Early Bird Discount....

For all self employed people! This is a not to miss event. The amount of information at this conference is amazing and you spend a weekend with people who are just like you! It's a great event to attend, and worth every penny.

Head to Denver Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6—in just two days, you'll reignite your passion, gain the confidence you need to achieve your business goals, and get practical tools for building a successful freelance business.

Plus you'll save $30 when you sign up by the March 12 Early-Bird deadline.

Register today—the deadline's just three short days away!

And your CFC registration is worth every penny.

"Thisconference is a highly efficient, cost-effective way to gain a treasuretrove of information, resources, contacts, tips, how-tos, inspirationand encouragement for creative solopreneurs."
Barby Grant
Owner, Barby Grant Communications
attended CFC in 2009

Create. Connect. Community.
This year CFC is teaming up with the HOW Design Conferencetaking place across the street at the Colorado Convention Center June6-9. You'll get all of CFC's information and intimate networkingopportunities for freelancers, plus access to the HOW Conference'sinspirational keynote, bookstore and giant Resource Center. You'll evenget a free pass to attend a HOW Conference session of your choice!(Excludes studio tours and pre-conference workshops.)

March News and Events Local Los Angeles and Online Events Check them out!

March News and Events

 

 I want to remind everyone about the special tax credit this year and Freelancers Union has created a Facebook page all about it…Join the group and tell a friend and find out all the details… http://tinyurl.com/y8kwnzt

 

3/10 March L.A. Biznik Happy Hour at Jerry's Famous! Biznik Member Event – Hosted by Heather Parlato Details here… http://tinyurl.com/ydvwhpc

3/10 LA Small Business Internet Marketing Group - $10.00 Are you mystified about how to go about conducting keyword research for your website? Would you like to learn a strategy that you can implement to effectively identify which keywords you want to target? Then don't miss our next Meetup! At Blankspaces http://tinyurl.com/yleady7

3/18 Maverick Marketing Workshop: Stand Out from the Herd, Get Better Results and
Wrangle More Business Your Way--Right Now. Seal Beach - With Terry Lanhans – If you missed her at the Feb. Meetup here is your chance to see her… http://tinyurl.com/yh9bofm

3/20 – Saturday Morning Mastermind – LA Entrepreneur Connection $10.00  - Hosted by Alaia Williams – For details go here http://tinyurl.com/y9kms2h

 

3/20 - Getting More Referrals Using Social Media – Biznik Member Event -  Event Topic: - Why Traditional Media is less effective, how Social Media can help, and an easy solution you can implement immediately For details go here..;. http://tinyurl.com/y8gctje

3/23 Astoundingly Simple Secrets to Making Social Media Work for You – $30.00 Members -  Freelancers Union Online Seminar with Colleen Wainwright - Can you really turn garden-variety online acquaintances into a supportive network who will help you spread a message or build a career? Do social media sites like Facebook and Twitter offer the opportunity to extend your brand and message or are they just a colossal time-suck? Register - http://tinyurl.com/yhjdsot

 

3/23 Website Basic Series Workshop – $60.00 at PACE LA – with your organizer Colleen Rice Nelson – this workshop is CHEAP for the value – and I charge way more for this workshop – so come and get the same information for a really good price – 3 Tuesdays and you will know how to Plan, Build and Market your website! Register - http://tinyurl.com/ykxmflkfor details about the class visit my site under classes www.t-u-a.com

 

June 5-6 Creative Freelancer Conference! The place to be is our very own conference in Denver in June! 3^rd Annual – Sign up before March 12^th for DISCOUNT go to http://www.creativefreelancerconference.com

The Power of Email Marketing (Downtown LA)

(How to do email marketing well)
March 11
10am - noon
In partnership with PACELA.org

In just one information-packed session, you'll learn the theories, strategies, and proven techniques that drive a successful email marketing program.

