Still, there are plenty of apps to help you to integrate multimedia into your tweets. Here’s a list of handy and easy-to-use services for images, audio and video:

Images

1. Plixi. Formerly TweetPhoto, this app connects with Twitter or Facebook and is pitched as a “social platform” for images.
2. TwitPic. This app lets you post pictures to Twitter from your phone, their site and via email. It’s also embedded in many of the popular Twitter clients for mobile devices.
3. Twitrpix. Another contender that lets you share by photos by phone, web and email.
4. Twicsy. A search engine for images on Twitter that also allows you to upload images.
5. yFrog. This tool is looking to give TwitPic some competition in terms of Twitter client integration and also lets you upload video.

Audio

1. Audioboo. An elegant mobile app and website to record and upload audio and add to your Twitter stream along with images and text.
2. Chir.ps – A simple website that allows you to upload sound clips. Record, stop recording, listen to your recording, then tweet it with some text.
3. Tinysong. This app is integrated with Grooveshark to let you tweet out a link to a song MP3, if music is your thing.
4. Twaudio. Pitched as a “Twitpic for MP3s.” You can upload an existing file, or record one on the fly.
5. Tweetmic. A Twitter client app for iPhone that enables you to easily record and upload audio clips to create “Tweetcasts.”

Video

1. Bubbletweet. This app lets you create a video that appears in a bubble over your Twitter stream on your profile.
2. Pikchur. A tool that enables you to upload video and images to multiple social networks, including Twitter.
3. Screenr. This is a quick and handy app for instant screencasting into your Twitter stream.
4. Tvider. A multimedia solution that lets you tweet video, audio or pictures.
5. Twitcam. This app can stream live video onto Twitter for in-the-moment broadcasting.

There are so many Twitter apps that searching for the best ones can be a time-consuming effort. One helpful resource for Twitter-related applications is OneForty.com, where you can not only search by keyword and category but also get reviews and recommendations from the crowd.

What are your favorite Twitter apps for multimedia tweets?

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.):

• Social Media in the Enterprise
• Can Enterprise Privacy Survive Social Networking?
• Are You Empowering Your Mobile Workforce?

The Language Gap

While I am trilingual, for each of the languages I know there are hundreds that I am not familiar with, so English is the default language that I use to communicate with foreign clients. Though every client I’ve worked with has at least some familiarity with English, a few of them weren’t fluent enough to express clear instructions. When this happens I just look for solutions that will help us communicate better.

My first approach is usually to confirm and repeat the client’s instructions. If I receive an email with a list of tasks the client wants me to do, I send an itemized reply to confirm that I have understood everything correctly. This is good practice even without a language barrier, since it lessens the risk for misunderstandings.

It also helps to encourage clients to express themselves naturally. For business communication most people feel that they must speak formally, sometimes to the extent of sacrificing clarity. If this is the case with your client, encourage him or her to speak conversationally and not worry too much about “sounding professional”.

Online translation tools can come in handy if your client has a hard time translating a phrase or idea into English. Ask your client to express the thought in his or her native language, then use translation tools like Google Translate and Babel Fish. Keep in mind that with these tools the results might not be accurate. For a better translation, you can ask around in foreign language forums or even visit the language section of Yahoo Answers. Just make sure you receive more than one answer to check for accuracy.

Still, these solutions might not be enough in some cases. Once, I had a client who had trouble with expressing negations. When she would say something like “write a list” she actually meant “do not write a list”. When I realized this problem, I would include graphics in my confirmation emails. I attached check marks for the things I would do and a cross beside any item I would not do. This taught me that it can be more helpful to use visual cues that substitute or complement your discussions.

But if communication becomes truly difficult and a do-it-yourself approach is no longer good for the project, it’s worth considering hiring a translator.

The Cultural Gap

Since what we have with clients is a business relationship rather than a personal one, it may seem like cultural differences won’t matter. But there are cases where there’s a difference in professional culture. The way you approach meetings, calls, and projects, may be a bit different from what they are expecting, and vice versa.

This was what happened to my WWD colleague Pamela when she worked on a startup project in France, which she wrote about in a previous article. Basically, she discovered that her definition of a vacation was different from theirs.

