First and foremost, you need to realize that Facebook ads must lead to content that is worth consideration. It makes sense when you read this; according to Perth-Web-Design.com.au, “Publishing quality content is at the heart of content marketing. It helps establish your brand as an industry authority which potentially translates to massive returns for your business.”

With that in mind, following are three additional tips to help you design Facebook ads which are the most effective.

1. SEO

Beyond being exceptionally measurable, SEO can help draw the attention of more clients, and more diverse clients. Basically, that which they regularly search for will be entered into algorithms that may recommend your Facebook ad if it has the right words or phrases—or even pictures. Additionally, just the kind of business you do could draw traffic this way.

Make all of your online advertisement friendly to Search Engine Optimization, and you will naturally see an increased hike in traffic that will very likely lead to increased clientele conversion.

2. Acquire Professional Consultation

Hiring a publicist can help you get the most out of Facebook ads. The right publicist will understand what is more likely to draw clients, and they will usually also have some information pertaining to new marketing trends like SEO and social media optimization.

The world is increasingly digital, and it is also increasingly mobile. Social media takes more and more time from people on a daily basis, and primarily this is by design from those who have introduced modern society to social media. An advertising platform with billions of potential viewers is very valuable, and so you can bet that FB etc. have refined their advertisement protocols to a “T”.

Getting the best out of Facebook ads will require some inside information. While clear insider data may not be immediately attainable, professional navigable information can be easily acquired from the right PR specialist.

3. Link Back To Your Primary Site

It’s hard to stress this one enough. Whatever content, social media marketing, blogging, or other online marketing technique you decide to employ, you must have links that send potential clients back to your home site. This is the whole point of the marketing putsch. If you don’t, you’re just wasting your time.

But additionally, those links can’t just be copied into the text of, say, a blog as a URL.

Well, they can, but you want to be careful to do so naturally, and only occasionally. A better way is to use hyperlinks. A hyperlink is a bit of text with a URL associated with it. Using hyperlinks to your site as a means of referencing statistics or something of the kind is a brilliant way to draw clients to you. The perfect example would be – “If you are looking for the best private jet to take you to your dream destination, don’t miss to check this options:…”

You want the Facebook ad itself to take potential clients to your site, but you don’t want this to be what every single ad does, because you want to draw in clients who may not have been thinking about attaining your services as well as those specifically looking for them. In fact, you want to appeal to as many diverse clients as you can with your FB ads.

A Well-Oiled Online Marketing Machine

When you’ve got links that lead back to your site, and are tastefully peppered through content designed to appeal to multiple potential clients, the assistance of professional consultation for the idiosyncrasies of online marketing, and strategically designed SEO, you’re likely to see greater ROI for your marketing investment. They say you get out what you put in, and that’s something which is as true in online marketing as it is in other areas of advertisement.

The post Exercise These 3 Design Tips For More Effective Facebook Ads appeared first on Money Infant.

It is important to point out that over $30 billion of all the revenue coming from E-commerce came from social media platforms in 2015. Also, 46% of salespersons that used social selling were able to achieve their quotas compared to 38% of those who didn’t during 2015. It is clear that companies have already acknowledged that social media is the present and the future of business. Here is how they are using social media in 2016 in order to help them achieve their goals:

1.   More Focus on Instagram

While Facebook was and is still the “king” of social media business use, more and more companies have also started to focus their attention on Instagram. This is mostly due to the social commerce options this social media platform has to offer. With a total of four call-to-action buttons, Instagram users can land directly to a business’s website, app, or landing page. These buttons include “shop now”, and “learn more” among others. In March 2016, Instagram lengthened its videos to 60 seconds – originally being 30 seconds long. The purpose of this move is to optimize viewership metrics. Also, the number of active users in Instagram has skyrocketed from 300 million in 2015 to 400 million in 2016.

2.   Using More Videos

Companies have begun to use more videos for their marketing purposes. There is a clear explanation for this occurrence. Ever since Google announced that all of its videos would come with “shoppable” ads in late 2015, businesses worldwide have been more and more interested in this feature. These ads allow the viewer to purchase products that are promoted in pre-roll ads before a video is displayed. Additionally, YouTube is also featuring call-to-action interactive cards in which a company can give viewers information about a product so they can buy it right away.

Also, new social platforms that encourage the use of live videos are being launched. For instance, Your Brandlive allows companies to have live videos along with questions and comments from customers, thus, creating a personalized online shop brand experience.

3.   Reviews and Rating Social Media Integration

The power of public opinion can’t be underestimated. According to Ironpaper, peer recommendations are considered trustworthy by 90% of people. On the other hand, paid ads are only trusted by 14% of the general population on average. Businesses are being more and more aware of these facts and are using them to their advantage. As data such as the one listed above becomes more available on the web and business owners begin understanding the importance of being informed about these issues, social media integration – particularly, in regards to reviews and ratings – is now being used more than ever before. Ratings and reviews are a way to socially validate a purchasing decision. Currently, there isn’t a direct way to integrate reviews and ratings on Facebook and other similar platforms. What businesses are doing is posting their reviews (both the positive and negative ones) in their social media business pages to let potential customers know what others think of their products and/or services.

