http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz en-us Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:25:32 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/94747/why-you-should-invest-in-your-personal-brand-as-a-freelancer-and-6-steps-to-building-a-brand/ Building a personal brand is the process of defining and promoting who you are as an individual, what makes you unique based on your experience, skills and values to reach your target audience and ensure they choose you over your competition. It is how you mindfully present yourself and show up consistently to deliver meaningful value to your target audience that prompts them to take action.  Why you need a personal brand As an independent or small business owner in the creative and te... Thu, 24 Nov 2022 20:12:06 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post94747 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/92152/6-easy-to-execute-time-management-tips-for-creatives/ But, whether you want to hear it or not, time management is actually one of the key foundations which contribute to our overall success as a creative. From meeting deadlines, to assigning the correct amount of time to a project, it’s about productivity and revenue - and ensuring we aren’t overworked and underpaid.  So here’s 6 quick-fire time management tips from Jason Tiller, Rocketspark’s Head of Partnerships (and overall guru when it comes to nailing the difficult stuff we often ... Sun, 09 Oct 2022 15:12:59 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post92152 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/82778/spotlight-on-monica-shepherd/ If anyone was to write a guidebook on how to become a successful freelancer - we think Monica Shepherd from Mark My Words would be a pretty good choice! Not only is she a superstar wordsmith, but she has also managed to nail the process of having clients come to her. So we decided it was time to put a few questions to Monica and uncover more about her journey to building a profitable freelance business. Why did you decide to become a freelancer? Where were you prior to going out on you... Thu, 12 May 2022 10:27:38 +1200 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post82778 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/81916/beating-the-freelancer-blues/ The freelancer blues. We’ve all had ‘em right? It can be a bloody rollercoaster living our independent lifestyles - free from the chains of corporate servitude and just doing what we want, when we want. Well, that’s not quite true. On a daily basis we can be juggling everything from marketing ourselves, to chasing up invoices, dealing with clients, meeting crazy deadlines and trying our best to be creative - even though some days it doesn’t come so easily. And while no one can argue that... Tue, 26 Apr 2022 10:38:27 +1200 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post81916 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/80595/spotlight-on-sara-jane-austen/ Our villagers get to be involved in some amazing projects with awesome clients and this month we’re shining a spotlight on Sara-Jane Austen - a graphic designer from Wellington who specialises in visual branding and web design. As you can see from her work below - she's an absolute rockstar! And we're so happy that she is a part of our village of freelancers. ... Sun, 27 Mar 2022 20:44:52 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post80595 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/74899/spotlight-on-bron-alexander/ Our villagers get to be involved in some amazing projects with awesome clients and this month we’re shining a spotlight on Bron Alexander - a designer and illustrator based in Hamilton. As you’ll see from the work below, she is just incredible! And we’re so proud to have her here on The Freelance Village. ... Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:33:49 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post74899 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/73250/the-only-way-is-up-as-two-kiwi-businesses-join-forces/ For more than 10 years, Rocketspark has been dedicated to making sure New Zealand businesses had access to easier, more effective and affordable websites. Which is why Rocketspark knew acquiring The Freelance Village was going to be a great step forward for not only its internal design partners, but for the SME business community too.   Rocketspark’s CEO and co-founder Grant Johnson says that when the opportunity arose to purchase The Freelance Village, he was drawn to how well both ... Wed, 13 Oct 2021 13:22:43 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post73250 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/67020/freelancers-are-expensive--the-truth-behind-the-cost-of-professional-freelancers--and-why-they-are-worth-every-cent/ We’ve all gone to the doctor one time or another and forked out mega bucks to just be told we have a virus and there’s nothing that can be done - apart from rest and fluids. But I don’t think many of us have gone to the reception desk and said ‘look, I didn’t get a lot of value from my consult so I’m only giving you 50 per cent of the fee’. Doctor’s don’t work like that. Their time is their time. Same as lawyers, accountants, and about every other professional service... Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post67020 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/67022/the-benefits-of-using-a-freelancer--sales-went-up-more-than-100/ Here’s a story all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside-down… oh whoops no sorry, wrong story! What we actually have below is how a freelancer – a content marketer and expert in SEO – was able to help a business achieve more than double their previous years’ sales over a period of 12 months.The story from Cherie Hawkins at Project Market goes a bit like this:“Last year, in December 2017, I was put in touch with a local automotive business who wanted to increase their to... Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post67022 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/post/67023/four-steps-to-smart-communication--by-hannah-mccreery/ Do you sometimes feel like you’ve got a ton of great things to say about your business, but none of it appears to get through to the people that matter? Or maybe you’ve got an amazing service that makes people’s lives easier, but when you try to communicate this, the messages seem to disappear into a black hole without making a scrap of difference.Simply having something to say, doesn’t mean it’ll be heard.I know planning can be a drag. Let’s be honest, there’s always something mor... Mon, 09 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.thefreelancevillage.co.nz/blog/#post67023