Showing posts with label Worth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worth. Show all posts

Thursday, May 28, 2015

10 Great Books About Web Design That Are Worth Reading



Ever wish you knew more about certain aspects of web design? As professionals in an ever-changing industry, I believe it’s absolutely essential that to stay afloat of the evolving landscape in which we work. Fortunately for us, we don’t need to look far for excellent resources to keep us up to speed.


In an effort to help you weed through the plethora of information available, I’ve scoured libraries and bookshelves to come up with ten great books about web design. So sit back, grab a cup o` joe and get ready to learn. Don’t worry, there’s no homework involved!


This post has been sponsored by the awesome folks at Webydo.

Visual Design


Visual Design: Ninety-five things you need to know


To get us started on this journey of knowledge we present a book to ensure your foundation is solid. Inside is ninety-five nuggets of truth about visual design that you’ll likely draw on throughout your career. From tips on directing the eye of your audience to the nitty-gritty details of shape and symmetry, this book has it all.


HTML 5 For Web Designers


HTML 5 For Web Designers


Let’s be honest. As web designers, our natural tendency is to focus on the creative aspects of web-based media. Often, the technological aspects are forgotten or left to others. In this book, these technological pieces are presented in a practical, easy-to-understand way, helping you get a better grasp on the newest web language and how your designs will benefit.


Designing For Emotion


Designing For Emotion


Taking the next step after refreshing the basics, this book offers fantastic insights for creating engaging designs that elicit emotion. The basic premise that we’re designing for humans rather than stoic machines is explored in detail her with great advice on expressing the personality behind your designs.


Web Form Design


Web Form Design


Often a trouble area for designers, this wonderful book can help guide you through the common pitfalls associated with web form design. What’s great about this book is that the author takes the time to clearly explain the issues we all face with making data gathering a visually appealing process and then presents practice examples to solve them. A must read!


The Shape of Design


The Shape of Design


While not specifically about web design, this book gets right at the heart of what we do. Within, you’ll explore some of the more abstract concepts pertaining to design and why somethings work and others just don’t. You owe it to yourself to pick this one up, if for nothing else, than to learn more about why you think the way you do about design.


Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited


Don


UX design is a pretty big thing if you haven’t yet discovered. This book paves an easy to follow path to better usability in your web designs. If what you design for the web is ever used by humans, you should read this book. You’ll learn from an expert how to incorporate more intuitive design principles into all of your projects.


Design Is A Job


Design Is A Job


Thought the title of this book might seem rather obvious, its contents might just be what your freelance career is missing. The author –a design entrepreneur himself– guides you through a knowledge dump of what the business of design is all about. From navigating client interactions to the art of selling designs, this book is a wealth of valuable information.


Thinking With Type


Thinking With Type


Billed as the “definitive guide to using typography in visual communication, this marvelous book includes an abundance of style guidelines for this critical aspect of web design. In addition to tips on using all manner of typeface and lettering, this book equips you with the knowledge and confidence to express your creativity through type while avoiding common faux pas. If you’ve ever had a question about captions, lining numerals or mixing typefaces, this book is a sure bet.


Designing Brand Identity


Designing Brand Identity


As we all know, building brands that embody the unique identities of the clients we server is a difficult task. To help de-mystify the subject, this book takes a close look at dozens of real-world case studies including some of today’s biggest brands. In each study you’ll find immediately useful methods and processes for creating effective brands.


Web Design Confidential


Web Design Confidential


Compiled from a set of over 5,400 web design veterans, this book sets out to tackle the intimate questions of the web design industry. Covering topics from standard hourly rates to modern web design practices, this one will help you better understand the profession you love. Though you might have to look under a few more rocks for this one –it’s since out of print– the extra effort is certainly worth it!


Finished!


That just about sums up our list of ten great books for web designers, but don’t stop there! The World Wide Web is chock full of useful and often free web deisgn books. So keep on learning and continue to build a better web!




