The Writer's Guide to E-Commerce

• It's the New Year and you've made a resolution to be a serious writer and earn money from your writing but before jacking in the day-time job, think. A freelancer's life is not a bed of roses. It takes grit, determination and dry seasons of financial hardship before acquiring clients. It's much better to source writing jobs while still in a 9-5 (the job that pays the bills) and build up a client base from there. This gives you the opportunity to work out if you have the mettle to actually go freelance.
• Get a free website from www.blogger.com to promote your work. Have a look at www.cassavarepublic.blogspot.com for an example of how a blog can be used as a promotional website.
• Visit www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk to get yourself clued up on tax matters.
• Find out the difference between a sole trader and a limited company here http://www.resultsforbusiness.co.uk/tax/soletraderorlimitedcompany.shtml and decide if you should register yourself as a sole trader or limited company at www.companieshouse.gov.uk. Remember, you can have a 9-5 job and still register a company.
• Determine from the onset not to spend too much money on superfluous business stationery knowing that you can get them free online. Get free business cards from www.vistaprint.co.uk. E-commerce enable your website or blog by going to www.paypal.co.uk. It only takes a minute to set up and yes, it's free. Having an e-commerce enabled website means that you can take payments on your website. No waiting for cheques to clear!
• Download free telephone software from www.skype.com. This will enable you to make free telephone calls to anyone, anywhere in the world – as long as they’re on Skype as well.
• Instead of spending money on printing letterheads, you simply insert your company name (or logo if you have one) and contact details in the header of your document and bingo! You've got your own letterhead.
• Get a free fax number from http://home.efax.com/s/r/FreeUK#. This way, any fax you receive will be sent to your email address. Free.
• Visit www.fool.co.uk for help on personal finance issues    

 This article first appeared in the JanFebMar issue of Christian Writer & Reader.