This is a very common scenario, most freelancers face even today, especially when they start freelancing. A large number of Artists, Designers, Content writers, Creative writers and many others face the same issue until they get wise.
You slogged to meet your client’s deadline, sent an invoice or an email and all you receive in response is a ‘Thank you for the work, we will get back to you.’ Or ‘You will receive your payment soon. Thank you’
You keep hoping, trusting and waiting, all in vain. When I started my career as a freelancer, I had to run for my money, many times, sometimes the client would cancel the contract and not pay for the work done or ask me to wait for the payment. I lost approximately $1000, over a period of 3 years with several clients.
Today, I am wiser.
Understand Your Clients
It is important to understand your non-paying or late paying client. There are 4 types of Non-paying clients:
Intentionally Non-paying Clients
They have reasonable explanations for not paying on time because of the cash flow. Usually, they inform in advance that they will not pay you immediately after you submit the work.
You can deal with them by suggesting they pay installments. Confirm the payment dates in writing and contact them a day before they are scheduled to make a payment.
You may also withhold the copyright until the payment is made. Your client will not be able to make public until you received payment.
You can hold them for violating your copyright.
Unhappy Non-paying Clients
These clients are unhappy with your work and will hold the payment till the issues are resolved.
If it was an error on your part, work it out by adjusting the payment schedule as well as accept the payment with a price-cut if you wish to work with them again in future.
If you did not estimate the cost initially, and see the scope expanding the project. Send in a revised proposal, get it in writing, so you have proof of an agreement, since a client may forget in the process.
If the client is unhappy unreasonably then it could just be a lack of communication, try working on the communication gap.
Swerving Non-payers
These clients have never paid any freelancer. They are crooks and small time clients who do not wish to pay for work done.
These clients simply look for fresh freelancers most of the time.
Non-Paying Mega-Corporate Clients
Many Megacorps have a 60 - 120 days’ pay cycle as policy. They maintain such cycles to ensure good cash-flow. You may not be able to negotiate a better pay cycle or do anything about it.
Most freelancers deal with such pay cycles by making sure they have smaller clients on short schedules.
Surely, you have had at least one such client. You must have a way to deal with all kinds of clients. In my next blog, you will read about ways of combatting such Non-paying clients, so stay tuned. Till then Write/ Share your experiences and the way you tackled the situation.
Adios until then.
No comments:
Post a Comment