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    The 7 Day Work Week

    It used to be the case that Sunday truly was a day of rest. Shops closed, people went to church, had an early dinner, and called it a day. Then stores started to stay open on Sundays. The hours got longer. Now some places are open 24 hours, 5 days a week. Some 24/7. It used to be the case that once you left the office for the day, you were done working. How could you work? All your stuff was at the office. How would anyone reach you? Now we have cell phones, IM, email on our phones; we are reachable all the time. “Open” 24/7. And that’s what people expect now. Our culture is moving towards a 24/7 work mentality to be more productive, and make more money. That needs to change.

    It’s more coincidence than anything that I started to  have these thoughts before, but on the same day that, I started reading The Four Hour Work Week. I’m just into it, and this post is not a book review, but Ferriss does talk early on about some of the stuff that spurred these thoughts. I wrote a while back about not responding to email right away. It’s not to be rude, but to set a precedent and draw some boundaries. If people think you are always available, they will expect you to be on call all the time. This isn’t healthy for you or them. And it’s not just with email.

    I’ve had clients call me at midnight because they ‘needed’ to talk to me. I get calls on the weekend, and people who want to schedule meetings on Sundays. And it’s not that I’m lazy that I don’t want to do that; people can’t work all the time. It’s not physically or mentally healthy. So how do we solve this problem?

    Don’t be afraid to draw those boundaries. Tell your clients or co-workers that you’re only available during business hours. Don’t answer business email on the weekend. Take the weekends for yourself. I took the 4th of July weekend completely off. From Friday to Sunday I did no work- I even put up an email auto-response. It was the first time in a long time I did that because I have the same mentality others do- I work a lot. Usually I take the weekends for side projects or small rush jobs I want to get out of the way. But it’s that mentality that causes a lot of people to burn out hard and fast.

    Maybe it’s that we are in front of a computer anyway, or we think, “Well I’m not doing anything now,” that we take that call or work on that project. But we don’t have to produce all the time. It’s ok to do nothing. Having a lazy day is perfectly acceptable, and in some cases, needed. So far I like The Four Hour Work Week because Ferriss talks about how to be more productive in less time, and how to take time for yourself. I’ll post more about it as I read it, but remember this: Working 24/7 is NOT a good mentality. I think we should remember the days when Sunday really was a day of rest.

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    Freelancing the Net

    Freelancing the Net Logo

    I am very excited to announce that yesterday I launched a new blog, called Freelancing the Net. It’s a blog I decided to start that chronicles my journey to becoming a freelancer.

    I know that can come off as a little conceded; I will be the first to admit that while I am proud of what I have done thus far, I wouldn’t consider myself extremely successful. I do, however, have a fairly unique view. I started freelancing in high school and continued through college. I went through a lot of things in forming a business earlier than a lot of people. Plus, a lot of people to ask me questions, just as I had a lot when I was starting.

    I want this site to be a unique resource for people. There are lots of sites out there (most notably FreelanceSwitch) that provide advice and resources for freelancers. But this site is my first hand account of what I went through and continue to go through. I hope you like it! As always, any feedback is appreciated.

    Visit Freelancing the Net

  • Mileage as a Tax Write Off

    money

    It’s not quite that time of the year, though this week (or at least part it) I will be fixing my books up to submit to my accountant. December 31st marks the end of the first official fiscal year for my business. That means I’ll be going over what I have documented, checking my receipts, and finding last minute expenses and write-offs to lower my bottom line and try to reduce the magic number I’m going to owe Uncle Sam. One thing I hadn’t realized until late in the year was that mileage on your car is a write off.

    Since I did find that out, I’ve been keeping a notebook of everywhere I drive and the mileage it took to get there and back. But to backtrack and make sure I’m including all of my meetings, trips to the bank and stores, etc., Google came to the rescue. I looked over Google Calendar to check for meetings I attended and then put the addresses in Google Maps to get a approximate mileage to document. I also looked at bank slips for dates I took those trips, and dates on old receipts to document trips to the store. Turns out I will have a nice little deduction now.

