Freelance Switch

Why Freelancers Should Never Retire
Get Paid: What to Do When The Check is Late
Top 5 Freelance Jobs from the Job Board
Freelance Freedom #192: Rushed Expectations, Finale

Posted: 02 Feb 2011 05:30 AM PST

photo credit: kevindooley on flickr

Being a freelancer is great. You get to work in a way that fits around your hectic lifestyle and while you may initially put more energy into building up a client list (than working for an organisation which already has clients), once you've gained a good circle of regular clients and marketed yourself well, you've got a career for life. As a freelancer I like to look to the future and consider what may happen when I choose to retire but upon reflection my answer has quite simply evolved into two words: Why bother?

Age Isn't Exactly a Barrier

While ageism is certainly an unfortunate barrier in traditional jobs (where businesses may feel that letting go a still useful individual on the basis of age rather than capability), if you look from the perspective of a freelancer this really isn't so much of an issue. Many freelancers obscure details like their gender or age via their brand to eliminate such issues with clients and while you are working for yourself, it's ultimately you who calls the final shot as to when you don't want to work anymore (you know your own limitations).

As we grow older, we want to spend less time working and more time doing the things we want to do (such as spending time with family). While many traditional jobs have set working hours which can make continuing unappealing, as a freelancer we have the benefit of simply reducing the hours as and when we want. Of course we'll need to remember to set aside some funds for our later years to fuel this retirement, but there's nothing to stop an 80 year old freelancing on a part time basis (which is great).

You Don't Need an Eternity

When we reach the retirement age, time literally is the most important factor as we want to savour every moment we have. One of the great things which I love about freelancing is how many cool and interesting people we meet along the way. While the idea of attending conferences at a later stage in life may seem rather comical, I'd like to think that travelling around the world (on the excuse of work) and making loads of new friends is an awesome way to keep yourself active and avoid becoming isolated in old age.

As we get older, staying active, keeping our minds in gear and not becoming socially cut off from the world rises in importance. You're only as old as you feel and a healthy freelancer with a wide social circle who uses their mind as often as possible (even if it's on a reduced workflow) and staying active (rather than just rotting in front of the TV) gives us an excuse to spend our time wisely and live life to the full. You don't need to work forever, but if you enjoy your work why not continue this great part of your life.

Extra Income Is Welcome!

Retiring is a costly affair (and so is getting old), with our belts ever tighter from the economy and our worries as to whether we can afford to retire, freelancing becomes a pretty useful option. As long as we're still able to work, we're capable of earning some extra cash. Taking on the odd extra freelance project not only gives us the opportunity to remain active but we get the financial benefits of having an income (not perhaps as free flowing as when we worked 80 hours a week but it's still something to fuel your lifestyle).

The truth is that many of us as we reach old age may never be able to retire fully and freelancing is one of those options where the flexible working arrangements and hours allows us to subsidise our lifestyle in a way that won't hurt our plans for the future. You can work from home, you can pick the projects you choose and you can even diversify what you undertake to keep your interest in subjects alive. If your work isn't too stressful and invasive, just reduce your hours and enjoy your later years and time off.

Passion Never Totally Dies

This particular aspect of freelancing is something that's really central to the ethos of continuing to work post when you may have otherwise retired. If you really enjoy the subject you work in and you love the work you do (like I certainly do), why give up your passion and hard worked for career and achievements just for the sake of old age. Passionate people produce the best and most creative work as their fuelled by a love of the industry, people with this passion shouldn't be forced to give up their enthusiasm.

One of the main reasons why people choose to retire (beyond complications of ill health) is that they simply don't enjoy working in the position they once held. Perhaps they've grown tired of the endless battles with clients or perhaps they just want to free themselves from the need to work. As a freelancer, if you don't enjoy your work you're probably in the wrong job (and should or can try something else). The flexibility of our positions allows us to pursue our passions like a paying hobby, why give that up!

Your Skills Are Valuable

The final point worth considering is that if you've been working in an industry for a long time, it's probably quite likely that you've picked up a lot of knowledge and skills over the years. In the web design industry (as with many others), there always seems to be a shortage of experienced seasoned experts and rather than retiring you could pass on your skills and knowledge (for free or commercially) to those who want to work in the same industry as you. Who knows, you could turn to a nice teaching position instead.