The post 10 Great Books About Web Design That Are Worth Reading appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.



10 Great Books About Web Design That Are Worth Reading

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Useful Multi-Purpose WordPress Themes Worth Considering



The multi-purpose premium WordPress themes in this article are certainly worthy of that description, as they are feature-rich, user-friendly, and exceptionally versatile. That can actually be said for virtually all of the themes listed here, except for a few that focus on a particular niche, and are not necessarily as versatile or flexible as some of the others.


Nevertheless, it is our hope and intent that you will find within this selection a theme that will suit your needs.


X Theme


The current version of X Theme set a new standard for WordPress themes, and you can look to the soon-to-be released Version 4 to repeat the process. The centerpiece of this latest version is its incredibly powerful front-end page builder, the likes of which you may never have seen before.


X Theme


It is fair to say that with this new release, this theme, which is already regarded as being the most versatile multipurpose theme on the market, will gain even more adherents. X is fully supported by Themeco, and it has a history of periodic updates that has kept it at the top of website development charts.


X has been popular from the start, and it holds the distinction of being the fastest selling theme ever. You can wait until Version 4 is released before joining the large community of X users, but you really don’t have to. Purchase it today, and when the latest version is released, and its release is imminent, it will be yours for free, as will all subsequent releases.


Be Theme


Be Theme holds the distinction of being the biggest theme ever. Bigger is not necessarily always better, but this is a definite exception.


Be Theme


With its more than 100 ready-to-use, pre-made layouts, each of which has been impeccably designed, Be sets the standard for usability, especially when you take its multiplicity of features, rapid page loading capability, clean, bug-free code, and ease of use into account.


You can develop any type of website with this theme, but where it really shines is in the area of business and professional website development. In the unlikely event you don’t find a layout that suits your needs, you can easily create your own.


Enfold


Enfold is yet another standard-bearing multipurpose theme. It happens to be ThemeForest’s top seller, which is saying quite a bit when you consider the number of popular, high-quality themes ThemeForest’s Elite Authors have been producing lately.


Enfold


If you take the time to view one of more of this theme’s demos, you will quickly see how this theme will get your development project off to a running start. Enfold is feature rich, versatile, extremely user-friendly, and it has one of the fastest and easiest to use drag and drop layouts you will find on the market.


This theme is so versatile that you do not have to find a layout that is a perfect match for your website’s theme, but if you should, you are just that much more ahead. It is worth mentioning, that if your plans include building an online store, this theme is WooCommerce ready.


Kallyas Theme for WordPress


Its authors refer to Kallyas as The Sensational WordPress Theme, but they do so with good reason. This multipurpose theme is business-oriented in that it is easily integrated with WooCommerce, and it will be an excellent choice if you plan to develop that type of a website.


Kallyas Theme for WordPress


It can be used for any type of website however, and it is sensational in the sense that it currently empowers more than 14,000 websites. The fact that this top selling theme is super-fast, super flexible, and feature-rich, and its clean design is based on a squeaky-clean code platform, explains its widespread usage.


Philanthropy Multi-Purpose Theme


Philanthropy will be an excellent choice if you are looking for just the right multipurpose theme to create a non-profit or charity website. It has all of the features you usually notice in websites of these types that are already up and running.


Philanthropy Multi-Purpose Theme


Philanthropy is one of the more than 30 themes offered by ThemeFuse; themes that include sports, travel, blogging, business, and religion, to name just a few. You can sign up for a free trial of Philanthropy or one of the other themes by opening a no-obligation account.


Divi


Themes are sometimes described as being the biggest, fastest, most popular, or best-selling themes of all time. The authors of Divi are quite satisfied in the knowledge that there creation is one of the most popular WordPress Themes ever made.


Divi


One of the reasons is this; Divi got into WPML compatibility early in the game, giving many of the websites it was used to create a 32-language, global presence. This theme is also feature rich, it offers over 20 pre-made layouts, and it has never stopped improving as is evident in its frequent updates.


