Getting Paid for Your Time, Part 1:Eating the Hours Away

I ran across a "Freelance Programmer's Manifesto" on the blog of Warren Seen. The post was quite worth a read, as it was addressed directly to potential clients, quite bluntly yet professionally outlining his policy in dealing with some of the main issues that typically haunt the designer-client relationship. (Here, read the post.) Most freelancers would likely not be as blunt with our clients, in general; although, there are occasions when we probably should. At any rate, I felt compelled to leave a comment, relating an experience I once had on a project where 'extensive revisions' became an issue:

...A couple years back, I simply got tired of ‘eating my hours.’ And so for the first time as a freelancer, I finally became bold enough to enforce the clause in my terms that says “excessive revisions will be billed additionally at $XX/hour.” The client did balk about it, and we renegotiated a new fee instead, to cover some of the extra work. Hey, compromise was better than not getting paid at all for those extra hours…so I felt good.

But in my profession–graphic design–attempting to charge hourly doesn’t go over too well with clients. Depending on your market, you’re pretty much expected to be able to quote a flat fee for the job. For a newbie, this makes for a lot of trial-and-error and eaten hours—at least for your first few jobs, until you get a real sense of how fast you can produce. (Design in the real world, after all, is a commodity.)

Clients may want to trust freelance designers, but may times they don't–they’re always looking to get stiffed, overcharged, etc. Likewise, designers can have the same animosity and distrust of clients. This all just makes for bad working relationships; when what’s really needed is honest, open, straightforward communication at the start. And I will say this about your "manifesto"–it certainly opens up that door…

Yes, it's taken me awhile to finally grow tired of 'eating my own hours' as a freelancer. But that phenomenon happens for various reasons; and I would like to address that whole dynamic in this series of posts. Part 2 coming soon!

Terry

The Virtues of vistaprint.com (Yes, There Are Actually a Couple...)

One day, a friend showed me two separate business cards that looked exactly the same. I assumed they'd been given to him from different businesspersons within the same organization, and confused I asked "Okay, why are you showing me this?"

Then he nudged me to take a closer look, and I realized these were two different companies, with the exact same business card design! It seemed both these local businesses had selected the same 'template' from vistaprint.com, and both had had occasion to do business with my friend that day.

Laughable coincidence, maybe—but at the time, one I'd never seen before. It was heresy. I mean, by nature, the very reason for having an identity is to set yourself apart—not to look just like someone else. What fool would sabotage themselves this way?

As crazy as that was to me, I've since come to understand—or at least come to terms with—how these low-budget solutions such as vistaprint.com can actually be a godsend. Not just for struggling entrepreneurs, but also for us designers. We now have somewhere to refer clients who complain about how outrageous our fees are! (Just tell 'em to go 'pick a template' somewhere...)

Don't get me wrong—I don't see all this as some kind of twisted democratization or 'leveling of the playing field.' It's just about people now having more affordable options. And I'm glad my 'financially challenged' clients now have somewhere they can go, even if the design or production standard isn't as high as I would have insured for them. (Well, you get what you pay for!) With any luck, they'll come back once they can afford some real design, right?

Well, maybe and maybe not. It's like raising children: At a certain point, you've just got to let them do what they will. They're going to anyway...

The Necessity of Freelancing(Especially for an In-Houser)...

It’s always made me feel kinda special that graphic design is one of the handful of professions that allows us to make regular money as freelancers—whether full- or part-time. Even doing it on the side, there’s a feeling of freedom associated with not having to depend on a single, primary source of income for one’s livelihood.

Actually, life for most designers necessitates the ability to freelance, on some level. Either for the extra money, as a creative outlet, or to achieve some other career-related or personal goal. But especially, it seems, for those of us employed in the small-business or corporate sectors.

For me, freelancing is all of those things: The freedom and responsibility of being ‘my own business’; projects that offer a refreshing diversion from the norm; the chance to stay connected with my colleagues; and a little pocket change, to boot. In fact, despite that I rarely find time to market my design services beyond the webfolio—or ever have more than one job going at a time—I get enough sidework through colleagues and business associates that it's become a second source of income that I couldn't do without.

Through freelancing—as well as other endeavors—the world of an in-houser can actually be much broader than simply the company where he/she works each day. Which is great for a number of potential ‘occupational hazards’ associated with working in a cramped, florescent-lit cube all day, alone in a sea of nothing but stressed-out non-creatives as far as the eye can see. (A designer's manifestation of the Matrix.)

So a portion of this blog, as well as the upcoming website, will be dedicated to freelance design and those who do it—both as 'sidework' and as a full-time business. I look forward to sharing my experiences and views, and I welcome you all to do the same. Stay tuned...