles.) If you can make it past all of this awesomeness to get to the beach, you'll find the crown jewel of St. Simons Island, The King and Prince Resort. It's the only resort on the island with beachfront views and a great place for writers to escape to.
What I love most about King and Prince is there aren't distractions to get caught up in. Just sea and quiet in a historical building that is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and is named to the National Register of Historic Places. No neon signs. No crazy beach parties. No buildings higher than four-stories. Just the feeling of solitude, even when the resort is full of people.
When you're caught up in writing, you don't need to rely on fast food delivery. There is room service, but I prefer the completely lovely ECHO restaurant found on the first floor. You can choose to sit beachside at one of the picnic tables while you eat and write in your notebook, shaded by a large umbrella.
One morning I did just that, and it was blissful. The sand is white and the tides are incredible. Because of its location on the coast, the island's tides are massive and a fascination to watch while you brainstorm or daydream.
The inside of the resort is just as great for daydreaming. There are gorgeous stained glass windows on the second floor with a cute little sitting room where I found myself each morning. If you can't find inspiration to write while showered with morning light beaming through colored glass, we can't be friends.
There are other little sitting nooks hidden all over the property where you can write and relax. Here are just a few that I found.
Overall, the King and Prince provides just the type of setting that creatives need to think and write. I was fully inspired every day I was there.
Here's How To Identify Your Soul Purpose To Live A Regret-Free Life
Here's some interesting news that was sent to me in an email this morning. I thought it may help you when planning goals for your writing career or just life in general. A new study from Cornell University published in the journal Emotion uncovered the biggest regrets that people had in life, reports Forbes.com.
“And they aren’t about missing a deadline or not buying a big house,” says Jennifer Longmore, B.A.S.W., M.Ed, a Life Coach & Founder of Soul Journeys, an international coaching company that helps everyone from Fortune 500 CEOs to Professional Athletes rediscover their life’s purpose.
The study found that the biggest regrets people had in life were about failing to fulfill their hopes, goals and aspirations and NOT about failing to fulfill their duties, obligations and responsibilities, writes The Cornell Chronicle.
“We want to feel like we matter and that our lives have meaning, but in order to do that you have to first identify your life’s purpose and then go after it,” explains Jennifer Longmore, who has conducted over 30,000 soul purpose sessions, including ones with Fortune 500 executives at Microsoft, Amazon and Disney, as well as with professional athletes from the Chicago Bulls, the L.A. Lakers and the Seattle Sounders.
Longmore says:
Here's How To Identify Your Soul Purpose To Live A Regret-Free Life
Flip through magazines. Rip out pages that speak to you, even if you don’t know why. It can help you identify your passions.
Identify leaders you admire. Read their biographies. You can get clues to how they live their life. Success always leaves clues.
Look for people in your life who you feel are living on purpose. Go ask them some questions. Just talking about this with others will help you start to uncover your own passions.
Be purposeful. When we are purposeful about morning habits it ripples into other areas of our life. Set up a morning routine for your first hour of waking and start doing this every day.
Clear out your unhealthy habits. Put a priority on health. We all know what our bad habits are, work on cutting them out. Health clears the mental clutter and makes you think clearly, making it easier to discover your life path.
Read books on soul purpose, goal achievement, and mindfulness. Try The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course Workbook: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.
Start small. Once you have an idea of something you want to achieve, try it on for size – see if you really do like it before you dive headfirst.
Meet people. Network with people who are doing what you want to do. Not only will you learn from them, you may get an opportunity to jump into the work.
Make time. Make your purpose a priority. On hour a week, google how to achieve your goal and schedule these steps into your calendar for specific dates and times.
Signs You've Found The Perfect Business For You
Whether you’re somebody who just wants to get out of the rat race by starting a successful venture, or somebody who considers themselves a budding entrepreneur and just wants something to start them off, you need to know what signs to look out for to know that you’ve found the perfect business. Here are some pointers that should help you to figure it out.
Finding the perfect business for you can take a lot of research, brainstorming and going backwards and forwards. Whether you’re somebody who just wants to get out of the rat race by starting a successful venture, or somebody who considers themselves a budding entrepreneur and just wants something to start them off, you need to know what signs to look out for to know that you’ve found the perfect business. Here are some pointers that should help you to figure it out.
You Feel Excited a Lot of the Time
If you’ve come up with an idea and you feel excited about it a lot of the time, you can feel fairly confident that you’ve found a business you should pursue. Feeling excited at the start of any business venture is normal, so you need to make sure that this feeling of excitement isn’t just going to wear off after a short while. See if you can be sensible through the excitement and listen to your intuition. Does this business idea feel right to you?
