What Mistakes Did I Make As A Newbie Freelancer?

I started freelancing without doing a background check. I had no idea how to pitch clients or ask for payments.  

Because of it, I made several blunders. Here are the top 3 mistakes I made initially- 

Mistake 1- Adopted a free sample policy

Outcome- Clients told me that I was not good and uploaded my write-ups on their websites. 

Mistake 2- I never asked for advance payments and followed a monthly payment cycle without an agreement. 

Outcome- I was conned several times and there is no way to hold the clients responsible for it. 

Mistake 3- Accepted low-pay projects just to have some work. 

Outcome- Worked tirelessly to earn a small income and got frustrated with the idea of freelancing. 

Now, I'm much more aware and alert while communicating with potential clients. 

Advice to all the newbie freelance writers- Learn from my mistakes and be better. 

My Burnout Story

I took a 3-day break from writing. I uninstalled LinkedIn and extended my deadlines. Why?

I was a victim of burnout, thanks to my busy schedule. I wrote 18,000 words, attended 15 skype calls and replied to over 70 emails, all in 1 week.

I ignored my 8 hours of beauty sleep, ate unhealthy food and failed to take breaks in between. 

Outcome? I was tired, cranky, and just wanted to lay in bed all day. 

And that's what I did. My past 3 days were consumed by the following activities- 

1. Sleeping

2. Eating healthy food

3. Watching movies and tv series

Not even a single day, I felt like writing or replying to my clients. 

What did I learn from this?

While working, we often forget the scare of burnout. I could have lost a considerable amount of business, all because of me trying to be super productive. 

Moral of this post- Burnout is not a joke and shouldn't be treated like it. During the productive journey, it's important to take adequate rest. 

ReplyForward

Father's Day Special

I'm a tech nerd and like to switch phones every year.

My dad is the total opposite. He still carries his iPhone 6 and is quite vocal about its performance, even though it hangs a lot.

This father's day, I decided to gift him a new phone. I logged on to Amazon and placed an order.

 

Luckily, the package arrived this morning. When my dad saw it, he was furious with me for spending money, like all fathers are.

 

But when he opened the package, he saw a small gift card with a message on it.

 

For the past 27 years, a small token of thank you. Happy Father's Day.

 

I could see his angry face slowly turning into an emotional one.

 

Now, let’s answer the question- why I did it?

 

He is the kind of guy who barely spends any money on himself. He ignores his needs and tries to save every penny for his family.

 

So, I decided to be his sponsor. Just kidding

 

Moral of this post- look after your parents’ needs, because they won't.

A Note On Mental Illness

Since childhood, we are taught to exercise daily and enjoy a healthy diet. 

We do this to improve our physical fitness, which helps us to fight off diseases (if we meet them face to face). 

But what about mental health? Why don't we address mental issues?

On a personal note, I have 2 active depression cases in the family.

And still,

My parents haven't had a serious discussion on depression with me or my sibling. 

By now, we all have heard about Mr.Sushant Singh Rajput. 

It's sad to hear about a successful chap taking his own life due to depression. 

May he rest in peace

Instead of expressing our sympathies, it's time to take the fight with depression. 

I would request all of you to take an extra step to help people surrounding us battling depression. 

Go talk to them, listen to their problems and help out in every way possible. 

And don't forget to take care of yourself. 

Remember- humans are designed to work together. That's where our strength lies. 

iPhone SE 2020- Apple’s Knockout Punch To Budget Android Phones

It’s quite rare when Apple comes out with a product that rattles the cages of consumer technology. The company first did it in 2016 and now, they have done it again. In April 2020, Apple launched the new iPhone SE. It is the successor to 2016’s iPhone SE that took the market by storm. The latest device promises to carry its torch by providing amazing performance for a fraction of the price (when compared to $1000 phones). Let’s find out more details about the product.

Design

2020 calls for a modern design and Apple didn’t fail to disappoint us. Wait, not so easy. iPhone SE  is a glass sandwiched body that comes in at 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches. It is a sleek device that won’t pop out of your pocket. It carries a smaller footprint like iPhone 8, which makes one-hand navigation a delight. However, huge and chunky bezels are visible from a foot away, which are not so appealing when compared with other $399 smartphones. Thankfully, the iconic touch id sensor is back, which also acts as a home button.

