This article was first published by the IRS and has been reproduced with permission. Subscribe to IRS tax tips here.

People who requested the six-month filing extension should complete their tax returns and file on or before the Oct. 15 deadline. Convenient electronic filing options, including IRS  Free File, are still available.

Filing electronically is easy, safe and the most accurate way to file taxes. There are a variety of electronic filing options. Those options include having tax returns prepared at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or Tax Counseling for the Elderly site, purchasing commercial software or choosing a reputable tax professional who is also an authorized e-file provider.

About 15 million taxpayers filed for an extension this year. Although Oct. 15 is the last day for most people to file, some may have more time. They include:

• Members of the military and others serving in a combat zone. They typically have 180 days after they leave the combat zone to file returns and pay any taxes due.
• Taxpayers in federally-declared disaster areas who already had valid extensions. For details, see the disaster relief page on IRS.gov.

Extension filers can file when they are ready and don’t have to wait until Oct. 15 to file. Taxpayers who did not request an extension and have yet to file a 2018 tax return can generally avoid additional penalties and interest by filing the return as soon as possible and paying any taxes owed.

New Form 1040
Form 1040 has been redesigned for tax year 2018. The revised form consolidates Forms 1040, 1040A and 1040-EZ into one form that all individual taxpayers will use to file their 2018 federal income tax return.

The new form uses a “building block” approach that can be supplemented with additional schedules as needed. Taxpayers with straightforward tax situations will only need to file the Form 1040 with no additional schedules. People who use tax software will still follow the steps they’re familiar with from previous years. Since nearly 90 percent of taxpayers now use tax software, the IRS expects the change to Form 1040 and its schedules to be seamless for those who file electronically.

Recordkeeping and adjusted gross income
As a reminder, taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax returns and supporting documents for a minimum of three years. Some taxpayers using a tax-filing software product for the first time may need their adjusted gross income amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity.

Taxpayers using the same tax software they used last year will not need to enter their prior year information to electronically sign their 2018 tax return. Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and electronically sign tax returns at Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return.

Payment options
IRS Direct Pay offers taxpayers a fast way to pay what they owe. Direct Pay is free and allows individuals to securely pay their tax bills or make quarterly estimated tax payments online directly from checking or savings accounts without any fees or pre-registration.

Taxpayers can also pay by debit or credit card. While the IRS does not charge a fee for this service, the payment processor does. Other payment options include the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (enrollment is required) and electronic funds withdrawal which is available when e-filing. Taxpayers can also pay what they owe using the IRS2Go mobile app. Those choosing to pay by check or money order should make the payment out to the “United States Treasury.”

Eligible taxpayers can set up an online payment agreement in a matter of minutes to pay tax, interest and penalties they may owe. There is no application fee to setup payment plans lasting 120 days or less. In 2019, over 1 million agreements were set up by taxpayers online.

Individual taxpayers can go to IRS.gov/account and log in to view their balance, payment history, pay their taxes and access tax records through Get Transcript. Before setting up an account, taxpayers should review Secure Access: How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools to make sure they have the information needed to verify their identities.

Prepare for next year − do a ‘Paycheck Checkup’ now
The IRS also urges extension filers to do a “Paycheck Checkup” now. It helps make sure the right amount is being withheld from their checks following tax reform. If a change is needed, there’s still time to adjust withholding during the last quarter of the year.

Taxpayers can use the Tax Withholding Estimator to approximate their 2019 income taxes and proper withholding. The tool compares the estimate to current withholding to help taxpayers decide if they want to change that amount with their employer. Taxpayers should have their 2018 tax return available when using the tool to estimate income, deductions, adjustments, and credits for 2019. They will also need their most recent pay stub to compute the amount of withholding so far this year.

With major changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the IRS encourages taxpayers seeking more information on tax reform to review Publication 5307, Tax Reform: Basics for Individuals and Families, and Publication 5318, Tax Reform What’s New for Your Business. For other tips and resources, visit IRS.gov/taxreform. The IRS reminds taxpayers they have a variety of options to get help filing and preparing their tax returns on IRS.gov, the official IRS website. Taxpayers can find answers to their tax questions and resolve tax issues online. The Let Us Help You page helps answer most tax questions, and the IRS Services Guide links to these and other IRS services.

Flexible schedule, location independence, and the flexibility to work by your own set of rules? Yes, please!

Being a freelancer comes with plenty of advantages, especially if you can discipline yourself with effective organizational skills.

But, let’s be realistic…

Freelancing is not as easy as it sounds. And unless you’re some productivity guru, you probably end up finishing your day wondering where all that time went.

The fact is, can easily get bumpy if you aren’t maintaining an A-level work performance, especially if you work remotely.

Now, there’s no productivity pill or hack that’ll skyrocket your performance. But you can and should experiment with different strategies until you find one that works for you.

So let’s dive in.

My 3-step process to improve work performance

• Step 1: Analyze and find what you want to improve on
• Step 2: Adopt relevant strategies but keep your goals in check
• Step 3: Review progress and adapt accordingly

Step 1:

The more specific you get with your  goals, the more obvious the inefficiencies in your work performance will become. For example, you may find that you need to improve on your time management or organization.

Here are a few ways to track your performance:

• Implement trackers to track key metrics such as time, efficiency, effectiveness, etc.
• Next, carry on work and document your performance (for at least 2 weeks)
• Finally,  evaluate performance and how well you are using your time.
  

Step 2:

Once you’ve audited performance, you have to reverse engineer your gaps. For example, if you find you’re easily distracted by social media, install blockers to carry out work without any distractions.

Step 3.

Ensuring you’re still on track is crucial and so, setting yourself a regular personal review will help you determine which strategies are working, which are not, and help you optimize for better results.

Here are a few ways to go about conducting personal reviews:

• Schedule a regular evaluation block in your calendar
• Create progress spreadsheets to track and review regularly
• Adjust your strategies to continually improve and grow

I’ve broken down this process in detail in my other article on improving work performance..

Time management:

Adopting the right time management techniques will help you get further without burning out.

Here are two techniques that have worked well for me:

1. Eisenhower’s Matrix: to provide a sense of direction.
2. Pomodoro: improves attention span and concentration.

Eisenhower’s Matrix

The methodology behind this technique is simple. You prioritize your tasks from the most urgent and important to the least.

Picture: Eisenhower.me

Pomodoro

The Pomodoro approach is used when splitting large tasks into smaller, more realistic ones. Breaking these tasks into short, timed intervals (a.k.a pomodoros) trains your brain to focus better.

By increasing your concentration you will become more efficient, while successfully avoiding stress and anxiety. For instance, Marjiana Kay, SaaS content Writer, combines time management techniques with trackers to keep boost her productivity.

She shares, “My biggest progress in productivity as a freelancer over the last year came from a simple change: I do all of my work in 25-minute Pomodoros. I know that many people are already familiar with the Pomodoro technique, but I've added a twist that made all the difference: for every Pomodoro, I start a time tracker (I use Toggl).”

