Open Thread: Work Visas for the Traveling Freelancer?

The allure of freedom and adventure is often an element that attracts folks to the world of freelancing. For some people, myself included, the flexibility to work in different spots around the neighborhood is a great draw. For the more adventurous, an extended version of the “working vacation” (mentioned in our previous article about Alternative Work Spaces) might be more suitable. I’ve asked myself lately, why not experience a new land for a new challenge and change of pace? How might this process work?

The timing might be good – the slide into recession for certain countries is making people think about moving abroad in an attempt to escape. Also, you can emigrate to countries perceived as offering a better quality of life and lower cost of living.

After scouring the web for more advice on working visas, I found quite a few services that assist independent workers in navigating the complexities of immigration and visa law. Global Visas is one firm, and they offer services for both private individuals and corporate organizations to acquire Canadian visa, UK or US visas. From their site, it looks like they’ve had some good press mentions, and they offer some free guidance on their site about qualifying for various country visas.

Feel free to comment below on your experiences with these companies, or offer any advice you may have for taking the leap into a foreign land.

Seven Ways to Impress Your Clients – And Win Repeat Business

Ali Hale is a freelance writer and blogger. You can find her all over the net, but especially at her home blog, Aliventures.

When I started out freelancing, the thought of having clients was quite scary … though the thought of having no clients at all was even scarier! Something about the word clients implied that they’d be demanding, ultra-professional, and intimidating.

Of course, it was nothing like I’d feared: my clients have all been very human, warm and friendly! However, I have found that there are seven easy ways to really impress clients, and to guarantee that they’ll want to work with you or refer you in the future:

1. Dress Professionally

I’m most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt – but when meeting clients, I make the effort to smarten up. Business people can sometimes have slightly negative stereotypes of “freelancers”, and looking like a professional is a great way to make a great first impression and dispel their fears.

Think about it this way: if you had the choice between an assistant who turned up wearing cut-off jeans, scuffed sneakers and a slogan t-shirt and an assistant who wore smart trousers, a nice shirt, and clean shoes – who would you be more inclined to hire?
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6 Alternative Work Spaces to the Home Office

The freedom to work from anywhere is one of the greatest perks of freelancing.  So why do many freelancers spend all of their working hours at home?  Of course the home office (or sofa) is comfortable, but working in a new setting can spark ideas to improve your business, promote creativity, and offer opportunities for socializing and networking.

So, let’s get out of the house!  Here are 6 alternative work spaces to explore, ranging from office-like settings to some very casual places.  Try them out, work them into your schedule periodically, and enjoy the benefits of adding variety and renewed thinking to your work day.
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The Freelancer Pricing Conundrum

Whether you’re looking to get into freelancing, or in the thick of it, there always exists the topic of rates a freelancer should charge for his/her work. People adopt various methods of pricing their service, from hourly rates to one-time project fees. But how do you price yourself just right so you’re not too expensive and you’re not too cheap? Should you undercut the current market and work in bulk, or should you charge a little higher and take on less projects? After all, two of the great successes in retail are ASDA (for you Americans, it’s owned by Walmart) which is a supermarket which aims to keep the lowest prices possible, and Selfridges & Co, one of the much more expensive luxury stores in the UK. Well, let’s dig a little deeper into the topic and see what we can uncover.

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Living The Good Life: Why Freelancing Is Better Than Your Day Job!

So you’re deciding if you want to take that “plunge” into the world of freelancing… and maybe you’re a bit apprehensive in fear that the money won’t flow into your pockets as quickly or as steadily as you might want.. or need or maybe you don’t think you will be able to handle the responsibilities of being in charge of your own financial future.

Well Freelancers have a secret that they don’t want to tell you 9 – 5 cubical dwelling rats. We’re living the good life ever since we walked right into our bosses offices and told them they can take this job and shove it!… Or in my case, left them a message on their voicemail overnight (who said you have to be brave to be a freelancer??).

Sure, we work harder, usually longer hours then in our past real world jobs… but we enjoy it! Most of us come to the realization in our career that we we will never end up doing what we love… but that’s not necessarily true! While a freelance web designer isn’t exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, it’s something i enjoy doing. In fact, there are many benefits unique only to the freelancing field.

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