As a freelancer, you know the importance of successfully managing your first client. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of common pitfalls that can cause failure when managing your first freelance client.
Freelancing can be a great way to make extra income or even make a full-time living. But the truth is, freelancing isn’t always easy. It requires dedication, hard work, and discipline to stay on top of your workload and manage your clients effectively. Unfortunately, many freelancers end up failing because they don’t have the skills necessary to properly manage their first client. In this post, we’ll look at five common causes of failure in managing your first freelance client.
Not Being Clear About Your Expectations and Goals from the Start
One of the biggest mistakes in managing your first freelance client is not being clear about your expectations and goals from the start.
It’s very important to make sure both you and your client are on the same page from the get-go. Before taking on any project for a freelance client, you should have a clear understanding of what the job entails and what kind of timeline you need to meet in order to get it done. Make sure you discuss all expectations upfront so that there are no misunderstandings down the line.
This includes discussing fees, timeline, deliverables, and any other details that need to be agreed upon before starting the project. By doing this upfront, you can set yourself up for success by having an understanding of what each party expects from the project.
Misunderstanding Payment Terms or Agreements
Another mistake in managing your first freelance client is misunderstanding payment terms or agreements. It’s essential that you understand any payment terms or agreements before beginning work on a project with a new client.
Make sure you read through any contracts before signing them so that you know exactly what kind of payment terms you will be agreeing to and how much money you will be receiving for each project. Be sure to ask questions if something isn't clear, as this will help prevent misunderstandings later on.
Also, make sure you are familiar with any payment structures such as hourly rates, flat fees, or retainer agreements. You should also make sure there is an understanding of when payments are due and how they will be made (e.g., PayPal, direct deposit).
Having a clear understanding of these payment terms will help ensure that both parties have an understanding of what is expected from one another throughout the duration of the project.
Not Having Proper Communication With Your Client
Communication is key when it comes to managing your first freelance client, or any type of client for that matter, and not having proper communication can lead to disaster.
Be sure to keep open lines of communication between yourself and your clients at all times during the course of a project, this includes giving updates on progress regularly, responding quickly to emails or messages, and setting up regular check-ins (if applicable). Not having proper communication can lead to misunderstandings, which could result in delayed timelines or incomplete deliverables—both of which could cost you time and money in the long run.
Not Keeping Track Of Your Time And Expenses
Keeping track of your time and expenses is another mistake that many freelancers make when it comes to managing their first freelance clients. Time management is essential if you want to succeed as a freelancer. As a freelancer, it’s important to keep track of how much time you spend on each task associated with a particular project so that you can accurately bill for those hours worked—whether it be on an hourly basis or on a flat fee structure.
Keeping track of any expenses related to each job such as software subscriptions or equipment purchases, travel costs, or materials purchased, will help ensure that all costs associated with completing a job are accounted for—and that they are properly billed for accordingly.
Inadequate Planning
Having no plan in place can lead to tasks falling behind schedule and additional resources being needed, which may incur more costs than anticipated. Make sure you have properly planned out each step of the project before beginning to avoid any unnecessary issues later down the line.
If you lack a plan for your project, it can quickly snowball into an uncontrollable mess that is costly and difficult to manage.
Even the most experienced freelancer or entrepreneur may overlook this vital step and end up paying the price in time and money due to missed deadlines or unexpected expenses. To avoid these issues, it's essential to be proactive and have an organized plan that incorporates all of the necessary elements with plenty of room for contingencies.
This means taking the time to brainstorm potential scenarios, research solutions, list out tasks and timeline them appropriately, and build in some slack if any unanticipated problems arise.
Having a clear strategy helps everyone involved stay on track, allowing you to reap the rewards of your hard work at the end without any nasty surprises along the way.
Conclusion
Managing your first freelance client can be challenging, but taking steps like setting expectations early on, understanding payment terms/agreements properly, communicating regularly with clients, and keeping track of time/expenses can help ensure that projects run smoothly and successfully every time.
If you take these steps into account when working with new clients then you will set yourself up for success as well as build strong relationships along the way.
The key is just making sure that everyone involved understands each other's needs along with having an excellent plan in place prior to starting any projects—this way any potential pitfalls can hopefully be avoided.
All these tips combined should enable anyone taking on their first freelance gig to feel more confident about tackling their new venture successfully.
At the future of work program, you will learn the five causes of failure in managing your freelance clients and how to avoid them, thus building effective client relationships and growing your brand in today's digital world.
We have free training available to unemployed and underemployed youths below 35 from families in the B40 income tier. With our program, you'll gain the skills you need to kickstart your freelancing and full-time career and succeed—all online.
Apply for a free training today and get started on your exciting new career!
Do you have any other tips for managing your freelance clients? We'd love to hear them.
