1.
@justlikeair
The Freelance Primer
With the Right Setup, Anyone Can Kick Ass

2.
Hi, I’m Shane & I run a
100% Freelance driven agency.

3.
A FEW OF OUR FRIENDS (some people call them clients)

4.
BEING A FREELANCER REQUIRES
BEING A FREELANCER REQUIRES
A UNIQUE APPROACH
1. The Right Reasons
2. The Proper Setup
3. Working for Yourself
4. Your First Customer(s)
5. Conclusion

5.
There are Focused Sessions On The Following
So, I WILL NOT COVER
1. What to Charge (come see our panel)
2. Basics of Marketing (that is a whole talk & there are 4)
3. Service Specifics
(you be the expert)
4. Subcontracting (don’t worry, you’ll get there)
5. Commoditizing By-Products (buy me a beer)

6.
Freelancer / Independent Contractor
A person who offers their time and
skill over a limited engagement in
exchange for compensation.

7.
1. THE ORIGIN STORY: THE RIGHT REASONS

8.
YOUR BUSINESS IS A VEHICLE
The most awesome car in the world still can’t get you to Hawaii.

9.
How To Define
SUCCESS
Friends ° Family ° Fitness ° Finance ° Faith ° Fun

10.
_________________
_________________
________
_________________
_________________
_________________
Have, Do & Become

11.
Find someone living the right life
& GRAB ON (As long as its Legal, Moral & Ethical)

12.
Great
There are a TON of freelancers who can help.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 15.3 million workers
in the U.S. (10.9% of the U.S. workforce) are independent contractors.
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/09/art2exc.htm

13.
REVIEW: THE WHY
• Business is a vehicle
• Defining success
• Make your list
• Find a mentor
• You are not alone

14.
2. TRANSFORMATION: THE SETUP

15.
All right, Step 1:
Flight or Invisibility?
While your business entity type is important, don’t over stress it. I
went from Sole Proprietor, to General Partnership, to S-Corp in
the last 10 years.

16.
Pick Your Business Entity
based upon

17.
TEAM SIZE
Different entities limit the number of owners.

18.
Gentleman,
we
can
rebuild
him.
We
have
COST the
technology.
The
capability
to
build
the
world’s
first
bionic
man.
Better
Stronger,
Faster.
A Sole Prop is cheap. Corps can be expensive.

19.
REVENUE / TAX
There are financial advantages to certain vehicles
as your revenue grows.

20.
RISK
What do you have to loose? As personal wealth &
business risk increases, consider incorporating.

21.
Time for Step 2:
Crusader’s Permit
The paperwork you need depends on where your business is located.
Personally, I got the following:

22.
BUSINESS LICENSE
Required in many cities & counties.

23.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME
Totally Optional: It’s your “secret” identity.

24.
EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
Required (although use your SS# for sole props): Your federal ID

25.
LOCAL PERMITS
In 2002 my city required a home business permit. #boo

26.
Ready for Step 3?
Get a Sidekick
Even Aloof and Independent Batman had Alfred.

27.
Delegate
not abdicate
No one knows as much about your business as you.

28.
SBDC & SCORE
real heroes hard at work

29.
hiring an accountant earned me an instant
$10,000 The right partners are worth finding.
Question to ask an accountant: bit.ly/accountantquestions

30.
THE ANSWER IS IN THE QUESTIONS
Too many lawyers tried to “Sell” me an LLC instead of listening.

31.
and finally, Step 4:
Paying the Price

32.
please, please, please
Separate Your Accounts
Fastest way to get SPANKED by the IRS: Mixing your
personal and business dollars in the same accounts. Get a
business checking & credit card.

33.
YOU MUST PAY TAXES
Or everything you saved might float away

34.
TRACK YOUR PENNIES
Its as important as brushing your teeth

35.
Deductions
The sooner you can figure out what you can and can’t deduct, the richer
you will become. The ability to deduct LEGITIMATE business expenses is
one of the most powerful tools in your utility belt.

36.
REVIEW: THE SETUP
• Pick a business entity: size, taxes, risk & cost
• Paperwork: fictitious name, business license, EIN…
• Delegate NOT abdicate
• Your tax dollars at work: SBDC & SCORE
• Get an accountant & (maybe) lawyer
• Separate your business and personal accounts
• Track your expenses and income
• Save for taxes
• Track your deductions

37.
3. WORKING FOR YOURSELF

38.
“
I can predict the long-term outcome of
your success if you show me your daily
habits.
John Maxwell

39.
ACCOUNTABILITY
trumps talent
The art of setting (& re-setting) expectations is the secret
to a happy life. The cult of the genius is BS.