You Have What it Takes to Succeed in the Industry
In any industry, you’re going to need a few things to make sure you can succeed. A little knowledge of the industry will go a long way, of course, but remember that you don’t need to know absolutely everything to get started. If you wait until that moment, you’ll be waiting a very long time! You also need to be passionate about the industry and the idea, as well as have some kind of skill. If you can combine all of these things, then you should feel good about starting a business.
You Can Make Contacts
Oftentimes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. If you know you can make contacts in the industry that you’re thinking of pursuing, then it could be a good idea to go with it. Making contacts, even with suppliers is a great way to save money and get your business off to a fantastic start. Whether you’re looking for a supplier of vertical water storage tanks or you just need some office furniture, making contacts in the industry will help you to get to where you want to be.
You’re Always Coming Up With Ideas
Being a business owner is all about coming up with new ideas to keep your business moving forward, and to ensure that it won’t die. If you can’t seem to stop coming up with ideas, this is a great sign that you’ve found your ideal niche!
You’re Willing to Accept the Not so Great Stuff
In every industry, there are some not so great things that you’ll have to put up with. It doesn’t matter if you're working at your dream job, you’re going to come up against some challenges and some things that you just don’t enjoy as much. Think of the things you’ll likely have to deal with in this industry and whether you’re willing to accept them. If you are, you know you’ve found the perfect business for you!
FlexJobs Identifies Entry-Level Remote Jobs for New College Graduates
Remote jobs are available across career levels; Haynes & Company, Appen, and American Red Cross among companies recruiting entry-level remote positions.
Remote jobs are available across career levels; Haynes & Company, Appen, and American Red Cross among companies recruiting entry-level remote positions.
Boulder, CO, May 8, 2018, Guest post—According to a recent FlexJobs survey, 98% of more than 500 students interested in work flexibility said that having flexible work is something they would want for the long-term. The top reasons for wanting flexible work are work-life balance, family, time savings, and cost savings. A quarter of students would be willing to accept a pay cut in exchange for flexible work options, and 75% report that work-life balance is more important to them than salary (71%) when evaluating a job prospect. To showcase the diversity of remote entry-level opportunities available to new graduates, FlexJobs has identified 12 entry-level remote jobs currently hiring.
“There’s a persistent myth that entry-level jobs usually can’t be flexible or that new professionals have to put in a lot of time in a traditional office before they can work remotely,” said Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “As we approach a new graduation season, we want to debunk that myth by highlighting the variety of entry-level remote jobs that are in fact available to 2018 college graduates,” Sutton Fell concluded.
The following 12 remote jobs span different industries and are appropriate for new college graduates seeking entry-level positions. In addition to remote work, each job may offer other types of flexibility, such as flexible scheduling, freelancing, or part-time hours.
Each of these jobs requires a college degree and a minimal amount of experience, which can include internships, part-time experience, or a bit of full-time experience, depending on the role.
Digital Marketing Account Associate: Provide support of account managers and coordinators within campaigns for online advertising and work with 4 - 6 accounts to study and master best practices for SEM.
English Teacher: Facilitate teaching activities for English students in this part-time, all telecommuting position. 6 month initial contract with a flexible schedule. BA degree or higher is desired, along with TEFL/CELTA certification or equivalent.
In-Field Quantitative Market Researcher: Entry-level in-field quantitative market researcher desired for a flexible, remote role. Must be available to work evenings/weekends. Must have college degree, strong communication/organization skills, and the ability to work independently. Contract.
Linguist: Write and edit grammar, phonology and other materials. Test and evaluate, and document. Requires good English language skills and native fluency in Sylheti language, as well as a bachelor’s degree. Telecommute, as-needed, contract position.
Premium Auditor Trainee: Work from home and travel to businesses to review payroll and sales information for expired insurance policies. Full-time, some telecommuting role with travel. Must have computer and keyboarding skills, along with a valid driver's license.
Primary Care Representative: Ensure customers are provided with nutrition samples and materials and educated on how to use them. A bachelor’s degree and 1-3 years of sales experience are required. One-year contract position is telecommute-based with travel required.
Recruitment Specialist: Source candidates through various means, research new opportunities for networking and recruiting, conduct reference checks, and schedule interviews. Requires 1-3 years of experience and preferably a degree. Part-time with telecommute option.
