2009

Most freelance designers get jobs from internet and friends,  yes you may have a lot of contacts and good reputation on getafreelancer websites. But you only work by yourself, there is always limits of a person’s time and energy.  If you want to be rich or live better, you need to take full advantage of your skills and resources. Here are several suggestions:

1. Google adsense.  If you have time, make a nice website or blog. Post useful articles , make your site famous, then you will make money on google adsense.

2. Sell templates and resources.  This is very easy for gaphic designers, if you can make really high quality and unique templates/theme, your income will be very steady by selling them. Use paypal, you can sell your works all over the world.

3. Become printing reseller. If you think the money is far from enough, then think about this. Most of your clients has printing requirement.  For example, a shop want you design a membership card, they will ofcourse print it somewhere. Then here is your chance, you can tell them, hey, i have done the design perfectly, and i can print the cards too.  But before you recommend your service to potential clients, you must find a nice printing company to work with. And if you want nice profit, don’t use local companys,  you may use hongkong companys or china mainland companys. There are same good quality but price in half. In this way you can make even more money than the design job. There are many printing company all over the world you may google and find some very easy. For example,  plastic card is always very popular and light weight for shipping. And the profit is almost twice than simple business printing like business card or flyers. Then google “plastic card online”, you may find some very large and professional company, contact them for reseller partnership.

4. Outsource your jobs. If your work load is full, so you have to turndown some jobs. Why not outsource them? Many good designer in Indian and China if you are lucky to find them. Don’t worry about the payment, most of them use paypal.

After doing my taxes this year, I’m firmly of the opinion that every freelancer needs a debit or credit card just for business expenses. A separate checking account for your freelancing business — and the debit card that comes with it — is ideal, but for freelancers who aren’t ready to do that, having a credit card that is used exclusively for office supplies, business lunches and all those other expenses you can write off on your taxes can pay off.

Get the Paperwork Off Your Desk

When I was still using the same piece of plastic for paying both personal and business expenses, I had to sort through receipts and bank statements in order to figure out just what was actually a business expense. I swore uphill and down that I would record business expenses every day, or even every month, but I always wound up with a big pile of receipts each April.

I know I missed some expenses: I had a whole stack of receipts from Starbucks, my favorite place to meet clients. But I also go to Starbucks when I just need some coffee, making it necessary to guess which trips had actually been business expenses.

These days, the only thing I have to remember is which card to use when I’m meeting a client. If I’m at a business lunch, I pull out my business card. If I’m out to dinner with family, I pull out my personal card. Because I use a debit card for each, I just toss each bank statement in the appropriate folder — come tax time, the bank’s already provided me with convenient totals to do my taxes. I also route incoming payments through the same bank account, making my income easier to calculate as well.

The Logistics of Extra Credit

If you’re freelancing part-time or otherwise don’t want the hassle of maintaining two bank accounts, the easy alternative is to get a credit card just for your business expenses. However, if you choose to go the credit route, there are a few extra things to remember:

• Pay off your balance every month — you can’t write off credit card interest on your taxes, even if it was for office supplies.
• The card will most likely be in your name, even if it’s only used for business expenses. That means it can affect your personal credit score.
• Because of the current economic situation, it’s getting harder to get a credit card.
• There are personal considerations when opening a new credit card — for instance, it’s generally a bad idea just before you try to get a mortgage or other loan.

None of that means that having a credit card for your business is a bad thing. It just means that exercising a little caution is in order. Unless you’re expecting to need a huge credit limit, your bank is probably the easiest place to get a new credit card. They may not offer the best interest rate — shopping around is entirely an option — but as long as you pay off the balance completely each month, it’s likely to be the most convenient.

Record-keeping: Paper and Plastic

It’s worth hanging on to receipts even after you’ve made the switch to one card for all your expenses, if only to substantiate your spending in the event of an audit. Receipts can also help clear up just what company a particular charge on your account went to, which is an important consideration when many companies don’t have the clearest names. Lastly, reconciling your receipts and statements is just as important for your freelancing as it is for your personal expenses: you can catch even small problems and deal with them just by going over your statement once a month.

If your UK business wants to start the ball rolling with a plastic card, please note the following information.

Custom Plastic Card : Hot Stamp Printing

The hot stamp procedure is the most popular method for storing data on a customized plastic card. An etched metallic plate is made hot and pressed against the card which has dry ink laid onto it. This process creates the familiar printing and logos seen on plastic discount cards or plastic membership cards. You also have the option of purchasing plastic business cards that have been printed with an appealing foil that looks metallic.

Plastic Card : Numbering, Bar Coding, Magnetic Striping and OCR

Cards can be easily recognized from similar cards if each is assigned a different number. Also, various bar code layouts are useful for custom plastic card printing. Magnetic striping is more expensive and comes in low or high density. Encrypted data can be stored on three available tracks of custom plastic cards. An OCR procedure requires a special graphic that is preprinted on the plastic card to be scanned and formatted for a computerized cash drawer with the help of a PC.

Embossing Process

You’ve likely seen the raised image that is found on a custom plastic ID card. This embossing is done by a mechanical process that combines heat and pressure to create the raised lettering or design on the card. During the plastic card printing, the embossed print is sometimes tipped with contrasting shades of ink or foil, neatly wrapping up the process.

