Comments on: Give Your Freelance Business a Professional Make-Over

By: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Scoring Web Design Clients - Webitect

10 Things You Don’t Know About Scoring Web Design Clients - Webitect — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:26:17 +0000

[...] at first. A good article for some more ideas on making a freelancing business more professional is “Give Your Freelance Business a Professional Make-Over“. It covers everything from using a professional email address (Candybar9099@hotmail.com [...]

By: Pattie

Pattie — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:45:20 +0000

A quick comment on the physical address point–get a P.O. box. Keeps your home private but gives you legitimacy. And it’s fun to check! (okay, I need to get out more, I know!)

And if you don’t yet have a profile on Kudzu.com, they are giving them away for free (to service businesses) through 2008 at free.kudzu.com.
(I know, sounds like Free Willy or something).

By: Tamara Berry

Tamara Berry — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:12:56 +0000

Genesis – Thanks for the nice words!

I have had a few international clients, and I think PayPal is MAGIC as far as currency changes go. For the client to have to get a USD money order or check and then mail it internationally is quite a bit of work. Although PayPal may not always be the best (or most professional) way to pay, I think it works out for the best when you are crossing borders.

By: Genesis

Genesis — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:38:29 +0000

I enjoyed this article. Personally, I try not to work in my pjs, though you can bet I´d work on the sofa if I had one . . . and a laptop. Getting dressed actually makes me a bit more productive. (But, ok, you caught me, today I AM in my pj bottoms, but only because it´s laundry day. )

Also, I´m interested in your take on international freelancers. For example, I live in Guatemala and work from here. Checks easily vanish in the mail, so I need to use PayPal, through a Canadian bank account (I´m originally from Canada). I don´t have a home phone, because they aren´t practical here, though I see no reason to hide my house address. I doubt most people would come all the way to the side of a volcano to hunt me down.

By: Tamara Berry

Tamara Berry — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:28:11 +0000

We like the security offered to our personal property that an LLC (and to some extent, an S corporation) would provide. Also, our company’s future goals including bringing on a number of other writers and even an office staff. Ideally, we would someday like to step away from the business and/or sell it.

We don’t currently have a CPA (one of those plans for when we start growing!), but we do have a small business mentor who has been helping us out a little.

By: Friday Distractions :: 6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Read My Blog - eMoms at Home - The Internet Home Business Blog for Moms & Dads

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:28:45 +0000

[...] Tamara writes one of my favorite Freelance Parent posts ever with Give Your Freelance Business a Professional Make-Over [...]

By: Allena Tapia

Allena Tapia — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:36:47 +0000

An LLP suits you fine. Why are you looking to change? Do you have a CPA on retainer and what do they say about it? (His questions)

By: Tamara Berry

Tamara Berry — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:26:22 +0000

Allena – It’s interesting that you mention this post as a way for us to justify our own business practices. In truth, we actually have yet to accomplish many of these recommendations.

Because we are just starting out, we don’t yet have a business phone number, we are still grappling with the address question, we don’t yet have a merchant account, and our business license is actually a general partnership.

As we grow and become more successful, we intend to change these step by step (including changing from a general partnership to an S corporation or LLC). That way we avoid having large start-up costs that would have to be reflected in our pricing.

I must say, I am pretty jealous that you have a business accountant for a husband though!

By: Allena Tapia

Allena Tapia — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:09:11 +0000

A chime in from my husband- a business accountant: “a corporation for any business of less than 5 people is overkill and unnecessary”

By: Allena Tapia

Allena Tapia — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:07:21 +0000

How much of this post is based on your own set up, that you’re trying to justify? Just wondering as I (and my multiple high level clients, it seems) tend to disagree on” -paypal and -the sole proprietorship. Good for you that you set up all that extra “stuff”— bad for your clients, though, as you have to make up the mispent money somewhere, usually their fees.

By: Naomi Dunford

Naomi Dunford — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:55:15 +0000

The only reason I don’t work in my pajamas each and every day is because I know eventually I’ll have to get the mail. That’s it.

I agree about the phone situation, although everyone in this house answers “[whoever] speaking” when we don’t recognize the number. If the baby’s freaking out, we just let it go to voicemail and call back from a quiet room.

I don’t really understand people’s concern about their home address. I mean, be concerned if you want to be concerned, but if the Bad Guys have Google, they can find you. I figure you may as well not make it difficult for the 99.998% of the world who aren’t stalkers to find you since the stalkers are going to find you anyway.

And Paypal? Well, I love Paypal but most of my marketing clients pay by check. It’s the freelancing people who pay with Paypal, and they seem to love it. I’ll probably get a merchant account when I have a dedicated site that isn’t my blog.

Great article, Tamara. Let me know how things are working out for you when you get some time.

By: WAH(web)Mommy

WAH(web)Mommy — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:50:46 +0000

“To work in my pajamas”

LOL, that couldn’t be more true! I’m technically working in my pajamas, on the laptop, watching tv in the family room with DH right now. Ok, work as in catching up on blogs… but I was actually “working” half an hour ago

This article really rings true – and I’m so happy to realize that I have quite a few of these items taken care of! (Believe it or not, I just setup an EIN today!)

What you say about PayPal is very interesting. I thought it was “good enough” but I’ve recently had a new client have problems with it – to the point that they were frustrated and just mailed me a check. I’m so used to using it, that I never considered it from the PayPal newbie point of view.

I suppose I should start looking into a “real” merchant account. It’s tough when you are pinching pennies, though. But I suppose in the long run it will be well worth it.

As far as physical address – I use a P.O. Box because I’m obviously not going to give out my home address. What are your thoughts on that? I’m sure it’s better than not listing any address (at least clients and potential clients know my city and state). But do you think that is a turn-off that it’s just a mailbox and not a street address? I have no need for office space, but I suppose the alternative is a Mailboxes Etc or UPS Store type of mailbox which gives you a street address. Obviously more costly than a PO Box, but in the long run? Might be more costly if I loose a potential client…

Anyway, sorry for the long comment! But I love the article!