I know of a lot of designers looking for ways to make some extra cash. But amazingly enough most of them don't know where to start. The simple fact is that as a designer/editor you have a skill not everybody has, and depending on your work situation you could be missing out on some great opportunities.

I have always made it a point to find out what the policies on freelancing are at any job I take. Usually as long as the projects do not overlap what you do for a day job, most employers are very willing to work with you. Some going as far as allowing you access to resources you would never have on your own. Once you have that figured out, you should be good to go. If you have your own equipment and legal software, you're more than half way there.

Getting started can be a daunting task for the uninitiated. I'm not going to go into where to find freelance work, there are many sites out there that do a great job of that already (here). What I will mention are a few things you should have in order before accepting that first job. Remember you are now representing yourself. The more professional you present yourself, the easier you will find this process. Don't be afraid to say NO. If a project is not worth the time, don't do it. How do you know what to take on and what to pass on? Follow your gut, or come up with a system that you feel comfortable with. Here's mine:



• 1 Work I want to do, but the budget is not there
• 2 Work I don't want to do but will expand my opportunities
• 3 Work that's for a good cause (pro bono)
there is a 4th one that falls somewhere in between

Over simplified? YES! but it's a system that has worked for me, and one you might be able to use as you get started.

1 Don't Undersell Yourself

Many people think since they do not have tons of experience that they should take a project for cheap, or do it for free to start out. Let me tell you, there are many people out there just waiting to take advantage of that kind of mentality. If you've already got a job in the market using the same skills you would be using to freelance, why would you think your time is not worth compensating? Everyone wants something for free, and the second they get it, they won't be willing to pay for it later. Whatever your cheapest rate is, you will rarely if ever get much more than that from the client. Simple as that. You undersell yourself, for exposure or whatever the reason you will find yourself spending way too much time for very little return.

2 Know What The Market Will Bare

If you have friends that are already freelancing, find out what their rates are. Ask them. What's the worst that will happen? They say no? Find out rates at local companies that do similar work. Their rates will always be higher, as they come with tons of resources you can not offer or would be out of pocket costs to you. It will help you to know were you should be pricing yourself. Look at their work, if they are making a certain rate and you can produce a better product, you could charge more or at least be competitive. The more you know about the market and the competition the more realistic your numbers will be.

3 Don't Oversell Yourself

The key is to be confident in what you are doing, but never never oversell yourself. If a potential client wants you to quote a job that is outside of your expertise, it is better to be upfront about that, than to take on a project you can't complete. Overselling ourselves raises expectations, and if you do not meet them, the client will not return. Make them happy, try to over deliver, just a little bit. They will appreciate the effort. But running your mouth about how great it will be will surely bite you in the ass. "Let me look into that", or "I'll see what I can do" are the best ways to address things you are unsure of.

4 Get 50% Up Front

Don't start a project without money in hand. Even if it's a tight turn around. It's standard practice, and it will tell you two things about a client, how serious they are about producing (and completing) a project and how reliable they will be on paying the full amount. Can't tell you how many countless times I've heard designers that have finished projects and can never collect their owed payment. DO NOT TURN YOUR WORK OVER WITHOUT PAYMENT. Unless it's a client you've worked with for years, that is the easiest way to get stuck in the hole. Ask for 50% upfront, and if for any reason you can not complete the project, make sure you have an agreement to return no less that 40% for the time involved.

5 Don't Steal Clients

Not only is it a bad business practice, but it's a great way to burn bridges for future work, kill your reputation and get you fired. We've all be in the situation, a client from work or through a contact tries to hire you out on the side. Gracefully say thank you but no thank you. Unless you're planning on going out on your own this is not the best way to get work.

6 Get A Deliverables List

This should be part of any contract that you might have a client sign. ALWAYS ALWAYS get a deliverables list in hand and have it signed off. This will be your check list so you can track the progress of the project. It also allows you to better estimate the time needed to complete the elements. Include anything that you will need from the client, timetables of when you will need it, and how that effects the project if those deadlines are not met. Clients will usually add stuff to this list, make amendments as you go, but always update and forward it for sign off.

