11 Keys to a Successful Freelance Career

Covering these essentials will make self-employment more enjoyable and more sustainable.

Marilyn Lewis • January 16, 2018

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com

Many a freelancer has plunged right into business without much preparation. Some swim, others sink.

A blind plunge might work, but it’s chancy. Nailing down the following 11 things before making the leap will help you stay afloat in your new venture.

628 Active Deals

Walmart discounts a selection of items via its . (Prices are as marked.) Choose in-store pickup to avoid the $5.99 shipping fee, or get free shipping with orders of $35 or more. A couple of best bets:

for $39.99 $35 ($10 off)

for $89.97 $85 (low by $18)

Walmart also recently announced plans for Black Friday. Check out our top picks from the .

Walmart Holiday Deals Sale

Walmart discounts a selection of items via its Holiday Deals Sale. (Prices are as marked.) Choose in-store pickup to avoid ... Read more.

Updated: 3 days 21 hr ago

discounts a selection of as part of its . Choose in-store pickup to dodge the $5.97 shipping fee, or bag free shipping on orders of $50 or more. A couple of best bets:

for $79.99 $75.99 ($50 off)

for $199.99 ($20 low)

Walmart Pre-Black Friday Deals

Walmart discounts a selection of apparel, home items, electronics, toys, and more as part of its Pre-Black Friday Deals. Choose ... Read more.

Updated: 3 days 21 hr ago

YouTube offers a selection of for free (with ads). That's around $3 to $5 less than you'd pay for a rental of these movies elsewhere. Movies include The Terminator (pictured), Legally Blonde, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

HD Movie Streams at YouTube for free

YouTube offers a selection of HD movies to stream for free (with ads). That's around $3 to $5 less than ... Read more.

Updated: 1 week 1 day ago

discounts a selection of items during its . (Prices are as marked for Costco members; non-members pay 5% more. Several discounts are for members only.) Most items receive free shipping; otherwise, shipping starts at $1.99. Discounted items laptops, furniture, appliances, jewelry, and cameras.

Costco Cyber Monday Sale

Costco discounts a selection of items during its Cyber Monday Sale. (Prices are as marked for Costco members; non-members pay ... Read more.

Updated: 1 week 6 days ago

Costco discounts a selection of during its . (Prices are as marked for Costco members; non-members pay a 5% surcharge. Many discounts are for members only.) Plus, most items receive free shipping; otherwise, shipping starts at $1.99.

Costco Holiday Appliance Sale

Costco discounts a selection of major household appliances during its Holiday Appliance Sale. (Prices are as marked for Costco members; ... Read more.

Updated: November 2, 2018

Samsung Early Access Black Friday TV Sale: Up to $1500 off + free shipping

Samsung takes up to $1,500 off a selection of during its . (Most are at around $600 off.) Plus, these orders receive free shipping.

Not the deal you're looking for? Check out our predictions to find out what kind of sales you can expect in the next few weeks.

Samsung Early Access Black Friday TV Sale: Up to $1500 off + free shipping

Samsung takes up to $1,500 off a selection of QLED TVs and Frame TVs during its Early Access Black Friday ... Read more.

Updated: November 2, 2018

Used Rolex Men's Watches at Ashford: Up to 57% off + free shipping

Ashford takes up to 57% off a selection of used , with prices starting from $3,900. Plus, all orders receive free shipping. A couple of best bets, with prices compared to the price of a used unit elsewhere:

Used for $4,700 ($1,499 low)

Used for $5,600 ($199 low)

Note: A 1-year Ashford warranty is included.

Used Rolex Men's Watches at Ashford: Up to 57% off + free shipping

Ashford takes up to 57% off a selection of used Rolex men's watches, with prices starting from $3,900. Plus, all ... Read more.

Updated: October 31, 2018

Walmart 20 Days of Deals: + free shipping w/ $25

discounts a selection of during its . (The deals change daily). Shipping adds $5.99, although orders of $35 or more bag free shipping. (In-store pickup may also be available.) Deal ends December 20.

Walmart 20 Days of Deals: + free shipping w/ $25

Walmart discounts a selection of clothing, toys, electronics, and more during its 20 Days of Deals promotion. (The deals change ... Read more.

