Are You Competitive or Cooperative?

Are you a cooperative or competitive businessperson?

If you're a freelance writer, I'm supposed to think of you as my competition. If you're my competitor, I'm supposed to try to one-up you. I'm supposed to try to get more work than you, position myself as a better alternative than you, and generally outbid you for clients. In competitions, there's a loser and a winner, and being a good businessperson means being the winner--right?

Not always.

I've noticed that in the freelance writing industry, competition isn't really the dominant mood. Just look at Peter Bowerman and Bob Bly--two highly successful copywriters who could've just gone on being successful and landing high-profile clients, but decided to share their secrets with the rest of us. Chances are, at least one of their books got you started and provided you valuable advice along the way.

Of course, these guys don't do it from the goodness of their hearts. Both have now diversified their businesses by promoting their own information products to a new market: aspiring freelancers. It's a business plan that benefits them and the writing community as a whole. Competition isn't the only way to play the game.

I've found my business has benefited a great deal from a cooperative approach. If a project isn't a good fit for me or I'm overwhelmed, I refer to a colleague. I know they'll refer business to me when they're in the same spot--so everyone benefits. If I wanted to be competitive, I could try to hold on to each and every client. But I want to make a good impression, even when I'm not the one who gets the job--and referring to a qualified colleague will make a client much happier than taking on a job I don't have time for.

I'm also something of an evangelist for the freelance life. Nothing makes me happier than telling people about what I do and helping them figure out how they can do the same thing. Am I creating competition? Maybe. But I may also be creating a helpful colleague. I feel that helping others succeed can only benefit me in the long run.

So what's your approach--are you competitive or cooperative?

NOTE:I got the idea for this post from someone else who wrote a post on competitive vs. cooperative businesses and industries...and how cooperative freelance writing tends to be. It was a long time ago and now I can't find it anywhere. If it's you, drop the link here and I'll make sure I put you in the top paragraph.

Cultivating Profitable Partnerships

Clients are good for your business. Partnerships are great for it. As a freelance writer, your services perfectly complement a variety of different businesses--people who need your writing to make their own client services better. A good partnership can be like an ongoing client, bringing you stable work month after month. Here are a few partners out there who are just waiting for you to get in touch--so they can take their businesses (and yours) to the next level.

SEO's. SEO's need writers to deliver ongoing content to their clients--because good white hat SEO doesn't happen without a steady stream of relevant writing. Approach SEO firms with your relevant web writing experience--maybe you're used to blogging, got your start writing for other people's article marketing campaigns, or can do some killer keyword research. Send some samples of articles or a link to your blog. They're looking for dependable writers who do quality work and who can incorporate their own optimization best practices and standards.

Graphic designers. Nobody likes to see their beautiful design soiled by a poorly-worded, misspelled headline. Graphic designers design print and online communications including brochures, websites, ads, blogs, white papers...the list goes on. An independent graphic design firm can raise their own profile and offer more to their clients by partnering with a strong writing firm. Having a writer on call sets them apart from other designers who leave clients to fend for themselves when it comes to copy.

Web designers. The pitch is the same for web designers, except they'll be working exclusively on the web. You'll need to know a range of web writing skills to be good partners with web designers--be proficient in web copy that sells and typical marketing writing like developing taglines, as well as web copywriting best practices, web content and SEO writing, and online marketing methods like e-blasts, blogs, and so on.

Ad agencies. Ad agencies big and small work with freelance writers on a regular basis. Get in touch with them either in print or online--they are sometimes more traditional than SEO's and web designers, although a few specialize in online marketing. A good ad agency in your client stable can really boost your business.

So who are you partnering with these days?

What's Your Contingency Plan?

Yesterday I was reading an article in the New York Times about the economy. The article wasn't primarily about freelance writers, but the person who wrote the article (Ben Stein, randomly enough, although I didn't realize it til the end) had this to say about the freelance writing life:

"This is the most insecure existence imaginable. It mandates saving, ingenuity and nonstop work and creativity. Freelancers never have a day off. Never. They know that they can go months without a check. They absolutely have to save. They have to have five different levels of fall-back plans and financial escape hatches."

