Being a freelancer can seem like a better career than having a full-time graduate job. You get to decide your working hours and as an added bonus, you can even work in your PJs. Nevertheless, you’ll probably come across similar problems and obstacles as you would in a corporate job. However, you won’t have a team of experienced staff at your disposal to help you solve these dilemmas. Here are some tips to help you handle those difficult freelance situations and how to avoid them in the first place.
1. Client Never Pays On Time
Having a steady cash flow as a freelancer is hard, and by having a client who doesn’t pay on time makes it even harder to keep track of your finances. The first and most obvious way to ensure that you will have a higher chance of getting paid on time is to send out an official invoice. If you don’t have one yet, use the free templates that can be found online or tools like PayPal Invoicing.
You’d be surprised by how many freelancers don’t have an invoice template and rely on an e-mail message. Yes, sometimes a simple e-mail works, but when you have a client who is receiving hundreds of e-mails a day, things can get lost and forgotten. Issuing an invoice can also be a backup plan for when those simple e-mail messages fail.
Having an invoice not only makes you look professional, but it makes following up on the matter much easier. Instead of this:
Did you get that e-mail I had sent you a month ago? Well, I still haven’t got paid yet.
You can write something like this:
Just a gentle reminder that the invoice is due in three days. Attached is the invoice which I had sent out to you on 15 June.
To encourage larger or more establish companies to pay on time, you might want to introduce ‘early-bird’ discount rates, or penalties on late payments.
2. You Can’t Meet a Deadline
It happens to the best of us when we bite off more than we can chew. That sinking feeling as the deadline approaches and you’re not even near finished. The first thing to do is prioritise; maybe you need to miss movie night with friends, forego your weekly gym session, or pull a few all-nighters to get the project finished. If you want repeat work then your first reaction shouldn’t be to pick up the phone and tell the client that you can’t complete the work on time.
If you’re truly doomed, then be honest. Don’t come up with excuses. Use the highly effective sandwich rule of stating what you’ve done, what you haven’t done, and what you can do. For example:
I’ve completed a bulk of the project such as ABC and DEF. However, it looks like GHI and JKL are taking me longer to do than expected. Nevertheless, I have prioritised these tasks and will get them completed by [date].
Always flag any issues that might affect the deadline and don’t leave it until the last minute! Keeping the client updated of your progress re-assure the client that the project is in good hands.
3. Client Isn’t Happy With Your Work
You think it’s a masterpiece. Your client thinks it’s rubbish. Don’t enter into a heated discussion with the client. Be professional and put your emotions aside. Forget the longs hours that you’ve spent, and the fact that you have a degree in the subject and your client doesn’t. It’s not easy, but it will make the discussion a lot more productive. As a golden rule, the age old saying, “Customers are always right” applies here.
In this situation it’s best to talk to the client face-to-face or over the phone/Skype. Avoid e-mails as these can create more confusion and misunderstandings. Don’t see the client as being difficult. Instead, try to see eye-to-eye with the client and find ways to improve the project together. Listen attentively and offer suggestions.
To avoid a situation like this from occurring, always go into a project with detailed instructions. Create a comprehensive brief and make sure that the client agrees on it before you start any work.
4. Client Wants Too Much For Too Little
So you’ve agreed to a project and the client keeps giving you additional small tasks with no extra pay. It’s nice to complete these small tasks as a favour, but they can slowly add up and start consuming more of your time.
As a freelancer, it’s hard to say ‘no’. However, spending too much time on unpaid work isn’t ideal. Be clear on your service and what you charge for and what you might offer for free. For example, if you’re a copywriter, then the first three edits might be free, but the subsequent edits will cost.
If your client has been giving you extra work for no pay, then let the client know this nicely. Chances are, the client would be probably happy to renegotiate your payment and offer you a bit more.
Have you recently become a freelancer? Do you have any other tips for students or graduates thinking of freelancing? Feel free to leave a comment below.
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