    This helpful tip also helped me to start thinking of other things I might not think of as write offs. Remember, anything that you use for your business can be considered tax deductible- mileage and gas, tolls you might pay, cell phone, books, etc. If you’re thinking about starting a business, or just starting, it’s definitely worth talking to an accountant to get you on track.

    PS- Soon I’mstarting a new blog called, “Freelancing the Net.” I’ll be talking about how I got my start and providing helpful tips and resources for freelancers just starting out, so keep a look out for that in early 2009!

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    Have a Business Plan

    Businessing

    Since August I’ve come up with or have launched a number of side projects in hopes of increasing revenue streams so I’m not as busy during the school year. Unfortunately, I’ve left out one “minor” detail with these- a business plan. This doesn’t have to be in the form of an official, written plan that you’d submit for funding (but I’m sure that helps). It’s more about making a plan and giving your side project some direction as opposed to just slapping together something and releasing it to the world.

    I’m currently working on a presentation for one of my SE classes about Trade-off Analysis in Web Development. It mentions that a lot of web apps are rushed to the market with not quite perfect but present features, and that’s what’s more important. However, I’m the lone developer on most of these projects and that’s not necessarily the best course of action for me. For one, I don’t have a huge user base of people ready and willing to test for me. Second, while I usually come up with an idea, I don’t have foresight as to where the project would and could go. This is something I need to think about. And third, something I am going to elaborate on in another post, I don’t have the capital for marketing. So what do I do?

    Well, I do have the advantage of being in an academic environment. I know a lot of people who are willing to connect me with the people I need to talk to. However, when I meet with those people I need to be ready and tell them what my idea is, how it will start, how it will make money, and where I want it to go 6 months, 1 year, 3 years down the road. It shows not only that I’m serious about pursuing the idea (as in I’m willing to invest that kind of time into it), but that I’ve taken the idea past the whimsical, “Hey, I wonder if this would work” phase.

    So right now, some of my projects are in limbo until I can get them on an actual track. It’s a minor set back, but it’s something I’m glad I learned now, as opposed to when I am out of school and have so much more to lose.

  • Take Advantage of Being a Student Business Owner

    As I continue to earn my business chops while still enjoying the luxury of being a student, I’ve realized some ways to really take advantage of being both.

    Make Student Expenses Business Expenses
    As long as you are in the same field for both your business and your major, any school expenses can be considered business expenses- tuition, books, supplies, etc. This might help soften the blow around tax time.
    Student Discounts = Cheap Business Expenses
    Over the summer, I attended Google I/O, Google’s two day developers’ conference. The going rate for it was over $400. However, they offered a student discount of $50. As in, over $350 off the normal price. WordCamp NY is offering a 50% discount to students. Usually all it takes is a student ID or email address and you can get significant discounts on things that can help you further your business simply because you are also a student. They are also business expenses and can be written off. Things like software can get dicey however, because normally they stipulate that if you are using a student discount, it cannot be used commercially. You might want to read the terms of service if you’re going to do something like that.
    Access to Academia and Resources
    As a student you have a number of people and resources at your finger tips. My school even has a small business center. Aside from that, you have professors who might have some experience in what you’re trying to do, or know people that can help you out. In Scranton, there are also organizations and contests specifically for student entrepreneurs, including one that can get you $25,000 in start-up capital.
    Make School Work Business Work
    As a student, you will inevitably get assignments to give you experience in whatever it is you want to do. If given the opportunity to choose what kind of project or assignment you can do, why not make it something you could also do for your business. I’ve made several school projects side projects. That will give you an excuse to work on side projects- plus you’ll get graded on something you can potentially commercialize.
    Schools are Usually Willing to Help
    Most schools like to see their students succeed, and are willing to help out the young entrepreneurs. Stanford even has its own patent office for students working on exceptional things. Check out your school and see what kind of resources they can offer you as a student. I’ve gotten free legal advice through my school, which is great when working on a good contract.