Timing is crucial for freelancers and setting a specific time for each task will improve work performance immediately as you’re more focused

Furthermore, she added, “In practice, this has helped me know exactly what I've worked on each day, how much progress I've made, and to increase my rates once I saw how much my efficiency improved! “

Don’t stop here. Read more about different time management techniques in my guide.

Forget multitasking and try monotasking:

It's not uncommon to fight multiple deadlines, juggle different projects, and sometimes end your day feeling like you’ve gone nowhere.

As Steve Uzzell says in The One Thing, “Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time.” So what's the solution?

Stop multitasking. Instead, cut down and simplify your work weeks by focusing on just one thing at a time, a.k.a monotasking:

• Use online task boards to split up work weeks into actionable SMART goals and objectives.
• Focus on your top two urgent tasks for each day instead of the important ones.
• Use software blockers to block out interruptions such as emails, social media, etc. for periods that need focused work.

And so, this brings me to the next very crucial strategy for work performance for freelancers.

Schedule for the week, not just the day:

According to a decade-long study on top-performing execs, the #1 thing that separates the best from the rest is the ability to deliver reliably—a.k.a. consistency.

Here's how to go about creating a schedule for your workweek:

• Decide your work hours and track them using cool apps.
• Include regular breaks and eat at the same time every day.
• Finally, be realistic. If you are not a morning person then setting your alarm at 6am to start working at 7 am will never work.

Stay fit:

No matter which strategy you decide to implement, it truly won’t matter unless you’re both mentally and physically healthy and fit.

This is a major problem for many freelancers as we spend a lot of time sitting down (sometimes hunched) working on our laptops. Tech life can be quite damaging for your back all the way to your eyes. And with the extra stress and pressure of freelancing, it's easy to neglect self-care over time.

To be more active:

Fit block your schedule: Just like any other goal/task you add to your schedule make fitness be one of them. For example, 30-minutes of yoga every morning.

Fitness membership: Paying a regular monthly gym membership can be motivating and exciting change of scenery.

Hire a fitness coach or find a gym buddy: Find someone who will help you be consistent and motivated to stay fit.

Eat healthy: Junk food will just switch on your lazy mode on. Consuming a healthy, balanced diet will be beneficial for your physical and mental health.

Healthy mind: Stress, anxiety and overwhelming yourself won’t benefit your business in any way and so maintaining a healthy, strong mindset is critical for steady work performances. For example, Hailey Lucas, expert consultant follows a fixed morning routine that helps inform a productive day.

She shares,“My productivity strategy is starting off each morning with a 10-15 minute meditation where I set my intentions for the day and get my mind clear before diving into work. I find that starting off each day with this time for myself helps boost my focus and productivity throughout the day, as well as keeps me in peak mental state. ”

Meditation is well known for improving focus and productivity and so, maintaining a mental state peak by regularly meditating can be a great way to start your day.

Remember, most if not all, of the major health problems common to freelancers who work from home, can be reduced with simple lifestyle changes. Staying mindful and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will have an enormous impact on your work performance within days.

Over to you:

What strategies do you find the most useful and effective for making the most of every day? Were they easy to adopt? Let us know!

Do you remember your most embarrassing high school moment? I do. (Mine, I mean – I have no idea what yours was.)

It was 1976 and I was a sophomore trying out for the school basketball team. I was among those “on the line” – not guaranteed a spot, but within realistic reach, assuming many things went in my favor.

It was a four- or five-day process, during which we ran through all kinds of drills and tests. At the end of each day, the field of players got smaller.

On the third day, the coach introduced “The 6-Layup Test.” It was simple: There were six hoops. One by one, each kid circled the gym, trying to score a basket at each hoop as quickly as possible. The faster your time, the better you did.

Mine was the third name called. I grabbed the ball, the coach yelled “Go!,” and while everyone else watched, off I went. First hoop, right in. Second hoop, right in again. Third hoop … missed it. No problem, try again.Missed again. Try again. Missed again.

Keep in mind that I was standing directly beneath the basket, attempting the easiest shot there is. But I kept missing and I could feel the clock ticking.

How many times did I miss? I don’t recall – I was too busy panicking. I do remember that at one point, the ball bounced off my foot, careened through the open door of the coach’s office, and was temporarily lost among his paperwork and personal possessions.

Eventually, I retrieved the ball (I think it landed in the coach’s trash can), finished the drill, and sat back down.

Like I said, my most embarrassing high school moment. (In case you’re wondering, I never saw day four of tryouts.) I did learn one important thing from that experience, however: I don’t perform well under pressure.

That’s why I’m not an emergency room doctor. Or a fireman. Or a football placekicker. It’s also why the career I’ve chosen has nothing to do with thinking clearly under pressure (there are few Likeable Expert emergencies).

What’s your superpower?

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been converting from one credit card acceptance system to another. Very complicated stuff involving my bank, my “merchant account,” and some other pieces that I don’t begin to understand.

I’ve been getting all these emails telling me to cancel this and verify that. And whenever I get one, I forward it to my business manager, Belinda Wasser (AKA, RocketGirl).

This morning, along with the most recent email received, I wrote: “Sorry to be bombarding you with all this.” She wrote back immediately: “That’s ok – I’ll figure it out. Keep the info coming.”

And that, in four words, is Belinda’s superpower: I’ll. Figure. It. Out. It’s not her project management expertise (of which she has a lot). It’s not the friendly way she treats all of you when you buy a product or attend a webinar (although she’s certainly good at that too).

It’s that when I hand her a big mess, I can just let go and know, without a doubt, that she will figure it out.

What comes naturally to you?

Your superpower isn’t your skill set. (That’s just the price of admission.) Rather, it’s what you do naturally (and often better than anyone else) and that wraps around your skill set. It’s what truly sets you apart.

For my tech guy, Barry Shuchter, it’s the simple, clear, patient way he explains complicated technology options when I ask him a question.

For my friend and expert recruiter, Betsy Harper, it’s the way she can tell the difference – almost instantly – between who’s for real and who’s blowing smoke.

For my friend Marcia, it’s the way she can take a spare piece of wood, a rusty can she found on the beach, and some paint, and turn it into a centerpiece on her dining room table that makes it look like Martha Stewart just left the building (without, by the way, getting any paint on her hands).

Sell your superpower

The problem with most superpowers is that unlike, say, flying or X-ray vision, the person who possesses it doesn’t always realize how special it is.

It’s hard to detect in ourselves precisely because it comes so naturally and so easily. And so we downplay it, if not miss it entirely. The thing is, it’s what your clients are really buying. It’s why the ones who love you, love you.

Which means that if you’re not emphasizing it, you’re working way too hard and not taking advantage of the thing(s) that makes you most special in the eyes of other people.

If you really want to stand out, figure out your superpower and build your business around it.

Flying optional.

I am writing to let you know that after nine amazing years at Freelancers Union, I will be leaving my role as Executive Director in December.

It has been an honor to spend the past nine years working alongside so many talented colleagues, allies, and members to advocate for better policies and solutions for independent workers. Together we enacted the first ever Freelance Isn’t Free Law, fought for better access to benefits, and shed light on the fact that that one in three American workers is freelancing.

