Never Say Never

I could have used any number of trite images for this post. A revolving door, musical chairs, etc. The "grass is always greener on the other side" image works too I guess. Maybe it's just that I really like goats.

Anyhow, seems like another "Career Freelancer" has left the fold to take a staff position. Yes, Daily Freelancer contributor Joe Criscoulo is now on staff at TracyLocke. Ironically enough Joe was the first person I heard use the term "Career Freelancer", so I credit him as coining the phrase. In the past year folks like Brant Johnson and John Whitmer (both long-time freelancers) also left freelancing for staff positions. Of all the freelancers I know, I would have never thought any of these guys would go back on staff. I'm commenting on all this because I believe this observation epitomizes just how difficult freelancing can be even for those of us who have become well established.

At the same time, folks like Steve Kelly, Ludwig Gayanillo and our friend Kathy Vass (all long-time staffers) have all chosen freelancing over working on staff. Hmmmmm. So which side has the greener grass? Answer: neither. The decision to go staff or freelance isn't made on a whim, it's made as a last resort. Staffers go freelance out of frustration. Freelancers go back on staff out of desperation. Unfortunately, these aren't positions you want to be in, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do. In addition to ensuring your bills are getting paid, a fresh start can certainly invigorate creativity, and open up new opportunities. In the end, all the experience gained as a freelancer will make you a better staffer, and all the time spent on staff will make you a better freelancer.

I wish everyone well in their new endeavors. Just remember, if you're not a freelancer anymore you can't read this blog!

Apple's Next "Big Thing"

Apple just announced their latest batch of upgraded equipment, and among the mix is a "new" Mac Pro which is slated to ship in August. Apple is still trying to recover from the new iPhone4 debacle so the news about the Mac Pro release isn't on the forefront yet. After reading the specs for the new machines I'm not sure any of this even qualifies as news. As usual, Apple has only made a few very minor increases in speed and performance (i.e even more processors). The most significant increase comes in the form of solid state hard drives which deliver "2X the speed of a regular 7200rpm hard drive", and a 1GB video card.

The bottom line is if you already have a Mac Pro, the cost to upgrade to one of these newer machines won't justify the marginal increase in performance. For anyone out there who has to have a speed bump, the new video card(s) and solid state hard drives can be used in older Mac Pros to maximize their performance.

While I like the sheer power and expandability of the Mac Pro, the new iMacs have enough power to easily handle day-to-day design work. The fact that they cost a lot less than a Mac Pro is a nice plus as well.

Thanks For The Layout, Now Where's My Gift?

Here's a little topic that we haven't covered yet... client gift giving. For as long as I've been in this business I have always been aware of the practice of client gift giving. When I was the client hiring freelancers, I did enjoy the few gifts I received. In all honesty, it felt a little weird receiving a gift knowing that I wasn't obligated to give a gift in return. It felt... wrong somehow.

Sure, I understand that certain freelancers may want to express gratitude to a client for giving them business. That's all well and fine. However, over the years I think this has set an unhealthy precedent because now we have clients who actually EXPECT gifts from freelancers. Now this is something I know is wrong.

I have a very close friend who is one of these clients who expects gifts from freelancers at the end of the year. This has always shocked me because I would have never pegged him to be so... shallow. I mean why on earth should I feel obligated to give a gift to a client just because they called me to work? I'd like to think they called me because I have a reputation for being reliable, dedicated, detail-oriented, blah, blah, blah. Not because I give really great gifts at the end of the year. Well, after several years of freelance work my friend came right out and told me that he expected a gift at the end of the year. And he was dead serious. Brothers and sisters, you could have knocked me over with a feather.

And all this time I thought a gift should be given because you want to give it, not because you feel you have to. Wow, what an idiot I am!

During the holidays I used to bring in food and snacks for the whole agency, and a few personalized gifts for the folks I worked with directly. I only did this because I saw other freelancers doing it, and thought it was just the thing to do. Now, years later, I don't bring in anything. I think this is in large due to the comment my friend made. The way I look at it is that I'm being paid to provide a service. If I provide that service in a professional and competent manner then I get paid. I know that my work is making my client money, and even more money for my client's client so any gift giving would be extraneous. If a freelancer is being hired based on the quality of their gifts instead of the quality of their work then the system is truly buggered beyond repair.

