#wordpress contract plugin

You’re a freelancer. You’ve kicked off the cubicle shackles, told the water cooler “peace out, bro, I’m buying a Brita pitcher,” and the only printer you’ll be smashing in a field while listening to rap music is the one you buy yourself. (For the record I don’t recommend that unless you’ve exercised all your options.)

When the jobs are plentiful and the money’s rolling in, it’s easy to breeze about with both your laptop and your freedom while freelancing the hell out of the place.

However, when the jobs are scarce and Ramen noodles make up 60% of your weekly meals (out of necessity rather than choice), it’s not so easy to be a freelancer. There’s the possibility of stress no matter where you work or who you work for, and when you become a freelancer, it’s the stress of financial stability that takes over.

What’s the financial freelance stress solution? Recurring revenue, that’s what.

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Recurring revenue is simply defined as “income that comes in on a recurring basis.” That’s not a dictionary or anything… it’s just me. Now I realize that the idea of recurring revenue might fit into the “magical fantasy unicorn” category, but the truth is that it actually fits in the “easier said than done” category.

It is. It’s much easier to say “I’m going to gain some recurring revenue!” than to actually do it… but it’s not impossible. It just takes some work. Let’s run through the benefits of recurring revenue first:

Benefits of Recurring Revenue

Financial stability, friends, financial stability. I don’t need to do too much explaining here, right? By acquiring a client who wants consistent weekly or monthly work from you, you’ll be securing a paycheck you can count on on a regular basis. Those kinds of paychecks pay for things like rent, utilities, and help you maintain basic living functions.

Higher quality work. When you work with a client for an extended period of time, you’ll get to know their company better, which will in turn make your work better… which will, eventually, bring in more clients who want your recurring services.

Room to grow. It’s hard to focus on the growth and improvement of your business when you’re focused on the growth of the pile of bills on your kitchen counter. Scoring a regular paycheck will help you transfer your focus from survival to thriving.

But… how? HOW!?

Once you’ve made the decision to build some recurring revenue, it’s time to evaluate which of your services could be turned into a recurring service, or even a product that could bring you passive income.

For Writers:

A freelance writer could create some monthly blogging packages for their clients. These packages could include a specific number of posts each month and every month until one of the parties terminates the agreement.

For Graphic Designers:

Graphic designers, who will often create logos or branding packages as a one-shot-contract, can offer a monthly marketing option that creates brand-customized image design for social media and traditional marketing use.

For Web Developers:

Seasoned web developers know that a finished website rarely means a finished client relationship. Small glitches, general questions, and content changes will often have former clients asking developers for a “quick favor” to change something on their site.

Well, regardless of the size of that “quick favor,” it’s going to take you valuable time to fix it, and that’s valuable time that you should be getting paid for. Offering monthly maintenance plans, or taking it a step further and adding hosting to your operation, can bring in recurring revenue that might even last you until the client requests a rebrand.

Developers also have the bonus opportunity to build a product (think a template or app) that they can sell for a source of passive income.

For Marketers:

Social media managers and marketers have a truly awesome opportunity for recurring revenue. The social media needs of a company (if they don’t want to get lost in the crowd, that is) are constantly evolving and in need of tending. By offering a monthly social media marketing package, a marketer can offer that company the security of an expertly maintained social media presence and the added bonus of more time to focus on their business.

Utilize Some Pricing Psychology

Let’s get down to some marketing specifics, shall we? You want to create or reorganize some services that will bring you recurring freelance revenue, and you want to make them appealing to clients, right? This is a fantastic opportunity to take the “three-pronged” approach.

By creating three recurring packages, each increasing in value, you’ll be giving your potential clients the power of choice. Determine what the minimum amount you’re willing to charge is, and make that your bottom tier. Bare bones services at a bare bones price. Next comes your most realistic and ideal choice. Basically, what are the market-standard services and what amount would help you meet your basic needs while snagging a little extra? And, finally, throw in a cadillac option. Perhaps add SEO or a monthly video conference call and progress check-in to the package.

Build a Contract to Match

The main benefit to recurring revenue is consistent financial security… so make sure you actually have that with your clients. This is one of those great times to use a contract template (or even better, hire a lawyer) to build a package-specific contract that meets your needs. Your contract will need to address the indefinite nature of your agreement, and outline termination terms. By including a 30 day written notice of termination clause to your contract, you’ll be giving yourself a 30 day cushion to prepare for a loss of income.

Spiff Up Your Onboarding

Once your packages are chosen and your contracts are built, you’ll want to streamline your onboarding process so that you can focus on the work portion of your agreements, rather than the administrative portions.

By using an eSignature platform, you’ll be able send legally-binding digital contracts to your clients, rather than the typical scanning/snail mail option. You can even take it to the next level by connecting options like Ninja Forms and Zapier to your contract plugin and contact form to turn the very first client inquiry into a chain reaction that results in an estimate and possibly a new client, right then and there.

Freelancing is awesome… even with the stress.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: freelancing can be stressful. (I probably threw in a “for realskies,” but that’s just my style.) If the stress of an insecure and irregular income is causing you to lose sleep, give these methods a try. You might just find yourself selling two or three recurring cadillac options to float you through your months.

You like cadillacs, right?