• Overview of Email Marketing: What it is and how it works, using real-world examples
• Email Marketing tips, techniques, and best practices
• Strategies for getting and keeping subscribers

LA Freelance March Meetup with Special Guest Crystal Cassidy CPA Talking "Brass Taxes!" 3/7/10

Tax Time! Join us for tax help and answers!

Sunday March 7th at 3 pm

It'sthat time of year - Tax Season! There you are pulling receipts out ofcoat pockets, shoe boxes and file cabinets. Or trying to remember whereyour mileage notes went. We are all in the same boat and some peopleare more organized than others on the tax front. But I know, that onceyou get all your paperwork together, there seems to be one receipt thatyou aren't quite sure where it fits into to your forms. Well this isyour chance to get your questions answered and learn a little moreabout your taxes along the way.

One of our very own groupmembers, Crystal Cassidy, has offered to help us on our self employmentjourney! Here is what she will talk about....

Details :Findout the single most overlooked, but most important strategy you can useto lower your taxes over your lifetime! In fact, it will not only helpyou, but your friends, family and neighbors 99% of the time. This isone rarely, if ever, discussed strategy anywhere – in the profession orfor the public. You'll also gain knowledge that will relieveIRS-related stress and achieve balance – be in compliance with thelowest (legal) tax liability.

This presentation will provide:

• a big picture overview of your tax return and highlights of current year changes
  
• overview of the tax differences between the basic types of business entities
  
• an opportunity to ask your tax or accounting related questions
  

Thoughthe presentation is designed for new business owners' and freelancers'business income, even experienced freelancers can learn about thecurrent year stimulus items rarely covered in the news.

About Crystal Cassidy CPA:Crystal happily launched her private accounting & tax practice 14years ago leaving the security of a steady job with a major governmentagency. She says the key to enjoying her work is to have great clientsincluding creative people and nonprofits - because the rewards extendbeyond the bottom line. Her clients know she is 'on board,' whethertheir goals are to obtain wealth, live well and retire young, to makethe world a better place,' or simply to make a living doing what theylove.

LA Freelance Group MembersPay Attention Here: Crystal is offering members of our group 15% offregular rates for 2009 tax return preparation.

Askyour questions! If you are planning on attending, and have a particularquestion about your taxes, email it to me and I will forward it toCrystal before the Meetup so she can have an answer for you at theMeetup. That's free advice my friends...Email your questions toinfo@freelancerforum.net and I will make sure Crystal receives them.

Cost: FREE

RSVP Here! Please RSVP - Join the Group it's free Here

BYOW:Bring your own whatever - If you can - bring a little something toshare with the group in the way of snacks. Healthy, not so healthy - weare not picky! This helps keep the meetup free!

Location is Blankspaces : 5405 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.330.9505
"Parking is just south of Wilshire on Cloverdate behind the white fence with the blue Blankspaces sign. Walk up Cloverdale to the side entrance of Blankspaces on the north side of Wilshire."

About Blankspaces -if you have never seen a co-working space, then come to the meeting andcheck it out! A great place to rent to get some work done centrallylocated in LA. Blankspaces is offering LA Freelance Meetup Groupmembers a DISCOUNT!! $99/mo WorkBar membership (3-month) OR $49/mo forOff-Peak Unlimited @ any desk or WorkBar. (offpeak is nights 6-11pm andweekends.) Tell them where you found out about this info.! www.BLANKSPACES.com

Thank you to our MeetUp sponsors: Blankspaces and Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite Check them out!

Thank for being a member and helping our freelance connections grow!

Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool February 18th 4 pm Eastern Online Seminar

Date: February 18, 2010*
Time: 4pm ET/1pm PT
Duration: 1 hour

Register Here!

*You will also have access to the archived version of this DesignCast for one year!

Facebook, Twitter, blogging…they all seem like ways to kill time online. But savvy creative professionals are using these free social media tools to build their networks, reach out to new clients and grow their businesses. Veteran design pro Jeff Fisher will sort through all the options and teach you how to use these FREE promotional activities.

