How to Write a Professional, Freelance Business Case Study

When a client browses through the services you offer, it can be hard for her to equate that list with the results she needs your help to reach.
The best way to make clear what you’re able to offer — better even than a straight up portfolio full of amazing work for big name clients — is a set of case studies that showcase what you’ve already accomplished.

Researching Before You Write

Before you can write case studies, you need to have information. You might have a general feel for how a past project went, but you’ll need to go and collect details so that you can write the most effective case study possible.

The more numbers that you can directly connect to the work you accomplished — the return on your client’s investment, if you will — the better.

Start by scheduling a follow-up interview with the client who you’re writing the case study about. You want to make sure that your client is comfortable being featured; a case study is significantly less effective if you can’t include the client’s name.
You need to gather information about the client’s perspective on how the project went and its impact on the client’s company. The more numbers that you can directly connect to the work you accomplished — the return on your client’s investment, if you will — the better.
It’s also worth going over your project notes in some depth, looking at what the client initially told you and how you decided to move forward. If you don’t have project notes, it may be worth waiting until your next amazing project to prepare a case study. You need to have some information to actually work from, and relying on memory may not give you the necessary details.

Structuring Your Case Study

There’s no precise template that you absolutely have to follow for every case study you write. It’s a flexible format, particularly when you’re writing for prospective clients and not for an academic audience.
That isn’t to say that there aren’t good case studies and bad case studies (there is a wide range in the quality of case studies published online and if your case study is even marginally decent, you’ll be ahead of the curve). Rather, you should make the format of your case study work for you and the type of project you’re showcasing. If you need to make the experience as visual as possible because that’s the type of work you’re offering, that’s fine. You just need to make sure that you’re getting your value across to prospective clients when you write a case study.
There are certain sections that make sense to incorporate into a case study. Feel free to tweak this arrangement until it works for you, though — you want to tell a story that makes sense, not turn in a school report.

• Goals: In order to do a project for a client in the first place, the client had some goal in mind, something that your work would help her achieve. Your case study needs to start from that point so that prospective clients get an idea of the purpose behind your work (and how well you achieve that purpose).
• Process: A case study is a chance to show what you do that no one else will be able to match. You don’t need to give away the recipe for the secret sauce, but you do need to offer a clear idea of what a client gets when she comes to you. The more detail you can offer and the more real you can make it, the more likely you are to convince a potential client that you’re a good fit.
• Results: Even though every project is different, your clients hire you because they want a certain set of results that they expect you can provide. A case study is an easy way to confirm their expectations, or get them asking questions so that there’s no mis-communication about what you can offer. Go as deep as you can in describing the end results of the project your case study covers.
• Generalization: Readers need to be able to make the connection between what you did for the client described in the case study and what you can do for every client you work with. Draw the connections for your readers: you don’t want to insult their intelligence, but you do want to ensure that they get the message, even if they’re just skimming the document.

Creating a video case study, rather than a written case study, is an option. Before taking that approach, though, you need to be sure that your prospective clients will sit all the way through a video. Most business owners are likely to prefer a written case study to a video, because they can skim through it much quicker.

Preparing Your Case Study for Public Consumption

Even if you make your entire living by writing case studies on a freelance basis, make a point of having an editor read over your document. Typos sneak through, we get awkward when writing about ourselves and other problems can creep into our writing. A second pair of eyes just helps ensure that the document that you want to convince prospective clients to hire you can do its job.

No matter which strategy you choose, your case study should be put together impeccably.

Exactly how to prepare your case study, beyond editing, depends on how you plan to make it available to readers. No matter which strategy you choose, your case study should be put together impeccably. It is a major component of your marketing materials and should be well-designed with your prospective clients in mind. Don’t even consider dumping it into Microsoft Word and printing to PDF.
If your particular niche doesn't guarantee that you have the skill set necessary to handle any particular part of the process of preparing your case study, bring in some help. You may be able to trade some of your experience for the aid of another freelancer, but even if you can’t, it’s worth investing money in your marketing materials. You need to be sure that your prospective clients take you seriously and if that means budgeting some money to spend with a writer or a designer, do it.

Great Case Studies Worth Studying

• David Airey’s logo design for Henri Ehrhart
• Web Liquid’s social media work for OpenSkies
• Communication Overtones’ social media campaign for Seaworld
• Just Creative Design’s work on the graphic designer’s own logo

Making Your Case Studies Available

A case study isn't going to do you much good unless you put it in front of your prospective clients.

