Do More With Finder for Mac: Third Party Applications

by Rahul Saigal

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There are some reasons that you may feel the need to look for an alternative toFinder.

• If you use a PC at work
• If you use both Mac and PC either at work or home
• If you frequently move or copy files to keep things organized
• If you want to work efficiently to become productive with frequently performed tasks

There are a number of Finder alternatives. Each of these takes one of the two approaches:

1. replacement, or 
2. augmentation

Replacement

PathFinder follows the first approach. It provides a full replacement file browser with many additional features and functionality. 

The problem with the first approach is you lose access to all those Finder features that did work. 

More importantly, you lose the tight integration with the operating system.

Augmentation

TotalFinder and XtraFinder follow the second approach. They augment Finder with a range of new features that either blend with the current feature, to improve it, or provide an entirely new feature. 

They're tightly integrated with the operating system to make the file management experience seamless.

Move and Copy Files Faster

Suppose, for a moment, that you need to manage files between two different folders, moving them around or even comparing files between the two locations. 

If you use Finder, then you would have to open two Finder windows and adjust them accordingly. If you perform this task frequently then it's probable that you have to mess with dozens of open windows and tabs.

The dual-pane view saves you the trouble from bloating your desktop with connection windows and file listings, enabling the most effective workflow. It takes tabs and stitches them in a single Finder window. 

This makes it possible to view the contents of two separate folders in one window, each folder having its own navigation buttons and sidebar. You can create as many of these twin tabs as you want and mix them with regular tabs. 

When exiting dual-pane mode it reverts the tabs to a single Finder window.

To access the dual-pane window in XtraFinder, go to View > Toggle Dual Mode. Select all the files, then drag and drop to the folder on other pane. This way you can move large number of files between folders easily and much faster. 

PathFinder has some few commands to take advantage of the dual-pane layout. Click Commands and beneath the Dual Browser you will find options (with handy shortcuts) for moving and copying files between panes. Dragging and dropping while holding a modifier key can perform different operations:

Copy

• Within the same volume: Option key then Drag and drop
• Between different volumes: Drag and drop

Move

• Within the same volume: Drag and drop
• Between different volumes: Command key then Drag and drop

In PathFinder moving files from one folder to another is single hotkey away. 1. Left Pane 2. Right Pane

Dual-pane layout also lets you move or copy files to a PC. Whilst you can easily sync files and folders with Dropbox and Bittorrent Sync, it is not necessary to use these applications in every use-case. You can move files between computers using just your local area network connection connection.

• Set up an SMB server connection on Mac and PC. 
• In XtraFinder select View >Toggle Dual Mode and in other pane open your shared PC connection. 
• Select the Disk Drive and folder where you want to move the file. 
• Drag and drop the file(s) from Mac Downloads folder to the download folder of PC.

With dual pane I can copy files from Mac to PC easily without using Dropbox and other similar applications. 1. Left Pane 2. Right Pane

Feature Compatibility With File Explorer for PC

The core difference in workflow, whilst working with two different operating systems, is the file manager. 

Finder does things a little differently to Windows Explorer on a PC, even though their purpose is to manage files and folders. 

If you work with both Mac and PC, the initial experience of adjustment with file management may take time. All the Finder alternatives provide some useful features.

Cut and Paste

In the Windows operating system, Cut is a normal option in right click context menu. Mac has the Cut and Paste feature but can be a little tricky to understand. 

Select the item you wish to move, then press Command-C to copy the file. Navigate to the destination window and press Command-Option-V to move the item. If you use PC then this shortcut may feel tedious to learn and adjust.

With XtraFinder you can activate Cut command in right click menu. Go to XtraFinder > Preferences, click the Features tab and check Cut and Paste. The best part of this feature is that it works with every Finder windows and has a standard Command-X shortcut.

Add Go Up Button in Finder

In the Windows operating system, Go Up button lets you open the parent folder of the current folder you are working with. 