You'll learn how to:

• Position your design services as a product on social networking sites.
• Drive traffic to your website and blog through online social interaction.
• Create a valuable social network of peers, vendors and potential clients.
• Take advantage of social networking/media resources that translate into business, rather than socializing.
• Toot your own horn (tactfully) through social media.

About the Presenter:

Jeff Fisher, author of 'Identity Crisis!' (HOW Books, 2007), is the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. A 32-year design veteran, he has been honored with over 600 regional, national and international design awards and is featured in over 130 books about logos, the design business, and small business marketing. His first book, "The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success" was released in 2004 and has been reissued as a PDF on CD. Fisher is currently writing a new volume, "Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained," on the topic of typography in identity design.

Website Basics Series Begins Tuesday Feb. 9th 3 pm - 5 pm

Website Basics Series

This series is a set of 3 workshops for beginners and intermediate website builders and owners that want to create or improve their online presence.  Whether you have a website currently, or you want to try to build one yourself - this is the workshop for you! In a unique 3 week - 3 day program you will learn how to properly build a website yourself without knowing any coding or complicated programs, OR you will be able to hire someone to build it – but know what to ask, and what to look out for in the process.  Participants who enroll in this series also receive one hour of consultation with a web consultant to discuss whatever issue they face in regards to their online presence. 

Session 1: Planning Your Website Feb. 9th 3-5pm
Learn what it takes to properly plan a website, what elements and assets you need to have before you build a website, how to choose your domain name, the basics of building a search engine friendly website.  You will also be led through a questionnaire that will help you figure out what you want from a website.

Session 2: Building Your Website Feb. 16th 3-5pm
Learn how to bring your elements together in building a website, what options (template, CMS, hiring a designer, DIY) are available to build a website and the reasons for each, how to select a hosting company based on your personal website needs.  You will also be led through a website building tool available through a hosting company.

Session 3: Marketing and Your Online Web Presence  Feb 23rd 3-5 pm

Learn what SEO is all about. Learn about social media and how to decide if it is right for you, how to market your website and create an online web presence, the importance of statistics and how to use them, and learn how to maintain your website regularly.

 

Dates                                                     Day & Time                                          

2/9, 2/16, 2/23                      Tuesdays; 3 PM – 5 PM  

Cost: $60.00 for all 3 sessions! This is an incredible steal for the amount and quality of information!

Register here at www.PACELABDC.org   Go to calendar to enroll today. Space is limited!

PACE LA: 213-353-9400 for questions about parking, registration and course details.

Location: PACE LA - Downtown LA - 1055 Wilshire Blvd. #900B, Los Angeles, Ca. 90017

About the Instructor: Colleen Rice Nelson - The Ultimate Answer (http://www.T-U-A.com) is a self employed business woman who runs a multimedia consulting business helping her clients answer their questions about the world wide web. Working with websites since 1996, Colleen has a passion for inspiring clients to get creative and think out of the box with their website marketing, while maintaining a practical and functional approach to their site design. You can have great looking website, but if you don't promote it, and no one can find you - what's the point? Creating a website that is search engine friendly is the backbone of a great website, not an afterthought.



     

Los Angeles Freelance Meetup Saturday February 13th, 3 pm With Special Guest Terri Langhans: Blah Blah Blah!

Blah Blah Blah: How to Stand Out from the Competition, Get Better Results from Your Marketing and Sell More Services

Saturday February 13th, 2010 3 pm at Blankspaces on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles

Cost: FREE

No one cares about you and your boring freelance business. That’s how it feels, sometimes, doesn’t it? To the people who buy from you or hire you, you and your competition all seem to look alike, sound alike, provide the same service or sell the same stuff. “Blah, blah, blah, just tell me how much it’s gonna cost.” Ouch.

