CONTRACTS

Always use a contract. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, and furthermore ALWAYS! I’ve had my share of hand shake agreements and I’ve definitely been taken advantage of. Either because of miscommunication or because there really are some RATS out there.

Contracts are easy to draft up and require two signatures. It’s a lot better than dragging an assignment out for a year or more, or arguing why you need more money, when if everything was laid out on the table from the get go it’d be finished efficiently and promptly. Contacts will save your butt and protect theirs. What do you put in your contract? Here’s an example of a contract: Geneva Design Contract . Thanks to Jeff Fisher for his contract example.

BE PREPARED

If you’re dealing with a business that relies heavily on image and communication and they think $800 dollars is a lot for a website, then they are either uneducated or too stubborn to pay good money for good design. It is true they’ve hired you for your services and knowledge, so it’s important to educate your clients. Show them quotes from other freelancers or business for websites, explain in detail what all is involved in a one man show for designing and publishing a website (especially to their requested project), etc… Be prepared to rule with an iron fist, believe me a cheap assignment  with a lousy client is NOT WORTH IT. Actually, any cheap assignment is not even worth it (well if it’s for your Aunt Edna or your mother-in-law you could make an exception). So price fairly, but firmly.

Freelancing can be a nerve wrecking thing. Make sure you have some capital saved for dry months (or seasons) business wise. We didn’t get into graphic design or go to school for it to just flip burgers or include cover sheets on our TPS reports. Also, don’t be afraid to go up a little on prices if you’re going through hard times. Make them reasonably price changes, nothing astronomical. This really isn’t an issue either if you PRICE PER ASSIGNMENT. I can’t stress enough how base prices for your services are not a good idea. But more on that topic later…You have to be prepared, willing, and able to freelance. Yes there are others out there, but you have to let your client know you are the best for the right price. You’re not really lying to them if you have the goods. You have to convince not only them, but you yourself.

DEADLINES

Also, be sure to include an agreed project calendar. The client needs to know when to give you what resource material. And the client needs to know when you’ll deliver certain items. Set consequences for both parties if one or the other (or both) exceed the agreed deadline (I.E. Discount for them on their final product if you are late, additional fees added to final project if your client is late since they are prohibiting your acquisition of other business). This normally wouldn’t apply to a Logo assignment since they can be brief in life of the assignment. But projects like Website coding/design can take anywhere from 3-6 months to accomplish (sometimes longer). So just use discretion when using project calendars.

PRICE PER ASSIGNMENT!

Clients generally LOVE to see base prices on things. This can be a double edge sword for both parties. Say you are doing a standard website that doesn’t need client management. You would price on the low end, say $800. Lets say after meetings with the client, designing, and coding time it takes you 20 hours to do. Thats $40 bucks an hour for what you’ve done. Now another client comes along, wants you to make them a website that uses flash and needs some fancy php work. Of course you’ll charge more for added features such as Flash and PHP. However, flash work and php work varies in difficulty. Instead of explaining to your customer what they might not understand about Flash and/or PHP you can price exclusively to your assignments. Other factors affect pricing such as, budget of client, relationship with client, current price trends, and their request for delivery time. Also when you price per assignment, you are committing yourself to give them exactly the work they are paying for. I may sound a little cut throat, but it really is better for everyone in the end – at least in my opinion. And of course offer the client a free detailed quote instead of giving ballpark figures.

ON THE PROWL

Looking for a graphic design job can be a female dog. You’ve just graduated college and now you are in the office stapling cover sheets to your TPS reports. I am a web designer now because of Monster.com. I got a job within 2 months of graduation because a local company saw my profile there. Also keep your “A Game” on with sites like 99designs.com. It’s like the eBay of graphic design assignments. Not only will it keep you sharp in your skills, but you may win a contest which in turn gives you money! There other notable sites like eLance which is like an auction house for projects. Be patient with the job market these days. Persistence is key and if you really want it you will find some sort of related job eventually. Don’t be afraid to ask around your friends for contacts. They may know someone who needs a person with your skills! The most important thing is to fight for what you want. Have a strong portfolio that has been critiqued by your peers, make an online portfolio, make a resume and be flexible with your geographical availability. If you live in Indiana and a job in South Carolina wants to hire you and it’s a good deal, go for it!

LAST WORDS

In short, it can be a dangerous world out there. These are just some things I wish my college taught me before I graduated.You know, for every good designer in this world there are 100 not so good designers…with jobs. You have to make contacts, network, push your name out there, and stay fresh in your skills. If you want it bad enough, it will come in time.