Contract Mint

The Future of Freelance

Why Should You Get A Contract For Freelance Photographers

There is no doubt about it, putting everything into writing is your best protection as a freelancer. Having a contract benefits both you and your clients.

A contract-protected work saves you a lot of trouble in that:

  • It establishes your pricing in clear figures. Some photo experts charge a flat rate while others put a price on their hours.
  • It defines your deliverables visibly. Both you and your client understands what you can and will offer with the project.
  • It marks a delivery date. If you need to work extra or extend your hours, you can specify that there will be an additional cost.
  • It protects your time through a start and exit schedule plus you can specify a nonrefundable deposit.
  • It establishes you as the official photographer of an event. Everyone can afford high-definition pictures now with their phones and cameras. Make sure you get the access, angles, and recognition you need as the exclusive photographer of the day.

BONUS: Tips on Marketing without Spending a Fortune

One of the most common blocks that many freelancers face when starting out is the fear of failure before they start. What if no one would recognize them? What if it takes years for their craft to take off?

All these doubts can be blown away by laying down the groundwork of your marketing plan piece by piece.

Here are guiding questions to help you get the word out:

  • Who are your target clients?
  • Where can you find your prospective market?
  • What is the best way to approach them?
  • How can you engage your target market? That is, what can you do so that when they need a photographer’s services, they think of you?

Platforms for Marketing:

  • Word of mouth – post on your own social networks or get referred by family and friends. This may be the oldest way of marketing, but it is also one of the most powerful ones. Why? People are likely to take the word of family and friends than commercials they see on TV.
  • Free Seminars – one of the smartest ways to build a network, gain experience, and learn. Plus, adding a certification on your portfolio won’t hurt.
  • Creating Your Own Website – talk about hitting not just two but multiple birds with one stone. Having your own website means having a niche where you can display your past works, put up client testimonials, advertise, display your services and fees, and acquire a platform where potential clients can contact you.
  • Sports Clubs, Garden Centers, Wedding Shops, etc. – this depends on your craft. Do you capture exciting sports moments? Do you have a flair for highlighting the beauty of nature in pictures? Do your photographs make people swoon over blushing brides, dashing grooms, and wedding cakes? Get affiliated with organizations and places where your services are needed.

Here is another helpful resource to help you run your own business, now that you are a freelance agent: Guide to Running Your Own Business.

Knowing how much freelance photographers make per hour from different parts of the world, in different points of their career help you assess your own talent fee.

Have you been charging what your photography skills and experience are worth? If you are not sure, get a contract which helps you put into place essential pay, rights and obligations matters that not only protect you but make you look absolutely professional and polished in the eyes of your prospective clients.

 

Related articles

Secrets Wealthy Freelancers Don’t Want You To Know About

If you’ve always wondered what the difference was between you and your freelance operation that may be making enough to get by but nowhere near as much as you had hoped it would and those operations that seemingly print money whenever they feel like it, you’ve probably trying to figure out the secrets that those successful and wealthy freelancers understand that you do not.

Unfortunately, cracking the code as an “outsider” is one of the biggest challenges you’re ever going to face. After all, you can’t know what you don’t know about in the first place, right?

Well, we are going to blow the lid off of three of the most closely guarded secrets that wealthy freelancers actively trying to keep out of the hands of new upcoming “rookies”. These are the secrets that help them skyrocket their income faster than anything else, the kind of secrets that you can effortlessly integrate into your operation (today, if you like) to double or even triple your income – just like that!

Ready to dive right in?

They (VERY) rarely do anything “from scratch”

The first secret that we are going to expose to you is the fact that wealthy freelancers almost never do anything “from scratch”.

Sure, they often times create and deliver absolutely stunning and unique pieces of work (across every freelancing field unimaginable), but they’ll always operate off of templates, structures, systems and “swipe files” that serve as inspiration.

Understanding that the fastest road to success is closely mimicking something that has already proven to be successful (while adding benefits or polishing the original piece), these freelancers cut down on the amount of time they spend “producing work product” and instead focus on creating iterative work that they can make a ton of money on.

Not only that, they systemize and create templates for everything. Contract agreement template documents, proposal templates, marketing and advertising templates, etc. are all stashed away and ready to be polished up so that they can be deployed at a moment’s notice.

They (VERY) rarely do anything for free

Secondly, these successful and wealthy freelancers almost never do anything free of charge.

They don’t fight over spec work for clients that probably aren’t interested in paying what it costs to have a professional tackle the job. They do not produce “consignment” work where they may never see payment at all. And they certainly never produce “pro bono” work just to get their name out there – whatever that means.

No, successful and wealthy freelancers know that the secret to making money is actually charging for your experience, your expertise, and the unique intangibles that you bring to the table. You have to be confident in what you offer to charge for absolutely everything, but once you get over that hurdle it becomes a lot easier – and a lot more profitable.

