The Contract Mint Blog

7 Insider Secrets for Success From Real Life Freelance Contract Work Providers

Choose a specific niche to focus your attention on

It’s not enough just to market yourself as a freelancer. The term is way too broad. It’s like someone asking you what you do for a living and you simply replying “Work”. In order for you to establish yourself as a reliable person in your field of interest, you need to narrow down the niche that you’re going to focus on.

Once you establish what service it is that you are going to offer, you should then narrow it down a little bit further. Contract work is very popular right now, so being a “Writer” or a “Graphic Designer” isn’t always enough to make you stand out from others. Instead, focus on a specific area. For example, if you’re going to be a freelance writer, consider targeting small businesses, start up companies, etc. As a graphic designer, you might consider focusing on doing design work for restaurants or companies based in your city. Whatever you decide, be clear on what you’re going to offer and to whom.

Develop a portfolio of your work to show to potential clients

As you get more clients, you’ll naturally build a larger portfolio of your previous work examples. However, if you’re just starting off and trying to sign your first client, you might be at a loss for examples for your work. It’s important that you develop a portfolio anyway, regardless of how few clients you’ve had. Web designers, surely you’ve done practice work in school or on your own. Share those examples. If you’re a writer, perhaps you have a blog or papers that you’ve written that show off your skills. If you have none of these, then give yourself a project and complete it. Then, use it in your portfolio. Clients are happy to hire people who are just starting off, but they’re never going to hire you without seeing examples of your work.

Create a schedule and stick to it

A common misconception of freelance contractors is that they have to put in hardly any work and can create their own schedule. Sure, you could operate your business this way, but you won’t be successful. Determine when your most creative time is, and try to work around that. Be consistent. If you’re someone who works best at night, then make that your schedule. If you love the 9 to 5 work hours, then do that. Respect your own schedule and don’t make appointments during your work hours. At the same time, don’t work passed your designated “end of day” time. Of course things will come up where you have to work a bit later, but rest and play are just as important as the work grind hours that you put in.

Designate an area in your home that is your workspace

Just like sleep specialists insist that you don’t do work in bed because it’s where you sleep, productivity experts agree that you shouldn’t attempt to do work in areas that aren’t made for work. Whether you work in a coffee shop or in your home, you have to designate a space that is your work area. Decorate the space according to what sparks your creativity and motivates you. Maybe you’re someone who likes to have photos of your family surrounding you. If you’re someone who gets distracted easily, go for a more simplistic look.

Purchase a website domain

This is very important. When someone searches for you on the internet, and they will search you, you want them to find the things about you that reaffirm your skills, not your college beer night photos. Create a website (only around $10 for a domain), and make it about who you are and your skills. If money is tight, there are some sites (About.me), where you can create a quick custom page. However, having the official YourName.com shows a much higher level of dedication.

Maintain active social media accounts

Not only should you be on Facebook and Twitter, but you should also produce content that you would want your clients to see. Share relevant articles (bonus points if you wrote them) and things that you find that they’d be interested in.

Network with people who are successful in your specific niche

Having a mentor is a priceless benefit in any field of study. It’s great to hang around people who are on your level and “get” what it’s like to be someone doing contract work, but it’s also important that you have someone who has gone further than you and knows what the struggle is like to get to the top. It also shows that success is possible. This is a wonderful reminder on days where you want to throw in the towel.

Mistakes You Can’t Make As A New Freelancer

New freelancers (and a whole bunch of experienced ones as well) make a mountain of mistakes right off the bat. Thankfully, most of them learn from these lumps, bumps, and bruises that they get – and a handful of them turn those mistakes into knowledge and wisdom on the road to real freelancer wealth.

Sadly, there are a whole bunch more freelancers out there that never really “get it”. They keep making the same mistakes time after time, wondering why they aren’t making the kind of money that they’d always wanted to, and believing that they just need to “work harder”.

If only they’d work smarter.