Circle Flip WordPress Responsive Theme


Circle Flip has the multiplicity of features developers have come to expect when selecting a multipurpose WordPress theme. It offers 8 user-ready, multipurpose layouts, including an E-commerce layout, and a recently added travel layout, but its bestselling point is its unique drag and drop header builders, designed to create the perfect header.


Circle Flip WordPress Responsive Theme


If attempts to create the exact headers you have been looking for in the past have been giving you headaches, or if you are planning on creating a travel site, Circle Flip may be just your ticket. A noteworthy fact is that its support team has consistently received high marks.


KLEO – Next Level WordPress Theme


KLEO has been the best-selling community theme of 2015. It has in fact held this distinction almost from the time of its first launch. The reasons are quite simple. This multipurpose theme is easy to integrate with Facebook, and it is fully compatible with the BuddyPress networking plugin.


KLEO - Next Level WordPress Theme


You can supercharge your website with the community features that draw in visitors, publish your social and community-related blogs, and showcase your portfolio. KLEO can also be used to create an impressive online shop, or use it to monetize your business.


SHORE


Shore was created by a ThemeForest Elite Author, which says a great deal about the quality you can expect. Its 8 layouts are easy to customize, and you can select both OnePage and MultiPage layouts.


SHORE


The presence of features like Visual Composer, Revolution Slider, WooCommerce and WPML compatibility, and the inclusion of the popular Font Awesome pack, makes this multipurpose WordPress theme one that is well worth considering.


durus


To say durus is feature-packed is practically an understatement. This theme is fully responsive, it includes an advanced drag and drop page builder, an individual element optimizing admin panel, and loads of icons and fonts.


durus


Durus is also WooCommerce and cross-browser compatible. This theme has not been updated since October 2014 and is WordPress compatible through WP 3.9. Whether it is compatible with WP 4.x is not clear.


MultiMag


MultiMag by Orange-Themes is well suited for online magazine or blog website developers.


MultiMag


The Mega Menu dropdown and theme control panel features, working in concert with either the visual drag and drop page builder, or the WordPress Visual Composer plugin, makes this theme an excellent choice for the novice, yet it contains most of the features the more experienced developers tend to expect in a theme. MultiMag is WooCommerce, bbPress, and BuddyPress ready.


Circles


Circles is an all-purpose theme whose main claim to fame is its ease of use. Not every developer likes working with shortcodes, but if you are proficient in their use, or intend to become so, this multipurpose theme has “a ton” of them, plus a shortcodes manager and a lists pack.


Circles


Blog developers will appreciated the 18 blog variations, and the menu-driven page builder is almost ridiculously easy to navigate. Users have given Circles’ customer support high marks.


Creative


Creative is a multipurpose business theme, and quite naturally WooCommerce and WPML compatible. This theme utilizes a Themewaves page builder containing 43 different page builder elements, 5 header types, the Revolution Slider, and it features 10 layouts plus a full layout for large screens, and a boxed layout for smaller screens.


Creative


While the list of features is business oriented, the complete list suggests Creative can be used for a wide variety of applications.


MANGO


Mango can be used for many purposes, although this theme’s strength lies in business and multi-purpose portfolio applications, and several of its more prominent features suggest it would prove useful for developing social networking or community websites as well.


MANGO


It is Bootstrap 3.x, WP 4.2, and WPML compatible, and cross-browser compatible as well. More than 40 shortcodes are included, and Mango features 15+ layouts, including 6 portfolio and 2 blog layouts.


Conclusion


This list has featured a nice combination of premium all-purpose themes, several which are multi-purpose but tend to be oriented more towards the business sector, and a few which could be categorized as being more or less dedicated to a particular application. This list contains a number of themes in the most popular and best-selling categories, and we hope you have been able to come across one or two themes that will serve you best.