On a personal note, I am forever changed by working with so many of our members who have the immense talent, courage, and resilience to strike out on their own and redesign what work and opportunity looks like. I wish I could thank you all personally for the work you have done in strengthening our community and giving voice to independent work.

Together we have accomplished many great things, and that work will continue. Our board is leading the search for a successor, and I will be here to support the transition to Freelancers Union’s next chapter.

Since Sara Horowitz founded Freelancers Union in 1995, freelancing has gone from a perceived niche way of working to an increasingly powerful economic driver. Freelancers Union has played a critical role in defining the freelancers movement by giving this constituency a voice, and building strength through our community.

There is still much work to be done. Freelancers Union is well positioned to support its members in innovative ways as the freelance economy continues to grow and presents new challenges.

I look forward to all of the successes that lie ahead, and I wish each of you my very best.

A couple of months ago, we shared advice on how to manage freelance expense deductions using either the traditional itemized deduction approach or the per diem method. The first requires receipts for every expense and to-the-penny record-keeping of each category of your travel expenses; for the latter you use the per-diem rate established by the federal government for its employees traveling to the same destination. If you are using the per diem method, then this update is for you because the IRS has released the 2019-2020 special per diem rates.

As a refresher, remember that to keep per diem payments free of income and payroll tax obligations each expense must have a record of its date, place, and purpose. With this proof, you can  deduct 100 percent of  lodging per diems and 50 percent of meal per diems. You will also need a copy of the federal government's per-diem reimbursement schedule for each locality that you or any of your subcontractors travel to for the current tax year. If you don’t want to try to keep track of multiple localities, you can choose to set your per diems based on general “low cost” or “high cost” travel destination amounts for the lower 48 states as set by United States General Services Administration or international destinations set by the U.S. Department of State.

Here are the details on the new per diem rates you need to use for 2019 and 2020 tax purposes.:

If your freelance business happens to be in the transportation industry, there are special meal and incidental expense (M&IE) rates which apply to you:

• $66 for any locality of travel in the continental United States (CONUS), and
• $71 for any locality of travel outside the continental United States (OCONUS).

For all other taxpayers using the per diem expense method, these rates should be used:

• $5 per day for any CONUS or OCONUS travel for the incidental expenses only deduction.

If you are using the high-low substantiation method, these rates should be used:

• $297 for travel to any high-cost locality, and
• $200 for travel to any other locality within CONUS.

The amount for paid for meals using the high-low substantiation method is:

• $71 for travel to any high-cost locality, and
• $60 for travel to any other locality within CONUS.

If you are using the high-low method you must still substantiate the time, place, and business purpose of these expenses in accordance with IRS regulations. In addition, be sure to watch for any future updates for these rates as the IRS may provide additional updates in the future.

Jonathan Medows is a New York City based CPA who specializes in taxes and business issues for freelancers and self-employed individuals across the country. He offers a free consultation to members of Freelancer’s Union* and a monthly email newsletter covering tax, accounting and business issues to freelancers on his website, http://www.cpaforfreelancers.com— which also features a new blog, how-to articles, and a comprehensive freelance tax guide.

*Jonathan is happy to provide an initial consultation to freelancers. To qualify for a free consultation you must be a member of the Freelancers Union and mention this article upon contacting him. Please note that this offer is not available March 1 through April 18 and covers a general conversation about tax responsibilities of a freelancer and potential deductions. These meetings do not include review of self-prepared documents, review of self-prepared tax returns, or the review of the work of other preparers. The free meeting does not include the preparation or review of quantitative calculations of any sort. He is happy to provide such services but would need to charge an hourly rate for his time.

Today we are excited to release the sixth annual Freelancing In America study. Commissioned in partnership by Freelancers Union and Upwork, and conducted by Edelman Intelligence, this survey is the most comprehensive and widely cited overview of the growing independent workforce.

This year we find strong indicators that freelance is maturing. 57 million Americans freelanced this year, contributing nearly $1 trillion to the economy — that’s almost 5% of GDP. Since we began the study in 2014 the number of full-time freelancers has increased from 17% in 2014 to 28%, and half of all freelancers view this way of working as a long-term career choice. We also see a sustained increase in younger generations freelancing: 18 to 22-year-olds reported the highest participation rate (53%) of any age group since the study was launched.

Flexibility, autonomy, and the ability to choose projects are a key motivators for full-time freelancers. Forty-six percent of freelancers say that they able to access work, despite personal circumstances that would keep them out of traditional employment. And for part-timers, freelance gives them the potential to earn additional income and pursue work that they are passionate about.  

Our findings show that the most common type of freelance work is skilled services, with 45% of freelancers in professional fields like programming, marketing, and consulting. As such, 81% of freelancers value training as important to their work, particularly with regards to networking, gaining additional skills, and how to start and grow their careers.

But what does the freelance life really entail? We find that freelancers spend approximately half of their working time on non-billable activities related to managing and growing their business. So it is not surprising that 78% of respondents say that soft skills are equally important as professional training, and want additional training on the fundamentals of running their business — besides staying at the top of their fields.

Eighty-three percent of full-time freelancers have health insurance, and are most likely to  purchase plans on their own. However, 47% of full-time freelancers say they paid more in insurance premiums this year than they did last year. This problem is confounded by the fact that freelancers are more likely than traditional employees to have outstanding college loans or other debts, and they are more likely to say that they live paycheck to paycheck  

Freelancers are 18 percentage points more politically active that non-freelancers, and their primary wish is that politicians will focus on making healthcare more affordable and available. This is a political constituency that is poised to grow in economic and political influence — and must be heard.

Find out more about Freelancing In America.

This post was republished with the kind permission of Freelancers Union member Erin Bagwell.

Last summer I testified alongside Freelancer’s Union to advocate for a bill that would protect freelancers from sexual harassment in the workplace.

Right now, NYC has over 1.3 million independent contractors like photographers, models, designers, consultants and more. That’s one in three New Yorkers who might need protection against harassment and discrimination based on their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

At the last job I worked at before I started my Dream, Girl journey I was being sexually harassed by my boss, and didn’t have the courage or legal rights to do anything about it.

However, after traveling around the world the last five years with Dream, Girl and hearing your stories I feel more motivated than ever to make the workplace a safer and more inspiring place to be. It’s why I love doing corporate speaking events and why when Caitlin Pearce from Freelancer’s Union asked me to testify to support this bill I dug down deep and said “yes.”

The day I testified I was shaking like a leaf. While I was practicing my testimony at home I couldn’t get through the whole thing without crying. How the heck was I going to confidently share my story in front of a group of New York City Council members in a room full of strangers?

Just to add to the stakes of the day, I was three months pregnant, had horrible morning sickness, and was wildly hormonal.

Nevertheless, I made my statement, shared my story, and cried through the whole thing.

Afterwards, myself and the other gals who testified were met with warmth from our City Council Members. They thanked us for sharing our stories and even though I felt emotionally hungover for the rest of the day I knew I’d done the right thing for me. It left me grateful and just a little exhausted.

