Is it possible to earn a good living as a freelancer? What advice do you have for people hoping to pursue this?
Of course it’s possible to be a successful freelancer. Millions of people do it.The secret is to have better clients.Good clients give you better work which gets you better clients. Good clients treat you with more respect and pay you more.But how to get them?This is the theme of my freelancer course.There are two kinds of freelancers:GenericSpecificGeneric freelancers are basically employees without a job. Generic freelancers may be talented and hardworking, but they are available to do what they’re told. If I’m casting a movie, and I need someone to play Clerk #2 in the convenience store scene, just about any talented actress will do.Specific freelancers do something unique, or particularly difficult. They have a network, a reputation, a skillset that’s hard to duplicate. I wouldn’t consider casting Scarlett Johansson as Clerk #2. I don’t need that star power.And so we see the difficult part, the work that’s worth doing:A freelancer is her own boss, and you need to be a better boss. Bossing yourself into doing scary work that might not pay in the short run. Sharpening your skills. Turning down gigs that dilute your specificity. Building trust, building a network, building an asset.So, it’s not easy to be specific, but it’s do-able, and far more satisfying than chasing people to hire you to be generic.There are specific freelancers who are in demand as doctors, photographers and consultants. Not because they hustle for business, but because they hustle to be specific, and worth it.
Why do I believe I can't make "money" doing the things I enjoy doing?
This belief comes from insecurity and often is what parents teach their children.They want the best for their kids and so they will think if their kids like, sports, or art, or acting or anything but regular everyday jobs, trades or upper level careers the they will never make enough money to live well.But as we see some people make millions in those other kind of jobs, but their percentage is few compared to the regular type we see every day.If you become very skilled at something you love you can generally find a way to make a living at it, it may be on the low end but if you’re happy that is much more important.My dad and mom were raised through the great Depression years so they always worked 2 jobs, expected me to do the same. I didn’t I enlisted in the military and later eventually went to college, took a Major I wanted not what they then wanted. I had a very good career and though not wealthy I’m financially comfortable in retirement. Both my children went into the different kind of jobs, both are successful and very happy. Neither will ever be wealthy but they love what they do.So the non secret is to learn all you can, become an expert at what you love to do, make good connections, that helps and work hard, and think I will make a good living at this. Maybe I will not get rich but I’ll be healthier and very happy and sometimes you do get rich.Remember your parents care but at some point you are an adult and should do what you think is best for you. I look at it this way, try so you don’t grow old with regrets. You can always go find a basic job if you need it.Good Luck
Can I make a living trading in the stock market?
Yag, YES YOU CAN... I'm doing it right now with an initial 50k investment. Like you, I've made some mistakes and they have been the biggest educators. They say, 'Like your Winners but LOVE your Losers'... that's because the losers teach us lessons. The poster here, 'A Nobody' has good advice for you. Set Rules that will protect you from yourself. Especially Stop Losses and trailing stops once the stock starts moving up. Take profits when you can. I'm doing all I can to learn about macro-economics. How stocks and the market trades on news. There is a really good book by Navarro called, 'If it's Raining in Brazil, Buy Starbucks' that is a really great read. It teaches about macro-economics and he spells out the 10 Rules to Live By if you're going to trade for a living. For me - this was an essential find. I'm also learning all I can about using Options. A lot of people you ask will say that Options Trading is risky. Not if used correctly, in fact, the lower your risk than just buying stocks alone. Plus, if you use them to replace actually buying stocks, can cost you much less of your capital. Check them out and try writing some Covered Calls... OptionsXpress dot com has a great program for learning and best of all, it's free. At the moment, Schwab will let you trade for 6 months for free (or 250 free trades), if you have at least 50k to open your account with. That's a pretty good deal for day / swing traders. I'm heavily invested in REITs at the moment too. But I can watch them daily. With some of the best paying almost 20% dividend, it's hard not to love them... Depending on how much you need to survive, you could put your 75k (and if using margin), that could generate enough capital for you to live comfortably on. Depending of course, on your lifestyle. Check out: ARR, CYS, AGNC, NLY and CIM for starters. Good message boards on Yahoo. Good Luck and read all you can and don't quit!
First Time Live Christmas Tree Advice Please?
I have always had a live tree, so hopefully I can help. First, cedar or don't loose needles as badly. Measure your space first so you don't get a tree that is too big. I usually buy the weekend after Thanksgiving. It will last fine if you make sure not to let it run out of water. Get one of those cheap vinyl/felt backed table cloths and put down underneath to protect your floor. The round plastic stands with a big base give you more room for water and are more stable. You can buy a bottle of liquid to add to the water to keep it fresh. DO NOT LET THE WATER GO BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK!! When you get it home trim the bottom a half inch or so to give you a fresh trunk and put immediately in water. If you aren't going to put it up immediately, then put in a bucket of water. The first few days it will really drink a lot, so water several times a day. Then you should be ok if you check it morning and night. Just look for a tree that is pretty on all sides and doesn't have any big gaps.