    These are just things I’ve come across in my experience. I’m sure there a lot more things I am overlooking- the important part is to look for what’s out there because it could save you some time and money. Student business owners are given a lot of a chances to establish themselves before entering the real world, which is important if you don’t want to work a 9-5 right out of school.

  • Increasing Revenue Streams

    Cash Money

    Freelance Switch wrote on this a while back, but this summer it’s been a goal of mine. Since my junior year of college, I’ve freelanced every long break in lieu of getting a ‘real’ (read: 9-5) job, but have stuck strictly to contract jobs and what amounted to (in most cases) one time shots. I’ve always had a bunch of side projects bouncing around in my head or ones I half-started but never capitalized on. I even created a couple of small Facebook apps that I never made an effort to make money with. This summer I launching several side projects in hopes that one succeeds and does well. I’ve also got an ace in the hole. But why put the time and effort into it?

    Well, Freelance Switch also wrote about that a few days ago. The main reason for me is security. I want to know that if there are lulls in work, I am still making money. This summer I got a lot of leads that never amount to anything, and that was incredibly stressful. I am on my last leg of my college career and before expenses really start piling on, I want to invest some money in IRAs and other long term savings accounts but can’t do that if I’m not making the money. Of course, now with school starting I run the risk of any or all of those leads following up. And, to put it bluntly…

    I want to be able to say no to work and still have cash flow. This year is going to be particularly busy and I won’t sacrifice school for some short-term cash. Knowing I don’t have to is a big comfort. Aside from the money though, it’s really cool to know I made something people use regularly; and it’s that satisfaction that tells me I got into the right industry.

    So how would one go about doing this? Well, I have a couple of side projects I’ve launched: 101-Things and YouWouldntGetIt.Com, as well as one that will be relaunched soon. Apart from those, I am getting into hosting resale. Hosting goes hand-in-hand with web design, so it makes sense for me to offer both services to my clients. What you do is up to you, but as a freelancer it’s important that you do it.

    My summer was an eye opener for this stuff, and it’s a real turning point in my career. By increasing revenue streams we are opening up a lot of doors for ourselves- we just need the will do to it. Feel free to plug your side projects (and maybe throw in a thought or two) in the comments.

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    Always Going

    During the school year, I was very busy. Between running the business, TAing, and well, actual classes, there wasn’t a lot of free time. But I made due. I worked on weekends but made sure to take time for myself. I thought things would slow down a bit in the summer. No classes to teach or attend- just the business. But as it turns out, I am one of those people who always needs to be busy.

    Even with a lull in work (up until yesterday things were pretty slow), I was doing work every day. I am launching a t-shirt company with my friends (more on that later). I am launching a new blog (announcement Friday). I came up with a new gimmick to make money. I’ve realized my mind is constantly going. Even on the days I say I’m not going to work, I do work. When I am away from my computer, it’s usually because I make work related trips. When I am in front of my computer, I work as much as I can.

    Don’t get me wrong, I do take time to myself. I hang out with friends and go out once in a while. But the last time I took a full day off- no work at all – was…well I can’t even remember. Even when I went to see Rush a few weeks ago, I was discussing a website for my friend’s dad. I was calling my t-shirt printer to make sure things were set with our first batch of shirts. He said they were. They weren’t. And I was thinking about a lot of things related to work. But this realization brings me to a serious problem. I don’t know if I can take one full day off.

    Even when I’m not working I’m scheming. I’m thinking of my next big thing, or how to get more clients. Or how to make money while doing little work. I’m constantly checking email. When I take a normal work break, it usually consists of surfing the net for new things.

    So, why did I write this post? Oh I don’t know. To warn people thinking about freelancing to not be like me? Not really. Mostly to get it off my chest. I think I should make it a goal of mine to take one day a week to do no work. That will be a challenge though. You see to me, some work is also play.