They (VERY) rarely do anything on their own

This might be the biggest secret of them all, but you’ll rarely find solo operators in the freelance world that really do everything on their own.

Freelance writers hire out freelance web designers to handle their webwork, freelance designers and engineers hire out writers and advertisers to handle the sales and marketing, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Understand your limitations, but do not let them influence the deliverables that you offer. You don’t have to reveal that you are bringing in outsiders (unless your contract explicitly states you must), which gives you the opportunity to run your own little shop – as lean and mean as possible – while at the same time letting you increase the quality and consistency of the deliverables you produce.

 

Pitfalls of Being a Freelancer

As basically anyone who has ever worked independently before will tell you, being a freelancer can be a very tough gig. It is certainly not for everyone, as there are many things to contend with. Though this may be true for almost any job, when it comes to freelancing, you’re literally on your own. Therefore, you are the only one who is looking out for #1.

In addition, it is now an even more competitive market than it once was due to the economy and the continuing shortage of full-time jobs. Plus, throw in the ease of working online, and yofreelancer problemsu’ve got even more competition from all around the world.

This means that many freelancers are not just competing locally anymore, which can often lead to having to settle for lower rates. On top of that, you’ll encounter clients who don’t pay, even after the job has been competently completed! Whether it’s because they don’t want to or they can’t financially, this happens!

Yes, there are some real freelancing horror stories, which we’ll be going over in another article. But for now, here are some of the things that freelance workers have to deal with on a regular basis in today’s web based world.

Constantly Working and Worrying

When trying to make it as a freelancer, you must work many long hours, especially when you’re just starting out. Also, you constantly have to worry about where your next job is coming from. Finding and landing new clients can be quite difficult. Unfortunately, once you’ve finally done that, your worries aren’t over. This is because freelancers are in a position where payment is not always guaranteed, or if it is, then they’re often the last one to get paid.

Setting Rates and Negotiating

One of the first things you need to do as a freelancer is set your rates. Before accepting and beginning a job for a client, it is crucial to take of all of the details into consideration prior to providing a price. This is often done in the form of a proposal. Once accepted, it is either signed as is or it may be elaborated on in a more formal contract.

When bidding jobs, you can either use an itemized set price list of the services you offer, or you can choose to work at an hourly rate. It doesn’t have to strictly be one or the other, as you can change it to whatever works best for each project. Some clients will request a flat rate. This is not uncommon, but it can be difficult to determine a fair dollar amount upfront sometimes on a larger project. Of course this includes coming up with and agreeing to a rate, which is where negotiating comes into play.

Meeting Deadlines 

Another part of being a freelancer that can be stressful is meeting deadlines. This can be difficult as you’re often working for more than one client at once. Trying to please a lot of people at that same time can be touchy business. Plus, you must also maintain quality. Therefore, you have to also be a master of time maintenance as well.

Not Getting Paid 

Even if you go above and beyond on every project you undertake, it’s likely there will eventually be a client that is still unhappy. So, you also have to worry about whether or not you’re actually going to be paid by your clients. This can happen even if you know them and have worked with them in the past on other projects. There is typically not much that can be done when a freelancer gets stiffed, unless they are properly protected with a legally enforceable and signed contract proposal.

Miscommunication 

In addition to all of the above, another issue that freelancers must deal with from time to time is miscommunication. This can turn any perfectly planned project into a mess and a waste of time for everyone. There is potential for this because a freelancer is often not even in the same country as the client. Although the blame can often be placed on the client when this occurs, remember the old adage that ‘the customer is always right’, and besides, who are you going to complain to anyways?

Whether you’ve experienced it firsthand or not, now you know that freelancing definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, or those who are easily discouraged. Although, with cons, there will always be pros. These include setting your own hours, job variety, and often the freedom to work from virtually anywhere via your computer.

In addition to being skilled at the particular service you provide as a freelancer, it’s clear you must also be adept at other things. Yet, when you’re better prepared for every possibility, you might have a much better chance for being successful. Just like almost anything else worthwhile, it takes a lot of time and effort to make it work!

Clients And Freelancers – Secrets to Success

Clients and Freelancers

There’s a growing number of freelancers out there nowadays. Some of them seem to have the dream job that 90% of all others in their field may imagine, but unfortunately never get to experience!

In fact, many of these successful freelancers are making more than six figures a year. Some of this has to do with Lady Luck herself and some of it may have to do with connections or advantages. Yet, a lot of it has to do with how hard and intelligently these freelancers work. They’re able to earn the big bucks that very few others do, but it’s not just because they were in the right place at the right time. They also had both eyes open and jumped on the opportunity. Furthermore, they maintain a level of professionalism that ensures their continued success.

However, there’s also another secret to their success that really separates these freelancer ‘Titans’ from everyone else.

They understand something about this career that most people never get, a core secret. A simple one that truly “unlocks the vault” to a comfortable income and a whole lot of fun.

