Tag / freelance

by caitlyncallahan14

finding and welcoming new clients

Over the past couple of months, my clients have kept me on my toes with quite a bit of end-of-summer work coming my way. I’ve spent dozens of hours between June and now cranking out content on a variety of topics including personal finance, healthcare, Medicare, job search and career information, travel and more.

While I’ve been busier than ever, it’s been the most exciting and fun time of my freelancing career so far. Plus, not only have I been writing, but I’ve been forced to perfect an even better organization and time management system for myself.

That said, the time has come once again to expand my business. I’m ready to bring more work to Callahan Communication.

If you or someone you know owns a business or works for a company who is in need of content production, freelancers, or contractors for marketing purposes, my Contact Me form is a great place to start! Or, they can send me a private message on Facebook or Instagram @callahancommunication.

I’ve also been working diligently on putting together a services & pricing guide and client welcome packet for prospective and new clients to help ensure we have the best working relationship possible and they get all deliverables they’re expecting.

Read on to learn what you’ll get if you contact me and if you hire me!

what I include in my services & pricing guide

When you contact me to learn more about how we can best work together and what I can bring to your business, I will email or review in person a services & pricing guide. This guide is meant to be a high-level overview of my business and what I offer so that you can make the most informed and best decision for your brand.

my story

I love what I do, and I’ve been doing it for a long time. Here, learn more about me as I introduce myself and my business, including what I value, why I do what I do, and what I hope to do for you. It’s essential that prospective clients know they are working with a person, so I’ll also give you a peek at who I am and what I’m all about.

service packages overview

If you have a general idea of the types of services you’ll need, great! I’ll send you package overviews specific to your needs. If you aren’t sure yet, that’s ok too! You’ll receive summaries of my most encompassing service packages and we can narrow down your options from there.

deliverables

I want to make sure it’s clear what you’ll receive, gain and achieve after working together, so here I’ll outline specific deliverables to each service package. However, I recognize flexibility is key, so once hired, we can work together to clearly outline deliverables tailored to your needs.

portfolio

I want you to feel confident that I’ll bring exceptional work to the table, so here you’ll find information about past clients, as well as links to previous work so you can see for yourself.

client testimonials

And, you don’t have to take just my word for it. Read some testimonials from previous happy and satisfied clients.

processes

When you hire a freelancer or agency, you need to know what to expect. Here, find a general outline of my processes so you know what to expect and when, and to better understand if we’re a good fit to work together.

FAQs

This list of frequently asked questions from clients, and my answers, can help ensure a positive, successful working relationship.

call to action

Ready to learn more? This section outlines all of the ways you can contact me to take the next steps, including scheduling a free consultation, contract and SOW process, and more.

what I include in a client welcome packet

Once you’ve let me know you’re interested in working together, I want to make sure you feel confident and comfortable with your choice. You’ll receive either in the mail, through email, or in person, a client welcome packet guiding your through the most important pieces of working together.

welcome message

You made the right choice by hiring me for your content or digital marketing needs. I’ve spent almost my entire life immersed in the world of content and communication, and want to help business owners be successful through the power of the written word.

services overview

This page summarizes the services/package you’ve hired me for, so it’s clear what is (and isn’t) included. Our formal contract and statement of work will be built off of this information so we are always on the same page and expectations are clear.

communication

I take pride in being available for my clients. I’ll hare with you the best ways to contact me, and how and when I’ll plan to communicate with you.

processes

Here, I’ll be very clear about my process so you’ll know what to expect, including what I need from you, what I’ll deliver, deadlines, and more. This includes the contract, SOW, deliverables, editing processes and more.

I’ll also take time to briefly explain my process for investigating and understanding your brand and business, how I create content that works for you, and what the editing and finalization process entails so you can rest assured you’re receiving exceptional work every time.

guidelines

I want to make sure we both are maximizing our time working together, so I’ll share some guidelines and best practices that may be helpful.

tools & resources

If applicable, I’ll share tools you need to be familiar with, plus links to information, ebooks or other educational or informational tools that may be helpful during our time working together.

