Corporate Freelance Writing Made Easy:

How I earned over $1 million in seven years

—without guerilla marketing
Corporate Freelance Writing Made Easy: How I earned over $1 million
in seven years without guerilla marketing

Copyright 2018 by Jeanette Juryea. Published by Quality Business

Communications, Inc., (d/b/a QubComm). All rights reserved.

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Table of contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Prepare to end your day job
Chapter 2: Define your niche
Chapter 3: List your potential clients
Chapter 4: Get your clients!
Chapter 5: Make your clients love you
Preview Of Corporate Freelance Writing Made Easy: Operation and
administration secrets for your home-based corporate writing business
Introduction
If you read any other how-to-be-a-freelance-writer book, you’ll quickly
learn that getting work is all about marketing. In fact, much of the content
in these other books focuses specifically on guerilla marketing tactics and
how to get your next gig. But, it’s all irrelevant to corporate freelancing —
or at least the kind I’m about to show you.

While developing this book, I re-read some of those other how-to freelance
books, which seemed to have more chapter topics than mine. I worried that
I had forgotten to mention some important points. But, I realized, the
business of corporate freelancing is simply less complicated.

I don’t need to discuss how to build travel or research time into your
estimate. I don’t need to explain how to handle deadbeat customers. And I
certainly don’t need to discuss sales and marketing strategies.

I’ve put together this book to show how you can get and keep quality
clients; that is, mega corporations. A single mega corporation can keep you
busy day after day, month after month, year after year. And once you’re in,
you’re in. So even the process of getting clients goes away. There’s no need
to constantly shop for your next writing gig! They’ll simply come to you.

How did I learn to do this? Before I became a freelancer, I spent nearly 30

years working FOR big corporations. My last position was a marketing
communications manager at a Fortune 100 company. In this position, I
occasionally had to hire outside help. So I learned the process from the
inside out. And after nearly 30 years of various positions in two different
industries, I also knew which departments needed writers.

Here’s what else I learned over the years:

1980’s: As a banking supervisor, I wrote whole libraries of form letters.

As a procedures administrator, I wrote policy manuals. As a compliance
 administrator, I wrote consumer disclosures and handbooks. I wrote a
monthly column for the company newsletter. I wrote training materials,
PowerPoint presentations, branch alerts, employee benefits materials,
billboards, video scripts, proposals, emails, white papers, and web
articles. I saw it all. I learned that, no matter what corporate department
you’re in, every department writes something at some point.

1990’s: And then… the information age exploded. Websites, email and
social media were no longer for the computer savvy. Anyone surfing the
net saw plenty of spam and pop-up ads. They were so inundated with
words, they learned to ignore the white noise — that’s anything that
wasn’t short, quick and relevant.

2000’s: Corporations sat up and took notice. They realized their

audiences no longer wanted to read 1970’s stilted business-speak. Plain
language laws, health care literacy movements and cut-the-red-tape
initiatives made headlines, and improved communications made its way
into business strategies. Company writing standards began to morph.
They needed to maximize comprehension in minimal time so readers
could get in, get out and get on with their lives — but still buy, call or
follow instructions. An Accounting Manager may be able to spin great
things with a calculator, but he’s probably not a professional writer and
will need help accomplishing this.

2008: And then… one more amazing thing happened: The economy
took a turn for the worse and layoffs quickly followed. In fact, they had
become ritual. Every six months or so the axe took another swipe
through the company, devastating whole departments. The few
remaining workers had to keep up the same workload. They had no
choice but to get outside help for certain duties. Corporate outsourcing
became the new norm. And why not? It’s cheaper to engage an outside
writer than to hire a full-time staff writer.

All of these events — evolving corporate writing needs, improved

communication strategies, and increased outsourcing practices — fueled a
new vehicle for freelance writers.
I left my day job in 2007 and have been working full time as my own boss
ever since — even growing my business right through the recession. I came
close to six figures in my third year and crossed that threshold in my fourth
year. And I’ve sustained that income level. In fact, I earned more than $1
million over a seven-year period from a single client.

A glimpse at other freelance writing outlets

There are so many ways a freelance writer can make money. But most
won’t get you to full time — or to six figures — in a hurry. Take a look:

Magazine writing
As with book writing, it takes hard work and perseverance to make it into
major publications. It’s a process that involves getting to know your
intended market, coming up with compelling story or article ideas that
match those markets, writing query letters and then… waiting. Waiting for a
response to your query. Waiting mostly for rejection letters.

Successful magazine writers recommend the step-ladder approach. This is

where you get bylines in small and local publications and build your way up
from there. In the beginning, bylines are more important than money and
you may have to give some of your work away for free.

Newspaper journalism
The process of getting into newspapers is similar to magazines. I have a few
bylines from news articles that I wrote early in my freelance career. I do not
have a degree in journalism so I started out giving my work away for free as
a citizen reporter for my local paper. My skill quickly earned me a spot as a
paid reporter. That involved calling people to make appointments and then
running around the county to interview subjects and snap some pictures.

I gave it up after spending two weeks working on a single story for which I
got paid $500. To many, that might seem like good money. But, I was
earning that in a single day with corporate writing (and I didn’t have to
change out of my pajamas to do it).

Blogging and SEO articles

I place these two together because blogging is usually done for SEO
purposes. SEO means Search Engine Optimization, which strategically
builds keywords into each article to help search engines find them and,
hopefully, land them on the first page of a search engine results list.

Companies hire freelancers to write daily or weekly blogs or keyword-rich

articles for their website to keep their content as fresh as possible. Freelance
writing brokerage sites are full of such opportunities.

But, writers beware: Potential clients from these brokerage sites tend to hire
the lowest bidder. I simply cannot make ends meet on four cents a word.
Can you?

Business freelancing
Other how-to-be-a-freelance-writer books explain how to be a guerilla
marketer — from making cold calls to buying leads lists and sending out
mailers. You’ll learn dozens of ways to get clients, but you won’t learn how
to eliminate the need for marketing. That’s because most of your marketing
will be directed to small businesses, who have tiny budgets for a once-and-
done assignment.

You can find many business-related gigs on the job boards, like Guru and
Upwork. But these also require monitoring the lists, drafting proposals
and… waiting. And it’s mostly one-off jobs for small businesses. When you
finish that job, you’re back in sales mode looking for your next gig.

A “gig economy” refers to the prevalence of temporary

positions where businesses and publications contract with
freelancers for short-term gigs. Intuit predicts that by 2020,
40 percent of American workers will be independent
contractors.

The keywords here are “temporary” and “short-term.” both of those terms
suggest the need for continued marketing.
If you count the hours you spend on finding and landing your next gig in
with your earnings, how much are you really earning per hour?

Don’t worry; there is a better way!

A day in the life of a corporate freelancer

Corporate freelancing is a lot like being a work-at-home employee for your
client company(ies). My typical day looks like this:

Roll out of bed, grab some tea and start up my laptop

Check my schedule to see what’s due today
Check unread emails for new requests
Prioritize existing projects vs. new assignments for the day
Start working
Break for lunch
Continue working
At 4:55 p.m., get dressed so my husband doesn’t think I spent the day
in my pajamas

And now for downside

Corporate freelancing is not for everyone:
Freelancers often get into the business so they can work part time or
at least choose their own hours. There’s very little flexibility of work
hours with corporate freelancing. You need to work the same hours
and days that your clients work, which is usually Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Because of the above, you shouldn’t have another day job. Don’t
worry, though; Chapter 1 can help you get rid of your day job.
If you crave interaction with other people through in-person meetings
and interviews, you won’t find it here. With corporate freelancing, all
work is received and delivered by email. You may have a few
telephone conversations, but you’ll likely never meet your clients in
person.

Follow the 5-step formula

Each part of my process works off the others and can make or break the
system. Be sure to read this entire book through before diving in.
 Step 1 (Chapter 1) Commit to working full-time, weekday hours.
Step 2 (Chapter 2) Establish your niche.
Step 3 (Chapter 3) Identify your potential clients.
Step 4 (Chapter 4) Get your clients — without marketing.
Step 5 (Chapter 5) Build a trusting relationship with your clients.

I wish you the best of luck!

Chapter 1: Prepare to end your day job
If you have a day job, you’ll want to read this chapter. If you don’t, or if
you’re already a freelancer, this chapter may still help you to meet with
success.

You must commit to your new corporate freelance career

Corporate freelancing is not only a business, it’s a career choice. You
cannot “dabble” or do this as a hobby. I get so much work that I sometimes
hire subcontractors to help me. I only work with full-time freelancers.
That’s because when I need help, I need hours, days, weeks, even months of
commitment. In other words, your day job would get in my way.

For that same reason, mega corporate clients are not interested in working
with a writer whose business is not writing. Your day job will get in their
way too. The people who engage your services are not the CEOs, business
owners or even executives. They are low- to mid-level managers and
project managers, who work nine-to-five jobs. They will want to contact
you during those work hours. They’ll expect to reach you. And they’ll
expect the same professionalism they would get from any coworker in the
cubicle next door.

I can’t tell you how many times I heard other freelancers (upon returning to
the cubicle after failure) admonish others not to quit their day jobs. That’s
because they knew how hard it was to get lucrative work. But, that advice
won’t work here.

