How much of a business do you act like?

ascreamingcame

Registered
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
21
Reaction score
4
Location
Northwest
Sometimes the distinction between small business and freelancer gets blurred quite a bit, and as someone who hasn't been a full-time freelancer for all that long I'm curious how others operate the "business" side. Interpret this any way you like, but in particular I've been reading a lot about the following freelance/small business aspects lately...

- business cards? do or don't?

- your own freelancer website/e-porfolio

- what about contact methods like voicemail, email, etc -- what do you consider professional demeanor and/or interface? do you just use your regular line and personal gmail account?


You can kind of see where I'm going. Maybe not all of these apply to all freelancers, but the kind of work I do as my day job sometimes requires me to act as an interface between my clients and my clients' clients, etc. So the need to stay professional crossed several layers.
 

Skyraven

What happened to my LIFE?!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
1,285
Reaction score
99
Location
Bronx, NY
I have business cards, but don't use them. I now have a website/portfolio. I just use my regular email account. So far, I haven't had any problems. I don't give out my phone number because I apply for jobs that are long distance. Email works best for me. Even when using email, being a professional is so important. As for a business, I don't have one. I still conduct myself as a professional writer. Hope this helps!
 

Spice Islands

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 15, 2006
Messages
84
Reaction score
3
Location
Jakarta
Website
www.the-spiceislands.com
My freelance writing supplements my day job but I still treat it as a business. I have name cards and a personal website which showcases my work.

This weekend I'm off to Singapore. I will make enough from sales to cover my costs but I have also lined up meetings with a couple of other outlets which if positive will ensure another revenue stream further down the line.

Plus the flesh pressing I will do when I'm there is invaluable in building relationships and trust.
 

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
2,098
Reaction score
151
Location
Duloc, the Perfect Place
Website
www.barbnefer.com
I don't use business cards since I do mostly magazine work. However, I do have a website with clips and I keep track of income/expenses (well, my hubby does most of that) so we're prepared at tax time. I also have a detailed spreadsheet of my submissions, acceptances and rejections.

I have a gmail address that I use for my writing business. I know some people think that a free email service address isn't professional, but gmail does a great job of screening out spam and handles large attachments very well so I prefer it. I also have a free fax service to receive faxes through a dedicated number from k7.net.
 

Nancy

Masquerading as normal...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
1,300
Reaction score
363
Location
Inside my head in rural OH
In my opinion, if you're getting paid to write, that makes it a business. As an artist, who did production work for over ten years, one of the biggest mistakes we make is not learning or understanding the biz side of things.

Creating is great, but you have to sell a product to stay in business -the IRS agrees;).
 

stldenise

Scout Mom
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2008
Messages
651
Reaction score
28
Location
St. Louis Metro Area
Website
www.denisebertacchi.wordpress.com
I string for Post here, so I have business cards. I can give them out to people I run into at meetings who might want to contact me with story leads. I made them myself on the laser with card stock and a scrapbooking cutter.
I give out my cell phone number for interview contacts. That way I can keep my family and work separate. The voice mail message there is professional sounding. And if I'm waiting for an interview person to call me back, I know to answer my cell more professionally and without a screaming baby in my lap.
I have a wordpress site that I twisted into an online portfolio.
I keep a spreadsheet of all my query ideas. I can tell if I've worked on a query, where I sent it, what editor, if the editor contacted me back. As they get picked up, I change their status, marked when they're paid and printed. I keep a mileage log too - pretty simple, I just note what town I drove to then enter the mileage from mapquest.
 

DTNg

Going through the motions
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
530
Reaction score
20
Website
writersrow.com
I have some business cards listing my blog for when I visit blog conferences. I also have business cards for my full time job.

As a freelance writer I did print up cards but never used them. I don't think they're necessary. Because most of my writing is online, I just use the links as samples instead of a portfolio. I also use my blogs.

Most of my contact is via email and skype though I do have the occasional conference call.
 

ascreamingcame

Registered
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
21
Reaction score
4
Location
Northwest
I have a gmail address that I use for my writing business. I know some people think that a free email service address isn't professional, but gmail does a great job of screening out spam and handles large attachments very well so I prefer it.

True, and I've actually JUST devised a workaround with that -- for 10 bucks a year you can register a domain @ google and get a gmail-based email address with a professional url. So it's the best of both worlds...

Creating is great, but you have to sell a product to stay in business -the IRS agrees .

Yeah, and I'm not aware of the specifics, but if you only freelance part-time doesn't your level of professionalism in some way factor in to how the IRS views you? Like, you're not REALLY a part-time business and can't be taxed like a part-time business unless you act like one?

I give out my cell phone number for interview contacts. That way I can keep my family and work separate. The voice mail message there is professional sounding. And if I'm waiting for an interview person to call me back, I know to answer my cell more professionally and without a screaming baby in my lap.

I'm a bit freaked about giving people my cell #, just because I hate having dropped calls in the middle of something important. Also, my cell and my landline are different area codes so I wonder if it will cause confusion.

I'm actually considering investing in a (non-800) advanced voicemail # through gotvmail or a similar provider, if only for the professional-sounding messages and the ability to consolidate my several numbers into extensions. A videographer friend of mine has one and recommended it, although he has much more use for the various features than I will. A skype account might also be on the horizon but again there's that reliability issue...

Thanks for all the help, guys, I'm finding out that building a business is even harder than writing (well, most days)
 

WildScribe

Slave to the Wordcount
Poetry Book Collaborator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
6,189
Reaction score
729
Location
Purgatory
Yeah, and I'm not aware of the specifics, but if you only freelance part-time doesn't your level of professionalism in some way factor in to how the IRS views you? Like, you're not REALLY a part-time business and can't be taxed like a part-time business unless you act like one?