The solution to this is to begin your working relationship with a discussion on your preferred work process. How often do you need to report to the client? Should you be available for support at certain hours of the day? Will any of their holidays fall within the dates of your project? Formalize your work process by coming up with a project milestone sheet together. Discussing your concerns and committing to tasks in writing will help you both adjust your expectations before the work has begun.

Have you worked with clients whose language and culture are different from yours? What was your experience?

Photo by stock.xchng user stoll

In the last year, I had the pleasure to work with some amazing clients, bring out my first e-book and attend some great conferences. I saw my own blog grow and even if there was a disappointment or two, I managed to buy a house, so I think 2009 went pretty well.

While I don’t have any resolutions, I’ve made some big plans for the new year, though — and I’ve already made some progress on them!

I’m My Own Client

I’ve been operating several small sites as passive income sources for quite a while, but they tend to get neglected in favor of the work I do for clients. Don’t get me wrong — I love the writing and blogging I do for my clients — but I want to make sure that my projects don’t get ignored. To that end, I’m working on changing my frame of mind: when it comes to my own projects, I’m just as much of a client as everyone else I work for. I’m tracking the time I spend on my own projects and treating them just like any other project a client asks me to work on.

Busting Out of the Short-form Rut

I write a lot, but the majority of my writing is on short projects: blog posts, articles, a page or two of web copy. But I learned last year that I enjoyed working on longer projects — even though I don’t get to work on them that often. I’m planning several long-form projects, including more e-books. I’ve even already brought out a new e-book this year, so I’m well on my way to meeting that goal.

I’m also experimenting with other forms of writing, like scripts for a web series. Right now, I’m not really concerned about finding a successful project, but I’ve found that changing up the projects I work on makes a big difference in my ability to write. It’s also one of the fastest ways past writer’s block that I’ve found. In order to explore some of those options, I’m also planning on taking a class or two.

Attend More Conferences

Most of the conferences and events I attended last year were local, but I’m looking for opportunities to get out on the road in 2010. I’ve already got a ticket for SXSW and I’m looking for a few other conferences to put on my schedule. I’ve started looking specifically for conferences in places I want to visit, where I can meet clients that I’ve been working with for years in person. Of course, I’ll keep on going to local events as well — it’s one of my favorite ways to get out of the home office.

I do have some non-work travel planned. I’m actually expecting to be on the road pretty much constantly from March through June. I’ll be taking the laptop along with me and working from wherever I happen to find an Internet connection.

How about you? What are you planning for 2010?

Image by Flickr user Doug88888

While I don’t have any resolutions, I’ve made some big plans for the new year, though — and I’ve already made some progress on them!

I’m My Own Client

I’ve been operating several small sites as passive income sources for quite a while, but they tend to get neglected in favor of the work I do for clients. Don’t get me wrong — I love the writing and blogging I do for my clients — but I want to make sure that my projects don’t get ignored. To that end, I’m working on changing my frame of mind: when it comes to my own projects, I’m just as much of a client as everyone else I work for. I’m tracking the time I spend on my own projects and treating them just like any other project a client asks me to work on.

Busting Out of the Short-Form Rut

I write a lot, but the majority of my writing is on short projects: blog posts, articles, a page or two of web copy. But I learned last year that I enjoyed working on longer projects — even though I don’t get to work on them that often. I’m planning several long-form projects, including more ebooks. I’ve even already brought out a new ebook this year, so I’m well on my way to meeting that goal.

I’m also experimenting with other forms of writing, like scripts for a web series. Right now, I’m not really concerned about finding a successful project, but I’ve found that changing up the projects make a big difference in my ability to write. It’s also one of the fastest ways past writers’ block that I’ve found. In order to explore some of those options, I’m also planning on taking a class or two.

Attend More Conferences

Most of the conferences and events I attend last year were local, but I’m looking for opportunities to get out on the road in 2010. I’ve already got a ticket for SXSW and I’m looking for a few other conferences to put on my schedule. I’ve started looking specifically for conferences in places I want to visit, where I can meet clients that I’ve been working with for years in person. Of course, I’ll keep on going to local events as well — it’s one of my favorite ways to get out of the home office.

I do have some non-work travel planned. I’m actually expecting to be on the road pretty much constantly from March through June. I’ll be taking the laptop along with me and working from wherever I happen to find an internet connection.