That secret?

Treating this career and your clients like a serious relationship.

Clients and Freelancers – You are getting into a very serious relationship here

Being a freelancer, you are probably going to want to keep business and pleasure as separate as reasonably possible. The truth of the matter is that you are jumping into a very serious relationship with very real repercussions, consequences, and requirements.

You need to understand this before you even think about moving forward!

Trying to find clients that respect you and also trust you with their hard-earned money is not an easy thing. These aren’t the kind of clients that you’re going to grab after an all-night pub crawl down at the pool hall, if you know what I mean?

Understand that this is a serious relationship and it’s important to start things off on the right foot, then from there it’s only going to get easier!

All the contracts in the world are worthless without trust and respect

For starters, you need to have a service level Agreement template filled out that specifies the particulars of the project and a contract to go along with it. In addition, you also have to understand that any contract in the world can be challenged. It can often be picked apart by a team of smart and motivated lawyers. So, be sure there is a mutual level of trust and respect between all the parties involved before entering into a formal agreement.

Remember that there’s a lot at stake here, and that both parties (everyone involved for that matter) is going to have their own opinion and expectations. The clients and freelancer’s perspective on the Agreement isn’t always going to precisely match-up.

By walking into this relationship with the thought that things may get a little bit hairy at some point down the line, you’ll be able to better prepare for those sticky situations. Not only by using contracts and agreements as crutches to help you out, but you’ll also be prepared to quickly defuse any problems before they become too big.

That’s the smartest investment you can make in your business!

Give as much as you can and you’ll likely get what you want

Lastly, you’ll want to try and focus on giving as much value as possible to your clients who are trusting you will get the job done in a professional manner.

Too many freelancers today try to squeeze every penny they can out of their clients. They approach freelancing projects with the philosophy that you have to do as little as possible for as much money as you can. This is an approach that both beats the client out of money and also yourself in the long run, as you’ll be closing up shop and looking for a new career before you know it.

By giving your clients the best you have to offer and exceeding their expectations, your value will be clearly established. This will eventually lead to an increase in pay, plus you’ll also earn the client’s respect and admiration. Additionally, it will hopefully lead to a bunch of rave reviews and referrals that will help keep you busy for a long, long time.

 

 

Freelancing 101 – Covering The Basics

If you have just recently decided to take the plunge into the exciting, wild, crazy, and ridiculously lucrative world of freelancing, then welcome aboard!

It’s going to be a ride that you’ll never forget!

Of course, everyone dives into this career path with the greatest of expectations as well as a pocket full of dreams, hopes, and fears – but few of them ever jump in with both feet having covered all of the bases.

These people inevitably end up floundering around for a while, grabbing a bit of work here and there and just generally trying to make it up as they go along. And there’s nothing wrong with that – for a bunch of people, that’s the thrill of the game and the whole reason that they got into freelancing in the first place.

But for others, a little bit of foundational information, gives them a big boost right out of the gate, and allows them to quickly start making the kind of lucrative income they’ve always wanted with complete and total freedom.

That’s who this quick guide has been prepared for.

Shall we get to it?

You have a lot more to offer than you realize

The heaviest anchor that freelancers find holding them down (new freelancers and experienced veterans alike) is the belief that they do not really have anything of extreme value to offer.

Freelancing (by its very nature) is a bit of a lonely career field, in that you’ll never have a team of coworkers rooting you on, no boss motivating you at every corner, and no one to keep track of your score – except for you, of course.

It won’t take long (a couple of rejection letters are usually enough to do it) until you start to doubt whether or not you made the right choice, but that kind of mentality is going to sink your ship faster than anything else.

Remember that you always have something of value to offer, and that there is always going to be someone out there looking for you to come along to help them out of the sticky situation they’ve found themselves in.

You’re going to do great!

Start charging right off the bat

Secondly, you need to prepare a sales contract template long before you ever get your hands on your first client.

For starters, this is going to give you a bit of extra motivation and a purpose to get out there to land your very first “white whale” – a paying customer that gives you money for the goods, services, or deliverables that you bring to the table.

Secondly, you’ll be able to use this template from here on out so that you can speed up the proposal and production process in the future, giving you a real edge when you are swimming in potential clients and don’t have time to crank these out from scratch.

It’s also a good idea to start charging for your work right off the bat, with absolutely zero hesitation. Pro bono work is never respected, and because of the reach of the Internet there’s no advantage to “getting your name out there”. So again, start charging right off the bat.

Protect yourself with contracts and agreements (but also your work)

Finally, you are definitely going to want to protect yourself, your business, and your abilities with any and all contracts or agreements that your lawyer recommends you have under your belt – but always remember that your work, your results, and you yourself are always going to be your very best protection from sticky situations moving forward.

Manage expectations, provide impeccable results, and deliver real and consistent value, and you won’t have any headaches or hassles going forward.