At our next Meetup, Terri Langhans, CSP will pack 90-minutes with creative ideas, powerful insights, plenty of laughs, real world examples and tangible tools you can use right away (and over and over) to be less ordinary and more effective when it comes to marketing, advertising and business development. Regardless of what you’ve tried before, and regardless of how big or small your budget is--even if you don’t have a marketing budget.

Terri will zero in on these important areas of attracting more clients and growing your business, including How To:

- Distinguish your business from the competition and find your points of difference no matter how much you "look like the other guy."
- Describe what you do in a way that attracts (not repels) prospects and creates a conversation to explore working together.
- Create marketing messages that are memorable and more effective in generating the response you want.

Terri promises you will walk away energized and equipped with what you need to know, and what you need to do to be less ordinary and more effective in growing your business. You and your marketing will have more focus and higher impact which will give you greater response and a better bottom line.

Why listen to Terri?  Terri Langhans, CSP is the former CEO of a national ad agency and marketing firm that she started from scratch as a freelancer and grew large enough and profitable enough to sell to a Fortune 100 Big Boy. But that was then and this is now. Now Terri is COE (Chief of Everything) at Blah Blah Blah, her speaking and consulting business and a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), one of only 206 women worldwide to have earned the designation awarded by the National Speakers Association and the International Federation of Professional Speakers. She's also the author the book The 7 Marketing Mistakes Every Business Makes (And How to Fix Them) and conducts the Maverick Marketing 1-Day Workshop four times a year.

Speaking: www.BlahBlahBlah.us
Marketing: www.MaverickMarketing.com

RSVP Here - Join The Group (it's free) to RSVP!

BYOW: Bring Your Own Whatever! If you can, bring a little something to munch on and share with the group!

About Blankspaces: A great co-working place in the middle of LA to be seen! for events, pricing and details go to www.BLANKSPACES.com. Show our sponsor some love!! Connect with them on Yelp, Facebook and more by clicking here http://www.blankspaces.com

2/9/10 – PACE LA Website Basic Series Workshop – I will be teaching a class offered through PACE LA starting 2/6/10 on Website Building Basics. 3 classes over 3 weeks for $60.00. Downtown Los Angeles. Call Jackie Jones for details on how to register (213) 353-3982

2/9/10- Biznik – Mixer San Fernando Valley – NEW! Organized by Lelah Baker-Rabe a new mixer in the valley! Check it out! http://tinyurl.com/yhfhk83

2/10/10- Biznik Westside Mixer with Colleen Wainwright – Hurry this one fills up quick! http://tinyurl.com/yatauje

2/10/10 – The Entrepreneur Connection LA (formerly LASBO) Eastside Mixer $20.00 http://tinyurl.com/ykowl5a

2/13/10- LA Freelance Meet Up Special Guest Terri Langhans Blah Blah Blah! Must attend event! Great information and funny to boot! LA Freelance February Meet Up: With…

2/17/10 Constant Contact San Fernando Valley - The Power of Email Marketing – How to do email marketing well. $30.00 http://tinyurl.com/yak5zut

2/17/10 Constant Contact San Fernando Valley - Getting Started with Constant Contact - (How to use Constant Contact) FREE http://tinyurl.com/ylnvoyc

2/23/10 - February Business Academy Mentor Luncheon – Student Business Mentoring Program organized by one of our members Jessica Duong. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=301235586613

2/24/10 – Constant Contact Harwthorne The Power of Email Marketing - Hawthorne (How to do email marketing well) Free http://tinyurl.com/yhqp282

2/24/10 Getting Started with Constant Contact - Hawthorne
(How to use Constant Contact) Free http://tinyurl.com/ykezwws

2/25/10- Constant Contact Culver City -The Power of Email Marketing - Culver City
(How to do email marketing well) Free http://tinyurl.com/yzud4zt

2/25/10 Getting Started with Constant Contact - Culver City
(How to use Constant Contact) Free http://tinyurl.com/yjz9fjw

3/23/10 – Freelancers Union Online Seminar – Social Media with Colleen Wainwright http://tinyurl.com/ykpll2n

6/5/10-Creative Freelancer Conference Denver Colorado – http://www.creativefreelanceconference.com

Support our LA Freelance Meet Up Sponsors!