No matter what industry you’re in, whether you’re self-employed or someone-else-employed, in order to thrive professionally, you’re going to develop what I call a “trade toolbox” This toolbox is likely going to be a mix of figurative (skills, knowledge, connections) and literal (hammers, product management software, measuring cups), and improves with each year you’re in the business.

Here are a few examples of items you’d find in my trade toolbox:

–Trello and Slack -Coffee -Ability to speak publicly without throwing up –WPeSignature -Internal entrepreneurial BS detector -Coffee -USB-powered hand warmers -Coffee

I’ve left out quite a few other key players in my toolbox, including “coffee” about 16 more times. There’s one specific tool I want to focus on today, though, and that’s the ability to write a kickass freelance project proposal.

The need for a project proposal can crop up in a couple different freelance situations. You could be competing against other freelancers for the same project, or you might have a potential client on the line who’s ready to work with you, but isn’t quite ready to agree to your terms. In any of these situations, however, your goal is the same: to craft a project proposal that both snags a client, and is as lucrative for you as humanly possible.

If you’re looking for an actual “how to” on building a project proposal, you’re in luck: we’ve already got a post on that in our archives. Today, however, I want to take it a few steps past the building phase and focus on refining the proposal you’ve already built.

Let’s focus on nine of the most detrimental project proposal mistakes a freelancer can make,...

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1. Second-guessing Your Expertise

Freelancing, what with all its incredible, freedom-based perks, comes with a very real (but manageable) emotional price: isolation.

One of the many ways social isolation can affect a freelancer is in the area of self-confidence. Working for yourself, without having any institutionalized feedback, can cause you to question your abilities. This is a natural reaction, but it’s important to keep it in check.

When you’re writing a project proposal, there’s no room for insecurity.

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Potential clients are looking for an expert in their field who is experienced and confident. If you’re questioning your expertise as you write your proposal, it’s going to come through to the reader. Whether it’s looking through your portfolio, digging through your email for positive client feedback, or simply putting on the Rocky soundtrack while pep-talking yourself in the mirror, you’ve got to get confident in yourself and the work you do.

2. Putting Too Much Emphasis on Cost

Now, believe me, I know that cost and payment is important. It’s important to you, it’s important to the client, and it’s tempting to want to get straight down to the money business. The problem with that is that it strips you of your uniqueness, and turns you into a simple dollar amount.

Your project proposal format needs to set you up for success. Use the bulk of your proposal to highlight the value that you’ll bring to your client, so that when it comes time to talk about cost, they’ll be ready to hand you a briefcase of cash.

(I’m exaggerating here. Briefcases of cash are hard to report when it comes time for taxes.)

Highlighting things like the quality of your work, previous positive results, and time saved for the client as you outline your services and project scope will keep your value at the forefront of your client’s mind, rather than your cost.

3. Leaving Room for Interpretation

A proposal, of course, should be pleasing to read. You want to give the reader a glimpse of what it’s like to work with you. A bare-boned, generic project proposal format can come off as cold and boring, so it’s important to focus on the reception it might receive.

In your quest for a pleasing proposal, however, you can’t forget the basics. Anything you leave out of the document is left up to interpretation. Milestones, progress reports, deadlines, revisions, communication in any form, expenses, meetings, payment, and any payment terms must be outlined in the proposal.

4. Turning the Proposal into a Pitch

The word “proposal” can be a tricky one. It suggests that you’re going to be proposing things for approval, which you are, but it’s the types of things you’re proposing that need to be examined.

When you get to the point in your client relationship in which guidelines and terms need to be set, it’s time to create a proposal. Note that I’m saying “guidelines” and not “big ideas.” If you’re using this proposal to sell your potential client on some creative plots you’ve been working on, you’re opening yourself up to the risk of misinterpretation and wasted time. If you’ve got some solid, relevant ideas, pitch them in your pre-proposal discussion.

The project proposal is the foundation on which a contract is built; it’s not a brainstorming session.

5. Leaving Out the Call to Action

You don’t want to leave any room for excuses when it comes to moving forward with a project. Be sure to include any steps the client needs to complete to get the ball rolling. You can include a link to an estimate or invoice, your official contract, and list all of the payment options available. You want to make it official with this client, and you want to make it as easy as possible.

Once you’ve sent out the proposal, be sure to follow up after a day or so of waiting; things come up and lives get hectic, so your client might have forgotten about it.

6. Making Payment Difficult

Payment is another tricky area, especially when small businesses and freelancers are involved. Not everyone can afford the monthly fees associated with credit card and online payments, but that doesn’t mean you have to live in the stone-age just to get paid.

Whether you accept checks, direct bank deposits, credit cards, or use services like Paypal, you’ve got to include those payment specifics in the proposal. If you only take checks (not ideal, but still an option), make sure your payment address is easy to find in your invoice. Send an invoice with the proposal so that it’s easy for the client to move on to the next step.

7. Forgetting About Expenses

I mentioned being as explicit as possible earlier, and I want to get a little more specific in regards to an oft-forgotten project facet: expenses.

If this project requires you to purchase materials or special equipment, or requires travel in order to complete it, you need to include those expenses in your invoices… but you need to make sure the clients are notified of this in your project proposal and contract before you send them the bill.

8. Being Generic

Even if you’ve been discussing a project with a potential client for an extended period of time, you’re not locked in until a contract is signed. A project proposal is still an audition, and should be treated as such. If you decide to use a project proposal template or program (such as nusii or Proposable) you need to infuse the document with your personality, highlight your unique talents and expertise, and make sure it doesn’t look like a boring, run-of-the-mill proposal.