Display

It rocks a 4.7 inch LCD display with 1334 x 750 pixels. It can shine at 625 nits and comes with true tone and haptic touch. Yes, the figures are not so exciting on paper, but it gets the job done. You will get a decent experience while viewing content, but Pubg/Call Of Duty players will have a hard time to locate their targets because of the smaller screen. Perhaps, their money is better spent on a larger AMOLED display.

Camera

iPhone SE is equipped with a 12-megapixel shooter in the back and 7-megapixel shooter in the front. It is the same configuration that is found on iPhone 8, but it comes with a twist. The A13 Bionic processor leads to better image processing, which allows iPhone SE to click good pictures. They are clean, vibrant and colour-accurate, all that you would expect from an iPhone. 

Apart from it, you can make full use of portrait mode and 4K video recording at 60 frames per second whenever the need be.

Processor

This is perhaps the most talked-about feature of iPhone SE. Apple has armed the device with A13 bionic processor, which is found on the iPhone 11 series. According to the company, it is the fastest chip available in a smartphone to date. So, iPhone SE will allow you to edit a video or play a graphic intensive game without breaking a sweat.

Battery

With 1821mAh in the bank, iPhone SE is not designed for power users. If you are someone who likes to game or watch loads of content, you will have to charge this device more than once in a day. Luckily, iPhone SE supports 18W fast charging, which will give you 50% battery within 30 minutes of charge. However, you have to buy a fast charger separately, which is a bummer.

Audio

A small phone like iPhone SE is not expected to deliver a great audio experience. Wait, let’s correct this statement. To our surprise, this device managed to fill the entire living room with enough bass and hip-hop beats that forced us to jump on the dance floor. If you rock the old iPhone SE, you will definitely feel a huge difference in the audio quality.

Price

With a starting price of $399, iPhone SE will go head to head with Pixel 3a and other budget-friendly phones. In India, the device will cost Rs.42,500 for 64 GB variant.

Other Add-ons

iPhone SE comes loaded with wireless charging, Bluetooth 5, IP67 water resistance, WiFi 6 support, NFC, three colour options (black/red/white) and Gigabit-LTE, which will allow the device to regain its position of ‘Budget King’.

In the end...

iPhone SE was never meant to be the ‘Star’ of the smartphone industry. Superb camera, massive battery and the bezel-less display are not its cup of tea. If you are someone who wants to buy a small phone with the latest internals at a wallet-friendly price, iPhone SE will bring a smile on your face.

AirPods 2- Everyone wants it, but everyone doesn’t need it

In 2016, Apple retired the famous ‘headphone jack’ and replaced its memory with AirPods- a device that instantly connects with your iPhone with the help of Bluetooth. The idea behind it was to step in the era of wireless earbuds, which can kick away the pain of tangled earphones. For a while, Apple faced the heat of the standard earphone lovers who were just not ready for the change. But soon as the dust settled, AirPods became the fashion statement. Even though they were pricy and had a sluggish design, almost every pocket was a home for it. After witnessing such a response, Apple decided to make some tweaks and launched AirPods 2 in 2019.

If AirPods and AirPods 2 were in the same room, 90% of the people won’t be able to recognize the elder brother. Why so? Well, there are no significant changes to the design of AirPods 2, but we do seem to witness a few interior changes. Let’s take a look at it.

AirPods Design

Coming in at 0.7 x 0.7 x 1.6 inch and 0.14 ounce, there are no visible changes to the design of AirPods 2. It is the same plastic long stem in glossy white colour. Here, Apple has followed a simple ideology- what isn’t broken shouldn’t be fixed. But yes, Apple did bring a new wireless charging case, which is a little heavy than the standard AirPods 2. To differentiate the two, you can find a small led light in the front of the wireless charging case.

AirPods Pairing

With Apple’s new H1 chip, AirPods 2 can connect with your iPhone in 3.2 seconds, surpassing its younger brother’s pairing connection (5.1 seconds). And that’s not its only superpower. Now, AirPods 2 have longer talk time, greater battery life and faster switching between Apple devices (2.8 seconds vs 4.3 seconds).

AirPods Love for Siri

In winters, it is pain for your hands to leave the shelter of your pockets and reach your iPhone to launch Siri. That’s about to change with AirPods 2. With the help of hands-free Siri, you can launch Apple’s digital assistant without touching your iPhone. That’s neat and comfortable.

