Tag Archives: Freelance

When and How to Sack a Difficult Client

May 30, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 20 Comments

As a freelancer you’ll come across clients of all shapes, sizes, attitudes and temperaments. And if you’re just starting off, more often than not you may come across problem clients. If you are a freelancer, and you have not experienced a difficult client before, then you are still testing the waters. You become a pro, once you have come across these clients and have handled the issues appropriately, so brace yourself for impact.

Many of us are pushed into the world of self-employment or additional income, because we need to run our own business, make our own money, and follow our own path. Well, part and parcel of being your boss is to know when and how to sack a difficult client, learn we must!

I always knew I was going to run my own business. I was not cut out for the regular 9 – 5, and I couldn’t find a job that I really liked. I started seriously toying with idea of going self-employed during my prenatal days. I was pregnant with twins, with no way to afford childcare, I knew I just had to stay at home for some years, because there was no way around it. Well no other way I was comfortable with, I should add. Which led me to this point. And now, I won’t have it any other way.

 

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Although it takes time before you start to get your foot in on the type of clients who are a perfect fit for you, even the best of us have moments when we have to face the problem client. Let me assure you that you don’t have to deal with the wrong clients all your life. You can learn how to identify who’s the right client for you and who you should stay away from.
In this article, I’ll let you in on my best tips on when you should let go of your client and how you can do that in a way that is painless keeping your freelance business intact.
When is the Right Time to Sack a Client?
Before you even start your freelance business, you should have a basic idea of the type of people you’d want to serve. Although your target audience will evolve and be streamlined as time goes by, your major focus must be on attracting such people to your business.
However, when you find yourself entertaining the wrong client, the best time to fire your client is the very minute you notice they were not your ideal client. For this you need to be extra vigilant and sensitive to the warning signs.
Never underestimate your intuition or gut feeling. When you feel that you and your client are not flowing on the same frequency, you need to step back. Likewise, when you notice an inadequate behavior from your client either during the briefing or at the preliminary stages you have to draw the line.

 

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How Should You Sack Your Client?
Sacking your client is a lot more than just giving them the boot. Here are some things you should note:
1. Don’t be evasive. Be direct and honest.
It’s only natural for you to want to avoid a client you don’t like working with or be evasive in your approach. That’s a wrong move.
You have to firmly stand your ground and face your client. Be honest with your reasons for not wanting to continue working for your client.
2. Be polite.
It’s important to make sure that as you’re telling your client your reasons for not working with him or her, you remain polite at all times. Settling your differences amicably will help in keeping your integrity intact. The worst thing you can ask for is someone who will give you a bad name. It pays to be polite.
3. Be helpful as you’re letting your client go.
This is a good way of sacking your client on a good note. After telling your client you don’t want to work for them anymore advise them on the possible steps they can take.
You can even recommend your client to someone who you think will be in a better position to offer their services to your client. This way you do not leave your client hanging. They will appreciate your help and you’ll make a positive impression of your business. This way you keep the doors always open for new prospects and referrals.
Sacking a client can be difficult, but it is something most freelancers have to do every now and again. It’s not healthy to have to deal with someone you don’t enjoy working with. You should focus your time and energy on serving people who resonate with you.
As a freelancer you are your own boss. You have control over who you want to work with. And so long as you are clear on who your audience is, you will continue to have the clients who are a perfect fit for you.

 

Have you ever sacked a client before? How did it go? Do you have to deal with difficult clients regularly?

 

*Collaborative post.