If you feel something is missing and should have been included, please let us know. If you have found the right theme, let us know that too!




The post Useful Multi-Purpose WordPress Themes Worth Considering appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.



Useful Multi-Purpose WordPress Themes Worth Considering

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Charge Your Worth: The Complete Guide to Getting Paid

Energy, inspiration, emotion, talent, experience. Creating powerful design concepts takes everything we’ve got. You would think that clients would run to reward such a rare combination of hard work, momentary enlightenment and painfully acquired know-how. You would think. Instead, this is how it usually goes:


  1. Client calls creative with urgent need

  2. Creative invests it all in satisfying said need

  3. Client has no urgency to pay

Many of us are being treated as firefighters. We must come through with consistently impressive design concepts in exchange for completely uncertain pay. When clients approach us to solve their most pressing creative problems things run amazingly smoothly. They are eager to commit, negotiate a rate, agree on deadlines (now those are important to them), and get started ASAP (which is yesterday, of course). Once the fire goes away, however, everything seems to run more slowly. So, how exactly do we speed up the payment process, show our true value, and ensure that our creativity doesn’t starve?


Collecting payment will never be easy, but with the right tactics it can become bearable and even fulfilling. Here’s what you do to increase your chances of getting paid fairly and on time:


GuidetoGettingPaid


Print out a poster version of these tips.


1. Prove your value in economic terms.


Will your work boost brand recognition? What does that do for sales and revenue? How does that impact market share (broadly)? Arm yourself with research that proves the business value of design, and make sure that you communicate it to your client succinctly. Your business proposal is an ideal place to include these facts.


2. Show that you’ve been paid before.


Social proof can decrease the amount of risk that clients feel when they are about to pay for your services. Hey, if others have bet on your talent in the past, why would they miss out on it? In showing that your clients consistently pay for work, and do so on time, you will give a clear picture of what your expectations look like. I saw clients delay my agency’s payment while being completely on time with other types of suppliers, and had always wondered what they were doing right (or what we were doing wrong). Here’s what that was: other suppliers established that on-time payment was the minimum standard to carry on any type of relationship with them, and that this rule applied to absolutely everyone.


3. Offer more than one payment method.


Cash is not necessarily king when clients need convenience. Explore online payment tools that allow you to expand your clients’ payment options. Stripe offers credit and debit card payments, while Paypal allows for additional methods like real-time and delayed bank transfers. For in-office payments try Square.


4. Provide several payment schedules.


Don’t wait until they ask or default. Structure a tiered payment policy where those who pay first pay less (Early Payment Discount). Also show how a late payment can make them incur in unwanted penalties. While some designers cringe at the sound of “late fee”, including it up front does insulate you (and your team) from a budget-crushing delay. There’s no reason for a late fee to feel like a threat. It is the very least you can do to pass on the message that your waiting time is worth some real money (versus, you know, hot air). And don’t be fooled: a dollar today is worth much more than a dollar tomorrow. For every minute that your hard-earned cash spends in someone else’s wallet, there are several profitable investments that you could be engaging in instead.


5. Work with a teammate.


Listening to several voices asking for the same thing can increase the sense of shame for nonpayment. Ask someone from your team, or hire a third party, to contact the client on behalf of your company. While risky, hiring out a freelancer to make these types of calls might be a low-cost alternative. To hire a professional collections agency, check out point 15.


6. Send out automated email or SMS reminders.


As much as I struggled with this idea, not all clients are purposely trying to skip your payment. Sometimes memory fails and there are no systems in place for reminding themselves of upcoming dues. In this case, make sure that you do prepare to warn them about dates and fees. While a personalized email or call might seem the best way to go about it, these take valuable time away from the actual work that you are supposed to be doing for the client. After all, he/she hired you because of your design talent, not your ability to collect payment over the phone. Setup automated reminders with software packages like Quickbooks, Zoho Invoice, Xero or Freshbooks.