Your freelance business must become your day job.

Dream big!

“Build your castle in the air, for that is where they

ought to be. Then build a firm foundation under it.”
Henry David Thoreau
I know a lot more freelance wannabes than actual freelancers. They
wannabe a freelancer, but needabe employed. How can you build a
freelance business when you’re trapped working overtime in your day job?
You depend on that income and no one can guarantee you’ll be making the
same amount of money on Day 1 as a freelancer.

This is true. There are no guarantees. Any business venture is a risk and
your experience may be different from mine. Leaving your steady,
dependable job and paycheck for a business venture that holds only
assumptions is a risk — no matter how wonderful your skill.

That’s why it’s so important to build a firm foundation first. That

foundation involves your financial situation.

Prepare your finances so you can quit your day job

Do not quit your day job without a safety net. Most experts agree that
before you start any business you should have no less than six months’
worth of income stashed away in an emergency fund. Some recommend
twelve months or more.

This is good advice for anyone, not just those going into business for
themselves. But for the latter, it’s an absolute must. Before I quit my day
job, I created my safety net, too. In fact, I created two safety nets. And it
was much easier to do than I expected.

Your first safety net is the store of money you’re going to put aside in case
things don’t work out or you get off to a slow start.

The second safety net is to lower the amount of money you need to earn
each month. By needing less, you reduce your risk of falling short in the
first place. That also means you can get much more mileage out of your
first safety net, if you ever do need to use it.

Be sure to get your spouse’s or partner’s blessing since this

may impact both of you.
In my own experience, I spent about six months preparing to leave my day
job. As I reduced my income needs to create my second safety net, I used
those extra dollars to build my first safety net. As a result, my savings
account grew much faster than I expected.

Once I started freelancing in May, I surpassed my minimum monthly

income goal immediately and every month for the first seven months.
December was the first month in which I had very little work and needed to
dip into my savings. If I recall correctly, I earned a whopping $147 that
month and not much more than that in January. But, things picked up again
in February. After several years, I realized that December was always my
slowest month, followed by January. Which meant, I could plan ahead for
that seasonal drought.

My present income X 12 = too much!

Before you multiply your present income by six or eight or twelve months,
take a look at your overall situation. If your spouse works and you already
have a fair amount of disposable money each month, you’re in better shape
than a single person who lives paycheck to paycheck. But, that doesn’t
make it impossible for the latter.

Forget for the moment how much money you want to earn. That will come
later. This exercise is about determining how much you need to earn on Day
One.

Calculate your monthly expenses

This is a valuable exercise everyone should do once a year regardless of
what you’re planning. Really take a look at where your money goes. If
you’ve never done it before, it can be a real eye-opener.

Look over your bank statement. Try to account for every penny you spend.
You might have to do this for several weeks or months to get a real feel for
how you spend your money. Most people don’t realize their own waste until
they put a spotlight on it.

The basics
Rent/mortgage
 Car payment or lease
Car insurance
Car maintenance
Other insurance payments
Loans/ Lines of credit
Tuition/ Student loans
Credit cards
Utilities
Gas
Electric
Water/sewer
TV/Cable
Internet
Phones: Land line and cell phone
Groceries and other household consumables (toilet paper,
shampoo, etc.)

Costs of having a job

Union dues
Transportation (gas, bus or train, tolls, parking, etc.)
Work clothes
Child care
Coffee, breakfast, lunches
Coworker obligations (Girl Scout cookies, sunshine fund,
fundraisers)

Other expenses
Non-work clothes
Smoking, drinking and other costly habits
Entertainment
Dining out and ordering in
Fitness center
Publications and memberships
Gift giving

Anything else?
 Review past bank statements for repeat payments or frequent
purchases you may have missed.
Review past statements for non-repeat buying. Were these items
necessities? Impulse buys?

What are your total monthly expenses?

How low can you go?

Now that you’ve identified your total monthly expenses, see where you can
trim them. Lower monthly expenses translates to a lower monthly income
requirement, which can help get your business off to a safer start.

Can you consolidate any debt? (for example, student loans, credit
cards)
Call your credit card companies and ask them to lower your interest
rates.
Are you wasting energy or water? Do you have leaky toilets or drafty
walls?
Do you absolutely need the presidential package on your cable? Can
you find a better cell phone plan?
What is your car insurance deductible? A higher deductible means a
lower premium. Also, your premium may drop after you’re no longer
using your car for work. Talk to your agent!
Can you rent a movie instead of going to the theatre? Have a night in
instead of a night out!
Do you read all those magazines? Can you go to the library for books
instead of the book store?
Are you an extravagant gift-giver? Can you cut back and still be
generous?
If you smoke, quit. I did; I wouldn’t say this otherwise. Let your
desire to go into business for yourself be the motivation you’ve been
looking for. It’s a huge money-saver! Search online for an easy-to-
use calculator to help you add up the cost of smoking. Need another
cost incentive? Ask your health insurance agent what your premium
would be if you didn’t smoke.
 What other ideas do you have to cut costs and stash extra cash?

Remove or re-calculate expenses that will change once you’re self-

employed
Will you need a second car? Will your gas expenses go down simply
because you’re driving less?
You can absolutely eliminate costs associated with having a job.
(Union dues, tolls and parking expenses, clothing and uniforms, dry
cleaning, coworkers selling Girl Scout cookies, happy hours, etc.)
Just cross ‘em off!
When you’re home, you’ll have time to cook more economical meals
rather than expensive convenience foods. Reconsider your grocery
budget. Eat out less. Try coupon shopping.

Think about any new expenses you may have after you leave your job. Add
these amounts to your bottom line.
Will you switch to your spouse’s group health insurance or lose
group coverage completely? What is the price differential from what
you pay now?
Will your child care situation change? For example, do you use a
company-sponsored day care at discounted rates? Do not cross child
care off your expense list! Self-employed is still employed. If you
want to build a successful business, you’ll need someone to mind the
kids. Though, you could switch from outside day care to in-home
babysitter if you will have a quiet, dedicated workspace away from
distraction.
Do you belong to a company fitness center? Will you want to join a
different gym now at a higher cost?
Will you lose the use of a company-paid cell phone?
What other costs can you think of that may go up as a result of
leaving your day job?

Consider changes to your income taxes

There’s one more adjustment Americans should make to their bottom lines.
(for non-American readers, you’ll know better than I how or if this will
impact you.)
As a self-employed freelancer, you will have to put money aside from your
income to pay your taxes. I cannot recommend a specific percentage to
withhold because your situation may be different. If you file jointly, your
spouse’s taxes will factor in.

Also, you will pay different taxes when you’re self-employed. In fact,
you’ll have to pay both halves of your FICA tax (your employer currently
pays half of it for you). It’s best to ask a tax professional what percent you
should set aside from your earnings. You’ll need a good accountant once
you’re in business anyway, so this will be a good way to put one to the test.

Write a financial To Do list and start working on it

Based on above, make a list of action steps you can take to cut expenses.
Begin each statement with a verb.

For example:
Call cable company to cancel premium package
Call insurance agent to negotiate premium
Pick up new toilet stopper kit to fix leak

Tomorrow, start checking items off the list as you complete them! Keep
track of the results and watch your expenses get smaller. This will be a
work in progress as your new, lower bills come in.

Calculate your target income

After you’ve reduced your monthly expenses to the best of your ability,
you’re ready for this next step.
How much do you earn without your day job?
Does your spouse work?
Do you have rental property, child support or other sources of
income?

Total all your sources of income, but do not count what you earn from your
day job since the plan is to eliminate it. Then calculate the following:

Total Monthly Income (even if it’s $0)

- Total Monthly Spending
 = Target minimum freelance income

Your target income is the minimum amount you need to earn each month
once you go into business. It is very possible to exceed your goal your very
first month in business. I did. My intention for this book is to help you do
the same.

Build your other safety net

As your monthly expenses go down, put the extra money into your savings
account right away.

Based on your reduced monthly goal, how much will you need to earn each
month? Multiply that by the number of months of income you plan to keep
in savings. Experts generally recommend eight to twelve months. Make this
your savings account goal.

Find extra cash to stash

Can you speed up your savings goal with big chucks of money?
Can you cash in poor-performing investments?
Can you sell any big ticket items (Jewelry, treasures in the attic, the
boat you haven’t used in three years, do you need that second car?)
Does anyone owe you money?
Can you get a part-time job to help build up your savings in the
meantime?

Don’t even think about touching your retirement money!

That’s for your retirement.

Stash your cash so it’s out of reach

Your safety net is there for emergency purposes. You don’t want it burning
a hole in your wallet, so keep it far away from temptation. Consider
opening an account in a bank or credit union over in the next county — one
where you have to drive a long way to get it. You can talk to the bank
manager to find ways to easily make deposits. For example, many banks
will give you a quantity of envelopes so you can mail checks and deposit
slips without having to make the trip. It’s the withdrawals that you want to
make difficult.

Say, “No!” to a debit card and checkbook. You can also put some of your
money in a time deposit so you have to wait for it to mature to use it.
Another idea is to require a second signature to access it. That way your
spouse, parent, or trusted friend can help keep your sticky fingers off it. Do
whatever is necessary to help preserve your safety net for its intended
purpose.

