In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at getting clients and taking the leap. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Question 1

I’m so interested in freelancing and just don’t know how to find clients. I know about sites like Elance but it’s tough competition as well as getting noticed. What advice would you give to someone just starting out, needing to find clients and to stand out from the crowd.

My specialties include desktop publishing, social media, and internet research.

Getting clients is the most important part of freelancing: without them, we literally don’t make money. At the most basic level, a freelancer has to be able to show the value of her work in order to land clients. In my opinion, it’s very hard to do that on sites like Elance — not only are a lot of other freelancers trying to do the same thing, but there are a lot of inexperienced freelancers there.

Instead, you need to think about what type of clients you want to work with. You listed three fairly different skill sets, but you may find some clients who want all three. Who are those clients? What sort of projects do they need completed? Where do those type of clients spend their time? You need to get your name and portfolio in front of the right kind of prospective clients. If you know where they spend their time, you can contribute to the publications they read, meet them at the right networking events and even attend their industry conferences. Continue Reading

Many freelancers work out of the house. But there are situations in which at least having access to office space is important: Maybe you need a place to meet with clients. Maybe you need a place where there aren’t kids demanding attention. Maybe you just need a safe place to keep gear that pets can’t get at. Sure, for many of these purposes, you can just head to your local coffee shop. But it’s worth considering office space, especially if you can get it inexpensively.

Shared office space, whether we’re talking about a coworking space, a conference room you can rent, or even just a cubicle that you can use in a bigger office, can make a lot of sense for freelancers, especially considering you can get a lot out of a small space. Continue Reading

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at an introduction to freelancing and contracts. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Question 1

Dear Freelance Switch,
I am writing to you to request advice and tips on the following below:

• How does a freelancer set up their business?
• What tools and systems are needed?
• How do you market your freelance business?
• How long do you spend each day on finding customers and how do you find customers?
• How do you stick to your goals and achieve them?
• How to meet deadlines?
• How to be an organized person?

Some of my questions might sound too basic or simple to answer. I have become disabled and I cannot do full office hours. My profession was Microsoft.net Developer.

This is a big block of questions, most of which have been answered over the years on this site. I know searching back through the archives is overwhelming, though, so this seems like a perfect opportunity to pull out some of the best posts on FreelanceSwitch for these questions:

• Setting up your business: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting Your Freelance Career
• Tools and systems: The ROI for Project Management Tools
• Marketing: Build a Better Freelance Business with Strategic Branding
• Finding clients: Go Forth and Sell and How to Leverage Inbound Marketing to Make Clients Claw At Your Door
• Goals: Starting a Freelance Business in 2012: Planning Ahead
  
• Deadlines: Dealing With Procrastination
• Organization: Getting Ready for Next Year–Now

Continue Reading

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at client communication and incorporation. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Question 1

I’m a regular reader of FreelanceSwitch which has become very valuable to me since I became a full-time freelancer. I’m currently facing a problem with a client I’d like your insight about it.

I was asked by this client to create their website last year. Since this client is not at all tech-savy, decisions took quite long to make, but we managed to get the project going. Last time I saw them – in June – the website was nearly ready to publish, but they asked me for more revisions on this project, not really being polite about it. I did make the revisions and asked them if they were okay with it. I was told that they would look at it and get back to me the following week.

I never received an answer, despite emailing and calling. I ended up sending them a letter two weeks ago, asking them if the project was still on their agenda or if we should break the contract. I had no answer. However, I learned while talking to a shared acquaintance, that they don’t want a website for their business anymore.

I’m torn between two solutions:

Should I wait for them to contact me, risking that they’ll come and ask for their website completed for the next day or that I refund the deposit they made (I made the mistake of not specifying that it was not refundable in my contract)?

Or should I send them a termination notice for our contract, risking that they ask for a refund (or worse, since the owner of this business is moody and can be aggressive and litigious)?

This project was one of my first as a freelancer and I made a big mistake, being not specific enough in my contract. I’m kind of stuck, here, and like to have an external point of view.

What I would suggest doing depends on whether you’re still owed money on this project. I try to avoid ever leaving an unpaid invoice on my records, even if it means spending more time on collections than the invoice might actually be worth. If you’re still owed money, I’d contact the client via certified mail with an invoice for work completed. Be polite about the whole thing, but be firm. If the invoice remains unpaid, you can choose whether it’s worthwhile to take it to small claims court or to turn over to a collections agency. Continue Reading

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at a case of nerves and a question of file ownership. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Question 1

I am newish to freelancing (have done small freelance gigs, but mostly work full time for corporations) and I have an opportunity that is coming through for a contract to hire job. I am a Front End Web Developer and confident in my abilities but not having worked contract before, I get nervous. I have a wife and young son that I need to provide for and having insurance is important, as is job security.