Image by Flickr user Doug88888

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Personal tools lead to practical business
• Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital workforce
• A 2011 NewNet Forecast

1. Provide something of value. Your readers subscribed for a reason. Now it’s your time to shine. Provide them with consistently high-quality content. Give them something that will actually help them in their lives or businesses.
2. Be interesting. Think before you post. Would you want to read this? Will it capture their attention and make them want to continue reading? Don’t be bland. Provide helpful information that your readers will actually look forward to receiving.
3. Be personal. You don’t have to disclose personal details about your life, but it’s helpful to have a more personal conversation. Pretend you’re putting this newsletter together for your friend. Think about a particular (preferably your ideal) client as you compose your articles. Act like you’re having a face-to-face conversation with him or her.
4. Take an interest. If you’re not in the mood to put together a newsletter, don’t do it, or at least step back and check your attitude before you begin. Remember that people actually subscribe to it and may even look forward to it. Remember that this will help your business and help you build better connections with your followers. Take an active interest in providing a high-quality newsletter with each and every issue.
5. Don’t be too “sales-y.” While you definitely want to take the opportunity to let them know about your products and services or any special promotions you’re running, you don’t want to go overboard.Keep a balance between content and promoting yourself. Think in terms of ratios, maybe 80 percent content to 20 percent promotion.
6. Be a resource. Provide links to other articles, videos and podcasts that are relevant to your audience. Devote an entire section to resources that might help them in their businesses.
7. Don’t make it too long. Try to limit your newsletters to no more than five or six articles. Otherwise, your readers will likely skip around and not read every section.
8. Provide a consistent format. Think about regular columns or sections you could provide in each issue of your newsletter. The more consistent you are with your format, the more likely that your subscribers will start to anticipate it and look for those sections, kind of like their favorite magazine columns or newsletter sections.
9. Try to get them to act. Be sure to provide some special discount or offer to your readers that encourages them to take action, whether that’s to refer a friend or make a purchase.
10. Ask for feedback. Every once in a while, ask readers how you’re doing. See if there’s any way you could improve the newsletter so that it’s more helpful to them. Remember that comments and replies are a good way of gauging the effectiveness of your message as well.
11. Be consistent. Stick to a regular schedule. I like to send my newsletters on the third Wednesday of each month. That way, I know there’s no chance the date will fall on a weekend (like if I did them on the 1st of each month, for instance), I provide myself a few weekdays’ cushion to get it done (and it’s not on a Friday, when I’m wanting to get out the door), and it’s easy for me and my readers to remember.

Newsletters can be an effective way to maintain and build relationships with your customers and prospects. You just have to be consistent in providing valuable content on a very regular basis. If you do, you’re guaranteed to get quality face time with people who want to hear your message and are already interested in doing business with you.

How do you ensure that you maintain a high-quality newsletter? What regular features do you include to keep readers interested?

Image from Flickr by by Jolante

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Personal tools lead to practical business
• NewNet Q4: Platform mania and social commerce shakeout
• NewNet Q4: Platform mania and social commerce shakeout

Surveys from various industries repeatedly show that it’s cheaper to retain clients than to find new ones. One way to keep them is to let them know how much you value them. Since the beginning of my business, I do little things for my clients to show I think of them and appreciate them. You can do this without spending a lot, and some suggestions only cost a little bit of your time.

If you’re tired of pulling your hair out for ideas, here are some to inspire you:

Non-gift Ideas

• Share a relevant article. When I come across an article or comic that’s related to my clients’ business, I share it with them. This shows that I’m thinking of them and that Icare about their business.
• Forward publicity opportunities. If you’re a member of Help a Reporter Out (HARO) or know reporters in need of an expert, forward them to your clients when you find a match.
• Make referrals. Hear someone asking, “Hey, do you know anyone who can do such ‘n such?” Refer the person to your client or give your client a heads up.
• Promote your clients. I watch my clients’ tweets, Facebook updates, newsletters, whathaveyou. If they make an announcement, win an award or make news, I’ll mention them on my blog or Twitter stream.
• Donate in your client’s name. If you already donate to nonprofit organizations, why not make it in honor of your client? Even better, keep track of your clients’ favorite causes and donate to those causes in their name.
• Write a note. This means writing, not typing. Handwritten notes are rare these days, so it’s a pleasant surprise whenever someone receives one. Every year, I send a handwritten note to all of my clients and others I wish to thank.
• Send a greeting card. Don’t stop with winter holiday cards. Consider birthdays, national holidays or a get well card. Add a handwritten note in the card for a personal touch. Although e-cards can work, receiving a card in the mail can have a bigger impact.
• Provide a testimonial. While it’s typical for clients to do the testimonial writing, you can do it for your clients, too. For example, I wrote one for a client who is an author and speaker since I had read his book and seen him in action.
• Review the client’s product or service. You and I are customers, too. I’ve written book reviews of clients’ books. But how do I avoid sounding like I’m kissing up to the client? I let the review speak for itself, knowing that a fake-sounding review does no good for the author, reader and me.
• Refer to print articles. Was your client mentioned in a print publication? Did an author you know have a book mentioned in the newspaper? Or you found an article or comic that you want to share. You could cut them and mail them, or scan them and email them. Some print articles are available online, so you can forward them or link to them.
• Touch base with your client. A phone call, an email or some other touchpoint is a great way to check in with your client and just ask how they’re doing — with no selling, and no business talk from your end.