Diversifying your portfolio is very important. Having a business only may equate to having all of your eggs in one basket. Spread betting is an alternative way of investing your funds. CMC Markets is a company that provides its users with an innovative spread betting platform in which you can place bets on several different assets including currencies, and stocks among others. They also have a trading checklist available for investors who want to get into the exciting world of spread betting.

The post How Businesses are Using Social Media in 2016 appeared first on Money Infant.

Here I am…an American citizen living in Thailand. What possible connection could I have to the banking industry in Cyprus and how could the current problems in that small country possibly affect me?

Now, you might think that this is because I was trading forex through a company based in Cyprus, but that’s not the case. All my forex accounts are still in demo, though I am almost ready to start testing a system in a mini account (more on that later).

No, this is something that caught me completely unawares and had nothing to do with forex trading, though it was tied to a company that works in the financial markets field.

What happened is that I write market updates for a company based in Israel. Yes, these include forex related musings, but the company is not a forex company. And as far as I knew they were not based in Cyprus.

Ah, but it turns out that their bank is based in Cyprus. And the issue with them began last week, when I would have normally expected my payment for work done in February. Typically the invoiced amount is paid via wire transfer to my bank, which has been acceptable in the past, if a bit slower than alternatives such as Paypal.

Well, this month the payment didn’t come through on time. I wrote to the accounts payable people at the company and they said they would look into it. Several days passed and I was finally able to determine from them that the payment had been made and should be received by me soon (there was a weekend following the payment date and I assumed that was delaying the posting of the funds). After 3 business days I still had not received the funds, and this seemed to be strange. I wrote to the accounts payable folks again asking for correspondent bank information and a tracking number for the transfer. It was at this point that I received an email back from the CFO of the company explaining what had happened. The payment had been made as usual, but before it could be transferred the Cyprus bank levy decision had been made and the banks put on a mandatory holiday.

At this point I am still waiting for the funds and will likely wait until next week at the earliest. Although the banks in Cyprus were meant to reopen Thursday it seems there is some question whether or not they will do so since the Parliament in Cyprus has refused to accept the bank levy imposed on them as part of the proposed bailout package. In fact, there is a chance the banks will remained closed until Cypriot and EU leaders can come to a consensus on how to handle the bailout of Cyprus.

So, it seems that even a lowly freelance writer and blogger such as myself can be affected by world financial markets. While I’m fairly certain nothing like this could ever happen with U.S. banks, it doesn’t hurt to be diversified internationally. I’m also finding that out as the currency here in Thailand continues to strengthen considerably against the U.S. dollar. Where I was receiving 33 Thai Baht per U.S. Dollar when we arrived in Thailand less than 2 years ago, the exchange rate is now down to nearly 29 Thai baht per U.S. Dollar, a drop of over 10 percent. I certainly hope that trend will reverse itself soon, though I think we can weather the change as long as the exchange rate doesn’t drop by another 10-15 percent. If it does, we may need to reconsider living in Thailand as it will no longer be cheap or even on par with costs in the U.S. Honestly at 29 Thai baht to the Dollar it isn’t particularly cheap now.

The post How Worldwide Economies Affect My Personal Finances appeared first on Money Infant.

Now, when I say steady revenue stream I am not referring to passive income, though passive income can be one part of your revenue stream. The difference between passive income and a revenue stream is that a revenue stream actually takes effort. Even though there are a slew of webpages that promise to give you the secrets of generating passive income, in truth there are very few investments (and no jobs) that qualify as being truly passive.

First I want to take a look at what passive income is and then we will go on to discuss ways to create a steady revenue stream. As you will come to learn, the latter is much easier to accomplish, especially in the short term.

What Is Passive Income?

Passive income refers to money that is earned with no effort (or very minimal effort) on the part of the earner. In fact, if you live in the United States, you will find that the Internal Revenue Service actually has a very specific definition of passive income.

Personally I find it interesting to see that in the eyes of the IRS there are only two situations in which income can be considered passive:

1. a rental activity; or,
2. a business in which the taxpayer does not materially participate.

I say that I find it interesting because the things that I would consider passive income; dividends, interest, and royalties are specifically mentioned by the IRS as not being passive income sources.

There is also no mention of any type of web based activities, but it is easy to see that web based activities don’t qualify as passive income no matter what definition you use. If you’ve ever tried making money online you’ll know that web based activities are very labor intensive and the payoff is a steady revenue stream, not a passive income.

So, how can you use the web (and more specifically websites) to create a steady stream of recurring revenue?

The Web Based Steady Revenue Stream

I am going to restrict this post to web based methods for creating a recurring revenue stream. Obviously there are other methods that can be used including investing in stocks and real estate, building an offline business, creating new products and inventions, and a host of other methods. In order to keep this post shorter than 20,000 words I am focusing on the common web based opportunities.

Web Advertising – This is a method that many people envision when they start a new blog or website. Basically it involves selling advertising space on your high traffic website. The most basic form of making money from website advertising is Google Adsense and similar contextual advertising programs.

These are the easiest forms of web advertising because they don’t require any specific volume of traffic, nor do they require any technological know-how. The site owner simply adds a few lines of code to their website and the ad service automatically places appropriate ads. The problem with this type of advertising is that it requires visitors to actually click on ads. And as people become used to seeing these ads they are less likely to click.