FAQs

This list of frequently asked questions from clients, and my answers, can help ensure a positive, successful working relationship.

next steps

I’ll clearly state for you what next steps are, either from you or myself, as well as timelines. I want to make sure you feel confident in moving forward together.

If you’re a freelancer and looking to grow your business, feel free to use my services & pricing guide and client welcome packet outlined here for inspiration for your own brand!

by caitlyncallahan14

in with the old

Recently I was messaged by a client I worked with in the past asking if I was still writing, and if I’d be able to help them with some content needs they had.

This client was one of the first I ever had on Upwork (in fact, I think he was the second). The pay was great (at the time), I was enjoying the content topics and writing, and he was an easy client to work with.

However, due to personal things going on at the time that took up a lot of mental space, and a lack of true commitment to freelancing (mostly because I was overwhelmed), I didn’t provide the best experience that this client deserved. We worked together on and off for a year, and then I basically ghosted them and one year later, ended the contract.

I was shocked when he reached back out. Because while the content I provided was exceptional, the rest of the relationship wasn’t. I’m embarrassed with how I handled our contract. I’ll be honest.

But I’ve come a long way in the past year and a half. And so when I got his message asking if I could do some work, I decided that, as embarrassed as I was, it was my duty to show up and prove my worth. To repair that relationship, and in addition to providing exceptional work, go above and beyond with my customer service.

It’s just the right thing to do.

The more I think about it, I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only freelancer/business owner out there who is disappointed in themselves for how they handled a contract, sale, client relationship, whatever. We probably all have that one or two clients or customers who haunt us and keep us up at night.

Because over time, we’ve grown. We’ve gotten better. We’ve learned to thrive. And those marks on our record are hard to forget.

And this past week I realized the important thing is… you’ve grown. And you’ve gotten better. And you’ve learned to thrive.

And it’s ok to have those ghosts.

Because we were learning. We were just figuring things out. We were overwhelmed, taking on too much too fast, or drowning while trying to find the balance between life, work and side-hustle work.

It’s not ok now. I won’t accept anything but the best for my clients. And I’ll never have more ghosts that keep me up at night. (Or at least I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.)

But I fully believe part of growing your business is ensuring you grow as a person, both personally and professionally. While I improve my craft and learn more about industries and writing and content, I also improve how I communicate with clients, meet deadlines, stay organized, and build relationships.

That’s what’s important.

If you have those ghosts, don’t forget them. Let them push you to grow and be better. But don’t let them hold you back. It’s part of life. It’s part of owning and growing a business. It’s part of freelancing.

Is there a point to this blog post? Not really. But I felt it important to recognize that we all mess up sometimes. We all make mistakes that we have to learn and grow from. It’s part of what we do. But as long as we don’t do it again, and are constantly improving, it’s ok.

And, it’s even better if one of those old mistakes comes back and gives you a second chance to prove yourself.

by caitlyncallahan14

one year ago

One year ago today, I was sitting at home, scared, anxious, depressed, and unemployed.

At the beginning of April 2020 I, along with hundreds at my organization and thousands across America, was furloughed.

A year ago, I was probably sitting on my patio on a lawn chair (because I hadn’t bought patio furniture yet), wondering how I was going to pay my bills, still in shock about the furlough situation and unsure about the state of the world. They had told us it could be three months before we got called back. I had just bought a house – how were we going to make ends meet?

I spent the first month crying and worrying, busying myself with unpacking and getting the new house together, and obsessively searching for freelance contracts to help tide us over in the meantime.

I accepted a couple of small contracts in April, and then landed a large contract that made me cry tears of joy. Things started looking up.

By the time May came around, I was getting used to being home. I started to embrace the time I’d been given (for the first time ever) to just enjoy life. I spent hours reading and writing, sitting on my patio and bird watching, and giving myself time to breathe.

