6 Common Misconceptions in Clients About Freelancing
Freelancing is one of the most prestigious and creative profession in the design industry, which has provided more freedom and choice to get the best design solution across the world. Unfortunately this also has some problem like due payments, inappropriate brief, excess revisions, continuous rejection and lack of willingness to co-operate. There are many misconceptions among the clients, professionals & people who struggle to find the solution to these problems. After a short research I’ve listed some most common misconceptions here.
Freelancing is a trade
This is the most common misconception among the clients that freelancing is also a business similar like conventional trading. Many clients’ have their business based on trading in which goods and services are sold to their customers. Due to this, they are unaware about this new type of profession they compare freelancing with normal trading which creates several problems. For example, in conventional trading you can seek unlimited products, go for unlimited vendors and pick what you liked and this all can happen in very limited time. Unlike in freelancing a design solution is totally based on particular company or brand for which it is created. For this a lot of resources, research, brainstorming and briefing needed which takes time to create a perfect design solution.
Freelancer can’t give better quality then advertising agencies.
Another misconception; some clients think that a freelancer can’t give better quality than a design firm. The fact is that both freelancer and advertising agencies provide good results because they both follow similar design processes like research and brainstorming methodologies, strict design process to provide outflank and high quality results. Many design agencies often hire freelancers due to their skills & specialization to provide high quality result then how can be a freelancer provides lower quality result? If freelancer provide lower quality, then why their projects win awards and get featured in top inspiration websites?
They can’t handle big projects
Although freelancers usually provides their services to small and mid size companies, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t provide their services to major clients or they can’t handle big projects. There are many established freelancers, who have worked with most prestigious brands and handled many big projects. Of course a team is needed to handle a big project, but some freelancers with effective network providing results according to the need of the project.
Freelancers are cheap
It is true that a freelancer is less expensive than top advertising agency, but they don’t provide their services in a low price. Usually, a freelancer does research, brainstorming and design themselves, that’s why they provide equally effective design solution in comparatively less prices than an advertising agency. But as both has the similar design process and work methods freelancers also has a limit and beyond that they don’t negotiate. Hence, they are not cheap and can’t work on any price.
If I pay in advance, he won’t work seriously
Another serious problem is about trust, some clients think that if they pay in advance the freelancer may don’t work seriously and not provide with best results. Or in other words they think that freelancer will work more seriously if he gets payment after completing the project because he will get paid only if his work is of high quality. Unlike this fact a freelancer works more seriously when he gets paid in advance because he knows that client is very serious about his project and will definitely pay after completing it. Hence, a freelancer works more desperately for a potential client to give his best because a freelancer loves to work for such clients.
Freelancer won’t work and won’t refund.
Almost each client has this question in his mind that “What if he doesn’t work on my project after getting paid?”, “What if he doesn’t complete my project and left it in between?” and “Will I get refund if freelancer doesn’t work on my project?”
The answer to these entire questions is that there are very less possibilities for this kind of event. A freelancer works because he has passion for it and he spends a lot of time and efforts to build credibility in the market to earn clients. And freelancers also get their clients by the reference of their existing satisfied clients. In this case, nobody would like to kill his business in a matter of time just for few bucks because once he cheats any client, it spreads at unimaginably fast to amongst clients and professionals and his career may lead to an end. Hence, cheaters can’t survive as a freelancer for long.
Like client, freelancer also has some doubts and questions about client and most important question is that- “Will he pay me after completing the project?” Experiences and research says that cases of freelancers not being paid by client is unimaginably huge than cases of freelancers cheating to client. That’s the reason almost all highly skilled freelancer charges 50% advance and in some cases they charge 100% amount in advance to prevent being not paid by client.
I also had been not paid by a client. Have you?
Harish
Many times. Now finally I learned to take less risks. Finally have some excellent clients who keep me busy with work.
Also Narendra, do remember, not all freelancers are honest. Some get into it, just for the sake of it. They provide bad work, and client loses money and then has to find someone else.
Narendra Keshkar
Agree with you Harish that not all freelancers are honest but like other things this also has some pros and cons. The percentage of such freelancers are very small but this information spreads more quickly because client tell everywhere about this. In the other hand when same thing happen with a freelancer and a client don’t pays him then nothing happens and client repeats this behavior with other freelancers.
One main reason for this is sometime client just don’t want to spend more money which he must hence chose a wrong person for his project and as we all know that most of the times cheapest designers don’t provide high quality results. If a client understand the seriousness of freelancing and ready to pay necessary amount for his project then he will chose a right freelancer which will reduce the risk of getting burned with cheaters. What do you think?
saroj (rhynex)
great artical i loved it beacause i am doing my first freelancing job i am aware such kinds of problem thanks narendra.
Narendra Keshkar
Welcome Saroj,
This is common experiences which we face while communicating with peoples and clients. If we are aware about it and we handle things intelligently then this won’t create a big problem. The motive is to find a solution.
saroj(Rhynex)
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