I often have newbie or wannabe freelance writers contact me through my website or professional blog, asking for advice on how to get started in the business. Here are a few tips that I give frequently.

Market every day. This is especially important when you are just getting started in the business. Your primary source of work will be clients you find via marketing, so it’s especially important to browse jobs and markets, and even make cold calls, every single day. There are some freelance job sites, such as Freelance Writing Jobs, that make great resources for finding writing work.

Have a website with at least an online resume and clips. Your website is your virtual business card and your reputation, so be sure to design a professional-looking website and keep it updated with recent clips. Maintaining a professional blog on your website might be another way to impression potential clients and attract new business.

Mind the logistics. You need to be sure that you are taken care of, or your business won’t survive. This means determining decent rates, planning for days off, and finding affordable health insurance in Florida. You can get quotes for the latter online by Googling for “health insurance FL” or similar search terms.

It’s not as difficult as you might think to get started as a freelance writer, but it does require a lot of dedication and hard work. You have to be willingg to work pretty hard until you establish yourself well enough to get repeat clients and word-of-mouth referrals.

Technorati Tags: affordable health insurance in Florida, freelance writers, freelance writing jobs, health insurance FL

I’m thinking that while I’m there, I might have some teeth whitening in DC.  I’m going on a business trip that will be slow and boring.  I usually pass the time with manicures, facials and massages, but this might be a new angle in order to come home looking good.  I don’t need the best dentist in the DC area, but does anyone know of a pretty good but reasonably-priced one that doesn’t take months to get into?

I found this one that looks pretty good, so I might just go with them.  But my question is this:  I once had my teeth professionally whitened about 20 years ago.  Afterwards, I used the trays and whiteners they sent home with me for months.  I’ve used whitening toothpaste occasionally, as I am now.  And I just recently started using those strips.  Is there some limit to the amount of whitening that you can have done before you compromise your enamel?  My enamel kinda sucks to begin with.  But I’ve become a coffee drinker in recent years, not to mention the tons of iced tea I consume, and as I approach my fifties I don’t want to look older because of my smile.

Technorati Tags: best dentist in the DC area, strips, Teeth whitening in DC

Can you help someone you care about to get away from their alcohol or drug addiction? A Florida drug rehab center is a good place to start to find this type of help. For those who may be struggling with their ability to overcome drugs or alcohol, there is nothing like the emotional and physical turmoil of doing so. While many would say it is as simple as putting down their choice of addiction, it goes much deeper than this and often, it is quite limiting in terms of success.

The only true way to overcome any type of addiction is through professional drug rehab. There are facilities that can and will help you to accomplish these goals. If your loved one is ready to commit to becoming sober, they can simply visit these facilities to start the treatment process. If they are not ready to admit, they are ready for treatment. You cannot force them to get help, but you can intervene through an intervention of those they love and respect. Take some time to consider your options. Talk to your loved one about their struggle with the drug or even alcohol. Show them that there is help available to them if they are willing to get it.

My sister’s birthday is coming up, and I’m thinking about getting her some outdoor kitchen accessories.  It used to be that barbecue accessories were the realm of the menfolk, but outdoor kitchens have advanced so much, they really are a home and decorator item in and of themselves.

As such, they need to have some taste applied in the choosing of accessories.  I was thinking of visiting the cal flame or fire magic sites to see what the latest is in this stuff.  I think that so far most of the choices are very practical rather than decorator, but just open up your imagination to the possibilities!

I was envisioning some beautiful, bright decorator mats, for instance.  Or how about crockery that you can just leave outside that will resist the weather?  Or a spice rack that does the same-how about one of those hanging pot rack things like you see over islands in gourmet kitchens?  I mean, if they can put working sinks out there, how about outdoor tv’s and such?  Or artwork.  I think a great outdoor wall to wall rug is not out of the question, either.  Talk about Great Indoors stores—they need decorator “great outdoors” stores, too!

Technorati Tags: cal flame, fire magic, Great Indoors

It’s amazing how many rewards programs are out there!  It seems like you get rewarded for using gas, credit cards and bank accounts, for eating at restaurants, for getting your hair cut and your car washed and even your oil changed.  I understand that these basically boil down to loyalty programs that reward you for coming back again and again, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m beginning to lose track of all these awards now!

I have this sneaking feeling that the companies sort of hope you’ll forget once in awhile, just to save money.  But maybe not-maybe they’ve joined a company and paid to have these ready already; I don’t know.  But gosh, it would be so much easier if they would just track your usage on a computer and then have what you’ve earned at the bottom of your receipt or something.  That would be so much better than holding onto little punch cards, like they have at Grease Monkey.  The only ones that do that right now are the credit cards and the banks, right?  At least with those guys, your prize is relatively easy to claim, too.  Not like those websites where there’s some sort of string attached or you have to pay postage or something!