Gift Ideas

We’ve presented suggestions for web worker stocking stuffers, but not all clients are web workers. Plus web workers may need to consider the cost of shipping gifts. You may need to find different gifts for your international clients due to customs and higher shipping costs.

• Gift cards. Not everyone likes coffee. Not everyone has X store. Before buying gift cards, consider client likes, dislikes and locations. Another possibility is a gift card from an online store with a wide selection. Keep in mind that there may be shipping costs.
• Books. The hardest thing about giving books is finding one you can buy in bulk at a discount that will please everyone. I’ve previously sent books about success and business inspiration. If you have the time and resources, you could select a different book for each client.
• Food. The first year I gave gifts to clients, I sent pecan pralines. Being from Texas, I wanted to send something that represented Texas. I did wonder about nut allergies, and sure enough, one client had an allergy, but she reported her kids loved the treat. The next year, I sent candy and popcorn without nuts.  Coffee and tea are often winners, too.
• Useful giveaways. This year, I not only sent a little book to clients, but also a notepad made out of recycled material with my company logo on it. I use a few things that have a company logo on them because they’re useful. So in thinking about a customized giveaway item, I considered price and usefulness. Shirts are also great, but then you have to deal with the size dilemma. Even if you order them big, the client might feel insulted not realizing you were covering everyone with one size.
• Personalized gifts. Unlike giveaways that mention your company’s name, you can personalize a gift by inscribing it with the client’s name.
• Free product or service. Create a free product or service coupon based on your business offerings, or just wrap them up. If you’re an author, send a signed copy of your book.

How do you thank your clients?

Photo credit: abcdz2000

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Personal tools lead to practical business
• Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital workforce
• A 2011 NewNet Forecast

But, for some reason, it’s not always that straightforward. Some clients might skip questions or answer them incorrectly, while others might want to skip answering the form altogether. Here are some free tools that can make the process easier for both parties:

SurveyMonkey

The first time I heard about SurveyMonkey I knew I could use it to improve the response rate — and the quality of responses — for my client questionnaires. It’s been very useful to me even if I’m only using the free version (the paid monthly plan is $19.95 per month). There are limits to the free version though, such as having only 10 questions and 100 allowed responses per survey. Still, I find that these limits are more than enough for small projects.Your client’s contact information (name, address, email, web site, etc.) is all considered as one question.

One practical feature of this service is that you can identify which questions are optional and which ones are required. When I send out client questionnaires via email, some important fields are often left unanswered, but that hasn’t happened since I started using SurveyMonkey. And, when you’re done working on the project, you can use it to send a client satisfaction survey as well.

Writeboard

Writeboard by 37signals is another app I’ve used for sending client questionnaires. Unlike answering your questions via email, clients don’t have to copy and paste anything or do much scrolling. They just have to type in their answers after each question. This makes it useful for other types of written collaboration as well, such as asking your client to make specific comments on copy, proposals and other text.

Now, why use something like Whiteboard over more feature-rich online writing apps such as Google Docs? First of all, I find that the clean and minimalist interface is more reassuring to clients who aren’t tech savvy. They aren’t worried about clicking the wrong buttons since there’s only one (“Save this Writeboard”). Also, it’s easy to send an invitation that your clients can just click and visit — no need for complex instructions on how to access the app.