9. Dragging It Out

Just like crafting an elevator pitch, you want to get to the meat of your project proposal in as little time as possible. Your proposal should:

-Cater to the clients needs and values -Highlight the unique talent and value you will provide -Explicitly outline the work scope and payment details of your agreement -Provide the client with actionable steps to put the agreement into action

If you’ve written your proposal and find that you’ve got extra details, lengthy anecdotes, or other information not entirely relevant to the project, axe ‘em. A proposal that is too long will have your client scanning down to the price tag at the end and skipping over the part where they see how awesome you are.

Don’t wait until it’s go-time.

Now is the perfect time to start working on your project proposal. While the client is ever-changing, certain portions of a proposal can be pre-crafted, such as your payment details and calls to action. Think of it as one of those wrenches that have different attachments… you use the same base each time but adjust it to fit your needs in the moment.

(Did I do okay with that wrench analogy? I sure hope so. And I also hope you’ll go out and start working on your new project proposal; you’ll be glad you did.)

Anyone who has developed a web front end, for a site or a web app, knows that handing over the code isn’t the end of the story. I’ve been involved in projects that seem to never end, and during the lifetime of the project, there seems to be endless maintenance. This is great if you’ve been savvy enough to make sure you have a robust maintenance agreement that covers all possible eventualities. If you don’t have this, you may end up at best, absorbing a lot of cost to your business, and at worst going out of business.

I happen to have been on both sides of a web developer maintenance contact, in that I’ve worked as a provider for a web app front end, and I’ve also engaged a web development company to help me create a web app UI/UX. Seeing both sides of the coin has given me an inside-out view of what can be a very complex area of running a web development company.

In this article, I’ll be looking at some of the ins and outs of maintenance contracts for web developers, and how best to approach the creation of them. I’ll also look at the sort of sections/clauses to include in a web developer maintenance contract.

Why Even Bother to Have a Maintenance Contract?

Why even have a maintenance contract is a reasonable question. You already have a contract to create the front end. Once you have completed that contract then that should be the end of it, shouldn’t it?

You could do that, but as you well know, web UI development is a fluid entity and often dependent on underlying frameworks, like WordPress. Having a maintenance contract means that the framework can be maintained, and kept efficient and secure – giving your client a better experience of your services. Maintenance contracts with regards web developers, often involve things like keeping plugins up to date, ensuring that the CMS code is up to date and patched to prevent security issues, and performing regular tests to make sure the site is working correctly.

Having a maintenance contract is positive for the web developer as it allows you to have a continued contact with your client. It is positive for the client as it means they have peace of mind that their site is being maintained.

What’s the Difference Between Support and Maintenance (and Enhancement)?

As a web developer, you need to decide if you want to continue the relationship with your client after you’ve handed over the code. This is not always an option, of course, most contracts will specify that the code is supported and maintained after it has been released. It is important in your contract to outline exactly what is included in support or maintenance. If you don’t do this, you may find that your client wants to add a few extra feature tweaks under the guise of maintenance. These tweaks will cost you money.

Support:

When you offer support it generally means that you support the use of the front end. So, for example, you may have an issue with a configuration, and support clauses will cover this. The level of support is often outlined in a ‘Service Level Agreement’ or SLA which is often an appendix to a contract. SLA’s lay out exactly what level of support is offered, how long the support lasts, and any costs associated with it. You might offer different levels of support depending on the severity of the issue.

Maintenance:

This is generally seen as offering maintenance of the site and underlying CMS. Under maintenance, you might offer to keep a WordPress site up to date with the latest plugin updates, remove malware, or make small contextual changes, like font size, for example. Again, you can set out terms of delivery on maintenance items based on severity.

Enhancement:

Any major change to the developed UI/UX is seen as an enhancement. For example, a recent project I worked on required that a large portion of a form was changed considerably so that the UI/UX was modified beyond the original remit – this was way outside any maintenance, and instead was an enhancement, and was costed as a new project.

What Clauses Are in a Maintenance Contract?

You should have as a minimum the following clauses in a maintenance contract:

What the contract covers, i.e. the type of work that could be carried out on request

Fee schedule

Delivery schedule i.e. timescales for performing the task

What is expected of the customer, i.e., timely payment, access rights to the site, etc. a. In this example of a maintenance contract by SlamDot they have an excellent section on ‘Customer Acknowledgments’ which covers a multitude of issues that could arise: https://www.slamdot.com/maintenance

Clauses to cover your indemnity and liability (see also contract example above)

You may also want to add in various non-disclosure clauses to protect both parties from Intellectual Property disputes

Termination clause so either party can close off the contract with notice

Another example of a website maintenance contract is here: https://www.docracy.com/7h6omj9c0y/website-maintenance-agreement

How Long is a Piece of String (or Maintenance Contract)?

How long you decide to maintain the site is really a negotiation point when creating the contract. You can negotiate a rolling contract or a renewable one. A rolling contract should still have a termination clause in to allow either party to pull out. A renewable one will need to have an alert setup to ensure that its renewal is negotiated as terms may change.

One thing that you do need to consider, which is especially pertinent as a freelancer, is how to handle a situation where you are unavailable to perform maintenance. Do you have the ability to hand it over to another freelancer to take over, for example?

