>> Double your income by getting serious about your business

Yes, if you work as a freelance writer, you are running a business. And as a business, you need to take things seriously.

Can you really double your income? Of course you can. Just use your time more efficiently and get more and better-paying clients.

We all know we have too many days when we don't get as much work done as we should. That's fine if you want to view yourself as a lone 'artiste' struggling with writer's block. But it won't cut mustard if you view what you do as a serious business. Use your time efficiently. Get work done.

And promote your services. If you are truly too shy to pick up phone or speak in front of a crowd, at least use your writing skills and create a promotional sales package you can send out to prospective clients.

And here's easiest way to double your income: get better clients and negotiate higher fees. In fact, better quality of client, more open they will be to negotiation, and more they will respect your work.

>> Concluding thoughts...

The first step to doubling your income this year is to change your attitude about your work. Think of yourself as a BUSINESS. You are. And apply all disciplines that are used when running a business. Aim to make money. Organize your time. Get job done.

It isn't so very hard. And result will be that you'll make a great deal more money, and will probably enjoy your work a lot more at same time.

* Identify a list of minimum acceptable answers. (For example, acceptable answers to previous question might be "I would schedule a meeting with both reviewers and try to reach a consensus" or "I would work to gain a better understanding of both comments and identify a solution that would work for all parties.")

* Ask a negative question so you can see how person handles stress and conflict (for example, "tell me about a situation where you failed" or "tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss").

* At most, you should talk only 25-30% of time. By mostly listening and observing, you will gain maximum information about each candidate.

* Leave time for candidate to ask questions. You will see whether person is prepared and/or took time to research your company. A candidate who does not ask questions probably did not prepare adequately for interview.

* Observe each candidate. Ask yourself whether each has a business-like presentation and whether they look part of job. I also like to see how well they can articulate their role on a given project. It is a bad sign when candidates seem unfamiliar with their own work.

As important as tangible requirements are for job, so are intangible ones. Look for a firm handshake, direct eye contact, professional bearing, and appropriate clothing. Understanding how to ask questions is very important and there are numerous references on subject. Years ago, I was asked during an interview whether I planned to have more children. Of course, question was an illegal one, but a surprising number of people still manage to ask similar questions. Being prepared and informed is best way to avoid these pitfalls. USING MULTIPLE INTERVIEWERS

Having more than one person interview a candidate increases your perspective. What you may see and what someone else may see can be quite different. When you are trying to choose between two very good candidates, a second or third opinion will make decision more clear. You might consider having any of following participate:

* Technical personnel (perhaps an engineer or programmer who may act as a subject matter expert)

* Other department staff (co-workers can provide excellent feedback as to whether they will feel comfortable with candidate)

* Personnel staff

Although you may be person with ultimate hiring authority, you will find it very useful to be able to talk each candidate over with other people. You may find that they like a candidate you did not or vice-versa. In general, consensus hiring will produce better results than a unilateral hiring decision, so take their feedback seriously. One manager I interviewed for this article uses a weighted system when considering a candidate: 30% skills, 30% personality, and 40% business-like presentation. In my own experience, latter two are greatest predictors of a candidate's success. When candidates don't work out, reason tends to involve how they handle conflict or how well they communicate. You will, of course, need to develop your own system. CONSIDERING TESTING

Although I have not yet used a test for candidates, I have certainly taken them as part of a job application and I am considering using them in future. You cannot be sure candidate shows you work they have actually done, but you will be able to see their work if you give them a test. Many companies develop their own tests. You may consider anything from a personality profile to a writing and/or editing test. IN CONCLUSION

There is no boilerplate method or template that you can apply directly to your department, group, or company. However, you can use this process as a model to develop your own own process, guidelines, and interview questions. What you look for and what someone else looks for in a candidate are likely to be quite different. But by developing a process, defining position, and nailing down your questions well in advance before interviewing candidates, you vastly increase likelihood of a successful hiring decision.