A New Day A New Project!

Assignment: Website and marketing collateral for a not-for-profit dance foundation.

I had mentioned in my last post that work on a website for a non profit dance academy was due to start, and yes it is on! This assignment would allow me to work towards drafting the entire content for the website as well as working on their marketing material too. The dance academy wishes to go the non profit way and wishes to collect money from shows and use the same money towards sponsoring children to enroll themselves in dance schools. An absolutely noble thought!

What is particularly great about this project is that the client has given me a free hand to even structure the skeleton of the website! This made me suggest tabs we could use, the content which should be put and structuring the same. Since the website is for a non profit use therefore it will not be investing all that much on the designing part. The ‘attraction grabber’ therefore has to be the content.

Structure:
To work on the structure of the website I browsed the internet for other websites on similar lines. Taking an idea from them on as to what are the important elements which it should have and how to structure the same. Once done I set down and made a structure which suited the clients need. I decided to keep it simple and yet effective. I liked the concept of having a main tab with sub tabs attached to it. By doing this not only will the content have flow and at the same time I will be able to add all the content that should come without creating mess in one single tab.

Client’s brief: The content has to be based on the fact that we are promoting and creating awareness towards Indian dance forms in the US. The content should be to the point and try and include bullet points wherever possible.

As mentioned, the project was bifurcated in two parts; the website as well as the marketing collateral. The marketing stuff is taken care off as the client has provided with a sample of what he actually wants and will be working on the same line. It would be including an introductory letter, a couple of application; the sponsorship levels available as well as info on the upcoming shows. Here too marketing collateral= Punch lines!! Something which my assignment with www.savingsmela.com has taught me good enough! Since I could manage that I expect this to be a breezer.

Once done with the marketing requirement I will start structuring the content for the approved website skeleton. I have made some rough notes on what I would be putting there. Need to talk to the client on these and see if it works for him too. The website has yet to be registered and will surely upload here the final product.

A new theme, some new energy.. I love my work!!

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The World Of Presentations!

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on making a presentation for www.savingsmela.com and boy what a process did it turn out to be! I was used to making presentations for my personal use but never for a company. And believe me there was a huge difference in it! Now once I am done with it I can look back and visualize myself as to how I managed to nail it and mind you with good and encouraging feedback! :)

The first draft that I sent was good but yes for a in house presentation. This I can say now after I compare it with the final product that I delivered. Even though I did try to make it creative but the punch was missing. Same was the feedback. I was back on a clean board! Went through a couple of sample presentations and saw where I was lacking. I discovered that it was the beginning. I had to make that IMPACTFUL. Something out of the ordinary. For the same I created an idea board wherein i jotted down words which came in my mind when I thought of the brand. Using them I made 3-4 small yet catchy slides as an introduction. And believe me it worked! Things simply fell into place! All I did was to combine these slides with the ones that I had sent previously and voila I had my presentation ready!

And the result was something that made me excited too!! It is all about words. And in presentations the lesser the better. Create impact. Use words as a double edge sword. Something that will make your reader to hook on and go to the next stage. Believe me it is possible! Keep this as your motto when you have to make a presentation. Highlighting key points on the slides too adds to its visual appeal. It is also a great idea to incorporate box diagrams instead of filling all your slides with plain text.

Also, it is very important to keep in mind the fact that the ending of the presentation too is as important as the beginning. You have to make your readers leave excited and with a thought in their mind. It is a good idea to end your presentation with a thought provoking slide or may be with a summary of your presentation in a fun filled way. Anything will work as long as your audience is hooked!

I so wish that I could share the final presentation with you guys here but we have the issue of copyrighting!

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Work Has Been Good...

I know it has been time since I blogged about my work and projects. Things have been pretty hectic here. With my regular work I have been tied up with new assignments and projects. The most significant being getting into a contract with www.savingsmela.com. A deals directory I have been roped in to take care of their marketing needs and delivering content on the same. Am on a contract with these guys for an year now.