• Integrate case studies into your portfolio: One of the most effective places to at least introduce potential clients to your case studies is through your portfolio. It may not be the full case study — a portfolio case study may prove to be shorter than what you might otherwise offer, in the interest of presenting a portfolio that can be quickly reviewed. But you can link to the full case study.
• Create a case studies page on your website: As a prospective client browses through your website, she may click around to get a feel for what you do and how you do it. Having an entire page devoted to case studies linked to in your navigation can make it easy for a visitor to find.
• Develop an ebook or booklet of case studies: Having a standalone document, either as a PDF or in print, that you can provide as you’re talking to someone about a potential project makes it easier to direct her attention to the relevant information. If you take on different types of projects, it can make sense to have individual sets of case studies for each type of project.

The Life-cycle of a Case Study

A case study is a lot of work, but it’s a process that you should get used to. It’s good to make a habit of turning out new case studies as you complete great projects with different clients. Just like with every other part of your portfolio, you need to keep your case studies current. The work that you’re showing clients needs to look fresh and up to date.
There’s no age at which a case study is definitively dated, but it’s probably fair to start looking at a case study with a mind to revising it after a maximum of two years.
It’s not a bad idea to always have a new case study in some stage of development if you can. Working on your case studies as you have time between client projects can be enough to keep the cycle going. And delivering new and interesting case studies on a regular basis to prospective clients can help turn more of them into actual clients. 

9 Tips for Brand New Freelancers

• Raj Dash | 
• Getting Started
 
• | December 18th 2008
 

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PHOTO BY AUDREYJIM529.

As the new year is just around the corner, some of you might resolve to take a step forward into becoming a freelancer. According to what’s been written in the comments at FreelanceSwitch, there are those of you thinking about this.

With the way the economy has been, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the freelancer ranks grow in the next few months. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Build an emergency fund. This not only puts you at ease, it allows creativity to flow. What’s more, you won’t come across desperate to clients. Speaking from past personal experience, which includes both being dirt poor starving and comfortable with some savings, you want to live in the latter situation. (Not meaning to sound facetious.)

While I did manage to write 60 short stories and 900 pages of one computer programming book while I was freshly out of work for the first six months of 2002, as soon as my funds dwindled and I had to borrow money from family, I found it increasingly harder to write anything. (Of course, it didn’t help having to do 10-12 hour shifts of physical labor at crappy wages.)

2. Set a suitable work rate. Actually, set more than one rate, depending on the services you’re offering. You do not necessarily have to set a lower rate than others just because you’re a new freelancer. When deciding on your freelance rates – whether hourly or by the project, you should use a number of factors: your costs, desired profit, your skills and experience, your client, market demand and any others that are relevant to your niche(s).

3. Utilize the Web to the fullest. Most freelancers these days are “web workers,” but not all of them take advantage of the bounty available online. One benefit of running a freelancing business online is that you can bootstrap it with a blog/ website and social media sites for promotion. There’s also an incredible amount of free software for your operations, invoicing, managing finances, brainstorming (mind mapping) and more.

4. Choose the optimal work environment. Not everyone wants to work at home (to avoid lonely freelancer syndrome) or an office (expensive). You might consider using one of the many coworking spaces that are popping in larger towns and cities. They’re less expensive than an office and less lonely than working at home.

5. Network frequently. Personal referrals are the lifeblood of freelance work – at least while you’re starting up and developing your reputation. There are numerous resources for networking, both online and offline. Utilize friends at social media sites such as LinkedIn or Facebook, as well as people you know in person.

6. Track your performance. A successful freelancer tracks not just receipts and finances but performance, attitudes, skills, trends and more. Determine how quickly projects are being completed and your effective rate per hour. Then brainstorm ways to improve your work efficiency and thus your effective hourly rate. Just keep in mind that improving performance does not mean cutting corners.

7. Broaden your freelance offering. When you’ve achieved a daily work flow that you are comfortable with, consider expanding your services. Regardless of the type of freelance work you do, you’re probably capable of offering other content, including diagrams, screen snaps, slideshows, podcasts, screencasts, and more. At the very least, plan in the first year what you would like to offer in the second year of business.