Freelancers Union

I've known about the Freelancers Union for quite a few years now. (Technically, since "freelancers" is possessive, it should probably be the "Freelancer's Union" with an apostrophe, but whatever.) Anyhoo, I'm not sure why I never joined, or took advantage of the multitude of resources offered. Probably because I'm not a "joiner", but that's just me being stupid/stubborn. Over the years it has become quite a large organization and offers assistance and advice in many areas of operating a freelance business. Looks like a great aid for any freelancer out there so I thought I'd mention it here.

Here is the link...
Freelancers Union

Enjoy,
Slim

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Freelancer Etiquette

The Top 10 Rules of Freelance Etiquette:

1) PARK IN THE VISITOR SPACES. Why park behind the dumpster when you've got a spot reserved for you right up front? Everyone knows that visitors are greeted with a smile and given the respect they so richly deserve. They are shown around the office, introduced to everyone and treated to an expansive buffet lunch. And since you're not on staff, so you must be a.... "visitor", right?

2) SLOWLY MAKE YOUR WAY AROUND THE WHOLE OFFICE TO CATCH UP WITH OLD FRIENDS. It's important to take a few hours to reminisce about the good old days with old co-workers. That way they won't forget who you are, and you'll be "top-of-mind" when they need freelance help in the future.

3) SWAP OUT YOUR NON-FUNCTIONAL MOUSE WITH THE FUNCTIONAL MOUSE OF THE NEAREST ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE WHEN THEY'RE NOT AROUND. This will demonstrate to your Art Director that you're willing to do anything to get the job done. Everyone knows that real "go-getter" freelancers are hard to come by. Besides, what's an Account Exec need a mouse for?

4) BE FIRST IN LINE WHEN THE LEFTOVER LUNCH FROM THE CLIENT MEETING IS BROUGHT OUT. Some staffers would have you believe that they should be first, then their dog, then the receptionist, then the mail room guy, then the janitor, and THEN the freelancers. This is untrue. Since freelancers get paid by the hour they should be first instead of waiting around in a line wasting time. After all, time is money!

5) FOLLOW CREATIVE REQUEST FORMS TO THE LETTER! This one is pretty obvious, but I thought I'd list it anyhow. We all know that Creative Request Forms (a.k.a. Creative Service Requests, etc.) always contain all of the information you will ever need to begin and complete a project. All of the exact specifications, communication priorities and client-based mandatories are always spelled out in great detail which eliminates the need to ask stupid questions. Thank God for these things, or we'd all be banging our heads against the wall in utter frustration!

6) SEXUALLY HARASS ANYONE YOU WANT TO. It's not widely known, but sexual harassment laws only apply to full-time employees, not freelancers. I'd recommend doing this sooner than later as this little legal loophole won't stay open forever.

7) DON'T BOTHER THE IT DEPARTMENT WITH STUPID REQUESTS. Listen, the IT department has it's hands full trying to thwart the evil Zerg from invading sector 42-B. They simply don't have time to let a lowly freelancer know what the password is to log on to the server! And they certainly don't have time to upgrade your creative software so it will be compatible with the rest of the creative department! What do think this is? A multi-million dollar creative agency?!

8) FILL OUT YOUR TIME SHEETS IN FARSI. Just to see if anyone in accounting is paying attention.

9) MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME. Independent studies have shown that a comfortable freelancer is a productive freelancer. Create your own desktop pattern, hang up large photos of your children, proudly proclaim your controversial political beliefs and feel free to use the mailroom as your own personal UPS Store. Even if you are only on-site for a day or two your fellow co-workers will appreciate your efforts to feel at home in their shop.

10) INVITE YOURSELF ALONG TO THE OFFICE HAPPY HOUR. Hey, you worked just as hard as they did on that last project so why not have 9 or 10 pops on the company tab? After all, what better way is there to bond with the creative team then over shots of mescal and Jager? You don't have to worry about them not thinking you're a "professional" since no one will remember this tomorrow anyhow.