By saying a deal's directory what is inferred is that it is a one stop platform to showcase all the store as well as well online deals available. Kinda cool concept for sure!

Am done with a couple of business letters for them and am on working on their marketing presentations right now.This assignment has bought with it a couple of firsts for me. Business writing was not something which I had tried before. I am more of a copy writing guy. So drafting business letters and business proposals liberally doused in marketing punches took me to a new area. I did manage to sail through good with the letters but the business proposal came back wonderfully rejected! :) will have to work hard on it now. Works well for me... I get to explore new facets of writing.

Client's brief: Marketing punch, Creativity. Marketing punch, Creativity! That sums it up!!

Being a start up the first impression surely has to be impactful. Have started work on the presentation and have sent the first few slides for feedback. I have always felt that the difference between a normal presentation and a powerful presentation are the simple one liner messages which can make the readers to think. I like creating impact with words. That is my style. I like to inject a couple of these one liner slides in between the regular content. By this way I am able to control the attention of the reader.

Will await feedback and then proceed forward. Since the content here is copyrighted I will not be able to post it but yes will surely update you on the journey.

Meanwhile there is a website for a non profit dance academy in the US for which i will start working from next week probably. So it is hands full right now!

Cheers!!

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How To Price Your Work

The most common issue with most freelancers is the process of deciding the price for a project. All of us wish to get compensated adequately for our efforts towards a project. The right strategy forward should be an ideal combination of adequate compensation to the freelancer as well a happy client.

My way forward is simple. I base my projected calculations for all projects keeping in mind the amount of work desired by me and the time it would take for me to complete the same. If the project includes comprehensive research then that too is taken into account. I consider it to be a good trick to divide the entire project into smaller projects. Once done with that you can move on and see the time that you would take to complete all of these smaller projects.

Combine the hours of all the small projects together and multiply it with your hourly price rate and voila you have a price ready to be quoted to the client! :) If you foresee that you would be needing to stay in regular touch with the client on the telephone during the due course of the project then you could include the expected charges for the same in the total estimated cost for the project.

It is also a great idea to regard the future prospects that you could be involved in with the client. If you foresee good and regular work from the client you can always go ahead and reduce the price you would have otherwise quoted.

What I have mentioned here is my way of arriving at a solution. All of us have our own ways, what is important is that we, the freelancers, are paid for our hard work at the end of the day.

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Learn To Say NO

Even though how much ever we might wish for not all clients fall in the same category. And when I say that i mean the good category! There are plenty of chances that you might land up with clients who might leave no stones unturned in making their project a real trouble to get over with. The issues could be plenty.

Your endless corrections might not be approved, they might still be looking out for answers towards what they are actually seeking out from you or worst that they decide endless times during the due course of the project to introduce changes.

Whatever be the reason the fact is that you are now tied up with a tough nut to crack. Solution? Get out of it!

• Fortunately, as a freelancer you have the choice of weeding out projects and rejecting them if you start feeling uncomfortable in the initial stages itself. Believe me, that is the wisest thing to do. Understand this that if you end up taking that project you will be most probably hurling yourself towards a project which will not be making you happy for a long time. So it is better to refuse early on.
• However if you have still somehow managed to put yourself in the midst of trouble and now wish to find a way out then the most workable solution is to politely convey your sentiments to the client. Agreed that in our line of work client referrals are very prized but then the refusal can be done in a very polite and courteous way too.
• It would be a great idea if you could provide the client with alternatives like say names of other freelancers who might be interested in doing the project. By doing this you will not leave your client feeling that you deserted him midway.

So how do you just know that the project you are doing is just not good enough to be pursued further? The following points may be of help.

1. You realise that you have way passed the initial deadline that you had set towards completion of the project.
2. The main theme of the project has changed ever since you started working on it.
3. You are spending way too much time on the project than what you had decided to spend on it.
4. The client still seems confused and uncertain regarding the path on which the project is moving.
5. It is becoming very difficult to maintain regular contact with the client as he does not seem to be easily accessible.