Technorati Tags: Grease Monkey, loyalty programs, rewards program

Having decided to really push into real estate development, my business partner and I have started discussing the concepts of purchasing some type of portable screener. Where we are located, there is a lot of development that should take place over the next few years and if we have equipment like portable gravel screeners and portable soil screeners we are going to have huge advantages in our marketplace.

With this in mind I started to do some research on companies that manufactured and sold these types of machines. Over and over one name kept jumping out at me, EZ Screen. From all the literature I could read about them, not only did the build the highest quality portable screeners, but they stood behind them. This was clearly evident in some of the comments I would read on forum websites. You know a company must be good when non-paid folks are continually singing its praises.

As an added incentive to consider purchasing EZ Screen equipment was the fact that they designed their machines to be about as environmentally friendly as possible. By smart craftsmanship, they ensured their screeners would run more efficiently than 2 sometimes 3 pieces of comparable equipment. Less equipment burning far less fuel definitely equated to savings and reduced carbon emissions.

Technorati Tags: EZ Screen, portable screener

Are you one of the many people who would love to have a home-based business? There are a lot of different types of businesses that you can run from home. Some of the best businesses are those that allow you to use your creative side to make something. Then you can sell these homemade creations online.

There are many items that are easy to make from home. Candles and soaps are a popular choice. Embroidery art and other fabric designs are great choices for people who like to sew. Homemade journals and bound books are a popular choice with people who are crafty with paper. Artists may create original works of art to sell online.

But what if you aren’t that good at actually producing handmade crafts? You can still find things to make in a sense. For example, you could put together gift baskets in your home. There are all types of gift baskets ranging from new born gift baskets for brand new mothers to business gift baskets for corporate clients. You can get creative in putting these baskets together without having to actually be a skilled craftsperson. Then you just need to put some marketing skills to use and make some sales!

Technorati Tags: business gift baskets, new born gift baskets

What is the Cookie Doctor?  I’ve heard of this, but don’t know exactly how everything works.  I haven’t met anyone who’s taken advantage of it.  Have any of you out there?  I certainly have to do something.

 I just had my BMI done, and well I won’t share that information with you.  But I seriously need to do something.  It used to be I’d get chunky but then lose it just fine-I’m active enough even though I don’t formally exercise.  I’m a drama teacher at Rock Canyon High School, so I’m on my feet and climbing up and down things all day long.  It used to be enough, but I’ve lately noticed a definite atrophy of my muscles.  The exhaustion factor of working all week plus having a two-year old kept me from exercising.  Well, I definitely need to start doing that, but first I have to lose this weight!

The fatigue factor also makes me want to keep pumping myself with caffeine, sugar or whatever stimulating drink is within reach.  So just eating “less” won’t do it for me.  I’m hoping to find a good diet that pumps me full of energy, too.  But I know that regular aerobic exercise will definitely help with that.

Technorati Tags: BMI, Cookie Doctor, Rock Canyon High School

I can’t take my dilapidated bedroom furniture anymore.  I graduate college in two days and will start a job in July with Deloitte Consulting.  As soon as I receive my first month salary I am going to take my hefty pay check and begin replacing the worn, scarred, mismatched furniture I have had since elementary school. 

I may have updated my bedding over the years, but the actual furniture has followed me since 1989.  I won’t start my job immediately after graduation because my parents are taking me on a one month trip to Europe.  The stop I look forward to the most is the five days we will spend in Florence, Italy-home of the Medici’s and the David! 

Although I was no art major at the University, I have always loved history and have long been an admirer of great artists and architects.  Florence offers all those elements-the history of the Medici family, the art work of Michelangelo, and the architecture of Giotto (who designed Campanile, the gothic bell tower).  I am completely excited to walk Ponte Vecchio and go inside the Duomo.  I even look forward to gaze at the gaudy ten paneled bronze doors designed by Luca della Rubbia.

Technorati Tags: bedding, bedroom furniture, Medici

It never ceases to amaze me what a virtual world it is these days. Business is moving into cyberspace more every day. I am sure the day is not far away when a large percentage of people, perhaps even a majority, work from home — telecommuters as well as the number of self-employed who already do.

For instance, I am a freelance writer, so I work completely from home — and as a result, I work for clients all over the globe. Some of my more surprising clients are a textbook company in Taiwan for whom I write English as a Second Language lessons, a publisher in Australia for whom I wrote an ebook, and several small businesses in Europe.

One of my clients really brings home what this all means — in the big picture. I write marketing copy for them from home, but they are also a virtual company, offering FTP hosting, SFTP hosting, and similar services for their clients. No doubt many of those clients are also completely virtual businesses.

Like I said, I don’t foresee it being long before much of the business world is like this. I think eventually, our society will realize there are major advantages to encouraging people to work from home, particularly as overpopulated as we are in certain areas: We will gain more real estate for homes that is now used for businesses, reduce the amount of traffic on the roads, etc. Yep, when it becomes common it will be a very good thing!

Technorati Tags: freelance writer, FTP hosting, SFTP hosting