The Freelance Herald

This is just a quick thought and something I feel is extremely relevant for newer freelancers, in particular freelancers who are offering slightly lower-paid work.

Never, ever, get to the point where your client is in a much more powerful position than you. Remember, you are doing work for them in the same way that you would be working for someone in a normal job. Whilst you must respect them, and be constantly polite, letting them walk all over you when it comes to payment is a bad idea.

50% upfront is my policy. If someone is trying to rip you off, they’ll be scared away immediately. If someone is late on payment, don’t be afraid to tell them that.

Anyone with an ounce of integrity, and any clients that are worth having, will understand the client-customer relationship, and won’t mess you around. By taking 50% upfront, you’re covering a lot of your risk, and it also gives you a little bit more power to push someone when they are late on payment.

I don’t want this post to become long-winded; talking about the client-freelancer relationship is probably worthy of a thesis, so this little post is just to say that you should always remember your position as the freelancer. Never think that you are doing someone a favour by working for them, that’s not how it works.