40.
IT’S NOT OUT OF SIGHT
if it’s in your calendar!
No one likes a super hero who is
consistently 30 minutes too late.

41.
FLEX TIME
is contingent on availability within
communication patterns.

42.
OFFICE HOURS
OR
OPEN DOOR

43.
CLOCK
Your time is the most valuable asset your business has to offer.
Track it as carefully as you do your money.

44.
THE DAILY MINIMUM
Set a goal for a daily billable amount

45.
MEASURE PERFOMANCE
Trying is good. Saving the world is better.

46.
WORK COMFORTABLY

47.
WORK COMFORTABLY
One Duck to rule them all.
Adium

48.
You MUST have a project tracking system.
Email
RSS
Web
API
Mobile

49.
BACK YOUR FILES UP
What happens when you can’t get a
hold of a file from a key person?

50.
BAD GOOD
Source
Team
Client
Bad Vs Good
Mom
Mom
Team
Client
You
You
Team

51.
Control the Source
CONTROL THE SOURCE
• Dropbox / Google Drive
• SVN / GIT
• Shared drives
• Google Docs, Open Office
• Documentation (Wikis)

52.
THE HOME OFFICE

53.
CO-WORKING: ALONE TOGTHER

54.
THE URGENT VS
IMPORTANT
What are three key things I can do today to achieve my goals?

55.
PEACE OF MIND
is easily achieved with
6 MONTHS OF SAVINGS

56.
REVIEW: THE PROCESS
• Your daily actions define your outcome
• Accountability is your competitive edge
• Use your calendar
• Flexible work hours requires communication strategies
• Set a daily minimum goal
• Clock ALL your time
• Measure performance
• Work Comfortably
• Back up consistently
• Separate the urgent from the important
• Peace of mind: 6 months of savings

57.
4. YOUR FIRST CUSTOMER

58.
Make a List of
EVERYONE YOU KNOW
Then call them and ask if they need your services or can
refer you to someone who does. You must be able to
describe your offering in a sentence (this is often hard).

59.
Leaving The Perfect
VOICEMAIL
“Hi Julie, this is Shane. I have a question for you!
Can you give me a call at 555-555-5555?
Then you HANG UP.
90% return call success rate. Guess what they ask you when they call?
Exactly, so have the question ready!

60.
Presentation Matters
BE PROFESSIONAL
Don’t work in your PJs or ignore basic grooming;
Don’t email clients from “madmanmufasa94@mail.com”;
Don’t use Clip Art in your invoices;
Don’t refuse to turn on video if they request a “face to face”;
Don’t say stupid sh*t on Facebook / Twitter;

61.
WE vs I Unless you are The Hulk, don’t use
the wrong pronoun! Be transparent.

62.
TRY SUBCONTRACTING [HINT]
Agencies have clients and often need talent. Ping us at hr@tri.be !

63.
Sell When You
NEED IT LEAST
Sales takes time. If you wait until you are hungry to plant
your garden, you will starve.

64.
WHAT’S IN A CONTRACT?
Scope ° Time ° Budget ° Terms

65.
There is no such thing as a
FIXED SCOPE
I have yet to have a project that does not change as we work on it.
This has proven true in construction projects in real estate as well as
software & hardware. The act of creation is the act of exploration.

66.
GET IT IN WRITING
A handshake is a contract. Odds are, though, that you just shook
on two different things. The effort of writing a contract encourages clarity.

67.
It doesn’t matter what it says, if they don’t
UNDERSTAND
Legalese is for lawyers, not people. Write plain English contracts.
The best way to avoid problems down the line is clarity up front.

68.
GET A DOWN-PAYMENT
Nothing is lamer than risking your life to save
the princess, only to find out she won’t pay up.

69.
Contract Templates
Client Contract:
http://bit.ly/sp-customer-contract
Master Services Agreement:
http://bit.ly/sp-master-services-agreement

70.
REVIEW: YOUR FIRST CLIENT
• Make a list of everyone you know
• Talk to them (an email is not enough)
• Act like you actually own a business
• Using WE vs I
• Subcontracting works
• Sell early and often
• What goes into a contract: scope, time, budget &
terms
• Fixed scope are like unicorns
• Get it in plain english with a deposit

71.
You can do this
The life that freelancing can offer is worth the hustle. A lot of us have
succeeded and laid out clean patterns for success.

72.
Pay attention to patterns
Identify and focus on those work habits & business models
which get your closer to your goals.

73.
You are going to have to work
This is your baby. Prepare yourself to engage actively.

74.
You are in business.
Act like it!
Freelancing is business. You are now more than just a technician.
Finances, strategic planning, sales are fundamental to your success.

75.
Set yourself up to win
Find the environment, support and consistency
you will need to succeed fabulously.

76.
If you could achieve one thing, seek to
Be On Scope, Budget & Time

77.
And in the famous words of Bobby McFerrin
Don’t Worry, Be Happy

78.
Are you a FULL TIME freelance web or mobile designer / developer < hr@tri.be >

79.
Shane Pearlman
@justlikeair
shanepearlman.com