freelancer of the day

31.08.10  Introducing Freelance Fridays  |  Starting in September, freelancers are going to OWN Fridays :-) Basically, every Thursday we'll invite you to submit any freelance-related questions on Facebook or Twitter (add #freelancefridays to the end of your tweets), or send us an . We'll then do our best to answer all the questions on the next day - on Freelance Friday. Keep an eye on our Twitter stream and Facebook page for more.

31.08.10  Networking tips for freelancers  |  You’ve taken the plunge into a freelance career and you're feeling great. You’ve got your own unique system that works for you, developed some solid client relationships and you absolutely love what you do. But... there’s one thing that still makes your stomach lurch – networking! New to networking herself, Melissa James of Freelancentral shares her top 7 tips to calm your networking nerves. Read them here.

30.08.10  Guest columnist: Tiffany Markman  |  Part 4 - The Stable Door: Why breaking the rules sometimes works  | This column started with a swinging stable door and you, the horse, escaping into your freelance life. It’s covered different types of clients, the fine line of the call of duty, freelance admin – and a few things in between. But this… This is a story with a moral. Call it an idiom; a Tiffany’s Fable. Whatever. But you’ve gotta get through the story to get the good stuff. So sit back. Relax. And read on. 

30.08.10  Christine Online: Five guidelines for writing effective web copy  |  Christine da Silva of Altersage provides some general guidelines for writing web copy this month. Improving web copy can result in a more wholesome and beneficial experience for web users, often leading to an increase in conversions. Read more of Christine's tips here.

27.08.10  Working from home: the pros and cons  |  For a laugh check out The Oatmeal's tongue in cheek post about the advantages and disadvantages of working from home. How has working from home worked out for you as a freelancer? Let us know over at our Facebook page, we'd love to know!

23.08.10  Get your business cards redesigned for free!  |  One of our freelancers applied for a business card makeover with the Business Card Project, a special program run by Moo.com for small businesses and entrepreneurs. We think this is a fantastic opportunity for freelancers needing a bit of professional help building their brand, so what are you waiting for? Apply here - you'll score a free set of business cards with your redesign too!

23.08.10  PLACEMENT: Art Director - mid/snr, Jo'burg, 2 months  |  A well-known agency in Jo'burg is looking for a through-the-line art director to work with them on a short-term basis for September and October. You will be responsible for conceptualising and implementing predominantly print work, but possibly some TV too.

13.08.10   Visual inspiration  |  In celebration of Women's month we thought this collection of pink design inspiration from FreelanceReview was very apt. It will get your imagination ticking with what you can do with the colour pink. Of course, if pink really isn't your thing they've got a great collection of Art Deco inspiration too. What resources do you turn to for inspiration? Tell us over at our Facebook page, we're dying to know!

11.08.10  Help out a NPO  |  The Educational Youth Development Programme, a NPO aimed at uplifting disadvantaged youths, learners and schools through the creation of sustainable educational opportunities and platforms, is looking for creatives and marketers who would like to volunteer their services to help with the various marketing and advertising work they need.

10.08.10  Using social media as a freelancer  |  We spotted an interesting article posted on Mashable outlining the benefits of using social media as a freelancer. It covers a range of ways social media can help you get your name out there, especially if you don't have a large marketing budget. Check the article out here, we think it's worth a read.

04.08.10  Making your own holiday  |  The beauty of freelancing is that it's up to you how much time you take off. The down side is that sometimes freelancers have to work when others don't. We're sure there are many freelancers working this upcoming public holiday, are you? FreelanceSwitch posted an article about this, advising that you book a day off once in a while. Remember: freelancers need holidays too!

29.07.10  Maintaining client relationships  |  Sitepoint posted a useful article about maintaining client relationships long after the work is complete. It's got some good pointers on how to stay in contact with your clients, especially once you're done with a project, and you want to keep up a healthy client relationship for future potential work. Read the article here.

28.07.10  Get-together reportback  |  Our winter get-together for freelancers was held last week at The Daddy Cool Bar on Long street. We got to meet some of the Cape Town freelancers, chat about what they're up to and get a sense of the challenges they are facing presently. Melissa James wrote a short summary of the event in case you missed it.

28.07.10  We've got new skills!  |  WordPress experts out there will be happy to know we've added two brand new skills to our New Media section of the site. You can now add either 'WordPress design' or 'WordPress development' to your list of services. WordPress is fast becoming a popular platform to implement, and your clients will love the fact that they can manage their own content. Plus it's open source, even better!

28.07.10  Declutter your office  |   Have you ever wished you could wave a magic wand that instantly transformed your office into a neat, organised space that's pleasant to work in? If you have, then Michelle, a professional organiser from Sorted may be your magic fairy. She'll help you sort out efficient systems at work and home, so that you can save time, money and space by living clutter-free. Find out more about Michelle, and her company Sorted here.

27.07.10  Guest columnist: Vanessa Clark   |   Give the frog a break   |   I took a holiday last month. My first real, proper, planned holiday since leaving the corporate cubicle more than two years ago. Not a long weekend. Or an enforced “staycation” over Christmas and New Year. I had a proper, planned holiday.

27.07.10  Christine Online: 5 tips to make your blog pop   |   Christine da Silva of AlterSage shares her top 5 tips to blog better. Blogging forms part of social media and is a great way to build a personal brand and your reputation as a thought-leader. Read the article here for tips to make your blog "pop"!

22.07.10  Spice up your contact page  |  We found some really unique designs for contact forms at Dzineblog. Why not spice up your contact page too? It's your first point of contact for clients getting hold of you through your website and can make a great impression. Check out some of the designs here.

21.07.10  PLACEMENT: Senior writer, ad copy, Cape Town (project)  |   Are you a senior writer who has written print ad copy in the financial services industry? This 10-15 hour project could be right up your street.

15.07.10  Have you checked out Freelancentral's online shop?   |   We've got a great new feature on our site - the Freelancentral online shop! You can now find a range of freelancer must-haves on our shop page - from business cards to e-books. We'd love you to check it out, for other products or just tell us what you think on our Facebook discussion page. Happy shopping!

09.07.10  Social Media venting - don't do it!   |  Have you ever had a moment where you've wanted to run outside and tell everyone how completely frustrated, angry or upset you are with a client? Well, venting via social media is the same concept, but with far worse consequences. Read why you shouldn't be venting in social media spaces (or public spaces either!), at FreelanceSwitch here.