How Much to Charge

This is again something you have to decide upon which works with your normal rate. You need to factor in the expected time to fix issues. For example, if an issue is set as a severity 1 with a turnaround time of 24 hours, then you may want to set a higher charge for this work, than an issue that is a lower priority and can be done to your own timescales.

Some freelance web developers, however, like to charge a daily rate for work performed under the maintenance contract, to keep it simple. It is a good idea to have a number of package options for delivery of maintenance, and let this become part of the negotiations.

Build Your Own Maintenance Contract

I’ve gone over some of the main areas of a maintenance contract for web developers and you can see there are lots of things to consider. Having a maintenance contract for your clients is a great way to keep client contact, and it adds real value to your relationship with your clients.

Offering a maintenance contract also shows the client that you are reliable and knowledgeable about your area. One warning is to make sure that where you do have a lack of knowledge, perhaps in web security, that you either have a contact with another freelancer who you can call upon, or you become educated in that area. In terms of web security, for example, learning platforms, like Coursera, offer a number of cyber security courses and the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) have a massive amount of information around web security and techniques to manage risks.

If you’re going to convince a client to hop on board with your project proposal, you’re going to have to focus on them.

Scoring a project with a potential client, or even a new project with a current client, can be an incredible bolster to your freelancing business. Working on something large-scale or long-term can bring you some much-needed financial stability… but it’s going to be harder to sell. This is why you’ve got to have your client in mind when you craft your project proposal.

We’ve touched on this before, but project proposals are such an important facet of a successful freelancing career, we think it’s worth a revisit. This time, we’d like to hammer home the necessity of a client-focused project proposal.

Rather than taking the perspective of our favorite freelancing superstar (that’s you), we’re going to get a little crazy and imagine that you’re the client.

Obviously, we’ll need some backstory, because backstory’s what we do around here.

Needs and Wants

You’re a big-time CEO who wants to throw an extravagant party (we’re allowed to dream, right?) for a traveling associate. You’ve got the food lined up, the entertainment booked, and most of the decorations taken care of. All that’s left is the icing on the cake, the “something perfect” that no one will ever forget:

You want an ice sculpture.

Not just any ice sculpture, though. You need an ice sculpture that is detailed, majestic, and looks exactly like William Shatner playing Captain Kirk in the first season of Star Trek.

(Let’s just say this traveling associate is a huge fan.)

You’ve done some shopping and found a few ice sculpting companies in the area, but none of their work seemed quite up to snuff. After more searching, you’ve finally narrowed it down to two independent sculptors, and your decision depends on the quality of their project proposals.

Value Is as Value Does

First and foremost, you (the client) want to make sure that you’re getting the best value out of a freelancer. This means you want the highest-quality product you can get, but for the best price you can find.

If a freelancer knows what they’re doing, they’ll want to do their best to steer you away from this whole “price” thing. Price represents an amount of money you will no longer have in your bank account once you start working together… and nobody wants to be reminded of that. Obviously, they can’t avoid discussing money, but they can place the focus somewhere else… somewhere like the value of their work.

If a freelancer wants to learn what a potential client values, it’s imperative to do some research.

This can go from digging up old articles all the way to checking out their Twitter presence. What kind of clues about their personality can be discovered?

For example’s sake, we’ll say you’re the kind of CEO who appreciates hard work and efficiency. Anyone who researches you will see from your company’s branding that you like all bases covered and no stone left unturned. “Hard work produces real results,” your website’s slogan confidently states.

As you flip through these product proposals, which one, do you think, will prove the most appealing? The one that focuses on artistic minutiae and flowery ice descriptions? Or the one that ensures an authentic replica while also highlighting their high-quality refrigeration and sculpting tools?

While a more creative and aesthetically pleasing angle appeals to many, it’s not as important to you. You value a job well-done that results in satisfaction, and it’s obvious that one of these freelancers knows that.

By focusing on the value that your services bring to the table, the cost will become less of an issue.

Use ease to please.

The more work a client has to do in order to understand a proposal, the less likely it is that they’ll want to reach out for clarification.

Even if you’re catering to a client who prefers a more flowery approach, you’ve still got to hammer out the details so that they don’t have to. For a no-nonsense-type (much like your CEO alter-ego), this ease-of-use will be even more appreciated.

The task of reading through and comparing proposals is made significantly easier when the writer gets straight to the point. A proposal that is over five pages long and full of unnecessary words will only pile more work onto the client… which will give them plenty of time to remember how much they’re going to have to pay for the services.

What about you? Think about what would make your life easier in this situation. What about the actual agreement accompanying the proposal? Do you want to have to print it out, sign it, scan it back in and email it, or even… put it in the mail? This would be a perfect opportunity for a freelancer to make your life easier by using a plugin like WPeSignature to get the documents signed quickly and get the project up and running.

Bottom line? The process needs to be as simple as possible for the client. If mail, for whatever reason, is the only option, a pre-stamped envelope not only removes a step (and expense), but also serves as a reminder that a response is expected.

Embrace the details. Be One with the details.

Don’t avoid including essentials like payment terms and expenses in a proposal. Part of freelancing is having to confront issues head-on, regardless of awkwardness. Avoiding discussions that have the potential to be uncomfortable only ensures uncomfortable discussions in the future. A project proposal outline should be thorough and clear, making the process as quick and painless as possible.

