If there are two very important things I can pass onto Creative Professionals – especially those wanting to freelance/consult, or run their own businesses – then there, are they…
1. Charge what you believe you are worth and not a penny less.
Even if you think a client might find it high, or even not be able to afford you. Far more often than you think, they won’t even blink (assuming you’re good at what you do, obviously). Or, if they do ask you to come down (a little), it puts the “doing a kindness” ball in your court (as opposed to the idea that their giving you work in the first place is doing you a kindness).
Those very few times that clients do retreat based on cost, will be more than offset by the better wages you do earn as things average out over time. And, this will free you from tiny rats-and-mice work that can eat all your time, diminish your capacity to take on more meaningful work, and pretty much just ruin your life.
You’ll know quickly whether you’re being out of your mind with your quotes, as no one will accept them. Lesson learned. BUT, you will find that this is not the case far more often than you might expect. Just be good at it. Then you’re fine.
2. Scope the job, and the amount of feedback and changes you will include. After that, say NO.
Taking on a job (especially one quoted based on the amount of work mutually agreed upon in terms of time) cannot mean the client “owns” you until they are finally happy, or until everyone on their side has taken it back and forth a million times. They have come to you based on your skill and qualification and a part of that risk resides with THEM. Obviously, this is AFTER a round or two of “The Customer is Always Right”
If you go to a restaurant, and the food is shit, you can send it back once. Shit again? You simply don’t go back there. They won’t recook your meal (for the same, single, R100 fee) 11 times, until you are happy. Good restaurants (to continue flogging this metaphor) will thrive, shit ones will close down. That’s how the world works. Same for you. Even if your food is great, you will still always have the odd tough customer. And of course, you try to appease them when they first complain – not everyone gets it right 100% of the time and you can’t please everybody. But, after that, stand up for yourself. Like Point 1 above, you’ll find that FAR more often than you think, the client will understand and accept it, especially when it’s fair.
People treat you how you teach them to treat you. Know your value.
As I leave behind a long and rewarding spell of almost two years spent mostly self-employed and I start a new, very exciting chapter, I want to leave this with the rest of you. It was hard-learned and I swear by it. Good luck, and may Science bless your independent heart.