Just finishing my first job, I have a few questions though

[RWD]

hello, I'm new to the forum and the world of freelance graphic design. Sorry if this is basic stuff but I'm completely self taught and don't know any other graphic designers (hence why I taught myself!).

I've done some digging but still not sure on the answers as of yet. So basically I've designed a bunch of press kits and agreed a price X amount per kit, now I have some questions...

1. They want to make updates to the kits as they get more info in the future, do I charge an hourly rate for updates? Or would they expect the price includes updates?

2. I'm just providing the finished product as you would, what would I do if they ask for the "build" files? Do clients sometimes ask for all the working files? As they could get you to do the hard bit then finish it themselves putting you out of work.

3. Should I send my invoice after I've given them all the completed work? If so is there any safeguards for instance they could just stop replying and not pay me. I'm only asking as I'm also a professional drummer and recorded some tracks for an artist through an agency and we agreed a project of 5 tracks at X amount per track, I did 2 or three and sent them, they paid me half of the grand total and then they disappeared, I heard nothing from them, at least I was pretty much covered for what I did but I've never heard from them since.

 

[Paul Murray]

1. I'd charge per hour on top, unless you agreed that the cost would include updates, which surely it wouldn't as you have no way of knowing how many revisions or updates they will want. There's nothing worse than a client expecting to get some amends to a 6 month old job for free simply because they 'assumed' it was covered in the initial cost.

2. If they want design files, hand them over. Unless you've agreed beforehand that you retain them it can cause issues. In future if you do need to retain files, then specify upfront that you will be, or negotiate a fee for release of said files. In most cases though it's fine to hand over the files (but check the licenses for any fonts you may be passing along). From experience it's actually cheaper for companies to pay a designer than it is to have someone struggle through it in house, that is if they even have the software to open the files. Often design files are passed around for printing purposes, or in case they need to pass the files to someone else for whatever reason. I would't worry about being out of work. In time you'll find you can re-use your older files to save time with new clients so it all evens out.

3. Ideally you'd have taken a deposit beforehand and have a signed contract or written agreement of what they will pay and when. I take 50% up front and then the final payment when the work is completed and signed-off by the client. For larger projects I agree to charge in stages, and always try to work within a certain boundary, so I'm never owed more than a few hours of time. If the client disappears, at least I'm not out of pocket by days. Similarly it means I'm not working for weeks at a time with no income. If a client refuses to pay a deposit up-front, walk away.

With larger companies however you may find you need to get a purchase order before you start any work. This is a legally binding agreement that the company will pay you for your services, and can take the place of a deposit. If they require a PO in order to pay an invoice, ensure you get one before starting any work. Without one, you likely won't get paid and will hard a hard time making a claim.

If you plan to continue freelancing, definitely get contracts or written agreements drawn up before you do any work, as it's documentation of what is expected from each party. Expect to make a few mistakes in future but learn from them. Remember to be straight and direct from the start as this will dictate how you work with that client in future. If you go into a project on a compromise then expect to have to compromise again and again. Try not to see yourself as a single person, but as the face of a business. Your business needs to make money in order to pay you a wage. There's some shady people out there but in time you'll find you learn to avoid them. If you use contracts, take a deposit and/or request purchase orders to protect yourself and your business, you'll find these clients instantly disappear from your life completely.

 

[scotty]

Wow! Like WOW! Paul's got it nailed.

You'll find on certain design blogs that they have some very good guides to going freelance, taking the leap, staying sane and alive. Stuff like that.
Many are pretty much copy + paste of each other and pretty generic but I've been reading some quite good stuff over at CreativeBoom.

Don't worry about sounding naive. You don't. We all started somewhere and it's a continual learning curve.

Good luck with the move to freelance.

 

[RWD]

Wow, as Scotty said, nailed it! thanks for the detailed response, great advice.

1. I'd charge per hour on top, unless you agreed that the cost would include updates, which surely it wouldn't as you have no way of knowing how many revisions or updates they will want. There's nothing worse than a client expecting to get some amends to a 6 month old job for free simply because they 'assumed' it was covered in the initial cost.[/QUOTE}
Yes exactly what i thought, i have gone back to them with an hourly rate as i think they're expecting me to just do updates, they've already got a great deal for all the work i've done as it was a little confusing the agreement to start with - i think they were after a student to do it for free! i agreed as it's my first job i'll do the first batch at a discounted rate but i can tell they're pushing it, not in a bad way but he knows i'm new to freelancing and think he's see how much he can get for as little as possible! luckily he really likes what i'm doing so i think i have the upper hand...

