One of the biggest questions that I get asked is whether or not I am happier as a freelancer. Do I enjoy what I do? Do I get the satisfaction from it that some get from their jobs?

Happiness as a Freelancer

Happiness comes from doing something that you like. You can choose to be happy with any job. No really, you can. You’re ultimately the keeper of your own happiness. However, being able to go to my children’s appointments or the plays that they put on without having to let my boss know I will be missing an hour of work here or an hour there is great. That is the biggest and best thing about being a freelancer and owning my own business.

I have a strong work ethic, I do and even at a 9 to 5 desk job if I missed that hour, I would be working until 6 to make it up, but I just cannot miss out on those times that I won’t have again. I will always have the desk, the work, the job; but my children will not be little forever.

You may not have children but you might have a grandma that you want to spend time with before it is too late or a dog that has to be put to sleep soon so you want to give them the best life they could ever ask for towards the end. Whatever the reason, freelancing has allowed me to be much more flexible with what I can and cannot do, making the things that really matter most to me easily enjoyed.

It is Not All Good

Freelancing is not all good. I don’t get large amounts of taxes back every year that I can spend to fix my house or do my hair. I have to pay for health insurance for my family (which is pretty expensive). Struggling is sometimes necessary when I try to find work when the workforce is slow and clients are deciding on their marketing strategies. I have to MAKE myself work because there is no boss barking behind me to get those papers in! You have to work to grow your freelance career.

I do have the creativity to create beautiful websites for clients. By allowing my creativity and my passion for helping others grow, I am essentially loving what I do, downfalls and all. I love being able to help those small businesses ramp up their production and see money come into their businesses. I love being able to stretch my imagination further than I ever have with their projects they bring to me.

Happiness is what you make it. If you want happiness, just think about what you want from life. Think of those things that make you happiest. These are what your life should revolve around, not something that holds you back.

*If you want tips on how to organize and handle both personal and professional life, check out my post here… it also has pretty awesome extras you can make use of!

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However, not everything is good when it comes to social media. You can actually do a lot of bad thing in your quest to do good for your company. Some businesses have botched the social media scene with mistakes that they probably should have thought about before doing them. Learn what these mistakes are so you don’t have to worry about making the same mistakes and facing the same consequences.

Social Media Mistakes You Can Make as a Business

These mistakes are made by businesses everywhere. Make sure to keep your social media game strong by watching out for them and not repeating history.

Not Having a Specific Strategy for Social Media

Having a marketing strategy is one thing, but you should always have a strategy for social media, too. You want to make sure that you have a clear idea of what you need to do, when you need to post, what you’re going to post and more. Setting a schedule and being regular can help you make the best of the social media that you use.

Engaging Your Audience Ineffectively 

Building your brand means engaging your audience and making them feel like they are valued. Having a clear idea of how people want to see you is important. When you don’t engage with them effectively, you’re actually harming your chances of being effective at marketing through social media.

Incorrectly Using Hashtags

Hashtags are important when posting on any social media. If you’re not using them correctly, then you will find that it can actually harm, not help you. Always make sure that you are using a hashtag correctly and that you are using it to go along with the same meaning that you are using it for.

Incorporating too Much Politics

This is a hot and heavy subject and while it is important to stick to your beliefs and what you stand for, it is also important that you don’t push them on other people. Don’t stick with politics too much because you might actually make more enemies than followers. It is a tough subject and there are many opinions and thoughts.

Forbes has even more tips for using your social media accounts correctly. You don’t want to overdo it, but you want to make sure that you’re set to go when it comes to engaging and connecting with your audience.

Of course, you can also find out more right here with some of the other blogs that I have written! You can learn more about how you can balance your work and personal life, the top marketing changes and even the mistakes that kill startup businesses – if this might be you!

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Communication Between Employees

The interaction between your employees will build upon having an effective team.  Having a great leader is necessary in order to build a great team.  In order to be a great leader, they must be capable of communicating well with every single member that is implicated within the company; they will have to make sure each employee knows what their job and expectations are.  He/she must be very motivated who can encourage others to work at their best ability as well as having the mindset to achieve various goals.

A leader that has great communication skills will create a team that will perform great in all aspects and departments.  Great communication skills also eliminate misunderstandings among employees in the workplace.  When each employee is able to communicate openly and efficiently with other employees, misunderstandings will resolve in an agreeable manner.  In other words, friction that is unnecessary is avoided.  Ultimately your employees will be able to concentrate and achieve their goals.

When having a great communication system in place you will find that it enhances your whole business process.  Most businesses have many departments that need to work as a unit in order to meet the same goal.  The process of arriving at that goal requires the interaction of departments at meetings in order to discuss any issues.

Communications with Your Customers

You as the business owner will also notice an improvement in the quality of service.  The quality of service between your customers and your company will, in fact, be improved.  If you as a business interacts well with your clients and ensures that their needs are met promptly, your customers will tend to continue their business relationship with your company.

Your business will also be placed in a better position in order to provide an improved service. This will be all due to you being able to communicate with your clients.  As you communicate more efficiently you will ultimately be able to figure out what exactly your clients want.

So, you will be able to make any necessary adjustments to your products and or services that your clients require. A way to communicate with your customers is having customer feedback in the form of surveys, this will improve upon your market sales.

Understand Your Customers, Know Your Customers

People who have very successful businesses understand that their customers at all times come first.  In other words, it is that customer who will bring the business its profits.  This is the reason why great communication between the employees as well as the customer is very important within any business.  If your business is lacking in any area you will be sure to hear about it from your customer first.  Great communication within your business is the key to having a successful business.

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