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You are here: Home / Archives for Make More Money Freelancing

A simple trick to get past freelance estimate anxiety

March 22, 2019 by Jake Poinier

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estimate anxietyYou know the feeling when you estimate projects for new clients: You run the numbers, and then run them again and maybe once or twice more. And yet your cursor still hovers over the “send” button on the email. I’ve been at the freelance game long enough to know there aren’t many constants, but estimate anxiety is surely one of them. When your mousing finger freezes up, it’s time for a reality check: “What’s the worst that could happen?” [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Make More Money Freelancing Tagged With: best practices, estimate anxiety, estimating projects, prospective clients, reality check, red-flag clients

7 ways to get more freelance referrals for your business

September 12, 2018 by Jake Poinier

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freelance referralsWord-of-mouth business is the closest thing we’ve got to perpetual motion in the freelance world. Not only are freelance referrals easier to get to sign on the dotted line—because your business has a third-party endorsement—they’re also far more likely to be easy to work with. With rare exceptions, a good client won’t send you a bad client. First, because a good client wants you to succeed. Second, because their own reputation is on the line. (Obligatory note of caution: Be wary of word-of-mouth business from not-so-hot clients, who have a penchant for passing along their equally challenging pals.) [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Make More Money Freelancing Tagged With: best practices, client referrals, diversification, prospective clients, word-of-mouth business

How do I charge for meetings with a new freelance client?

July 27, 2018 by Jake Poinier

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charge for meetingsA reader asks…Dr. Freelance: Yesterday I had an extended (almost 2-hour) meeting with a potential new client. The good news is that they have a project for me, assuming the estimate is acceptable, and they said there would be more in the future. The bad news is that the project is small enough that I can’t possibly recoup the costs for my time, because it would basically double the estimate. I know you believe you should charge for meetings, but how do I do that in this circumstance? I don’t want to price myself out of a freelance job!—Time Is Money (i.e., you can call me “Tim”) [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Make More Money Freelancing Tagged With: estimating projects, negotiation, pricing freelance jobs, prospective clients, sales strategies

Stop worrying about freelancers who undercharge

August 22, 2017 by Jake Poinier

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freelancers-underpricing“Freelancers who undercharge are ruining the business!” “Freelancers who work for free are undermining my prices!”

Nonsense.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Make More Money Freelancing Tagged With: best practices, Freelance Pricing, prospective clients, rants, rates too low

Freelance project deposits aren’t just about the money

August 1, 2017 by Jake Poinier

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freelance project depositsDr. Freelance: Like you, I prefer to give prospective clients a range estimate. But once they accept it, what number do I use to determine the amount for freelance project deposits? I’ve heard anywhere from 30-50%—I’m feeling comfortable with 35%, personally—but 35% of what? The low end? The mean? Probably *not* the high end.—Rachel [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Make More Money Freelancing Tagged With: best practices, estimating projects, Freelance Pricing, freelance project deposits, prospective clients, red flags

Value-based pricing: How can it boost your freelance business?

April 25, 2017 by Jake Poinier

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value-based pricingValuing your services on the basis of your skills, knowledge, and experience—as opposed to hourly rates for a task—gives your freelance business a lot more income potential than blindly following rate sheets. It’s not a calculation you can make in isolation, however. A value-based pricing approach requires looking at the situation from the client’s perspective: What can they expect from their investment if they hire you? [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Make More Money Freelancing Tagged With: best practices, client perspectives, Freelance Pricing, freelance rates, return on investment

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