Thursday 27 October 2016

Five Tips Guarantee Payment from Clients, Freelancers

Like I promised you will read on how to combat non-paying clients, here is the blog.

Many newbie professionals freelance and often get stiffed on payment in the beginning. It is common and frustrating for small-time business owners. You may feel unappreciated, worn down, creates self-doubt.
You may think getting stiffed may be because ‘you are a newbie and do not have a business mind’, or ‘your work is not good’. Mind you, it is because you let someone take advantage of you.
Ann Landers once said ‘No one can take advantage of you without your consent,’
It is time to analyze the situation and rectify it. If you are a professional the opposite party must see it in everything you do.

Analyze your situation

If you have been ripped off several times, it is time for a ‘Check’. Analyze everything that’s happening-
1.    Are you delivering what is required of you?
2.    Do you meet deadlines?
3.    Do you have return clients?
4.    Are you professional?
If any of these are negative, it is time to change the way you do things. The most important thing is to learn from mistakes. Change your approach if you want to continue freelancing.
If all of these pointers are positive, you just need to implement right work and pricing principles. No one needs a business mind to get paid for their work.
Avoid getting ripped off again by implementing payment policies and a contract. Ask for a deposit and for the balance amount at completion before you submit the work.
Get a good boilerplate contract template for your business. Send the contract and ask the client to sign and return. It will not only set you as a professional but also establish a great working relationship with your client.

The psychology behind asking for a deposit

When you ask for a deposit, the client views you as professional with payment policies in place. They will respect you and your work. This will set the right expectations. This lets them know the way you work. The deposit binds the client without which there is no commitment from the client for the project.
Ethically, 30% deposit is good. You must mention this to all your clients, a deposit is
required to get started on the project, even if they are close relatives. It may sound a little strange, however, you will get used to it.
If the client is not ready for a deposit, do not commit your time when they are not ready to commit to the project, only the serious ones will. This weeds out the non-paying clients.
When they do not make a deposit, let them know you will start only after they pay. Be professional and friendly by telling them they can call when they are ready.
Some clients may give you other excuses like - ‘they do not have the money now’ (and may never have it).
Some clients may not wish to pay a deposit; it is wise to avoid working with them. You can let them know they can contact you when they are ready to pay a deposit.
In some industries, if you have been working for less than 2 years, you may need to prove yourself. If you have been in the industry for more than 5 years, the clients can call your references. You don’t have to prove your worth and ability.

Learning from mistakes

Here is a simple guideline you can follow, so you can always get paid:
1.    Include the pricing in your Email and allow leeway to add in case of change in scope
2.    In case, you work with some materials subject to change or a change in your situation may lead to higher prices, add a date of validity on the price and ‘subject to change’ clause
3.    Begin working after you receive deposit from the client
4.    Send frequent updates to the client
5.    When you complete the project, send them a draft or a snapshot so they can arrange for the final payment


No freelancer would want to work hard and not get paid neither do you want to lose potential work. It is better to implement solutions, policies and avoid getting ripped off, ever again.

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