Fast forward to just over a year later when I received an email from Caitlin telling us our bill was going to be passed and we were invited back to City Hall to celebrate. This time, Ginny Rose would be by my side as we as we watched the vote, effectively solidifying this bill as law.

The day of the event we shared the stage with Freelancers Union, the other women who testified, as well as Council Member Brad Lander who championed the bill in a press conference.

It was exciting, humbling, and unexpectedly emotional. Once the press conference was done I took Ginny to Starbucks to refuel. While waiting for my iced coffee I started to shed a few tears. Sometimes it’s the really hard things that make the biggest impact. Sometimes it’s pushing past the fear to do the right thing that truly makes a difference.

And while I’m sure the bill would have passed to become law without my specific testimony, I’m proud as hell to say I was a part of it.

The rest of the morning my daughter and I strolled down Broadway exploring the financial district which ends at the Statue of Liberty, grateful to belong to a city so big.

This is a sponsored post from Bench, the online bookkeeping service that pairs you with a dedicated bookkeeping team and elegant software to do your books for you.

Spreadsheet fatigue, checking account strain, chronic bouts of “Now, where did I put that receipt?” All symptoms of inefficient bookkeeping.

If small business finances are eating up hours and stressing you out, it’s time for a change. Here’s how to handle bookkeeping in the most efficient way possible — so you spend less time crunching numbers, and more helping your business thrive.

What is bookkeeping?

Bookkeeping is the day-to-day process of tracking money as it enters and leaves your business.

That means you do two things:

1. Record and categorizing transactions
2. Create financial reports that tell you the state of your business

When you’re on top of your bookkeeping, you can keep tabs on exactly how much cash you have to work with, plan for the future, and file taxes quickly, accurately, and on time.

Bookkeeping vs. accounting

Bookkeeping tracks your finances day-to-day and month-to-month. Accounting looks at the big picture — think yearly. A qualified accountant helps you plan for the future of your business, and make adjustments to help you save money.

To get help from an accountant, you need good bookkeeping records. The more comprehensive, organized, and up-to-date your bookkeeping is, the easier it is for your accountant to help you out. And fewer hours of work for them means less expensive accounting for you.

Bookkeeping options

Ready to kick off your bookkeeping journey? You have three options.

1. Accounting software helps you do your own bookkeeping, with help from a program.
2. A traditional bookkeeper will take care of your bookkeeping for you for an hourly rate.
3. Online bookkeepers like Bench charge a monthly flat rate, handling your bookkeeping for you while giving you intuitive software to track and manage your finances.

We’ll cover all three options below.

How to handle bookkeeping

The three bookkeeping options — software, a traditional bookkeeper, and online bookkeepers—each come with their own strengths and weaknesses. The table below gives you a quick overview.

Accounting software

With accounting software, you enter your business transactions and categorize them yourself. The software separates them into different sections, and can automatically generate financial reports for you.

While accounting software streamlines DIY bookkeeping, it doesn’t handle it for you— meaning you’ll still need to spend time every month entering and categorizing transactions. And, if you make any mistakes, they’ll result in inaccurate books.

Dollar cost: Xero, one of the most popular software options, ranges from $9 to $70, depending on the complexity of your books and which features you opt for.

Time cost: The amount of time you spend bookkeeping will depend on how many transactions you need to enter each month, and how complex your business is. For a simple solo business, you should expect to spend at least several hours every month.

Pros:

• Low dollar cost. With simple bookkeeping starting at $9 per month, software is a cheap option.
• Good way to learn bookkeeping hands on. If you’re unfamiliar with most bookkeeping processes, accounting software can act as a learning platform.

Cons:

• High time cost. Compared to having your bookkeeping done for you, accounting software can eat up a lot of hours every month.
• Learning curve. Accounting software is designed to be adaptable. That means lots of options — and lots of functions to learn — even though only a few of those options may be relevant for your business.
• Potential errors. The software is a robot — it does what you tell it to. If you categorize a transaction incorrectly, or forget to enter one, the software won’t bat an eye. Meaning you’re on the hook for any errors in your bookkeeping — whether that means failing to accurately track expenses, or filing an incorrect tax return.
• No personal support. Since there’s no individual or team working for you, if you need help, you’ll need to rely on help files, user forums, or — at best — a help hotline.

Who it’s best for: Accounting software is a good choice if you’re just getting your business off the ground, and you need basic bookkeeping functions to help you stay on track until you can hire a professional.

Traditional bookkeeper

A traditional bookkeeper is a local professional who does your bookkeeping for you. They may work independently as a freelancer, in partnership with other bookkeepers or accountants, or as part of a large national firm.

One benefit of hiring a local, traditional bookkeeper is that you can meet them in person. So, if your business relies on a lot of paper financial documents, that makes it easier to share them with your bookkeeper.

Dollar cost: Most bookkeepers charge between $20 and $50 per hour, often with a set monthly minimum. The amount of time they need to spend on your books each month will depend on the complexity of your business.

Time cost: With any bookkeeper, you should be prepared to spend a couple of hours each month — in case they need more information before categorizing transactions, or you need to deliver hard copies of transaction records.

Pros:

• Fairly low time cost. At a couple of hours each month, hiring a bookkeeper takes up much less of your time than doing your own bookkeeping.
• Face-to-face interaction. You get a chance to meet with your bookkeeper in person and discuss your bookkeeping one-on-one.
• Protection from errors. A bookkeeper experienced in your industry should have no problem delivering error-free books—meaning you don’t need to worry about inaccurate or late bookkeeping.
• Good with paper records. Since you can work with them one-on-one, it’s easy to deliver paper records to your bookkeeper.

Cons:

• May need you to deliver bank statements, etc. by hand. If your bookkeeper doesn’t have access to your bank and credit card accounts, you’ll need to give them copies of your statements — none of your transactions are automatically imported.
• No software interface. Every bookkeeper works differently, but most traditional bookkeepers can’t offer intuitive online dashboards like the ones provided by Bench.
• Variable monthly rates. Since traditional bookkeepers charge hourly, the cost of bookkeeping can fluctuate month to month.
• May be hard to contact during busy season. Especially for freelance bookkeepers, tax time is the busiest part of the year. If your bookkeeper is juggling lots of clients, expect a lag time when it comes to communication.

Who it’s best for: Small businesses ready to have their bookkeeping handled professionally. Traditional bookkeepers are especially suited to businesses with lots of paper records.

Online bookkeepers

For this example, we’ll be using Bench, the largest bookkeeping service in North America.

Bench gives you a team of bookkeepers who do all your bookkeeping for you. They automatically import transactions, categorize them, and prepare monthly financial statements for you. You can track your finances and communicate with your team through the Bench app.

Dollar cost: Bench starts at $119 per month (Starter), ranging up to $299 (Corporate).

Time cost: Your team categorizes your transactions for you. But, if an unusual transaction shows up, they may ask you to categorize it in the Bench app. You should expect to spend less than one hour per month categorizing stray transactions. The longer you’re a client, and the more familiar your team becomes with your books, the less likely they’ll need to ask your opinion.