As freelancers, we know that our work experience is only limited by the amount of time we spend pursuing our goals. While the ability to simply "stop" at the end of a career may seem appealing to some, I'd much rather have the opportunity to continue doing something I love on a part-time (reduced hours) basis which keeps my mind in shape and allows me an opportunity to travel and remain socially active (while getting paid). Who'd want to retire in that position? Certainly not me, and that’s why I never want to retire!

Image credit: Some rights reserved by kevindooley

Get Paid: What to Do When The Check is Late

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 05:30 AM PST

Credit: meddygarnet on Flickr

You work hard on your assignment, turn it in, and do the required (ugh) revisions. You happily send in your invoice — and wait…and wait…and wait.

Your check is late! You have a mortgage to pay and you were relying on that check. Now what?

Late checks are a fact of life for freelancers. Most of the time, the clients aren’t being malicious — they just do things slowly. But that doesn’t help you when you have bills to pay. Here are some ways to get that check moving towards your mailbox.

Always Send an Invoice

Not all clients require an invoice — for example, some national magazine editors put payment through for you when the article is accepted, invoice or no — but most do, so you may as well send an invoice to every client just to cover your bases. That way, when the check is late you’ll have something concrete for reference.

Check Your Contract

You may discover (or have forgotten) that the contract says that the client will pay in 45 days, in 90 days, or after some other time period that’s not the typical 30 days. Of course, you should always read your contract before signing it so you’re not surprised (or so you can renegotiate the terms). Sometimes clients change the contract without telling you, so read it every time. I learned this the hard way: I had written over a dozen articles for a certain women’s fitness magazine and one time when the check was two weeks late, I e-mailed my editor — and she informed me that their new terms were payment in 45 days (which they had slipped into the latest contract without telling me). The extra two-week wait wouldn’t kill me, but it would have been nice to know.

Be Patient

I know of freelancers who start freaking out when a check that was payable net 30 isn’t in their mailbox by day 31. They complain on forums, ask other freelancers what to do, and send badgering notes to their clients. My advice: Allow for late checks in your financial plans and just chill for a while. I typically don’t start sending out follow-up e-mails until a check is at least two weeks late. Of course, you have to work within your comfort level — for example, one week may be all you can wait — just don’t start melting down if the check is six hours late. I’ve worked with over 150 magazine and copywriting clients and I can think of only two times when I was screwed, so I’m generally not worried that the check will never come. Clients can be slow to assign, slow to turn around revisions — and sometimes slow to pay. I’m not saying it’s right…I’m just saying that’s the way it is.

Send an E-mail

Once a check is a little too late for my comfort, I shoot a short, friendly e-mail to my client. This is what I typically write:

Dear Client:

I hope all is well with you!

I was going through my accounts receivables today and noticed that I haven’t received a check for the article on New Year’s Goals, which I turned in on October 12. The invoice number is 1612 and the amount is $2,250. Would you mind looking into this for me? Thanks so much!

Just about every single time, the editor contacts whoever it is that cuts the checks and gets things moving for me.

Hold Back

Sometimes freelancers ask me, “Client X owes me $2,000 for my last three assignments, and now they have another assignment for me! What should I do?”

If your checks are that backed up and you have no confidence that they’re coming any time soon, you should hold off on further assignments. Sure, it’s flattering that a client keeps hiring you, but why dig yourself into an even deeper hole? Tell the client, “I’m so excited that you want me to write about the health benefits of coffee/design a new website/translate your brochure for you. However, I’m still waiting for payment on three invoices from Your Company and I feel uncomfortable working on new assignments until I receive the checks. Would you mind looking into this for me so I can get started on this new assignment?”

If this happens when you’re in the middle of an assignment, you have some leverage: You can hold back on turning in the completed assignment until you receive the back payments. I had to do this with a book publisher once: It was time for the second installment of my fee and I hadn’t even received the first yet. In the meantime, I had written half of the book. I told the editor that I couldn’t turn in the completed chapters until I received both payments. Like magic, the check arrived via FedEx a couple of days later. I never did get another book assignment from this publisher, but I didn’t exactly cry myself to sleep that I wasn’t getting work from a publisher that got pissed that I expected to be paid on time.

Get Help

If a check is really, really late and it looks like the client has no intention of paying, there are myriad options for getting paid; for example, you could hire a collection agency, take the client to small claims court, or contact an organization that represents freelancers in your field. Each of these options has its own set of do’s and don’ts that go beyond the scope of this post, but it’s worth it to research them if you’re in the process of getting screwed by a client.

And now — while you’re waiting for your checks to roll in, get busy marketing to other clients to keep the income flowing!