The only disadvantage I see is that you can’t analyze client responses collectively and make reports. Still, the simplicity and straightforwardness of the app is enough reason to try it with your more technologically challenged clients.

Your Own Web Site

Alternatively, you can host a questionnaire on your own web site by programming your own form and uploading it. Even if you don’t have programming skills, there are many free apps that can help you do this such as Email Me Form, WuFoo, and MyContactForm. While they also have paid plans, the free plans have enough features for most client surveys.

In the end, the solution you use must depend on your clients. Whichever is easier and faster for them is likely to be the same for you.

What tools do you use to create and send client questionnaires? How have they worked for you?

Image by svilen001 from sxc.hu

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Personal tools lead to practical business
• Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital workforce
• A 2011 NewNet Forecast

Separating the wheat from the chaff is a big part of creating a successful business. As one Inc. magazine article noted, “A person ought to be able to…in five or six seconds have an idea of what you’re selling and whether it applies to them.” Weeding out those who are not well-suited for you and your business is just as important as attracting those who are.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself, to see if you’re weeding out those who are less than ideal for you.

• Is your web site a true (and bold) representation of you?
• Do you clearly identify your ideal client within your web site?
• Do you offer alternatives for those who might be less than ideal for you (e-books, products, referrals, etc.)?
• Do you clearly outline your services, as well as those you do not provide?
• Do you have a detailed frequently asked question section on your website to help prospective clients decide if you’re the best person to serve them?
• Do you have a clearly defined niche market, and do you spend the majority of your time networking in relevant groups?
• Do you have a succinct elevator pitch for when people ask you what you do?

Helping people quickly rule themselves in or out as potential clients for you and being willing to turn away work that’s not a good fit will actually improve your business over the long haul. You’ll be happier and more enthusiastic about the work you do, you’ll have more satisfied clients because of the improved quality in your work, and you’ll be more likely to acquire similar clients going forward.

What methods for screening do you have in place to help you turn away more of the wrong kind of work for your business?

Image from Flickr by visualpanic

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• A near-term outlook for big data
• Personal tools lead to practical business
• Dissecting the data: 5 issues for our digital future

No company can function effectively when confronted with clients who operate from a place of fear — which is often at the root of most difficult clients you encounter. You can’t do your job well or be recognized for a job well done when your client contact is inadvertently — or deliberately — standing in your way.

Here are six common “bad client” archetypes that can impede your success. After the definition of each client type, I’ve listed some possible tactics you can use to tame those wild beasts in your client roster.

1. Micro Manager

Description: This person wants to control every aspect of your work. It may feel like they don’t trust what you do or that you can never do your job to their satisfaction, but their obsessive compulsiveness is often driven by fear. They believe that if you make a mistake, it is their neck on the line. So they go through painstaking editing processes, which often delay progress and rack up unexpected expenditures on your part.

Tactics: Understand that the micro manager is operating from a place of fear. Instead of riding their fear wave, have a heart-to-heart and find out what you can do to help them feel more comfortable with your work. Also, express how you weren’t prepared for so many revisions on every aspect of your work and how much it is costing you. Could they train you on how to deliver the work in a way that better suits their needs? In the future, put a clause in your contracts that stipulates the number of revisions included in the deal (say, up to three) with a trigger to charge hourly for each additional round.

2. Panicker

Description: For the Panicker, everything is an emergency. There’s always a fire to put out somewhere, real or imagined. Something is always about to go wrong, and chances are it is all your fault. The Panicker who will suck you into their panic mode if you’re not careful, setting a work tone that can be extremely disconcerting.

Tactics: Panic is also a manifestation of fear. Why is this person so afraid? Maybe there are machinations behind the scenes at their job that you’re not privy to that have set them into panic mode. Your job is to help alleviate their fears. Ask them flat out what can you do to make their job easier, better. What can you empower them with to help them prove to their higher ups that they — and you – are doing a good job. Work with them to bring the panic level down to a minimum so you can all get your work done without raising anybody’s blood pressure.

3. Puppet

Description: The Puppet is not in a power position. Somebody else is pulling the puppet strings, but they have been put out there as your client contact whether they – or you – like it or not. They may be the fall guy for someone else, and if they fall, they’ll inadvertently take you with them. They most likely are inexperienced and may not even understand what you are doing for their company, creating a stream of misunderstandings.

