First let me say this is a paid post thru the folks at ReviewMe. Secondly let me say I had plans to review this product anyway!

A few months ago I tried the web-based content management system Light content management system. I was impressed with interface, usability and ease of use for someone who’s a designer (me), not a brilliant code-head (not me). I’d been looking for a solution that was easy for me to use, but more importantly easy for my clients to use. 99% of my clients don’t know HTML and don’t care to learn it!

What I liked about Light is it’s literally dummy-proof. You can open up a page to edit, and don’t need to crack open the first help file to understand how to get started editing a page, adding a page, adding images, content modules etc. It’s so simple to use and the interface is incredibly intuitive.

In the past I’ve tried a variety of open source content management tools, Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress as well as custom coded CMS’s. All of these tools have required a sit down with the client to explain how to use the CMS. Then a day, a week and months down the road I’m still fielding questions.

I would be shocked if a client asked me to explain how to use Light - it’s that simple.

Negatives? One - the price. It’s not expensive, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also not open source (free). It’s reasonably priced considering the support they provide for the product. The problem I’ve run into is my clients have 25+ pages on their site and don’t want to fork out $50 - 100 bucks a month for hosting and CMS when they’ve been used to paying $8 a month hosting their existing (albeit no CMS) site.

I haven’t given up on selling Light CMS to my clients and I think once I get one on board and can use it as a solid demo, I’ll probably have greater success selling this solution in the future. If you wanna give it a whirl, you can sign up for a free trial here.

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Lunching With Design Peers…
… to have deep philosophical discussions about how we can change the world through design. Uhh maybe it’s just me but I barely manage to squeeze in a kid-talk Picadilly lunch with my geologist gal-pal Danielle.

Am I alone here? How do y’all make time for productive work chitter w/your peers? jen

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Being My Own Boss
This sounds ridiculous to say, because I really am my own boss. But, if I’m completely honest with myself, I have to admit that I sometimes let what I call my “superior level of customer service” push my working hours beyond the normal 9 to 5.

This translates into what is commonly referred to as “client kowtowing.” C’mon we all do it - and without fail there’s always a revision and an “extension on the deadline.” Ew, I love it when that happens!

My solution thus far has been to inform the client that if a project has a quick turn or needs to be expedited, guess what? There’s a rush charge. However, we’ve all been in situation where we know that will go over like a whore in church. If that’s the case I simply turn down the work and let someone else stress over it. Part of being your own boss is having healthy boundaries!

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Taking Time Off
Didn’t we all have visions of ourselves lying on a beach in the Caribbean (sipping on a fruity adult beverage) once our freelance careers took off? I know I did! Even before starting a family, I felt certain I’d be disappearing for a month to kick around and “get inspired.” BOMP! Don’t think so! *sigh*

But why? Why the hell not? Maternity leave proved to me that my client’s weren’t going “hasta manana” me when I took some time off to decompress. So there we have it, I’m not suggesting that everyone go out and get knocked up (especially you guys) but if you have a strong relationship with your clients, you’ll be fine!

Just plan in advance and prepare clients for a break from your brilliance! They’ll love you even more when you get back

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Regular Exercise
Ok, I’m not saying I’ve never gotten regular exercise over the past 5 years. What I’m saying is I’ve never gotten regular exercise for more than a month or two at a time. Why? Beats me! The only person stopping me from taking a break is this old hag of a boss… me!

My solution this year has been to join an exercise group with about 6 other people at the gym. I am a bit of a social butterfly, and have found that I can turn the most painful and mundane of tasks into something fun if I attach a social aspect. Sweating, talking and laughing - now THAT is good times!!

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For those of you who haven’t checked it out yet, please do. Cameron Moll has a supercalfragalisticexpealadocious (sp?) list of authentic jobs (both full-time & freelance):

http://www.authenticjobs.com/

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I’m not sure anyone could handle potty talk more gracefully than Oprah did the other day (dedicating an entire show to poo poo). So, outside of going into any kind of bathroom humor (which is difficult for me since I’ve been wiping my child’s rear-end for almost two years now), here are a few of my favorite things I have the freedom to do as a home-office freelancer…

1. Curse loudly (utilizing an impressive curse - word vocabulary) after getting bad news on a project.
2. Spill mass quantities of food and drink on my keyboard, and wipe it up when I get good and darn well ready.
3. Ignore people I don’t want to chat with on IM (c’mon, we’ve all been “invisible” before!!)
4. Wear flip flops every single day - and none of my clients say a single word about it!
5. Ignore hunger pains and work through lunch.

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Why am I talking about this? Easy. Most of them are funny, and my hope is that by calling attention to them, I’ll actually start doing something different!!