Here are the mistakes you can’t make as a new freelancer.

Getting paid AFTER you deliver the work

The biggest (and maybe the most debilitating) mistake of them all – though number three on this list definitely gives this one a run for its money – is making the mistake of getting paid AFTER you deliver the work.

Everyone does it (and we mean EVERYONE) at least a handful of times when they are just getting started. A lot of it has to do with trusting your clients, feeling like they’ll take care of you if you take care of them.

A lot more of it has to do with insecurities and a lack of confidence.

Regardless of the reasoning behind it, getting paid after you deliver work is always a mistake because you lose all leverage. Unless you have a sure fire way to “revoke” their ability to use whatever it is you deliver if they failed to pay you, you will (inevitably) find yourself up the creek without a paddle – or a payment – at least a couple of times if you go down this river.

Always get paid the balance before you deliver any work product.

Working without some kind of contract

Secondly, you have to know that it’s absolutely nuts to work without some type of contract agreement, even if you’ve never going to go to a lawyer and have one draw a legitimate bona fide legal document for you.

Contracts are going to give you the opportunity to establish boundaries, parameters, and deadlines that you and your client need to meet if the project is to continue on the path that you both agree to (at the prices that you both agreed to).

If these documents are going to give you all kinds of leverage, but they’re also going to protect you from “scope creep”. Every freelance project out there deals with at least a little bit of scope creep (you throwing in a couple of freebies because you don’t want to nickel and dime somebody), but you don’t want the project to continue expanding beyond original parameters without you getting paid for the effort that you’re putting in.

A contract makes sure that never happens.

Working for free (or worse)

Finally, you need to be sure that you NEVER work for free unless you absolutely, positively have zero other alternatives available.

A lot of people when they are new to the freelancing world are under the impression that they have to do some free work to get some case studies or to get a little bit of experience under their belt – or even worse, to work in exchange for “getting their name out there” – but literally nothing could be further from the truth.

You should be able to charge something (ANYTHING) for your work when you’re just getting started out, if only for the leverage it gives you as well as the respect of your clients.

If you have to do free work, make sure that it is free work for yourself that you can somehow spin off into a marketing or advertising component to bring in new clients.

Read This Before You Agree To Do Work With A Freelance Client

Landing a client for a freelance project is something to celebrate. Regardless of whether it’s your very first client or just one of the many in your history of freelance success, you shouldn’t ignore the opportunity to pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

It’s very tempting to jump right into the project and get right to work. Before you do, it’s important that you take a few steps to protect yourself before entering a freelance work agreement.

Put it in writing: The importance of a project contract:

Having a contract protects you as the employee as well as your client. It’s lovely to think that every client will become a paying client, but unfortunately, that’s not that case. For the most part, if you get your freelance jobs from a site like Elance.com, they take care of a decent amount of the legalities. However, if you get your clients by word of mouth or other methods, you should still have a contract to protect both sides.

Sign where? The types of contracts you may be asked to sign:

There are quite a few contracts that you may be asked to sign. Being familiar with the different contrasts and the ideas behind them will work in your favor. You can find a number of contract examples online so that you can get an idea of what the general jargon is.

In most cases, a client will ask you to sign an NDA or non-disclosure agreement which says that any information that you are made privy to needs to remain private. This prohibits you from sharing the inner trade secrets of your client and sharing or selling them to or with any other party.

If you are doing content creation or article writing, you client may have you sign a data release form. This signs over any and all rights to the content that you write over to the client. Although the specifics in a data release can range, they usually cover the fact that you are unable to publish the work on any other site, including your own. If you plan on using this work in your portfolio, it’s a good idea to consult with the client on this specifically. If they agree to allow you to have the work in your portfolio, make sure you have them write that into the contract as well.