Tactics: If you can’t get to the Puppet Master, then empower the Puppet. They may not even know how their ignorance is undermining your ability to get things done, much less communicate what you’ve accomplished to their boss. Offer to train this person — on your dime — to provide them with enough knowledge so they can play a more productive role as client contact.

4. DIY-er

Description: The DIY-er knows everything, and thinks they can do it all themselves. But somehow you’ve been hired to do what they perceive to be their job. Or perhaps they’ve been charged with cutting corners so they’d rather do some of the work that should be assigned to you in order to save a buck in the short term. Then they proceed to muck things up which could potentially set you up for failure from the start. This person may have backed themselves into a corner by saying they know more than they do, or biting off more than they can chew.

Tactics: There may be a lot of ego involved here — sensitive ego that, in a pinch, will point fingers of blame at you if anything starts to go wrong. It is up to you to make this person look good while not diminishing your own role in a job well done. Give them kudos often — both directly to them and to their team members or boss. Help them shine within their own organization as an important member of your client relationship. Once they view you as an ally and not the enemy, you can actually shift the situation so you can do the work well and everybody wins.

5. Bean Counter

Description: Bean Counters want numbers. They may stand in the way of progress and innovation if they feel they don’t have the numbers they need. Remember that the Bean Counter might have to report to someone else so they feel they need numbers to justify their every move. You’re just caught in the middle of their insecurities.

Tactics: They want numbers? Give them numbers. It may serve you well to do the extra research to find comparable statistics, to develop spreadsheets that calculate growth, to make a few charts to help assuage the fears of the Bean Counter. Yes, this will take you some time to compile the data, so make sure to build that into future contracts. But if it is numbers they want, go the extra mile to get them numbers.

6. Silo-er

Description: Beware the Silo-er. They are the most challenging of bad client types because they are wily creatures. They strategically set themselves up as the conduit by which all of the communications between you and the decision-makers flow. They do this so that if there are successes on a project, they can claim them for themselves. If there are failures, you will be the first one they blame.

Tactics: Without direct and open lines of communications with all the key players on your client’s team, you may become silo’d before you even know what has happened. It is up to you to open up or re-open up those communications channels before it’s too late. Offer to travel to the client’s office — on your dime — to meet with the whole team so you can re-establish key connections. Start requesting that other team members join meetings or calls so that you aren’t at the mercy of a single person. If no amount of overtures on your part work to break down the silo walls, try the last ditch effort of copying other team members on key email correspondence so they are somehow in the loop. Carefully document everything you do and all conversations just in case you’re set up to take the fall at any point.

Every client relationship can be peppered with moments of misunderstandings and disappointments — like any relationship. But without a strategy in place that can help you bring harmony to your client relations, your revenue stream could be negatively impacted by one or more of these bad client types. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to identify and address problems head on because when push comes to shove, you may end up being the one that is most dispensable.

What are some of the bad client types you’ve encountered, and how have you dealt with them?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Millennials in the enterprise, part 2: benchmarking IT’s readiness for the new digital workforce
• Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital workforce
• Privacy: How to Avoid the Third Rail of Online Services

The bottom line for every business owner is this. If you can’t keep customers and clients, your business will fail.

Ironically, we tend to forget this fact by getting caught up in the “busy-ness” of running a business. We have to-do lists that are a mile long and, for a lot of us, don’t include real steps to move us any closer to securing new business on a regular basis.

I’m always working to get my business off the ground. I say “working”, but for the sake of this post, I’ll be real and rephrase: I’m always [absorbed in busy work that I think will somehow, by some random law of physics I can't explain, result in a Big Bang of sorts] to get my business off the ground.

Fortunately for me, I occasionally come out of the trance-like state caused by busy-work long enough to gain a little traction with my business. Yesterday was one of those times.

Last month was hectic, lots of personal challenges that kept me away from the business, and when things settled down, I found myself struggling to overcome the inertia of recent weeks.

For the week and a half I’d been back at work, I kept saying:

• “I need to catch up on my blog.”
• “I need to find some new customers.”
• “I need to write those articles.”

In the week and a half I’d been back, I hadn’t written a single blog post, I hadn’t found a single new customer, and I’d barely written two articles.

Yesterday started much the same, except for one seemingly minor difference. When I said to myself, “I need to catch up on my blog,” I followed it with, “Let me find someone to interview.”

