Jason Cohen from A Smart Bear asked about dealing with demanding clients in my previous post about changing client definitions. The points he has raised are excellent and merit an answer through a blog post. We’ve all had clients that give us impossible deadlines or keep adding specifications that weren’t in the original assignment making for countless revisions.

To quote him:

I’m also finding that the customers who remain are becoming more demanding, even to the point of no longer being profitable to support.

So then I’m left with an odd dilemma — should we keep these customers or not?

You could argue “yes” because eventually things will recover and you’ll still have these customers. Also because not being profitable but having revenue is perhaps still better than not having the revenue.

You could argue “no” because not being profitable is the end of the game.

So how do we deal with such a client? Before making any decision about keeping those clients or letting them go, it is important to evaluate your business and its needs. Ask yourself these questions and proceed according to the answers.

Can your business survive without the client’s account?

Yes: Let go of your client. Let them know why you’re turning down work from them. It is important that a client knows why a freelancer is choosing not to work with them. Even if they don’t see it that way, it’ll be a favour to them and future freelancers they work with. Be nice and polite. You never know when they might come back to you on your terms.

No: If your answer is no, consider the next question

Can you talk to your client?

Yes: Tell them your problem. Sometimes a client doesn’t realize that they’re being demanding or difficult. Recently, a client of mine gave me a very lean deadline. I managed to complete it on time but had a lot of trouble. After submitting the work, I told them about it and they were surprised as they didn’t realise it would cause me problems. I’d been submitting my previous work well before the deadline so they assumed that I didn’t need as much time.

No: Can’t talk to your client? Consider the following option.

Set down your work terms

This is something that freelancers should consider from the beginning. Make a 3 or 5 point standard policy about your work so that the next time they send you work, things are clear from the beginning. Depending on the problems you’re facing with the client, your points could include the following terms:

• State that the pay being discussed is for the original assignment.

• Clarify that further additions to the work after it has been assigned may cost more.

• Include a fee for rush jobs. State what your definition of a rush job is.

• Include a minimum day figure for turning in rush work. It will save you from being taken advantage of. The client may be paying you more, but that doesn’t justify them asking you to turn in 1500 words in one day.

Important: If you’re introducing this strategy to your existing clients, then make sure you let them know beforehand. Don’t wait till the next assignment to send them a memo. An email updating them the change in your policy will be fine.

It doesn’t matter if you’re successful or just starting out. Demanding clients can suck you dry. The key is to be assertive and make changes according to the situation as they arise.

Technorati Tags: Clients, Demanding clients, Freelancing

This year the definition of a good client has changed for most of us. Before, a good client was one who:

• Wasn’t fussy.
• Had a clear idea of what they wanted or trusted your judgement if they didn’t.
• Were reasonable about extensions if needed.
• Gave feedback
• Paid on time

Now, a good client is one who:

• Informs beforehand that they’ll no longer be able to afford you and that this will be your last assignment with them.
• Contacts you on their own telling you about a delay in payment.
• Gives a straight answer when you email inquiring about the due payment.
• Gives you an excellent recommendation.
• Apologize (Okay this one’s a personal ‘feel better’ issue of mine).

What was your definition of a good client and how has it changed, if at all?

Technorati Tags: Client dealings, Clients, Freelancing

If you thought working from home was easy money – obviously, you thought wrong. Often, there are more working hours involved than there would have been while working in an office. And initially, the pay isn’t all that great either. It may take years to succeed as a freelancer and even then, the sources of income through writing are not secure.

Remember: A regular client is not a permanent client.

2008 has been a nightmare for newspapers, magazines and other publications. The competition for online jobs is becoming fierce and there’s no guarantee that your primary clients won’t be affected by the recession. You may have a large client base and won’t be affected much if a couple of your clients stopped sending work your way. But what if that happened with most of them? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re safe just because you’re working with big names.

Tighten your safety net.

To avoid feeling the pinch when or if your client base takes a hit, it is important to diversify your income stream. Know, that while you may be swamped with work at the moment it might not hold true in the future. Start getting prepared for it by looking into alternative sources. If you write primarily for newspapers or magazines (kudos to you if you’re still getting most of your work from them) then think about online publication. Keep an eye on the Mediabistro newsletter for publications that may be shutting down, going online completely or even doing well. Don’t let it depress you though.

Don’t look down on low paying jobs.

This does not mean that you work for pennies. It simply means that you should think about setting aside 30 minutes to do something you wouldn’t normally think of taking up because the money doesn’t match what you’re making per hour or per project. If it doesn’t take much effort, consider taking the work and keep the money earned from it in an emergency or contingent fund.

Don’t let the word ‘recession’ bring you down.

Recession is as much bad economy as it is a mind set. If you panic and start hyperventilating your freelancing business, you’re going to hit rocky ground. Keep your head cool, plan ahead of time and remember, there is always a way out of a bad situation. Oh, and be flexible!

In my previous post, I talked about how much I made on my first gig. It’s time to spill the beans on how much per article pay I’m getting now and why.

How Much I’m Earning Per Article

For the work I do now I’m being paid $10 per article. Granted, It’s not much better than $5 but it’s still better than it. Even though the going rates for 500 word articles is three times that, as a starting point for me, I’d say its not bad. Am I aiming too low? Definitely. But I’m new, inexperienced and I’m aware of how much I have to learn. My list of things to learn is incredibly long and the learning process not as fast as I’d like. For this amount, I feel some amount of motivation, take initiative and come up with ideas of my own and work hard on an article.

Why I Accepted Low Paying Work

While I agree that $10 is better than $5, I wouldn’t have accepted it if the gig hadn’t come with perks. I get an editor, my name to my work, resources to learn SEO, revenue share, a helpful writer’s community and the chance of writing for different topics if I so choose. For now, these perks are ideal for me. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is at the top of my ‘things to learn’ list.

Will I Accept More Work for Similar Pay?

Not a chance! My rule of thumb for freelancing is that every gig (till I get established) should pay better than the previous one. Unless the offer trumps the one I have now in terms of perks, I won’t be accepting any more work for $10. If I have to write for that amount, I’d rather continue writing here.

As a seasoned freelancer or a new one, do you agree with my reasoning? Share your experience. Disagree? Feel free to tell me why I’m wrong.

$5 – that’s all I wrote my first article for. I had read all there was to read about starting as a freelancer and every freelance blog screamed at me to not sell myself so cheap. They told me I shouldn’t give in to pressure of getting my first gig. That I should hold out for better opportunities and pay.

Trust me – it’s easier said than done. I cracked from sheer impatience and wrote my first article for $5. My PayPal had been set up 3 weeks ago! An empty bank account was mocking me for not having any money to put into it. Hours and hours of job searching with no results. Countless rejections because I had no prior experience. My self esteem was taking a severe beating and my fingers were itching to send in an article in exchange for pay – which is why I accepted the first writing gig that came my way.

I got paid $5 for a 800 word article. But soon after those $5 came in (of which 50 cents were deducted as service charges), I realized I wouldn’t be writing for that client anymore. There was no feeling of accomplishment and no satisfaction. I also didn’t do a good job. Without meaning to, my article reflected the amount that was paid for it. You can chalk it up to the article being my first and beginner’s nervousness but I honestly feel that I would have striven to do a better job of it had the pay been decent.

Its been two month since the $5 article and my PayPal is sitting at $4.50. I got work this month but the pay for that won’t come in till next month. Don’t get your hopes up though! The pay isn’t much better that $5.

Stay tuned to find out how much I’m making per article in my current gig and why I accepted it.