8. Breakdown. If you do start taking on an additional work, big projects might be part of that. My casual conversation with  some freelancers suggests that a few might be secretly hoping NOT to get a large project. This type of work does come with more responsibility, but are far less intimidating when you break them down into parts and tackle them step by step. Outsource to other freelancers the work you’re not capable of doing well and/or in a timely fashion.

9. Outsource. As your freelance business grows, if you get to the point where you cannot accept all the work, consider outsourcing to other freelancers instead of turning the work down. If you’re a good “people person” and can manage other freelancers remotely, outsource could be a great business decision – especially if it allows you to expand your service offering.

One final tip: Remember that tough times come and go. Use that as a motivator to take advantage of the ebb and flow nature that freelancing work is regularly subject to. [Deal with what you can], don’t worry about what you cannot change, and plan for everything else.

Have you been freelancing for a while? Do you have any tips for new freelancers that you’d like to share?

I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING BUT DO NOT 100% AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THERE.

American Media Distribution, americanmediad.com, americanmediadistribution.com,americanmediadist.com

OK, these guys are interesting. Lets hear something about them. This seems to be the new trend of freelancing by locally sourcing writers that do not leave their general area. I found out American Media Distribution has one of the largest freelancer pools out there. I want to know more. Please feel free to post experiences while I investigate.

The Definition of a Freelancer

A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and labor contributed by its regular employees. Others are completely independent. "Independent contractor" would be the term used in a higher register of English.

Fields where freelancing is common include: music, journalism, publishing, screenwriting, filmmaking, acting, photojournalism, cosmetics, fragrances, editing, event planning, event management, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, copywriting, computer programming, web design, graphic design, website development, consulting, tour guiding, video editing, video production and translating and illustrating.

Freelance practice varies greatly. Some require clients to sign written contracts, while others may perform work based on verbal agreements, perhaps enforceable through the very nature of the work. Some freelancers may provide written estimates of work and request deposits from clients.

Payment for freelance work also varies greatly. Freelancers may charge by the day, hour, a piece rate, or on a per-project basis. Instead of a flat rate or fee, some freelancers have adopted avalue-based pricing method based on the perceived value of the results to the client. By custom, payment arrangements may be upfront, percentage upfront, or upon completion. For more complex projects, a contract may set a payment schedule based on milestones or outcomes.

In writing and other artistic fields, "freelance" and its derivative terms are often reserved for workers who create works on their own initiative, then look for someone to publish them. They typically keep the copyright to their works and sell the rights to publishers in time-limited contracts. In contrast, intellectual property created under a work for hire situation according to the publishers' or other customers' specifications are referred to as "independent contractors" and similar terms. They have no copyright to the works, which are written as works made for hire, a category of intellectual property defined in US copyright law — Section 101, Copyright Act of 1976 (17 USC §101). This is the opposite of the situation with a regular employee, the relationship between a freelancer and an employer being that between two business equals, the protections of the intellectual property rights that naturally vest in the creator of the work are considered to have been sold in toto in the work for hire agreement.

Provided by wikipedia partners

Freelancer Taxes

t's official: taxes are the least fun part of freelancing. The rules are too complex, the schedule's a pain, and freelancers usually pay more than traditional employees do. Let's change that!

Freelancers have to pay the payroll tax on a different schedule than their quarterly income taxes, making it an even bigger hassle.

New York State just exempted all small businesses with an annual payroll under $1.25 million from the tax. But they left out the self-employed, who will still have to pay the tax if they make more than $50,000.

Making it Fair for Freelancers

In January 2012, Freelancers Union Executive Director Sara Horowitz wrote a letter to Governor Cuomo, urging him to make the law fair for independent workers. We're also working with Senators Lanza and Squadron and Assemblywoman Millman to pass legislation (S6330C/A9314C) so fewer freelancers will have to pay this tax.

Putting the Free in Freelance

Putting the Free in Freelance

By Charlie | Jan. 3, 2012, 2:34 p.m. | The rewards of working solo

As freelancers, we have the chance to give something back.

The "free" in freelancing can mean a number of things. You can work for free because a client doesn't pay. It also means you're often free to make your own schedule to add something else to your life. While I've experienced the former, it's the latter that has been transformative for me.

