This is a great, practical article indeed. It's a pity that it seems to be directd at the industry, the poor FL who are at the receiving end of client ignorance and abuse and are already aware of the problem. The challenge is to get clients to understsnd that they cannot just expect copy work to be done for them free of charge. Many can simply not put value to the work done by freelancers! .Posted on 20 Mar 2010 11:04

LINDA YOU ROCK BRO YOU HEAL THE NATION GOD BRING YOU TO UKHOZI FOR SOME REASONS BUT NOW YOU MUST VISIT SOME FARM SCHOOLS. I TEACH AT FARM SCHOOL(METZELFONTEIN) WE NEED SO MANY RESOURCES AND MOTIVATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS IF COULD GET COMPUTERS TO TEACH OUR DISADVANTAGE KIDS.Posted on 20 Mar 2010 10:44

Cape Town is one of Africa's most frequented cities boasting a never-ending array of majestic sights, unlimited excitement and this will make you tour to cape town with our services.
(a href="http://www.cometocapetown.com/")
Cape Town Hotels
(/a)
Cape Town Hotels says:
“thanks for this interesting & informative post!”Posted on 20 Mar 2010 08:46

Top TV won't survive a year after launch - watch the space! Their content is really old and their Advertising Agency Network BBDO do not understand the Pay TV business!!Posted on 19 Mar 2010 22:38

hamba kahle bhodloza u play a key role in trasformation of our traditional music we will always miss you.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 22:03

@Thulani

SuperSport is a PRODUCT of MultiChoice. Why would they be anywhere else other than on the DStv platform?

@everyone else who complains about repeats. Get up to spead. This is how pay tv is worldwide. Everyone complains that SA is behind the times, and when we are with the times - there you are complaining again.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 21:44

Start off thumb-sucking mate. Also depends on what the client wants. Some say they want a quote per project, per hour etc. You'll quickly learn how to correctly quote properly, but it's still sometimes a hit and miss. Don't forget the art of getting a PROPER and ACCURATE brief though. Otherwise it's almost impossible to quote. Remember it's both your time AND SKILL that you're peddling.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 17:41

No offense but I can't believe anyone is crazy enough to buy a new car from a dealer in this economy. Considering that a healthy chunk of 2010 Cash 4 Clunkers cars have already been repossessed (i.e. http://repofinder.com) why not just go to local banks and credit unions and buy these repo cars back for half the retail price? If you're going to buy junk at least don't over pay.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 16:47

Thanks TM and JD for the invaluable information.
However I'm still confused regarding quoting, especially as a beginner freelancer.
Is there a central database where I can access different rates so that I can start from there, or is quoting an art and not a science?
Thanks and enjoy your long weekend.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 16:43

"Evil will thrive when good men and women do nothing".

This saying came to my mind when I read the story about the 19 Journos challenging the ANC's Floyd Shivambu's misconduct.

It is indeed with great interest and excitement that I read the article about the journos who are tackling the un-professional and un-ethical beahviour of the the ANC spokesperson. The ANC in itself does not like criticism of itself and especially it's fat cat loudmouths.

More than anything else though, I take my hat off to the journos concerned. As a citizen and close follower of the media, I often feel that there are not enough lobby groups in this country, apart from the inaction of many NGO's and Civil Society organisations, to tackle many of the government's ills.

To the Brave 19 I say, I salute you, and hope that more journos, and indeed civil society organisations, and ordinary citizens will join this group.

There is hope for us yet.

www.spitoutout.blogspot.comPosted on 19 Mar 2010 16:12

As a creative you're probably (like me) incredibly bad at admin. The sooner you engage with a bookkeeper the better. Luckily my girlfriend is a bookkeeper and she manages all that for me, invoicing, tax, CIPRO etc. There are plenty of freelance bookkeepers out there. It's a match made in heaven.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 16:10

Hi Angela - I was impressed at the speed with which IOL corrected the mistake after I first tweeted about it. Hats off to you guys. I still think stories edited after publication need to be flagged as such. It clears up issues around accountability and transparency for readers.

We all know our newsrooms are understaffed and under resourced. Mistakes do creep in and it is only an issue if it goes uncorrected. SAPA compounded the issue with its story - one that lifted quite substantially from your own content.

If anybody should be red-faced it should be Sepp Blatter, FIFA and their gang of lawyers. Civil society should not be held ransom by IP lawyers. Kulula is big enough to look after themselves - it is our informal traders and SMEs we should really be worried about.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 15:35

Now please lose the fake American accent...it's really stupid and annoying.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 15:22

I am still looking for Nasa TV? This is a highly educational Science TV channel which is free in the USA. Live Nasa TV is one of the most interesting and entertaining channels available. Live feeds from Nasa and many other science programs connected with the space inndustry. Would join immediately if this channel was available.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 15:20

What a brilliant article. I have the same principles after learning the very hard and expensive way. The most important thing is that the till is going from the moment you make a call... Time is money and the point about bringing experience and insights are worth money not just supplying the brief requirements.I only work on 50 % upfront.And I charge for outline proposals which are reimbursed if the project comes off.
Get with it or starve or it's the cubicle.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 15:11

It becomes sepptic.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 15:04

Thanks to Herman Manson for pointing this out. I’ve investgated and both IOL and The Mercury have corrected the attribution online and we will do so for the record in our print edition on Monday. However, in case the wrong impression was created — The Mercury front page story was indeed sourced and the facts checked. The reporter in question called Kulula’s marketing manager Nadine Damon, who confirmed that the airline broke the news on Twitter. Damon is quoted in the article. The reporter went further and got comment from a Fifa spokesman. She erred, by conflating the original Kulula tweet with the one on @marklives. We are red-faced, but prepared to admit our mistake … perhaps Sepp Blatter and Fifa will do the same and stop being so precious about ambush marketing. In the end, ofcourse, Kulula wins hands down given all the free publicity. Which makes me wonder — it was probably all part of the bigger plan ala Nandos. Well done all. We need a bit of humour in our lives.Posted on 19 Mar 2010 15:04

fabulous addition to the mix. well done louise & team.

regards
wayne van der wath
eureka! creative marketing solutionsPosted on 19 Mar 2010 14:42

Great to see SA's leading branding company delivering the goods - Well done Interbrand Sampson!!Posted on 19 Mar 2010 14:38

I've been a full-time freelance writer and editor for 2 full years (which I know is not a long time considering others), but have never found getting work or getting paid to be a problem. I did have a problem with the admin though.

Although I don't mind it (in fact I like making sure everything is organised), I find that I just don't have time to keep it up to date with all the deadlines (which accumulate quickly as a freelancer; not wanting to risk saying no to a client). I've made use of a virtual assistant actually who has been a real help (vaservices), I still quote all my clients myself, but the assistant does invoicing on time every month and follows up payments/ debt collecting and bookkeeping (also she's done all the CIPRO work for me too, registering etc). I don't know, I found that it was easier than wasting time chasing clients down.

I think these types of assistants have become quite popular in the US actually after the recession because companies only pay their assistants for the specific things they need help with. It could be quite useful here in SA for freelancers, I think?Posted on 19 Mar 2010 14:08