Pros:

• Automatically imports bank and credit statements. Bench links up with your business accounts — meaning your team automatically tracks all your transactions for you.
• Intuitive online interface. Bench’s app lets you view monthly financial reports, visual summaries, and cash flow data. You can also use it to message your team at any time.
• Monthly financial reports. Monthly financial reports, plus the Year End Financial Report, give you all the info you need to track your business performance and accurately file taxes.
• Protection from errors. Since your transactions are imported automatically, and a team of professionals categorizes for them, you don’t need to worry about making errors with your bookkeeping.
• Bench offers tax filing. Bench has an additional tax filing service — so your monthly bookkeeping, financial reports, and taxes are all handled in one place.

Cons:

• Doesn’t work well with paper recordkeeping. Bench is an online service, working with digital records. If you have a lot of paper receipts or other records that need to be entered on the books, it isn’t a good fit for your business.
• May feel unfamiliar if you’re not used to using online services. If you’re used to doing banking in person, and you’re not super comfortable with online services, Bench may not be a great fit for you.

Who it’s best for: Bench is a good choice for any business that’s grown beyond the just-a-hobby phase. It’s especially suited to business owners already familiar with handling banking and other back office tasks online.

What’s not to love about credit card rewards, purchase incentives and manufacturer rebates? A potentially higher tax bill for one thing. If that’s news to you, you aren’t alone. While many of us love to collect reward points, get cash back, or use travel miles as a perk for purchasing with a credit card or buying a specific item, we don’t necessarily think that the IRS or state tax authorities are in the know — or expecting us to claim them as income. Yet they are. That’s why before you sign up for any new reward program or make a purchase to score a sweet bonus, you should understand how they might impact you from a tax perspective:

Post-purchase perks are usually tax-free. The types of rewards and the way in which you receive them determine whether they are considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In general, if spending is required prior to you receiving a reward, the IRS tends not to consider the value as taxable income. This is the case for many rewards, like cash back programs from credit card companies, which are usually considered to be a discount rather than income in the eyes of the IRS.

Once you have earned your credit card or other loyalty program rewards, you can redeem them for gift cards, gift certificates or other items of value without having to claim them as income. The IRS still considers the redemption of rewards to be a  discount on purchases rather than taxable income.

When does a bonus become a tax burden? Generally, when you are offered an incentive prior to doing any business with a company the IRS considers it part of your taxable income. For example, if you sign up for a credit card or a bank account and receive a significant cash bonus or other incentive (additional travel miles or tangible gifts) for doing so, you need to claim the value as taxable income on your state and federal taxes. This applies whether or not you receive a 1099-MISC form from the company which bestowed a bonus on you.

Be aware that in some states credit card companies are required to report cash payments made to their cardholders to both the state taxing authority and to the IRS — which means your income reporting may be under additional scrutiny.

Rebates generally reduce deductible business expenses. It’s always a good idea to have one credit card that you use for all your business expenses to keep them separate from your personal expenses. The same tax rules about credit card rewards and the other incentives you receive for making purchases as outlined above apply to business use as well. However, there is one other thing to note: the IRS rules state that the value of points earned on business purchases as well as any rebates you receive after-the-fact should be subtracted from the cost of said purchases, effectively lowering the tax-deductible amount.

Another thing to keep in mind: the IRS has become very sophisticated at tracking income provided to cardholders from credit card companies and other providers. This means that whether you are reaping rewards from making a credit card purchase, opening a bank account, or taking advantage of a post-purchase rebate, you want to make sure that you are not subjected to a tax penalty because you failed to report your gains appropriately.

Jonathan Medows is a New York City based CPA who specializes in taxes and business issues for freelancers and self-employed individuals across the country. He offers a free consultation to members of Freelancer’s Union* and a monthly email newsletter covering tax, accounting and business issues to freelancers on his website, http://www.cpaforfreelancers.com— which also features a new blog, how-to articles, and a comprehensive freelance tax guide.

*Jonathan is happy to provide an initial consultation to freelancers. To qualify for a free consultation you must be a member of the Freelancers Union and mention this article upon contacting him. Please note that this offer is not available March 1 through April 18 and covers a general conversation about tax responsibilities of a freelancer and potential deductions. These meetings do not include review of self-prepared documents, review of self-prepared tax returns, or the review of the work of other preparers. The free meeting does not include the preparation or review of quantitative calculations of any sort. He is happy to provide such services but would need to charge an hourly rate for his time.

The National Writers Union is proud to announce a division created specifically for freelance media workers, one that aims to build off our history while adapting to the conditions specific to writers and workers today.

The National Writers Union was formed in 1981 to protect writers against the many political and practical obstacles they faced. In the decades since, we’ve negotiated contractual agreements with publications for better protections, won class action lawsuits to secure rights and over one million dollars in non-payment grievances, provided healthcare and benefits, and continued to build collective power among many types of writers.

And yet, here we are again. Media is still, and increasingly so, a volatile industry. The unsustainable expectations for growth in terms of both revenue and reach, combined with the consolidation of wealth and power at the top, have left media workers without consistent wages or protections.

In the spring of 2018, a group of volunteers began discussing how freelancers could benefit from the gains of collective bargaining. As thousands of workers have unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East and the NewsGuild-CWA, the question of how we could stand in solidarity with staff workers while advocating for our own rights became more urgent than ever.

Like so many other types of workers today, freelance media workers scramble to make a living from different employers at disparate rates. The precarious distinctions between freelance, permalance, staff, and contract are porous — most of us will move between these titles multiple times over the course of our career, while only some of the categories come with the rights and privileges that all workers are entitled to.

Our demands are simple: we want to set industry standards, and then raise them. As a division under the National Writers Union, we will be electing an organizing committee to represent our membership. All members are eligible to vote and run; for more information on the roles, click here .

Through our membership, we will establish a community among freelance media workers and across the wider labor movement, while working in coalition with other unions, community organizations, and workers groups. We will continue to build our partnership with Freelancers Union, advocating for better laws and legislation that serve all kinds of freelancers.

We expect that all our members will be a part of building our union, shaping our goals and contributing to our strategy for meeting them. Members’ dues will go towards planning and hosting events, ensuring that our spaces and events are accessible and inclusive, and building up a legal fund to fight any and all challenges against our right to organize. We’ve already had over one hundred members sign up in less than a month, and we’re accepting new members every day. Sign up here.

This morning I called up my utilities company to share a proposal: “What if I decided I’m not going to pay you until 90 days after my bill is due?”

Fay, my agent, wasn’t quite sure what to do with me.

“I’ve never been asked that!“ she said. I told her not to worry, I was just doing some research. Putting hypotheticals out there, to see what kind of power I might have. (Please don’t shut off my electricity.) She laughed, and explained how this typically works: If I don’t pay a bill within a week, they’ll routinely assess a late fee. If I’m legit struggling to pay, I can request financial assistance. But if I were to say, “Paying you in 90 days is my policy now”? Lights out.

