{"id":2464,"date":"2018-07-13T10:00:59","date_gmt":"2018-07-13T08:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/justmeneesha.com\/?p=2464"},"modified":"2021-07-06T11:00:18","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T09:00:18","slug":"free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/justmeneesha.com\/index.php\/2018\/07\/13\/free\/","title":{"rendered":"Freelance does not mean my services are free, people"},"content":{"rendered":"

Freelance does not mean my services are\u00a0free, people<\/span><\/h1>\n

I\u2019m a relative newbie to the world of freelancing<\/a> and I have already been caught out by a client (or two) who will not pay me. <\/span><\/p>\n

Freelancer, independent contractor, consultant \u2026 whatever we call ourselves doesn\u2019t matter. But we all have similar stories about not being paid. Even the most seasoned among us still falls prey to a rogue client. We\u2019ve all heard at least one of these: you didn\u2019t fulfil the brief, or you delivered late, or – my personal favourite – but you did it for exposure!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"JustMeneesha,

Every day I learn something new about running my own business. One of the most difficult lessons is ensuring I am remunerated.<\/p><\/div>\n

Now, I could sit back and bemoan a client\u2019s scruples. Or seek to expose them for their duplicity. Or simply shriek to the heavens in frustration. But will this help my bank account? Highly unlikely.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the offence<\/h3>\n

Allie Gray Freeland<\/span><\/a> says the \u201cbest defense against late or no payment is a good (and legally binding) offense\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether the person I do work for is a family member, friend or stranger, I have learnt that if I expect payment for anything I do, I must ensure a contract (or a memorandum of understanding at the least) is in place before I even begin thinking of the work. And that\u2019s my responsibility. I cannot depend on the client\u2019s sense of fair play or goodwill. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"JustMeneesha,

The responsibility to protect myself rests with me. I ensure that I have a memorandum of understanding, at the very least, in place with a client.<\/p><\/div>\n

Contract<\/h3>\n

Getting your hands on a simple contract is easy enough on the internet. I found a great start through <\/span>PandaDoc<\/span><\/a>*. I had to tweak a few clauses to make it relevant to my context. But on the whole, it has served me well.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the scope of my work changes often, I\u2019ve had to refine my contracts and now I have a few templates that I turn to depending on what I am doing. I\u2019ve learnt to seek out advice and assistance wherever I can – an attorney, colleagues at SAFREA (the Southern African Freelancers\u2019 Association I belong to), my partner, the internet. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s served me well not to be arrogant about my services. It serves me well to be pragmatic about protecting myself.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no 100% guarantee I will be paid, but it certainly encourages clients to take me seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n