Don’t say goodbye to the cubicle yet!

Plan your business
While you are working on your finances, you should also be planning your
business. Start working through the rest of this book. Book 2 in this series
will help you define your business, prepare your home office, and set your
rates. Don’t wait until you leave the cubicle to start working on these. Have
them ready so you can hit the ground running when you do take the leap.

Line up your first customer before you quit your day job
Once you have your first and second safety nets in place, you’re almost
ready to take the plunge. But, don’t do it yet! Read Chapter 4 to learn how
to line up your first customer. You should have at least one mega corporate
client with a contract already lined up for a large project or repeat work so
you can be working on Day One.

With your finances in order, your business plan mapped out, and your first
client in your back pocket, THEN you’ll be ready to quit your day job.
Chapter 1 review
Corporate freelancing is not only a business, it’s a career choice. You
cannot “dabble” or do this as a hobby. Freelancing has to be your day
job — right from Day One.
Build two safety nets before you quit your day job. Reduce the
amount you NEED to earn each month. And have eight to twelve
months’ worth of income set aside in case things get off to a slow
start.
After you reduce your monthly income requirement, you’ll have a
minimum earnings goal for your business. This reduced minimum
goal can help lower both your stress level and your risk of failure.
Keep your paws off your retirement fund! That does not count as
your emergency fund. And make withdrawing from your emergency
fund an inconvenience.
Plan your business and line up your first customer before you take
the plunge.
Chapter 2: Define your niche
Corporate managers want freelancers who know a thing or two about their
industry. In fact, many clients believe only someone who’s in the industry
can possibly write about it. This Chapter will help you choose a niche
industry for your new business.

“I can write anything for anyone”

In the publishing world, you’ll never sell a book if you claim your target
audience is “everyone.” That’s because publishers know not “everyone”
will buy a book, no matter what the topic. Claiming otherwise will only turn
publishers off and your manuscript will be rejected — unread.

Likewise, you won’t get many large corporate customers if you claim you
can write about “anything.” Even if it’s true — you’re ready, willing and
able to write about any topic as long as someone is ready, willing and able
to pay you to do so — it’s not the best approach to getting corporate clients.

As a corporate freelancer, you must decide on a niche topic. Instead of

limiting you, it will actually help you get clients.

Not convinced? Here’s an exercise for you:

Do a Google search on “freelance writer.” How many hits did you

get? A lot, right? As I’m writing this, it is 35.4 million! How can you
differentiate yourself from the masses?

Now Google: [a topic you know about] + “writer”. For my niche,

that number drops incredibly and, more importantly, my website
shows up on page one!

Here’s another reason: There are nuances within an industry that will help
your business if you know them. For example, because of certain regulatory
issues that I won’t get into here, I know that I SHOULD NOT write for
certain companies within my niche. I’d get myself into legal trouble if I did.
A generalist wouldn’t know these issues and could end up making some big
mistakes. Every industry has different nuances that will benefit a writer who
knows them — and possibly hurt a writer who doesn’t.

You can be a “generalist” with a niche

Many freelancers consider themselves “generalists.” When I speak of
finding a niche, I’m referring to a specific topic or industry, not the type of
communication. Magazine articles are a type of communication. So are
news articles, web content, marketing copy, speeches, sales letters,
PowerPoint presentations, video scripts, and others.

As a corporate writer, you may write any of these. The niche is about the
subject matter, not the type of communication. Examples of subject matter
might be banking, financial planning, information technology, gardening,
parenting, going green, etc.

Thus, if you consider yourself to be a generalist, you don’t have to give that
up. You just need to zero in on a topic. You may do that now without
realizing it. Magazine and nonfiction writers need a platform. That means
they must demonstrate some knowledge of a subject matter when proposing
a book or magazine article. This is no different.

Write what you know

What better way to make money as a writer than to work in an industry you
already know and love. And, without even trying, your ability to get clients
will improve. Your business will seem easier. Your work will seem less like
a job and more like a well-paying hobby.

The best part is, you can turn work around much faster when you know the
subject well. You’ll spend less time researching and more time writing.
Which opens up your time to take on more work. And that, my friends, can
help you make even more money.

Decide on your niche

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself when considering a niche.
 Who is your present employer? What is the industry?
For which industries have you worked in the past?
Do you have a large network of contacts in any particular industry?
On which topics have you been published in the past?
Do you have an educational background or skill in something other
than writing?
What are your hobbies? Do you have any special interests or
fascinations in which you would find enjoyment as a writer?
Are there any topics that you know more about than the average
person? Do people tend to ask for your advice in certain areas?
If you were to write a “How to” book, what would it be about?

When you’re done, review your list of topics and narrow your options:

Which topics translate to big business in today’s market? Do any

Fortune 500 companies serve those topics? [Google: “Fortune 500
list” to find out.] If major corporations serve your topic, then you
know it will be a hot niche.

Does your list contain any service-oriented industries (banking, real

estate, insurance)? Service-oriented companies have more
intellectual property than they have physical inventory. That means
they also have more work for a writer than retail and industrial
companies. I think it’s safe to say that ALL major companies will
have plenty of opportunities for writers, so don’t despair if your list
is not service-oriented. They all have marketing materials, websites,
employees to train and communicate with, customers to bill and
correspond with, etc. And most companies offer value-added services
as a way to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. But, there’s
more potential with service-oriented companies, so consider those
first.

Make your decision. Which niche would best serve your freelance career?
You can have more than one niche topic, but be careful about spreading
yourself too thin. You’ll dilute the power of your niche and its ability to
impress clients. So, for now, think of one topic that you could write about.
Here’s where my niche came from
I had nearly twenty years’ experience in the banking industry — from 1980
to 1999. I also had eight years in the health insurance industry — from 1999
to 2007. Both industries are service oriented so I could go with either one.

I had much more experience in banking than health insurance, but I chose
to focus on the latter. That’s because my experience, knowledge of the
industry and network of contacts were more up to date when I started
freelancing in 2007.

I could easily write about both health insurance and banking products —
and be successful — if I wanted to have two niches. As it is, one niche
brings me enough work that I don’t need the second.

Choose your niche

So, what niche industry do you think would work best for you based on
your knowledge, experience, and interests?

Hire yourself
Before you open your door for business, you need to hire your staff. That’s
you! Pretend you are the hiring manager and convince yourself that you’re
qualified to write in this industry and that any client would be lucky to have
you.

Draft or update your resume to refresh your memory about your skills,
accomplishments, and education. This exercise in self-assessment will not
only help you solidify your niche, but it will also help give you confidence
to move forward in your business. You’ll also have something ready to
share with clients.

Your resume will go a lot further toward landing a mega

corporate client than a writing portfolio.
Chapter 2 review
Corporate managers want freelancers who know a thing or two about
their industry. In fact, they believe only someone who’s in the
industry can possibly write about it. Therefore, to be a corporate
writer, you must choose a niche industry and stick with it.
Having a topical niche can also help you get corporate work easier
than being a writing generalist.
The niche refers to the industry, not the writing medium. For
example, an industry might be finance, farming, parenting, going
green, etc. As a corporate writer, you may write marketing copy, web
articles, video scripts, white papers, user manuals, customer
correspondence and so much more, but all within a specific industry.
One or two niches are enough. Too many niches will dilute the power
of your niche. One niche can easily fill a 40-hour work week. You
could also start out with more than one to see which takes off better
and then let the other fade away over time.
Your resume will do more for getting you established initially than a
writing portfolio.
Chapter 3: List your potential clients
This chapter explains why strategically selecting clients will help you to get
an endless supply of work. You’ll also identify potential clients based on
your chosen niche industry.

Quality clients = marketless marketing

Many freelancers spend an extraordinary amount of time marketing their
services, always on the lookout for their next paying assignment. A small or
nonexistent budget and limited marketing savvy can send anyone back to
the cubicle in a hurry.

If you spend day after day reading the job boards, and then hours crafting
your pitches for small jobs that might pay a couple hundred dollars, you’re
wasting your time. If you count the hours you spend landing the job in with
the hours you spend working it, how much are you really earning? If you’re
not earning a minimum of $50 per hour, then you’re doing it all wrong.
(And you can do better than $50 per hour!)

If you keep on doing what you’re doing,

you’ll keep on getting what you’re getting.

Don’t worry; you don’t need a budget or guerrilla marketing skills to

become a successful corporate freelancer.

The idea is to land quality clients, rather than quality projects. A quality
client is one that has so many writing needs that they need year-round
outside help in addition to their own staff writers. You won’t be the only
writer they hire either. In fact, you can team up with some writer colleagues
and chase these clients together. There’s plenty of work to go around.

Once you land one of these clients and prove your worth to them they’ll
send you project after project, for a very long time. And they’ll share your
name with their colleagues who will do the same.

Size matters!

The key to successful corporate freelancing is choosing the right clients.

You will not write for small businesses. I suppose the term “small” is
relative — what’s small to some may be large to others. Let’s say, for the
purpose of this discussion, that a small company has only one or two
decision makers when it comes to hiring a freelance writer.

