The Best Business Book Ever?

My name is Mark Castro-Garcia, an I'm self-employed as a freelance artworker. I like to read about entrepreneurs, as I find them very motivating.

I just read an interesting article on linkedin, called "The Best Business Book I've Ever Read", and I felt like writing a quick blog. It talks about the Warren Buffett's recommendation to Bill Gates, and originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal.

The book is called "Business Adventures" by John Brooks, and is available on Amazon here. Sounds good! I might ask for it to go on my Christmas list  ;)

Use of Linkedin

My name is Mark Castro-Garcia, and I'm an integrated freelance artworker

I've been using Linkedin to build up my network for about 5 years now, but have had very little direct work through it

However, on July 5th, I sent a speculative invite to one contact, and it was accepted. I followed this up on July 9th, asking about potential work for the following week.

They declined, but on July 22nd, they asked if I could could cover July 26th, plus August 1st and 2nd

I couldn't do the 26th, but I am now covering July 30th to August 2nd  :)

Not bad, for the sake of a couple of emails/linkedin messages - and a quick turnaround of less than a month!

http://www.linkedin.com/in/freelanceartworker

Mark Castro-Garcia - freelance artworker - available Monday 15th July

Most of my posts have been about SEO and achieving a top ten search ranking in Google for #freelance #artworker

Now to see if I can actually find a new contract when I need it!

Also; another freelancer contacted me on linkedin, and asked how I find so many contracts, so I took the time to put it all down in an email for them, and I found it quite cathartic...I hope it works for me as well as for them!

Here's the jist of what I told them:

"-->I try (and have tried) lots of different avenues to get work:

1. recruitment agencies
2. linkedin's job search
3. reading my linkedin news feed every day
4. twitter searches for jobs
5. cross-referencing my linkedin contacts for twitter's to follow
6. checking my twitter followers and making sure I follow relevant ones back
7. on my email sign-off - listing my mobile number, linkedin address, twitter, portfolio, etc
8. signing up to job email alerts
9. using buffer/twitter/linkedin to say if and when I might become available, and changing my headline accordingly (this is in the early testing stages for me, as I'm rarely free, and I actually rarely tweet...I'm more of a reader/follower)
10. blogging
11. learning about SEO - making sure all my profiles link to all my other profiles, where possible
12. making sure I connect with past and new colleagues on linkedin
13. I did used to send out my cv out, direct to companies - on and off for about a year - but the amount of time and effort doing so (and in turn, trying to keep track of the replies, and filing them, etc) turned out to not be enough of a reward to make it worth my while (not to say you couldn't though)
14. I've signed up to peopleperhour, freelancer.co.uk, elance, creativepool, and elevate, but have so far had little joy (although I had 1 or 2 people making enquiries about me)
15. portfolio sites like behance, pinterest
16. there is a new facebook equivalent called (talent.me)...it's in the early stages for me trying it

I don't do all of these things all of the time...I do some of these things some of the time :)

I've concentrated my efforts on productive things, rather than facebooking...I never add anyone in one facebook anymore, and haven't for ages...it's all about linkedin for me :)

I don't have an exact method of getting jobs...fear drives me, hard work and perseverance follows, and a pinch of luck...I just keep trying...trying new things, rather than trying one thing over and over, seems to pay off best (and is less boring too)

I don't currently have anything lined up for next week, but I have plenty in the pipeline...sometimes, getting the long contract is about lining up a few possibilities, and then picking the one that seems best.

In the first year, I did all the chasing, all the hard work...the groundwork I laid then has since meant that sometimes people contact me via linkedin, twitter, email, peopleperhour and so on, or colleagues who have moved on but stayed in touch will recommend me

Sometimes I get jobs because a lot of people can't hack certain hours of work, or long commutes, and that's where I differ...I've driven to Peterborough for 6 months and worked 10-12 hour shifts as standard...I've worked afternoons and evenings in London, and not had much of a social life for 5 months a year. I've worked 2 jobs back-to-back, day and evening (on a short-term basis)

Now I'm driving down the M1 and halfway round the M25 to Surrey for 2 weeks' work...I just take what I can, where it takes me (within reason!) and I don't always have as much say in it as I would like!

Hope this helps, even if it is only motivational"