I play guitar and sing. Since I have the time, I volunteer as a music therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Basically I do my one-man rock festival for cancer patients. Last week there were four people, probably in their late 20's, sitting in the front row. One was a patient hooked up to an IV. I figured the others were his friends. A few bars into Bob Seger's “Old Time Rock and Roll,” one woman pulled the patient out of his chair and they started dancing. The other couple jumped up and joined in. They were boogying their butts off. When the song was over, they sat down and one of the friends came up to me to thank me for that song. She said, tilting her head toward the patient and woman next to him, "They're getting married in a few weeks. We can't be there so this is our way of dancing at their wedding." How could I not tear up at that?

My point is that if I wasn’t freelancing, I wouldn't be able to make the time to do this. As freelancers, we have the chance to give something back that no paycheck, no matter how big, could. Rock on.

Great Freelancing Site - Freelancers Union

https://be.freelancersunion.org

Nice tips for just starting in the freelance world - Keep Going!!!

Let’s face it, our economy is rapidly changing and you can either duck your head in the sand or you can own up to the fact that the one career job track is going the way of the dinosaurs.  I personally think this is a good thing for those of us who are creative enough to realize this change also brings in an opportunity for something we should value: personal freedom.  But with personal freedom, the consultant or the freelancer is required to learn and develop a whole new bag of tricks.  No longer can we be employees bobbing along with the corporate tide.
But the HOW is a real question.  For the newbies to the marketplace, humble creatives, and those who are realigning their careers; HOW do you get hired as a freelancer?  Below are some of the creative leadership lessons I have been working on with my amazing clients and hearing of from other entrepreneurs I collaborate with:

1.  Paint it: WTF does this mean?  It means get your butt on that computer and actually put yourself out there.  How exactly is someone going to find you if you don’t take the time to actually market yourself as someone with an identifiable presence online.  This requires putting out the little demons in your brain telling you that it doesn’t matter because no one will look.  You’re wrong, it’s your responsibility to make sure people look.  If you have some questions about this feel free to ask me how I went from not knowing what a hash tag was to having over two thousand twitter followers in less than six months.  There is nothing unique to what I did other than painting it, putting it out there, and starting a conversation.   Harder said than done, I know, but you have to do it if you’re going the route of the consultant/freelancer.   Here’s the added bonus – a lot of other people are NOT doing this, so it’s to your advantage to set yourself apart from the madding crowd-sourcing.

2. Paint it in real time: Host an event, however big or small, however appropriate, to showcase YOU.  It could be a small networking dinner with your business network, it could be a small charity related function to have the opportunity to meet with new people, but tie the event back to you, to what you are doing, and make that connection in person.  This is so incredibly valuable, easy enough, and fun that I urge you to figure out what your best creative angle would be and then to go after it.  There is nothing to replace the power of connection, and when you follow up, that freelance opportunity is much more likely to be rock solid.

3. Keep painting: Keep it going, don’t stop because the first 5 options didn’t work out.  A typical sales cycle in a lot of industries is up to 3  years.  That means that you have to keep putting yourself out there, keep putting up content, keep taking freelance small and even a few unpaid gigs and keep convincing people (including yourself) that you are not going away, you are good, and worth paying.  Trust me, if you do this, every maybe or no will eventually become a yes.
All surefire? Absolutely not, unless you put in your true creative leadership to make it happen.  But if you do, I doubt you’ll ever stop.

More Freelancing tips

Freelancing can give you the opportunity to work from home full time or be an additional source of income. Freelancing is different from owning your own business; because you are usually providing services instead of products and do not often hire other people to work for you. The overhead of freelancing can be much lower, and your initial start up costs may be lower depending on the field that you are going into.

1. Freelance in an Area of Expertise

If you are considering freelancing you should choose an area that allows you to utilize your skill set. For example if you work in the Public Relations department for your business, you could become a PR consultant or write press releases for smaller companies that do not have their own PR department. If you work in the film or TV industry, you can freelance for that as well.

2. Advertise to Grow Your Freelance Work

Once you begin freelancing you will need to advertise. You may want to start with word of mouth and apply for freelance jobs that you see on various online sites. Several industries take an insider contact to begin working, and it may take awhile for your work to build up to a good point. Successful freelancers are the ones that are able to sell themselves.

