Focused

When should you form a corporation, and if so, what kind? David has some broad advice, though you should be sure to consult with a local attorney and your accountant before making any final decisions. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Storyworth: A new way to bring the family together. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

One of your great advantages as an independent worker is your agility. While larger companies have more resources, they can be much slower to react to change. David and Jason swap war stories about adapting and changing, including Jason's decision to leave one podcast and start another. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Download - Jason's new podcast

We're once again answering your letters and tweets In a wide-ranging episode covering all sorts of aspects of being an independent worker. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

David asks Jason to explain where he came from, the background of his career, and what the circumstances were that led him to become an independent worker, and then asks him to reflect on his two-plus years no longer being employed by a big corporation. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Casper: Because everyone deserves a great night sleep. Get $50 off with the code ‘FREEAGENTS’ Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

Every independent worker will agree that being organized is important. But should you adopt an organizational system? How can these systems help you, and are they worth the investment? Jason and David detail their own personal organization systems and discuss approaches to getting more organized, as well as tools to use to help in the process. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

Agile Tortoise's Greg Pierce discusses what he's learned in a decade as an independent developer and consultant. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Guest Starring: Greg Pierce Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Agile Tortoise

Not all clients are good clients. If you don't manage the herd, you could lose the farm. This is why it's important to consider the right time, and right way, to fire a client. We discuss fireable offenses both obvious and subtle, and the best approach to take when firing a client. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

Jason and David discuss their home-office set-ups and the challenges they face when working in a house they share with other people. When do you lock your doors? How do you "go home" at the end of the day? What gear do they use? And do they admit to their clients that they're working in their pajamas? This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

You can't earn a living as a Free Agent if you don't get paid. In this episode we discuss why the sign of a true professional is ensuring that they're being compensated. Why is getting paid so hard? How do we handle billing? When you're on your own, you're the one who has to make sure that the money is flowing in. If you don't get paid, you won't be an independent worker for very long. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Free Agents facebook group

A new year brings accounting and tax challenges for independent workers, so we asked accountant and financial advisor Andrew Carroll to join us. Andrew recently went out on his own and now provides tax and financial advice to free agents and entrepreneurs. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Guest Starring: Andrew Carroll Links and Show Notes: Full disclosure: Andrew mentioned the sponsor of this week's episode, Freshbooks (as well as two of its competitors). He wasn't aware that Freshbooks was a sponsor of this episode when he said it. Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Orthogonal by Spec on iTunes CFO Andrew | A New Vision for How to Work With a Financial Professional Andrew Carroll (@cfoandrew) | Twitter