TIMEOUT for Freelance Fundamentals on Independent's Day
Monday, February 17, 2014 at 10:15AM By Paris Wolfe
If you’re a freelance communicator or hold that as a backup plan, get to IABC Cleveland’s February 27 educational program to sharpen your business. Three top independents will share industry essentials. Here’s just a sample:
Panelist One: John Ettorre, Working with Words
Q. You’ve been active in a variety of social media. In fact, I see quite a bit of activity on LinkedIn. How does that help your business?
A. LinkedIn is the nerve center of my practice, simply because relationships are at the core of everything I do and are inevitably the prime reason that any bit of business lands in my lap. I focused really early on LinkedIn--I learned from the company when they went public that I was among the first 100,000 users--to the exclusion of Facebook, which I've never used. I use it to knit together (and stay in touch with) my network and help others succeed. The more I do that, the more good things eventually circle back to me, though never immediately. I use Twitter in similar ways. Both derived momentum from a blog I began in 2003, which initially built my inbound inquiries and thus my writing practice. All of these platforms serve as incredible learning labs that keep me in the conversations I need to be in to thrive. They help me actually practice the strategies and tactics that I can then help my clients execute.
Panelist Two: Kate Rein, Wolf Creek Publications
Q. Every client is your boss and everyone wants their work now. How do you manage?
A. Freelance projects come and go all the time. Some I can turn around in a couple of hours. Some take months. To keep track of everything, I built an Excel spreadsheet that lists job number, client name/contact, project description, date assigned, date completed, hours/rate, invoice amount, date invoice sent, date payment received. I use color coding so I can quickly see which projects are still in progress, which ones are done and need to be invoiced, and which ones have already been paid.
Panelist Three: Kavita Sherman, Sherman Communications, LLC.
Q. You’ve been active in the communications community, especially IABC Cleveland. How does that help you build and/or manage your business?
A. My professional involvement helps my business in two ways: education and networking. I attend as many of the educational programs as I can where I learn about topics relevant to my business and clients. The networking has come about by being active on the IABC Cleveland board since 2007. My involvement has helped me meet people from many different industries from Northeast Ohio, around the U.S. and internationally. I’ve built relationships through these encounters and developed professional friendships and new opportunities.
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The February 27th event begins at 11:30 am, and the panel discussion runs from noon – 1:30 pm. The program will be held on the 2nd floor of the Cleveland State University School of Business, 1860 E 18th St. #220, Cleveland, OH 44114. The cost, which includes a choice of boxed lunch, is $10 for IABC members, students, and professionals-in-transition, and $15 for non-members. Parking includes on-street meters, nearby surface lots, and RTA lines which stop near the business school. Register Now