Freelancers A to Z #007. Freelancer Pricing Guide and Top Tips on How to Protect Yourself with Contracts
Freelancers A to Z is a series of roundup posts with captivating curated blog posts, podcasts and articles.
My purpose is to give you as a freelancer a place where you can find support and help with productivity, motivation and time management issues. Here you will find simple yet powerful hacks to improve your productivity and boost your freelance business instantly.
Are you ready?
Working as a freelancer can be quite a hassle if you do not have the right tools or patterns.
I do not aim to scare you out of this but it is always best to test the waters before jumping right in, yes?
Freelancing, in the long run, is very beneficial. You have gained the experience to not only hone your skills but also interact with clients, giving if not the whole but a partial experience of what it is like to work.
From dealing with numerous clients at the same time to have days where you would have nothing to do, freelancing can be very unpredictable. However, if you already planned your time and set out your priorities then it is fairly easy.
As a freelancer, you aim to please your client and that can be done but devising a portfolio that would attract clients that stumble upon your account. Dealing with tricky clients is another skill you must set out to master as it settles your future projects in a steady tone.
Constructing a freelancing contract and a pricing strategy is one of the many steps that would ensure your safety. It is important you take care of your needs and health as well. Here are some tips which could help you to find success when freelancing.
1
How to Protect Your Clients and Yourself with Freelancing Contracts?
Freelancing invites a lot of clients who give you projects to do and as much as the work is good, having a coherent freelancing contract can up your game.
Many do not understand the importance of having contracts but they are an important part of our lives.
This awesome article will help you to understand why you should create a contract and that is to make sure that both parties hold their end of the bargain.
You, as a freelancer, get the work done and give your client your promised quality-assured data.
The client should ensure that the agreement made with you is honored and taken care of. After a thorough read of the information on this website, you will be able to see that a freelancing contract saves you as a freelancer. In case of potential misunderstanding, you can whip the contract to ensure that all the details are met.
As per the article, your client is also protected. A very valid point raised in the article is the fact that a contract strengthens your accountability as it gives a coherent list of the do and don’ts.
2
Why You Need to Have a Pricing Strategy as a Freelancer?
Where opting to work as a freelancer gives you flexible time frames to work in, your pricing is mostly dependent and restricted.
As a freelancer, you need to have a pricing strategy.
Charging at an hourly rate can prove to be a positive if you are relatively new to the freelancing world or want the surety that your client would pay.
In the article, you can see that subjective fields welcome tasks that can pay on an hourly basis. You can find also the pricing of your work based on the project and states (if your’re not from the USA it’s still a good reference point) that when charging for a project, you have to be systematic and not create random numbers.
Other than project-based pricing and hourly rate pay, one can also opt for value pricing and retainer pricing as suggested by the website. The former is dependent on the quality of the work whereas, the latter requires you to write a retainer agreement where you become a consistent freelancing employee.
3
How to Deal with Tricky Clients?
Dealing with tricky clients requires a lot of hard work and dedication.
There would be moments where you would want to leave the task and the client altogether. But that has never been the best way to go about. Where dealing with clients may require a lot of work, it can help you as well.
In the article, it is clearly stated that if you are dealing with a tricky client, it may be because they are not clear themselves and do not have a vivid image of what they want.
The solution? Well, the article can help you in learning how to have a coherent call with your client can ease the problem. You’d have a better idea of what they want and adding follow-up questions to the mix can make it better.
Your client might want you to do a hefty amount of work and pay little to nothing. In that case, the article points out that you need to make sure your guidelines are read by the client and that they make do with what they are given.
There is a chance that your client might disappear after your work has been sent. For this, you can find several ideas on the website about using a secure platform to contact them and if the need arises, contact the client via their personal and/or private email.
Share, like, follow
4
How to Establish a Healthy Sleeping Routine?
As a freelancer, you would work from home and would have the comfort of your bed at any time of the day. However, this can be very risky if you do not have a sleeping pattern.
Having a healthy sleeping pattern can help you in numerous ways. Having a good night’s sleep and that too at the right time can help you tremendously.
Sleeping from 5 pm to 12 am can ruin your health and your work cycle.
Why is it important to maintain a good sleeping plan?
The point raised in the article is that it can improve your business as you would be able to communicate with your clients efficiently. Moreover, you can find more info in the article about balancing your work and life.
Having a messed up sleeping pattern can be rather daunting and would ruin your work-life balance. Keeping a schedule has always helped one to do their tasks easily and so does scheduling your sleeping pattern.
The article illustrates the idea that a healthy lifestyle comes to the benefit of getting your work done on time. The article gives you subtle hints as to how you can help yourself to sleep. For example: do not surround yourself with a noisy environment and consume as little caffeine as possible.
5
How to Create a Killer Freelancer Portfolio?
You can always attract more clients if you have an astounding and different portfolio. Having a well-structured portfolio always equals more clients, as you showcase your work and expertise in the field.
Having an amazing portfolio can up your freelancing game to 100. The article introduces to you the best way to construct a portfolio that would capture the eye of numerous clients.
First and foremost your portfolio should be like a commercial i.e it should be memorable and informative. The necessary details should be enlisted in your portfolio as well so that the client can contact you. Your details would be your email address, your number, and any other information that can make communication easier.
In the article you can find other useful tips such as: you should always look for a niche that complements the nature of your work and also to tell a story. The latter can be done by making a video where you explain your work and take the client on a journey where they understand your work.
6
All work and no play…
The last thing I would like to share with you is music. It has a special place in my life. For that reason I listen to music when I work. Hoverer, as some of you already know, it’s also because I want to cut off the noise caused by my neighbors.
Lately I work with this album in my headphones. It’s the latest album of Rollo Armstrong, the Mastermind of Faithless.
Last but not least: in the next issue your playlist can appear in this place. So leave in comments your favourite music that you love to listen when you work.
One last thing
In the comments below let me know what do you think about this issue of Freelancers A to Z. Tell me what do you like, what is not so good, what do you want more of. I need to know everything.
Also, if you like it, please sign up for updates, so that you will not miss the next post. You can find the form below.
The next issue will be available in two weeks.
Take care and have a nice time
Mariusz from the Time Continuum App