All posts with the ‘ client control ’ Tag

No matter what it is you do—design, act, write or make music—learning the business of freelancing can be hard.

Business skills aren’t usually taught in school. Even if you’re lucky enough to land a class with a helpful teacher,  the teacher isn’t there when a client calls demanding (another) revision and I’ve yet to see a “textbook example” in real life.

Education by experience is … Read More

One of the biggest fears that novice negotiators have is hearing the word, “No.”

They think that “No” means rejection, means an end before things really begin, means failure.

But it doesn’t. Not really.

“No” is a point in a negotiation, but it’s not the end of the conversation. It’s an opportunity for you to learn more about the client and figure out if this … Read More

Alright, Freelancer, you wanna make a profit? Wanna see some good, cold, hard latinum filling out that bank account of yours? Then you have to follow the Rules!

The Rules of Acquisition have guided the business dealings of the Ferengi for centuries. They are time tested and profit approved.

And if you think I’m joking, you’re crazy. While I might not endorse all of Quark… Read More

It’s time for another visit to the fine folks at Clients From Hell to flex our negotiation muscles!

Let’s see what whack-a-doodle things clients are saying and how to respond to them without the use of weapons or swears.… Read More

Last month I posted a piece about what to do when clients are awful. Turns out lots of people like advice on how to deal with crappy client situations! So this week, I’m taking submissions from The World’s Longest Invoice tumblr and suggesting what you can do to avoid similar non-payment crises.… Read More

Hopefully, by now you know that working for “exposure” is fool’s work. People die from exposure! You should only work for free if it involves your mother or a debt that is the result of a life saving organ donation (see Jessica Hische’s awesome flow chart for specifics).

But just because you know you shouldn’t work for free doesn’t mean that people will stop asking … Read More

There’s been a lot of talk recently about how freelancing and independent art “should” work. From discussions about intellectual property rights, to ethical business practices, to dealing with clients who don’t pay their bills, it seems that everyone has an opinion on how it “should” be and there’s not a lot of agreement on how to get there.

These conversations are important because they have … Read More

There comes a time in every freelancer’s career when one has to write a very particular type of letter.  A Cease & Desist letter; an Eff You letter; a Pay Me Now letter; a Stop Selling My Art on the Internet You Lousy Bum letter.

A nasty letter.

Here’s how.… Read More