Avoid Being Underpaid

AVOID BEING UNDERPAID
This is where the real work of writing comes in. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a journalist to do this. You just have to think like one. One caveat: many employers out there underestimate the time it will take for you to complete a writing project, because they don’t figure in enough time for research. Because of that, many potential clients have budgets that seriously low-ball you.


Many people are also working with a faulty paradigm: If an article is short, then it takes a writer less time to complete. The truth is, writing informatively and short can take even longer than rambling on and on. The 18th century British author Samuel Johnson famously delivered this apology to a correspondent: “I did not have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one instead.”


Research and editing take time. If a potential client wants you to write five articles and pay you $100, turn him or her down unless they are a friend or you’re willing to take the work in order to build a portfolio. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself working for far less than minimum wage. I speak from hard-won experience.

Professional SEO-Optimized Web Content

When writing professional web content, you need to take two audiences into consideration: your employer and visitors to their website.


Let’s talk about your employer first. If you want to get paid, you need to find out what your client wants and deliver it. Luckily, the first part of that proposition is easy because most employers are looking for the same things.


BECOMING AN EXPERT
They want you to write about their product, service or topic with intelligence and authority in a way that a layperson can understand. Doing that may take a bit of research, because it is rare that a writer comes to a project with complete expertise. You’re going to need to sit down with your client and ask questions about their enterprise. You’re also probably going to need to hit the Internet, doing research on your own.


Let me give you a for-instance. I took on a job creating web content for a company that manufactures an easy-to-add catalyst that helps engines run more efficiently and with less greenhouse gas emissions. Let me be honest. I don’t know a lot about engines. What’s more, when starting out, I didn’t have more than the average person’s understanding of the emissions causing air pollution and global warming, etc.


What I did have is a background in journalism, which has taught me the art of transcending limitations. The average journalist will write about countless topics during the course of his or her career, many on which he or she is inevitably uninformed. For the finished article to sound authoritative, tell the truth and avoid experts’ sensitive B.S. detectors, the writer needs to do some research.


Luckily, in today’s information age, most of what we need to learn is at our fingertips. Don’t know exactly what CO2 is? Google it. Do you want to know what percentage of greenhouse gas emissions come from the shipping industry? Google it. You can also get old-school and check out a book from the library or browse through relevant material at your local Borders, or get someone on the phone who is willing to help with your questions.

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AVOID BEING UNDERPAID!!!

TEAM Networking meeting South Hills Branch

TEAM met at the "Corner Dance Studio" in Walnut, CA for networking and salsa. It is obvious that while all are good busniess networkers--all need more lessons.

1worldlinkedup.net
There are a lot of networking options out there, more and more all the time.

TEAM MEETING, Covina

Brian and I, from 1 World Linked-Up went to a Team Meeting at the Hamilton Steak House in Covina,. TEAM has a motto, "Don't hire a sales team....join one! It was founded by Kelli C. Holmes, and interestingly, she was the speaker. She was very good and talked about the important point of being very specific about what you want for that week for your business, what kind of referral in particular. Afterwards everyone gave a one minute commerical about exactly what they were looking for this week to help their business. We shares 1 World LInked-Up too and got several referrals then and there. It seems like a great organization for professional and business people--so we joined. We are a member of TEAM. I am not sure about how it all works, but I will tell more after our next meeting, next Wednesday. There are 70 plus TEAM groups and it looks like there is intention to spread around the globe. http://teamreferralnetwork.com/
Penelope Torribio

why have a website?

The internet is like their own personal billboard, where a business can sell, or advertise services.

The internet was initially developed, and called Aarpnet, it was designed as a communications tool, simply a network of linked computers to convey information. For a good explanation see; http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml#Origins

Many business rely on forms, accounts payable, receiveable, order forms, etc...Today's business can use the intenet to have these forms delivered electronicaly to the appropriate customers or departments. Aside from forms, product information can also be easily displayed and edited without the need to print any documents. Previous to the internet, forms were filled out by hand, now a customer can begin the paperwork process with a company from their home, or receive information about the company, their products and services, anytime of day or night.