This simple and straightforward button works well for novice users. Finder does not have this feature, but it is possible to add Up button in toolbar with XtraFinder. 

Go to XtraFinder > Preferences, click the Features tab and check Show Go Up button in the toolbar.

Change the Behaviour of Return Key

In the Windows operating system, if you press the Enter key in Windows Explorer, it will either open a selected folder/file, or run a highlighted program. On Mac the Return key lets you rename the selected file/folder instead of opening them. 

If you want to change the behaviour of Return key, go to XtraFinder > Preferences, click the Features tab and check Press Enter to open selection and under theRename field specify the shortcut key.

Sort Folders on Top of Files

With XtraFinder you can sort all folders on top of files. Go to XtraFinder > Preferences, click the Features tab and check Arrange Folders on Top. 

This is especially helpful when you want to move a number of files which normally would be spread throughout a directory, forcing you to shift-click out the folders you don’t want to move.

File Template

In the Windows operating system the right-click context-sensitive menu provides added functionality by offering actions you can perform with particular item. The New option lets you create new documents, spreadsheet, presentation, folder, shortcut quickly and under the same folder you’re in. 

XtraFinder gives you an option to add a New File entry to the contextual menu inFinder. Go to XtraFinder > Preferences, click the Add items to Finder menus and check New File.

In this entry you’ll find options to create plain text document, script, rich text document and more. You can customize them and add your own file template. 

Click Manage File Template in the same preference window and add an emptyPages or Numbers file in that directory. 

Now you can quickly create any document and rename them with single click.

Efficiency Performing Tasks

It makes sense to be efficient with tasks, but sometimes you may either lack technical knowledge or, perhaps, the application itself is slowing you down due to bugs or small subset of features. 

All the Finder alternatives have some features to increase efficiency.

Folder and File Size

On Mac if you want to find details about the file size, you can right click and select Get Info. There are times when you may want to get information together as a single selection, such as the combined file/folder size. 

With XtraFinder it is possible to get total sizes for file/folder selection. 

Go to XtraFinder > Preferences, click the Features tab, check Show total size of selected items in Status Bar and Automatically calculate size. 

Now select files one-by-one and you’ll notice the size information in the status bar.

XtraFinder makes it possible to get the combined file/folder size selection

Size Browser

By default, the Finder’s list view only shows you the size of individual files—not of folders.

If you wish to get the complete information about the size of folder then click View > as List, right click on an empty space and open up Show View Options and check Calculate all sizes.

This feature works well but if you want to get an overview about the size information then repeated clicks and checking the options will significantly impact efficiency. 

PathFinder lets you browse items based on their size much quicker. Go to Windows > Size Browser and browse file/folders with their size information.

Size browser option in PathFinder tabulate and display results with a greater efficiency

Extra Window Functions

PathFinder has some additional window manipulation features not available in the regular Finder, all accessible from Window menu:

• The Clone option duplicates the current file browser window with one click
• The Float option allows you to set the focused window/module always on top
• The Hides on Deactivate option sets the focused window/module to hide when switching from PathFinder to another application

View Hidden Files

On Mac, files with names that start with dot are hidden. But if you need them for reasons—to browse UNIX filesystem, to access .htaccess file for web development, for example, then you can do so with XtraFinder. 

It lets you toggle the visibility of hidden files and folders with a single click.

Go to View > Show Hidden Items. Similarly in PathFinder go to View > Show Invisible Files. 

The same can be done when you need to browse packages as folders—an application or iPhoto library—by toggling View > Show Package Contents.

Collect Files in Drop Stack

Finder is quite basic when it comes to organizational capabilities. You can either put all the files in a folder or tag them with a label, but as time passes you dump all the files to the desktop. 

The desktop becomes a complete mess. 

PathFinder has a useful feature called as Drop Stack. It is a circular, target icon located on the top-left section of PathFinder window. Within this stack, you can dump pile of files and folders which you wish to eventually copy or move to a new location.