The Daily Freelancer Gets A Facelift

Not that dramatic of a change, but then again I'm not big on drama. I saw that Blogspot was offering up some new template designs and this new one was the least horrific of the lot.
Enjoy,
Slim

The Freelancer Crossroads

As a professional freelancer I believe it's important to always conduct myself in a professional manner. Unfortunately for me, I don't always pull that off 100% of the time. In this business it's easy to become frustrated at a myriad of things that would make Job himself lose his cool. Things like endless, subjective revisions dictated by clueless AEs before a layout is even shown to the client. Or receiving incomplete creative requests with contradictory direction that are due yesterday. Or being told to put a glow AND a shadow on an object by an AD who graduated college 2 years ago. Or being told to "just do it" after trying to point out that "just doing it" will result in making both the agency and client look bad. Yeah, welcome to the wonderful world of freelancing.

After a while you have to make a choice. If you refuse to compromise on the quality of your work, and question clearly bad direction then you risk being labeled as a freelancer that's "difficult to work with". If you capitulate and decide to produce something you know is wrong (won't print correctly, spelled wrong, poorly designed, etc.), as well as never question anything then you risk being labeled as a freelancer who "just isn't that good", or who "just doesn't care". I've heard the comments by ADs and CDs first hand, and I've never heard anyone referred to as "the perfect freelancer" because we're locked into a no-win situation.

Over the years I've met both types of freelancers. And being labeled one way or the other isn't a reflection on anyone's true ability, nor is it meant to be an insult in any way. Some people, like me, just can't resign themselves to doing something they know is obviously wrong. Others simply don't want to waste the time and effort railing against an industry that seemingly doesn't care what's right or wrong. I've had more than one fellow freelancer tell me to stop bothering to give a shit when clearly the agency or client doesn't, but I just... can't... do... it.

I've always wondered why there aren't more freelancers out there. I also wonder if the frustration of having to choose which negative perception you'll be labeled with has anything to do with why our numbers are so low.

Heard It Through The Grapevine

Another day, another rumor heard through the grapevine. One of the more interesting aspects of freelancing is being one of the first to hear the latest gossip almost as soon as it happens. When bouncing from shop to shop you can't help but pick up on information that is definitely not for public consumption. Some people say gossip and rumors should be reserved for the 7th grade girl's locker room. I say different. I say that these rumors highlight why there will always be a need for freelancers.

Sure it seems like most of what is being passed along is just trivial fluff. Things like "Did you hear that so-in-so is sleeping with what's-her-face?", or "Guess who's pregnant?". On the other hand, some of the rumors will clearly affect the entire industry. Things like "Did you hear that a giant conglomerate just bought our agency?" But over the years I have come to the conclusion that almost every rumor can become a potential opportunity for a freelancer. Especially when 90% of the "rumors" turn out to be factual.

Allow me to explain. I'll list out a bunch of fictitious rumors, and translate them into what I perceive as a potential freelance opportunity.

1) "So-in-so is cheating on her husband with What's-his-face." translates into "Someone's about to get fired, shot or castrated so stand by for a phone call after the shit hits the fan."

2) "Guess who's pregnant?" translates into "If there is a God then I'll be able to wrangle a sweet 6 to 10 week gig - maybe more if "Preggers" decides to become a stay-at-home mom!"

3) "Can you believe how much money What's-her-face is spending on her destination wedding?" translates into "Hey, that 2 week wedding cruise might turn into a 3 week gig for me if the caterer leaves the chipotle mayo dip in the sun too long! Bon voyage!"

4) "Man you should see how drunk What's-her-name gets at all the company parties!" translates into "If she keeps that up I'll be looking at covering 3 to 7 days for detox and then another 6 weeks for rehab! I'll drink to that!"

5) "Did you hear that What's-his-nuts got stung by a bee, and ended up in the hospital for a week and a half!" translates into "Google search: African Killer Bee hive sales and service".