As traffic on your website grows, you will find that you can often make more money through other types of advertising such as CPM (cost per mille) which pays based on the number of ad impressions. Of course you need a LOT of traffic or your website needs to be in a highly profitable niche to really take advantage of CPM advertising.

Another method that works quite well is selling advertising yourself, but this can be quite time consuming. I’ve read estimates of anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours of your daily routine need to be dedicated to responding to inquiries, following up with advertisers, tweaking creatives, making changes, placating advertisers and on and on.

Affiliate Marketing – While there are some websites out there that claim affiliate marketing is like having your own money tree, i.e. set up a website, place affiliate links, watch the money roll in, the truth is that affiliate marketing is just as much work as the web advertising model. That being said, affiliate marketing has create quite a few web millionaires and can be very profitable when done properly.

If you break it down to the most basic definition, affiliate marketing is nothing more than selling on a commission basis. So, if selling turns you off affiliate marketing is not for you. Another point that many miss out on when attempting affiliate marketing is that in order to get customers (and repeat customers) you need to provide your website visitors with value. Not just a little value either, but massive value that is undeniable. Needless to say this involves quite a bit of work and time.

And even if you do become successful with an affiliate program it is far from passive. Successful affiliates will tell you that when you cease your marketing efforts your affiliate commissions will also slowly dwindle. Affiliate marketing may be a cash cow, but just like a real cow you need to continually feed and care for it if you want to continue to milk it.

Ecommerce – You may not be familiar with the term ecommerce, but you would know it when you see it. Amazon.com is by far the most successful ecommerce website out there. You don’t have to grow to the size of Amazon though to make money from ecommerce. Small sites exist in almost any niche that has products that are saleable.

To be honest, ecommerce is one type of web revenue building I have never tried, mostly because it typically involves stocking and shipping physical products. Oh wait, I did spend about 6 months selling used books on Amazon…admittedly not my own ecommerce site, but probably the factor that keeps me from starting my own web store.

Of course, you can make money by selling products from dropshippers, but in my mind that is little different from affiliate marketing. In either case, maintaining an ecommerce website can be challenging, especially as your inventory and number of offerings grows. I have a friend who makes a nice little income selling Thai amulets online, but he will be the first to tell you that it is far from a passive income source. He has to source the amulets, photograph them, post the photos and descriptions on the website, answer questions from customers and prospective customers, pack and ship when sales are made, and update the website when amulets are sold. Does that sound passive to you?

Creating and Selling eBooks – This is becoming more and more popular as Amazon has made it so simple to sell your eBook online. The problem with that popularity is that the number of eBooks available for sale is growing exponentially. Even worse, many eBooks are available for free, so you really have your work cut out for you in terms of competition.

I’ll freely admit that you can create a nice revenue stream from the sale of an eBook, but it is hardly passive. First of all, there is a lot of work that goes into writing a book, e or otherwise. Secondly, the book you write needs to be better than what’s already available if you expect it to continue selling. Third, you will need to continue to market the eBook if you want continued sales and you’ll also need to update the book occasionally (unless you’re writing fiction).

So, while creating and selling an eBook is a popular choice for additional revenue streams, it isn’t passive. And the chances of becoming the next Amanda Hocking or Joe Konrath are infinitesimally small.

Developing Web Themes – Just as creating and selling eBooks used to be easy, creating and selling web themes also used to be easy. Not so anymore. Competition is fierce and your themes need to be outstanding to become consistent sellers.

If you are considering this as a way to make a recurring income, you already know how much work goes into theme creation. This isn’t getting any easier and in fact it is getting more complex. Additionally, the web evolves rapidly, so you not only need to create themes, you also need to keep learning the new standards and enhancements in web design as they occur.

There’s also that annoying marketing thing again. It isn’t enough to simply make a theme and hope people will come to buy it. You also need to be the salesman and marketer for your themes. Sure, theme directories will help, but if you are just getting started you’ll need to market the hell out of your stuff to gain traction.

Finally, you need to continually update your themes to support new standards and to fix bugs. You will also need to provide ongoing technical support to your customers, which becomes increasingly time consuming the more themes you sell. Just look at the comments on some popular themes at Themeforest to get some idea of what I mean.

Bottom Line

The fact of the matter is that there are no truly passive ways to make money online. Even the so called easy methods for online income require knowledge, perseverance and a lot of work. If you are willing to put in the time and effort though, you can build a nice stable revenue stream that allows you the freedom and independence that all entrepreneurs crave.

What about you? Do you have any other ideas for web based projects that can provide a steady stream of revenue? Are they labor intensive or are you able to make a full time income working just a few hours a day? I would love to hear about your successes in the comments below.

The post Web Based Passive Income Versus a Web Based Revenue Stream appeared first on Money Infant.

Why is the employee mindset so dangerous for those who are trying to build a business? Because it can trap you into doing things that are not in your best interests. If you are treating your clients as your bosses, you are more likely to take on tasks that you despise or even worse are unprofitable simply because you feel like that is what you are supposed to do. You also risk utilizing your precious time and resources to build a business for someone else rather than focusing on building your own business. Both are surefire ways to mediocrity and even failure.