Click on the Drop Stack and you’ll notice a drop-down menu with many functions. You can choose to compress the contents of the Drop Stack, email them to a friend, or burn them to a CD. 

Drop Stack is a great way of collecting stuff that needs to go into one place without having to jump between folders and applications all the time.

Drop Stack is a temporary basket for temporary files and folders. 1. Drop Stack icon 2. Drop Stack drop-down menu

Bookmarks and Favorites

Having your favorites files and folders single click away is probably the best and simple way to become effective. PathFinder calls this bringing the web browser workflow to the desktop. 

The bookmarks feature in PathFinder behaves like a file browser, letting you navigate the file or folder that you need to get access to quickly. To add your folder in bookmarks, drag the folder to the bookmarks bar.

Favorites behave very much like Finder’s Places feature but it also allows you to change the name of the label to any name you want. 

In the screenshot below I’ve favourited my OneDrive folder and renamed the label to OneDrive Personal. Notice that the real OneDrive folder name remains unchanged. 

If you’ve ever tried to do same with Finder, then it would affect the actual folder or files. This is extremely useful when you have folders or files with same name but stored in different locations.

With PathFinder you can use web browser type workflow feature to Finder. Notice the custom name of OneDrive folder in favorite section

Folder Compare and Sync

Assume that you have a huge collection of music on the Mac. It would be wonderful if you can replicate that same structure of music collection on the PC. But there are two problems:

1. You don’t know which album you should copy to the PC because there are hundreds of folders
2. Copying every single album over the network is slow and time consuming

PathFinder includes Folder Sync, a folder comparison and syncing engine to solve this type of tedious problem. 

Go to View and select Dual Browser with any layout option of your choice. Once you are in Dual Pane mode, select one folder in each pane (note that the FolderSync menu item will not appear if you’ve selected more than two folders). The left pane will be the music collection folder on the Mac whilst the right pane will be the music collection folder on the PC.

From the main menu select Commands > FolderSync. A new window appears, where all folder comparison and synchronisation takes place. By default the operation starts in Compare mode, wherein it compares two folders and mark their differences. 

Depending on folder size and structure this step can take a while. When showing folder differences, PathFinder uses different colors to mark items which are different. You can see what these colors mean if you click Colors… button. Here you can change default colors to your liking.

To start the synchronisation process, PathFinder already includes some predefined presets: Compare, Update Left, Update Right, Mirror to Left, Mirror to Right. Other than these presets, you’ll see an information on how may items will be updated, added or deleted. 

Once you are satisfied with the preset selection click the Sync button.

Folder compare and Sync feature in PathFinder 1. Preset Options 2. Detailed information on comparison results 3. Left pane is the music collection folder on Mac 4. Right pane is the music collection folder on PC 5. Analysis results

Conclusion

Finder is the core part of a Mac and depending upon your usage it may or may not fit your needs. Indeed if certain aspects of Finder is bothering you, there are alternatives and in this tutorial I have covered the reasons for using third party applications and different benefits they may provide to you.

Finder is a vast application, there are many hidden and advanced features. It has not been possible to cover every aspect of Finder application in this tutorial. If you have any questions let me know in the comments below.

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Photoshop Errors: Quick Fixes for When Keyboard Shortcuts Won't Work

by Melody Nieves

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Keyboard shortcuts help us to be more efficient in Photoshop. But with all technology, sometimes technical issues occur. 

If you've ever experienced problems with keyboard shortcuts working properly, then take a look at these quick solutions for help. 

Solution #1: Unlock the Caps Lock

Sometimes your keyboard shortcuts only appear to stop working. You even see that the tool is selected but the normal cursor has been replaced with a cross hair. This is probably because you have the Caps Lock on. To solve this problem easily, simplytake the Caps Lock off. 