Image credit: Some rights reserved by meddygarnet

Top 5 Freelance Jobs from the Job Board

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:34 PM PST

Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and come from a wide range of potential clients. The job board is hand-moderated by dedicated staff and volunteers from the freelance community.

Each week, we’ll feature a selection of the best job opportunities posted for the week. This week, we’re featuring jobs in blog writing, design, illustration, and more!

To apply for any of these jobs, simply pick up a FreelanceSwitch membership for an affordable $7 a month. See something you like? Join now!

UI Designer & Illustrator

A well-funded children’s website, breaking the mold of entertainment and education for kids. Our site offers parents and teachers beautiful and fun storybook videos, read by celebrities, with custom illustrations, animations, and music, as well as accompanying games, activities, and more. Our work has been featured by Amazon, Scholastic, Publisher’s Weekly, and was nominated for a Parent’s Choice Award.

What we need:
A great UI designer / illustrator. We need you take ideas and turn them into great product features, passionately designing every pixel and crafting beautiful artwork. Front-end development skills are a bonus, but not required.

Read more & apply!

Geek Culture Bloggers Wanted

Walyou is looking for Experienced WordPress bloggers to submit quality original posts about Gadgets, Designs, Mods and Gaming.
Walyou is a popular gadget and tech/geek culture site. Writing for Walyou is a great resume builder and offers awesome exposure for its writers; your articles include your name as author and receive thousands of daily views. Work hours are flexible and you can work from your home or school at your convenience … Perfect for university students or anyone else with sharp writing skills and a love for geeky gadgets and tech culture.
Requirements (A Must!):

Blogging Experience – writing, linking, adding images and using a blogging platform
High English Proficiency (familiarity with Associated Press/AP Style a plus)
Internet and Tech Savvy

How to apply (Individuals Only!):
Send us an email with with a minimum of three sample articles you have written that fit the position, plus a little bit about why you are totally (and awesomely) geeky!

Read more & apply!

Web Designer – JQuery, Graphics, CSS

Looking for a highly motivated and experienced web designer to produce designs to pass over to backend developers. Must have a proven track record with an up to date portfolio of projects or full list of links showcasing your bad ass talents.

JQuery skills are a must together with an up to date knowledge of the latest skills and best practices for CSS and XHTML (yes even CSS3, HTML5 and how best to use them). Your Photoshop skills must be second to non as you will providing the face for our services. Think clean Web 2.0 with a wow factor. All our sites are dynamically driven and use AJAX. Our backend developers will handle integration of your amazing designs.

You should be able to design your layouts based on best practices for the end user making their customer journey a pleasant one and the same time as thinking about fast loading times.

A steady stream of work will be available to the right individual with good pay and will be well looked after. You must have great communication skills with the ability to take on board feedback. Keeping to timescales are a must but we know creativity isnt an on/off switch.

Read more & apply!

Copywriter Specializing in Entreprenuerial Client Base

I very recently started a technology consultancy located in Houston, TX USA and I am looking for a copy writer to help with several projects within my business.

I have some ideas but want to work with a professional/freelancer to hone them down into well written pieces. My two largest projects will be sales copy on the website and a brochure.

My target market is small business owners (and potential small business owners) who are looking for advice on how to best setup and use technology in their business to drive productivity and sales. Thus, potential candidates for this job should have experience writing to the entrepreneurial crowd and be well acquainted with their desires, worries, likes, and attitudes.

I am open to working with someone in most any location, but as my clients are located in the USA your experience must also be with companies located here. Additionally, and it almost goes without saying, strong American English skills are also a necessity.

Additionally, the budget I set is somewhat ambiguous because I do have multiple projects to work on. You should also know that I am already working with a corporate image creative so your words will be placed on a professional designed canvas!

Read more & apply!

Freelance Design for 10-20 Hours a Week

Hubdub is an exciting, fast growing startup company based in Edinburgh and SanFrancisco. Our main product, FanDuel, is a pay-to-play fantasy sports game focusedon US sports that allows people to play fantasy sports leagues in a day instead of aseason. We have a thriving and passionate user base that is rapidly expanding viapartnerships (most recently with the New York Post) and new platforms, such asFacebook and mobile.

We are looking for a talented and committed freelance designer to work with ourCreative Director and marketing team to create adverts, graphic assets and HTMLnewsletters for us and partners. The workload is variable but likely to be between10-20 hours per week. This is an excellent opportunity for freelancers or recentgraduates to gain exposure to a fast-paced startup environment and substantially enhance their portfolio.

Read more & apply!