7. Tie key deliverables to payment.


Though this is a double-sided sword (i.e. you will miss payment whenever you miss a deadline), it’s a good business practice and will generally benefit the creator. Sometimes we ask for an advance upfront and a final payment after we’ve delivered everything the client has required. A smarter way to approach this is to condition key deliverables to paying different (smaller) percentages of the total bill. A key deliverable is something that is highly valuable in the eyes of the client: a finalized site launch, logo concept, or business card design are all good examples. If the client really wants to get a hold of his/her company’s new logo, attach a specific percentage of the total bill to that delivery. 30% upfront, 30% upon logo delivery and 40% at the end of all remaining work is an example of such types of agreements.


8. Deliver on time.


In the end, every design project is a transaction. You exchange currency (i.e. amazing work) for dollars. Make sure that you are holding up your end of that deal, and clients will feel the need to be reciprocal. To reinforce the idea that you are complying to what was signed, use wording like “as promised” or “as we agreed” in emails & other types of communications. These subtle pointers signal commitment, trust and reliability. Now, if we’re being super reliable, how could anyone want to disappoint us? (They don’t want to, but end up doing it anyway. Read on for more tactics).


9. Have them sign up to a payment plan with specific installments.


Some contracts include a specific space for signatures on the project payment plan. The advantage of having clients agree to this specific plan in advance is that they are committing to honoring your fees properly at the time when they need your services the most. With time, their initial urgency fades and can result in the firefighter effect that I discussed before. Hi! Excited to work with me? So am I. Now let’s agree on a payment promise while we’re both happy :)


10. Be genuinely nice.


When I first founded an agency in 2008, we gave out seasonal corporate gifts that reminded clients of how important our relationship was to us. I soon realized that we were not alone. This Corporate Gifting Survey, conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute, concludes that businesses spend approximately on a single client’s gift. Top goals include showing appreciation, developing relationships and generating goodwill. Think about it: if corporate gifts weren’t effective business tools they wouldn’t be a billion market (in the US only). And reciprocity, my friends, can be a powerful thing.


11. Try recurring billing.


Is your client paying for a product or service on a monthly basis? Perhaps you have set up a continuous design service package, or you sell web design as a service (yes, this is a thing). In this case, you can set up a monthly billing plan with platforms like Paypal or Stripe. Your client’s card will automatically be charged each month, removing the stress associated with collecting your fees.


12. Establish authority in your communications pieces.


Think about how you can position yourself (or your team) as an expert in brand stationery, websites, proposals, contracts and other pieces. Do you belong to a professional organization? Has your business been certified by a partner? Has the agency won any awards? These are things that your client needs to know. In an environment of respect and admiration, it becomes harder to elude responsibilities.


13. Find and use robust timesheet/invoicing software.


Oh, let’s face it. Sometimes we’re not getting paid because we forgot to send that invoice. Whatever comes next is on us. To avoid delays that arise from our end of things, make sure to try an agile invoicing platform. If your fees are based on an hourly rate, there are amazing tools that will also help you keep track of the amount of work invested and calculate your bill automatically. For painless time tracking and invoicing, try Harvest, Ballpark, Ding, Toggl, Timely or Everhour.


14. Use factoring.


Factoring is a simple procedure where your outstanding invoices become cash in exchange for a specific fee. There are many banks and financial companies that will literally buy your accounts receivable (everything your clients still owe you) and turn it into cash. Their commission can go anywhere from 15 to 30% of your invoices, but conditions may vary depending on your annual revenue and other factors. For freelancer-friendly invoice advance options, try Fundbox and Bluevine.


15. Everything else failed? Outsource collections.


OK, we’ve reached that point. This negligent jerk simply won’t pay and nobody’s got time for that anymore. Outsource the struggle. For effective debt recovery services, try TrueAccord or InvoiceCare.