Solution #2: Issues From Your Wacom Tablet 

Whether you're a digital artist or graphic designer, if you're using a Wacom Graphics Tablet then you're probably familiar with this error. It's actually a known fact that some issues occur due to this tablet that can lead to unresponsiveness with the keyboard shortcuts or menu panels in Photoshop. 

Here are a couple of ways you can solve this error:

1. Reinstall or update your tablet drivers. 
2. If you're using a Mac, install the Mac OS updates.
3. Install the White Window Workaround Plugin. It's only for CC and CS6, and you can find the plugin here.

Solution #3: Customize Your Shortcuts 

Maybe the problem isn't a technical issue, but one of preference. If the default shortcuts don't work for you, you can still always customize them. To do this, go toEdit > Keyboard Shortcuts. Select the shortcuts you would like to change, and apply the changes there.  

Know of Any Solutions?

Photoshop errors are always frustrating. But hopefully these quick tips will provide you with some solutions to make your keyboard shortcuts work again.

If you know of any tips that aren't listed here, feel free to share them with us in the comments below!

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Quick Tip: Remove the White Background From Line Art in Adobe Photoshop

by Monika Zagrobelna

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What You'll Be Creating

Line art drawings are used as a base for a digital painting or colored drawing. They're built, as the name suggests, from lines, and they should have lines only, without any background. 

When you draw the line art digitally, you can use a separate layer for this. But what if you used the Undo command one time too many and Photoshop, according to its weird habit, switched you to the background layer, and you didn't notice it until it was too late? Or what if you have drawn your line art traditionally, on a white sheet of paper, and now you need to remove it without redrawing the lines with a tablet?

In this very short tutorial I'll show you two methods of getting the lines back—a popular one, and a professional one. If you don't have any line art to use at the moment, feel free to download the attachment and follow me.

1. A Quick Method

Place your scan/line art in a new file. Set its Blend Mode to Multiply.

This mode makes every white part of the layer transparent, leaving black intact. So, this is what we wanted, right?

The problem may occur if you wanted to use the line art directly. For example, if you changed the Blend Mode to Overlay, the dark lines would get a darker version of the color below. It works great in cell shading! 

However, here we can't change the Blend Mode, because only Multiply makes white transparent. If we used Overlay, the lines would get the darker color, but the white around would "absorb" all the rest of the colors.

This method doesn't really give you line art without a background. It only pretends there's no background, but you're not really allowed to use the lines or the illusion disappears.

2. A Professional Method

There's another way, obviously more complicated than simply selecting an item on the list, but also far more effective. It will give us our dark lines—instead of pretending that there is no background we will remove it for real. Don't let the number of steps scare you—there aren't so many, but I made it as detailed as possible for you!

Step 1

To make sure there is only black and white in the picture, go to Image > Mode > Grayscale. Select Don't Merge and then Discard.

Step 2

Select the whole picture with Control-A. Copy it.

Step 3

Go to the Channels panel. You can find it next to Layers, and if it's not there, simply open it with Window > Channels.

Step 4

Click Create New Channel.

A new "layer" should appear on the list. This is an alpha channel—it knows only two colors: black (transparent) and white (opaque). For now it's black, so there's nothing there.

Step 5

Paste the selection to this layer. Deselect (Control-D).

Step 6

Click Load Channel as Selection.

Step 7

A selection should appear on the picture. As I said before, for an alpha channel white is opaque, and black is transparent. When we loaded the selection, only the opaque parts were selected—the white parts.

If you Invert the selection now (Control-Shift-I), you'll get the opposite selected—only black parts. Only the line art.

Step 8

Select the Gray channel again.

Step 9

Create a New Layer.

Step 10

Fill the selection with black using the Paint Bucket Tool (G).

Step 11

If you deselect (Control-D) now, you'll see that the line art became twice as dark. It's because we've got two sets of lines!

Remove the scan to fix the problem.

Step 12

If you hide the background layer, you'll see only the line art. Just what we wanted, without any pretending!