Which seems obvious. It’s standard practice for a business not to accept Net 90 payment terms. I don’t just get to decide I’m paying all my bills late — not without facing any consequences.

So why does big business get 90 days — AKA Net 90?

“CNN has unbelievable nerve to do that,” one freelance audio engineer told me on condition of anonymity. Demonstrating the power inequities at play, most freelancers interviewed for this story asked not to be named, for fear of retaliation or losing work from companies with which they still have relationships.

Unbelievable nerve is something the audio engineer, like 57 million other freelancers in the United States alone, deals with all the time.

His client, Metrovision Production Group, typically pays around 90 days after he sends an invoice. So it seems convenient that Metrovision relocated its headquarters from NYC to New Jersey shortly after the Freelance Isn’t Free law went into effect in the city. While the law mandates that companies pay debts of $800 or more within 30 days unless contracts state otherwise, New Jersey has no such protections against late or nonpayment.

Outside the jurisdiction of the Freelance Isn’t Freelance law, businesses like Metrovision can legally pay invoices … pretty much whenever they want. And Metrovision, like Turner/CNN, and every company contacted for this story — including Surface Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Outside Magazine, Kellogg, Heinz, Proctor & Gamble, Mondelez — did not respond to requests for comments on their payment policies (though maybe they’ll eventually get back, in approximately 90 days).

“Companies like that, they’re always busy with work,” the audio engineer says. “It’s not like they’re living hand to mouth. You would think they have a really healthy bank account, so it’s just their choice of practices to just not pay on time.”

A luxury big businesses can afford

The choice to pay on Net 90 terms is a disturbing but growing trend. Per the New York Times, several corporations, including Kellogg, Mars, Proctor & Gamble, and Heinz, are extending payment terms as part of their business strategy. Sometimes those terms are as high as Net 120. That’s a full four months of making suppliers wait to receive money owed to them.

“I think the whole idea is very bad,” Professor Narayanan of Harvard is quoted in the New York Times piece. “[Those businesses] are essentially going to their suppliers for credit, rather than their banks.”

Its seems obvious that it’s a bad idea making the small fries carry your financial burdens, especially in light of the terrible pressure it places on those who can least afford it. And the human consequences are very real. “I was almost homeless because of Net 90,” says a freelance food stylist who contacted Freelancers Union. “I was at the point where my credit cards were maxed. I would beg people, ‘Hey, can I get a partial payment?’ My terms were Net 30, not 90.” And guess how they responded? “They told me, ‘Well, you don’t get paid until I get paid.’”

Net 90 is not how life works

Because it’s ridiculous to tell my suppliers and creditors, who demand payment within 30 days or less, that I’m now on a Net 90 payment policy.

To writer Mark Remy, my proposal seems like “a perfectly rational place to take it.” Remy and I discussed how every time I propose my Net 90 policy, it’s met with laughter. “It underscores how absurd these media outlets are being when they take that tack.” (Over on YouTube, Remy shared that Outside Magazine took 171 days to pay an invoice.)

But laws do work

That tack is exactly why laws like Freelance Isn’t Free were put in place. And for some, it has already paid off. Journalist William Ketchum III shares one example: “I was owed money for stories as far back as March of last year, so I reached out to the publication’s accounting team, and I had my National Writers Union lawyer attached to the email. I cited the laws in New York City and they paid me within a few days. It was really telling. As soon as I sent them a threat, they send the payment.”

The thing is, legal recourse doesn’t work everywhere. The Freelance Isn’t Free law is, for now, specific to NYC. As one freelance journalist put it, “Until [late payment] is actually illegal with a pathway for redress and repercussions, it won't change.” She was threatened by a publication (“We will destroy your reputation”) after asking for payment upon delivery of her work.

A rational fear of The Man

“Net 90? That’s harsh. I think it’s absolute bullying for large corporations to push that on small business,” Portland, Oregon-based litigation attorney AJ Barnett told me over email. He advised that if companies try to enforce egregiously long payment terms, to tell them, “They can have it at a 90-day price.” If a big business is asking your small or solo practice to finance their luxury of extended payment time, that should come at a higher cost.

But what happens when you need that payment on a 30-day cycle, or when you try to push back? As if to summarize the crux of the issue, the freelance journalist explains, “We have no power or recourse. The problem is we simply don’t have the collective bargaining power  — and when we try to organize other writers, everyone is so afraid.”

Freelancers fear repercussions from speaking up, because these repercussions happen all the time. “You’re always up against a wall where if you make a fuss, they just won’t hire you again,” the freelance audio engineer said. “That happened with a corporate client once. I asked about not getting paid and then never heard from them again.”

Push back, and get burned. It’s an all-too common theme. “Some people are feeling like they can’t really say anything because it will sour the relationship. It’s problematic,” Seattle-based journalist Wudan Yan told me. She added 20% late fees to her invoices after things went very wrong, to the tune of $5,000 with three clients. Each pushed back, openly threatened retaliation, or expressed confusion — despite the clear stipulations of Wudan’s contracts.

Laws like Freelance Isn’t Free do protect against retaliation, at least in NYC. But it’s hard to prove that not getting called back for work, or losing work to a competitor, is a violation.

Until the Davids band together, we can’t beat the Goliaths

So what are freelancers supposed to do, or feel, when they speak out against bad behavior themselves only to see a fellow independent contractor put up with it? “We already heard of a competitor willing to do it for a lower rate, and at Net 90,” a freelancer who pushed back against Turner/CNN points out. “We are our own worst enemy.”

As Remy says, “It’s hard not to slip into platitudes, but there’s strength in numbers.” Take the #EbonyOwes case. In 2017, journalist Ketchum was among several independent writers who took to Twitter to lament the magazine’s late and nonpayment. That social uproar caught the eye of the National Writer’s Union’s Larry Goldbetter, who went to bat for freelancers in a lawsuit launched against Ebony. And it worked: all 40-plus writers were paid the more than $80,000 owed. “It’s never just one writer not getting paid,” says Goldbetter.

There’s also been progress, at least for small businesses, overseas. In the UK, huge beverage company Diageo backed down from extending its payment terms to 90 days after a watchdog small business lobby group, the Forum of Private Business (FPB), publicly blasted the company. Still, as FPB’s chief executive put it, “The practice of grossly unfair trading terms is a growing trend.”

Strength in Numbers

To combat this grossly unfair trend, we can start by holding strong to our own policies. Make your contract terms Net 30 or less. Add fees for late payments. In short, Yan advises, “Don’t think of yourself as an artist, think of yourself as a business.” She adds that we all have to stand up for ourselves and stand our ground, because “It only works if everyone does it.”

For now, there are resources to help freelancers collect what’s due. In NYC, Freelancers Hub offers free legal clinics, as well as monthly Freelance Isn’t Free workshops with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Freelancers Union also offers a free contract tool that includes a clause about compliance with the Freelance Isn’t Free law.