As the super-important CEO, you’re going to want to see these things in a proposal:

1. An exact description of what you’re paying for. (5’10”-tall 1960s-era William Shatner/Captain Kirk ice sculpture, made from crystal clear ice blocks, making the “Live long and prosper” sign with right hand) 2. Completion date. (Day of your party) 3. An exact layout of the freelancer’s rates, material costs, and transport fees. 4. Any provisions specific to this project that may take extra time or money. (Specialty ice, hiring a Shatner look-alike-model for added authenticity) 5. A timeline of expected payments. (Will you need to put down a deposit? Pay in full before project completion?) 6. Written agreement. (You can sign off right away and get this chill party rollin.’)

If the process seems daunting, a good project proposal sample is a great starting point. As long as the freelancer does a thorough job of researching your values, hammering out the details, and drafting an explicit proposal, you’re not going to care about the fact that they looked off of a generic freelance proposal outline for direction.

Be thorough, be helpful, be clear.

Let’s talk as freelancers now, just the two of us.

A dependable freelance career is made up of solid client-relationships built out of an appreciation of your work–and every relationship has to start with an introduction.

An effective project proposal serves as that first handshake—ideally instilling trust and confidence.

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By putting forth the time and effort to research, organize, and assemble a customized client proposal, you can set the stage for a partnerships that last into future projects, rather than one that melts after the party’s over.

You’ve attended holiday family gatherings, right? For me, there are always a few things guaranteed to happen:

My kids eat only bread, while other people’s children happily eat Aunt Patchouli’s kale salad.

I eat precisely three too many bites of pie, and seriously consider drinking from the gravy boat.

One of the uncles or grandpas complains about the “kids today” (probably the ones eating only bread) and talks about “pulling himself up from his bootstraps.”

Bootstraps. I don’t think I’ve ever paid enough attention to boots to know if they’ve got straps, but I’ve definitely heard about them. So, what, exactly, does “bootstrapping” mean? Where did the phrase come from? Let’s unpack it for a minute, here.

According to good ole Merriam-Webster, a bootstrap is “a looped strap sewed at the side or the rear top of a boot to help in pulling it on.” It goes further to the plural form, which then turns it into the metaphor we’re more familiar with: “unaided efforts.”

So, what crotchety Uncle Jasper is trying to tell you (while interrupting your pie enjoyment) is that he’s gotten where he is today without the help of anyone else. Whether this is actually true or not is a mystery, but there’s still something us freelancers can learn from Uncle J.

When you apply the term “bootstrapping” to entrepreneurship, you’ll most likely find yourself wading through a lot of information about “startups.” Should we unpack that term, too? Merriam-Webster defines “startup” as a “fledgeling business enterprise.”

I would like to enhance that definition by adding “founded by people who make the most out of what they’ve got.”

Starting a business is expensive, and the startup culture that has cropped up within the last ten or so years has become notorious for its resourcefulness and creative frugality.

But… you’re just flying solo, right? What does this have to do with freelancing?

Here’s the deal: freelancers can learn a gravy-boatload from startups and their bootstrapping expertise.

Bootstrapping focuses on using creativity rather than funds in order to expand business.

Think of it as punching your freelancing game up to a whole new level.

Snuggle Up to Your Niche

Here’s your dilemma: you’ve got the talent, the time, and the need to work. You just need to get the word out. You can’t afford to pay a professional marketer, and you can’t afford to buy newspaper ads, pay for a billboard, and film a TV commercial that’s shown during prime time. So what do you do?

A bootstrapper would tell you to start by getting up-close and personal with your niche.

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First, of course, you’ll need to reflect on your business, services, and/or products. What, exactly, is your target market? Who will want to pay you for your work? Once you’ve determined that, you’ll need to pack up and head toward that target market. Many freelancers know that attending conferences in their industry are great networking events, and the same goes for your target market’s networking events. Go to conferences and open-houses that interest the people you want to work for. These are great opportunities to discover things like:

Pain points in their industries; what are common problems and how can you solve them?

Social cues; what will these potential clients respond well to in terms of marketing

Marketing insight; what forms of marketing will put you in their line of sight?

Getting familiar with your niche falls in line with the “lean startup” mentality, which values marketing research and customer feedback as a key tool in startup success.

Learn How to Be a Marketer

I want to be perfectly clear before I go too much further here: I know that people go to school for years to become a marketing professional, and I don’t want to devalue the worth of those people’s educations. That being said, there’s no denying that freelancers and entrepreneurs are presented with the opportunity to use highly effective marketing tools that are either free or incredibly inexpensive (at least compared to traditional marketing forms, anyway).

Once you’ve done your niche snuggling, you should have a pretty solid idea about the forms of marketing that will best reach your desired audience. Now it’s time to get comfortable with those marketing outlets so that you’re confident enough make them work for you.

Social media, while being the obvious choice, should be handled with deliberate thought and strategy. Rather than going out and immediately creating an Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Snapchat presence because “that’s just what you do,” you need to remind yourself that your time is one of your most precious resources. If the majority of your niche doesn’t care about Snapchat, there is simply no point in wasting your valuable time by posting an update with a cute deer filter over your face.

Email marketing is another viable-but-tricky form of inexpensive marketing. Again, it’s all about your niche: how often does your target market check their email? Are they of a demographic that resents direct mail marketing? Are they going to take one look at your subject line and click “delete?”