You should also create an agreement of compensation based on what terms you negotiate. Don’t ever take someone’s word as scripture. Everything that you discuss with the client; timelines, expectations, compensation (amount and how frequent), etc. must be put into writing and signed by both you and the client. If you happen to get the client who tries to escape his/her invoices, you’ll be glad that you have the agreement.

When a client refuses to sign a contract

Although rare, you may encounter a client who refuses to sign any kind of formal agreement. If this happens, you should really consider whether or not you want to do work with this client. The majority of people will want a document protecting them from any sort of business disagreement. Not wanting to sign even a compensation agreement, which basically just says the client agrees to pay X amount for your work should raise a huge red flag. No matter how much money, or how amazing the project may sound, if there’s no contract, the chances of getting paid or the client being a reliable source of reference in the future are very slim. If you decide to proceed with a client without a contract, know that you have zero legal grounds to pursue the client if he/she fails to pay.

Freelancing in 2015 (and beyond…)

Freelancing today Freelancing in 2015 is a popular topic for good reason, as it’s something that many people around the world are presently doing. Much different than it was just 10 years ago, freelancing has evolved. That’s why those who work in this way must constantly be moving with the times. Not only do they have to keep up with the competition, but also with the latest information and technology that applies to their particular field, whether it’s writing, design, or basically any other freelance service.

The recent changes in freelancing are mainly due to the Internet and other advancements in technology. These things have provided additional options and new opportunities for both clients and freelancers. However, although has been helpful for some freelancers, it has also been a bit of a hindrance for others. Since Internet access is becoming more common in most countries AND ‘regular’ jobs can be hard to find in many places, more and more people are turning to freelancing for ‘regular’ work. Thus creating unprecedented competition.

Though some are simply doing doing it part-time for supplemental income, there are countless others that consider themselves full-time freelancers. Additionally, because of the slow economy, more companies are outsourcing certain work than ever before. Instead of hiring an employee, they simply seek the assistance of a freelancer who is skilled in whatever service is needed. This usually saves them both time and money in the long run. Plus, it gives them the option of using a true specialist for each part of a project.

What Is A ‘Freelancer’

How did freelancing come about

A freelancer is a person who provides a particular skill or service to clients in a self-employed capacity. They are not a regular employee of any company, and they usually do not employ anybody themselves. Though there are many professions that permit people to work as freelancers, some of the more popular categories as of 2015 include writing, photography, web design and music.

A Brief History of Freelancing

The term ‘freelance’ is believed to been first used in the early 1800s by Sir Walter Scott. In his novel entitled Ivanhoe, one of the characters, Maurice de Bracy, states “I offered Richard the service of my Free Lances, and he refused them… thanks to the bustling times, a man of action will always find employment.” In this context, a “free lance” was literally that: a soldier/mercenary with no particular allegiance and was therefore able to sell his services (fighting with a lance) to anyone who wanted his help. Since then, other tools like pens and computers have of course replaced the lance, yet the term has remained the same.

Freelancing in 2015

The current state of freelancing is one that few could have ever imagined even a couple of years ago. Thanks to the Internet, clients and freelancers now have numerous new ways to find each other, communicate, and collaborate together. This means that as long as there’s a computer and an Internet connection, many freelancers can work from virtually anywhere in the world. Whether it’s directly for a client or via ‘middleman’ websites, it’s never been easier to work remotely.

Neither freelancing nor working online are anything new, yet people from almost every profession are now starting to see that combining the two can be a ‘real’ way to earn a living. For those who presently freelance for a living or are planning on doing so, there unfortunately aren’t any ‘real’ Worker’s Unions yet. Furthermore, there aren’t really any Labor Laws. However, there is plenty of reliable information and help for freelancers on the Internet.

Plus, there are now professional freelance contract templates that are available in several different categories. Proposals and/or freelancing contracts are important nowadays because being a freelancer means you’re on your own when dealing with clients. Whether it’s a one-time project with a new client, or an ongoing gig with a regular client, it’s recommended to get everything in writing. That way everyone involved will usually wind up getting what they want.