Updated: 6 days 20 hr ago

Jetson Bolt Folding Electric Scooter from $300 + free shipping

Costco offers its members the for $299.99 with free shipping. (Non-members pay $15 extra.) That's the lowest price we could find by $100. It features an LED headlight, LCD display, 16mph max speed, and carrying handle.

Jetson Bolt Folding Electric Scooter from $300 + free shipping

Costco offers its members the Jetson Bolt Folding Electric Scooter for $299.99 with free shipping. (Non-members pay $15 extra.) That's ... Read more.

Updated: November 10, 2018

Gap Factory: Up to 75% off + 15% off + free shipping w/ $50

takes up to 75% off sitewide. Plus, cut an extra 15% off via coupon code "SNOW". Shipping adds $7, although orders of $50 or more bag free shipping. Some exclusions apply. Deal ends December 10.

Gap Factory: Up to 75% off + 15% off + free shipping w/ $50

Gap Factory takes up to 75% off sitewide. Plus, cut an extra 15% off via coupon code "SNOW". Shipping adds ... Read more.

Updated: 5 days 20 hr ago

Burberry Sale: Up to 60% off + free shipping

Burberry cuts up to 60% off a selection of . Plus, all items qualify for free shipping. That beats our Cyber Monday mention (which took up to 50% off) as the best sale we've seen from Burberry this year. Some notable discounts:

$45

start at $120

start at $130

start at $360

Burberry Sale: Up to 60% off + free shipping

Burberry cuts up to 60% off a selection of men's, women's, and kids' apparel, shoes, and accessories. Plus, all items ... Read more.

Updated: 2 days 17 hr ago

discounts a selection of during its . Choose in-store pickup to avoid the $5.99 shipping fee, or spend $35 or more to bag free shipping. A couple of best bets, both with free shipping:

for $49 (low by $17)

for $109 (low by $49)

Walmart Dashing through the Deals Sale

Walmart discounts a selection of toys, electronics, tools, small appliances, apparel, and more during its Dashing through the Deals Sale. ... Read more.

Updated: 4 days 20 hr ago

takes 35% off online orders of any via coupon code "35YEARS". That's a savings of around $11 for a regular-priced meal, which includes three large entrees and two large sides. (Additional charges apply for premium entrees.) This offer is only valid for online orders. Deal ends December 31.

Panda Express Family Feast: 35% off

Panda Express takes 35% off online orders of any Family Feast Meal via coupon code "35YEARS". That's a savings of ... Read more.

Updated: November 2, 2018

Olay offers a sample of its for free when you fill out this . That ties our September mention. Deal is available while supplies last.

Olay Whip Cream Sample for free

Olay offers a sample of its Olay REgenerist Whip Cream for free when you fill out this form. That ties ... Read more.

Updated: 1 week 3 days ago

7-Eleven Oven-Baked Pizza for $1 + free delivery

Today only, participating 7-Eleven retail stores offer an for $1 to celebrate the 1st birthday of — 7-Eleven's delivery service. (Not a member? it's free to .) With free delivery, that's a savings of at least $8 and a great deal for a pizza. It includes eight servings.

7-Eleven Oven-Baked Pizza for $1 + free delivery

Today only, participating 7-Eleven retail stores offer an Oven-Baked Pizza for $1 to celebrate the 1st birthday of 7NOW — ... Read more.

Updated: 4 days 3 min ago

Star Shower Slide Show Holiday LED Projector for $6 + pickup at Ace Hardware

Ace Hardware offers the for $5.99. Opt for in-store pickup to avoid the $8.22 shipping fee. That's $14 under our mention from last December and the lowest price we've seen. (It's the best deal now by $15.) It features 12 slides, including six for Christmas.

Also available is the for $9.99. Choose in-store pickup to avoid the $8.43 shipping fee. That's the lowest price we could find by $10. It has red and green colors and covers up to 3,000 square feet.

Star Shower Slide Show Holiday LED Projector for $6 + pickup at Ace Hardware

Ace Hardware offers the Star Shower Slide Show As Seen on TV Holiday LED Projector for $5.99. Opt for in-store ... Read more.

