Once you find a client

So you found a client! Or maybe not, but you just want to know what to do once someone says they will hire you. There are several things that are important to cover up front before you even start developing. These include:

• Defining project scope (at what point do you call it "done")
• Establishing a price/payment plan
• Creating a contract
• Deciding whether this project is a good fit for you

Defining project scope

This one can vary a bit from project to project, but make sure that you do it! I’ve gone into projects without defining a clear endpoint and they have always ended up with me being underpaid for my work. If you fail to do this, you will establish a price (unless you charge them hourly, more on that in the next section) and they will want more features as their excitement for the project grows. This is great, unless you set yourself up in a way where they aren’t expecting to pay for these features for a variety of reasons. Again, this sounds like a no-brainer, but make sure your clients understand what the project will begin and end with, then do this again when you are ready to move on to the next feature. The other aspect of this is taking the time to sit down and really figure out what the client wants in the project. Forget about libraries, frameworks, and platforms, and just listen to what need they are trying to fill. Once you have asked follow up questions, clarified foggy areas, and gotten a clear picture of what needs to be made, then you can make a plan regarding how you will actually implement it.

• A note about mock ups: I am by no way, shape, or form, a designer. If you are, then definitely factor that into your pricing and make a mock up before you start developing. I usually tell my clients that I will shave a certain amount off of the project’s cost if they provide me with detailed mobile and desktop mocks of what they want me to make. Getting them to do this will not only make implementation easier, it will force both you and them to better define what will actually be made.

Pricing/Payments

This is important enough that it warrants its own post that you can see here.

Creating a contract

I highly recommend having a contract for all of your projects. This is a formal way to define what you will actually do, how much you will be payed, and when you will have it done by. When I first started, I found a template online and have revised it a few times over the years. Here is the link to it if you want to copy it for yourself: Agreement for Web Development Template

Note that the contract has sections for defining the work to be done, who owns the rights to the various components, and how payments will be handled. The most important part of the contract, in my opinion, is the definition of what features will be completed and how much you will be paid for those features. If you define it well, this can give you power to re-negotiate your payment terms if your client changes the scope of the project on you.

I’ve changed large portions of this depending on the client, but the general layout remains the same. If you really want to make sure that your contract is airtight, have a lawyer look it over and provide you with suggestions of what you can do to better protect yourself and your work.

Deciding whether this project is a good fit for you

This requires a decent amount of self-awareness, you don’t need to say yes to every project. Sometimes you will find someone and price yourself in a way that they are unwilling to agree to. It can be easy to feel mean, or greedy, when someone tells you that you are charging too much, but don’t let that get to you. Don’t make the mistake of working for less than you are worth. Also try to get an idea of how you feel when you are interacting with the client. Are they calm, and professional? Or do they have indicators of being needy, do they seem like they will call you late at night on a holiday? Making a point to be aware of all these things will help save you from getting stuck with a rotten client or project, and will help you to enjoy your side-work rather than dread it.

Next up:

Freelancing for the full time employee - Part 4 (Pricing yourself)

Carter Hesterman ・ Aug 23 '20 ・ 8 min read

#freelance #contractwork #pricing