Forum Discussion
Freelancers -- where do you find most of your work?
I know that question is sort of like where's your favorite fishing hole. Hi, all -- I've been a freelancer for about a year and a half now, and for the first time, things are slow. I guess I'm on t...
Hi, Lisa:
Regarding getting paid, I usually construct the contract around three or so installments--1/3 at the beginning, middle, and end. Of course, if they are selling the training, you might choose to work for a percentage of sales, too. Not a bad way to go, if you are confident they can sell it.
I think the hardest thing is bidding the project, as many times your clients have no idea what they really want. Of course, that's part of our job. And when you are helping them determine what kind of training they want, you are also shaping their expectations, which is huge. When bidding, I usually have three or so in-depth calls about what I think they want. I'll then send them examples of courses that I think accord with what I think they want (you could always use the Articulate Showcase for this). I also find it helpful to talk to the client about lesson length--e.g., three lessons of 30-45 minutes, etc.
Once I have a decent idea of what they want, I can bid it. It's sort of like building a house in that way. Hope some of this helps. --Daniel