Rather than working as an employee for your clients, you should take on a business owner mindset. You should be negotiating rates and terms. You should be actively seeking new clients (new business). You should place the advancement of your business at the forefront of your business strategy rather than working to advance someone else’s business.

Perhaps most importantly, you need to become comfortable with the idea that you control your own destiny. No one is going to direct you in how to best manage and grow your business. No one is going to hand out yearly raises (and honestly you should be able to do better than that for yourself). And no one is going to criticize you when you do something wrong (other than yourself hopefully).

Follow these 6 strategies to drop your employee mindset and start to think like a business owner.

1. Employees Have Bosses, You Work for Your Business. – Unless you head into your own business right after finishing school (either high school or college),this can be the most difficult mindset to overcome. Many freelancers actually start their freelance business while they are still employed and as a result they take the directions and instructions or their clients the same way they would take instructions from their boss. This is dangerous on two levels. First of all, YOU are the expert in your field. Chances are very good that the majority of your clients do not understand what you do or simply cannot do what you do. That’s why they hire you. This means that, unlike a boss in a traditional job, they cannot offer you useful advice and guidance. Secondly, by treating your client as a boss, you are giving all your power away. This might not bite you now, but in future months it will in the form of lower pay rates, scope creep, unclear tasks, and a myriad of other client issues that can be easily avoided when you treat your business as a business, not a job where you are the sole employee.
2. Employees Have One Boss, You Have Many Clients. – When starting out as a freelancer it can be difficult to wrap your head around this, mostly because you are too busy trying to please several clients (or bosses). You never say no, never negotiate, rarely consider your own needs, and pretty much do whatever they ask, the same as you would as an employee. When you are running a business, this has to change. You need to learn how to prioritize your own schedule over the clients schedule, you need to learn how to say no to some projects and you need to learn how to work as an equal with your clients, not as their employee. Once you can do this, life, and the growth of your business, becomes much easier. Once your clients understand that they need to work WITH YOU, you are able to schedule your tasks more appropriately and even make room for personal projects. Remember that unlike a boss at a company who will be responsible somewhat for your growth, when you are in business you are the only one responsible for your businesses growth. Your clients don’t know about your business intimately and rarely will they care if you are able to grow personally and professionally. That is all up to you.
3. Employees Get Raises, Business Owners Set Rates. – When you are running your own business there are no annual performance evaluations and raises. YOU determine the worth of your services and YOU are responsible for charging accordingly. Too many freelancers undersell themselves because they are stuck in an employee mindset. They don’t know the true worth of their skills and are afraid to upset their new “bosses” by asking for a raise. You need to get away from this mindset. Determine how much your services are worth and then stick to that. If it means renegotiating with existing clients then so be it. You will soon find out the going rate for your work and you might be surprised to find that it is higher than you thought. And if a client isn’t willing to pay what you’re worth, don’t be afraid to walk away.
4. Employees Need Training, You Are An Expert. – When you go to work as an employee you are provided training to show you exactly how a company wants the job you are performing done. This is not the case when you are in business for yourself. You should never ask a client for direction on how to accomplish a task. Clarification regarding instructions is one thing, but asking for direction is akin to telling the client that you don’t know what you’re doing. This is bad for business and bad for your reputation. Your client is paying you to do a job because they either don’t have the skills or the time to do it themselves. They hired you as an expert so don’t ever give them reason to question your abilities. Approach every contract with a can do attitude and the confidence that you are the best person for the job.
5. Employees Get Paid for Their Time, You Get Paid for Your Services. – When working for a company as an employee you typically get paid by the hour. Guess what? When you know you are paid by the hour you rarely work as hard as you can. I remember a job I had at a steel manufacturer where one of the most common phrases on the floor was “It all pays the same”, meaning you got paid for 8 hours regardless of how much got done. As a business person you need to be better than that and you need to distance yourself from the pay by the hour mentality. You should always quote your rates by the project, not by the hour. This ensures that you are putting your best work forward each and every time. It also shows clients that you view your expertise as valuable, rather than viewing your time as valuable. In almost every case, you will get paid more for expertise than you will for time.
6. Employees Follow a Path, You Create Your Own Road. – In almost every case, the reason for striking out on your own is to be able to create your own road to success. Otherwise, you might as well put your energy into becoming the perfect employee and climbing the corporate ladder as quickly as possible. With that being the case, don’t get stuck with the idea that you have to run your business the same as everyone (or anyone) else. It’s your business and you are free to do with it as you see fit. This means you can test new ideas, branch out into new areas, and create your own version of success. The only one you need to measure up to is yourself.

Are you still working with an employee mindset or have you broken the bonds of the corporate workplace? I would love to hear your story of how you are making the most from your business in a new and exciting way below.

The post 6 Strategies to Help Drop the Employee Mindset appeared first on Money Infant.

The best part about all these clients is that they are all excellent freelance clients. I never have a problem getting paid on time, they rarely ask for rewrites or revisions, they are very clear in their expectations, and probably most importantly they all allow me to work for them on a pretty set schedule. This allows me to schedule my time appropriately and budget according to my expected income. I have very few significant ups and downs in my income thanks to these great clients.