Um... if you earn ANY income you pay income tax on it. Period. The exception is for stuff like babysitting, which has money limits, but if you freelance at all regularly, you have to pay for it. And actually, you WANT to be recognized as a business. If it's a business, you get to deduct things like pens and stickie notes and ink cartridges. If you don't make a profit for long enough, you're outa luck on that.

I have a personal website, and I answer the phone with either "Hello, this is Dionne." or if I'm feeling like it's gonna be a telemarketer "Mrs. Obeso's office." My website's at DionneObeso.com

I have business cards, which I use for conferences. I also stuff 'em in my envelopes when I send a snail mail query because I designed them with my professional photo on them, and I like editors to be able to make that connection (and to have my info handy if they have desperate need for a writer one day ;) )

Right now I make do with the home line, but my husband has accidentally hung up on an interviewee who called back but mangled my name once, so I will be getting a dedicated line when we move in a couple months. :)
 

Andreya

in denial
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
365
Reaction score
26
Location
Slovenia, Europe
Interesting to read about all that!! :)

I'm just beginning to get everything 'together' & it's really helpful to see what everyone is doing! :)

As I'm from a non-English speaking country & would like to target international markets I expect to do most communication online...

I'm still not sure the sorts of websites to put up, just sites/blogs based on my areas of expertise/interest, or an actual 'writing' site/blog too.. still thinking about it.. :)
 

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
2,098
Reaction score
151
Location
Duloc, the Perfect Place
Website
www.barbnefer.com
I have a personal website, and I answer the phone with either "Hello, this is Dionne." or if I'm feeling like it's gonna be a telemarketer "Mrs. Obeso's office."
I answer my business line the same way, i.e. "Hello, this is Barb." I have three businesses so I don't always know which one someone is calling for...using my name keeps it generic.

I've learned to be cautious with my home phone too. Often I will return a business call from my home phone, and in these days of caller ID and auto redial many people just call that number back. If I don't recognize an incoming number, I'll do "Hello, this is Barb" on the personal line too.
 

acousticgroupie

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2005
Messages
216
Reaction score
2
I treat my business like a business--cuz it is. And I pay the taxes to prove it. I have a site and business cards. I use them sometimes when I'm out. I try not to rely on the Internet for my career so having those helps. Plus I do a lot of copywriting, so I need the self-promotion of marketing collateral and all.
 

cress8

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
290
Reaction score
5
Location
searching the world over for Calvin and Hobbes
Um... if you earn ANY income you pay income tax on it. Period. The exception is for stuff like babysitting, which has money limits, but if you freelance at all regularly, you have to pay for it. And actually, you WANT to be recognized as a business. If it's a business, you get to deduct things like pens and stickie notes and ink cartridges. If you don't make a profit for long enough, you're outa luck on that.

Sorry if this is not the place for this question, but I thought you had to make a minimum amount in any business before taxes were involved. I was under the impression that the net profit after your stickie note expenses was not relevant to whether you were taxed, but the actual gross income is what's considered. So if the gross is over a certain amount, you pay taxes regardless of how much you spent on office supplies. If you earned under that cut-off, you aren't required to report it. I'm not suggesting we work under the table; I agree that you want to be recognized as a business. Just trying to clear up that question.
 

stldenise

Scout Mom
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2008
Messages
651
Reaction score
28
Location
St. Louis Metro Area
Website
www.denisebertacchi.wordpress.com
If you make money from a ligit business, you need to file taxes. I just signed up with DemandStudios and they said they will send a 1099 after I make $10.

It really no big deal. I do my taxes with software - Taxcut I think - and it did all the heavy lifting for me.

I don't make enough yet to worry about quarterly taxes (I'm looking into what that's all about for next year). So far my freelancing income has been low enough that's its covered by my hubby's withholdings. But I'm a stay-at-home and have just been dabbling.
 

cress8

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
290
Reaction score
5
Location
searching the world over for Calvin and Hobbes
OK, thanks for the info. I knew I'd get a 1099, but wasn't sure how much I needed to bother my accountant with this before hand. My paid writing right now is through my day job, so that covers the taxes part, but now I know how to handle Demand Studios at tax time!
 

Andreya

in denial
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
365
Reaction score
26
Location
Slovenia, Europe
If you make money from a ligit business, you need to file taxes. I just signed up with DemandStudios and they said they will send a 1099 after I make $10.

That's strange! After 10$ already! On Associated Content they only send a form after $600... (?) - or so I read on the website a while ago...?

I wonder how international writers handle that then?

I thought you pay the taxes in the country where you live, no?
 

Cate

Never Bored
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
1,226
Reaction score
171
Location
USA
Website
www.catherineltully.com
I don't generally use business cards, but I do have them.

I have a professional web address with testimonials, a publication cred list, a brief resume and bio info--I plan to add clips down the line.

I use my cell for business and answer it "hello".

I have a EIN# and do business as a partnership with my hubby who does photography. We file taxes under the business since it encompasses both the writing and photography. I deduct business expenses.

I think if you intend to make it a business, you should treat it as one.

I'm not a fan of gmail, as I work in print mags and some editors find it unprofessional. Also, some writers I know have got trapped in SPAM filters on the editor's side and lost their queries (read possible work) that way. Scares me. Most web pubs don't seem to mind gmail though.
 

JNLister

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
91
Reaction score
1
GMail's actually not a problem if you've got your own domain name. You simply set up mail forwarding from the domain address to your GMail account, then set GMail to reply using the domain address as the sender.