Outside NYC, freelancers still have access to free or low-cost legal resources, like LegalShield. Others turn to sites like Study Hall to compare what other media workers are experiencing in terms of payment and contracts. And anyone can attend events like SPARK to discuss such issues in person. “The more we are willing to talk to each other and share the better we are collectively,” says Portland-based blogger Carissa Bonham.

“It may seem like you’re powerless  —  and in some ways, let’s face it, you probably are,” admits Remy. “But use the power that you do have as much as you can.” Like the power to join a union, because, according to Ketchum, “Unions really force these places to do their best.” When it comes to doing right financially, concludes the freelance journalist, “Frankly there is no excuse. I am a small business and if I can pay on time, then so can the bigger companies.”

Yeah, they can. Especially if they want to keep the lights on.

Editor’s note: Have you experienced Net 90 payment terms? Tell us about your experiences at advocacy@freelancersunion.org.

This article was first published by the IRS and has been reproduced with permission. Subscribe to IRS tax tips here.

Questions about tax payments and penalties come up all year long. Taxpayers can find most answers to these questions on IRS.gov. They can head over to the Let Us Help You page, which features links that take users to information and resources on a wide range of topics related to penalties and payments.

Payments

Payment options

• This page lays out the different way taxpayers can pay what they owe, from having the payment taken directly from their bank account to using a credit card.

Payment plan

• Taxpayers who cannot pay what they owe in full have options, which are explained on this page.

View your balance and payment history

• Individual taxpayers can use this tool to check their account and see things like their payoff amount.

Liens and levies

These links explain what a lien and a levy are, and how taxpayers comply with them.

• Understanding a federal tax lien
• Understanding a levy

Resolve a dispute

The Office of Appeals is an independent organization within the IRS that helps taxpayers resolve their tax disputes. This page has links to information that will help taxpayers who received a notice saying their case qualifies to be reviewed by Appeals.

• Office of Appeals

Prevent future tax bill

Taxpayers who owed more than expected when they filed this year have a couple of options to help them avoid that when they file next year. These pages have more info about the options.

• Tax Withholding Estimator
• Estimated payments
  

Penalties

These links take the user to information where they can find out more about topics related to penalties and penalty relief.

• Penalty relief/abatement
• Penalty relief for under withholding
• Help for struggling taxpayers

Subscribe to IRS Tax Tips

What comes into your mind when you think of becoming an Instagram influencer? Perhaps, gaining a million followers and getting thousands of dollars for sponsored posts. Well, it’s not just about reaching a specific number of followers. It’s more about having an influence on loyal people on IG — those who like your content and can potentially buy the products you offer through the platform.

You can be an influencer on Instagram even with several thousand people following you and charge brands $50-$100 for one advertisement. There are five sure-fire ways to develop your Instagram page that will fit you, no matter how many followers  you have at the moment.

1) Find your niche and focus on it

Obviously, you want to monetize your account. It’s a fact that potential consumers are more likely to listen to the opinions of experts than fellow consumers. So, establish yourself as an expert.

They say that on social media, you can’t make it if you fake it. Is there something you’re passionate about? Influencers typically focus on fashion, fitness, travel, beauty, food, tech, or lifestyle. But you shouldn’t choose a route that doesn’t excite you just because someone else is already doing it successfully. There should be a sphere you’re genuinely interested and acknowledged in.  Maybe you’re into music, DIY crafts or photography.

Don’t make random posts. Make it clear for the followers that you have an interest in a particular niche.

2) Provide quality content

IG influencers are basically content creators. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that users with attractive photos and videos have a bigger audience.

To create a visually rich platform, invest in a high-quality camera or photographer. Keep in mind that brands are looking for those who can represent their products, services, or location through eye-catching content. Maybe a friend takes good photos of you. But sometimes it makes sense to use the services of a professional.

One more way to improve your content is to choose and stick to an aesthetic. Keeping the same aesthetic provides a cohesive feed that guides your followers from one picture to another, holding their attention longer.

3) Use relevant hashtags

Simply Measured found that Instagram posts with at least one hashtag received an average 12.6% more engagement than those without a hashtag. But while it’s not news that these little symbols play a big role in developing influencers’ accounts, it’s not so simple to find #right #Instagram #hashtags.

Choose 30 popular hashtags related to your content and pack them up into several groups. Every time you upload a photo, select one group and include it into the first caption of your post.

Avoid overused tags like #food, #travel, #motivation, or others that have been used more than 500,000 times. The chance of appearing in the top ten posts for such hashtags is too low.

Tags that have between 10,000 and 100,000 posts will boost your exposure. Keep them #short, #simple, and #easytospell. Also, pay attention to trending tags in your topic.

4) Strengthen relations with your followers

Show your followers that you hear them. Respond to their comments either by answering their questions or giving out some likes. This interaction may not necessarily increase your following, but it contributes to the engagement level of your account. The goal is to develop loyalty so you won’t lose existing followers.

Moreover, your activity in the comment sections may encourage prospective brands to partner with you. They’ll see your interaction with IG users and influence on their purchase decisions. These factors demonstrate that you can be an effective promoter of their products or services.

5) Attract brands

So, you deliver high-quality content, boast a substantial number of followers, and have healthy engagement rates. “Where’s my long list of partnership offers?” you may wonder.

To get more offers:

• Find brands in your niche and write them on Instagram Direct Messages or send an email.
• Search the web for influencer marketing platforms where brands look for internet-famous creators.
• Approach Instagram influencer marketing agencies (yes, they exist). They already have a network of brands running influencer campaigns.
• Offer your service to local, small businesses. Even your few thousand followers is an appealing number for a small business owner and they can pay a few hundred dollars for an advert. Partner with a few each month and you’ll have a source of additional income.

Whatever your Instagram ambitions are and whatever the future has in store for social media marketing, becoming an influencer is a good choice. You can gain a strong following, become an industry thought leader, and establish your personal brand identity.  All these benefits are worthy of your efforts.

When I started freelancing, my website was not really working for me. No traffic. No leads. No clients. Nada. And for many months, that’s just how I thought that went.

Today? My mindset on a freelance website is completely different.

For starters, my website has directly or indirectly landed me all of my clients — and it’s also grown into a profitable side-hustle (think: affiliate marketing). For instance, when I landed a $3k website content project without pitching my prospect:

(Psst, my website did the pitching. 😉 ) And that’s how it should be.

After all, your freelance website is more than just some random blog — it’s an extension of your identity. But turning my website into a lead gen machine was by no means an overnight process. It took a lot of trial and error (and still has rework due soon).

There are many ways to go about building your freelance site, but you need to realize that it will never be perfect. Before you get bogged down in the details, check off these essentials.

1)  Clear Value Proposition

A value proposition should clearly explain how your service fills a need, communicate the specifics of its added benefit, and state the reason why you are better than other competitors.

On another note, It is important to position your value proposition as a speciality as top-dollar clients prefer working with the pros.

For example, I’ve niched down to a very specific service and for a very specific audience:

Picture: Mark’s Homepage

Using vivid infographics has also proven to be an effective way of making your value proposition stand out.