How did I get these great clients? I followed some simple rules when I initially went looking for work. Incidentally, most of these clients have been with me since the first month I went full time as a freelance writer. Also, I haven’t actively had to seek out work since that first month either. Was I lucky? Perhaps. I like to think that I was discriminating in the beginning though and it was this careful choosing of clients that has led me to have such a wonderful group of freelance clients.

What did I do to put together this great group of clients? Read on…

Be Discriminating – If you’ve read my book, you’ll know that I picked up most of my clients from freelance writing marketplaces. While these job boards are well known for the low pay rates offered, there are some gems to be found. When searching the job listings I immediately discarded any employers not located in the U.S., U.K. or Australia. Why? Because these three places are where you will find the highest paying clients. Clients in India, Eastern Europe and other low income places are not going to be willing to pay your rates.

I also avoided any job postings where the client didn’t already have a history of paying. Sure I might have missed out on some winners, but I also passed up on all the scammers who troll job boards simply looking to grab as many samples as possible and then disappearing forever.

Finally, I only applied to postings that were professionally written with clear expectations.

Needless to say, this shortened the list of potential clients significantly, but since I was in this for the long haul I wasn’t worried. During this time I spent the majority of my time writing for content mills to keep a steady flow of cash. Twice a day I would spend 15-20 minutes browsing through the new job postings. Some days I applied to 2-3 postings and some days I applied to zero. Even at this slow rate it only took 1 month to fully book my 25 hours a week.

Work from a Position of Strength – Before I ever started applying for jobs I made certain to update my resume and to also create a freelance writing website. I wrote brand new articles on a variety of subjects to populate the new site. Of course I also had Money Infant already, which was a help since I was targeting the finance niche. All this was designed so that I could present myself as a professional, not just an occasional dabbler.

When applying to jobs I was clear in what I could and could not do. I asked questions about the potential job. I clearly stated my rates, even if the posting was ambiguous regarding payment. I was also rock solid in sticking to those rates. Because of that I lost some jobs, but I didn’t want to work for peanuts so that was all expected. I also have two clients who initially rejected my rates and came back at a later date. It seems they weren’t able to find quality writers who were reliable.

Overall, I emphasized my professional outlook, my reliability, and my ability to help the client. Sure I expected a lot, but I made it clear that my objective was to work with the client to improve their business.

Create a Good Reputation
This follows along the lines of professionalism and a mindset that lets the client know you are doing all you can to help their business. I have one client who has followed me from one position to another – twice. Of course I still maintain contact with his prior companies and occasionally receive work from them. I have another client I am currently in negotiations with who heard of me through one of my previous clients as well.

The bottom line is that I always strive to under promise and over deliver. This has created a sense of value in my clients which I feel is critically important. They know they can rely on me to do what is required at a minimum, but they also know that I often go above and beyond to provide them with what they need to improve their business. I think my clients are quite loyal to me because of this and the proof is in the fact that I have been able to increase rates at two of my initial clients twice since I began writing for them just 6 months ago.

Never Settle for Less Than You’re Worth
Of course this is quite subjective, but before you begin your freelance writing career you should have a goal in mind for how much you want to make. This sets the stage for your rates. If you are looking to make a full time income freelance writing you need to make a minimum of $40 an hour. To be honest I started out aiming for less than that, but as soon as my schedule was full I immediately began raising my rates to hit that goal.

Keep in mind too that some of your time will be taken up with tasks other than writing. Frequent meetings, rewrites, accounting, and other tasks can eat up your valuable writing time so you should strive to keep them at a minimum. Because all of my clients are long term, it is rarely necessary for me to do anything other than write for them and send invoices.

Signs of a Great Client
If you have been freelancing for some time you likely already know what makes a great client. If you are just getting started I can tell you that the following things are all signs that you have a client that is a keeper:

• There are very few (if any) meetings after the initial interview and job scope are laid out.
• Email communications are short, sweet, and to the point.
• Payments are made in a timely fashion. You should clearly define payments terms PRIOR to starting any job.
• The client is a professional and doesn’t waste your time with nitpicking or unclear tasks.
• The client requires daily or weekly content from you, preferably in the same format or subject area.

As you can see, client/freelancer relationships do not need to be fractious and difficult. And much of the responsibility for building a good client base is in your hands. Be clear in your expectations, don’t take jobs that appear to be ambiguous or low paying, work with your client’s needs in mind, and most importantly always satisfy your client. If this becomes too difficult on a regular basis because of unreasonable expectations (not because you have become unreliable or unprofessional) I recommend you dump the client and replace them with another client who better fits your needs. Remember, there are literally tens of thousands of individuals and businesses looking for content writers at any given time. Learn how to take care of your client AND yourself and you will have the pick of the litter.

The post Finding Excellent Freelance Writing Clients Pays Big Dividends appeared first on Money Infant.

Anyone reading this post has probably wondered at some point if freelancing is the right move for them.

It’s a difficult question that only you can answer, but I will give you some direction as to what it really takes, character and personality wise, to become a successful freelancer. If the idea of working for yourself appeals to you, keep reading to find out the critical traits and characteristics that most (if not all) freelancers share.

