How to Spot Great Clients Being a freelancer is amazing - what jobs you take is entirely up to you (I worked at an ad agency long enough to appreciate just how awesome that is) but sometimes even if a job sounds amazing, the client can be problematic.  Here are few tips I have learned the hard way: 1. Get a deposit.  I got this trick from my friend Danielle (we met over a mutual terrible client that left both of us angry and confused). How much of a deposit doesn’t matter as much as the Client’s reaction and speed at paying it.  It’ a gesture of good faith on the Client’s part, and it send the message home that they are paying for your time. 2. Always re-iterate what you percieve your Client’s expecations to be for the project.  This is a double-check for you to make sure you remembered everything from the marathon skype session or rambling conference call, and it also serves as a wonderful document to which you both can refer later on. It can be as simple as a follow up email with a few bullet points and some expected delivery dates, but getting in the habit of doing this is really valuable. 3. Give the benefit of the doubt. Once. I mean, no one’s perfect, right?  High-res

How to Spot Great Clients

Being a freelancer is amazing - what jobs you take is entirely up to you (I worked at an ad agency long enough to appreciate just how awesome that is) but sometimes even if a job sounds amazing, the client can be problematic.  Here are few tips I have learned the hard way:

1. Get a deposit.  I got this trick from my friend Danielle (we met over a mutual terrible client that left both of us angry and confused). How much of a deposit doesn’t matter as much as the Client’s reaction and speed at paying it.  It’ a gesture of good faith on the Client’s part, and it send the message home that they are paying for your time.

2. Always re-iterate what you percieve your Client’s expecations to be for the project.  This is a double-check for you to make sure you remembered everything from the marathon skype session or rambling conference call, and it also serves as a wonderful document to which you both can refer later on. It can be as simple as a follow up email with a few bullet points and some expected delivery dates, but getting in the habit of doing this is really valuable.

3. Give the benefit of the doubt. Once. I mean, no one’s perfect, right?