Should I be nervous? What can I do to calm my nerves? How can I leave the corporate rat race and push myself to the promised land of freelance/contract?

It’s normal to be nervous when you’re making major changes to how you earn your living. There is more risk associated with freelancing or working on a contractual basis, matched by an increase in opportunities. Nervousness is just a reminder that you need to take steps to address that risk. Continue Reading

We all know that we need to spend as much time as we can networking with prospective clients. But how much time should you spend networking with other freelancers?

Other Freelancers Aren’t Just Competition

As a freelancer, other freelancers have to seem like competition. But those other freelancers can also be resources. Most of us have had mentors that have helped us get our freelancing careers off the ground. We learn how to be better freelancers from the community, more than anything else. Networking makes it easier to learn how to keep growing your business.

Dealing with your competition as a part of your network can be tough. It’s more than just having a mindset that there’s enough work to go around. If you’ve got a good marketing plan and a clear idea of your client base, that’s not a problem. But you need to go a step beyond that: you have to be personally comfortable making nice with someone who may be pitching the exact same people you are. It takes some practice and plenty of self-confidence. Continue Reading

It’s incredibly common to freelance on the side: if you’re working a day job, it’s inevitable that you’ll come across someone who wants you to exercise your skills off the clock. Some folks take it farther: actively seeking out freelance projects to do after they get off from their day job. But how does part-time freelancing stack up against going full-time? Continue Reading

There are a lot of last minutes when it comes to freelancers and taxes. If you freelance full-time in the U.S, you’re expected to send in quarterly estimated payments, in addition to doing your yearly routine.

Even though taxes can be fairly routine, it’s worth making sure that you’re doing everything you can to make sure all the details are taken care of. That helps to make sure there’s more money in your pockets, and it also means that you will limit your tangles with any tax agency you deal with. Continue Reading

It’s easy to see the financial benefits of using certain tools: for some freelance niches, not having the most recent copy of the Adobe Creative Suite is the same thing as walking away from every client who is more up to date. But project management tools don’t have such a clear cut value.

There are plenty of freelancers who manage big projects with what amounts to a stack of sticky notes and a calendar — a minimal cost when you look at tools that might charge a monthly subscription or have a one-time cost with a couple of zeros on the end.

Putting a number on saving a few minutes here and there can seem barely worth the effort. But the reality is that project management tools, used correctly, can save you a lot more time than just a few minutes at a go. Continue Reading

In this issue of Ask FreelanceSwitch, we look at repeat clients and increasing your workload. Ask FreelanceSwitch is a regular column here that allows us to help beginners get a grip on freelancing. If you have a question about freelancing that you want answered, send an email to askfreelanceswitch@gmail.com.

Question 1

I often do ongoing design projects with repeat clients. With repeat clients is it best to have a contract for each project, or just a simple agreement with a list of deliverables?

Most of my clients are actually on-going projects, where I’ll come in and work on their blogs without a set end date. Asking them to sign a new contract every month just won’t work out particularly well. So I write the initial letter of agreement we use to set up a project to include my ongoing rates and to cover the long-term.

If we’re talking about a whole new project on top of what I’ve already agreed to do, I write out another letter of agreement. Letters of agreement work the same way as contracts and legally function as such. I do think it’s crucial to get each project in writing with the client’s signature on it. Having to sign something seems to remind most clients that they’re dealing with a professional. Of course, on top of that, if the worst happens and you need to go to court over non-payment, you have an agreement in writing — which counts for a lot. Continue Reading

Bid sites have become a part of freelancing, no matter how much some of us dig in our heels and scream otherwise. It’s become very common for a freelancer to land her first clients through a site like Elance or Odesk, or for a freelancer to pick up some work to fill in holes in their schedule.

Sure, the rates are lower than what we can probably get when we’re dealing with clients on our own — or at least they feel that way after the site takes a bite out of our revenues. But there is a level of convenience that bid sites offer.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of job bid sites before you start using them. Continue Reading

I had the chance to talk with another freelancer the other day: she’s been offered the opportunity to take on a six-month project where she’d essentially be working full-time for a single client. The money is good, but there’s a catch in the contract—a non-compete clause. Continue Reading