We live in a world where more people are taking their skills out of the office. You could be one of those people that do not want to be stuck to a desk waiting for lunch time just to eat. The world of freelancing may be for you. There is a thin line between being a bill collector and a freelancer. That is making sure you get paid for the work you do. Writers, artists, or social media managers, nearly any position that is done in the office can be done outside of the cubicle. The only issue that people worry about when becoming a freelancer is how to get paid. In a perfect world, clients will just pay up because they understand the basic trade of money for service. What do you do when your client doesn’t pay? Here are the top things you must do to make sure your I-O-U doesn’t become a D-O-A.
Contracts:
You know how you sign all that paperwork when you get a traditional job? That’s a contract. When you agree to do something for a client or business be sure to always write up some sort of terms for the service. This part doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put together, a few words stating what you are going to do and when you expect to be paid is what you need. Don’t hesitate to become a Google-ologist and search for contract example templates online.
Stay Professional:
When you are a freelancer, your past clients are your references. As much as you may want to call on the goons to get your money, that is something you can’t do. Your initial contact should be firm, yet friendly. Send your invoices by snail mail, e-mail, and a phone call. The call gives them the notification to look for it, the postcard is a mini reminder and the email becomes part of their to-do list. You don’t want to call every day Sometimes the person who you dealt with may not be the one responsible for paying.
Payroll’s Bestie:
When a company hires employees they do a bit of research, You need to do this too. Find out who does their payroll and the contact information for human resources. In some cases, the person you were in contact with didn’t do their job of forwarding the invoice to their payroll department. Avoid the cat and mouse game by going straight to the source.
The life of a freelancer can be a struggle but the personal rewards are priceless. Many people are able to become stay at home parents, travel more or live stress-free. A few online searches can go a long way when it comes to getting paid for your services. Contracts are set in stone and even if the people you freelance for aren’t professional then you still need to remain so. Everything else will fall into place. The last thing you want to have to deal with is taking someone to small claim court which will probably cost you more than what you are owed.
Witten By: Mrs. Deprina Godboldo-Brooks