10
votes
Accepted
Get freelance contracts and not only hired contracts
If your services as a freelancer are valuable, it makes sense for the client to prefer to hire you on a permanent basis - so you cannot really blame them for trying.
All you can do is inform them that ...
- 3,967
8
votes
Accepted
Can I modify clients testimonials?
This answer is based upon my 20 years experience of having legal departments review testimonials and approve/refuse edits. I am not a lawyer though. Almost every piece I design has many, many ...
- 17.5k
8
votes
I am leaving work to go freelance - can I contact my employer's clients once I leave?
It is a grey area. If you do not have a non-compete, send out an email to the clients thanking them for the time working with them and let them know you have left to go on your own and appreciate ...
- 484
7
votes
I am leaving work to go freelance - can I contact my employer's clients once I leave?
If you have non-compete clause (NCC) in the contact, then it's illegal indeed.
If not, then it's not morally right. And if I am the client, I would never break relations with my contractor, I am ...
- 14.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How to enter freelance websites with high rates since the beginning
I understand your problem. What helped me to develop a profile is the following:
Make clear from the beginning your prices and years of experience. Don't justify it, there are always jobs/projects ...
- 388
5
votes
I am leaving work to go freelance - can I contact my employer's clients once I leave?
You might want to consider the message you'll send to these clients.....
If you're willing to "stab your employer in the back" by trying to steal their clients, clients might consider that quite ...
- 17.5k
5
votes
Get freelance contracts and not only hired contracts
Offer to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement
Maybe the company is reluctant to ask, risking offending you and souring the relationship. There are many sites (1, 2, 3, 4) which offer free templates. This ...
- 284
5
votes
How to reject a project that does not fit with my skills or goes beyond my skills in order to keep your client for future projects?
The best way to keep that client is to find a subcontractor who can do the job. In that way, you move from being "a programmer" to "someone who solves computer problems." When you ...
- 1,972
5
votes
Is getting software development clients really harder?
First off, every freelancer is different and will wind up with different strategies for getting new clients. (That is why questions like this might be closed as unanswerable.) The most important thing ...
- 1,972
4
votes
Accepted
How important is it to be a nice guy to your clients?
Mutual kindness, gentleness and thankfulness is very important to keep long term good relationships with clients.
I have many clients who could go to any other freelance but they always wants me ...
- 2,294
4
votes
Managing client expectations when estimated time is more than expected
While the answers provided effectively address the bulk of your question, I wanted to address your last statement:
"I really don't want to lose this client since it looks like an excellent long term ...
- 275
4
votes
How to enter freelance websites with high rates since the beginning
The short answer is 'yes', you can start with a higher rate. People who participate in the race to the bottom form a separate layer - you don't start there and then work your way to the top. By ...
- 631
4
votes
Best practices for starting as a freelancer with little time to prepare?
This may come across as a bit harsh. It's honestly not meant to be. It is however a realistic answer.
The best approach if you don't have a financial cushion to fall back on, is to get another job.
...
- 17.5k
4
votes
Accepted
Inflated business area, what to do?
First of all keep in mind that freelancing always is a risk. Sometimes things are going well, sometimes not. Sometimes I love to be free and having no boss, but sometimes I really hate the ...
- 166
4
votes
Accepted
Leaving my full time job for 1 client
Basically, this will come down to your personal circumstances.
There are a few factors one generally needs to consider when going alone:
Your financial situation
The reliability of the first client (...
- 3,967
4
votes
Starting a startup?
Let me start with the easy answer: "Hard work and commitment almost guarantees success?" No. All that does is to give you either bigger muscles or callouses on your hands. I recommend ...
- 1,972
3
votes
Accepted
Best practices for starting as a freelancer with little time to prepare?
Can this help you: How do I get my first job at a freelancing site? ?
Aside of this, majority of us started freelancing having full-time job. No one waited to get fired, but we gathered crumbles and ...
- 14.5k
3
votes
What's the best cold call pitch for a freelancing software engineer?
I try to keep things quick, to the point, and professional - saves everyone time. I've never written down a script since each project/company can vary a lot, but something along the lines of:
"Hi, ...
- 151
3
votes
Can I use logos of companies I have worked for, directly & indirectly, on my website?
In the litigious environment we operate in today I would be very careful to use a logo of a firm on your website. I agree with Brian K Haney's discussion with nominative use above.
Going forward, as ...
3
votes
Accepted
How do I advertise my freelance services effectively?
The standard approach of picking up jobs online, coupled with some good linkedin will serve you well.
Also, general networking and industry conferences are a great way to meet other people in your ...
- 1,040
3
votes
Accepted
How should a backend developer showcase his/her projects?
Could you showcase how you've been efficient?
A customer had a query that ran for over 3 minutes to retrieve the data. After detailing the requirements, I was able to run a query to produce the ...
- 6,943
3
votes
How should a backend developer showcase his/her projects?
For a back-end developer, I believe your portfolio would be the enterprises and the scale of the projects you worked on. Even though I am a front-end developer, I'm not really focused on integrating ...
- 141
3
votes
Accepted
Does email domain affect the chances of getting clients?
If you're not in the position to buy a domain (most available for under $15/yr), then you may need to look at other options.
For the longest time, I used [email protected], and clients didn't seem ...
- 6,943
3
votes
Advertise through email
Have you ever, for any reason, answered a marketing/sales email from a sender you did not personally recognize?
I get about 6-10 of the, "Hi, I'm a web developer that can improve your site" emails ...
- 17.5k
3
votes
Advertise through email
If you really can create something and then sell it, and you need to convince others that you can do it well, it's much better to really create something and show the world what you've got. No need to ...
- 301
3
votes
Advertise through email
Cold calling is hard work. I have had some success emailing potential clients by:
making it clear I am a web developer in the same geographic area
describing a specific (non-trivial) problem with ...
- 2,038
3
votes
How to become a freelance programmer without knowing much about Web Design?
To be honest, in my experience Web Development is already a highly saturated market (lots of people doing it plus lots of 'build your own website solutions available to the general public). It's ...
- 131
3
votes
How do you know if a client is serious about your service?
I provide estimates, details, etc.
Wait a week.
If I hear nothing, I'll reach out once. Asking if they have any further questions I can assist with. Often a client may tell me at that time that ...
- 17.5k
3
votes
Leaving my full time job for 1 client
The most of experienced freelancers always advise never abandoning your current job. If you wish to freelance only do it keeping your current one and working part-time as freelancer. At least it'd be ...
- 329
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