Tips for beginner freelancers
A few confused thoughts about freelance. Do not take every word literally.
Most likely you really do not know anything. But, believe me, there are so many assholes and idiots around that if you really want to study and you like what you are doing, then you will quickly find work.
I recommend starting work for free. Make a couple of small projects. Get the minimum experience with real customers. Most likely, some of them will want to continue to work with you further for money. At the initial stage of development, experience is much more important than money.
Start at any small price. Change the price of services from time to time. Analyze. Do not be afraid to ask a lot. Do not be afraid to discuss with the customers the price and bargain.
Need :) At least through force. At least in order to know your ceiling. Thinking that you demand "a lot", you can actually provide fairly high-quality and demanded services at a lower price. By demanding little money, you are depriving yourself, your family, your girlfriend. The word “ask” in this case is not even entirely appropriate. You are not a pauper on the porch, you produce quality things and expect adequate payment.
The less you ask for your services, the more likely you are to meet a customer looking for cheap labor or simply an asshole.
We must be able to refuse people. Already have a couple of projects? Do not take a new one, draw through the deadlines for all three. The less experience you have, the more likely it is to tear up the deadline.
You said no, but the customer is pushing you? Appeals to your pity, nobility, intimidates? Explain to him that he is pressing on you, that he is an asshole and didn’t attack him at all.
Feel like you don’t have time for projects that you have already taken? Do not hesitate. Knock the customer in skype and say that you can’t continue to work or you can, but the deadlines will move. Understand that there are things worse than the fact that you will be angry or write a negative review. Your customer may have serious troubles because you missed the deadline. If the customer will press on you and demand the impossible, turn on the brain and understand that you still can not do everything. Choose which projects should be stopped, talk with customers and take the time left.
The customer finds a freelancer with whom he has never worked. Gives him a task. They agree on a deadline. A week later, 12 hours before the deadline, the contractor decides to
make an order, which was agreed a week ago, and, of course, does not have time. The next day, the customer is surprised to learn that there is no result of the work that he has been waiting for a week. Who's guilty? Both. Just two assholes found each other.
A person with a head on his shoulders will not silently wait for a week of results, he will control the process and in time will refuse to cooperate with an inexperienced performer.
Do not start working on a project until it is absolutely clear what, for how much money and in what time frame they must make. Moreover, this should be clear to both you and the customer. And the same thing should be clear to both of you :) At the slightest doubt, discuss the TK with the customer. Ah, he did not provide TK? He just wants a site, like this one? Do not take on such a project. Or help him make a ToR.
If you decide to expand your horizons, increase your professional experience, conquer new heights, make sure that the customer knows about the risks and is ready to participate in such an extreme experiment.
Your name is your brand. Feel free to blog. Feel free to sign your work. The more they know about you, the more likely they are that customers themselves will look for you. You do great things and it’s on your conscience that many customers don’t know about you, as you are embarrassed to advertise yourself. While you are sitting on the sidelines, another asshole sucks out the customers ’budgets in exchange for the obscene work.
The fact that you are paid for your labor does not mean that you are a slave. You are collaborating with the uploader. You allow him to finally spend the money not to the wind, but to get something working that brings him joy.
Do not take work as a source of money. Do not take on uninteresting projects. Be honest with yourself and the customer. Create, the rest will follow.
I don’t know anything; nobody needs my services.
Most likely you really do not know anything. But, believe me, there are so many assholes and idiots around that if you really want to study and you like what you are doing, then you will quickly find work.
I do not know how much my services cost.
I recommend starting work for free. Make a couple of small projects. Get the minimum experience with real customers. Most likely, some of them will want to continue to work with you further for money. At the initial stage of development, experience is much more important than money.
How much to ask for money for services.
Start at any small price. Change the price of services from time to time. Analyze. Do not be afraid to ask a lot. Do not be afraid to discuss with the customers the price and bargain.
I am ashamed to ask for a lot of money.
Need :) At least through force. At least in order to know your ceiling. Thinking that you demand "a lot", you can actually provide fairly high-quality and demanded services at a lower price. By demanding little money, you are depriving yourself, your family, your girlfriend. The word “ask” in this case is not even entirely appropriate. You are not a pauper on the porch, you produce quality things and expect adequate payment.
Than it is bad to work in budget, low-paying projects.
The less you ask for your services, the more likely you are to meet a customer looking for cheap labor or simply an asshole.
I'm afraid to say NO.
We must be able to refuse people. Already have a couple of projects? Do not take a new one, draw through the deadlines for all three. The less experience you have, the more likely it is to tear up the deadline.
You said no, but the customer is pushing you? Appeals to your pity, nobility, intimidates? Explain to him that he is pressing on you, that he is an asshole and didn’t attack him at all.
It seems that I do not have time.
Feel like you don’t have time for projects that you have already taken? Do not hesitate. Knock the customer in skype and say that you can’t continue to work or you can, but the deadlines will move. Understand that there are things worse than the fact that you will be angry or write a negative review. Your customer may have serious troubles because you missed the deadline. If the customer will press on you and demand the impossible, turn on the brain and understand that you still can not do everything. Choose which projects should be stopped, talk with customers and take the time left.
Oil painting.
The customer finds a freelancer with whom he has never worked. Gives him a task. They agree on a deadline. A week later, 12 hours before the deadline, the contractor decides to
make an order, which was agreed a week ago, and, of course, does not have time. The next day, the customer is surprised to learn that there is no result of the work that he has been waiting for a week. Who's guilty? Both. Just two assholes found each other.
A person with a head on his shoulders will not silently wait for a week of results, he will control the process and in time will refuse to cooperate with an inexperienced performer.
Do not work without TK.
Do not start working on a project until it is absolutely clear what, for how much money and in what time frame they must make. Moreover, this should be clear to both you and the customer. And the same thing should be clear to both of you :) At the slightest doubt, discuss the TK with the customer. Ah, he did not provide TK? He just wants a site, like this one? Do not take on such a project. Or help him make a ToR.
Do not grasp what you do not know.
If you decide to expand your horizons, increase your professional experience, conquer new heights, make sure that the customer knows about the risks and is ready to participate in such an extreme experiment.
The name is the brand.
Your name is your brand. Feel free to blog. Feel free to sign your work. The more they know about you, the more likely they are that customers themselves will look for you. You do great things and it’s on your conscience that many customers don’t know about you, as you are embarrassed to advertise yourself. While you are sitting on the sidelines, another asshole sucks out the customers ’budgets in exchange for the obscene work.
You are not a slave.
The fact that you are paid for your labor does not mean that you are a slave. You are collaborating with the uploader. You allow him to finally spend the money not to the wind, but to get something working that brings him joy.
Money is not the main thing.
Do not take work as a source of money. Do not take on uninteresting projects. Be honest with yourself and the customer. Create, the rest will follow.