Panels

A number of cards include a panel with the owner’s signature so it can be compared to the signature used as the place of purchase or security checkpoint. Panels are either clear or white; modifications on the panel may include handwritten, typed, or PC-generated changes.

Reward your faithful customers in an inexpensive and distinct way with a custom plastic card.

Using a plastic credit card is a great way for people in the UK to keep track of their expenditures. The detailed monthly statement a cardholder receives every month shows exactly where the money is spent. This important tool helps those who hold plastic credit cards to identify trends in their spending and adjust accordingly. In this article, we’ll talk about credit cards and about other types of cards such as discount, ID, loyalty, membership, security and debit cards.

Plastic Credit Card UK:

If you live in the UK, chances are that you own a plastic credit card or a debit card. If you’re a business owner in the British Isles and you don’t presently accept plastic credit cards or debit cards, read on to find out more about the pros and cons of doing so.

Consumers may very well think of their plastic Visa card as a source of pride, in some ways. Customers who are successfully using a plastic card have many positive attributes. For example, this type of customer tends to stick to a budget and probably prefers to use a plastic debit or credit card rather than a traditional credit card.

Plastic Card UK:

Benefits of a MasterCard debit card or a Visa debit card include the fact that the detailed statement customers receive helps them see where and how their money is spent. Customers can consider perhaps taking advantage of organizing automated withdrawal plans. Imagine – what if your establishment received such a payment? With plastic cards, it’s possible.

Plastic Card:

On the downside, debit cards don’t offer any protection if they’re lost or stolen. Credit cards do. Another thing is that watching your debit spending manes you might have to forego cash purchase, however small. As one web article states: “you may feel foolish charging $2.65 for toilet paper from Target” (which is a US shopping center). The piece also noted that consumers probably still end up carrying cash due to stores that won’t allow credit or debit cards to be used.

Using a plastic credit card is a great way for people in the UK to keep track of their expenditures. The detailed monthly statement a cardholder receives every month shows exactly where the money is spent. This important tool helps those who hold plastic credit cards to identify trends in their spending and adjust accordingly. In this article, we’ll talk about credit cards and about other types of cards such as discount, ID, loyalty, membership, security and debit cards.

If you’re a UK resident, it’s likely you use some sort of plastic credit card, or at least a debit card. If you run a company in the British Isles and are not currently allowing debit or plastic credit cards – then read more about why you might wish to reconsider…and what could still prevent you from moving forward on trying it.

From the customers’ point of view, having something like a plastic Visa card in their wallets is often considered a kind of “badge of honor”. Customers who are successfully using a plastic card have many positive attributes. For instance, anyone who uses cards in such a manner usually like them more than traditional cards, and are people who mind their money.

Plastic Card:

Anyone using a MasterCard debit card or a Visa debit card will appreciate the fact that they can track their purchases through monthly statements. Also, customers can set up recurring payments on a schedule that will deduct these payments automatically from the their accounts. Think about this: Could you be the recipient of a payment like this? With plastic cards, it’s possible.

Plastic Card:

On the downside, debit cards don’t offer any protection if they’re lost or stolen. Credit cards happen to provide such protection. Another thing is that watching your debit spending manes you might have to forego cash purchase, however small. One internet piece says, “you may feel foolish charging $2.65 for toilet paper from Target” (a retail outfit in the States). The piece also noted that consumers probably still end up carrying cash due to stores that won’t allow credit or debit cards to be used.

Since most customers own some form of plastic credit card or debit card, doesn’t it make sense for UK business owners to accept them in the spirit of providing superior customer service?

There’s no doubt that the plastic credit card will continue to be widely used in the UK. If possible, consumers are counseled to pay their balance in full every month to avoid the double-digit interest rate.

UK businesses all over the place provide a card of some sort made of plastic if they offer services or products of some sort to consumers. Let’s see just how the plastic card printing process works and why your business has so much to gain from it.

Plastic Card Printing : How Can I Use Plastic Cards in My Business?

You can use custom plastic cards to cause goodwill and profits to shoot to really perk up – and they don’t cost

much. You must begin with a custom made plastic card printing equipment and a PC to interface with it After securing the hardware, you’re bound to find plenty of other ways to use the plastic card printing machine. For example, you might want to consider employee ID cards, personalized gift cards or visitor badges in addition to the cards you give to your customers.

Plastic Card : Examples of Plastic Card Printer Use

So, who’s using plastic card printing machines? A quick scanning of the World Wide Web produces names such as the following:

A place called “The Store” attracts patrons with an on-the-spot customer loyalty card created with card printers.

– Qatar’s Frequent Flyer service wouldn’t be possible without card printers

– Award-Winning Funeral Home creates their own plastic cards for a tribute

– Promotional Products Company makes custom identification cards for clientele with their card printer

Plastic Card UK : Plastic Card Printers – Pricing and Features

Plastic membership cards are fast – they’re also easy to make adjustments. You may include a bar code, magnetic stripe, or optical character recognition lettering. All the decisions will be yours concerning the custom plastic card printing procedure. Think of the possibilities – you’ll be able to design a card at once that has your company logo and custom graphics. Basic plastic card printers are surprisingly affordable, with prices starting at about $1200 US (£810 GBP). Plastic card printing technology is used worldwide for an amazing variety of applications. Shouldn’t your UK business get them as well?