7 Get Everything In Writing

Even if you're having phone conversations or live meetings always get everything in writing. It will save your butt! Some clients will be more than willing to do so, while others won't. So the first thing you should do after anything is discussed is write up a summary and email it to everyone involved. This will allow you to reference the notes in the future and make sure that everyone is on the same page.

8 Limit Revisions

Revisions can drive you nuts. They can stall projects, they can eat up time and money. That's why you should limit them. I usually do 3 revisions on any given item on a deliverables list. This will allow you to keep the project moving forward and also lays the ground work up front that further revisions will cost more. It helps keep everyone focused and makes it easier to check things off the list.

9 Getting Paid By The Hour

I always try to go by the hour, I estimate how much time it will take to finish a project, based off of the aforementioned deliverables list and estimate any additional material costs ahead of time (10%-20%). Most clients will be comfortable with that, and more willing to add a few more hours in if the project needs it. Others will want to do a project for a lump sum. On rare occasions I'll take a project like this. Because if revision expectations are not set before hand, you will easily find yourself 14 hrs past what you had expected, making the money not worth the time. If that is the case, I still track the hours and it is noted in an invoice as a discounted rate. This helps illustrate the kind of man hours involved on set rate projects. I've found that clients are more appreciative of your time when they see what it could have cost. On returning projects, I've managed to get some great make goods because of the effort. (Opinions differ on this as you will see in the links below)

10 Build A Network

I've built myself a network of designers, editors, writers, what have you. The reason for that is, when a project comes to me that is out of my scope or needs more man power, I have a pool of people I can tap to make it work. I do web design, coding and that kind of stuff but, I don't do Flash, I have a Flash guy, when I need to quote a project I talk to him to see if he's available to get a quote and usually hand off that part of the project. Straight up. I don't take anything off the top, I'm not doing the work and when my friend comes across a project he needs my help on, he returns the favor. That's one more person looking for work that could come my way without me having to look for it. If you build yourself a good network of people with skills you do not have, your opportunities for clients open up. In the long run, the work starts coming to you, instead of you hunting for it.

11 Save All Invoices

I usually pass on any additional purchases to the client, like fonts, music, whatever. But additional ink if you're printing proofs, tape stock, cds, all of that is tax deductible, it's the cost of doing business. Write it off.

11.5 Choose An Invoice Program

Invoices are a part of the game. There are quite a few options out there, so choose the one you feel most comfortable with. My suggestion would be to choose something that auto numbers invoices, allows for notes, and spits out a PDF for you. This will allow you to email the invoice as well as printing it out for your records. I usually start a file for every project I do, and included in that file are email correspondence and final invoices. Great if you ever need to come back to the project.



For Mac
TaskTime
The one I use.

For PC
QuickBooks
StandardTime
TimeBiller and TimeTTracker MX Review

Web Based Options
FreshBooks
Paymo



Depending on the client, some will cut you a check for the whole amount and report the expense to the IRS at tax time, while others will withhold the taxes and send you a form (you'll get a form either way). Just remember... You Owe Uncle Sam. I'll usually put aside enough money to cover the taxes at the end of the year, keeping in mind that any related purchases or expenses will help offset some of that. If you are operating under your given name, you will need to add your SS number to an invoice when you send those out, if you are DBA you'll add your Tax ID number. The most important thing to do, is talk to your accountant!!!!! I use the same guy over and over to do my taxes, before I decided to go with him, I talked to him about my freelance work how I track it, what I could deduct. These guys do this for a living, they are pros, rely on their expertise before making any decisions when it comes to Taxes.

Freelancing can be a very rewarding way to not only expand your wallet, but also expand the kind of work in your portfolio. Now that you have these basics down, put em to use. You'll be on your way to a lucrative freelancing career in no time... or at least a few less credit card bills



Additional Resources:
7 Tips on Quoting Freelance (WakeUpLater.com)
DynamicGraphics.com (GREAT resource)
Graphic Artists Guild (Buy the Handbook!)
Building and Managing a Successful Design Team
Building a Virtual Team (Anywired.com)

:: Author: N. Santiago | Do not republish without authorization please ::

Tags: Resources | Articles