 

The Ugly Side of Freelancing

March 31, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed, True Stories Tags: , , , , , 50 Comments
Hey friends. It feels like it’s been ages I wrote a post straight from heart, and it feels great writing this. Believe it or not, I drafted this post on my iPhone whilst feeding my kids dinner and listening to my African playlist on Spotify. Yes I like to multitask like that!
Life has been busy. From dealing with endless cold symptoms, stress, annoying clients, and everything else in between. These last 3 months has been one hell of a rollercoaster in the dark. I have hardly had the time to write as much I would love to. If you have noticed, I have only been managing to post once a day which is unlike my usual schedule, but what can I say, life happened.
I have now decided to get rid of anything and anyone that would put me under unnecessary stress, I don’t have to deal with. Life is too short to spend the time stressing. The first quarter of 2017 is almost over, and I feel like it has just passed me by, which is kind of frustrating. I have spent more time sorting other people’s business, and I let mine to fall behind.
One thing I have discovered is that there is definitely a very thin line between love and hate, and I am crazy in love with my life and working conditions, I won’t let anyone make me hate it. Which is clearly what I see happening if I continue dealing with some of the clients I am working with. Some of them are just impossible to please.
Without giving too much away, the main issue I have with these people is that I manage their expectations a bit too much. So I won’t let them build castles in the air, or let their expectations exceed their reality, or allow them to expect to get more than they should, if that makes sense, and that is where our worlds collide. Some people are happy leaving in a fantasy world, and expecting everything for nothing, but I am unable to function that way.
However when it comes down to it, the ball is in my court. I have to decide who I am happy to work with and what conditions I am willing to accept, and stick to it. I also need to avoid using certain websites to source for jobs. The crazies all seem to be on certain platforms, so they are best avoided.
I guess that is the ugly side of freelancing no one tells you about. The great expectations from clients looking to pay the bare minimum for the job that needs doing. The chasing of invoice is another annoying part of being a freelancer but I think it all comes down to the client. Some clients are just very difficult to work with, and are best avoided, while some are truly amazing!
My advice to any newbie freelancer would be to try as much as possible to cut out the middleman websites. The cuts they take are a lot and the clients you find on there are usually not worth the hassle. You could get lucky but I am yet to see any good in them. Instead, make the most of social media, word of mouth and offline recommendations if possible.
Do you freelance? How are you finding it?

How to Fix your Rates as a Freelancer

February 2, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , 45 Comments

Setting your rates must be one of the most difficult aspects of freelancing. This may sound like a surprise to some people but it’s true.

A lot goes into setting the right freelance rates. It is not about setting a random rate for your service. It has a lot to do with what you have planned for your business, your budget and your mindset. If you’re not comfortable with your rates it may affect your performance and even your delivery. I know I start to get upset when I feel I have undercharged for a job.

 

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Most freelancers think that their rates must please their clients. That is why some freelancers find themselves under charging their clients, working extremely hard to make ends meet and then getting stressed out with all the workload.

In this article you will learn some handy tips and principles that will help you feel comfortable with your rates while getting the best value for your hard work.

Get your mindset in order

This is the most important stage when it comes to setting your rates. Most freelancers experience imposter syndrome and when they do, they feel like they do not deserve to charge a higher rate or a suitable rate because they believe that they are not “expert” enough.

You need to come to terms with the fact that the service that you are offering is something of value to your potential clients. They hire you because they want you to do something that they cannot do for themselves.  So, why shouldn’t you get paid well for your services?

Do not look down on your abilities. Even if you’re just a newbie, your time, creativity and dedication are valuable.

 

Assess how much you will need for the month

It is obvious that the amount of money you charge for your services must be enough to take care of all your living expenses, with extra left for savings and a few luxuries at least. Assessing how much you will need every month will give you a clear figure of what you need to work towards.

For example, let us say that you need £1000 a month and you want to work 5 days a week. This would mean that you should make at least £50 a day or £250 a week. You can then divide that among the number of projects you want to handle for the week.

 

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Test out different rates until you arrive at your sweet spot

Here is something you may not hear every day: your clients have more money than they want you to know. Most times freelancers do a lot of rationalizing. They think about the income level of their clients. They think about their client’s expenses. As a result, they start quoting a rate that is far too low for the work they will embark on.

At the early stages, feel free to experiment with your rates with different clients and observe how each client will respond.  The chances are that you will start noticing a trend. You will notice that you will have clients who will accept what you thought of as your “high rates”. After some time you will have a set of rates that will work perfectly for you.

 

Are you a freelancer or a self-employed person? How did you set your rates?

 

 

 

 

 

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