Service Support Specialist: Full-time job, some remote work. Travel. Needs an associate's degree and some biomedical industry experience. Provide support in defined territory, instruct customer in the operation, use and maintenance of the system and serve as a company liaison.
ServiceNow Developer: Be responsible for designing, developing and testing enterprise solutions using a platform on BEAs ServiceNow. Will work with Business Analysts to improve the user experience and apply practices in Agile development. Work from home 50%.
Software Quality Engineer: Temporary, full-time job. Needs a bachelor's degree and one year industry experience and experience with performance testing tools. Take part in overall testing requirements, understand requirements and will perform peer reviews of QA artifacts.
Trauma Registrar: Part-time job, remote option. Varying days. Needs an associate's degree in nursing and licensed by WY Board of Nursing. Pays $25.79 an hour. Take part in monthly education, participate in trauma activities, compile statistics and prepare reports.
Vaccination Program Specialist: Remote, full-time job. Needs a bachelor's degree and one year' safety management work experience. Responsible for auditing, management, coordination and planning, identify, analyze and trend exposures and will prepare monthly compliance reports.
New graduates should also avoid common job-hunting mistakes, such as being too vague in a resume or cover letter, not using social media in the search, not committing enough time to the search, stopping a search after getting a promising lead, and being inflexible about in your search.
How Freelancers Can Learn from Green Hair
You need to be like green hair, my freelance writing friends. Story time!
You need to be like green hair, my freelance writing friends. Story time!
When my daughter was in elementary school she decided she wanted green hair. Since we’ve always encouraged our daughters to be themselves, her dad spent all evening lovingly coloring her hair.
The next day, I got a phone call from my daughter’s teacher. The green hair caught the eye of a bully and he was harassing my little girl. I was sad for my daughter, but what the teacher said next floored me. “She really needs to change her hair back to blond so she doesn’t distract the other students.” So, basically, my daughter needed to conform to make the bullies comfortable and quiet. A white-hot rage welled up inside of me. Our world is seriously fucked up, I thought to myself.
Your freelance writing dream is a lot like green hair. It’s different. People are uncomfortable with different and, more than likely, family and friends will give you hell over your decision. Why can’t you just have a nice, stable normal job like everyone else? Get your head out of the clouds and come back down to Earth, they’ll say.
Ignore them!!!
Your job in this life isn’t to make people comfortable with your personal choices. The choices you make for yourself are meant to do one thing: make you happy. If you love putting words on blank screens or filling pages of notebook paper with ideas, go for it! You do you. Luxuriate in the feeling of being weird and free.
Is Your Business's Branding Up To Scratch?
Is your branding good enough. Probably not. Here’s how to find out.
Branding definition
When it comes to setting up your own business, it falls to you to figure out where your priorities lie. Of course, every business owner is going to have a different set of priorities to those around them, and it's often easy to fall into the trap of focusing your energy in the wrong places.
After all, your instinct may be to focus on the areas of your business that interest you or that you're skilled in, but that just leads to things being neglected. One of the most tragically neglected parts of many smaller businesses is their branding. Without high-quality branding, no-one is going to take your business seriously. With that in mind, here are some ways to get your branding up to scratch.
Understand design trends
branding tips
One of the most common mistakes that a lot of businesses make with their branding is that they try to latch on to current design trends as though that's going to immediately make their branding better.
However, the truth is, the key is to try and understand them so that you can figure out what it is that makes them popular in the first place. That way you'll be able to use those same ideas in your own branding, rather than just creating branding that is derivative of your competition.
Use different media
branding image
In the modern era, there are now more different types of media than ever before. Your branding needs to be able to function properly no matter what medium you're using at any given time. Whether it's social media posts, customized labels, or a giant billboard next to the highway, being able to create branding that works across a variety of different media is pretty much essential.
Of course, this means that you have to consider how people will interact with your branding. Think about whether your branding is just as effective when looked at for a moment compared to when it's looked at for a longer period of time. Or perhaps how good it looks when blown up to giant proportions.
Outsource it
where to use branding
Even if you know what it is that you want from your branding, that doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be able to turn that into a reality. If that's the case, the best thing that you can do is to outsource your branding to an expert designer or design team. Sure, handing over parts of your business can be pretty scary, but it can also be one of the very best ways to not only create the best possible branding, but also to free up your mind to focus on other areas of your business.
It's understandable that a lot of small businesses tend not to focus enough on their branding. After all, not everyone can be a graphic designer and most smaller businesses don't have the kind of budget for a design team. However, this side of your business is simply too important to allow it to fall by the wayside. If you do, you're letting down your entire business.