Some forms of traditional marketing are more accessible than you might realize. Some local news stations, both radio and television, will welcome guests warmly to their morning or daytime shows, free of cost, so long as the guest can provide value to their audience.

If your target niche attends a lot of conferences, preparing a presentation or setting up a booth is a great way to get visible where it counts.

People Can Be Resources, Too

Another way to emulate the lean startup mentality is to utilize the talents of your peers to improve and expand your business. If it fits your service or product, you might consider collaborating on a service package with an admired contact in your professional network. Collaboration with another professional (whose work you respect) will benefit you in a few ways, one of which is an expansion of creativity and talent to your work. Outside influence is essential if you’re going to grow in your career, and working with another creative professional will add depth to your work.

In addition to creative enhancement, you’ll also be doubling your marketing reach in terms of both manpower and connections. Two people working to get the word out, plus the addition of your collaborator’s personal and professional network will give you a huge head start in terms of marketing.

Speaking of all the money you’re not spending on marketing… this is where you can put it to better use. If collaboration isn’t something you’re interested in, but you’d much rather focus your efforts on creating than on busy work, you can also consider outsourcing the less-fun stuff to someone else, whether it’s someone you know or a high-quality virtual assistant.

Avoid the Seat of Your Pants

Another key part of bootstrapping your business is having a plan. In order to grow and expand lucratively, you need to have points of reference and methods for analyzing your progress. One of the best ways to do this is to set up definitive goals, visit them on a regular basis, and use your progress toward those goals to analyze and adapt your strategies.

Part of this strategy (again, in line with that lean startup jazz) is to gather customer and client feedback in order to hone your packages, marketing plans, and customer interaction to be as effective as possible.

Give your business goals, work toward them, and monitor the progress in order to successfully evolve.

Don’t worry; we’ve all got bootstraps. They’re just a little hard to grab hold of sometimes.

Starting a freelance business from the ground up is intimidating, but it’s doable. If you can learn about your audience, wisely use available resources, and stick to a solid plan, you’ll be well on your way, and ahead of the game.

Plus, you’ll have plenty of ammo for that bootstrap conversation with crotchety Uncle Jasper.

You might even get to enjoy your pie.

Today we launched four big WP Digital E-Signature improvements and are pleased as pie to share these additions with you.

1. Type My Signature

Until now, the only way to add your signature to a document was by drawing it on a signature pad using your touch screen tablet, mouse, or trackpad. You won’t have to do that moving forward, thanks to the new Type My Signature option. You can now choose to sign a document by drawing your signature or by typing a signature. Our WordPress Contract Plugin how has seven beautiful fonts to choose from.

New Tablet & Smartphone Experience for WordPress Contract Plugin

We’ve learned a lot about what you want during the document signing process since it’s been in the wild.

Here’s what’s new in the tablet/smartphone arena: 2. Plain Simple User Interface

You spoke and we listened… we created a responsive signature adding process for smartphone & tablets that is so plain simple your great great mother (if she was still alive) would be able to use it! Drawn signature is set to default, if you would like to type your signature instead you can simply select “Type Signature” from the dropdown and BOOM! You’re off to the races!.

3. Preview Document

You can now preview how your document will look before saving your document! Additionally to help save you time in the off chance that your internet goes out while creating a document, we added the ability to “auto-save” your documents while you are creating them. Gone are the days of starting from scratch on a new document if the internet connection goes out.

4. Page Break Shortcode

You can now very easily add a page break to your document using the shortcode.

Anywhere in your document if you would like to split up content onto a new page (when the document has been signed) simply add this shortcode before the new section and “vallah” you’re good to go!

When working a 9-5, your boundaries are usually well-defined. You’re required to complete a specific set of tasks each day, and you report to your superiors with questions or concerns.

You fill out W4s, discuss salary or hourly wage during the hiring process, and sometimes even fork over your bank information so that your payment is automatically deposited. And staff meetings? Those generally happen at the office, on company time.

You see, the 9-5 life has its perks… we all know that. We know that the client of a large corporation isn’t likely to call an office worker at 11 pm on a Friday night demanding that a website color be changed from “midnight rose” to “mauve.” We all know that it’s easier to have someone above your head to make the difficult decisions, and that it’s easier and often less-stressful to know exactly how much you’re getting paid, and when.

When freelancers decide to kiss that life goodbye in exchange for freedom of schedule and creativity, they are forced to accept the responsibility of setting boundaries for themselves.

Setting boundaries can be tough to do if you’re just starting out (or tend to freak out when it comes to confrontation), but it’s more than important- it’s essential to your success as a freelancer.

Think of a boundary as a protective road barrier. You know, those cement or metal walls that line a mountain road or dam? These barriers are for your protection. These barriers are what will keep you from crashing and burning.

Communication Boundaries

Hiring a freelancer can feel like hitting the jackpot. You’ve found a person who can meet your needs on their own time, without the confines of business hours keeping them from working on your projects, right?

Sure. We know that’s true, but we also know it’s only part of the story. We’ve walked the plank of the “business hours ship” because we want to spend more time with our families, climb mountains, or learn how to sing opera. We did not leave our traditional jobs to be at the beck and call of a few select people… but it’s up to us to make sure our clients understand that.

When you set boundaries during your onboarding process, think of the whats, whens, and how fasts.

