Right away, of course. Bill early, bill often. If the assignment is of a certain size, you bill even before you start. (“Only $1800 is required to begin. Nothing else is due until you receive the text.”) I must be the only freelancer in history who took too long to send a bill. Like a dope, I would wait a […]
Last weekend, I was chatting with a young web designer. She hated her job, but felt stuck. “I’m much too introverted to freelance,” she said. “I could never go out and sell myself.” Whoa, I thought. That’s an interesting perception. And so utterly backwards. If anything, freelancing is the ideal career for us card-carrying introverts. […]
There seem to be two different ways to ring the bell in this business. Two different paths to glory and riches for us solo practitioners. The choice depends entirely on how you’re wired, how your brain works, what delights your soul. And I’m convinced it matters. Get this right, and it can make a huge […]
Yes. Specialists always do better. There is no debating this. I can’t think of any freelancer who made it big as a handyman. The world already has plenty of all-purpose copywriters, versatile translators, general web designers and utility infielders. Don’t jump into that haystack. You will be lost forever. It sounds paradoxical, but the longer your ‘list of services’, […]
Years ago there was a cranky old freelancer I looked up to. He was an artist and illustrator who had made his own way since the days of Mad Men. He did brilliant work. Made piles of money. He was in demand. He answered to no one, drank too much and smoked like a diesel. […]
You and me, we are working the simplest business model there is. Let’s not complicate things more than necessary. First, the tax people want to know how much money clients gave you, and how much you spent on business expenses. The easy way is to get those numbers from your 1099s and bank records. That’s […]
First thing: You are allowed to say no. It’s a perfectly acceptable answer. It is always an option. You are not obligated to take on every assignment and every client that blows in. You are not required to accept a lousy fee or lopsided terms, either. I hear from too many freelancers who are agonizing over this. […]
“You should have the confidence to charge what you’re worth.” When I see advice like that, I wince. I have been there, been stung. “You should know your worth as a designer.” “Your fees should reflect your worth to the project.” Oh boy. That’s the wrong way to think about it. Get that word ‘worth’ […]
I catch myself doing this from time to time. And I always want to slap myself. It’s what Mike Monteiro of Mule Design calls ‘negotiating on behalf of the client.’ Which means, when wrestling with an estimate or a quote or a proposal, we end up finding all sorts of reasons to lower the fee. I was […]
1. You should lose at least one out of four assignments because you’re too expensive. If you land every job, you’re not charging enough, or, you are irresistibly charming. Either way, you should charge more. 2. Time from first contact with a client, to seeing any money from them: minimum 30 days. Yes, even if […]