An example of this is how I use a visual timeline to take my prospects through a step-by-step overview of my services:

Picture: Mark's SaaS content service page

Similarly, you need to break down your value proposition and combine nifty visuals to create compelling sections in your freelance website:

• How can you solve a client's problem?
• The unique benefit of hiring you as their solution provider.
• Tell them how you are better and different from your competition.

A  clear value proposition makes it easier for prospects to understand what you offer and why only then be able to decide if you're the right fit for them.

2) Simple to understand UX

Clean navigation that has a continuous flow is extremely important to guide prospects on your website, and ultimately to drive them to hit that contact button.

For instance, my home page copy follows a sequential order that starts from my value prop and ends with a CTA button to contact me:

Similarly, you need to pay attention to the flow of your page copy, navigation, and ensure that it’s logical and not abrupt.

Here are a few ways to ensure simple navigation for your freelance site:

• Adopt a clean minimalist design with a lot of whitespaces.
• Make sure your navigation is well structured and covers everything your prospect wants to see (think: portfolio, services, about, contact).
• Write each page’s copy like you’re writing a landing page and implement storytelling to make things more compelling.
• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.

Essential #3 Get a good hosting plan.

Over my time as a freelancer, I learned that when it comes to page load time, every second counts.

Did you know that 40% of your traffic will abandon your website if your page takes more than 3 seconds to load? A one-second delay in your load time can result in a 7% reduction in your conversion.

This is where a good website hosting provider comes in and helps you maintain that 100% uptime your site deserves.

Trust me, you do not want to lose out on opportunities simply because your website was too slow or did not load at all. So do not compromise on your plan.

The most essential pages for a freelance website

Now, I get that building a freelance website is an ongoing process that can take years.
However, you need to make sure you have the following pages before moving on to anything else:

Home: An overview page that gives your viewers a gist of all the other pages. This is the first-page traffic would land on so you should invest time on this.

About: An important page to add establish an emotional connection with prospects. On a similar note, your about page should tell your prospects who are you and why you are in this industry. Pro tip: Always put a face to the name. Do not feel shy to use your pictures. It boosts the emotional connection.

Services: Another important page that lists out services you offer as a freelancer. Also, make sure to have A-plus copy here.

Testimonials: These are a great way to build trust and authority as clients want to work with freelancers who have other clients backing them up.

Contact form: A simple contact form that allows your visitors to reach out.

Most essential plugins for a freelance website

With your website launched and essential pages in place, you’re just missing one thing and that’s plugins.

Plugins are a great way to extend the functionality of your website with minimal tech headaches.

1. Yoast for SEO: Optimizes your site for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) in 2019 is important, especially when you’re trying to rank for service keywords. This is where Yoast comes in, offering turnkey solutions to freelancers looking to optimize their website and content for SEO, all by customizing a few settings.

2. W3 Total Cache: Makes your website load faster

W3 Total Cache is another essential freelancer plugin that helps make your site load faster (an essential for positive user experience). Just like Yoast,  you can customize a few settings and have it set up in a few minutes.

3. OptinMonster: Helps grow your email list

OptinMonster is a lead-gen plugin for creating lead capture forms, focused on high conversion. For example, you can use OptinMonster to create a contact form that captures leads and automatically adds it to a nifty lead list for future use (think: email campaigns, etc.).

So what makes a good freelance website?

Well, there isn’t one single thing that’s going to make your freelance website good. Its a little bit of everything that contributes to building a quality freelance website. Similarly, there’s no one strategy that will make you a better freelancer. It's a collection of many.

At the end of the day, your website is an extension of you. The point of contact between you and your clients, so ensure best practices and make it shine.

Good luck!

You can apply to all the gigs you want — but that get’s exhausting fast. One way to stop applying and start letting the clients come to you is by making yourself visible online. Ideally, when a potential client searches for you, or what they need, I.E. freelance writer in San Diego, they’ll find you via your website, social profiles, etc.

But that doesn’t happen without a little work. To ensure you’re found, you need to do a few key things first. Use these tips to get found online so you can continue to grow your freelance business.

Be active on social

Social media is more than a platform to share photos of your weekend adventures. As a freelancer, it’s a valuable tool for getting found online. First and foremost, when searching your name, the platforms where you are active will show up in search. You can see, when searching my name, both my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts show up.

Social media is an opportunity for you to share what you know, which supplements what potential clients see on your website. Show your knowledge by posting industry-specific posts, along with client testimonials and links to other work and features you’ve had on other sites.

Social media is also a great way to connect with potential clients who see and interact with your posts. Use platforms like Twitter to participate in chats, which allow you to grow your following and connect with other businesses and business owners.

For example, as a web designer, you might participate in the weekly #SmallBiz chat, allowing you to share your knowledge and connect with small business owners who might need a freelance designer.

To get the most out of these platforms, choose just one or two and dedicate yourself to engaging and sharing. A strong, up-to-date and active presence looks better than one that’s inactive with old information and low-performing posts.

Speed up your site on mobile

Speed is a critical factor in mobile search and therefore how Google ranks you. While this doesn’t seem important, 63 percent of all of Google’s organic search traffic comes from non-desktop devices. That means, it’s a factor for getting found online that you can’t ignore. If your site isn’t up to speed, you’ll have a hard time making into mobile search engines, which means clients won’t find you.

Search Engine Journal further explains the importance of mobile speed, “With Google’s mobile-first index also slowly rolling out this year [2019] and last, mobile continues to be Google’s new preference.The slower your sites load, the more visitors and revenue you’ll lose out on. For Amazon,  just one second could cost it $1.6 billion in sales each year. And, The Telegraph, a British publication, found that a four second delay reduced page views by 11.02 percent.”

The good news is, Google tells you exactly what to do to speed up your site. Use Google’s pagespeed tool to get your speed score and then use Kinsta’s pagespeed guide to understand how to implement their recommendations. If this all sounds like a foreign language, consider hiring an SEO-focused developer who can make those changes for you.

Start a blog

Starting a blog is one of the best ways to be found online organically because blog posts allow you to target queries that your clients are searching for. For example, as a B2B content marketing consultant, I’ve written blog posts on topics like “how to use marketing automation for B2B content creation.” The keyword focus there being “marketing automation”— something I know my target audience cares about.

As such, the foundational element of blogging is choosing the right keywords, the SEO term for search queries. The right keywords have high search volume and low competition, meaning you can easily rank in search for that keyword or phrase. If this is new to you, start with this free keyword research guide, which will help you understand how to choose keywords, where to find them, and then how to use them in your content.

As you write your blog posts, also remember that a great blog post does a few things:

• Provides a solution.
• Educates the reader.
• Covers the topic/answers the question thoroughly.
• Uses data and expert insights to back up all claims.
• Let’s your expertise shine.

When potential clients land on a well-written, optimized blog post, they automatically see the value you provide, along with the knowledge you have to offer.

Get your freelance business found online

Stop spending all your time chasing new clients, and instead, let them come to you. When you’re active on social media, create keyword-optimized blog posts, and update your speed on mobile, clients will find you. Use these tips to get found online so you can continue to grow your business now and in the future.