Earning Money

I remember when I was younger, I used to walk around saying, “I am never going to get a credit card, I am only going to use cash.” I thought that it was not a good idea to ever use credit cards because all you were doing was risking having to pay the credit card companies more money and you were going to be stuck paying interest. I didn’t realize the concept of just replacing cash with a credit card and using the card when you have the money. And when I learned that, my credit went straight up.

I got my first credit card a year ago and I decided that I was going to be very generous with my spendings because I always knew that I could make the money if I needed to really fast. Because of that, I made some riskier purchases. I bought all my books with my credit card which was four hundred dollars, something I did not have at the time. But, then my Father came through and gave me the money, so I paid off the card. But, a huge purchase like that (when your card is only a grand limit), that really helps.

I never really carry cash around with me anymore because I am always looking to build my credit. Last year, I applied for a Student Loan and I was denied because my credit was non-existent. A year later, I applied for a loan and I was approved. That’s the point of credit and that’s the great thing about using my card. I was able to pay for tuition with a loan that I didn’t need a cosigner for. A lot of people my age (19) have horrible credit, but if you take a few basic rules and take them to heart, your credit will go up and you will see a great increase in your ability to take loans out.

1. Only spend what you have. If you’ve got $200 to spend, spend it on your card, but pay it back in the first month.
2. Pay it back in the first month. Don’t wait to get your invoice. If you have online banking, pay it back in a week or two IN FULL. Never pay interest.
3. If you want to take risks, ensure that you can make the money back in a minimum 20 days. So, if you have $200 and want to get a $400 guitar, go for it, but ensure you can get the $200.

Number three is risky, but I’ve done it before. The point is, you want to make purchases that you can pay back in one month. You want to use the card. If you use it and pay it back, your credit goes up. If it goes up, you get better rates for loans. And, if you use your card with those special ‘points’ and stuff, you can actually get things as well. Sure, it’s not much, but why not get 1% of your spending back? That’s still some money back and since it’s a rebate, it’s TAX FREE! So, stop using the green and start using the plastic. Get your credit up. It’s important.

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I am a freelancer and I am a webmaster. I not only own my blogs and my websites, but I freelance out my content writing skills to supplement the earnings of my blogs. But, I also hire people to help me out with my blogs. There are times when I need someone to do something that I cannot do. There are times when I need people to design something for me, fix something technical, or even write content for me because I am just too overwhelmed with everything else. So, I hire people.

The problem with hiring people is that it is hard to get exactly what you want. And there is the problem of giving someone a job, getting it and then realizing, “Damn, this is not what I wanted.” So, what do you have to do? You send it back to the person you hired and say, “Can you fix this?” And then they do and send it back and once again, it’s not exactly what you wanted. So, you go back and forth, trying desperately to get what you wanted until finally, you’ve wasted your time and money with this job.

What I propose is saving that time and saving that money. But, I am sure you’re asking yourself: how? With webmaster forums, it’s so easy to just make a thread and boom, you’ve got people coming to you. That’s where laziness comes into play. Treat each freelance hiring as a very important issue and set aside some time to really set up a plan and a way to execute that plan. What I propose is a three step system that, if used, could really help you save time and money.

1. Before you even BEGIN to hire someone, sit down with a pad of paper and write out each and everything that you want for your job. If it’s a design job, talk about the colors, the fonts, the shapes, the sizes, everything. Really put your thought into it. If you don’t know, try and give some general ideas.
2. Post on a webmaster forum saying that you are looking for someone to create what you are looking for and then tell them that you would like to see some of their samples. Post from the getco what you are looking to get created and be specific enough so that they know. Demand samples. Don’t waste your time with people that are not good.
3. Keep in contact with your freelancer. If they are making you a full design for a website, ask them if you can see, from time to time, some of what they have added so you can say right away, “I don’t like that, can you fix it?” By doing that, you’re ensuring that the entire site doesn’t suddenly get built around that one problem area.

Those are just three things that you can do that can really help you save time and money. Basically, you want to have good communication and you want to have a very good plan. The best businesses were built around very sturdy plans that knew what needed to be done. If you make that plan and communicate right and really focus on what you want, you’re going to get a good freelancer. But, above all that, you’re going to save your time and you’re going to save your money. Isn’t that what we want?

So, before you even think of posting on a webmaster forum and before you even think about hiring someone, sit down and really put that plan together. Think about what you want. Really think. It’s okay if your site doesn’t open TODAY. If it is put off two days and opens then, if you have exactly what you need, you will save time and you will save money and you will make more money. Take the time to really build and structure your plan. The money and time saved will only allow for greater success.

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