What…

form of communication do you prefer? Skype? Phone? Email? Communication is not the same across the board, so think about what works best for you. I, personally, would have an anxiety attack if all of my clients decided to call me on the phone with questions. I leave revisions, project questions, and suggestions for email, and choose to do brainstorming or new client inquiries over phone or video call.

When…

are you most freely available? If a client has an emergency, what time of day is the best to contact you? When do you generally check and answer emails? Being clear on this topic will prevent communication frustration on both sides.

How fast…

do you respond to emails or phone calls? Giving a new client the impression that you will always respond as quickly as possible will give them unrealistic expectations and will give you an ulcer or a constantly twitching left eye. It’s perfectly acceptable to say “While there’s a good chance I’ll respond to you sooner, I can’t guarantee it. You can always expect a reply within 24 hours.”

Feedback and Revisions

The creative process can get a little messy sometimes, and that means that open communication throughout a project will keep both you and your client on the same page. While this is a very good thing, it’s also something that will require you to set boundaries, yet again.

Feedback is good. You want feedback from clients so that your revision process doesn’t take 4,000 years… but feedback can get tedious if you aren’t setting boundaries. Give your client a time limit for feedback; you can’t work if you don’t know what they want. Evaluate the estimated timeline for the project and your overall workload. How long can you afford to wait for feedback on colors or writing tone? Once you’ve determined that, be sure your client understands how slow feedback equals slow results.

Once you’ve received feedback and turned in a first draft, you’ll enter the revision stage. How you decide to go about revisions is up to you, but you’ve got to communicate strict revision guidelines to your client. How many revisions are included in your estimate? If the client requests more revisions, what are you going to charge for that?

You’ve chosen your freelance rates and processes for a reason; stick by them by setting...

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Meetings and Reports

It’s common for clients to request meetings midway through the project. Whether it’s a simple check-in or a full-on brainstorming session, the fact of the matter is that it’s taking up a chunk of your most precious resource: time.

We’ve said it a gazillion times and we’ll say it again: Time is money. For a freelancer, time is… seriously a lot of money.

Charge the client for meetings. Make sure the client knows what you charge for meetings.

Setting boundaries like this can seem a little harsh, especially when you’re starting out, I know… but trust me. Sitting down at night in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage and your favorite show seems relaxing… until you get an email notification from that one client who makes you miserable every time you ignore them. Setting boundaries can be the difference between making a mental note for the morning or lugging your disappointed butt out of your favorite chair so you can work during your downtime.

Another boundary to set is that of reporting. Some clients will expect a regular progress report on their projects, and that’s fine as long as it doesn’t interfere with your process. Discuss reports with the client (if they’ve requested them) and plainly lay out your terms as far as frequency. One of the perks of freelancing is getting rid of that boss over your shoulder; you don’t need to add a virtual boss back into your life.

Personal Boundaries

We’ve all (hopefully) got a few fantastic clients. It is, of course, up to you to decide what kind of non-work relationship you have with them, but it should require some heavy thought on how you define your personal boundaries. If a client sends you a friend request on Facebook, think long and hard about how much you want them to know about your life, and vise versa. If your client is also a good friend, that’s not such a big deal… but if your client is the type to ask you why you’re relaxing at the pool with your family instead of working on their project, that’s a level of drama you don’t need in your freelance life.

Honesty is the best crash-and-burn avoidance policy.

You owe it to yourself to set boundaries and stick to them. By compromising your standards, you’ll compromise your ability to tend to your overall workload, and that’s a one-way ticket to Burnoutville. If you’ve got a long-time problem client, it’s okay to reevaluate your boundaries with them. As long as it doesn’t violate any previous contracts, you’ve got every right to negotiate boundaries that work for you, and ultimately, provide a better product for your client.

Most college degrees come with a class or program designed to help you make the transition into the workforce. If you choose not to get a college degree, the workforce transition is still available. Job interview training, safety regulation courses, and certification programs barely scratch the surface when it comes to the resources available for individuals who are ready to jump into the natural flow of getting hired.

What about us salmon, though? What about those of us who want to venture upstream, jumping the waves of limited sick days and avoiding the grizzly bear bosses of corporate life, swimming triumphantly to our futures? Our futures, I tell you!

Okay, so I might be taking a heavy-handed approach with the fish metaphor, but I don’t think it’s that far off base. Us freelance salmon need resources, too.

Thank goodness for the wealth of helpful blogs for freelancers, startups, and small businesses,...

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Since blogs can tend to be hit-or-miss when it comes to helpfulness and legitimacy, we thought we’d help out our fellow salmon by compiling a list of the best blogs for freelancers on the web.

(Now that I’ve typed the word “web,” I can’t help but wonder if I should have chosen a spider metaphor… Oh well. Let’s just swim upstream together, shall we?)

Design and Development:

1. Torque Magazine

Torque focuses on anything and everything WordPress. If you use WordPress for your business, this is one to bookmark. You can even check out their weekly feature, “Doc Pop’s News Drop” for a quick-and-snarky look at what’s new in the world of WP.

2. CreativeBloq

CreativeBloq is a designer-centric blog that mixes business with pleasure by offering relevant insight into design and marketing news, while also providing beautiful visual content that will keep any freelance designer inspired.

3. The Layout

This online publication, geared mostly toward designers but relevant to any freelancer, is brought to you by the folks at Flywheel. The writers at the Layout cover WordPress ins-and-outs, design resources, social media, and creativity, just to name a few topics. Give it a look!

