The Born Freelancer finds a cell plan to fit their budget

This series by The Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Please add to the conversation in the comments section. One of the hardest things to learn about being a freelancer is living within a budget that fluctuates, often difficult to predict one month to the next. About a year […]

Posted on July 4, 2012 at 11:41 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,

The Born Freelancer on casting aside doubt

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. This month I celebrate my first anniversary writing for you as The Born Freelancer. My thanks to all of you who have read […]

Posted on May 25, 2012 at 8:17 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,

Advice from Canadian journalists on crafting the “perfect pitch”

Besides being the kind that gets you a “yes” from an editor, what makes a pitch good? An original angle, a custom-tailored scope, timely, articulate, well-researched: all very important characteristics. But what can a writers do to make their queries “perfect”? On April 26 at The HiVE in Vancouver, The Tyee gathered together Gary Stephen […]

Posted on May 23, 2012 at 10:10 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

New York State considers legislation to help freelancers with deadbeat clients

When an unpaid invoice is gathering dust, and numerous emails, phone calls, threatening letters and even “F*ck you. Pay me” hasn’t worked, where is a jilted freelancer to turn? Our friends south of the border are hoping that they can turn to their government for backup, reports the Star. New York State’s legislative assembly has […]

Posted on May 2, 2012 at 6:34 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Domestic bliss? The Born Freelancer on the merits (and pitfalls) of working at home

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Several posts ago I wrote about the pains and pleasures of having your own out-of-home office (and how to find one). This time […]

Posted on April 13, 2012 at 9:38 am by editor · 2 Comments · Tagged with: , , ,

Time to file: The Born Freelancer on taxing matters

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer will share personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Death and taxes. The only things certain in life. That and the fact there will be nothing I want to watch on […]

Posted on February 28, 2012 at 8:44 pm by editor · One Comment · Tagged with: , , , , ,

Seeking space: The Born Freelancer’s tips on finding an out-of-home office

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. In a previous post I discussed the various benefits of having your own office separate from your living space. In this post I […]

Posted on February 3, 2012 at 9:39 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,

A room of your own: The Born Freelancer on the merits of out-of-home offices

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. The recent poss.ca article on the benefits of working at home, already recommended on this blog, is excellent. If you haven’t looked at […]

Posted on January 20, 2012 at 9:00 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , , ,

Working from home, a survival guide

Being a freelancer means working from home, in between stints at coffee shops or the odd brief occupation of a client’s office. For many who’ve never tried it, working from home sounds like a breeze—a dream, even. Imagine: tapping away on a laptop in your comfiest clothes or blasting your favourite tunes with abandon or […]

Posted on January 10, 2012 at 8:24 pm by editor · 2 Comments · Tagged with: , ,

Get outta here: The Born Freelancer’s top 10 reasons to travel

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. The Born Freelancer no longer makes New Year’s resolutions (an almost certain guarantee that they will never be accomplished as a result of […]

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:00 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , ,