10
votes
Monthly Fee vs. One-Time Payment for a Large Project with Difficult Client
Step 1 is to protect yourself with a clear scope of work. Write up a clear, concise scope of the work you are performing. Include not only the work being performed by also what is NOT being ...
- 201
10
votes
Accepted
How do I tell a client that I'm working fewer hours because they pay me much worse than my other clients?
Simple, either raise their pricing or drop the client. It's business. There's little point in working even a few hours for less money than you could earn with another client. Businesses typically do ...
- 17.4k
8
votes
Should I accept a low hourly rate while in between contracts?
Don't do it.
Clearly they don't value your work, a 60% discount is what you ask for haggling in a North African marketplace, not development work with a freelancer. And keep in mind that although ...
- 1,629
7
votes
How to politely turn down a client's request for a free test job?
I've been a designer for over 25 years, there has never been any reason for me to ever work for free at the request of someone I didn't know. Ever.
Yes I've worked for free for family or friends, ...
- 17.4k
7
votes
Accepted
How much do I charge?
First off, charge by the hour. Without knowing a great many details about your expectations for payment, level of skill, customer expectations, graphics, whatever, it's impossible to come up with an ...
- 164
7
votes
Accepted
Rude and confusing client but possible important job
He said he wanted to talk about the website. We agreed to contact again the week after to fix a meeting date and hour.
This didn't exactly happen, did it? You drove across town, and back, to sit ...
- 5,313
7
votes
Client wants free and half-rate meetings
I think you know the answer to this, but may be a bit apprehensive about losing the client if you fail to attend these meetings. That's always a possibility.
It's your business. Your pricing and what ...
- 17.4k
6
votes
Monthly Fee vs. One-Time Payment for a Large Project with Difficult Client
For large projects I always do monthly billings to the client plus a prepayment before starting the project to pay initial costs.
It is perfectly OK to do like that, it is a mutual responsibility.
...
- 2,054
6
votes
Raise price of hourly rate for existing client
Every one of us has come to this point. In my case, at some point when I got "too many" clients, I started filtering them on those keep working and those that simply take my time.
I sent circular ...
- 14.4k
6
votes
Complicated situation with client and a never ending project
Why do you allow being treated like this? "Calling me every 2h and messaging every 15min + threatening" - WFT bro????
I would never, NEVER, N E V E R allow being treated like this.
Now, aside of ...
- 14.4k
6
votes
I grossly under estimated my costs for a job and want to renegotiate compensation. Should I?
No matter how you present it, that is blackmail. And I very much doubt a bank did not let you sign an NDA which prohibits you from using this data elsewhere.
Fixed price is exactly what the name ...
- 1,629
6
votes
How do I tell a client that I'm working fewer hours because they pay me much worse than my other clients?
In 5 years of working with this client, your skill level has probably increased: you definitely do the same job faster than 5 years (and even a year) ago and most likely you do your job better. This (...
- 301
5
votes
What's the proper way to ask the recruiter for a certain hourly rate?
I always provide a hard number and never a range - but that comes down to my weakness as a haggler. Instead I prefer more or less stating a price as an ultimatum. When I quote a range, I feel I seem ...
- 3,822
5
votes
How to respond no to "Are your rates negotiable?"
Saying "No" is completely acceptable, and you shouldn't worry about offending the client.
There are two points not brought up in the current answers that are worth mentioning:
I remember that ...
- 151
5
votes
Should I accept a low hourly rate while in between contracts?
If someone would ask me a 60% discount off my hourly rate it would be offensive to my worker's dignity. I would not even keep up a telephone conversation with someone like that.
I would consider a 5%...
- 2,054
5
votes
Accepted
Freelance programmer's monthly fees, expectations too high?
Ah, the good old fashioned "stuff works and never breaks" assumption from a non-it manager.
First up, DBA requirements. Advise them that if they do not wish to procure DBA support from you, they will ...
- 1,030
5
votes
Accepted
Decision and negotiation of long term time-consuming job
Well from what I can see, you are a good photographer and you have more work than you can handle. So this is a good position for expansion. The same happened to me in the programming field.
...
- 14.4k
5
votes
Rude and confusing client but possible important job
It sounds to me like he treated your interview as if he was interviewing a potential new employee, rather than interviewing a freelancer. He most likely wanted to meet you and get a feel for you as an ...
- 1,660
4
votes
How can I get paid more despite disclosing my hourly rate?
So you'd rather lose a job than tell the client your hourly rate is higher now? You see how this looks silly when you read it.
Well, if only 1 year had passed since your last work, you could then ...
- 14.4k
4
votes
What if I feel client is over-charged
What you are experiencing is the difference between value-to-the-client billing, and cost-of-supplier-inputs billing.
Do not refund. There is a set scope of work, and an agreed set fee.
- 258
4
votes
Rude and confusing client but possible important job
He does not look odd to me. Just another overpotent I-am-the-smartest CEO. He is busy and you are some geek programmer who is doing something that his nephew could do, but just a bit better.
Would I ...
- 14.4k
4
votes
Rude and confusing client but possible important job
Whether or not the guy was "rude" is really your call. That's often more of a percieved thing. While what you've detailed doesn't really sound so much rude as possibly inattentive, his attitude really ...
- 17.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Is there a way to delegate bureaucratic tasks or social interactions?
Flat: assign a realstate company to rent it for you. They will take a considerable chunk of the rent, but 100% of the problems.
Taxes: I'm sure there are sass that will handle invoicing and taxing for ...
- 563
3
votes
What if I feel client is over-charged
Pricing is subjective. And of course, overpricing is also subjective. In my opinion, there is not a problem if the client knows exactly what's being paid for. The problem begins when you start ...
- 131
3
votes
Essential elements on contracts
Payment Terms
Payment terms are imposed to ensure that payments are received by you within a reasonable period of time of finishing the work. Many freelancers miss this important component.
I ...
- 5,313
3
votes
How to politely turn down a client's request for a free test job?
About myself, I start to work only after the contract is signed and I got a % as prepayment (unless it is a long term trusted client).
If I work for the client is not a divine concession that he ...
- 2,054
3
votes
How to reply a job interview while accepting it
The "must" you have to do is to thank for the invitation. If I am not mistaken, this can be done either "Thank you for the invitation" or "Thanks for the invitation".
After that you do like in other ...
- 14.4k
3
votes
Accepted
How to write technical offer?
Not sure what you mean by a technical offer. Perhaps this will help.
You write down what you are going to do, how long it will take, what the customer will get delivered at the end of it. This is ...
- 1,750
3
votes
What is implicit common practice in licensing software (client Javasript) for evaluation?
OK. Your client doesn't want to sign a licensing agreement. Here's how to look at this:
If the work has not already been performed, and you do the work, it's technically a work-for-hire, and the ...
- 5,313
3
votes
Accepted
Should I discuss price of underestimated fixed price job?
Always and always, in case of miscalculations, talk to the client first. Explain to him why you missed estimations and how you worked much more than you initially thought.
Ask the client if he is ...
- 14.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible