If, like many freelance writers, you have become entrenched in the online systems for finding work...trawling job sites, poring over blogging opportunities and sending out mass emails toeveryone in your address book,  then I recommend browsing over to Get Paid To Write Online (yup, I am recommending them once again!) for their recent post on how to find writing work offline.  The real world!  Face to face interaction and all!

The post contains some great tips for finding writing work within your non-virtual environment, and as someone who is picking up more and more work this way, I can testify to the value of the advice.

There are several great reasons why I enjoy picking up some offline writing jobs, not the least of which being that I get to step outside of my home office for a few hours to meet up with clients face to face, for coffee or to get to know their business location.  Sometimes it is nice to get that real world interaction, when so much of my time is spent at my laptop, communicating via the written word.   But other than practicing my social skills and verbal ability, here are my top three reasons for making room in my schedule for taking on work from people near me:

It's Quicker

Ok, so this is not a hard and fast rule, but through my own choice most jobs I take on that don't come to me in bytes are smaller and simpler.  I offer services that will fit most business people who I meet at networking events, such as letter proofing, brochure copywriting or email newsletters.  Quick jobs that aren't too taxing for an experienced writer but that most busy entrepreneurs would love to get off their plate!  Since the jobs are small, so is the bill, so payment usually comes faster too, as companies don't have to wait until the end of the month to put my invoice through accounts.

You Build Goodwill

Helping out other small business owners in your community creates a sense of partnership and trust which can turn into larger contracts or relationships.  For offline clients I tend to have a minimum fee that will cover around an hour's worth of work, rather than negotiate weekly or monthly contracts.  This lets business owners decide just how much they can afford to outsource to me.  I find that after one or two small projects they realize that the investment is well worth the reward in freed up time or increased sales and most clients begin to give me larger amounts of work on a regular basis.

Real World Referrals

Every business guru will tell you that you can't beat word of mouth for good advertising.  It's effective, and it doesn't cost you anything!  Real world clients who have met you in person are more likely to refer you to other business people that they meet.

Of course, doing a great job for a local business can also have other perks...one of my favorite clients owns a cake shop!  Yum!