Freelancer Education

As you probably know, there is no set educational or vocational path to freelancing. There are many directions you can take, mostly based on what type of freelancing interests you. Some of the college majors that lend themselves towards freelancing include:

• Journalism
• English
• Business
• Graphic Design
• Information Technology
• Communications
• Programming

While a degree is certainly not a requirement for freelancing, it can help especially in the beginning of your career. Having a degree sets you apart from the others in the same niche as yourself. It shows that you are both serious and dedicated to your vocation.

The bottom line is that freelancing does not require a degree, but it can be helpful as you get started.

Freelancer Experience

No matter what area of freelancing you choose, having some prior work experience will be beneficial. In most cases, freelancers don’t become freelancers until after they’ve put in several years at a traditional job in their field.

Having this work experience gives you more credibility as someone who really knows the ropes and can get a job done. Those with work experience often have a better skill set and are seen as more dependable and reliable. Furthermore, if you have prior work experience, you can also use your completed projects as your beginning portfolio; especially helpful in graphics, writing, and programming work.

If you have prior work experience, it can be very beneficial for you to get testimonials from your past employers and colleagues, so don’t be afraid to ask for these.

Of course, prior work experience is not a requirement for freelancing. Some people start their freelance career right out of college or high school. Some begin freelancing while attending school as a means to make spending money and find that they like it so much they simply continue and expand their freelance business after graduation. Just realize that without job experience in your field, it may take somewhat longer for your freelance career to really take off.

Freelance Sales Skills

In their dreams of working independently of a boss or controlling company, many potential freelancers don’t take into account one critical skill that freelancers need…sales skills.

No matter what type of freelancer you are, you will always be selling your skills and abilities to potential clients. Because sales skills are not something most people are born with, this causes many freelancers to quit before they get a chance to really taste success.

While freelancers are often seen as “loners” because of their decision to work from home, often alone, you still need to be comfortable and confident in your dealings with others.

Your lack of sales skills may make it difficult to become a successful freelancer, but there is hope. According to Inc. Magazine there are only 8 sales skills you need to perfect and they are really quite basic and easy.

Freelancer Technical Skills

Even if you’re not in a technical field you will need some technical basics. A web presence is a necessity for freelancers in the 21st century. If you aren’t online, the chances of prospective clients finding out about you is very limited.

The majority of freelancers will need a minimum of two important online spaces: a website or blog and participation in social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). Those in graphics heavy professions and writing will also need an online portfolio.

In addition, you need to become proficient at monitoring your online reputation. While it is crucial to ensure that clients can find out about you online, it is even more crucial that what they find is positive.

Finally, you need to periodically update your blogs and portfolios to show that you are active online. No client wants to hire someone with a portfolio that hasn’t been updated since 2009.

Freelancer Persistence

This is perhaps the most important trait of all. While it would be nice to think that you can begin freelancing and become immediately successful, often it can take months of work before you begin to see success. If you are a writer looking to fast track your freelance business I highly recommend my recently written book: Freelance Writing Freedom in 90 Days. It will show you exactly what I did to go from $0 to $2500 per month in just 90 days. It also covers many of the frequent questions and concerns of freelance writers.

Even if you get off to a great start and have regular work now, every freelancer is subject to occasional work slowdowns. It is good to have both a plan to overcome these slowdowns and the persistence to keep from giving up when things look dismal.

What do YOU Think?
I know I haven’t covered ALL the essential traits for a freelancer, but I think those above are some of the most important. I would love to hear from YOU below regarding any other crucial freelancer characteristics, traits, and skills.

The post Is Freelancing Right for You? appeared first on Money Infant.

The following 10 ideas are all proven side hustle jobs that can give you those extra hundreds per month that take you from struggling to cruising more comfortably through your life.

