Five Tips for Frugal Freelance Success!

Oh, wait a minute—you mean I have to control my costs now that I’m on my own?

Yup, afraid so. But the good news is there are a lot of ways to hold down costs that many people don’t think of when they’re still working as corporate slaves. Here are five great tips that will keep more money in your pocket as you operate your freelance business, whether you’re a fledgling freelancer or a seasoned pro.

1. Switch to an unlimited phone plan. When you’re freelancing, the phone is your friend. Use it to call sources, work with co-authors, gain new knowledge in teleseminars, follow up with distant editors, send the occasional fax, and more. Unlimited U.S. or U.S./Canada calling plans might run $50-$70 per month for a landline, much less with Voice Over Internet (if you can tolerate the quality). And then you don’t have to worry about it; when you want to make a call, you pick up the phone. You can even set up your own teleseminars so sources you interview can share their knowledge directly, and perhaps earn you some revenue.

2. Market online through no-cost methods. Participate in social networks like Facebook and Twitter or e-mail discussion lists such as those found on Yahoogroups. Take the time to learn the culture of each group you select, but then participate actively, helpfully, and appropriately. Work will begin to flow to you after a few months.

3. Become known as an expert in your niche, and then use your network of professional contacts to bring in more work. As you speak and write on your topic, as you build relationships with people who already reach your prime prospects, you’ll attract clients at no cost other than your time. Sometimes, you’ll even get paid directly for working on activities that generate revenue for yourself—cool, huh?

4. You don’t need to impress anyone with a fancy office or fancy furniture.  You do need a comfortable chair (don’t scrimp on that!), a work surface for your computer and phone, and good lighting. Everything else is gravy. And as a freelancer, you can keep costs down by working from home. When you need a conference space, either rent one by the hour, work out an arrangement with a friend in an office, or meet at a coffee shop.

5. As soon as you can, outsource or automate the low-level work. Why spend hours every month managing your e-zine subscription list when software will do it for you, free? Why sacrifice the $50 or $100 per hour you might get for magazine work, or the $150 to $300 per hour you get as a commercial writer in order to maintain your website or accept social network friend requests, when you can pay an assistant $20 per hour to free up your time? Hire a fellow freelancer, and pay only for the time you need.

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Shel Horowitz’s seventh book is Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. He started his writing and marketing/publishing consulting business in 1981. Learn more about Shel at his main website www.frugalmarketing.com.