Recent Freelance Statistics

Statistics are a great way to gain insight. So, here are some recent interesting facts about global and U.S. freelance markets:

• The global freelance community is approximately 60% female and 40% male

• 44% of freelancers have a Bachelor’s degree and 20% of them have earned a Master’s degree

• 94% of freelancers use online freelance marketplaces as their main sources for jobs

• 54% of freelancers have specified telecommuting as the main reason for their career choice

• 53 million people do some sort of freelance work in the U.S. –

which is 34% of the national workforce

• Freelancing has seen an increase in demand in the past year

32% experienced an increase vs. 15% who have seen a decrease

• 80% of non-freelancers say they’d be willing to do work outside their primary job to make more money

• 69% of freelancers said technology has made it much easier to find freelance work

• 65% feel freelancing is more respected career choice today than it was three years ago

• 77% of freelancers feel that the best days are still ahead for freelancing

The Future of Freelancing

The freelance community continues to grow and has become a major contributor in the global economy. In addition, there are no signs of this ‘new way to work’ slowing down anytime soon. Therefore, the future of freelancing looks pretty bright. Over the past few years, more and more people of all kinds have picked a professional path that doesn’t entail cubicles, office drama, and strict schedules. Just remember, in order to survive and also thrive as a freelancer in 2015 and beyond, a person has to have more drive than ever before!

Consulting Secrets Freelancers Need to Know About

The freelancing business model and the consulting business model go hand in hand, and some of the most successful freelancers on the planet (those pulling down six figures or more every single year with really no extra effort) have found ways to perfectly dovetail these two models together.

We are talking about real powerhouse income potential here.

Of course, making the move from being strictly a freelancer to freelancing and consulting – or just consulting – can be a pretty scary transition. There are a lot of unknowns, especially for those that have never even worked with a consultant before, let alone attempted to turn it into their source of income.

Hopefully the secrets below will give you a shot of confidence to help you out, while at the same time pushing you in a direction that really lets you boost your income through the roof.

You can “systemize” your consulting process with ease

The first thing that you’re going to need to do is systemize absolutely every component of your consulting as much as reasonably possible.

Obviously, each and every new consulting client is going to bring something else to the table, different problems, different specific situations, unique challenges and goals, etc. – but much of the “grunt work” (especially in the discovery phase of the relationship) can be systemized to speed things up.

You’ll want to have all of your important documents built as templates (including your consulting agreement template and all of your marketing and advertising pieces) so that you don’t have to waste any time with paperwork but can instead dive right into the “meat and potatoes” of helping your clients out.

Build a mastermind to take the weight and pressure off of your shoulders

If the idea of having to cook up winning ideas time after time just to justify your position as a consultant and a leader really freaks you out, you might want to dip your toe in the water first by creating a mastermind group.

Get together a bunch of clients that are all interested in getting help (and helping others), and you’ll be able to act as a leader and facilitator for conversations between group members. This gives you the opportunity to show your stuff off in front of clients when you’ve got a real winner, but it also gives you the opportunity to lean on other mastermind members to help you out when you are coming up blank.

Best of all, everyone gets a tremendous amount of value, and the networking contacts that this kind of group can create for you are second to none.

Record, package, and sell consultations to leverage your effort

Finally, you need to realize that the real secret to a six-figure plus income as a freelancer comes from leveraging absolutely everything you do and making the most money off of all the effort you put in.

If you are going to give consulting sessions, try to give them over the phone, over Skype, in a webinar style format, or somewhere else where you’ll be able to produce recordings and transcriptions. This will allow you to effortlessly create information products or teaching courses that you can then package, market, and sell (usually at a premium price).

Not only will this let you to “double-dip” on all of your paid consulting clients without hurting the relationship or negatively impacting anyone, but it will also allow you to attract new consulting clients by pushing them into your sales and marketing funnels through these information products.

Now we are talking about a real win-win situation.