Clear Communication Is The Key To Success In Freelancing
Poor communication can not only undermine your credibility as a freelancer, it can scare clients away resulting in a sustained pattern of lost earnings. In order to ensure that your communicate clearly and efficiently for freelancing success, it’s vital that you learn to...
Lots of people give up the day job for a freelancing career and never look back and it’s not hard to see why. The freedom to set your own hours, work at your own pace and choose through design or plain old trial and error which practices and processes work for you is understandably appealing. Most freelancers also appreciate being able to work autonomously, without having to get their every creative decision or artistic flourish signed off by a committee of managers and board members. But while freelancing allows us to take our career and our destiny into our own hands, we must be mindful of bad habits and poor practices that can harm our career prospects.
In lieu of the systems of training and professional development our salaried friends enjoy, freelancers must be true autodidacts, constantly learning new ways to make their practices more effective and efficient.
Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the world of communication. All freelancers, even those who work remotely, must be in a perpetual state of communication with clients, sources, contacts and others on whom they rely on a daily basis. Poor communication can not only undermine your credibility as a freelancer, it can scare clients away resulting in a sustained pattern of lost earnings. In order to ensure that your communicate clearly and efficiently for freelancing success, it’s vital that you learn to...
Choose a communications platform that works for you
Lots of freelancers feel that they come across best in person or over the phone, but these are rarely the most efficient means of communication. Cold calls from clients are a pet hate amongst veteran freelancers and while communicating over the phone can be advantageous to freelancers, it’s important to make sure that phone calls, skype calls and face to face meetings are scheduled as much as possible to allow for optimal time management.
Email is all well and good but it’s rarely the most efficient form of communication due to its lack of immediacy. As you’ll see from this post, many businesses are embracing the immediacy of text messaging to facilitate efficient business communications. There’s no right or wrong here, it’s simply a matter of what works for you.
Proof read your communications with the client in mind
When composing outbound communications to clients or when applying for freelance positions it’s important to read them with the client in mind. Is your use of language needlessly elaborate? Is your communication written with brevity and efficiency of communication? Bear in mind that the person reading it is likely to be very busy and won’t have time to pore over lengthy emails. While s smattering of technical jargon is good for showing that you know your onions, using too much of it can make you seem smug, while going OTT on the acronyms may alienate some clients.
Build value in your invoices
Finally, an oft overlooked form of communication with your clients is your invoicing. Your invoice isn’t just how you get paid, it’s an important part of your communications. Does the client know that they’re getting their money’s worth? Have you included any discounts or anything you’ve thrown in for free on your invoice? If your client recognizes the value in what they’re paying for, they’ll be much more likely to invite you back.
Just starting out and need some good advice? Check out my book:
The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course Workbook
Steal This Trick to Get More Twitter Followers
Social media marketers use this trick and you can too.
Social media marketers use this trick and you can too.
Having a legion of Twitter followers is a status symbol, but it's also a way people morph themselves from mere individuals to influencers and tastemakers. Many of the people with massive followings you see on Twitter didn't get them organically. They either purchased followers, which I don't recommend, or they used the "follow for followers" method. You can do the later to boost your following without any money.
get twitter followers
A little disclosure: I'm a social media manager for some of my clients. Not only have I been behind the scenes of brand accounts, but I've also attended many social media marketing seminars that teach the follow for followers technique. People who abuse the technique can get their accounts shut down, but as long as you follow the steps properly, you won't have a problem.
The Steps to Getting More Twitter Followers
The follow for followers process is pretty simple. First, find someone on Twitter that posts a lot of things that you like to post and has a lot of followers. You probably already follow someone on Twitter that you love and would love to emulate. This will be your target.
Next, go to their profile and click where it says their follower number below their header photo. This will take you to a list of their followers. These followers like what your target post, so chances are, they will like what you post, too.
Conveniently, beside the name of each follower is a follow button. Stretch out your clicker finger, because it is going to get a workout. Follow 100 of these target followers and stop. Wait around 5 minutes and follow another 100. I know one marketer that follows 1,000 people per day, per account, but 200 to 400 is safer and it still gets results.
Do this every day for 10 days.
Now Do a Purge
starbrew not following back tool
When the 10 days are up, you'll have a lot of new followers, but you will be following way more people than are following you back. After 10 days if a person isn't following you back, it's unlikely that they are going to. Many of your unfollowers will be inactive accounts or bots. So you need to do a purge.
