Because many freelancers come from creative backgrounds, the act of writing a business plan can seem a little daunting. It’s easy to imagine some thousand page document that requires you to be able to predict exactly how many clients will find in the next year, as well as make all sorts of arcane operations decisions that don’t really seem to apply to freelance writers. It’s true that you may not need as in-depth a document as other types of businesses. But a freelancer can still benefit by figuring out the details of how he or she will operate and getting it down on paper:

via Freelancers: Do You Need a Business Plan? – FreelanceSwitch.

Hardly. I used to think the hard part was “getting to yes,” but over time, I’ve learned that the hardest part isn’t closing the deal, but figuring out which deals are actually worth closing. It all begins with taking a hard look at the prospect you’re talking to, and keeping an eye on early behaviors that all too frequently lead to problems.

via A List Apart: Articles: Getting to No.