I set out to find someone to interview, really someone to replace a person I was supposed to interview the day before, so this wasn’t a real stretch — yet.

In the process of finding a replacement expert, an idea hit me for a series of interviews I could do for the blog, and that was it. Within a few hours, I had ten (yes, ten!) interviews lined up for the coming week. That means, I have ten articles that are practically in the bag, ten new-to-me audiences who will now hear about my business as a result of the interviews, and ten people who are excited about collaborating with me on these articles. I’ll call that a good day’s work, in fact, better than the past week and a half combined, and all that was different was action.

Action is the thing that will help you overcome inertia; it’s the thing that will help you gain momentum in your business, so do something.

Don’t just talk about the blog entries you need to write and contemplate what topics to discuss. Take action! Find ten people to interview.

Don’t just talk about the networking you need to do. Take action! Get out today and meet ten new people. Just stop in and say, “Hello! I wanted to meet you and find out about your business.”

Do something, and then, tomorrow, do something more. Create some buzz around you and your business. Show genuine interest in someone else and be amazed at how they’ll reciprocate.

Stop talking. Stop the busy-ness. I promise you, if you’ll take real steps to move your business forward, you can actually end up working shorter days. Yesterday, I had nine of the ten interviews lined up by 3 PM (and I sent out the first email at 11 AM). You know what I did then? I took the rest of the day off.

What action can you take today to propel your business forward? How can you make real progress toward your goals? Stop talking. Start doing.

Photo from Flickr by MissTurner

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Personal tools lead to practical business
• NewNet Q4: Platform mania and social commerce shakeout
• NewNet Q4: Platform mania and social commerce shakeout

At the start of their careers, most freelancers take on every new client that comes along. But as we mature and gain more experience, we become more discerning when we’re choosing who we work with. This usually happens because we’re starting to specialize, we want to avoid dead-end projects, or we become more specific about the work we prefer to do.

As we become more involved in selecting clients, what criteria can we set?

Are you the best freelancer for the project? We usually hope that the answer to this question is “yes,” but this isn’t always the case. From the start, we need to know if our work values, skills and experience are what the client needs.

Even if you don’t have all the skills needed, do you know where you can find capable people who can help you out? This is where your network comes in. If you aren’t the best freelancer for the job, you can always pass on the project to someone who is.

What do you know about the prospect’s working history with freelancers? If I’m talking with a potential client who has worked with freelancers before, I make the effort to find out what their working relationship was like. I find that the more difficult and unpleasant their experience with prior freelancers was, the more likely they are to volunteer this information. This helps you avoid the mistakes that your predecessors made, as well as predict future obstacles and problems.

Do they see your services as a cost or an investment? Many new business owners see it as a chore to go out of their way and hire a professional. Some even go out of their way to point out how replaceable you are if you charge them “too much” for something they can “hire a high school student to do”. Watch out for these warning signs. They indicate that the client sees you as an expense, and not as a professional that can actually help their business. They are probably hiring you because they know they need the finished product — but they don’t know why or how it affects their business.

Can you handle the extra workload? If I may make a slight reworking of Hofstadter’s Law: “You always have less free time than you expect, even if you take this law into account.” It’s not just the project work that will take up your time. Client support can eat up several hours of your workweek, especially at the beginning. You might also need to provide extras to keep the client informed and happy.

It can be tempting to take on a new project, particularly in economically turbulent times. But if you don’t have the resources or the time to devote your best work to the job, then accepting it can be detrimental to your career.

Is there a possibility of developing a long-term working relationship? Not all clients need long term work, but many of them do, even if they don’t know it yet. If you see a possibility of working with this client in the long haul, it’s best to take advantage of it if you can. Having one long-term client can be more profitable and fulfilling than trying to keep a constant incoming stream of several short-term clients. It’s easier for the client too, as screening, hiring and training new freelancers can be a drain on their time and resources as well.

What will you learn from this job? As freelancers, we need to be more conscious about stepping up and acquiring new skills. We aren’t automatically sent to seminars and training courses like most of our corporate counterparts.

What things do you consider when taking in a new client? Have you changed the way you screen and choose clients?

Image by woodsy from sxc.hu

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Personal tools lead to practical business
• Millennials in the enterprise, part 1: strategies for supporting the new digital workforce
• A 2011 NewNet Forecast