Blankspaces To help our  please write a review of the facility at yelp.com and support them by joining them on Facebook! Go to the side bar here and connect http://www.blankspaces.com/interact/


Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite: Check here for details....http://www.microsoft.com/business/bpostestdrive/demo.aspx?CR_CC=100247983

Freelancer Forum Radio Friday February 5th, 10am 2010 Blah Blah Blah:  How to Stand Out from the Competition with Terri Langhans Join us Live!

Freelancer Forum Internet Radio is proud to present - Terri Langhans....This is one not to miss!

Blah Blah Blah:  How to Stand Out from the Competition, Get Better Results from Your Marketing and Sell More Services

No one cares about you and your boring freelance business. That’s how it feels, sometimes, doesn’t it? To the people who buy from you or hire you,  you and your competition all seem to look alike, sound alike, provide the same service or sell the same stuff. “Blah, blah, blah, just tell me how much it’s gonna cost.” Ouch.

Join us LIVE during the show where Terri Langhans, CSP will pack 60-minutes with creative ideas, powerful insights, plenty of laughs, real world examples and tangible tools you can use right away (and over and over) to be less ordinary and more effective when it comes to marketing, advertising and business development.  Regardless of what you’ve tried before, and regardless of how big or small your budget is--even if you don’t have a marketing budget. 

Listen Here: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Freelancer-Forum

Join us during the show and ask questions while you have the chance! By phone: (646) 478-567 or join the LIVE CHAT. But if you miss the show live - you can always listen to the podcast of the show on the show profiles page or in ITunes!

Why listen to Terri?  Terri Langhans, CSP is the former CEO of a national ad agency and marketing firm that she started from scratch as a freelancer and grew large enough and profitable enough to sell to a Fortune 100 Big Boy. But that was then and this is now. Now Terri is COE (Chief of Everything) at Blah Blah Blah, her speaking and consulting business and a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), one of only 206 women worldwide to have earned the designation awarded by the National Speakers Association and the International Federation of Professional Speakers. She's also the author the book The 7 Marketing Mistakes Every Business Makes (And How to Fix Them)  and conducts the Maverick Marketing 1-Day Workshop four times a year.

Speaking:  www.BlahBlahBlah.us
Marketing:  www.MaverickMarketing.com
Tweet: http://www.Twitter.com/terrilanghans
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/terrilanghans

About Freelancer Forum Internet Radio Show: Whether you call yourself a freelancer, 1099er, self employed, independent contractor or a consultant, Freelancer Forum is for you. It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you do it as a freelancer! The shows contain discussions aimed at the self employed with topics that are specific to the needs of the freelancer. Hosted by Colleen Rice Nelson, a self employed business woman who runs a multimedia consulting business - The Ultimate Answer (http://www.the-ultimate-answer.com). Calling herself a "Multimedia Muse", Colleen seeks to provide useful information to the self employed across the nation. Colleen is also the organizer of The Los Angeles Freelance Meet Up group (http://www.meetup.com/LA-Freelance) and author of the freelance resource blog Freelancer Forum (http://www.freelancerforum.net)

January 15th, 2010  Taxes Due!

It's that time again! 4th Quarter Estimated Taxes Due!

Get those checks out before midnight tonight!

For I.R.S. info on Estimated Taxes go here...

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=110413,00.html

Now is also a great time to start pulling your 2009 receipts and start organizing for April Taxes....

I always suggest June Walker's website for great online information about self employment taxes and deductions! Hands down the best book on the market! Check out her site www.JuneWalkerOnline.com you can buy her book from Amazon through the Freelancer Forum Survival Store - Click on the image on the left sidebar!