AirPods Sound

Let’s just accept a simple fact- sound quality is not AirPods strong suit. Don’t get me wrong. AirPods 2 delivers a decent sound, but there are way better options out there that deliver a great mixture of bass and lows which AirPods 2 can’t seem to master. In short, music junkies will be disappointed with this product.

AirPods Bluetooth 5.0

AirPods 2 comes with Bluetooth 5.0 technology which increases the range to 50 feet. In layman terms, you can leave your phone in one room and roam around the house (within 50 feet of distance) with a solid connection of AirPods 2.

AirPods Battery

Thanks to H1 chip, the AirPods roughly provide 4 hours 50 minutes of playback on a single charge. That means four episodes of Grey’s Anatomy (40 minutes each) and a 45 minutes call with your friend will still leave some charge in the Airpods. And to top it up, the case itself offers 24 hours of additional charge. That’s too much generosity from Apple.

AirPods Call Quality

Apple has done wonders with the call quality of AirPods 2. With dual mics and H1 chip, the receiver can clearly hear your voice in a busy environment. For example, the call from the metro ride was so clear that my friend was able to detect a baby crying who was sitting 5 seats away from him. That’s weird but brilliant.

To sum it up...

Apple products are not known to offer great battery life and value for money. Sadly, AirPods 2 are not so different. But people buy Apple products for their superior performance and high level of comfort. AirPods 2 come at a starting price of $159 and can go up to $199 for the wireless charging case. They are not cheap from any angle but with the twin package of comfort and brilliant features, AirPods 2 is here to stay in the market for a long time.

Why do employers need an enhanced healthcare benefits plan and how can they achieve it?

Today, the world is consumed by the word ‘Competition’ & the market has become a ticking bomb. Correct timing & a right plan of action is what companies need to win the battle. In order to master these two factors, companies require an army of brilliant employees to support their cause. It’s not easy but companies are willing to shell out a handsome sum of money to hire the best from the crowd. Sadly, that’s not enough. Employees today demand a healthy lifestyle which requires a lot more than a six-figure salary. Benefits such as health insurance have become a highlight of their list of demands. And why wouldn’t be?

Healthcare costs in the US are at an all-time high. As per a survey done in 2017, the average healthcare cost of a person per year is $10,739 & it is expected to rise by 3.9% by 2020. Thinking about the future, employees tend to work for companies that offer the best package (good salary + healthcare benefits). But there is one major problem. Not many companies offer a healthcare plan to their employees. In the employers’ defence, a healthcare plan puts pressure on the company’s finances which in turn adds to their losses. No sound employer would like that, isn’t it? Luckily, the government has come to the rescue of the employees.

Why employers can’t go against the Affordable Care Act?

On March 23rd, 2010 Mr. Barak Obama ushered the Affordable Care Act into the limelight which directed companies (having more than 50 full-time employees) to offer enhanced healthcare benefits plan to 95% their employees. If any company dared to go against it, a hefty fine of $3750 (per employee per year) will be added to its list of expenses. This was a revolutionary move which adds another challenge in the book of the employer-employee relationship. But there is a twist in it. Though this act is a huge win for the employees, it is not a total nightmare for the employers. Fortunately, there is a list of requirements that both parties have to fulfil according to which a healthcare plan can become a topic for discussion. It’s smart & convenient for both parties.

How can an employer provide an enhanced healthcare benefits plan & be happy about it?

After Affordable Care Act hovering over their head and a constant demand for healthcare plan by the employees, employers have no option but to offer an enhanced healthcare benefits plan & act happy about it. But how can they do that? Luckily, there is an easy way out for the employers.

1.     Choose a reasonable healthcare provider- It is pretty clear that companies have to take a look at its budget while offering healthcare benefits to their employees. There is no denying that but no one said that it is mandatory for an employer to choose the most expensive provider in the market. If you have the budget for it then be my guest. If not, choose a healthcare provider that won’t hurt your wallet and will cover all essential benefits that will make an employee happy.

2.     A doctor’s clinic has the potential as well- Today, many companies have steered their wagon towards the doctor’s clinic. It’s cheap and clinically effective.

3.     Let the employee do the talking- Every employee follows a unique healthcare routine & will require a different set of healthcare benefits according to his/her requirement. If both parties want to stay on the same page, employers should allow their employees to personalize their own healthcare policy. It will add a unique touch to their relationship.

Health is wealth and everyone is quite serious about it. If a healthcare plan helps a company to attract and hire the best employees, then it is worth a shot. They will see the benefit (productive hours) in the long run for sure.