Updated: 2 days 19 hr ago

Burger King offers a for 1 cent when you order via the ... within 600 feet of a McDonald's location. While this is likely the most blatantly troll-faced offer we'll ever list, it's also probably the best price we'll ever see for a Whopper. The deal is limited to one sandwich per customer. Comment below with a solemn promise to be responsible with this power, and not subject McDonald's employees to even the slight hazing they receive in .

Burger King Whopper Sandwich for 1 cent

Burger King offers a Whopper Sandwich for 1 cent when you order via the Burger King app... within 600 feet ... Read more.

Updated: 4 days 16 hr ago

If you can't wait until Black Friday madness begins, you can take a look back at some of the best deals of the last week, and indulge yourself a little early:

for $2,497 + free s&h

for $10.17 + pickup at Walmart

from $398 + free s&h

for $138.99 w/ free s&h

Five of the Best Pre-Black Friday Deals

If you can't wait until Black Friday madness begins, you can take a look back at some of the best ... Read more.

Updated: November 17, 2018

We're three weeks away from the biggest shopping weekend of the year, but you can beat the crowds by taking a peek at some of this week's hottest deals:

for $369.99 + $0 s&h

for $22.99 + $0 s&h

: Free shipping sitewide

for $1,199.98 + $0 s&h

5 Deals You Don't Want to Miss

We're three weeks away from the biggest shopping weekend of the year, but you can beat the crowds by taking ... Read more.

Updated: November 12, 2018

offers free shipping sitewide with no minimum required. (It did the same this time last year.) That's a savings of at least $3 on every order and a rare free shipping offer from Best Buy. Deal ends December 25.

Best Buy: Free shipping sitewide

Best Buy offers free shipping sitewide with no minimum required. (It did the same this time last year.) That's a ... Read more.

Updated: October 28, 2018

Tasso Elba Men's Linen 2-Button Blazer for $30 + free s&h w/beauty item

Macy's offers the in Navy Blue for $29.96. Pad your order with a (they start at $2.25) to bag free shipping; otherwise, shipping adds $10.95. That's $90 off, $12 under our June mention (of a less versatile color), and the lowest price we've seen for this blazer. It's available in sizes S XXL only.

Tasso Elba Men's Linen 2-Button Blazer for $30 + free s&h w/beauty item

Macy's offers the Tasso Elba Men's Linen 2-Button Blazer in Navy Blue for $29.96. Pad your order with a beauty ... Read more.

Updated: 1 week 3 days ago

Dorco Men's Pace 7 Razor w/ 2 Cartridges for $2 + free shipping

Dorco offers the for $3.98. Coupon code "SDDEC6" cuts it to $1.99. With free shipping, that's the lowest price we could find by $10. It includes a handle and two cartridges.

Dorco Men's Pace 7 Razor w/ 2 Cartridges for $2 + free shipping

Dorco offers the Dorco Men's Pace 7 Razor with 2 Cartridges for $3.98. Coupon code "SDDEC6" cuts it to $1.99. ... Read more.

Updated: 4 days 8 hr ago

Levi's Men's Loose-Fit Carpenter Shorts for $11 + free s&h w/beauty item

Macy's offers the in several colors (Racing Green pictured) for $10.96. Pad your order with a (they start at $3 $2.55 via coupon code "FRIEND") to bag free shipping; otherwise, shipping adds $10.95. That's $39 off list and a great price for Levi's shorts. They're available in sizes 34 36 34 to 44.

Levi's Men's Loose-Fit Carpenter Shorts for $11 + free s&h w/beauty item

Macy's offers the Levi's Men's Loose-Fit Stretch Carpenter Shorts in several colors (Racing Green pictured) for $10.96. Pad your order ... Read more.

Updated: 2 days 19 hr ago

Python Programming Bible Online Course for free

Udemy offers the for $99.99. Coupon code "FREECOUPON" makes it free. That's tied with our mention from two weeks ago, $100 off list, and the best price we could find. It includes lifetime access to over six hours of on-demand video and 13 articles.

Python Programming Bible Online Course for free

Udemy offers the Python Programming Bible Online Course for $99.99. Coupon code "FREECOUPON" makes it free. That's tied with our ... Read more.