Is there anything worse than begging for something that’s yours? As creators, we invest our very best to solve our client’s problems, and should expect a minimum level of appreciation from them. This appreciation comes in various forms, but only one can literally feed us: payment. At the very least, we should expect them to hold up to their end of the deal and pay the right fees on the right dates. Try these tactics and let us know if they work out for you. (Oh, and feel free to print out a poster version of these tips!)


GuidetoGettingPaid_Poster


Know any other secrets to get paid on time? By all means share!



Products Seen In This Post:


            



getpaidtowrite-banner
Charge Your Worth: The Complete Guide to Getting Paid

Friday, April 17, 2015

10 Material Design Web Frameworks Worth Considering



What happens when you combine the principles of good design with the innovations of technology and science? Well, that is just what Google did, and created the concept of Material Design.


Simply put, Material Design is a visual design concept that brings together the principles and rules of classic design and the probabilities and norms of science or technology. Since Material Design is rising in popularity, so are the tools and resources related to it.


In this post, I have put together some of the best web frameworks for your next Material Design styled web projects. We also have a post that covers Material Design GUI kits and another that takes a look at live examples of Material Design in action.


Top Material Design Frameworks


Materialize


Materialize is a responsive front-end framework with a focus on user experience.


Materialize


Material UI


Material UI is a framework and a set of React components that puts the emphasis on user interface design.


Material UI


MUI


MUI is a lightweight and agile Material Design framework that can be loaded asynchronously to speed up development time and is fully cross-platform.


MUI


daemonite


daemonite is a simple HTML5 Material Design framework.


daemonite


LumX


LumX is a responsive front-end framework based on AngularJS and Material Design specifications.


LumX


Materialize Meteor


Materialize Meteor is a responsive front-end framework based on Material Design packaged for Meteor.


Framaterial


Framaterial is a simple framework that can be used out of the box without the help of any external libraries or plugins.


Framaterial


Material Framework


Material Framework is a responsive framework that can implement Material Design concepts in any web page or web app.


Material Framework


Material Foundation


Material Foundation is the Material Design version of the Foundation framework by ZURB.


Material Foundation


Material Design for Bootstrap


Material Design for Bootstrap is a theme for Bootstrap 3 that lets you use Material Design concepts on the front-end.


Material Design for Bootstrap


Have you ever worked with Material Design? Got a framework that I missed? Share it in the comments below!




The post 10 Material Design Web Frameworks Worth Considering appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.



10 Material Design Web Frameworks Worth Considering

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Is Working Freelance Really Worth It?



Are you tired of working for clients you don’t like? Want control of your time, location, and projects you work on? Then perhaps you should consider freelancing.


Freelancing is basically being self-employed and not committed to any one company or firm. You’ve heard those seemingly perfect freelance stories. Some designer quits his jobs and starts freelancing – and now he’s making more money than he was while at a firm. All the while traveling the world and working for himself. Not to mention he gets to choose what kind of work he does.


However, there is no such thing as perfect – and freelancing is no exception. While the above paragraph might make being a freelancer out to be an ideal gig, it has its drawbacks. And some of these can be deal breakers for you.


So should you freelance? Let’s weight the pros and cons:


Pros of Freelancing


Working People
Image Source: Working People via Shutterstock.


1. Choose When You Work


When you don’t have to come into an office each day, you can really be in control of your time. You get to choose when you work. You’re working for yourself, after all. Are you a morning person that wants to stop working at lunchtime? That’s cool. Or are you a night owl that loves to sleep in? Go for it. As long as you get the work done, that’s all that matters. When you freelance, you get to choose when you work. Or at least be more flexible with your schedule (with the few exceptions that involve time-sensitive clients).


2. Choose Where You Work


Since you’re not reporting to a stationary office every day, you can choose where you do your freelancing work. Whether it’s at home, at various cafes throughout the cities, or traveling—or even moving—to different cities, it doesn’t matter. Like with being in control of your time, as long as you get the work done then it doesn’t matter where you’re located. When you freelance, you get to choose where you work. Or again, at least be more flexible with your location (if you have location-sensitive clients).


