Freelancer Confidential, a Catalyst Café (Highlights & Links)

First of all, a big thank you to our speakers,

• Dennis Fesenmyer, of FezLab
• Linda Ray, a music critic (who scored a rare interview with Dolly Parton) and much more,
• Liz Danforth, a writer and fantasy/gaming artist best known for her Magic the Gathering cards, and 
• Brenda Huettner, tech writer extraordinaire. 

I loved how you helped everyone get an idea of the variety of ways people can approach freelancing.

And an announcement! The Library Idea+Space's FIRST After Hours (Freelancer's Union) meeting is January 14 at 6pm, and the topic is "How to grow your client list." We are the only location in Tucson for their monthly After Hours programs.

Recommended Websites

• Getting started: Becoming a Freelancer: Assessing your Readiness to Be your Own Boss and Tips for Getting Started (SBA.gov)
• Legal stuff: Starting a Freelance Business – How to Take Care of Legal, Tax and Contractual Paperwork (SBA.gov)
• Setting your rates: How to Set and Negotiate your Freelance Business Rates (SBA.gov)
• More on setting your rates: How to Calculate and Negotiate Your Hourly and Project-Based Pricing (SBA.gov)
• Writing well: Communication skills are critical, even for freelancers who aren't writers. For a reliable source on correct punctuation, vocabulary, and more (with a sense of humor, too), go to Grammar Girl. 
• Contracts: Setting Up a Client Contract: Must Know Information for Freelancers (SBA.gov)
• Incorporation? Should You Incorporate Your Freelance or Consulting Business? (SBA.gov)
• Managing Money: 6 Tips for a Fiscally Fit and Successful Freelance Business in 2013 (SBA.gov)
• Taxes: Figuring out your taxes (IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center)
• Hugh MacLeod's Gaping Void website and blog.
• Advocacy: Freelancer's Union 

Recommended Books

• Entrepreneur's Edge: The Arizona Dept of Commerce has an book called Entrepreneur's Edge that's available in print at the library (658.022 G9404) or online. In particular, their chapter two has links to tons of additional resources for freelancers. The library also has it in Spanish.
• 168 Hours by Linda Vanderkam (658.4093 V284o 2010 at the library). There are 168 hours in a week. Where does your time really go?

Experience (some paraphrased)
"There's no question everything has changed since I started, and lots of the opportunities I had when I started writing about music no longer exist." --Linda Ray

When I was starting out I asked other designers "How did you do that?" and they just wouldn't share. As a result, "I'm painfully transparent," in case it helps others.  --Dennis J. Fesenmyer

How do you set your price points? "It depends." --everyone.

The sign of a busy, successful freelancer is an out-of-date website. It's just the reality -- you don't have enough time.

Don't be afraid to tell someone you're "not the best fit," and refer them to someone who is.

"When times are rough? You just work through it." --Dennis Fesenmyer

Some professional organizations can help a lot -- if you get involved (don't just join) --Brenda Huettner

Quotable Quotes
"Be careful what you get good at." --Linda Ray

"Never stop talking to people about what you do. And ask for referrals" --Brenda Huettner

"Stay agile." --Linda Ray

B.B. King once told Linda Ray "If you're really good people will help you out."

"Live small" --Linda Ray

"Never burn bridges." --Brenda Huettner

Linda Ray: Good LinkedIn Groups for Writers

• Arizona Media Professionals
• Indispensable Freelancers
• LinkedIn for Journalists
• Newspaper Professionals Network
• The Freelance Writers' Connection

Our November Business, Nonprofit, and Job Help Programs

Here is the updated Idea+Space calendar for November! Please note that the date for "Market Research" has been corrected to read Thursday, November 6th.

Poll: What’s the worst part of starting or running a business? What’s the best part?

At the Idea+Space Beta Launch we asked everyone who came "What’s the worst part of starting or running a business? What’s the best part?" The results were pretty interesting. Here are the answers.

