Freelancers Mean Business

Posted By Arron on October 31st, 2008

Being a freelance designer is no excuse for not being prepared when dealing with clients and potential clients. There are some basic items that every freelancer should have on file to cover their…well, you know. For each client I put together a folder and in them contain the following:

Contact Sheet

Even before a prospect becomes a client, you should collect their information as best you can. You want at minimum a phone number, email and contact name. If you can get a secondary phone number and fax even better. I also like to staple their business card to the sheet as well as have a section for notes. You can have this Contact Sheet for free!

Proposal

Proposals can be tricky. I like the direct approach. I base my proposals on the (usually very little) input the potential client has about what they are wanting to do with this project and then explain to them how I plan to make it happen. This is a time to have some creative input on the job. If you have an issue with one of their ideas and feel that it won’t work this is the place to provide a solution that will. I make a habit of never telling a prospect that something won’t work unless I am prepared to explain in depth why and have a viable alternative.

At a minimum you should include a solid outline of what you intend to do, how long it will take (always build in extra time for snags) and how much it will cost (add a bit extra). Clients love it when you finish under budget. Not so much when you go over the projected cost.

Contract

There is never, let me repeat, never a reason to perform service without some sort of written agreement. This doesn’t have to be fancy or 13 pages of legalese. It just needs to outline what is expected of you (the designer) and them (the client). It also needs to cover the cost of the project and how it is to be paid including any payment terms such as late fees, returned check fees and so on.

You will also want to stipulate certain time frames. In my contracts I have a clause that if I do not receive the needed files, content, whatever, as listed in the contract, within 30 days of the signed contract it is assumed that the job is completed and full payment is due. This may sound harsh, but I have not had an issue with waiting for content since I implemented this. As with any legal documentation, you should have a legal professional help you with writing your contract.

AllGraphicDesign.com has some great resources on writing proposals and contracts. If you have any more invaluable items in your freelance arsenal please let me know in the comments.

Tags: business card, contracts, freelance designer, freelancer, proposals