1. Take Out Car Ads – I don’t mean you should list your car for sale in the classifieds. What I am referring to id actually putting ads ON YOUR CAR. I’m sure you’ve seen cars on the road with ads on them for insurance companies or the latest snack foods. You might have thought that this was some sort of company car, but there are advertiser who will pay to put client ads on your car.Depending on the ad company, the ads, your driving habits, and the area you live in, you could make up to $900 per month by turning your car into a mobile billboard. In some cases, the company will even provide you with the car. How cool is that?Just head over to one of the advertisers (here are two – Autowrapped and Free Car Media, but there are others) and sign up through their driver form. When there is an ad promotion in your area you could be contacted to plaster your car with ads and get paid! Don’t get too excited yet though. In some cases it could take years to get contacted and there is no guarantee you will EVER be contacted. If you are, this is an easy way to add hundreds of dollars a month to your income.
2. Become a Direct Sales Superstar – Before all the get rich online hype, there were companies like Amway and Avon who made many people rich as direct salespeople. You probably know about Amway and Avon, but did you know that there are literally hundreds of direct sales companies? Most focus on beauty products and health products, but there are companies that also operate in the travel, technology, and services sectors among others. Of course most people don’t get rich, and Amway admits that the average monthly income of their representatives is just $115.These companies operate by employing people like you and me to sell their products directly to consumers, bypassing normal retail distribution. Sales reps make commissions on all the products they sell, plus commissions on sales that anyone else they recruit as a salesperson makes. There are also volume bonuses, higher commission tiers as you and your reps sell more, and contests to sweeten the pot.Many people have derided the whole direct sales industry calling it a pyramid scheme, but the Federal Trade Commission ruled in 1979 that the Amway business model is legitimate as it does not require sales reps to pay membership fees or purchase large quantities of wholesale goods. While all this may sound like a good deal, and it could be if you are an excellent salesperson or have a large network of friends and acquaintances, the truth is that becoming successful in direct sales is a lot of hard work.
3. Become a Barrista at Starbucks – Sure this is a traditional part time job, but Starbucks offers such an impressive array of employee benefits that it bears consideration as a side hustle job. Most of the benefits require you to work 20 hours per week so if you can’t do that, then this might not be the right opportunity for you. Starbucks offers comprehensive health benefits, paid vacation, access to the company’s 401(k) plan, and discounts on purchases of company stock. With a current dividend yield of 1.61% and a dividend that keeps increasing that could end up brewing some serious passive income for you.Starbucks also offers tuition assistance and you get to take home 1 pound of coffee each week for free so you’ll have plenty of caffeine to keep you going with your primary job and your side hustle.
4. Freelance Writing, Design and Marketing – The one small benefit of the Great Recession has been an increase in job opportunities for freelances of all kinds. Many companies that once hired full time employees to fill positions are now outsourcing those tasks to qualified freelancers. This saves the company millions in benefits and salaries and puts money in the pockets of freelancers hungry for work.A study by the Human Capital Institute earlier this year shows one third of the American workforce is now comprised of such freelance or contract workers.Freelance pay is typically higher than hourly pay at the same firm, so you can take advantage of this and rake in some extra cash. Just be sure that your freelance work is not creating a conflict of interest with your current employer or you could find your side hustle has become your full time job.If freelancing sounds like something that would be a good fit with your current skills and talents, or you want to transition into the freedom offered by freelancing you can check out this post from Eric Rosenberg over at Personal Profitability.  It’s a great guide for beginners looking to get started in world of freelancing and builds on Eric’s own experiences in freelancing.

1. Sell Your Unworn Jewelry – As most everyone knows by now, gold prices have been on a tear for at least the past 4 years and they show no signs of slowing any time soon. If you haven’t already rounded up all the gold jewelry in your house, now might be a good time to do so. Just understand that since jewelry quality gold is not 100% pure you won’t be getting the current $1673.60 per ounce that gold is fetching.When selling your old jewelry be aware that you will typically get more from a jeweler versus a scrap gold dealer (you know that kind that advertises on TV and in the newspapers). If your gold is considered scrap or broken though a scrap dealer could be just fine. Current rates for scrap gold range from $31 a gram for 14 carat gold to $54 a gram for 24 carat gold (the most pure). Also, avoid the mail in gold places as there have been too many complaints and besides you should easily be able to find a buyer locally.
2. Work at Trade Conventions – If you live in or near a major city you might find a niche working at trade conventions. Many companies hire local people to staff booths at the trade conventions as well as other jobs such as handing out samples or simply attracting attention to the booth. Pay for these jobs is hourly and the best way to find these types of jobs is through staffing services. Bear in mind that event sponsors often use appearance as a determining factor in their hiring decisions, so if this is troubling to you, then you may want to look elsewhere for your side hustle cash.
3. Mystery Shopper – Mystery shoppers are paid by research companies to report on their experience in retail establishments. The company will tell you which store or restaurant to go to, what to buy, what to look for and possibly even some questions you will need to ask. You report back on your experienced based on what the research company is looking for and you get paid. The company will also reimburse you for anything you may have been required to buy. Pay typically ranges from $15-25 per assignment and you can also get free meals, movie tickets, gas or whatever else you might be required to purchase as part of the assignment. You can find a list of reputable mystery shopping website at the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.
4. Rent That Spare Room – If you are a homeowner with extra room in your house you might be able to rent the room to add some extra money to your monthly coffers. Depending on the area in which you live it is possible to rent a room for as much as $1000 per month. Check the classifieds in your area to see what others are charging.Keep in mind though that renting a room in your house isn’t as simple as just kicking back and collecting rent money each month. You will need to operate your rental just as any landlord would, and that means performing credit and background checks on potential tenants, following anti-discrimination laws, maintaining your home in compliance with any federal, state, or local housing regulations, and drawing up a proper lease. Also consider what might happen if you need to evict a tenant in the future. Plus, there is always the issue of having a stranger living in your home.
5. Donate Eggs and Sperm – I’ve talked in detail about both sperm donation and egg donation in the past. Both can pay quite well, but there is always the issue of having your DNA out there in some person who you’ve never met. Learn more about each:Egg Donation: Is Donating Eggs for Cash OK?Sperm Donation: Getting Paid for the Gift of Life
6. Take Some Bed Rest – How can you make money simply lying around in bed? Become part of the NASA Space Flight Simulation Study, that’s how! They are paying test subjects $5000 to lie in bed for 70 days. These tests are meant to simulate the experiences of astronauts in space and during the 70 days you’ll be in a bed 24 hours a day with your legs slightly elevated in a head down position. You can watch TV, read, use a computer, anything at all that doesn’t require you to get out of bed. In total, you need to spend 97 or 105 days living at the NASA Flight Analogs Research Unit (FARU) at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX.