Big corporations have many cost-center managers, which translates to many

decision makers. Here’s why it’s best to choose big corporations as your
clients:

Big corporations Small businesses

Save money by outsourcing
Have big budgets
Make decisions based on quality
Let project managers make
hiring and spending decisions
(i.e., spending someone else’s
money)
Provide repeat work with no
marketing
One big company = many
(departmental) clients
Use purchase orders to put
money aside for the project; then
pay you through direct deposit
on predictable dates
Spend extra money to
outsource
Have small or no budgets
Make decisions based on price
Let no one but the owner
spend what is often his or her
own money
Have once-and-done jobs,
requiring constant marketing
One small business = one
client
Often pay with PayPal or
credit card leaving you to pay
the associated fees — and you
may have to pry that payment
loose from reluctant hands

Small businesses pay faster

Yes, you can ask a small business owner for payment in 30, 15 or even 7
days. Big corporations often make you wait 60 days for payment. But,
would you rather have $500 in 15 days. Or $5,000 in 60 days? (In fact, I
usually average $15,000 a month.)

Remember, big corporations have bigger budgets, bigger projects, and

multiple clients. They can bring you a constant stream of work, which
translates to a constant stream of income. So what if the paycheck you
receive today is from the work you did two months ago? You’ll get paid
next month from the work you did last month. And you’ll get paid two
months from now for the work you do today. You’re constantly in the
pipeline.

But, if that’s still a problem for you, know that some clients will pay you in
15 or 30 days if you pay a small fee, such as 1.5% of the amount owed. It’s
your choice if you want to take advantage of that.

The larger the company, the more clients you can get
I have many smaller clients from a single mega corporate client. I’m talking
about household-name businesses with tens of thousands of employees
around the country and around the world.

Each department operates its own cost center and budget independently of
the others. So if one department pulls the plug on its freelance budget, the
others are neither influenced, nor impacted, by that.

Make a list of potential clients

In Chapter 2, you identified your niche industry and described your clients.
Now it’s time to make a list of actual potential clients. Go back to that
Fortune 500 list for help (Google: “Fortune 500 List”). Or broaden your
choices with the Fortune 1000 list.

Look for companies that serve your niche and their competitors. Aim for
service-oriented companies, since they tend to have more written materials.
Also, watch for B2B companies. That is, companies whose customers are
other companies. For example, a health insurer’s primary customers are
actually employers, not individuals. Yes, they sell to individuals; but they
make a lot more money selling to other corporations. This leads to
additional writing projects, like twice as much marketing collateral, sales
presentations, white papers, proposals, etc.

Avoid retail and manufacturing companies. They may have some work, but
you’ll get less out of them in the long term.
Don’t be intimidated by your potential client list. Chapter 4 will explain
how to get them to hire you.
Chapter 3 review takeaways

The key to successful corporate freelancing is choosing the right

clients.
Mega corporations have hundreds of decision makers and
departments that may want to hire you.
The decision makers are low-level managers and project managers,
not CEOs.
Use the Fortune 500 list when shopping for potential clients.
Chapter 4: Get your client!
There is a process to getting quality clients, but it’s not with the same
marketing activities you engage in to reach non-quality clients. Nor is it
what you’ve read about in other how-to-be-a-freelancer books. This chapter
explains how to land the world’s biggest companies as your clients.

How NOT to sell your services to mega corporations

Don’t buy a single mailing list. Sending sales letters, postcards and
brochures to mega corporate CEOs is like throwing pebbles at a fortress.

Don’t break out the yellow pages and start making cold calls. You may get
clients, but they won’t be mega clients. And you’ll have to repeat the
process again and again — for years!

Don’t SEO the heck out of your website in hopes of attracting mega
corporations. Mega corporate decision makers never use Google to find
freelance writers, so it won’t work. Besides, the “voice” that results from
keyword-rich content might offend your potential clients in the event they
decide to check you out before hiring you.

Don’t waste your time on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. That’s
fine if you’re generating buzz about a book or blog. But, quality clients
aren’t looking for you here either. Exception – do keep your LinkedIn
account up to date.

Don’t get involved with job boards. You’ll spend more time scrolling
through the lists and creating proposals than you’ll spend actually working.
And the winning jobs go to the lowest bidder, so you won’t earn very much
for all that hard work.

Here’s how to get mega corporate clients

Getting mega corporate clients is a much more direct approach than
aggressive marketing. It’s more like applying for a job than shopping for a
gig.

Become an approved vendor

ALL mega corporations have controls in place for employees to engage
outside vendors. Even smaller companies have vendor controls, but mega
companies have less flexibility for stepping outside protocol to hire a writer.

Every major company has a Procurement Department (also known as

“Purchasing,”, “Supplier Services,” “Vendor Services,” etc.) Whether
you’re a writer, designer, gardener, electrician, or paper supplier, you must
be approved through the Procurement Department in order to do a job for
the company. Thus, you must go through the Procurement Department to
get on their approved vendor list.

The good news is that big companies want you to contact them. They are
always on the lookout for quality vendors. That’s why most of them post
their vendor instructions online. So getting on the approved vendor lists is
rather easy. Here’s how:

Google: “[Name of potential client] procurement” to find the website where

they post their vendor instructions. If “procurement” doesn’t net results, try
“purchasing,” “vendor,” “supplier,” or other relevant terms.

When you find the company’s procurement website, read the instructions
for becoming an approved vendor and complete the process as outlined. Be
sure to jump through any hoops they put in front of you. You may need to
sign paperwork, such as W-9s and nondisclosure agreements. They may
even require you to register with a third-party, such as Ariba, which can
lead to other potential jobs.

Once you’re on the approved vendor list, anyone within the company
who has a writing need and a cost center budget can hire you. These
companies have tens of thousands of employees. That’s a lot of
potential clients!
Find out who hires outside writers
Don’t stop at just being on the list. It may get you some work, but not
likely. Department managers who frequently use outside writers probably
already have a list of regulars they use from the vendor list. They don’t
continue to check it each time. You’ll need to let them know you’re also
available.

Here are a few ways to do that:

Ask someone in the Procurement Office (or Vendor Services, etc.)

for names of department managers who frequently outsource writing
so you might approach them. They can give you a phone number or
email address, whichever you’re comfortable with.

Google: “[Name of company] [Title, such as Marketing

Communications Manager].” Chances are, this person will have a
LinkedIn account with his or her phone number and email address. If
you’re not on LinkedIn, sign up! Remember, getting work at mega
corporations is more like applying for employment than marketing
your services. Serious job hunters work their LinkedIn connections
to find quality employment. This is the same process.

Marketing Communications is probably the best place to start. But

it’s by far NOT the only department that needs writers.

Here are a few more:

Sales
Product Development
Public Relations
Brand
Human Resources
Legal/Compliance

Most departments at some point have a reason to write something

and many of them do hire outside writers on a regular basis. It’s not
all about marketing. I wrote whole form letter libraries for an
accounting department once. And if your clients like what you did
 this year, they’ll probably ask you to write the same documents next
year. Big companies update just about everything regularly.

Find familiar names in LinkedIn. Since you’re working within a

niche industry, you may already be connected to some of the people
you’re looking to contact — like former coworkers and former
clients who jumped ship to work for your target client. Go back to
your Fortune 500 list. When you pull it up in certain websites (like
CNN Money) you can click on the name of a particular company to
read more about that company. Scroll to the bottom of that
information page and see which of YOUR LinkedIn contacts work
there. God Bless the Internet!

Tell them you’re available

Yes, you’ll have to contact those people, and you might argue that that
constitutes “cold calling.” I disagree. It’s very hot calling! There’s a
shortage of quality writers on approved vendor lists and these folks are
more than happy to have one more option available to them.

Relax. You’ll be talking to project managers and low- to mid-level

managers, not CEOs and Vice Presidents. That’s not intimidating at all, is
it? I was a low-level manager who had to hire outside writers once upon a
time. And I’m the least intimidating person I know!

Here’s a script:

“Hi [His/Her Name]: My name is [Your Name] and I’m an approved vendor
for [XYZ Company]. I’m a freelance corporate writer, specializing in
[niche] and am reaching out to let you know I’m available. Is there anything
I can do to help you get through your workload for the [summer]?”

It may help to know your industry’s busy season ahead of time so

you can coordinate with it. If you call late in the season, they may
have already divvied out their workload for the year. The best time to
call is in the beginning of the seasonal year (immediately after the
annual lull — or during it) so you can get on next years’ production
schedule. For example, in the health insurance industry, October and
 November is “open enrollment” season. Marketing materials need to
be printed and in the warehouse by September. So, they begin the
writing season around February. (Hence my December/January
drought.)
If the person says there’s no work available just now, ask if you can
send your resume and business card (and writing samples if you have
them. If you don’t, then don’t offer.)
Tell them you’ll make yourself available for rush jobs, which are
most prevalent late in the production calendar with last-minute and
behind-schedule items. It’s also a time when they are most desperate
for resources.
Ask what time of year they do their project planning and offer to call
back at that time.
Then move on to another department. Remember, marketing isn’t the
only department that produces content. Someone else may need you.