He was writing about being a freelance scriptwriter in Hollywood. But there are definitely parallels between this and the freelance copywriting life. As a contract worker, I don't worry incessantly about money (I used to, but into my third year as a full-time freelancer, I've finally allowed myself to have faith in the fact that my business is pretty stable).

But that doesn't mean I'm not obsessive about saving. I am. If I don't put money into my savings account every month, I feel like the whole thing could unravel at any minute. And it takes a serious crisis to make me take money out of that account. I also have a separate account for tax savings...I have to put a high percentage of every check I get into that account and never look at it again, or tax season will be a nightmare.

But my contingency plan goes beyond savings. If I start to run out, there's always a freelance writing staffing firm I've been eyeing for a while...they hire mainly writers for on-site projects, so I haven't actively pursued it, but it's there if I feel like I need it. There's an all-out campaign for a full time staff copywriting job at an ad agency--I could do that, if i really needed the stability. I have options.

In this economy, even full-time employees need contingency plans. Full-timers are often completely destroyed by a firing because a). all their eggs are in one basket and b). they haven't thought ahead to when the basket tips over. Stability encourages complacency. As freelancers, we know that relying on one or two clients is an unstable situation and diversifying our client base actually leads to a more stable situation; and you have to have plans on top of plans for when you lose regular clients, because you will.

So what's your contingency plan?

I Owe You An Apology.

Life is getting ahead of me again.

I realize I've let my posting slide, which often signals the death knell for blogs. Rest assured I have no intention of stopping my activities here, although they've thinned out lately. And with good reason.

Since September, I've been pretty much booked solid in terms of writing projects. I've landed one very prolific new regular and seen no slacking off with my old regulars; most of my month is dedicated to keeping them happy. And then there are the new projects: one very large new one spanning multiple months, and a few shorter challenges to keep me on my toes. My writing business is taking off, and I haven't quite gotten into a groove yet that allows comfortable time for blogging. But I will.

If it was just the writing, that would be manageable. But I've seen some major changes in my personal life as well. I'm currently plotting a major move, and just ended a nine-year relationship. Big upheaval.

Regular posting will start again here, but I'm not completely sure when. Hopefully it will this week. That's what I said last week.

In the meantime, if you're interested in guest posting, please get in touch--this will help me fill the gaps. You'll get links within the post and I'll make sure my blogroll also links to your blog, if it doesn't already.

Thanks--and hopefully I'll be back on a regular schedule next week at the latest, after I've moved into my new place.

When the Client is Tone-Deaf

I recently had a client who ran a luxury linens company. Her product evoked luxuriousness, indulgence, and expense. Her target audience had more than enough extra income to spare. She needed a new website--and she loved the writing I did for a previous client. She wanted exactly the same thing on her site. The problem? That previous client was a rock band photographer. His writing was edgy and cool and pushed the envelope. Her business was totally different in nature and appealed to a totally different audience.

I wrote up something I felt was in keeping with her audience and product. She wrote back saying it wasn't edgy enough. Okay, but that's totally the wrong tone for the audience. What do you do in this situation? I'm a bit torn. I want the client to be happy. I want the project finished on time without endless revisions chasing an edgy tone that just doesn't match the subject matter. But I also want it to be appropriate.

So what do you do when the client is tone deaf? My first option is to rewrite everything (and it's a large project) with a crazy edginess that's totally inappropriate to the audience, but that makes her happy. Option two is to explain why I feel that's not a great idea (and that's presumably why she hired me, right? For my marketing expertise? Or maybe it was just for my ability to write edgy funny copy?) I'm hoping there's an option three, a middle ground where I can add a touch of edge here and there while keeping the tone consistent with the product and audience. But I'm not sure if there is a middle ground for this one.