You can now safely use any Blend Mode on this layer—Multiply doesn't block you anymore. Just don't forget to switch back to Image > Mode > RGB Color.

You can also use all the Blending Options on the lines, for example Gradient Overlay:

What about more traditional-looking sketches, with a lot of grays instead of black? There's no problem about them! Just make sure you've cleaned up the scan first, and then you can use the same trick.

That's All!

As you can see, a piece of line art drawn by accident on a white layer isn't lost to you, and sketches drawn traditionally aren't really bound to their background for eternity. Alpha channels also have other applications—I hope that my explanation will help you find them when you need them!

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A Freelancer’s Guide to Handling Debt Responsibly

by Andrew Blackman

That’s a pretty controversial statement for many people. Newspapers and websites are full of horror stories about people who got mired in debt, and also of inspirational stories about people who paid it all off. Debt is often presented as a terrible burden, almost like a chronic illness.

But here’s the thing: debt is a core part of today’s economy. Companies borrow money all the time, using it to invest in things like better equipment and faster growth. As a freelancer, you’re in business too, so why shouldn’t you do what successful companies do?

Of course debt can be dangerous. So can knives, but it doesn’t mean we don’t use them. The key is knowing how to handle them.

So in this tutorial I’ll teach you how to handle debt responsibly. You’ll learn how to get the right type of loan with repayments you can afford, and then how to pay off your debts efficiently. You’ll learn how to avoid some of the common mistakes people make with debt. By the end, you’ll feel less scared and more confident in your ability to handle debt without inviting financial chaos.

You may still decide you want to steer clear of debt, of course, and that’s a valid choice. But at least you’ll be equipped with some extra knowledge so that you can make an informed decision about what’s right for your freelance business.

1. Have a Good Reason

The first step in handling debt responsibly is to borrow for the right reason.

People often get into trouble with debt because they borrow to cover up a fundamental financial problem. They’re spending more than they earn, so they can’t pay their bills, so they resort to credit cards or other debt to keep the lights on.

If you’re spending more than you earn, you have only two sensible choices: earn more, or spend less. Borrowing to cover the shortfall simply allows you to continue with unsustainable business habits, and adds on a lot of interest payments to your existing costs. It’s a short-term fix, but in the long term it just puts you deeper in trouble.

So what are good reasons for wanting to borrow money? Here are a few examples:

Startup Costs

All businesses have startup costs, and freelancers are no exception. Because you don’t have employees and usually don’t need special premises, those costs are often small, but they exist. Even if your business doesn’t require complex equipment, you’ll at least need a computer, and probably some specialized software. A website is a pretty basic requirement too, and that costs money.

Certain types of freelancers may have much larger startup costs to worry about. If you’re a photographer, for example, you may need to spend several thousand dollars on buying a high-end camera, tripod, flash, lights and other equipment. You may need a special studio space, or a car to be able to travel to events. If you don’t have a lot of money saved, borrowing money to get started is an option.

Equipment and Maintenance

I’m writing this on a 2011 MacBook Air. As a freelance writer, I’m lucky that I don’t really need much else in the way of equipment, but I do know that if anything goes wrong with it, I’ll need to get it repaired or replaced very quickly.

Since it’s a predictable expense, ideally I’d have money saved in my emergency fund (see my budgeting tutorial for information on that). But if I don’t have enough saved, debt would be a better alternative than going out of business.

Education and Training

As freelancers, the fundamental thing we sell is our expertise. And whatever field you’re in, you can bet that at least some of the expertise you have right now will be obsolete a few years down the line. We have to stay up-to-date; constant self-improvement is a condition of doing business.

Luckily there’s a lot of free information on the internet, but sometimes you also need to invest in your own future. In some fields, you may need a particular qualification, or having it may help you to win more business.

In that case, borrowing money to invest in improving your skills could be a sensible choice. Of course, you still need to do it right, and we’ll cover that in the next sections.