Updated: October 19, 2018

Lauren Ralph Lauren Men's Sport Coat for $56 + free shipping w/beauty

Macy's offers the in several colors (Navy pictured) for $79.99. Coupon code "FRIEND" cuts it to $55.99. Pad your order with a (they start at $2.55 after the coupon) to bag free shipping; otherwise, shipping adds $10.95. That's tied with last week's mention, $239 off, and the lowest price we've seen. It's available in select regular and long sizes from 38 to 42. Deal ends December 10.

Lauren Ralph Lauren Men's Sport Coat for $56 + free shipping w/beauty

Macy's offers the Lauren Ralph Lauren Men's Classic-Fit Neat UltraFlex Sport Coat in several colors (Navy pictured) for $79.99. Coupon ... Read more.

Updated: 3 days 1 hr ago

New Apple iPad Pro Models Announced 11" from $799 + free shipping

Today, Apple unveiled its , which includes 11" and 12.9" models. Both feature an edge-to-edge "Liquid Retina" LCD display. The Home Button has been removed, while Face ID support has been added. Apple's propietary Lightning connector has been replaced with the industry standard USB-C. They're powered by the A12X Bionic chip with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU.

The base 11" model comes with 64GB of flash storage and costs $799, while the base 12.9" 64GB model goes for $999. 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions, as well as 4G-equipped models, are available at an additional cost. (The top-of-the-line iPad Pro 12.9" 1TB WiFi + Cellular model costs $1,899.) These new iPad Pro models can be ordered today and begin shipping next week.

Looking for a deal on these and other iPads? Check out our predictions to see what deals you can expect soon.

New Apple iPad Pro Models Announced 11" from $799 + free shipping

Today, Apple unveiled its new Apple iPad Pro lineup, which includes 11" and 12.9" models. Both feature an edge-to-edge "Liquid ... Read more.

Updated: November 1, 2018

Sharpie Marker 30pk w/ Dragon Coloring Pages for $10 + pickup at Walmart

Walmart offers the for $10. Opt for in-store pickup to avoid the $5.99 shipping fee. That's tied with our mention from ten days ago and $30 under the lowest price we could find for a similar set elsewhere. It includes 15 fine point markers, 15 ultra-fine point markers, and six dragon coloring pages.

Sharpie Marker 30pk w/ Dragon Coloring Pages for $10 + pickup at Walmart

Walmart offers the Sharpie Special Collectors Edition Permanent Marker 30-Pack with Dragon Coloring Pages for $10. Opt for in-store pickup ... Read more.

Updated: 1 week 22 hr ago

Samsung Galaxy Tab E 10" 16GB Android Tablet for $100 + free shipping

Walmart offers the in Black bundled with a for $99.99 with free shipping. Assuming you'll use the gift card, that's a low by $73 and the best price we've seen. Features include a:

9.6" 1280x800 display, Qualcomm APQ 8016 1.2GHz quad-core processor

1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal storage

802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1

microSD card slot

5MP rear and 2MP front camera

Android 5.1 (Lollipop)

Samsung Galaxy Tab E 10" 16GB Android Tablet for $100 + free shipping

Walmart offers the Samsung Galaxy Tab E 9.6" 16GB Android Tablet in Black bundled with a $25 Google Play Gift ... Read more.

Updated: 4 hr 2 min ago

Klipsch Black & Copper Friday Sale: Up to 50% off

Klipsch takes up to 50% off a selection of as part of its . Plus, all orders receive free shipping.

Klipsch Black & Copper Friday Sale: Up to 50% off

Klipsch takes up to 50% off a selection of audio equipment as part of its Black and Copper Friday Sale. ... Read more.

Updated: 2 weeks 1 day ago

Craftsman 150-Lumen LED Lantern Flashlight for $6 + free shipping

Lowe's offers the for $5.98. Plus, MyLowe's members get free shipping. (Not a member? It's free to .) That's $9 off and the lowest price we could find. It features three light modes and an aluminum D-shape buckle.

Note: Prices may vary by ZIP code.

Craftsman 150-Lumen LED Lantern Flashlight for $6 + free shipping

Lowe's offers the Craftsman 150-Lumen LED Camping Lantern Flashlight for $5.98. Plus, MyLowe's members get free shipping. (Not a member? ... Read more.

Updated: November 17, 2018

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