3. Choose What You Work On


The biggest drawback of working for a company or firm is you usually don’t get to choose what projects you work on. You design based on what clients are brought to you. But when you are a freelancer, you find your own clients. Thus, you get to choose what you work on. Notice the pattern? Freelancing is about choice – freedom.


4. Potentially Make More Money


If you have the drive in you, you can stand to make more money freelancing. You’re not throttled by working for someone else. You can take on more clients or more projects than if you were working for a company or firm. And more quality work equals making more money.


5. Fire Bad Clients


Similar to #3, if you get stuck with a bad client while working for someone else, you either suck it up or quit your job. And there goes all of your work and income. But with freelancing, each client is a separate source of income. So if you come across a bad client, you can freely fire them. Why waste your precious days working on something that’s annoying you? Drop that client like a bad habit.


Cons of Freelancing


Hardworking People
Image Source: Hardworking People via Shutterstock.


1. Incoming Work Isn’t Guaranteed


At a company or firm, assuming it doesn’t go out of business, you’re pretty much guaranteed work. You come in, there is always work for you to do, and you’ll never be at a shortage. As a freelancer, since you’re finding your own work, it’s never guaranteed. Sometimes opportunities can be plentiful, and other times there could be less.


2. Inconsistent Monthly Income


With inconsistent incoming work comes inconsistent monthly income. Some months you can be rolling in a steady stream of quality work. Other months your clients might not need you, or you don’t find enough work. And your income suffers as a result.


3. Potentially Make Less Money


A continuation of #2. If you aren’t finding quality clients, you could potentially make less money than if you were at a company or firm. Ditto if you’re lazy. If you aren’t a self-motivating type and need someone else to kick you in the butt, then with freelancing you could potentially be making less money than at a company or firm.


4. You Have to Find New Work On Your Own


With freelancing, you don’t just spend time creating, you also need to spend time finding new clients and work. At a company or firm, the incoming work is taken care of for you. You just need to design and that’s it. (However, if you absolutely hate finding clients but still want to freelance, one remedy is partnering with someone that can find work for you – a designer manager of sorts.)


5. You Have to Do Your Own Accounting


Similar to #4. At a company or firm, you don’t need to worry about accounting. You design, you get paid, you pay yearly taxes, and that’s it. Not so with freelancing – since you are your own company, you need to handle your own accounting. (Again, if you hate accounting then you can use software to make it easier or hire/outsource to someone that can do it.)


So, Should You Freelance?


So is freelancing ultimately worth it? Yes. Yes it is. You won’t get a wishy-washy “it depends” answer here. If you’re considering it, then you should freelance.


Of course, you have to be driven, confident, and independent. You should be willing to take matters into your own hands. (So it really does depend, huh?)


But the benefits of being in control of your time, location, and work you do is worth it alone. That’s true freedom right there – something we all desire as human beings. Add to that the potential to make more money—totally up to your drive, of course—and the pros of freelancing outweigh the cons. Just make sure you aren’t lazy and find actual work for yourself.


So if you are already freelancing, even if just on the side, then let this be confirmation that you made the right choice. And if you haven’t been a freelancer yet, give it a try – you’ll be hooked by the freedom and control you gain.


To recap, here are the pros and cons of freelancing:


Pros:


  1. Choose when you work

  2. Choose where you work

  3. Choose what you work on

  4. Potentially make more money

  5. Fire bad clients

Cons:


  1. Incoming work isn’t guaranteed

  2. Inconsistent monthly income

  3. Potentially make less money

  4. You have to find new work on your own

  5. You have to do your own accounting

Do you freelance, even if just on the side? How are you liking it compared to working for a company or firm, and would you recommend it to others? Share your positive (and negative) experiences in the comments below.




The post Is Working Freelance Really Worth It? appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.



Is Working Freelance Really Worth It?