2. How Much Can You Afford to Borrow?

Often when people are looking for a loan, they ask, “How much can I borrow?” That’s the wrong question to ask. That puts the onus on the bank to determine your own financial needs. If they’ll let you borrow $20,000, you borrow $20,000. It shouldn't be a surprise to learn that letting someone else make your financial decisions is a bad idea.

Instead, the right question to ask before you touch any form of debt is, “How much can I afford to borrow?” The reason many people don’t ask this question is because it can be quite difficult to work out an accurate answer. So in this section, I’m going to show you how to do it.

Know Your Budget

Before you apply for a loan, you need a firm grasp of your financial situation. A freelancer’s income can fluctuate, but you need to know your average monthly income, and have a realistic, accurate picture of your average monthly expenses.

If you don’t know these numbers, I take you through exactly how to come up with them in my Freelancer’s Guide to Effective Budgeting. It’s important to note that your “expenses” need to include not just the cash you spend each month, but everything, including money you’re putting aside for future tax bills or other major items, and money you’re using to make payments on existing debts.

Let’s say that you have a clear budget, and your figures are as follows:

• Monthly income: $2,000
• Monthly expenses: $1,750

In that case, you have $250 available to make monthly payments without blowing your budget. But how much loan does that get you?

The answer it that it depends on the term of the loan (how many months or years you take to pay the money back) and the interest rate. You can play with some different scenarios by plugging numbers into the loan calculator at Bankrate.com.

Using the calculator, you can see that if you borrow $10,000 for 5 years at 10% interest, the monthly payments will be $212.47, which you can afford. But switch the term to 2 years, and the payments balloon to $461.45, which would quickly put you in even more debt. So adjust the numbers based on your requirements, and based on the kind of loan terms you think you can get.

Make Careful Adjustments

The scenario above is great, but of course many of us don’t just have an extra $250 lying around at the end of each month. So what if you don’t have enough money left to make payments on the loan you need?

Then you’ll need to make adjustments to your budget. The first thing you can do is to look at your expenses, and see if there are any cuts you can make. The important thing is to be realistic: don’t plan to cut out your entire entertainment budget, for example, and then find yourself unable to stick to it later on.

Another option is to find ways to earn more money. It could be as simple as searching for more assignments, or asking existing clients for more business, orraising your rates.

If you expect your income to increase as a result of the investment you’re making—for example, if you’re buying equipment or taking a course that will enable you to get new clients—then you could budget for a higher income in the future, but be very careful about making assumptions. Optimism is generally a good trait for freelancers, but when you’re budgeting for the future, it’s better to assume the worst. It’s better to be too cautious than to take on a loan you can’t afford to pay back.

3. Choose the Right Type of Debt

If you want to borrow money, there are plenty of different options. Choosing the right type of loan is important, so here’s a quick guide to some of the main types of debt, and their pros and cons:

Family and Friends

Borrowing money doesn’t have to involve going to banks and paying costly interest rates. If you have friends or family members who are in a position to lend you money, that’s a great option. The downside is that if things go wrong and you struggle to pay them back on time, you could ruin a good relationship. Or what if they suffer a financial crisis and need the money back earlier than expected? There’s a good reason for that saying about money and friends not mixing.

Credit Cards

This is perhaps the simplest way to borrow money. You probably have one already, and if not, it’s very easy to get one in many countries. A credit card gives you lots of flexibility to borrow as much as you need and pay it down as you are able. But interest rates can be very high, and the very ease of using credit cards can easily entice you into borrowing more than you can afford to pay back.

Lines of Credit

These are similar to credit cards in that you are given access to a certain amount of money, and pay interest on any funds you use. They can be harder to acquire than credit cards, however, and the fees for using the line of credit can sometimes be high.