Unfortunately, you can't manually unfollow people in any organized way on Twitter, so sign up for Crowdfire and StatusBrew. Each tool allows you to unfollow 100 people per day using a free account.
If you use both tools, you will be able to unfollow 200 people per day to purge your non-followers. To do this, go to the "not following back" tools and change the settings so that it is displaying your oldest non-followers first. Now start unfollowing.
followers on Twitter
To make the process easier, you can automate it using a tool called Jooicer. For a few bucks a month you can set up this tool to automatically follow people who are interested in topics you post. It will also automatically unfollow people who don't follow you back. I've tried it on one of my accounts and I'm not hating the results.
Keep Your Account Safe
There are some things to remember when using this method. When an account is following and unfollowing large amounts of people in a short period of time, it may think that the account has been hacked or that it is controlled by a bot. In most cases, Twitter will just make you change your password, but accounts can get shut down. So, to avoid this, take a break in-between batches of 100 follows and 100 unfollows.
Don't Be Shifty
There's a practice among some that I call "Twitter baiting." It uses the follow for followers technique, but instead of just unfollowing people who didn't follow them back, these people unfollow everyone, usually as soon as the person follows them back. These sneaky tweeters know that most people will keep following a person even when they are unfollowed only because most people don't keep track of who follows them and who doesn't.
If you're trying to build a community of Twitter followers, this practice is a big no-no. You want to be able to see what your followers post so you can get an idea of what they want to see you post. If you're not following them, you won't get this valuable information.
Plus, people get wise to this practice over time and word may spread that you're a spammer. That's not a great way to build a following.
i have more twitter followers than
The Results
Granted, the follow for followers technique is a boring process, but it offers big returns. If you do this process every day for ten days, you'll be impressed at how well your numbers grow. The results usually follow a 2:1 ratio. For every 200 people you follow, you will gain around 100 followers. By the end of 10 days you'll have 1,000 new followers. If you keep this up, you can amass around 6,000 followers in two months.
Something I've noticed is you get unexpected Twitter followers that you didn't follow. My theory is, when people are following you back Twitter adds you to the "Who to Follow" list on the pages of the followers of your new followers. I call these bonus followers.
The best part is, your new Twitter followers won't just be random people. They will be people who like what you like and will actually interact with you and share your posts. Sharing posts will attract new followers and soon your Twitter account will be growing on its own.
Why Writing for $3 Per Article Isn't Going to Help Your Freelance Career
This is why you shouldn’t settle for low paying freelance writing jobs.
This is a throwback from 2011, but I thought my No-Fluffers would enjoy reading it.
In one of my posts I wrote about a content site that pays $3 per article. I got this comment soon after:
Alina, I write for writers domain and I think it's a decent way to learn the ropes of freelance writing and get a little extra cash too. I've also done Textbroker in the past. Neither are the $50/hr jobs that you're looking for, but you're probably a much higher-caliber writer; I'm just getting started. While I definitely would like to get paid more, I also don't want to spend my time weeding through work and not getting paid. Looking for work is still work in my opinion and I only have so much time before my kid wakes up! I find with WD I can make $20-30/hr if I'm focused. Yes, it's only $3.30 per article, but I can do 6-8 an hour. That being said, I am quite a fast typer and not everyone can do that. - Gary Here is my reply to Gary:
Hi Gary,
I assume that you came to my blog because you were looking for information on becoming a freelance writer. So, I'm going to give you some advice from my 13 years of experience in the writing world and post it here for others to benefit from, as well.
The problem is that sites like these don't really teach you the ropes of how to be a freelance writer. They teach you how to churn out text that attracts search engine clicks. It's not an entryway to higher paying clients down the road. Clips form these sites will more than likely be ignored.
High-paying clients aren't looking for these types of articles. They don't want words off the top of your head as fast as you can type them. They want quotes. They want research. They want people that are experts on niches.
This isn't just my opinion. It is how the world of online content is evolving. Google's Panda updates are putting sites like Writers Domain out of business. In fact, the king of content, Demand Studios, (they have produced content that is much like your WD's for years) has slowed down production to almost nothing because search engines aren't picking it up any more. This means that eventually, you won't have those $3 jobs anymore. Then what? You'll be left with useless clips and no where to go.
I encourage you to work on clips that feature an expertise in some niche for sites or publications that have a better reputation. These jobs aren't that hard to find.
I've been where you are. I understand your thought process because I've thought the same thing in the past. Unfortunately for those looking for a quick buck, that's not how the freelancing writing world works anymore and those days are coming to an end.
Want tips on finding gigs that pay well? Read my book