Stretching
I think it’s safe to say in a corporate office environment most of us don’t spring out of our Herman Miller’s to do toetouches beside our desk. Why? Because Suzie two cubes over will complain about having to see our ass in the air to Jimmy (who she IM’s with all day long.) Then Jimmy tells Bob, and Bob tells Gail and by the time it gets around the office you were bent over doing toe touches AND passed gas.

But we work-from-home freelancers don’t have to deal with these kinds of office politics. So what is the problem?!?! You’re guess is as good as mine - we all know we want to do it… our bodies are saying “do a frikkin jumping jack!” But we don’t.

I do have one tip that has helped me in taking a moment to “breathe” and shake out the ol bones. Smoking crack. Kidding. I find that if I write down every small item to be accomplished in my day that I don’t try to zip thru task after task; fearful I’m going to forget what I need to do next.

Detailed lists are also nice to simply give a feeling of accomplishment. Even if I scratched off “fill your coffee cup” it’s still one more thing that I’ve gotten DONE! And guess what happens after I finish my list? Stretching!!!

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How did I figure out who my ideal client was? By getting burned by UN-ideal clients! I don’t think un-ideal is a word but I can tell you I’ve received up to 3rd degree burns from baaad clients. So once again it’s FreelanceTipster to the rescue! [queue Supergirl music…]

Below is a list of not only what I look for, but more importantly what I don’t look for - I’d encourage you to do the same. Personally, I’ve found that when I stick to my list, I don’t fret over the projects I turn down because I can feel confident it’s just not a good fit!

My Ideal Client IS someone who

My Ideal Client IS NOT someone who

- has been in business for three or more years. - has business and/or marketing plan behind the product or service they’re launching. - has Fortune 1000 clients. - supplies a significant amount of work for time spent on account maintenance. - demonstrates above-average communication skills. - is often a referral contact or in same industry social circle. - pays on time (at least net 30) - is outstanding at what they do and can provide a detailed scope of work for projects. - is serious about a long-term working relationship

- is launching a startup with no plan or experience doing what they’re trying to do. - has no business and/or marketing plan - has an client base that does not provide financial stability for the business - is more trouble than they’re worth (ie. not profitable client) - responds slowly to phone calls and emails - found my name in the yellow pages - pays slowly or has a problem paying half upfront for a project. - has no idea what they’re doing - is a fly by night operation with no intentions of long term relationship.

Personality
For me, I require that all my clients have one Seriously, I’ll give you an example of what I mean. I’ve dealt with so many personalities in my work that I’ve got it pretty narrowed down the type of person that best fits my work style. Because I’ve been burned on projects where a client “checked out” and left everything to me, I like to work with people who prefer to stay in close contact during the project lifecycle. “Close contact” meaning answering questions in a timely manner, knowing what the project goals are, and taking the time for in-person meetings when necessary. On the opposite spectrum, I’ve had clients that were too hands on and wanted in-person meetings for every minute detail. This particular issue can sometimes be resolved at the beginning of the engagement, when you’re still setting mutual expectations.


Do They Fit Your Niche?
What’s your niche? Are you a journalist, advertising writer or professional blogger? Are you a web designer or print designer? Ask yourself these questions and from there you can determine if a client’s potential workload is a good fit for you!

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Not Trusting Your Gut
If you get a weird vibe off a potential client - RUN. I can’t get any more specific than that. It’s just a feeling you get when you meet a person for the first time, hear their story, what they’re wanting to accomplish. We all get a feeling in situations like this, and let’s face it - our intuition is an important decision-making tool in business!

Speaking as a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, every time (and I mean EVERY TIME) I’ve had a bad vibe on a project or a potential client and didn’t trust my gut - I’ve regretted it.

Not Being Yourself
Obviously you don’t want to crack open a beer in client meetings, but a certain amount of informality is necessary to build solid relationships! We’re all human (maybe?), with interests outside of work. Don’t be afraid to let your personality flow when chatting with clients. It’s the personal touch (your brand) that keeps them calling you over the fuddy-duddy down the street.

Not Backing Up Data
When you’re working for yourself, backing up your data is your responsibility and duty to yourself and your clients. I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve learned this the hard way - twice! ow! It’s embarrassing because it’s so simple to backup your data! My problem is I don’t think about the techie, networked blah blah side of my business (like many designers) until something blows up in my face and I find myself sprawled on the floor crying, hands flailing in the air - as if to catch the missing data. Not pretty.

Check out this article for some great data backup tips.
Here’s another

Choosing the Wrong Kinda Clients
When you’re new on the scene it’s easy to fall in to this trap. When I started out I was eager to work - with anyone! It was only after getting burned and burned out on a couple of clients that I discovered exactly what I was looking for in my ideal client.

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