6) "We just lost a big client to Agency X?" translates into "I've never heard of Agency X, but I'll bet the farm that they underbid you and oversold themselves. They'll be looking for cut-rate freelancers, but will have to pay the going rate in this market. In the end they'll end up losing money on the deal, but I'll just keep that little tidbit to myself for the time being."

7) "We might be having a big meeting with the client on Wednesday afternoon." translates into "Plan on staying late Tuesday night, but don't bother making lunch on Wednesday."

8) "Did you hear that the Creative Director who was famous for treating others with contempt and disrespect was just fired?" translates into "As soon as that asshat realizes no one will hire him he'll resort to competing for freelance work. Not that it will be much of a competition given his reputation."

So you see, the grapevine can be a useful tool for a freelancer just as long as you're not the one being talked about.


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Tax Time

April 15th is only 2 weeks away. If you don't have a good accountant then I'd suggest contacting my friend Kevin whose contact info is listed on the right side of this blog as soon as possible. Don't forget you can always file for an extension.

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It's All About Leverage

Just over a year ago I announced that I had agreed (for the first time in my freelance career) to lower my hourly rate in order to stay afloat financially. In total I was asked by two tiny shops and one large agency to lower my rate. I agreed to the two tiny shops, but thankfully I managed to avoid lowering my rate with the large agency. The reason for this was because work had picked up, and I was able to use that fact as leverage. "If you don't want to pay me my normal hourly rate, then I'd be foolish not to go down the street and work for another shop who'll pay my rate." They really needed my help, so they agreed to pay my rate. Considering the shape of the economy at the time, I got lucky.

Leverage is a wonderful thing when it works in your favor. In 2009, a lot of shops used the poor economy as leverage to beat up freelancers on their hourly rate. And that leverage worked on the majority of freelancers that I talked with. But the new year has brought us new fortune, and now the freelancers have the leverage to demand their normal hourly rate again. From what I've seen there is far too much work out there, and simply not enough people to do it. I was at an agency several weeks ago and counted at least 10 freelancers of different capacities walking around. After talking with several of them, I found out that they were currently working at a reduced hourly rate. I was shocked given how much work there is, but after last year I guess it's not surprising to see folks just happy to be working at all.

I've been waiting for the second quarter of this year to arrive as the bean counters will be sharpening their pencils, and analyzing how well the first quarter went. I'm no economist, but judging from the amount of work now, there will be no slow down in the second quarter. Regardless of what the future holds, the market is tipped in the freelancer's favor right now.

Extended bookings aside, if you're currently working at a reduced hourly rate, then you really need to consider some quick renegotiation. It's simple economics. If you can't get the rate you want then just go down the street and get it. The work is out there, and that's all the leverage you need for a fair shake.

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More Advertising Humor...

Enjoy...



BTW, that little girl was totally asking for it.

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If It Weren't So True I'd Laugh

Pretty funny (in a really depressing way) despite the PG13 language...



YouTube has a lot more of these as well.

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Is a Day Rate the Answer?

I've been asked by fellow freelancer Joe Criscuolo if he could contribute to The Daily Freelancer. So I said "Sure!". Anyhow, here's Joe's first submission.
Enjoy,
Slim

Is a Day Rate the Answer?
by Joe Criscuolo

I think we can all agree that day rates suck. Or do they?

I mean let’s face it, for us career freelancers, a day rate is tantamount to career suicide! But, in our current wonderful and vibrant economy – sarcasm intended – we would be remiss to cast aside any deal because of a day rate.

So, what’s a day rate anyway? Well, it’s basically when a client (you’ll recognize the client if you look over your shoulder – he’s the one administering jail house justice) asks if you could adjust your rate from an hourly standard to a daily or weekly standard. For example, a freelancer who works at an hourly rate of $65 per hour accepts a (often lower) rate based on a gross rate of let’s say $600 per diem. If that freelancer works a ten-hour day, his hourly would be $60. The client will save $50 and the freelancer would secure the gig.

