Types of Clients You’ll Likely Encounter as a Freelancer
I’ve been a freelance writer for a few years, and during this time, I’ve dealt with different types of clients. The typical client is appreciative and respects the fact that I do have a personal life. However, I’ve also ran into a few characters who thought my life and business revolved around their project.
Being a freelancer and working with varying personalities is similar to working in an office setting and dealing with an annoying boss or worrisome co-worker. The only difference is that in the freelance world - you can fire a client!
Here is my top five list of different types of clients you’ll encounter from time to time:
- “No-Information” Client - You apply for a freelance job, get the gig, and receive your first assignment. Everything is fine, right? Wrong! The “no information” client is best described as the person who sends an assignment, but doesn’t provide essential details such as word length, due date, payment arrangement, and so on. In turn, you have to communicate back-and-forth to work through the details, which can be a huge time waster.
- “Something-for-Nothing” Client - Again you stumble across a seemingly perfect freelance opportunity. But there’s one major problem - the client doesn’t want to pay a reasonable freelance rate. This is common with web copy. I realize that web content doesn’t pay as much as print publications. Still, I’m not writing a bunch of SEO content for pennies, so that you can turn around and get rich off the revenue (maybe not rich, but you get the point).
- “Urgent, Urgent” Client - These clients are real characters. Their projects take precedence and you’re expected to re-arrange your schedule to meet their last minute need - or so they think. Urgent clients are annoying - and if you let them - they can make your freelance experience miserable. And the worse part…they aren’t appreciative! I stopped bending over backwards for irritating clients a long time ago. Since my freelance projects are pretty steady, I can afford to be a bit choosy.
- “No Pay” Client - Do I need to go any further? But here’s the gotcha - I still own the rights to the content. Therefore, I can market the articles elsewhere and recoup the loss.
- “Appreciative” Client - We can’t overlook the grateful clients. These are the people who make freelance life enjoyable. They provide ample instructions, respect our time, compensation is beyond fair, and they always pay on time. And you might even get a “thank-you” card at the end of the year.
Technorati Tags: freelance, telecommute, work at home, writer, types of clients
Work from Home? Tax Tips for Home-Based Businesses
It’s that time of year again. Many people who run a home-based business pay quarterly income taxes. This way, it isn’t a huge burden come April 15th. Whether you choose to pay income taxes throughout the year, or you wait until the last minute (like me), here are a few home-based business tax tips to lower your obligation, and hopefully contribute to a refund.
Snapshot of Legitimate Deductions for Home-based Businesses:
- Home Office - This is the room or space inside your home used exclusively for work. Thus, you can’t write-off your den or bedroom simply because it holds a computer and file cabinet.
- Vehicle Mileage - Does your home-based business involve driving? Whether you need to pick up business supplies or meet a client, you can write-off a portion of your yearly mileage. However, you’ll need to maintain accurate records. Keep a mileage log inside your vehicle and chart your business mileage.
- Miscellaneous Expenses - Most work at home professionals need the Internet. If you work exclusively on the net, or you communicate with clients via e-mail, you may be able to deduct a portion of your monthly Internet and telephone expense. Furthermore, if you have a business cellular phone, this expense is also tax deductible.
What Happens When a Client Wants a PayPal Refund?
Last week, the Contract Worker explored the dark side of accepting credit card payments with PayPal. Although there are various ways to receive payment for services rendered, most clients prefer to submit PayPal payments. This way, they don’t have to worry about postage or cutting checks. Freelancers also prefer this method because it’s quick. The client deposits the payment, and it’s available for immediate withdrawal.
Like most freelancers, the majority of my payments are received through PayPal. Moreover, several clients pay with a credit card. I don’t have a problem with credit card payments, and I don’t mind the transaction fee. However, I have a slight issue with the way PayPal handles a reverse transaction.
It’s my understanding that it only takes one complaint from a disgruntle client for PayPal to reverse a credit card payment. There’s no investigation process. What’s worse…if you’ve already withdrawn the money, PayPal will suspend your account until the money is repaid.
I’ve never had a problem with PayPal, and I probably never will. Still, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if a client submits payment for a project, and then decides to reverse the transaction because they overestimated their budget or simply changed their mind.
Technorati Tags: paypal, work at home, freelance, telecommuter
