By Annette Kiesow from Catnip and Coffee

So you finally got that big freelance gig you’ve been searching for? The first contract work that gives you a chance to start your business, work for yourself, even quit your day job? You’ve spent weeks, months, maybe years putting all of your effort into finding a paying client. Now, you have to spend that same effort, or more, on keeping that client.

I’ve been doing contract work for almost seven years now, and in that time I’ve learned a few things about making clients happy. Happy clients mean more work coming your way, and we all want that! Not only will they keep giving you new assignments but also, continuously working with them will build your reputation in your field so other clients will notice you and, hopefully, hire you.

Here are a few tips to help you build your business, and stay in business.

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Adam Heath Avitable (@Avitable) is a humorist and stand-up comedian who writes over at Avitable.com

My name is Adam Heath Avitable, and I am the world’s funniest person named Adam Heath Avitable that I know of. I’m writing this post today because I know that most of you look at people like me and think to yourself, “I’m pretty, smart, and happy. I’d much rather be funny like that guy.” Funniness is not always inherent - it can be learned, and with these few steps, hopefully you too will find yourself on the path to mediocre recognition as that “funny [looking] person who was on the local news for public drunkenness and public nudity.”

1. Know your audience.

Whether you’re being funny in writing or in person, it is fundamental to know and understand your audience. This doesn’t mean that you have to rely on stereotypes, although it’s completely true that old people like jokes about Matlock and the good old days and prisoners like jokes about dropping the soap. If you are trying to write a funny post, and you know that 90% of your readers are women, topics that appeal to women will be better received. This is why I mainly write about periods, dieting, and hating Gwyneth Paltrow.

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By Miss Britt from In Pursuit of Happiness

I used to travel with an incredibly large suitcase, just-in-case shoes, and enough hair products to style an entire bridal party. Then airlines started charging for checked luggage and my frugal habits required me to change my packing patterns. Whether I’m traveling for a weekend or a week, I almost always get everything I need into a single carry-on suitcase. Here’s how.

1. Use the hotel’s toiletries. There’s no need to pack even tiny bottles of shampoo; the hotel you’re staying at will almost always have what you need to wash and moisturize yourself from head to toe. Remember that hotels also have hair dryers.

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By Shannon from zchamu (and other places)

A hotel room. An entire room. All to yourself. Where you can hog the bed and the remote control, and if you get hungry? You can pick up the phone and demand someone bring you food. What is this? Am I suddenly 26 and single again? Ahh. A business trip. It sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Then why does the thought of going away for a few nights fill us with such anxiety and dread?  It’s because often, we’re the ones who keep the well-oiled machine that is Our Family functioning, and going out of town means there’s a high likelihood the entire thing is going to fall apart, leaving us trying to pick up the pieces from half a country away.  Head off the insanity: Here’s a few tips to help keep everything running smoothly while you’re out of town.

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By Hillary from two L’s please

I’ve always had some difficulty dressing my body type. I’m tall but all of my height is in my torso. Since becoming pregnant, my struggle to dress my (ever growing!) body has reached desperate levels.

Fortunately, I’ve found a strategy that has greatly reduced the amount of time I spend fretting about how to dress my definitely-pregnant-but-not-yet-huge body.
1. Don’t be afraid to spend money on staples.

For me, this meant buying two identical pairs of dark wash maternity jeans. You may not be able to get away with wearing denim in a professional office but I’ve found that people are generally a little more lenient when dealing with a (crazy! hormonal! unpredictable!) pregnant lady. I wear my dark jeans to work every day, rotating out a pair when it needs to hit the laundry. Did it feel good to spend $100 on two pairs of jeans that I will (likely) never wear again? No. It it worth it to not have to worry about what I’m going to wear on my bottom half every day for the next four months? Yes. Emphatically, yes.

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By Jenny Grace from Miss Grace’s Disgrace

Between working full time and parenting full time, food can really fall by the wayside, especially when it comes to feeding myself. I’m generally pretty good about feeding my son meals that more or less end up balanced, but when it comes to me? During the work day? You have got to be kidding.

Over the years I’ve gotten better about (a) remembering to eat at all and (b) having something on hand so it’s not just straight from the vending machine into my belly.

I rely heavily on the following strategies:

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By Samantha Campen of Back To Me

I have been a full-time working mom for exactly two years. Finding someone to watch a piece of my heart was one of the hardest decisions my husband and I had to make, and not just because we were in a newborn sleep deprived stupor. Finding the utmost trust in another person to care for our child was a lesson in priorities, flexibility, and good old faith. We knew we wanted an in-home daycare, had a rough idea as to our budget, and had a travel radius based on where my office was located. I reached out to all my working mom friends who were a huge help but I still felt unprepared. Once we found our day home we were in love and were with her for two years until she decided to retire. ALERT! ALERT! ALL SYSTEMS DOWN! The fact that we were going to have to find someone ELSE to watch our now-toddler was a stress I didn’t expect to see again so soon. Here are a few things I’ve learned while lurching down the painful road to finding a great daycare provider.

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By Kerri Anne from kerrianne.org

Wear feathers that don’t easily ruffle.

I’m not talking about dress code here, though if you want to wear feathers to work (and can pull it off with gusto), but all means, go for it! What I am talking about is erecting an emotional barrier in order to protect yourself from barbs, whether intentionally and unintentionally thrown in your direction. In a perfect world you would work hard at your job, enjoy what you’re doing, and your superiors and/or clients would appreciate everything you do on a daily basis. Unfortunately, while this Utopian workplace probably exists somewhere, it isn’t commonplace, so until you find it (or create it), you’re probably going to have to deal with people who don’t tell you what a great job you’re doing as quickly as they’ll tell you when they’re dissatisfied with something you did or didn’t do.

Rolling with the punches is one of the best ways to stay sane in any workplace. As soon as you can accept and acknowledge that not everything is about you, the better off you’ll be. Bosses and colleagues have bad days.
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From Well-Heeled

1. Bury your head in the sand. Given the doom and gloom of the news lately, it’s hard to blame anyone who wants to turn off the TV and just tune out the news for the next 12 months. But while hibernation works for a bear, it won’t work in this bear market. Now is not the time to be blissfully ignorant of what’s going on. Right now IS the time to stick to the boring basics of personal finance: get out of high-interest debt, refrain from taking on new debt, and start, or add to, your emergency fund.

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By Heather B. of NoPasaNada

When I graduated from college my mother presented me not with a hefty envelope filled with cash or the keys to a brand new CR-V and definitely not Happy Graduation Jewelry. Instead she presented me with Suze Orman’s The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke. I had just returned - literally 36 hours prior - from a six month trip abroad where I spent every single cent to my name plus God knows how much provided by both of my parents up until the last night I was there when I was begging for more euros so I could end my trip in style: table service at a club in Madrid. So I was feeling less than fabulous, really freaking broke but less than young since I was being allowed to enter the real world without any sort of adult supervision. The only guidance provided was Suze Orman’s book and a threat to pull every single hair out of my head if I didn’t get a job.
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