If its a Yes for most of these points then it is better that you stamp the golden word NO and move on!

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Freelancing: Is It Really For You?

The idea of freelancing brings in images of working from home, at will schedules, relaxed work conditions and a complete stress free environment. These conditions are sure to make the job look very attractive and alluring. But what is necessary is that you give freelancing a good thought before considering it as your profession. Need a checklist? Well here it is!

1. Be prepared to multitask! Working from home might make you feel that it would be a tension free job but believe you me when you work from home it is anything but that! You would be expected to take care of your household chores along with your job.

2. With most freelancers it is seen that an absence of steady income is the biggest grouse. This become all the more important when you have a family to support. The initial periods can be pretty choppy as a freelancer and you need to be prepared for it.

3. When you freelance you are a brand in itself. You have no secretaries and juniors to help them manage those for you now. When you freelance you are a one man army! You need to take care of all your advertising needs to make your name visible in the freelancing market. This can prove to be a little too much when you already have chores to handle, deadlines to meet and emails to take care of.

4. Making a schedule is not difficult, what is tough is sticking to it! As a freelancer there are times when you might just find this all very overwhelming. In the absence of a 9 to 5 schedule which you had back in office this might be a bit complicated! The inability to manage your time constructively can prove out to be very frustrating for most freelancers.

If you are game for the mentioned pointers then simply hop on! The world of freelancing is eager to greet you!

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Take Your Freelancing Career From Good to Great

Being a freelance writer is a career option that anyone with a flair of writing can get into. You could make it your part time jig or you could opt for it as a full time career. It is in the latter case that you really need to put things into perspective. If freelance writing is your full time job option then you need to treat it as one.

Most of us in the line of business fail to generate this sense of seriousness and therefore find themselves fighting deadlines and working overtime. This should not be what you should be facing ideally. As a freelance you do have the liberty of working at your own will but one needs to be clever enough to make the most of the time.

I too faced similar situations when I started up as a freelance content writer. As I was working from home I had to handle my work responsibilities as well as the responsibilities back home. and believe you me this was not easy. The mantra which worked was ROUTINE.

• You might be working from home but you need to follow a routine, something that you follow in the office. Till the time you do not infuse a generous amount of professionalism to your freelancing it will not succeed. Try and set a time schedule for yourself. Waking up at a fixed time, getting dressed, eating your breakfast and sitting down for work at an appointed time. This will tune your body and allow it to get into a routine.
• Prioritize your time. You could designate a time slot during the day for checking mails and replying back, similarly a time slot for rest.
• Since you are working from home you should also be prepared for unforeseen activities which you might have to cater too. Getting some repairs done, picking up or dropping guests or maybe having to pay a visit to the bank or post office. what is important is not to get irritated by these small changes. A bad mood could lead to a completely unproductive day at work!
• Be regular on your blogs and websites too. You need to update your portfolio regularly as this is what your clients will look at when they visit your website. Any casualness here can result in clients turning back.
• It is a good idea to have some personalized stationary printed for yourself. business cards, letterheads can add the needed touch of professionalism to your freelancing.
• In freelancing it all boils down to networking. Make ample use of forums and blogs to interact with fellow writers. this would help you increase your base.
• There could be no better advertisers and marketing options than your old clients. Once you are done with the project for your client does not mean that you do not remain in touch with them. It is always a good idea to maintain a regular follow up with them.
• If you are in your initial stages of starting as a freelance writer and you are being offered to do some notable work for free then it would be a good idea to take it on. Building up a portfolio is what you should be concentrating on initially and for that you need to regularly keep on adding work. This does not imply that you take up any free project that comes your way. If you feel strongly towards a project and sense that it could help you to showcase your creativity then only opt for it.

These pointers might sound to be very basic and simple but they can do wonders to help you establish your self in your choice of field.

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