How to Get Quality Results on a Project You Needed Done Yesterday
There seems to be an age-old struggle between clients and freelancers: You need work in a pinch but don’t want to compromise on quality. Yes, I’m talking about rush jobs.
For many freelancers, this raises red flags. They’re concerned about being frazzled and not compensated for turning around top-notch work in a short span. You’re worried about meeting a deadline that just came up and saving your skin, too. If you can at all include more time for a project to be completed, do so. It’ll help you avoid rushing around—and probably save you a few bucks as well. But if that inevitable rush job comes into play, you’ll need to work with a freelancer that can swiftly get the job done.
Here are some tips on working with freelancers to complete rush projects.
Ask if Your Freelancer is Rush-Ready
From the beginning of the relationship, it’s important to ask the freelancer if they accept rush jobs. If they do, you know that you may be able to count on them when things get tight. If not, secure a back-up contractor that can take things in a pinch.
Give Notice
If your freelancer has indicated in the past that he or she is open to rush jobs, give him or her as much notice as possible about your project. That usually works by way of a phone call in addition to an email. Talk about the exact parameters of the project and give a clear deadline including everything that is expected of him or her. A freelancer should never take a rush project if they “think” they can do it—they need to be sure. You may want to reiterate that because many people nowadays are trying to snag any project they can to keep money coming in, but it’s only fair if they can deliver the goods on time.
Process the Red Tape Quickly
The contractor will likely want to have a written agreement signed and a deposit sent, so work quickly to expedite the requests you agree to. If you offer a project to the freelancer on Monday morning and it is due Wednesday afternoon, you want to make sure you get everything ready so he or she can get started on it right away. If you delay things a day, the freelancer will likely not start the work until Tuesday, which only gives him or her less than two working days—and that can mean your project won’t get the full attention it deserves. To avoid even more of a rush, make sure you get all the red tape items out of the way promptly.
Expect a Rush Fee
To compensate for scrapping other projects with less-pressing deadlines (and probably pulling all-nighters), many freelancers will include a rush fee. If you have a solid working relationship with your freelancer, he or she can probably get your project done without the extra charge, but in some cases, it is only fair to pay a little extra. Be sure to ask the freelancer if there will be a rush fee if you are tight on budget so you can determine from the get-go if you can afford him or her. If the freelancer is working on an hourly rate, it’s good to see if you can get a cap on hours to keep any project budget in check. If the freelancer is working with a lump sum, they sometimes toss an extra fee in there. It is perfectly okay to question hours or charges, just keep in mind that rush fees are an industry norm and you’ll probably be paying them if you put your contractor on the spot.
Give Yourself Extra Time
Never put your deadline so close to the time you need the project done that you don’t have time to look it over. You want to make sure everything is completed, and if possible, to give it a quick proofread. Remember, even freelancers make mistakes from time to time, so it is a smart idea to review everything before it goes out.
Be nice. A polite note will go a long way to thank your freelancer for helping out with a rush job. Take the time to thank him or her—because you never know when you may need help in a hurry.
Rush Fee? Good joke..
I don’t know many freelancers who don’t charge a rush fee when a client asks them for something at the last minute!
Why would I ever put myself through the stress and hassle of a rush job WITHOUT a rush fee? If they need it turned around in a hurry, it’s important to them to have it and have it fast. If it’s important, it has value. I want to be compensated for delivering that value.
A rush fee also works as an incentive not to screw around and then dump work on the freelancer at the last minute. If you get it to me with time to spare you pay normal rate. Have an emergency? Pay emergency rates. Won’t do that? Then you’re telling me you don’t value my time or ability to deliver quality work on a rush basis.
I love the tip on expecting the rush fee. A lot of people that want something done “yesterday” also want it for really cheap.
From a freelancer’s point of view, it’s good to let your client know they will be paying for the rapid completion of the project.
Nice summary of the issues. As a client, we try to stay away from “emergency” projects that rely on freelancers – it’s hard to expect non-employees to share your level of urgency
Having said that, I have needed the occasional “within a week” type of urgency, and the tips above still apply even with a little more time available. Red tape items are now down to a science (contractor agreement, proposal, print/sign/fax or scan, and setup in project management system).
The complex part is getting good communication – there’s nothing worse than being in a rush, and not being sure how or when a freelancer will be able to get back to you on a simple followup question. So being able to agree on either a daily update/information exchange, or discussing the need for at least twice a day email checks can be really helpful.
But I’d say the phone is key when deadlines are tight (as long as you’ve agreed it’s OK) – saves lots of waiting for email responses and confusion.
Nice post about this topic, seems to happen quite often.
Well, in my case, rush jobs seem to be a life style. Very nice post!
Is there a special meaning that the cyclist is driving on the wrong side of the road?
In the home country of this publication and the company that operates it, that is the correct side of the road.
Rushing a job, in my experience, has never worked out well. While I understand that at some point something is inevitability going to need to be rushed, it is definitely not ideal. If you do have to rush a job, I would have to agree with the point about “making sure your freelancer is rush ready”. More often than not people assume that their freelancer is available 24 hours a day. They’re not. By knowing ahead of time, you can plan and make that rush project a little less stressful.
Plan, plan and planning
I’ll have to agree with Preston Lee here, employers want the job done in no time and don’t want to pay the rush fee.
Because is normal for them require something in a rush. Some employers don’t even want the job done that fast but they ask for rush because after the work is done they can say: How could you charge me $x dollars if this was one day’s work. For them it does not matter that you used some previous code/work or if you asked 1-2 friends to work with you so you can get his job done in time.
So this is the best solution I think, in the begining of the project, when you negotiate the amount of money you would receive for your job, stipulate that this includes a rush fee. You would be surprised how many decide that they don’t want the job that fast and ask you to make a bid without the rush fee.
This is a great article and has a lot of valid points. Particular asking up-front if your designer takes rush projects and giving notice. Sometimes even if you don’t have all the information up-front, you can let your freelancer know “Hey, I have a project coming your way, won’t have all the details until tomorrow, but it’s a quick turnaround, need it Wednesday”.
Rush Fees are a tricky subject. I don’t think all projects require one, but there are some that definitely do. If the client has been clear up front that their projects generally have a quick turnaround, then any “rush fees” should be built into the cost of the project. However when you have a client calling you at 9pm at night saying they need to get an ad, poster, flyer (whatever the project may be) to the printer by the next day, then yea, a rush fee is appropriate.
Even still, rush fees should be applied on a case by case basis. I’ve had rush projects (yes at 9pm and due tomorrow) that were simple enough that didn’t warrant additional fees.
It’s very important to note that the client should ALWAYS be told at the time they make a rush request so that they’re aware of additional costs. Maybe include your definition of rush (less than X days/hours) in your project agreement and include what the rush fees will be. Like Vlad said, sometimes if they see a rush fee, they realize they don’t actually need it “yesterday”.
I like the “rush fee” part