  • Starting a DBA in New York

    business

    It was about 10 years ago that I first said I wanted to start my own business. By the ripe old age of 15, I got my first client for a website and have been freelancing ever since. Today I made it official in New York State by filing a “Doing Business As” (DBA) form. As a sole proprietor, you claim all income on your your standard tax form, doing business as yourself (accepting payments, opening bank accounts, etc.) A DBA allows you to be a sole proprietor under a business name. There, of course, are many other reasons for a DBA, but that was my main focus. Here I am going to tell you how go through this fairly simple (and low cost) process in the state of New York (but I will assume it’s similar in other states).

    First, you need a business certificate (the DBA form). I got mine at a local office supplies store (which apparently carry them), but if you are in the Tri-State area, you can go to Blumberg Legal Forms, where you will find a number of legal forms that might come in handy, including your DBA Form, in PDF format, which you can purchase it from the site. It looks like according to the site, it’s $9.00. I got mine for $2.60 from the office supplies store.

    After filling it in (you can see an ‘example’ here), take it to your local government building to file it. You will first have to get it notarized, which they did for me for free. You might need a photo ID. After that, file it with the county clerk. That costs $25 + $5 if you want a certified copy, which you do. And that’s it! Fairly easy for a government process I’d say. They will give you a nice little packet that talks all about your federal tax duties, which I suppose are pretty important.

    If I could offer some tips:

    • Pick a unique name. You can’t incorporate if another corporation with the same name exists in your state. So in the interest of keeping your name if you ever do decide to incorporate, make sure it’s not taken.
    • Talk to an accountant. It’s a little different as a small business/self-employed person filing taxes. Crunch some numbers, figure out how often to pay taxes to the state and fed, and SAVE MONEY to do so. It looks like I’ll be paying about 15.3% on all income. I know to put that away in a bank account. Speaking off…
    • This one should be a no-brainer, but open up a bank account under your new business name. To do so, you should only need the business certificate and your SSN. Also, shop around for a good account based on your needs. I know my bank offers free business checking. This will also help keep all of your income and expenses a little easier to manage. Use checks or a check card for that account when you can. And remember, you can write off a lot more than you think.

    So today I officially fulfilled my goal of becoming a business owner by filling out a DBA. It will be a little more work now on my end because I’d like to make this my full time shtick right out of college, but I think I’m up for the challenge.

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    Freelancers: Generalize Your Code

    One thing that was really driven home during my first year of grad school was the importance of reusable code. Not to say that it wasn’t taught to me as an undergrad, because it was; this year it just seemed to hit harder. As a freelancer in a niche market (small businesses, facebook apps), I tend to generate a lot of similar code. Just recently (within the last few months), I’ve started to generalize that code into reusable PHP objects, and it really helps.

    I point out freelancers in the subject of this post because I feel, at least starting out, it’s not something freelance programmers (or designers for that matter) think to do. I know my concerns were more getting those jobs so I could code, not the process of coding. But whether it be a list of objects you can use on each site, or a HTML/CSS template with variables for the title, key words, headers, etc., you can save a lot of time in the long run by taking the extra time to abstract out the details and come up with something general you can use over a number of different sites. I, for example, have general code for: XHTML/CSS templates (NOT the design, just the general tags that should be applied to every site), [basic] contact forms, [basic] google maps, database objects, image uploading objects and XML parsing objects. Right now I am taking the time to look at other code I’ve done to see how I can generalize it.

    This doesn’t only save time in writing the code either, but in testing. If you have core code that you know works, you don’t need to test for the general cases, or debug that code; just what you’ve added to customize it for that site or app. It’s stuff like this that will increase your productivity and your profits in the long run.

    So generalizing code helps- and not just with time, but productivity and profits. And just about anything can be generalized to some extent. So the next time you code, take an extra moment to think how you can abstract away the details of that project (the variables if you will), and how much of what you are doing is reusable.