Granted, that’s a potential $250 loss for you on the tail end, but also a $3,000 guarantee for the week! Let’s see… don’t accept the day rate and lose the $3,000 because of a $250 net loss, or take the loss and get a mortgage payment in one week… Hmmmm, tough choice. Boy those day rates suck! Again, sarcasm intended.

So, what’s the problem with this scenario? The client is happy, the freelancer gets the gig, and the world gets to be saved yet again by some lame form of advertising that will either end up in the proverbial ass end of the ‘social collective consciousness’, or even better, buried in a landfill on the island of misfit POPs.

Simply put - emotions.

Emotions are, in fact, the mortal enemy of the career freelancer. If we could somehow surgically remove the emotional center of our cerebral cortices, we might have a fighting chance for survival in this dog eat dog world of advertising. Hell, it would make saving the universe one standee at a time more palatable.

The problem for most of us career freelancers is our inability to adjust to the challenges of being our own boss. I mean, let’s face it, once we dive into the freelance pool and taste of its waters, very few (if any) of us ever go back to the rigors of the daily art director’s routine. Sadly, many of us have great difficulty making the transition from worker bee to principal. Many more still haven’t made the realization that they are no longer part of the ‘machine’ and continue to carry within them the deep, dark emotions that come with being a career creative person.

As a business owner of many types of businesses, I can safely say that the key component that separates the winners from the losers is one’s innate ability to check his emotions at the door and function in a pragmatic and rational manner consistent with one who owns a competitive business.

Here’s an example: If business A advertises lower prices and better benefits over business B, who will invariably get the business? That’s right, nobody because the economy sucks! But when things are great, usually it’s business A. Now why is that? Pretty simple, in a competitive capitalist market, our goal is to stand out and be better than our counterparts by offering a variety of goods and services at competitive prices. Why should we be any different? I’ll tell you why we aren’t – because we are emotionally attached to our wares.

“But wait, I’m better than that other schmoe and should get a better rate – screw this day rate garbage! If they want me, they’re going to have to pay for me, period! Top dollar even!”

Fantastic. Keep thinking that way - because all the business you lose fostering that emotional attitude just makes me richer. Okay, maybe not richer because that would imply I’m actually making money. What I’m saying is that when we inject emotions, or rather, fail to extract our emotions, we become just like any other caged art director but without the benefits, perks or false sense of security.

So, in short, are day rates a bad thing? My answer is no, but that’s because I’m a businessman and treat what I do, and who I am, as a business. I disconnect emotionally and allow the rational to override the emotional. If a deal needs to be made, I will make it. When you realize that you didn’t get the gig and hear through the grape vine that I’m working, it’s for that reason.

This doesn’t mean that I am dispassionate about my work and the quality of my product. Quite the opposite. I love what I do and the products that I provide. I just learned many years ago that the caged beast is one who fails to flee when the net is cast. I’m not sure what that means, or how it pertains to this article, but the moral of this story is simple: be firm, be professional and don’t shun something new simple because it might tinker with antiquated habits. Day rates may not work for some, but for most of us it could be a way into a new agency and a means to an end in this crazy world of advertising.

Joe Criscuolo

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2010 - Is The Slump Over?

Given how 2009 went I've been shocked that 2010 has started off like gangbusters. Kinda weird how as soon as the ball dropped in Times Square that my phone hasn't stopped ringing. I've been booked almost every day since Jan 1st (at my normal rate), and not by the little guys either. This past week I turned down 2 jobs in one day because I was already booked up, and I'm also getting booked for a couple weeks at a time instead of a day here and there. This hasn't happened to me for over a year and a half. Apparently, a lot of agencies have been winning pitches and the work is pouring in. Even though there are plenty of folks waiting to be hired, freelancers are still needed to fill in the holes until those hires can be made. In addition to the new business coming in, it seems that existing clients are really starting to open their purse strings as well, which translates into even more freelance work.

I know that it hasn't even been 2 months yet, but from what I'm seeing the industry looks like it's starting to turn around. Here's to hoping that 2010 will quickly erase the memory of 2009 from our collective memories.
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