Running a business is no walk in the park, as it involves the management of the various aspects of a business in a perfect balance. These aspects include human resources, investment, promotion, time, finance, ideas, and much more. To efficiently run a business, there must be a synergy of business management and customers. As customers … Read more
If you’re a small business owner, you may be reluctant to invest in better IT and technology due to the initial costs. But it’s seriously worth considering. The benefits of having more advanced tech in your business can actually outweigh the initial cost, and even make you more money. If you’d like to learn more … Read more
There really are a lot of software tools to choose from in 2020. And if you’re running any sort of small business, chances are you’re going to need some of it. So what’s the best software for small businesses in 2020? Actually, what makes one particular software tool the “best” anyway? These can be tricky … Read more
(This is a full version of an article I wrote for The Guardian’s Local Leaders Network on digital innovation in local government. You can read the edited version on the Guardian’s site.) When working in digital innovation and local government, it’s helpful to stick your head above the parapet and see what others are up to. There is … Read more
Online privacy issues are currently difficult to understand. Amid media headlines about NSA, Prism and Snowden, terms such as encryption, Tor and HTTPS are used extensively with the average person expected to keep up with what they mean and understand how the issues affect them. For people who aren’t technically adept, the message about why online … Read more
(This is the sixth in a series of interviews with freelancers, telling us their stories on how they went freelance. The aim is to help others who are thinking of becoming freelance learn more about what it takes, as well as get advice and inspiration so they can get the confidence and understanding to find … Read more
Oh man. I hate doing accounting. So writing a whole article about freelance finances might be the undoing of me. But as a freelancer, your finances are one of the most important parts of your business. If you don’t keep on top of your income and outgoings, your invoicing, your tax returns and everything else … Read more
There are many ways to win new clients as a freelancer, but you’re more than likely to come up against a new business pitch process as one of them at some point in your freelance life. You’re name is added to a shortlist of freelancers or small agencies that a client wants to see about a … Read more
I’ve been looking at the products and services I use as a freelancer, so wanted to get some advice and other opinions on what freelance tools are the best to use. I’ve become a big fan of the Freelance Subreddit, which has a whole community of freelancers, so I asked "What’s your freelance stack?" to … Read more
Every time someone gets in touch about what they need to prepare to go freelance, I typically find myself telling them the same things over and over, in order to lay the foundation for a solid freelance consulting career. So, I’ve created a freelance checklist. This list covers the top 25 things you should consider … Read more