There you have 10 ways to make some extra cash on the side, in some cases a serious amount of cash. These are only 10 out of potentially hundreds of cash earning side jobs and businesses you can do, so what are you waiting for? Cutting your spending can be fun, but making more money is even more fun!

The post 10 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money appeared first on Money Infant.

I have just released Freelance Writing Freedom in 90 Days on Amazon.

This new eBook delves into the world of freelance writing for profit (and fun) and is aimed mostly at beginning freelance writers, though there are some areas that could benefit experienced writers who are struggling with financial success. I have spent countless hours researching and writing the book to make it the premier resource for freelance writers and I think you will agree that it will be a huge help to those who are looking to expand their income by writing for others, and even take them to the level where they can go full time with this business.

As you might know from my prior writing on Money Infant I have been very interested in the money making side of personal finance. Side hustles, ways to expand your income, and location independence are just a few of the common themes found here.

This book will give you ONE way to expand your income, which along with proper budgeting and close attention to your outgoing expenses can lead to a debt free life, more freedom, and (in my opinion), increased happiness.

Trust me when I tell you that you do NOT need to be a Pulitzer winning author to make a decent living through writing. Freelance Writing Freedom will show you exactly where to go to get paying jobs, how to expand your earnings, and why freelance writing is an expanding opportunity in our new digital world. If you have ever considered writing as a means to making a living, but thought it wasn’t possible, this is the book that will show you how to make your dreams a reality. I went from $0 to over $2500 in just 90 days, and this book shows you the exact resources and methods I used to do so.

Priced at just $3.99 (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers) and available as a Kindle download from Amazon, I feel that the low price point and ease of accessibility makes this a must have book for any aspiring writer. After reading the book (or even parts of it) you will be able to recoup your small investment within an hour. Better still, it will give you the tools and information you need to expand your income from writing 100 fold.

I know I am biased as the author of the book, so don’t take my word for it. Head over to Amazon where you can have a Look Inside to see exactly how this book will help you become a profitable freelance writer in the shortest time possible.

I hope some of you check the book out and definitely leave your review of the book if you do. In addition to purchasing the book, you can also check it out free of charge if you are a member of the Amazon Prime program. I’m looking forward to hearing all your thoughts!

The post The Release of Freelance Writing Freedom in 90 Days appeared first on Money Infant.

Freelance writing may seem antithetical with stability, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are actually some positives to the financial ups and downs of the freelancer’s life. Following a few basic personal finance rules can keep you from hitting the panic button when your clients dry up and blow away like so many tumbleweeds.

Never Spend More Than You Earn – This is the cardinal rule of personal finance and it is even more important for the freelancer. You, more than any other group, need to ensure you spend within your means and save for a rainy day.

Build An Emergency Fund – Most personal finance guru’s recommend that you build an emergency fund equal to at least 3-6 months income. This emergency fund is meant to see you through if you lose your job, or are unable to work for other reasons. It should come as no surprise that freelance writers need this emergency fund too. Actually, I would recommend that you shoot for 12 months expenses in your emergency fund. Slow months, unexpected repairs, illness, and disappearing clients are all possibilities that can see you needing to tap your emergency fund.

Create a Realistic Budget and Stick to It Religiously – Not only do you need a budget as a freelancer, you need one that is very conservative. When projecting your income, don’t use your highest months earnings; instead use an average of the past 6 months. When just starting out, it can help to trim your expenses down to the bare minimum. Remember that there is no guarantee that you will be able to make as much this month as you made last month.

Get Health Insurance – It might be tempting to cut your expenses by passing on health insurance, especially if you are young and single, but resist the temptation. All it would take is one serious illness to not only wipe out your savings, but to also put you deep in debt. You don’t get a second chance when it comes to your health, so protect it.

Learn to Live Frugally – So, this one isn’t necessary if you become one of the 6 figure freelance writers, but for the rest of us it is “the thing to do.” Actually, it does apply to the 6 figure freelance writers too. There’s nothing wrong with saving money on your everyday expenses no matter how high your income. I’m not saying you have to make your own soap, but using coupons, sales, and other money saving techniques is easy and can even be fun. Best of all it leaves your money where it belongs…in your bank account.

Treat Yourself Occasionally – You will have good months and you will have bad months, that is inevitable. When you do have a good month, or a great month, don’t be afraid to treat yourself to something nice. It will help keep your motivation high during the bad months to come.

As I’m sure you can see, it really isn’t too difficult to position yourself properly finances wise. The above suggestions can apply to anyone, but are especially important for the self employed whose income can vary wildly from month to month. One final word of caution: if you are seriously considering a life as a full time freelance writer, I recommend that you work part time on your freelance writing first to ensure it really suits you. Three to six months should be sufficient, and you can also use that time to build up the all important emergency fund. Finally, here is the upside to a few bad freelancing months: they will ingrain in you the importance of all the above points and should serve to make you very focused on your personal finance health.

The post Don’t Panic: The Upside to Bad Freelance Months appeared first on Money Infant.