Build a Brand

Here's a cool new website for the DIY small business, sole proprietors, creative professionals, freelancers and the like - Check out: buildabrand.com it's a new online branding system that allows entrepreneurs, businesses and individuals to create, manage and apply instant and personalized branding to their business.

Getting Paid - Easy Invoicing for Busy Freelancers

Greetings Peeps!

Why is it that for so many freelancer's invoicing is so painful? You'd think after all the long hours you've worked that getting paid would be a priority. And yet, so many of us put off invoicing after a job.

What's worse, we hate the confrontation of calling up clients when payments are late.

Who among us can really afford not to invoice in a timely fashion, not to mention get paid on time? (p.s. it's a rhetorical question, you don't really have to answer it.)

I stumbled across the great online invoicing service that you can try for FREE. It'll save you time, get you paid faster, make you look like the professional we know you are and best off all it has an iPhone app! How great is that?!

It's like totally awesome, duh!

Freshbooks.com - automate your invoicing and collections!

http://www.freshbooks.com/tour.php?ref=589

You can keeping your own branding in tact (you do have a brand, don't you?) with a custom login page that matches your website (please don't tell me that you don't have a website-hello?!).

And you can even have clients pay by PayPal.

Now there is totally no excuse for not invoicing on time. If only some genius could come up with an app that made clients actually pay on time . . .

Latestest, Greatest Industry-specific iPhone Apps

Here are a few great, industry-specific iPhone apps recently recommended to me by my friends and colleagues at ARRI/CSC:

Artemis (Director's Viewfinder)
Storyboard  (Storyboard Composer formerly called "Hitchcock")
Action Log Pro (Film & TV Logging Tool)
FilmCalc (Film Calculator)
Helios (Sun Position Calculator)
LightMeter (Exposure Calculator)
MatchLens (Focal Length Converter)
Pocket LD (Lighting Database & Calculator)
Business Card Reader

Cheaper RX's and Other Medical Resources

On behalf of a friend and colleague (film/video/tv biz) who has been hospitalized with kidney stones, high blood pressure and no insurance . . . here's a reminder about options for low cost RX's and more resources for all of you - please, visit one of these websites and print out and fill out a copy of this RX DISCOUNT CARD and put it in your wallet, immediately!!!

And yes, that's an order :-)

http://www.pharmafutures.net/bjs/rxdiscountcard.html

This is only one of several FREE RX discount cards available. This particular one is offered by BJ's Wholesale Shopping.

Do a Google search and pick your favorite.

Here's some for starters:

http://www.hsarxcard.com/

http://pennsylvania.statedrugcard.com/

http://newjersey.statedrugcard.com/

http://unarxcard.com

http://www.pharmacydiscountnetwork.com/

http://www.yourrxcard.com/

http://www.drugcardamerica.com/

http://www.shrinesavers.com/RxDiscountProgram.html

Some organizations, municipalities, counties and states also have their own versions (e.g. The Shriners, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Idaho, Ohio, Texas, etc).

Check here to see if your state has one:

http://www.yourrxcard.com/states.php

Some of these even work for RX's for your pets!

And remember that most pharmaceutical companies have patient assistance programs where RX's can be obtained at little to no cost, if you apply and qualify. Here is a website that lists those programs:

http://www.rxassist.org

Also, Target pharmacies (and many others including Wegmans and Walmart) offer low cost generics. At Target, for instance, you can get a 30 or 90 day supply of a generic blood pressure medication or statin for as little as $4 for a 30 day supply and $12 bucks for a 90 day supply! And that's regardless of whether or not you have insurance.

Call your doctor now and ask if you can take a generic instead of the brand name. FYI--not all generics are available and may vary in availability depending on where you have your RX filled. Do your research!!

You can also order RX's online from pharmacies in Canada. Yes, reliably and safely and at a significantly reduced cost! Canada Drugs is the largest. I've used them myself as do my parents and my boyfriend's parents - and lots of other folks!

http://www.canadadrugs.com

And if you don't have insurance there are some options out there. Here's a link for uninsured patients in Pennsylvania, for example:
http://www.healthassociates.com/uninsured.htm

If you can afford insurance, keep in mind that more affordable plans are often offered through the Chamber of Commerce, your state or city's film commission, professional organizations, unions, etc. And if you are in NY-check out the Freelancer's Union.

Also, here's a link to an older post on DISCOUNT DENTAL PLANS:

http://productionassistance101.blogspot.com/2009/02/dental-plans.html

I hope this information is helpful. As my mother always says, "health and safety, first!"