Once you get a client department, don’t stop. The more client departments
you can get, the quicker you’ll fill up your workday with writing jobs.
Remember, you only have to secure your client departments once. If they
like the work you turn in, they’ll call again and again. And they’ll tell their
colleagues about you, too. Word of mouth will soon take over, but you must
prove yourself first.

More ways to get inside mega corporations

Is your current employer a mega corporation?

Don’t scoff at your present employer becoming your first customer. You
already have a working knowledge and reputation with this company. It
could turn out to be your best customer.

While you’re still setting up your safety nets and planning your business
(See Chapter 1), do a little recon work before announcing to the world that
you want to quit your day job. Cozy up to the people who hire outside
writers.
Even if your day job does not involve writing, the company surely needs
writers. If it’s a successful company, it must have a marketing department.
It must have a website. It likely has policies, procedures, owner’s manuals,
customer letters, annual reports, training materials, public relations, and
more.

Say what? You’re just a cashier at Starbucks? Do you think Starbucks’

corporate headquarters doesn’t need writers? Sure they do. Who knows
Starbucks better than someone who works at Starbucks? Certainly not some
nameless writer at an ad agency who stops at Dunkin Donuts every
morning.

Talk to previous employers

You may still have friends from past employers. Talk to them. Find out the
current atmosphere. Ask them to do the recon work for you.

Think back to when you worked there. Did you leave on your own? What
was your writing reputation like? Did they value you as an employee? If so,
they’ll be thrilled to work with you again.

Even if they didn’t hire much outside help when you worked there, they
may now; remember that the dynamics of corporate outsourcing continues
to change. Ask around to people you know. Get names and email addresses
for decision makers you may not know. If you’re comfortable on the phone,
get phone numbers. If you live in the area, invite your friend and the client
referral out to lunch. How hard is it to have lunch with a friend by your
side? Pick up the tab and keep the receipt. It’s a legitimate tax write-off!

Talk to friends, relatives, and local employees of your target clients

Do any of your friends or relatives work for your target clients? Are there
any local branches or stores in your area? These are perfect resources for
walking in the front gate of the fortress with a friend. It also helps to have a
third-party introduce you and sing your praises.

For example, if your niche is banking, talk to your bank manager who says
a sunny ‘hello’ to you every time you go to the branch. She’s always
looking for ways to make her customers happy. And, even if she doesn’t
know anyone at headquarters, she’ll at least have access to the company’s
internal address book and can get a name, title, email address, and phone
number for you.

Talk with LinkedIn acquaintances

LinkedIn is the perfect place to find professionals within your niche. Make
sure you have a complete and professional profile that shows who you are,
your writing credentials, and especially your niche credentials. Then join
some groups.

You’re looking for groups where your potential clients congregate. For
example, if you’re a financial writer, join groups that bankers or financial
planners join. You can join as many as 50 groups, but that number of groups
can be overwhelming. I recommend being selective. Pay attention to the
volume of activity, the types of conversations taking place, the quality of
group members. You want the group members to be decision-makers at
their companies, such as project managers and department managers.

If you find someone who works in a company you really want to write for,
then reach out to that person privately and ask if she can put you in touch
with the marketing or corporate communications department. If you’ve
impressed her during a discussion first, she’ll likely put in a good word for
you.

Get the biggest client of them all

The United States government is the largest procurer of outside vendors in
the world. And they hire writers! Just think of it as another potential mega
corporation. Like mega corporations, they usually want to hire someone
with a writing niche. And this client is probably looking for someone to fill
a multi-year project.

What kind of projects are they? It depends on the government entity that’s
doing the hiring. Remember, size matters. You can get small jobs with small
governments, like a city or county. You might find larger contracts with
state governments. But look to national entities for the biggest jobs.
You might get a five-year contract to develop a library of educational
materials at $50,000 a year. Or perhaps a three-year contract budgeted at
$710,000 for four full-time writers to develop much more than just a single
library. (These are actual examples I saw just this morning.) But you will
have to submit a successful bid to get this type of project.

Here are the qualifications needed for the three-year contract mentioned
above:
At least five years writing about consumer financial issues
At least five years of professional writing and/or editing experience
(I suppose this can be the same five years as above)
Working knowledge and experience with The Associated Press (AP)
style guide
Able to write for various media formats

Look at the first and fourth bullets. Do you see how having a writing niche
while being a media generalists makes corporate freelancers perfect for jobs
like these? (Read Chapter 2 if you haven’t already.)

Note: I’m a U.S. citizen and resident. What I’m about to tell
you is how I did it, but I don’t know if the same is true for
those outside the United States.

It’s a simple process – NOT!

Here’s how to become a government contractor:
1. Create a profile on the System for Award Management (SAM)
website at www.sam.gov.
2. Log in at FedBizOps website (fbo.gov) to find a job that fits
your skills.
3. Send in the winning bid.
4. <Snap!> You’re a government contractor!

Okay, I lie. The process, in theory, is that simple. In reality, there are many,
many hoops to jump through along the way and it can take months – even
years before you land your first contract. But it’s far worth the effort, and
landing one can make the next one easier, so don’t let me deter you from
trying.
For best results in contracting with the U.S. government, let an expert help
you. Contact your local Small Business Administration (SBA) and ask to be
connected with the person or department that helps businesses get set up for
government contracting. They actually have folks who do nothing but help
in this area, so you can be sure you’ll get an expert. And best of all, their
service is FREE.

They can help you with all three steps:

1. Create your SAM profile
2. Find jobs that fit your niche and experience
3. Create a proposal for your bid

They won’t do the work for you, but they will break the process down into
bite sized chunks to make it much less daunting for you. They can also
clarify any confusing aspects of the process — a process which, by the way,
was written by a government agency employee, not a quality writer. Their
instructions won’t be easy to understand without a knowledgeable person to
help you.

Consider starting as a subcontractor for a more experienced writing

operation that’s putting together a proposal. It’s easier to win a contract on
your own if you’ve first been a subcontractor. The SBA can help you find
these as well. Or the primary contractors may find you.

Once, I was contacted by two companies that were vying for the same job.
They saw my profile in SAM, thought I was perfect for the job, and reached
out to me. I asked my SBA advisor if it was ethical to be named as
subcontractor on two competing proposals and he said to do it. The worst
that could happen is it would double my chances of getting the job.

Warning: Once you create a profile in SAM, you’ll get an onslaught of

advertisements from organizations who claim they can help you get
government jobs. Some will offer (for a fee) to put you on their search list,
claiming governments use that list to hire vendors.
IGNORE THEM! IT’S NOT TRUE! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN IN
THE OTHER DIRECTION! And be wary of any website boasting
government jobs where the website URL doesn’t end in .gov. You do not
need to pay for help getting government contracts; the SBA will help
you for free.

Marketing-less marketing materials

Here are a few items you may want to prepare.

Your business website

Mega corporate (and government) clients will NOT search the Internet to
find you. However, they may check your website to verify that you are,
indeed, a professional. So it does help to have a website. But the purpose of
your website is not to attract clients. It is to give yourself credibility.

Therefore, do not go nuts with SEO content. Padding your content with
keywords can make your writing sound awkward and forced. You want
your website to demonstrate your ability to communicate clearly. So keep it
simple.

Also, if you’re an aspiring fiction writer, do not combine your freelance

business website with your author’s website. Keep the two separated. You
can include links to each other, but only if it makes sense.

You can create a professional website for very little money. You’ll need to
purchase:
A domain name – Based on your business name or your niche (or
both, if you’ve named your business well).
An Internet service provider (ISP) – This is the host for your website.
A website template – Instead of reinventing the wheel, you can buy a
professional-looking template for about $15 where all you have to do
is plug in your content. You don’t need anything complicated —
even a single page will do. Include what you do (write) and what you
write about (your niche). You can include an About page to provide
 your background; a samples page (if you have samples — or add
them later as you gain some); and a contact page.

Your resume
This is your primary marketing tool when becoming an approved vendor.
Since you will be the CEO of your own little business, don’t present a
traditional one-page resume that merely lists your employment history and
job duties. This resume won’t be processed through a human resource
system, so you don’t need to pack it with keywords. Instead, create a
resume that puts a spotlight on your talents and accomplishments as a writer
and within your niche, even if not for writing.

As a former hiring manager, here’s how I liked to see resumes arranged.

Create section headers and then itemize in a bulleted list. Break into sub-
categories as needed. Take up to two pages if necessary.

Profile – Briefly describe your professional self. Who are you? What
are you about?
Writing and editing skills – list what you’ve written and/or edited on
a professional level.
Other related skills – Are you a Webmaster? Graphic designer?
Professional sales rep? Project manager? This is about all the other
important skills you bring to the table besides writing and editing.
Industry knowledge – Explain how you are an expert in your niche.
Mention any certifications you may have and any specific knowledge
points to show you know the lingo.
Accomplishments – It’s one thing to have had certain job duties, but
hiring managers want to know how well you performed those duties.
This is where you SHOW clients you’re an awesome writer instead
of telling them. Make a bigger impact by boasting numbers. For
example,
I saved a company $2.5 million in print cost by wordsmithing
copy to reduce page count.
I increased blog followers to 50,000.
My NYT best-selling book, Financial Writing for Dummies,
sold 2 million copies in three months.
I wrote copy for a sales letter netted a 45% conversion rate.
 Employment history (including your current position as Lead Writer
or Owner of your own business)
Education
Awards and honors, if any relevant
Associations and memberships, if any relevant

Your portfolio
The bad news is, there are no bylines for corporate freelancers. Your
corporate clients own the final documents and your name appears nowhere.

