I recently just walked away from the biggest job of my life. This was the first opportunity of this size that I have had as a freelancer. I say this not to brag, but so simply illustrate something that I just had to learn the hard way. Just because the price tag is high, doesn’t mean you should take the project on.

Although there was a large price tag on my quote, there was something that was far more valuable to me that I wasn’t going to be paid. When I approach a project I think about two things before I take it on: how much can I charge and is this something that I can use to further my work. There is a dollar sign on one of those, but the other one is all about credit, street cred, recognition. If a project is huge, but I will not be getting any credit for it, it is not worth it to me. However, on the flip side, if the project has no budget and I see the potential to get some recognition through it and boost my portfolio, then –time permitting– I will take it on.

This is a hard thing to figure out and balance. I have been freelancing for about a year and half and I am just not starting to get the hang of it. There are times when I take on too much “for credit” work and have no time for any social life, but then there are other times when I take on too much “strictly business” projects and get sick of pushing pixels for the man.

Setting your terms up front.
As a freelancer you need to get a clear understanding of what someone may be asking you to do and what kind of role you will play before any project begins. Doing this upfront will prevent you from getting halfway through a gig and realizing that the relationship isn’t as clean cut as you assumed (and sadly, that you currently hate your job). Thinking through this prior to saying “yes” to a project will save you a lot of heart ache and lost opportunity.

For me, this is as simple as knowing that I am a freelance web developer. Another way to say it is that I am an independent contractor. Which means that I don’t have to work through other people (middle men! ick!) in order to get the work/leads to pay the bills. I can go straight to the hand that signs the checks if I want to. Now this is not everyone, but some designers are given the right mix of design ability and business sense to negotiate the murky waters of business suits and pinstripes.

Make It Clear. Get it in writing.
Once you know what your terms are, make them clear to the client and allow them to see it in writing. Having a basic “terms of service” contract available for a potential future client is a good thing so that they can see what you do and what you don’t do. This needs to line out a few key things: your rate, who gets credit for what, who owns the rights to the work once the project is done, and how they should pay you. There are some other potential areas to think through depending on the size and scope of the project, but getting the basics set in stone before you are under the gun is important. AIGA has a great contract that is available for free on their website to reference. It is what I built my contracts off of and I highly recommend it.

Fire Yourself
One of things that many people who freelance forget is that they are their own boss. Which means you are in direct control of how much you need to work and what you do and don’t do (and more importantly, will and won’t!). If you are in the middle of a horrible gig that is eating into the other aspects of your life (personal, family, friends) you always have the ability to walk away. Put simply, just fire yourself.

This is something that you can also work out in the contract. Many service contracts have sections in them outlining what happens if the project needs to get called off, and who pays what depending on who initiates the termination. You can and should put safeguards in the contract to protect yourself if this needs to happen. Don’t rip off the client, but don’t get taken advantage of either. Make sure it is fair for both sides. Also make sure that there is some incentive to keep both sides at the table and work out the unforeseen obstacle.

Always remember, that if you are a freelancer, you work for yourself. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a break, or cut the umbilical chord if the relationship/project is suffocating you. You may end up paying in the short run, but in the long run you will always be better off. There are times when you will be contractually obligated to fulfill certain aspects of a project by a certain time period, but if you need a break don’t be afraid to ask for it. Any halfway decent project manager (or human being for that matter) would rather have you in decent human form as much as possible, than completely run to rags and on emotional/creative empty 100% of the time.

Happy freelancing and good luck negotiating! Remember, to know who you are what you will and won’t do.

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