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Why Being A Freelance Designer Is Risky
Why Being A Freelance Designer Is Risky: 7 Business Strategies To Help You Succeed
One of the biggest problems with being a freelance designer is that the work can be challenging. No matter how clear you may be on the assignment and direction from the client, there are pitfalls to avoid. Here are seven tips to help your freelance business succeed.
1 – Craft a Contract
Before you begin work, it is critical to draft a contract that delineates the product to be delivered as well as the amount of revisions a client will get. And include what will NOT be included in your services; it covers all your bases. You do not want to be caught in a situation where you are doing countless revisions and not being paid for it.
2 – Confirm the Delivery Format
It is crucial to find out how a client wants the design delivered. You will want to know the application in which the design is being used and thus make sure that you deliver a format that will work for the CMS (or non CMS). This should also be specified in the contract.
3 – Ensure You Get Paid
When you are freelancer you will not have the security of a large design firm backing you up and collecting on your accounts. One smart thing to do is to place a watermark on the work or deliver it in a resolution that is too low to be used by the client. Once the work is paid in full you can deliver the artwork at full resolution with no watermark.
4 – You May Have to Start at the Bottom
There is always the lure of being freelance, you work the hours you want and take the projects you want to do right? Well you may find that it’s not quite like that especially in the beginning stages. You may need to take whatever work comes your way until you can market yourself and get a roster of clients that will give you enough work to support you and your new business.
5 – Set up an Arbitration Policy
If there is a discrepancy in the amount due or over the initial contract you drew up with the client, you need to make sure you are legally covered. When drafting the contract make sure that the client signs it and returns the original copy to you and understands the requirement of arbitration to end disputes. This will be critical if you should have to take them to small claims court. Always be as specific as possible.
6 – Spend Money where Necessary
You may not have all the latest equipment like you would at a design firm. Buying computers, softwares, pencils, watercolors, are all sunk costs to your new business. Keep your costs down by holding onto your laptop a few months extra and seek out discounts for softwares.
7 – Name Drop
Keep a detailed address file to stay on top of your professional contacts. Your contacts are your most important asset. You want to keep in touch with your clients even after you finished a job. Sending email updates, newsletters or promotions can be a good way to stay in touch.
Freelancing is a hard road. Not everyone is suited for a lifestyle. It takes brains, balls, and wit to stay above water. But we hope these seven tips will give you an edge to succeed.
Written by- Eva Vesper at WHS, a web host guide that provides reviews, articles, and tutorials. Got questions about hosting or domains? Check them out.
I believe, as indicated if you stipulate the exact result of the project, request a deposit and do not post live to client’s domain, you should be fine
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well…good list of things to pay your attention to! No doubt this article should be read and re-read by all new web designers who are in their very beginning of freelance business. From me – I’d recommend to use LinkedIn site , for it provides incredible opportunities…. also find a couple of staffing agencies that supply serious companies with freelancers and work for some time via their assignments to gain more connections. Networking rules this world guys! It is wise advice.
Best regards from Toronto
Mike / Toronto Web Design & SEO
I have been thinking about freelancing for a while now since business is slow. Thank you for this information guys. Keep it up.
great tips… but what about Freelance SEO?
We deal with a few freelancers, these are all important rules to keep in mind. Great list.
Having the contract in place is the best thing i have done since i started this web design business full time. I got ripped off so bad several times before i learnt my lesson.
Few years ago when i was just starting out, many times i ended up putting so much extra work in each web project (even after the website was complete)
Never charged for training and maintenance until i realized that everyone was taking advantage.
There is a large market from which a freelance writer can choose, and the sky is the limit as to what type of genre or how much work a freelance writer might have at any given time. A freelance writer whose specialty is fiction might dabble in poetry, short stories or e-books, or he might have an ongoing novel in the works. Many publishers will accept fiction but most freelance writers agree it is a much harder market to break into.
In place of a contract I just make a sample for my customers. Then I get paid in full.
It is really true that being freelancer is risky, because it is not a full time job and you may lost your client if they are not satisfied with your work or for some other reason
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Some excellent tips there for new designers and companies.
A solid, detailed contract will help down the line, clarity in the beginning can avoid all sorts of misunderstandings as we proceed through the job.
And contacts are invaluable also.
“Freelancing is a hard road. Not everyone is suited for a lifestyle. It takes brains, balls, and wit to stay above water. ”
This is true. It’s very important to maintain the quality of work in order to stay in the game. There’s no regularity when it comes to freelancing so it’s very important to do well in every project so that the chance of getting new projects would be easier.
Great tips
Most of them can be applied not only for a freelance designer but to any type.
Nice tips, but nowadays people like to outsource to overseas because they could get same quality with lower price, and not only the end customer does it, but also the web companies. We can’t buy burger for 50 cent here like in overseas… I think that what makes freelancing harder. Any tips to get around this?
Keeping in touch after a job is finished is a very basic thing that many web design businesses overlook. It may take a little effort but as long as you’ve done a good job in the first place, your name will spring straight to mind when a previous client has more work, or is asked to recommend someone.
Being a free lancer is quite a task in inself. To manage an entire operation often accomplished with an entire team. But it is a place we have all been at one time.