Are You a Vampire Power Slayer?

One of the scariest things you see this Halloween might just be your electric bill. When cold weather comes, utility bills go up, terrorizing your bank account. But there is an easy way to cut down on energy use around the home and save you cash in the process.

There’s no trick to cutting energy waste, in fact it’s a treat. I’m talking about hunting down “vampire power,” just by unplugging electronics and appliances while you’re not using them.

About vampire power

Even when they’re switched off, electronics use energy to power things like remote control sensors and lights. That means day and night, energy vampires are sucking away, drawing energy from your home and money from your wallet.



This waste really adds up. In fact, your electronics use most of their energy when switched “off.”

Around 10% of the typical home’s electricity bill goes to feeding these vampires. In total, vampire power costs Americans more than $10 billion every year.

The most wanted list

Focus your slaying efforts on the thirstiest energy vampires in your home. The worst offenders can be found in your home office or entertainment system. Computers, monitors, speakers, TV’s, DVD players, video game systems and cell phone chargers are some of the worst offenders.

Be a smart slayer

These energy vampires don’t have to terrorize your family. attach them to a smart power strip, or unplug them when not in use. With all the money you save you’ll be able to go out and get yourself some candy.

Your electric bills don't have to be so scary

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more easy ways to save money on utility bills, or to download these cool Halloween decorations, check out Repower at Home, a project of the Alliance for Climate Protection. They’re dedicated to empowering communities to save energy.

You're Thinking of Hiring A Freelance Writer: What To Do Before Asking for Quotes

You’re a small business owner and you’re looking to bring in a freelancer to help with your next writing project. Now what? What should you ask before sitting down to negotiate a price?

First, know what you want.

It sounds simple, but you’d be amazed at how many clients I meet that haven’t put any thought into what their project entails. Try to visualize your finished product. Is it copy only, or will you be incorporating photos and graphics? Do you need help developing an overall advertising, marketing or social media strategy?

A good freelancer is one that’s well rounded and can help you develop a comprehensive plan to cover all the angles, but the more legwork you do ahead of time the easier it will be for them to quote you a price.

Freelancers can be used in an emergency situation, but you save money by planning ahead.

Bundle services to get more bang for your buck.

Think about how you want to use the finished product. Website copy can also be used for advertising materials like brochures, direct mailers, e-mail blasts and more. It’s okay to use the same copy for a variety of mediums. It saves you money and keeps all your marketing material consistent.

I’m always happy to design print materials for my clients. I cut them a break on price because the services are bundled together and I’m not starting each one from scratch.

The same goes for photos. Great copy will only get you so far. A professional photo can add that extra thousand words that makes your marketing piece really pop. I try to bundle that in too, so my clients aren’t forced to hire a separate photographer. It saves them money and their projects are finished faster, because they’re not trying to coordinate with two different people.

Think about your vision and underlying goals.

What do you want to get out of the project? What’s your focus? I base my quotes on the number of hours I’ll be putting into the job. One of the most time consuming aspects is trying to draw out the vision of my clients. The more they think about it before hand, the easier it is for me to hit the ground running. Having a clear vision of what you want can save you hours of meeting time and hundreds of dollars.

Set a deadline.

It’s very important to have a clear time frame for when you need the project finished. Clients that don’t set a firm target date often see their projects wind up at the end of the writer’s queue. All freelancers have to prioritize, just like any other business. That means the most immediate deadlines are first on their list. Most writers I know are procrastinators and do some of their best work under the pressure of a deadlines.

Ask lots of questions.

Communication is vital. As a writer, it’s my job to ask plenty of questions so I can get a feel for anything and everything that might be involved with a project. But it’s a two way street. I’ve learned what types of questions to ask, but often the clients are completely in the dark about what they should be asking me. There’s no such thing as a stupid question. If in doubt, ask. Especially if you’ve never worked with a freelancer before. The more you know about their process the better. (For more on asking questions check out one of my previous posts here.)

Know What You’re Getting.

My quotes involve two rounds of revisions. For most clients that’s plenty of time to make   the changes they want, but sometimes projects involve regular updates or frequent content maintenance. That’s not included. I’m more than happy to contribute regularly for my clients, but it’s usually done with a monthly service fee.

Let the freelancer know if you’re looking for a specific number of blog posts per week, or if you want them to develop a monthly e-mail update for your clients. I usually cut my clients a price break for recurring projects like that. 

Payment.     

I ask for a third of the contracted price up front. The rest is paid at negotiable check points. Don’t ever pay full price up front. Making a down payment gives you some degree of protection if the freelancer flakes out on your project, or misses the mark altogether.


Now that you know a little more about working with a freelancer, go ahead and give it a try. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to generate fresh content for your brand and draw in new customers.

Double Your Writing Output in 1 Easy Step

I haven’t posted anything on the blog in a while, so I hope my four followers haven’t decided to ditch me in the past week. It’s Friday, and I really want to get something up for you all to enjoy. A nice easy read to take home this weekend. Today the goal is pure speed. It’s my own little free-writing challenge.

What’s free-writing you ask? I’m not talking about pro-bono work for a non-profit. (although I do offer that.) No, Free-writing means simply writing. No editing, no re-reading, just banging on the keyboard.


I cover my computer monitor and write. That’s it. That means turning off my inner editor, rolling with my mistakes and letting the ideas flow out. After I’m done, I let it marinate for a few hours, then come back in and edit.

Covering the monitor is great way to get the creative juices flowing. The idea is to get a really strong stream of consciousness going. You’ll end up with oodles of ideas to work with. Then it’s just a matter of laying it out in a way that makes sense.

It forces me to make spelling mistakes and formatting errors while writing long, run-on sentences. But you know what? That’s okay. I’ve been writing most of my life. I’ve learned to trust my inner writer.  He really gets going when I let him work alone. But to do that I have to give my inner editor the morning off.

That’s been the toughest thing for me as a writer. It seems every fiber in my body wants to procrastinate and put off actual work, but not my inner editor. He’s always on the clock. I’m not sure why. He hardly ever shows up after one too many cocktails. Then I’m on my own. But if I try to write so much as a grocery list he’s right there, ready to slow me down.

So the goal is to get him used to relaxing, grabbing a cup of coffee and taking the morning off. The editor should only show up after the writer has done his (or her) job.  It’s amazing how quickly I’m able to get words on paper when I’m stopping every sentence to fix a spelling mistake or insert a missed comma.

So give it a try next time you need to really get down to business and write. Turn off your monitor. It may take a few times to get used to it, but that’s part off the process. Your editor will kick and scream, but the technique really works You’ll be amazed at how fast your word count climbs. I’ve nearly doubled my hourly output. 

I’d love to know what you think. Can you turn off your inner editor? Give it a try and let me know how it goes.