Have you ever come across a situation like this before? What would you do?

A Look Back, a Look Ahead

Last year, I posted my business goals for 2008. Yep, there they are, in all their glory. I had great intentions--I even broke everything down into small, manageable goals. And then life intervened. I really don't like it when that happens.

Here's a look back at what I didn't accomplish--and what I did instead.

Moving to Wordpress.The most important goal from last year was moving this blog off Blogger. As you can see, I'm still on Blogger. And it's not for lack of trying--I tried with Wordpress. I really did. And what I learned was that I am not a designer. Really. I have no eye for these things. And if I want to look professional, I should find people whose strengths lie where mine lack, and pay them. That's what professionals do. I"m going to have to make this a priority in 09.

Streamlining my marketing. Still hasn't happened. I did market more last year, but aggressive marketing still isn't how I get most of my business. I believe, however, that I can get higher paying gigs by actively marketing myself to higher paying clients--rather than just waiting to see what comes along. Lots of work does just come along--enough to do fine without marketing at all--but I need to start taking charge of my career. So I'm keeping this resolution.

Finishing my article marketing. This one I actually did accomplish. Last year my business was still coming largely from Elance; this year none of it was. Many of my new clients this year found me through online searches--my ranking was boosted a lot by this campaign--and from reading (and liking) those articles. A few people contacted me in person to ask if they could use my article marketing pieces in print newsletters, which I allowed--the start of several professional relationships that led to lucrative gigs. Article marketing works.

Passive income streams. It takes a lot of time, and I was focused on other things this year. THis is definitely an ultimate goal of mine, but maybe I'm not ready yet--I'll haul this one out again in a few years once I have these other goals taken care of.

This year, I'm not going to announce any specific resolutions other than growing my business and doing the best I can for my clients. Here's wishing everyone a happy new year full of prosperity.

My Freelance Wish List

CatalystBlogger will be on official holiday hiatus until January 2. This has been my second full year in business, and it has been seriously eventful--I may not have accomplished everything on my resolutions list from last year, but I did a lot this year and I'm happy with my progress. Sometimes life doesn't go the way you plan it, and it's a constant struggle for me to be okay with that.

But anyway, if there's room in Santa's bag for gifts for freelancers, here's my list of requests.

A blessed absence of tech problems. People assume that because I run a more-or-less online business that I'm technically savvy. Um...not so fast. All I know about technical issues is I want the darn things to work. Period. End of story. I don't want to troubleshoot. I don't want to figure out new and better ways to do things. I just want to get the job done without any fuss or bother. And when things break, I can think of absolutely nothing I want to do less than figure out the problem myself. To people who truly understand technology, machines are predictable. To me, they're fickle and mysterious and go deviant for absolutely no reason. Don't make me muck around in there.

A long run of mediocre clients. In the face of a rash of stellar clients and difficult ones, writing buddy Lori brought up a desire for mediocre clients. Freelancing is an up-and-down business, and that's true of the people you work for as well as the pay. Sometimes the clients is off-the-charts in love with you, and you're a superstar. Other times you just can't do anything right. Instead of the ups and downs, I'm happy to work with a long string of even-tempered, easy-going folks who know what they want, say "thanks" at the end and pay you on time. That's the kind of client I'm wishing for more of.

More hours in the day. My workload has increased as my business has grown. I used to have a perfect workday pretty much all the time: I worked four hours a day on client work, four hours a day on work for my business, and I was golden. Now I'm lucky to squeeze in marketing and business-related stuff on weekends and lunch breaks. I wish for a return to that schedule sweet spot--or more hours in the day, whichever is more possible.

A successful year for writers.This hasn't been a banner year for most businesses. I've been booming--partially because even in a recession, businesses need to market; much of the time they need to market more. My final wish is that success will continue to come despite economic conditions--not just to me, but to all of my colleagues in writing, design, SEO, and other related businesses.

Have a great holiday, and I'll see you next year!