The good news is, you don’t need bylines to be a corporate freelancer.
Corporate clients are more interested in your skill, not your sales history.

No experience necessary
Your initial contact with the client company is with the procurement
representative, who wouldn’t know a good writing sample if it bit him in
the backside. He’s more interested in your resume to see if you have
industry knowledge along with writing skills.

If you have bylines, awards, or copywriting success numbers, by all means

share that information. But don’t despair if you have nothing.

If your industry knowledge is limited, then learn all you can. Take a class.
Read books about the industry. If there are industry certifications, get
certified. Then put it on your resume. You can do all this before quitting
your day job, while working on your safety nets. (See Chapter 1.)

It’s okay to make up writing samples

Even though you don’t need past experience, you should demonstrate that
you can write. The procurement representative may not ask for writing
samples, but project managers who will become your clients may. If
someone asks for a writing sample and your arsenal is empty, make one up.
It’s okay to demonstrate what you can do for your target client, rather than
what you have done in a completely unrelated industry.

Do your homework before sending writing samples

Whether you make up a sample or send a previously written sample, do
your homework first. When I hire subcontractors, I do ask for writing
samples. Almost every time, the writer tries to impress me by sending his
most complicated “technical” writing. But that’s not what I’m looking for,
and it’s not what my clients want either.

Mega corporations have strong brand recognition. That’s how they got to be
a mega corporation in the first place. Part of having a strong brand means
having a consistent voice and tone in their written materials. Once you’ve
chosen a client, pick up some brochures and check out their website to get
to know that company’s voice. Then, show them you can deliver that same
voice.

If they like short, punchy, easy-to-read communications, don’t send an

example of long-winded prose with big fancy words. This is about their
writing style, not your impressive command of vocabulary. By showing
potential clients you understand their writing voice, you further solidify
your value to them as a preferred vendor.

Make your business card a magnet

People in corporations work in cubicles. Cubicles have metal edges.
Magnets stick to metal edges. They can be used to hang up quick notes and
reminders. Thus, people in cubicles like magnets.

If your business card is a magnet, it will hang on your clients’ walls as a

constant reminder that you’re available. It won’t be lost in a Rolodex, or
scanned into a database and then discarded. And it will never, ever be used
as a toothpick!

You can get a box of 500 magnetic business cards for under $100 at most
printers. That will last you a very long time. Do a Google search on
“magnetic business cards” to find a vendor you like.

Make sure your business card says that you’re a writer and you specialize in
the niche industry. You’d be surprised how many people make business
cards that say nothing more than their name and contact information.
Here’s another tip: Give your clients EXTRA business cards so they can
share with their colleagues and coworkers. The more eyes within the
company that see your name, the faster your business will grow.

Oh, and by “give” you clients your business cards, I mean “mail” them. You
probably won’t meet your clients face to face. But, do but take the extra
step of sending them your card, perhaps with a thank you note for your first
project. Do not send gifts! Most will not be allowed to accept them. Your
business card magnet is your gift.
Chapter 4 review:

Don’t expect your website to draw mega corporate clients. While you
should have one to reflect your professionalism, mega corporate
managers generally do not search the Internet when they need a
writer. They go to their Procurement Department or other colleagues
within the company.
Become an approved vendor through your target client’s
Procurement Department.
Once approved, contact decision-makers within the various
departments (such as Marketing Communications) to announce your
availability and request work.
Current and previous employers make great first prospects. Talk to
coworkers and former coworkers, who already know (and love) you
for your writing ability.
If you have no network within your niche, build one. Use Linked In
groups to meet mega corporate decision makers.
Chapter 5: Make your clients love you
When clients love you, they send more work. They brag about you to others,
who send more work. They save their best assignments for you. They
schedule you for next year’s projects. When clients love you, they don’t mind
your higher rates. This chapter is about what mega corporate clients will
expect from vendors, and how you can meet those expectations.

Become your clients’ go-to person

The key to job — and income security — is having clients who love you.
But, be warned: Your clients’ love will wane if you stop delivering. Being
in demand can be too much work for the faint of heart. You’ll get to the
point where you alone cannot handle the workload. Your freelance life
could turn into a business enterprise. You’ll be forced to hire help or get out
of the business. Expand or die!

Your behavior can either draw clients to you, or repel them. It’s like flipping
a magnet to the positively charged side. You want to draw them in. You
want to be the “go-to” person in their busy day. A go-to person is someone
you can depend on to not only get the job done, but also to get it done right.
There’s a level of trust involved.

It’s not always fun to be a go-to person. You may feel like a doormat if
others take advantage of you. Of course, as a freelancer, the associated
paycheck is a big inducement. Nevertheless, even if you can’t control your
hours, you can control the work you take on. If you don’t like what a client
sends, you can refuse — even cut that client loose to make room for better
clients. Don’t confuse becoming a go-to person with being a doormat.

I’ve worked for corporations for nearly 30 years as both a staff employee
and a manager. I’ve been a go-to person for most of that time. I’ve also had
my own private stash of go-to people for most of my career. On both
counts, I have observed the following “BE-haviors” that I believe will be
important to working with mega corporate clients.

BE accessible
Create an illusion for your clients that you’re just over the wall in the
cubicle next door. Keep steady hours so your clients know when they can
reach you. Monitor your email and answer the phone so they actually can
reach you.

It’s important to remind your family and friends that, just because you work
from home, doesn’t mean you don’t work. No, you cannot babysit. Your
freelance career is your day job. Would they be asking if you had a job
outside the home?

This doesn’t mean you have to be chained to your desk for eight hours
every day. If you want to have Thursday lunch with the girls, go for it. You
could do the same if you were employed. Just remember that you must get
back to your “job.”

If you have to run an errand during the work day, go ahead if you have the
time to do so. But, a pressing deadline must always take priority. If you’re
working closely with a particular client on a project, but the ball isn’t
presently in your court (for example, you’re waiting for supporting
information or an approval, etc.), and you don’t have any other looming
deadlines or upcoming meetings, then run your errand. Let active clients
know you’ll be away from your desk for a little while, and when you expect
to return — just like you would tell a coworker at a day job.

Communicate any personal and vacation days with your active clients so
they can plan projects around your absence. Give them sufficient advance
notice so that, if they do have upcoming projects for you, they’ll have the
opportunity to fit the writing portion into YOUR schedule either before you
leave or after you get back. That way, you won’t come home from a well-
deserved vacation to learn your clients were forced to find a new vendor.

True story:
 I once was asked if I could handle a big writing job just as I
was about to go on vacation to Hawaii. I didn’t want to pass
up the money or alienate the client, so I took the work with
me. My husband is a late sleeper. So while he slept in the
mornings, I worked — on a deck with a million dollar view! I
got the job done without missing any of our planned activities.
The job more than paid for the trip and I ultimately got more
work from that client.

Being accessible also means accepting “rush” jobs when your schedule
allows. It’s a big part of being a go-to person. Rush jobs tend to be seasonal,
which may differ based on niche. But they can also happen year round. If
you have working experience within your niche, you’ll have a feel for your
rush season. If not, you’ll find out soon enough. Other than the anticipated
seasonal period, I haven’t found rush jobs to be a problem. They’re a good
source of income and they help keep my clients happy.

By the way, it’s okay to charge an added premium for rush jobs. Just make
sure your client knows how much you’ll add to your usual rate. I’ll discuss
setting your rates in Book 2 of this Corporate Freelance Writing Made Easy
series. (See link at end of this book.)

BE dependable
Don’t get in the habit of telling clients what you think they want to hear.
Total honesty is always the best policy. Say what you mean. And mean
what you say. If you make a promise, keep it. If you can’t keep a promise,
don’t make it.

However, do get in the habit of pushing the envelope on your own limits.
As Lucille Ball once said, “If you want something done, ask a busy person
to do it. The more you do, the more you can do.” This is so true!

Don’t shy away from making promises out of fear. When a client sends an
assignment my way, it’s usually accompanied with the question, “Do you
have time to take on a [32-page booklet] by [two weeks from now]?” They
ask. They don’t dictate. They’re looking for my commitment or a
counteroffer.
True story:
It was July — my niche’s busy season — and I was completely
booked up for the next two weeks. A client asked if I was
available to handle a 32-pager within the same timeframe.

No way did I want to send my client looking for another

freelancer! Besides, it was great money and sounded like a
fun project. I didn’t want to pass it up. But I already had a full
plate and this was no small job. I didn’t think I could squeeze
it in.

Before I replied, I did the math. I knew how many pages of

copy I could write in a single day. So, I totaled all the pages
of all my projects and figured out how much I would need to
write each day to make it all happen.

Depending on the page count, I would have three options:

Do the work myself
Pull in a subcontractor to help
Counter offer with an alternate due date. (Due dates
are almost always arbitrarily determined and are often
flexible. Don’t be afraid to ask to change it.)

