Dealing With People Who Suck

You may already suspect this, but every freelance job is not going to go smoothly. Take my experience, where my design and idea were taken and modified and used without my consent or credit. I didn’t have anything sunk into that project except some time, and the folks I had originally coordinated with were apologetic, so it wasn’t the end of the world. But every project gone awry won’t be that inconsequential. This is the sticky side of freelance—the part that you don’t really want to think about, like health insurance and taxes.

What the freelancers say

One of the freelancers I spoke with, Connie Scheer, cited getting paid as a top challenge of freelancing. “Not knowing if you’re going to get paid is the scariest part,” she said. “I’ve had clients where they’ll add things, or it takes them six months to pay and you spend all your time chasing down bills and invoices. When you’re busy, that’s the juggle of being the accountant and your own marketing person and your own designer and writer, and all of those hats you have to wear as a freelancer–you want to minimize the question of how you get paid.”

And many of the other freelancers I spoke with said that finding regular clients you can trust is key to a successful freelance career (read Julia’s take here, check out Ian’s take here, and Lisa’s take here).

Sara Miller, who hires freelancers for her company, said that they depend heavily on references and finding experienced freelancers so they are more likely to avoid sticky situations. She said, "[When hiring, the most important things are] experience, sincere referrals (especially if they are public on LinkedIn, which shows some confidence from the person giving the referral), and an impressive portfolio/resume. Because of our small team and big-name clients, we don’t have a lot of patience for mediocrity."

Bad situations in the freelance world are not uncommon. In fact, there’s a whole podcast and website about these awful situations called Clients from Hell. The site doesn’t focus solely on freelance, but tells the tales of anyone in the creative industry who has encountered eyebrow-raising situations. And although the stories are entertaining to read, I shudder to think of being involved. Sure, sometimes clients are just clueless and need things better explained (before I was in the business I didn’t understand things like hi-res photos and CMYK vs RGB color either), but unfortunately, some people will try to take advantage of you.

So, what do you do?

How do you avoid your own clients from hell? There are a few ways, especially when you're just starting out:

Network, network, network.

Not to sound like a broken record, but use your network. If someone you know and trust can vouch for a client, it lowers the chances of the job going south. Just like someone hiring you wants references and experience, seek clients who you can trust based on testimonials from people you know.

Use reputable sources to find work.

Work through sites like UpWork that have protections in place for the freelancers and the clients. Much like commerce sites like eBay, freelance sites have an interest in protecting their users. These sites have reviews of both freelancers and clients so you can make educated choices about who you work with, and terms of service that include using contracts for every project and assistance for disputes and arbitration. Although working through those sites is no guarantee (and they take a cut of your money), they offer some recourse for problems, unlike a job you found on Craigslist.

Watch for signs of a bad freelance client. 

You may be able to pick up on warning signs early on. As this Medium article outlines, some client behaviors are early predictors for trouble down the road. Keep an eye out for things like refusal to work with a contract, lack of clarity about what they actually want, and micromanagers.

Have a contract.

Contracts show that you mean business, and that you aren’t clueless about how freelancing works. And, if things go really wrong, you’ll have legal recourse. Best case: you never have to go to court over a freelance job. Worst case: you’re going to be damn glad you have a contract if a big chunk of change and hours of your time are hanging in the balance. (Full disclosure: for the freelance jobs I did for this project, I didn’t have a contract. The jobs were not terribly expensive or time consuming, but in one instance, a contract really wouldn’t have been a bad idea.)

When it comes to actually creating a contract, typically you can have one version that you modify to fit the various jobs you take on. You can either work with a lawyer to draw a contract up, or use an online resource site. It’s even possible to find instructions and sample contracts for free online.

Certainly, one hopes never to resort to legal action, but having everything spelled out in a contract is just smart. On the highest level, a contract makes the freelance process official, and clients will be inclined to take you more seriously if you follow negotiations with a contract in hand. Additionally, a contract helps you and the client manage expectations. The framework of the job is right there in print—everyone knows what they’re getting—both work and pay.