BEST

• Being your own boss
• Filling a need
• Helping people
• Using all my skills
• Creating your future
• Being passionate about my endeavor
• Building a team and making lifelong friendships & partnerships
• Thrilled customers
• Working for yourself
• Changing people’s lives
• Being able to circulate your ideas
• The feeling of self-accomplishment, the satisfaction of success
• No boss!
• Working on your own terms
• Controlling the types of projects
• Enjoying the payoff from my efforts!
• A job that fits me!
• Being creative

WORST

• Needing to draw boundaries and time for you
• Not knowing where to start
• Investing more $ than you should
• Figuring stuff out on your own (or thinking you have to)
• Feeling isolated
• No networking
• Fear
• Developing a scalable idea
• Bookkeeping & taxes
• Feeling alone
• Knowing it’s going to be a long process
• Networking as an introvert
• Lots of responsibility and upkeep
• Liabilities
• Financial risk
• Making payroll
• Sometimes it’s lonely
• Long hours
• Having to do everything 
• Finding a board for nonprofits
• Needing to change the plan
• Licenses & getting the paperwork right

We'll be using this data to plan more programs and recruit mentors. What else would you add?

What is the Idea+Space?

What do you get when you bring together a library, excellent resources for businesses and nonprofits, professionals and mentors to provide workshops and individual support, and a space where you can learn and get things done? We're calling it the Idea+Space and it is located on the second floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

What you’ll find at the Idea+Space:

• · New programs, including: business planning, lean startup workshops, brainstorming, problem-solving, social media marketing, financial management, professional meetups, and library business resources 
• · Nonprofit workshops and resources for grantseekers
• · Self-employment assistance and resource referral
• · Job and career help services
• · Catalyst Café programs introducing new ideas
• · Furniture designed for collaboration
• · Library staff and volunteer mentors from the community to help you

We here at Pima County Public Library want the Idea+Space to be the place where you come to get the help you need to succeed, and get to the next step.

The Idea+Space was funded by a grant from the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. In 2014, the Arizona State Library received about $3.25 million under the Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Almost $1 million of the funding was awarded on a competitive basis to libraries in Arizona.

This Week in the Idea+Space

Drop-in Job Help
Monday, Oct 27, 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Pima County One Stop Career Center
Monday, Oct 27, 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Walk-in Social Media Help for Business and Nonprofits
Tuesday, Oct 28, 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Business Feasibility: Ready to go from Idea to Reality?
Wednesday, 10-29-2014, 5:00pm - 7:30pm

Want to Start Your Own Business?
Thursday, 10-30-2014, 9:00am - 11:00am

Drop-in Job Help
Thursday, Oct 30, 9:00am - 12:00pm

Individual Job Counseling
Thursday, Oct 30, 9:00am – 12:00pm

Idea+Space, Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 2nd floor
101 N. Stone Ave.
520-791-4010
All programs are free and open to the public

Do You Think Entrepreneurial Thinking Can Change Lives?

That moment when you're 17 and you win seed money for the business you just started. It happened at the library.

We asked Izzy Hernandez (pictured on right): Do you think entrepreneurial thinking can change lives?

Izzy said:

"I do believe that entrepreneurial thinking can help change lives. Look at Phoebe, Faith, and me, with all the work that we did in 48 hours. We are making a step into helping our community's teens by getting out financial knowledge that is definitely gonna help our youth have an idea of what to do once they finally "leave the nest" or so to speak. [she laughs.]

"If we get teens more interested in this topic we can help prepare them and help better there lives so they won't be left out in the dark. After all, we teenagers are the future. We are going to be the decision makers in our world and that is why it s so important that we help each other out when working on this project and hopefully this curriculum that we have started.

"It is to help benefit our teens, to help benefit our community, and most importantly, to help benefit our world."

Izzy was one of three teens who took part in the first programming funded by the Idea+Space grant. She spent 2 days of her fall school break with Robin and Brooke from LeadLocal, learning how to explore and test financial curriculum ideas for teens, using the lean startup methodology. Their proposal was so strong that Izzy, Faith and Phoebe were awarded $750.00 seed money to test their ideas in the real world, for classes given by the YWCA.

You'll be able to meet Robin, Brooke, Faith, Phoebe and Izzy at Tuesday's Catalyst Cafe. You don't want to miss this one!

When: Tuesday, October 14, 2014, 5:30-7:00pm
Where: Main Library Lower Level Meeting Room 2nd floor Idea+Space, 101 N. Stone.
Parking: Parking under the library is free after 5pm.

Catalyst Café Schedule now set for October-February

Fresh Café goodness! Please note that the date of the November Café has changed to the 4th.