4. Hacking UI

The guys behind this fun freelancing resource describe Hacking UI as a “community for designers, developers, and creative entrepreneurs with a passion.” Check out their blog and newsletter for timely industry-related insights, updates, and tips on running your freelance business.

Freelancing: 5. Freelancers Union

This one might seem a little obvious, I know. But, in my opinion and in my experience, the Freelancers Union blog is the “big fish” in the industry, and for good reason. Freelancers Union has been providing sound advice and real-world, tangible support to the freelance community for years. Here you’ll find timely freelance-related news, actionable tips, and even emotional support for this upstream life we’re living.

6. Millo

Millo is one of those fun blogs for freelancers, full of a variety of articles that tackle specific freelance-related questions by providing actionable answers and steps that will help you navigate the ins and outs of your field.

7. The Freelancer

Powered by Contently, The Freelancer is yet another gem in a vast world of helpful freelance resources. Covering topics like tech trends, content generation, and running your business, it’s a perfect addition to your small business blog arsenal.

Entrepreneurship/Startups:

8. OnStartups

Created by Dharmesh Shah (co-founder of the ever-influential HubSpot), this startup blog gets down and dirty with statistics, tools, and trends that directly affect entrepreneurs of any kind. His detailed posts and extensive experience make this blog an entrepreneurial powerhouse.

9. Women On Business

This blog is a solid publication ran by successful, savvy women that will appeal to many different forms of entrepreneur, with tips on digital marketing, productivity, and hiring.

10. Smart Passive Income

Smart Passive Income founder Pat Flynn refers to himself as the “crash test dummy of online business.” His blog lets you learn from his experiences and teaches you how to build some income without excessive upkeep.

11. Blogtrepreneur

Another mighty fine choice for freelancers, Blogtrepreneur caters to entrepreneurs who blog, entrepreneurs who use social media, entrepreneurs who build websites, entrepreneurs who… well, let’s just say this is definitely a blog for entrepreneurs.

12. Rodgers Collective

Rachel Rodgers has built an online legal empire that is perfect for startups, freelancers, and small business owners. With useful blog posts, legal kits, and programs like “Brand Boss” and “Small Business Bodyguard,” this small business blogis handy to have bookmarked.

Writing:

13. Copyblogger

A long-standing pillar in the blogging community, Copyblogger (founded by Brian Clark) has been helping bloggers create content since 2006. The tips covered on this site, however, are useful for any freelancer or startup trying to learn how to market themselves.

14. ProBlogger

Another veteran in the world of blogging and making money, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger has built an incredibly popular, useful, and legitimate website dedicated to content advice, tutorials, and trends.

15. CopyHackers

With topics like lead generation, landing clients, and quality content, CopyHackers is one of the best freelance blogs out there for copywriters trying to make it on their own. It also serves as a freelance marketplace and is a good resource for landing a gig.

16. Make a Living Writing

Make a Living Writing is another one of those blogs for freelancers that’s been around for awhile, and that’s a testament to the wisdom and success of its founder, Carol Tice. This blog provides real-life, hands-on to many of the burning questions a freelance copywriter might have.

17. The Middle Finger Project

Middle Finger Project founder Ash Ambirge flips the bird at traditional marketing and copywriting strategies, and I’ve got to say, I’m super glad she does. Her ultra-relatable and to-the-point blog posts (not to mention the freelancing resources she offers) will make you rethink your approach to being a business owner, and help you get off your butt.

Marketing: 18. Moz

A host of qualified writers and Rand Fishkin himself (of Moz fame) come together on the Moz blog to bring entrepreneurs and startup founders a veritable smorgasbord of tech tips, SEO wisdom, and profound pitching know-how.

19. Kissmetrics

The Kissmetrics blog ventures deep into the world of content marketing by sharing brilliant posts full of delicious data-centric content. If you’re into SEO, analytics, and upping your conversions, this is the blog for you.

20. Social Media Examiner

The Social Media Examiner blog is but one part of a marketing empire, complete with podcasts and events to boot. That being said, the blog itself is a fantastic resource for keeping up with the ever-changing and exhausting trends and algorithms of social media.

21. Seth Godin’s Blog

Seth Godin. What can I say about this guy other than the fact that he’s the man when it comes to making you think, making you think about how you think, and even making you change how you think… and all of that (no matter how fluffy it may sound when I say it) can turn you into a brilliant marketer.

22. Hubspot Blog

A leader in the world of inbound marketing, Hubspot has built a blog that covers all the bases. With your choice of blog posts centered on either marketing or sales, the Hubspot Blog provides topics that range from fun freelance brain-escapes to business-tanking mistakes.

23. Marie Forleo

If you’re looking for motivation, inspiration, and a fairly star-studded freelance blog experience, dynamically successful entrepreneur Marie Forleo’s blog is for you. Check it out for actionable tips to help keep you pumped up and effective in your career and inspiring interviews with other successful startup founders and freelancers.

24. 500 Hats

What do you get when you combine slashing wit, expertly-placed memes, and some serious marketing know how? 500 Hats, that’s what.

25. Duct Tape Marketing

Attention to trends coupled with a keen eye focused on the evolution of marketing, this no-nonsense entrepreneurial marketing blog is a fantastic resource for business owners who want to keep up with the changing digital tides.