I also needed to check my calendar to see what evening and

weekend commitments might get in the way. It alleviated
stress to know I could work overtime if necessary.

Finally, I made sure my family was on board with the

upcoming busy period so they could support, and not hinder,
my need to buckle down without interruptions.

Suddenly it all seemed possible and I responded with a “Yes!”

I also explained to my client the situation. “My schedule is
very busy between now and your deadline, but I can make this
happen with your help. I must have all the details of the
project by [XX date]. Also, can you gather up any supporting
 materials for me, so I don’t have to waste time hunting? That
will definitely help.”

The supporting materials, in this case, were other product

materials that this company has. My client, a project manager
who knew the importance of what I had asked — and who had
easy access to the materials I needed — was happy to help
once I explained the big picture.

This condition of my acceptance also gave me a little

leverage. When I didn’t receive what I needed by the deadline,
I told my client, “this will push my delivery back [XX] days.
Are you okay with that?”

Of course it was okay. The deadline was from a soft project

management outline to begin with. This gave me the breathing
space I needed and my client respected both my honesty and
flexibility. It demonstrated dependability, which he would
remember the next time he had a big project.

Once I made my commitment, I prioritized all my outstanding

projects based on deadline. I made up a daily workload
calendar listing exactly how many pages of which project(s) I
needed to work on each day. I stuck to my daily writing
schedule and didn’t stop working until I fulfilled each day’s
commitment.

You’ll be amazed at how a little organization can help to move you along.
With an outline of daily goals in hand, the overall project seemed less
daunting. I had taken multiple projects all due within a two-week period
and broken them up into bite-sized chunks. I had finished all of the projects
on deadline and the money was fantastic. I had tripled my usual monthly
income in just two weeks. And I rewarded myself with a well-earned day
off and a massage (especially my wrists, which were rather sore from all
that typing!)
Understand that I tend to work well under pressure. You have to know your
own limits and capabilities and work within them. If you really don’t think
you can handle a project (even modified), don’t accept it. Accepting and
then failing is worse than respectfully declining.

BE professional
Clients will be loyal to you if they feel you’re one of them — a member of
their team. That means, be friendly with them, but also be as professional as
they are. Over the cubicle wall, you are friends. In the conference room,
you’re professional colleagues with behavioral expectations of each other.
If you’ve ever worked for a large corporation before, then you know what I
mean. If not, follow your clients’ leads.

This is your business. Treat your clients the way you want to be treated.
Answer your phone professionally. Return calls on time. Keep the dog quiet
when you’re on the phone. Deliver quality work. Always put your best foot
forward — on your first project and your hundredth.

You also want to be the one to compromise or figure out a solution to

conflicts. No one likes a whiner. Make it easy for your clients to do
business with you.

BE grateful
Always say “thank you.” Express your gratitude for small projects as well
as big projects. When someone asks if I’m available for a project, I always
say, “Thanks for thinking of me,” along with my response.

I used to send my clients a small gift around the holidays (cookie tin, box of
chocolate, movie tickets, etc.) But in recent years, they can no longer accept
gifts. This is becoming more common with large corporations. It’s better to
stick to expressing gratitude as opportunities arise.

BE a lifelong student
Never stop learning your craft and how to improve your client’s written
materials!
Even if you are a seasoned corporate writing expert, all that can change in a
heartbeat. Corporate writing is, even now, evolving and is no longer what
most people have experienced in the past. More and more corporations
today are looking for clear, concise and to-the-point writing as opposed to
stilted business-speak, “technical writing” or flowery prose — especially
when speaking to consumers.

The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires "clear Government communications

that the public can understand and use." That means U.S. government
entities must use plain language in their public documents. Although the
law only applies to government entities, big corporations — especially
those in heavily regulated industries (health care, banking, environmental,
food, etc.) — have embraced a clear and efficient writing voice.

Pay attention to such trends that can impact communication strategies

within your niche. Service-oriented industries and those that frequently
communicate with the public will be the ones most impacted by the latest
communication initiatives. Large corporations have more to lose if their
reputation turns sour, so they will be the first to conform.

Trends can change too. Some new technology, law, major event, or fad can
impact how the public responds to communications.

Consider the digital tidal wave. How do you grab a reader’s attention when
they’re looking at a tiny hand-held screen? How many words will fit into
their line of sight? Now that consumers are used to reading digital, how can
you get them to pick up your print piece? How can your words jump out
and separate themselves from the barrage of other messages? These issues
didn’t exist ten years ago and may change again next year. Take a class now
and then to keep on top of these changes.

Learn different writing techniques

Different writing mediums have different writing techniques. The more
techniques you offer, the more jobs you can get — even from the same
client. Every major corporation will have writing needs in varying
mediums. Even if you know the company’s products and services, and
brand voice, imagine how priceless you’ll be if you can also handle a larger
variety of writing jobs than the average freelancer.

For example, each of these can have different writing techniques:

Web content
Emails
Advertising
Marketing
White papers
eBooks
Public relations
Presentations
Video scripts
Speeches
Annual reports
Sales letters
Instructional materials (training, user guides, etc.)
Correspondence (customer letters, employee memos)

When corporations want their hired staff to learn a particular writing

technique, they send them to a class or workshop. You can sign up for
college classes that teach a particular writing style, but be wary. English
Comp 101 is as far away from acceptable business writing as you can get.
So, don’t forget about non-college sources. I have been to many (up to four
a year) seminars and workshops taught by other corporate vendors.

Your goal is to learn from the same organizations that teach your clients. In
fact, if you carry the same certifications that your clients have, you will
become priceless to them. Feel free to ask your clients— especially
departments with staff writers like Marketing Communications — to
recommend a seminar or course. Not only will you get a great answer, but
you’ll also tip off your client that you’re about to learn the same thing.

You can Google “How to write [a white paper].” You may learn a lot just
from the online response. Or watch for a reputable organization with
knowledge grounded in recent research. Check their client list. Does it
include Fortune 500s? If so, then go ahead and subscribe to their blog, buy
their book, or sign up for their workshop.

BE an expert of your client’s voice and preferences

Consider different magazines. From Cosmopolitan to Cosmo Girl, from
Field & Stream to Forbes — one magazine’s voice and tone is different
from the next and, if you’re a magazine writer, you must conform your
writing style to get published. Or, as Billy Joel put it, “If you wanna have a
hit, you gotta make it fit.”

Big companies pay millions to develop their brand, and communications

plays a key role in maintaining that brand. They can’t just slap a logo and
tagline on something and consider it branded. The communication itself has
to convey the brand message and image — right down to the voice and tone
of the piece. Smart companies know every written piece that leaves the
company should carry the same voice — no matter who wrote the piece.
Therefore, you cannot inflict your writing voice on your clients’ materials.
You must adopt their preferred voice, if they have one.

You can figure out if a company has a preferred voice by checking out other
communication pieces. Visit their website. Pick up some brochures. Look
for magazine ads. Watch for a consistency — especially in marketing
materials.

I have one client company that invites me to take its internal training
whenever there’s a change in brand strategy. I make sure to go, even if it’s
at my own expense.

Ask if your client has a company style guide. That’s not usually the same
thing as Chicago Manual of Style, APA or MLA. A company style guide
contains preferred word and phrase choices, reading grade level, preferred
format, punctuation use — even preferred word spellings when more than
one way is correct (for example, email vs. e-mail; healthcare vs. health care,
etc.) Here again, your client may not know the answer, depending on which
department he works for. It’s your job to find out.

BE a teacher
You want clients to beat a path to your door, right? Then be the expert
they’re looking for. Corporations are loaded with top-notch professionals
who are great at what they do. But they aren’t all professional writers — in
fact most are not.

Great leaders know their own flaws and limitations. After all, we can’t all
be great at everything. These leaders know when to enlist help — and
they’d rather have knowledgeable help than mediocre help. That’s how
Fortune 500 companies got to be on that prestigious list in the first place.
They hire the best. So you must be the best — or at least their best option.

You want to get to the point where your clients will respect your business
writing knowledge and ask you for advice. But you can’t simply tell them
you fit this role. You must also demonstrate it to earn that respect. This will
go a long way in making you their go-to person.

Your job is to help your client reach his communication goals. If that means
suggesting alternatives, then don’t hesitate to make the suggestion
intelligently and be prepared to back up your suggestion with an example or
evidence that your way is better. It’s like being a nutritionist instead of a
short-order cook. Your clients will respect you and grow to trust your
opinion.

For example, (and for the record) I personally believe that FAQs are highly
over-rated and sorely abused. They’re almost always nothing more than a
bunch of facts forced into Q&A format in order to get the information out.
Let’s say your client asks you to write an FAQ. “Everyone else has one; we
should too.” Some freelancers would give him exactly what he asks for,
without question. I would open up a dialogue with the client:

Are you aware that everything on this Q&A list could be structured
into a brochure, which would be easier for your audience to read
and understand?

Are you aware that everything on your Q&A list is already in your
brochure? Save yourself some money. You don’t need this.
 It’s good practice to make your headers answer questions, not ask
them. Your readers can find information much easier in a well-
constructed brochure with meaningful headers than they can in a
long list of questions that are arranged in no particular order.