3. Set Up an Accounting System for Your Freelance Work

Once you have work you will need to create an accounting system that tracks your invoices, and when you have been paid. You should also keep track of your expenses so that you can deduct them at the end of the year. This can save you on your taxes, and a good system will help you when it comes to tax time. You also need to set up a systems so you can manage your irregular income. This means saving for leaner months, and making a solid financial plan so you can still reach your financial goals.

4. Consider the Tax Implications of Freelance Work

Additionally you will need to consider the tax implication that making the extra money will give you. You should be setting aside estimated taxes your first year, and if you have switched to full time you will need to pay your taxes quarterly. If you are doing this part time you may be able to decrease the number of withholdings and cover yourself that way. However, once the business begins to make a lot of money, you will need to pay your taxes quarterly.

5. Protect Your Freelance Work

Finally consider any insurance or other things you may need to protect yourself. Some cities and states require you to purchase a business license even if you are just freelancing. You should check your local laws to make sure that you are covered. 

Want to be a freelancer? Here are some good tips

1. How to Get Started in Freelancing

Becoming a freelancer is a way to work at home and be independent without needing to start an actual business. As a general rule, so long as you operate under your own name you do not need to register as a business (check your home state for any special requirements). This makes it possible to get started as a freelancer overnight without a lot of hassle and with the least amount of expense. This article takes a closer look at freelancing and how to get started.

2. Freelance Writer

Many people who like to write wish that writing were their profession. Actually, it can be and while getting established as an independent writer is not especially easy, it may not be as hard as you might think. Writing is one profession that is especially suitable for those who are considering freelancing. That's because most types of writing today only require a computer, an Internet connection and word processing software. Like all freelancing endeavors, you can start part-time and build up your income as you grow and learn.

3. Freelance Virtual Assistant

The Virtual Assistant (VA) industry is growing fast and becoming a popular for those who want to start freelancing - usually by doing the things they have done well in the past for prior employers. It's an area of freelancing that lends itself to low startup costs and one that can be started on a part-time basis. In short, this is a freelancing area that is seen as trendy with a good deal of growth potential, especially servicing smaller employers who don't have the budget to hire full-time staff to get work done.

4. Freelance Desktop Publisher

Mastering software, meeting deadlines, and making yourself known are the keys to freelancing as a desktop publisher. The need for professional looking computer-generated documents and publications has never been greater -- and for those who are too busy or don't understand the ins and outs of creating professional looking documents and other items, a freelance desktop publisher can be a big help.

5. Freelance Bookkeeper

Freelancing as a bookkeeper can be lucrative, with many experienced freelancers earning between $25 and $40 an hour. Today's bookkeeping freelancer should be knowledgeable in bookkeeping and accounting software - especially QuickBooks, which is by far the industry leader in this area for the types of small business freelance clients you'd be likely to serve.

6. Freelance Web Design

Designing a simple template can net a freelancing web designer as much as $1,000, with more complicated projects paying even more. There is both a great demand and a lot of competition for web design freelancers, but it's an area when you can start out small and grow pretty quickly through word of mouth and online recommendations. You may have to bid on freelancing gigs at a lower price than you'd like to in the beginning, but as you get more experienced and build your portfolio you'll be able to charge more and still land good web design gigs.

7. Freelance Computer Tutor

A computer tutor teaches individuals and businesses how to best use their computer programs and the Internet, typically at the client's home or office. Freelancing as a computer tutor can be the perfect way to break into freelancing and working on your own and can provide some extra money to complement a full-time job.

8. Freelance Disc Jockey

If you like spinning tunes and being the life of the party, freelancing as a disc jockey could be perfect for you. DJs often act as the master of ceremonies at social events. Disc jockeys play the music, break the ice so guests dance and have a good time, and keep the party flowing. Most disc jockey freelancing gigs will be at night and on weekends, and there are plenty of opportunities at gigs like weddings, bar mitzvahs and birthdays.

9. Freelance Resume Writer

Providing resume editing and writing services as a freelancer can translate into a good income, either part-time or full-time. And, the beauty of freelancing as a resume writer is that there's plenty of work when times are good, and perhaps even more work when times are bad and jobs are hard to come by.

10. Freelance Internet Marketer

Because there are so many specialty areas within the field of Internet marketing and the demand continues to grow every day, if you like the web and have an area in which you might like to specialize, freelancing as an Internet marketer could be a great way for you to get used to the idea of working for yourself and staying at home.