Web Worker Daily

Do you worry about chasing down payments because you don’t want to get into a touchy situation with your clients? Just because the client hasn’t paid in a timely manner doesn’t mean you should dump them from your client list as soon as they get around to paying you; it’s possible to collect with a smile.

You can find scores of articles talking about the dire state of the economy leading big businesses to pay late and collect fast and people struggling to keep their businesses afloat. We’ve provided some tips on dealing with non-paying clients previously, but here are some techniques used by businesses that have have collected payment without breaking knees or relationships. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not a lawyer and I don’t keep one on speed-dial. Just the same, though, there are often legal documents — such as contracts — that I routinely need for my work. Between consulting agreements, non-disclosure agreements and other legal documents that have become standard parts of the web working process, I’ve found that I need a way to quickly put together an agreement that I’m comfortable using with a client. FastDue has a simple template tool that I’ve been able to use to turn out an agreement quickly.
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Much as we wish it wasn’t true, on occasion we take on a contract that gets us in over our heads. Especially when we’re just starting, out or are unfamiliar with the field or industry in which we’re working. Obviously realizing that you can’t deliver what the client is expecting, and what you originally agreed to produce, can be a very stressful experience. It may even seem like it’s the end of your professional life.

It most likely isn’t, so don’t panic. There are steps you can take to mitigate the damage and come out as clean as possible on the other side.

I’ve run into this situation on two previous occasions. Once, I brought it on myself; the other time, the firm I was working for passed me a project due to staff transitions that had already been handed off so many times there was no clear record of who began it. The following tips come from what I learned from both experiences. Read the rest of this entry »

Proposals are no fun. Well, maybe they can be a little fun if you’re part of a proposals team within a larger company, but preparing them when you’re a freelancer working on your own is definitely no barrel of laughs. You’ve probably got ongoing contract work to focus on, and finding time to bid on new work, even if you know you’ll need it, isn’t always your top priority. Templates are good, but how do you make sure you always have access to the right template when you need it? Proposalware is a new proposal web app that hopes to simplify things by centralizing them — and by introducing a crucial mobile component to make sure you have access wherever you might be. Read the rest of this entry »

Web workers are often hired on on a contract basis. The benefit, and the failing, of contract work is that it is not permanent, and almost always ends. Sometimes you may have ample warning of a contract’s end date if you’ve established a set term beforehand, but sometimes the end comes unexpectedly, and you should always be prepared for that unfortunate possibility. Here’s a guide to the steps you should take when a contract closes. Read the rest of this entry »

If I were to list all the clients I’ve worked with during my freelancing career, I’d say that 99.5% of them were a pleasure to work with.  They gave clear instructions, sent constructive feedback, and paid me on time.  I love working with these clients over and over again.

Then there’s that 0.5% that I wish I never worked with.  They scammed me out of my work, never paid, and tried to get away with it.  After taking advantage of me, they repeat the same process with the next freelancer, and the next, and the next, until threads about their scamming ways start appearing in message boards.  Does this sound familiar to you?  If not, count yourself lucky.

It’s a good thing that this hasn’t happened to me in the last three years.  I probably owe this to the fact that I pay attention to any red flags or hunches I get when negotiating with new clients.

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