Freshly Picked: Link Roundup, March 2017

Freshly Picked: Link Roundup, March 2017: Hello, spring! Just like changes in seasons means changes in wardrobe, the FreshBooks blog is kicking off spring with a brand new look. In case you missed it, we launched the new and improved blog, built to better serve your growing business. Take a little tour for yourself and if you have any feedback, please let us know—we’re all ears.

How are you shaking things up this spring for your small business? As with every one of our link roundups, below we share our favorite links from around in web in productivity, leadership, marketing tips and creativity.

Productivity & Leadership

Anyone working in a creative field knows the relentless pursuit of perfection is time-consuming.

Ideas.TED.com: 7 Lessons About Finding the Work You Were Meant to Do
You don’t just “find” your calling — you have to fight for it. And it’s worth the fight. (read more)

Farnam Street Blog: Focusing is an Art, Not a Science
Productivity is all the rage. People want to get more done in less time. Productivity systems abound: Getting Things Done, Pomodoro, the Seinfeld thing, etc. There’s certainly something to be said for each of them. (read more)

99U: True Grit: How to Build Up Your Resilience
What holds us back is a lack of commitment or a lack of focus. “Enthusiasm is common,” Duckworth writes, “endurance is rare.” (read more)

Hubstaff Blog: Want to Grow Your Business? You Need a Growth Strategy
There are many excellent reasons to pursue business growth. With business expansion comes increased revenue, wider brand recognition, and increased importance in the industry. (read more)

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Marketing Tips

Digital Doughnut: Mobile Marketing for Small & Medium Size Businesses
Download this white paper to discover the actual performance stats behind the most popular channels and which mobile marketing methods provide the best return on investment. (read more)

Shopify: Hacking the Press: Clever Ways to Get Free Press Coverage with Zero Budget
On the surface, the process of getting press coverage sounds simple. But, because journalists are constantly pitched about new products, standing out from the crowd can be difficult. (read more)

Logobook: Discover the World’s Finest Logos, Symbols & Trademarks (read more)

Contently: 6 Emotions That Will Make or Break Your Content Strategy
Although marketing in the age of social means contending with a daunting amount of noise and competition, it also offers dazzling potential for reach and impact if done right. (read more)

Drift: Introducing the Drift Brand Book
I hear businesses talk about branding all the time. What’s the #1 common thread that I hear? “We need brand standards!” As a designer and marketer, I get it. Or at least I thought that I did until last week. (read more)

Meet Edgar Blog: Why Popular Brands Get Publicly Shamed on Social Media (and How to Avoid It)
Think you’re safe from being publicly shamed for a social media faux pas? Tell that to Justine Sacco, whose tweet to only 170 followers launched a firestorm that derailed her career and made her an international pariah. (read more)

Contently: eBook: The Fast-Growth Startup’s Guide to Content
Over the last few years, great content has started to come from an unexpected place: startups. (download)

Creativity

The Mission on Medium: Want to Be a Creative Genius? Your Goal Should Be Progress, Not Perfection
Anyone working in a creative field knows the relentless pursuit of perfection is time-consuming. The urge to get things just right never goes away. Strive to do your very best, but don’t aim for perfection. (read more)

Over the last few years, great content has started to come from an unexpected place: startups.

99U: The Creative Conundrum: Pursue Your Art or Get a “Real Job”
Every creative has found themselves at the same career crossroads. One path leads where their heart desires. The other leads to “real” jobs. Mike Sager has stood there, and he reflects on why he dropped out of Georgetown Law School to live the creative life. (read more)

The Mission on Medium: Stop Taking Pictures. Start Taking Photos
I look down at my phone, puzzled — it was as if I had destroyed something beautiful. It’s an OK picture, but nothing compared to the sunset that was right in front of me. The image on the other side of the camera did not tell the same story…something happened when I tried to put a border on what I was seeing. (read more)

99U: Why Every Artist Should Be a Great Storyteller
Expertly telling your story is the best kind of organic marketing you can do to promote your art because people care almost as deeply about how you create, as they do about the end product. (read more)

By / About FreshBooks

FreshBooks: March 2017: New Updates to FreshBooks
FreshBooks is constantly being updated and improved to make running your business even easier and give you more time to focus on what you love. Here are some of the new features and improvements that have recently been released. (read more)

Smart Hustle Magazine: FreshBooks Survey Finds Majority of Self-Employed Professionals Have No Intention of Returning to Traditional Employment
The survey, “Self-Employed Professionals and Small Business Owners in America: The Rewards and Challenges of Career Independence,” examines key considerations for small business owners, including finances, politics, outsourcing, sales/prospecting and family life, and how these can impact their ability to grow and thrive. (read more)

Inc.: 5 Best-Kept Secrets for Growing Your Small Business
If starting a business is like running the one-hundred yard dash, then scaling a business – even a small business – is like being asked to run a cross-country race in the pouring rain with a torn hamstring: You’re not sure you’ll even be able to finish, but you run anyway, open and willing to face the unknown hills, dips, and flooded areas along the way. (read more)

Wagepoint: How to File Sole Proprietorship Taxes: The Practical Guide [Checklist Included]
According to studies, 60% of small business owners feel that administrative burdens, like mundane paperwork and attempting to understand seemingly undecipherable tax laws, are the most unpleasant part of tax season. (read more)

Freelancer’s Union: The Best Accounting Software for Freelancers in 2017
You might have started freelancing because it provided a level of freedom that you weren’t able to get in a regular nine-to-five job. Whatever your rationale, you probably didn’t decide to become a freelancer because you wanted to do bookkeeping and financial reporting. (read more)

ICYMI: Our Most Popular Posts This Month

This roundup is curated by Megan Santos and Jane Flanagan of the FreshBooks Content Team. Have an article you’d like us to share? Follow us on Twitter and share your ideas!

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