[QUOTE}2. If they want design files, hand them over. Unless you've agreed beforehand that you retain them it can cause issues. In future if you do need to retain files, then specify upfront that you will be, or negotiate a fee for release of said files. In most cases though it's fine to hand over the files (but check the licenses for any fonts you may be passing along). From experience it's actually cheaper for companies to pay a designer than it is to have someone struggle through it in house, that is if they even have the software to open the files. Often design files are passed around for printing purposes, or in case they need to pass the files to someone else for whatever reason. I would't worry about being out of work. In time you'll find you can re-use your older files to save time with new clients so it all evens out.

I thought that may be the case, i just know in some fields people aren't so keen to hand over the original/project files like photography or music for instance as it's the finished product they're paying for, the raw photographs or song mix isn't the finished product and you may not want people to see or hear it as it doesn't represent your work, especially if the client then shared it.

3. Ideally you'd have taken a deposit beforehand and have a signed contract or written agreement of what they will pay and when. I take 50% up front and then the final payment when the work is completed and signed-off by the client. For larger projects I agree to charge in stages, and always try to work within a certain boundary, so I'm never owed more than a few hours of time. If the client disappears, at least I'm not out of pocket by days. Similarly it means I'm not working for weeks at a time with no income. If a client refuses to pay a deposit up-front, walk away.

Yeah i completely forgot to ask for half up front or a contract for that matter, luckily its not a huge amount and i made sure it was all clearly stated in the emails the cost and what work was being done. also i know about the company, where they are and some people signed to them (its a music agency). going forward as it seems he has more work for me i'll bare these things in mind!

If you plan to continue freelancing, definitely get contracts or written agreements drawn up before you do any work, as it's documentation of what is expected from each party. Expect to make a few mistakes in future but learn from them. Remember to be straight and direct from the start as this will dictate how you work with that client in future. If you go into a project on a compromise then expect to have to compromise again and again. Try not to see yourself as a single person, but as the face of a business. Your business needs to make money in order to pay you a wage. There's some shady people out there but in time you'll find you learn to avoid them. If you use contracts, take a deposit and/or request purchase orders to protect yourself and your business, you'll find these clients instantly disappear from your life completely.

does an email conversation count as written agreement? the emails from each of us have signatures with our details but i know that does necessarily mean a lot.

 

[Paul Murray]

I know what you mean, I had the same thinking at first about handing over files, though now I'd actually rather a client had changes done in house or by someone cheaper, as I'm often so busy that a quick 1 hour job just isn't worth the hassle any more, especially when I'm working on a job that's billing per day. For the most part though, there's very little purpose to retaining design files solely for yourself.

An email with them agreeing to pay X amount for Y services would certainly be considered proof enough in a claims court. So long as you have something in writing, you should be covered, but eventually I'd look to have a solid contract written up by a solicitor. Whilst you don't technically need one, they're a good way to scare off 'iffy' clients who don't like to be legally obliged to do anything. You'll find that by working to a professional standard and operating like a real business, you'll naturally demand a higher quality client, often resulting in better pay.

It's scary at first, and one of the hardest things to do (I still struggle to this day) is confidently charging an adequate fee. It's tempting to undersell yourself, but in time you'll get used to asking for a certain rate of pay for your time and expertise. If potential clients question it or suggests a lower fee, then they're probably not a client you'd want in the first place.

 

[scotty]

I've thought of including a T&C's or FAQ page to my site/s (the new and old).
Just to give anyone an idea of how I work and what to expect as well as scare off the riffraff.

 

[Levi]

I actually have in my terms and conditions that I retain all 'work' files used to produce finished work and are only transferred to the client if specified in the original contract..... along with 'please read T&C's before agreeing to the contract on quotes/invoices because once agreed changes may incur additional expenses.

Email and phone call 'contracts' actually can be classed as legally binding in the UK although obviously the latter is harder to prove. In case of email contracts make sure they reply to your email with the quote (PDF ideally) they're agreeing to included (check it too) so that there is no area to dispute if any issues arise later down the line. I'd also suggest using an IMAP type email provider so a copy is stored on their servers rather than your pc like with pop3, essentially it's harder to forge IMAP email and is easier to prove your case that way if needed. Also set up some sort of reference code system too, this will help keep track of things and personally a new quote is a new reference.

As to purchase orders... I've had companies delay paying them because 'they hadn't been paid by their client'.... luckily it was only a week and for a small amount but while they may be legally binding they don't necessarily mean they pay up on time or at all.

My usual approach to short term jobs (retainers etc are different) is 50% up front and then the remainder within 15-30 days of completion and supply of work. Second invoice is sent with work with date of payment clearly marked. Single day jobs are pay up front and retainers are either monthly or quarterly type payments in advance.