Build your creative freedom while making good money (part 2)

You’re working hard. But you’re ready to take your business to the next level.

You’re ready to really, truly, live the life you imagined when you began to pursue the freelancing dream – making good money while enjoying the flexibility of working for yourself.

1. You don’t have to know all the answers before you bid on a project.

Problem

You do not need to know everything to complete a job before you bid on it, you just need to know there’s a way you can deliver it. If that means that you either learn it once you’ve won the job, or outsource it, that’s ok. In the complex world of the web, it’s virtually impossible to know how to solve every client need that comes to you, and it’s important to get comfortable bidding on a project knowing you may have to look for answers once you win the job.

SOLUTION

On-the-job training is one of the best ways to learn a new skill. Instead of course-based education based on potential needs, you are learning a skill that you can directly apply to a real client problem that you are getting paid for. Have the confidence to know that you can always outsource an issue should you not be able to learn it quick enough for a client project. Focus on winning a job, then work on how you can solve each of its nuances. Having a mentor or organization where you can ask questions about the best way to solve a new problem can be extremely helpful in determining how and at what price you should charge for work you’ve never done before.

PRO TIP: Services like elance.com, fiverr.com and 99designs.com are great ways to get low-cost help to complete part of a client project.

2. Don’t underestimate the real cost of project management time

Problem

Most web design projects are 30% project management and 70% design and development. When you don’t factor in project management time in your initial estimate, you may:

• Feel like you’re getting underpaid when you spend extra time on client phone calls, meetings or other administrative tasks, which can come out as resentment towards the job or client
• Inadequately attend to the project management needed for the job, such as reviewing copy for inconsistencies or spelling errors. In the end, you may overlook aspects of the project that the client expected from you, leaving them unhappy with the result.

SOLUTION

You may be concerned about the increased cost that billing for project management time may add to your bid, but your client is hiring you to provide the best solution. If providing the best solution requires a higher cost than you are used to bidding, work towards increasing your project time with each proposal until you can fully factor in the true time it takes to complete a project.

PRO-TIP: Create an estimate with a price range on it – from a low end price to a high end price with more project management time factored in. Tell the client that the price will be within that range depending on how efficiently you can work on things like administrative tasks, sorting through delivered files, etc. This gives the client an incentive to be more helpful with your time, and you may find that they fully appreciate the project management time you are able to deliver at the higher price.

3. Consider how each new project may help with future business

Problem

When you are just starting out, it’s easy to focus on the amount you will get paid for each new job. But, a good client project and a satisfied client provides something you need even more than money to grow your business in the long run – an excellent portfolio piece to share, application of on-the-job skills, and the potential for the client to refer you to friends.

SOLUTION

Evaluate each project in terms of non-monetary gain, and consider being more flexible with the client’s budget if the project has potential value that can help you grow your business in the future.

PRO TIP: New freelancers who don’t have enough quality portfolio pieces may want to consider doing free work for nonprofits or friends to enhance their portfolio. How many good work should you have in your portfolio? At least 3. Don’t include work you aren’t proud of. It’s better to have fewer items that are all quality work than more items that include low quality work.

4. Know that clients hire you to deliver a solution, they care less about the ‘how’ and more about the ‘what’

Problem

Creative professionals often believe that they are being hired to come up with a unique creative piece of work, and may put countless hours starting from a ‘blank slate’ because they think that’s what a client wants from them. In reality, clients are usually less concerned about “how” you accomplish their work, and more concerned about the actual value that’s being delivered.

SOLUTION

You don’t have to start with a blank slate to approach a new design project. Review your options and inspiration from example web sites to get started with a new project. Know, too, that many clients on a budget are happier getting an extremely professional-looking customized template over a hand-coded custom design that takes more creative time and effort. While unique creativity is always appreciated, you should also maximize the value you deliver by making use of pre-fabricated scripts, templates, graphics and photos when they match the project’s needs.

5. Set client expectations so you don’t get stuck with an out of control project

Problem

Clients may expect you to be available by phone or email for endless meetings and revisions once you’ve started working with them. You may not realize until it’s too late that you’ve spent way too much time trying to satisfy their requests and the project has gone out of control.

SOLUTION

Expectation management upfront is key. Make sure your client understands the value of your time, especially if your project is a flat-price versus hourly-price. Explain how files should be delivered, what is and is not included in your estimate and how many revision rounds are included in the project as part of the estimate phase.

PRO TIP: Include in your estimate an overall project time limit and a clause for additional hourly time if the project exceeds stated revisions, time frame or scope of work. Always collect an initial deposit so your client is adequately invested in the project upfront as well.

I hope these tips help you in thinking about how to grow your business. I am happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments below.