Term Loans

Unlike “open-ended” credit cards and lines of credit, term loans are for a fixed period, and usually have a fixed interest rate and repayment schedule. That means that you know exactly what you’re getting into, but they’re not as flexible as credit cards or lines of credit. Term loans can sometimes be secured on a particular asset like a car, meaning that if you default on the loan, you lose the car. Unsecured loans are also available.

Peer-to-Peer Borrowing

This is a more recent option. The idea is that you bypass the banks and borrow from other people who sign up on a website as lenders. Examples would be Prosper andLending Club in the U.S., and Zopa in the U.K. Rates can be lower than with the banks, although it depends on your credit rating and the terms of the loan, so still shop around for the best deal.

Payday Loans

These are very short-term loans, designed to get you through a quick cashflow crisis. Rates can be eye-wateringly high, though, so it’s generally best to avoid theseunless you have no other option.

4. Get the Best Deal

When you've decided on the type of loan you want, it's time to research what's on offer. Of course, rates and terms can vary hugely, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the terms you’re offered can depend to a large degree on your credit rating. So do your best to ensure that you stay on top of all your existing obligations. By doing so, you should be able to get a lower interest rate on future loans.

Also check your credit report if possible, to make sure it’s accurate—a 2013 studyfound that 40 million Americans had mistakes on their credit reports. In the U.S., you can get free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com.

Also ensure that your finances and record-keeping are professional. If you’re going to the bank for a loan, they may want to see some details about your income and expenses, and it’s best to be as business-like as possible. If you can show convincing, accurate, detailed metrics going back several years, you will give any lender a lot more confidence in your ability to pay the money back, and may be offered better terms as a result.

Once you’ve got everything set up, it’s always worth shopping around for the best deal. Look at different providers, and even check out different options from the same provider. Comparison sites like MoneySupermarket (in the UK) can help you find good deals, so look for similar sites in your country.

5. Manage the Repayments

Choosing a loan responsibly is a big part of the story, but handling debt responsibly also involves paying it back as quickly and effectively as you can.

You’ll need to work carefully within your budget, placing a high priority on making the required payments on your loan, and allocating more money as available to paying down the balance. Here are a few more strategies that can help:

Prioritize

If you have several different loans, list them in order of interest rate, with the highest at the top, and focus all your energy on paying off the loans with the highest rates first, while paying just the minimum on the loans with lower rates. For more details on this process, and how to fit in debt repayment with your other financial goals, see Section 2 of my tutorial on saving and investing for freelancers.

Negotiate

Have you picked up the phone to ask your bank or credit-card company for a better rate? It’s an often-overlooked strategy, and it doesn’t always work, but sometimes you can get much better terms simply by asking. This article has some good tips on negotiating successfully.

Transfer

If negotiating doesn’t work, another option is simply to search for a provider that offers better rates, and transfer your balance over. This works especially well with credit cards. Just be sure that you stay on top of things, and don’t end up with even higher rates after the generous introductory offer expires.

Consolidate (With Care)

You can sometimes consolidate several different loans into a single one with a lower interest rate. You need to be careful, however, because some debt consolidation companies simply charge high fees and can make your situation worse.

There are also legitimate debt consolidation loans offered by banks and credit unions, but even then, do the sums to make sure you’re actually improving your situation. Consolidating can have potential downsides.

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Conclusion

If handled badly, debt can be a blight on your freelance career, saddling you with unnecessary fees and interest payments, and in extreme cases even putting you out of business.

But if you borrow wisely, you can use debt to invest in your freelance business, acquiring equipment or skills that you would have had to wait years for if you’d been saving up.

The key points are to borrow for the right reasons, to have a clear idea of how much you can afford to borrow, to choose the right type of loan at the best possible terms, and to manage the repayments intelligently.

If you can do all of that, using the strategies we’ve covered in this tutorial, then you don’t need to be afraid of getting into debt. You can view it as just another financial strategy available to you as a freelancer, and you can be confident in your ability to handle it responsibly.

Resources

Graphic Credit: Credit Cards icon designed by Martha Ormiston from the Noun Project.

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