“What do you stand for?” is an important question. I earn a living, in part, by answering it via positioning and strategy. But over the years, I’ve also gotten a ton of mileage from its …
How to Fight and Manage Scope Creep
If you’ve been a soloist for more than about nine minutes, you’ve probably experienced scope creep. That’s when a client, shall we say, stretches the boundaries of your working agreement. It can …
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My Freelance Tech Stack (With Mini-Reviews)
As independents, we need tools. The right tools make our days more effective and our lives easier. The wrong tools – or too many tools – work against us, draining our energy and giving us …
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Every Gig Is a Gift
Fact: You will, at some point, have a lousy client. It’s one of the taxes we pay in this line of work. No matter how carefully you screen, one or two will slip through. Sometimes it’s …
A Simple Way to Conduct a Competitive Audit
Though I think it’s a mistake to overestimate our traditional competitors – awareness and authority can largely neutralize them – I do recommend conducting a competitive audit about once a year. An …
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Who’s Your Real Competition?
A common problem I see with independent consultants and creatives: Focusing on the wrong kinds of competitors. Specifically, we tend to overestimate some, and underestimate others. As a …