Did you know that FAQs should not have more than 8 questions? Too
many questions force your readers to hunt and not find. They will
give up before finding their answer. You have 53 questions here. I’d
like to show you a better way.

This is just one small example. There are many, many ways to improve
business writing. Don’t hesitate to offer your clients help. I am usually
successful in swaying my client to a better idea… but not always.
Sometimes I have to take the initiative and show them with an example. It’s
more work and you may not get paid for it, but it’s a great way to earn their
respect.

It doesn’t always work. I once had a client tell me to, “Shut up and do what
we’re paying you to do.” The irony is, this client was communicating a
highly regulated topic to an already confused audience, and every
suggestion I made to simplify the message was met with refusal. That was
the rare client I didn’t mind losing. Most of the time, my clients appreciate
and trust my expertise. They are loyal to me and keep my name on their
lips. I get calls from new clients who say I came highly recommended from
[so and so] and my business continues to grow.

The lesson in all of this is, always err on the side of sharing your wisdom.
It’s appreciated more often than not. When it’s not appreciated, no one talks
bad about you. They just quietly (and gladly) don’t come back for more.
But when it is appreciated, your client will sell your services for you. You
can’t go wrong.
Chapter 5 review:
The key to job security is having clients who love you.
Be a go-to person so clients come to you on a regular basis, without
even thinking about alternate resources.
Be accessible and dependable. If you act like you’re just over the
wall, clients will see you as one of the team.
Be professional. Your mega clients are not interested in working with
an amateur.
Be grateful. Thank your clients for every project they give you.
Be a lifelong student. Learn all you can about the art of business
writing. Back up your knowledge with proven techniques.
Be an expert of your client’s preferences.
Be a teacher. Share your knowledge freely with your clients. You’re
not giving away trade secrets. You’re establishing yourself as a
valuable expert that your clients will want to keep close at hand.
Thank you again for downloading this book!

If you found it helpful, then I ’ d like to ask you for a favor. Would you be
kind enough to leave a review for this book on Amazon? I would greatly
appreciate it!

Thank you and good luck!

Preview Of Corporate Freelance Writing Made
Easy: Operation and administration secrets for your
home-based corporate writing business

This is Book 2 of the Corporate Freelance Writing Made Easy series. While
some of the information in this book can apply to all types of freelance
writing, some may only apply when you set yourself up as a corporate
writing enterprise as explained in Book 1, Corporate Freelance Writing
Made Easy: How I earned over $1 million in seven years without guerilla
marketing.
This book contains tips, information and mistakes to avoid based on my
personal experiences as a corporate writing enterprise, including:
How much you can charge
How to get paid by direct deposit
Equipment and software needs
Taxes and other common overhead costs
Day-to-day business operations, and more

Chapter 1: Create your business entity

Name your business right away
In the beginning of my freelance life, I worked as a self-employed
individual under my own name. Once I crossed six figures, my accountant
suggested I incorporate to help save on taxes. So, I gave my company a
name, got a taxpayer ID number and D&B number, and hired help.

I realize now it was a mistake to wait to give my company a name. If it’s

inevitable that you will incorporate under a different name, then you might
as well do so from the beginning. Here’s why:
When I incorporated, I came up with a name that reflected what I do instead
of who I am. All my client contracts were in my name, not my company’s
name. This shift caused quite a fiasco with my clients. I had to get a new
vendor number, sign new agreements, and jump through all the original
hoops as if I was a brand new vendor.

I also had a client-issued laptop to use for anything I did for that particular
client. But, the company didn’t allow me to save anything to the laptop’s
hard drive, so all of my files, emails, address book — everything — was on
the company’s network.

When I changed my business name, they assigned me a new user name and
I lost access to my old user name’s network information. That included
works in progress. They even assigned me a new email address, so my
familiar contacts could no longer find me. My clients at that company were
completely confused and some were even angry. It was a headache that
could have been prevented if I had incorporated and named my company at
the start.

Take your time thinking of a name

Don’t decide your business name in a flash. Spend some quality time
thinking about it, share your ideas with colleagues and friends, and listen to
their feedback. You don’t want to rush into an idea, incorporate and tell the
world, and then a week later come up with something better or realize your
business name was a bad idea.

You don’t have to follow my lead on naming your business based on what
you do; you can still use your own name if it’s not too common. Remember,
potential clients are not out on the internet looking for writers, so using
your own name won’t impair your ability to get clients.

You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce, Small Business
Administration, or SCORE chapter to find someone who can help you come
up with a winner.

Should you incorporate and, if so, what type?

There are many advantages to incorporating your business. The act of
incorporating can help you separate your personal life from your business
life. (That may be a good argument for using a name that’s not your own.)
Incorporating also adds credibility to your services. Some clients prefer to
work with corporations instead of individuals. Some even require it.

There are also legal and tax advantages to incorporating. I’ll tell you what I
know based on my experience and as explained to me, but with this
disclaimer: I am not a lawyer or tax accountant and I may live in a different
U.S. state or country than you. I strongly suggest you discuss with
professionals before deciding what type of entity you want to be.

For U.S. citizens, here are three different types of corporations that you
might consider for a writing business: C-Corp, Limited Liability
Corporation (LLC), or S-Corp.

C-Corp ― This is a general corporation and the default if you don’t specify
otherwise. The company pays taxes on its profits (revenues less expenses).
Those profits are distributed to you (the owner/shareholder) as dividends.
Then, you have to pay personal income taxes on the same money! So you
probably don’t want this type of entity.

LLC – This entity is not really a corporation; it’s something of a hybrid

between a partnership and a corporation. It’s taxed like a partnership
(through personal taxes) with the limited liability protections of a
corporation (the company can be sued, but not the owner). But it lacks the
extra tax advantages of an S-Corp.

S-Corp – This entity is much like an LLC in that it is taxed through

personal taxes and has the liability protection. But, because it is a true
corporation, the formalities are more strict. You’ll have to adopt bylaws,
issue stock, hold initial and annual director and shareholder meetings, and
keep meeting minutes with corporate records. But, don’t worry, you can get
a lawyer for about $1,000 to set all that up for you, including the bylaws,
stock certificates, taxpayer ID number (TIN), and more. Then, once a year,
simply type up a page (a meeting with yourself) that reviews your
company’s previous year and anticipates the upcoming year and store it
with your corporate papers.

The advantage of an S-Corp over an LLC is the self-employment taxes.

When you work for someone else, your employer pays half of your Federal
Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, which funds Social Security and
Medicare. You pay the other half of FICA out of your paycheck.

When you’re self-employed, you’re both the employer and employee, so

you pay both halves of FICA. When you incorporate to an S-Corp, you
become a shareholder (perhaps the only shareholder) and you hire yourself
as an employee (perhaps the only employee). You must set a “reasonable”
or industry-appropriate salary for yourself as an employee, but it doesn’t
have to represent your actual earnings.

For example, let’s say your company revenues are $100,000 for the year.
But, you set your annual salary at $45,000 (a reasonable salary for an entry-
level copywriter). You can divide that up into weekly, biweekly, or monthly
payments so you get regular paychecks just like a regular employee.

Now your company pays half of FICA on your $45,000 salary and you pay
the other half. But the point is that you’re paying both halves on only
$45,000, instead of $100,000 as with an LLC.

Then you can deduct any legitimate business expenses from the remaining
$55,000 of your revenues. That means you won’t have to pay those bills
from your salary. For example, your phone and internet bill, your home
office expense, the cost of your computer, software, printer, office supplies,
classes, books, work-related travel, etc. won’t come out of your salary. That
can make your $45,000 salary seem bigger.

I again urge you to discuss with your own accountant first as your situation
may differ from mine. I understand that in some states, S-corporations have
other fees and taxes. For example, in California, an S-corporation must pay
a tax of 1.5 percent on its income with a minimum annual amount of $800.
This tax is not required for sole proprietors.
You can start out as an LLC and upgrade to an S-Corp later
Remember, as an S-Corp, you must set a reasonable salary for yourself. It
can’t be $1. It has to be realistic for the job. Check entry-level copywriter
salaries in your area and use that as a starting point. The IRS pays particular
attention to S-Corps because of the potential for abuse. You don’t want to
prompt an audit by setting your salary too low.

If, in the beginning of your business, you don’t think you’ll earn enough to
qualify as a reasonable salary and still meet your startup overhead, you
could make your business an LLC and change to an S-Corp later, when you
feel more confident about your earnings.

Get certified as a minority-owned business

Being certified as a minority-owned business can help you get work at large
companies and even win government contracts.

You may also get certified as a woman-owned, veteran-owned or service-

disabled-veteran-owned business. To qualify, your business must be at least
51 percent owned by members of one or more minority groups who are
U.S. citizens or resident aliens. For example, in the case of a woman-owned
business, a husband and wife who are equal partners would not qualify. The
wife must own 51 or more percent of the company.

The options and certification process may be different depending on where

you live, so check your state’s official website for instructions to apply.
Google: [Your state] certification of [minority/women/etc.] owned business.
You can also contact your local Small Business Association for forms and
assistance.

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