By June, I’d thrown myself into the freelance-at-home lifestyle. I’d gotten a true taste of the life I’ve always dreamed about, creating my own schedule each day on my own time, completing work for clients, writing… I had a lifestyle I designed. I could so easily picture how my life would be if I was a full-time freelancer because I’d been living it for two months. I wasn’t balancing a full-time job or other responsibilities (since everything was shut down and we couldn’t leave the house). I was just doing my thing. It was magical.

Honestly, it was hard to go back.

Obviously I was so thankful to return to work, and knew and appreciated how lucky I was considering the thousands that didn’t get to. But I’d had a real taste of my dreams becoming a reality. And I wanted more.

It’s crazy to think about what life was like last year at this time. Businesses shut down, exponential unemployment, the inability to see friends and family, people sick and dying.

But for me, it was also a blessing in disguise. And it gave me the inspiration and motivation to keep building my business. To work hard, crack down, build my book, and write like there was no tomorrow. Because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and now that I had that taste, I wanted it more than ever.

Last week I wrote about balancing building a business and life, and asked if it was possible to keep living and also build a successful business. I still don’t know the answer. But today, as I sit on my patio, watching the birds, reminiscing on and writing about the past year, I’ve found a newly renewed motivation to keep going.

And I encourage everyone else reading this, whether you’re in the same place as me or you’re miles down the road, to keep going. This year has been hard, but I hope you’ve had time to find yourself, find a new love or passion, grow personally or professionally, read, learn, and do something you enjoy.

Keep doing it. Keep going. Build your lifestyle. Find your passion. And once that happens, don’t let it go.

by caitlyncallahan14

personalizing your brand

Earlier this week I posted about a chapter I read in Your Music and People: Creative and Considerate Fame by Derek Sivers. Just a few chapters later, I was inspired again and wanted to share it with you.

Because I am guilty of trying to sound big. And I’d venture a guess that, if you’re a freelancer or have your own small side-hustle, you are too.

I’ve struggled with should I say “we” or “I”? Should I speak as myself, or as a brand? Should I make myself sound bigger? Does that make my business better?

Because honestly, I am an agency of one. I am the only one who works for Callahan Communication. And I’ve wondered if that makes me look less legitimate, less trustworthy, and/or less appealing to clients.

So sometimes, when I’m writing a social media post or article for my site, I make myself sound like a larger business. (Which yes, I realize is the opposite stance I take with my blog posts.) But as I read this chapter (pictured above), I realized that while some clients may be turned off by my business of one, it’s also a huge advantage I have over others.

I’m a real person, not a huge company or brand. I’m sincere and honest. You know what you are getting if you partner with me. You can feel confident that when we sign a contract, I won’t farm the work out to a high school or college student looking to make a couple extra bucks. You can see my personality, and know exactly what I’m bringing to the table in our partnership. You can base your decision to work together off of reality, not a show put on by a marketing or PR team.

When I think about it, it is in fact much cooler to be small and independent instead of big and corporate, and I am proud to be able to say “I” in my communications and content. I’ve built this business with a lot of time, sweat and tears, and I am proud of and confident in what I provide my clients. I can showcase my passion, talent, experience and personality, and that’s one of the things that makes me a great partner.

I’ve done enough research and reading about how important it is to humanize your brand in order to connect with your audience. Consumers want to feel special, and like they are speaking to and engaging with a person, not a big company. I write about this and share it with clients. But I’m guilty of doing the opposite because I’m afraid of being small.

When in reality, I am the only human behind my brand, and everything you read from my company was written by me, for you. I want to engage with you. Educate you. Work with you. One on one. I want to help your business, make your marketing strategy better, and increase your leads and sales. And I’m excited to be able to offer that.

Moral of the story: Don’t be afraid to be small. Show your personality. Use your voice. Be a person, not a big company, no matter how large or small your company actually is. Appreciate and use your competitive advantage.