Business
5 Vital Areas To Check In A Freelancer’s Contract Of Agreement
If you decide to pursue a career in the freelance industry, there are many issues you have to be aware of aside from providing a solid proof of your relevant working experiences in your portfolio. One of the most important concerns you must be knowledgeable of is the content of any contract you would enter into, either as a solo contractor or working for an agency.
Being vigilant to the terms of work agreement you would commit to any prospective employer is highly needed for you to know the real scope of your responsibilities as well as protect yourself in cases wherein their would be conflict or misunderstanding between you and your employer.
Here are 5 vital areas to check in a freelancer’s contract of agreement:
1. Mode of payment
Freelancers have the option to choose the type of payment they would consider for any work or project offered, it maybe hourly or fixed rate. Depending on your selection, be sure to verify the employer’s track of record from previous contractors who have been hired. Gather feedbacks if you have the chance, but if you are affiliated with an outsourcing company, employers are also rated according to their payment history, so you are assured that the one you will choose is credible enough to pay for your work. Nowadays, most freelancers prefer the hourly rate because payment is already guaranteed the moment you log-in and start to work unlike in fixed contract where payment is made upon delivery or completion of the entire project.
2. Deadline of submission
This area is very vital in any project. Be sure to verify with your employer the exact time or date of submission, since, most freelancers work in any parts of the globe and time zone may vary from one place to another. Confirm with your employer the actual time in your place and at his/her place when the work must be completed. A professional freelancer must do everything in his/her power to comply with the due dates.
3. To give or not to give work samples
This is a very complicated issue to freelancers who are just starting their online careers and learning the route in the freelance market. Some employers request their potential contractors to submit work samples to prove their competency, especially if you don’t have enough portfolios to show which usually happens to freelance writers, logo designers and even data encoders. If you are put into a situation where the client asks for a sample with specific details of what he/she wants you to produce, you better think twice before sending one even before the contract is made. There are cases wherein some freelancers have already given samples for free, only to find out in the end that they are not even considered. If you feel your talent or skills are extremely good together with your portfolio, then, giving out a sample is out of the picture. There are employers who only use this opportunity for their own benefit.
4. Scope of work
Nothing beats a clearly defined list of job responsibilities or scope of work covered in your contract. If you have been hired as a virtual assistant, it would be a wise move to verify with your employer the actual scope of your work. Any additional work required from you outside the contract should already be charged to the employer.
5. Termination of contract
Some employers may end contracts without prior notice to the freelancer concerned. You must be prepared for the worst when you might not even receive any payments for partial work done, especially if you have a fixed contract. Communicate regularly with your employer and update him/her with your work. Ask feedback for any work submitted and offer revisions. By doing this, you are eliminating the possibility of your work being rejected.
Now, that you have learned the vital areas that should be included in any contract of agreement, I do hope you become wiser in choosing your projects. Remember, don’t just grab the very first contract just to gain experience or earn money. Read all the terms and if you see that it will benefit you most, then, go ahead give it a try. You might end up having a long-term employment with that employer. Be highly motivated with your freelance career and focus on any project accepted.
Tagged blogger, business, freelancer, freelancing, Internet marketing, Online Business, Work
BloomaticJuly 23, 2012 at 12:57 am
The 5 points presented in this article are really important. In fact, are like the backbone of such contracts. I think if you put in them enough attention, there will be no problem in the future. Freelance work on the Internet is increasingly common, so it is important to have a regulation that is appropriate to the circumstances.
TashWordJuly 23, 2012 at 5:50 pm
I disagree that ‘most freelancers perfer an hourly rate’ – most professionals I know use project rates most of the time.
A project rate gives more control and knowledge to a client and generally requires less adminsitration.
An hourly rate can have different implications for tax purposes (it is harder to prove you are not an employee if working on an hourly rate).
Once a client has agreed to a project rate, you have a strong place to ask for full payment. If an employer doesn’t believe you worked all the hours on your invoice, you could face more hassles.
There is nothing wrong with asking for payment before the end of a project. For example, 25% up front, 50% at a certain milestone and 25% at completion. Even if charging hourly, you are unlikely to invoice (or get paid) every few hours!
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Magic PixelJuly 24, 2012 at 3:33 am
One should also be aware of milestones as partial payments always motivate freelancers quite a bit. Another thing would be a way of checking if both quality and timeline are respected or at least within ranges; perhaps an online interface where the freelancer can submit proof of his work progress
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ashmonnJuly 24, 2012 at 11:01 am
Great advise! I think that the bottom line is to be savvy and consider all of the aforementioned concerns. I have found myself being more cautious about submitting original work of considerable length to any one offering pay in exchange for content. I once provided a sample article on Crown-tail Beta fish to a gentleman that claimed he need a bunch of them. Needless to say, I never heard from the guy again and to top it off he had used excerpts from my work for a few of his blog posts. So be careful people are always looking to get something for nothing and they will still your content if you do not safe guard yourself against it.
internethustle100July 25, 2012 at 6:26 am
This is definitely a usefull article. One must always be aware of the fine prints of contracts or be subject to the whims of lack of preparation. I feel number 5 was the most informative; it pains me to hear about workers who worked their way only to have the whole project cancelled at the last minute
FlipKupJuly 26, 2012 at 1:53 pm
It is important to remember these key points in an agreement. They are the backbone of making sure that your are not duped, and that nothing goes wrong. Anyone who avoids these points, or steers away from the proper way of doing these contracts, is taking an extreme liability risk.
jaruriJuly 30, 2012 at 3:28 am
Very interesting article. While I’m not a freelancer myself, I was thinking of trying it out. This will definitely help me avoid anything I wouldn’t want in contracts I may have to sign.
Magic PixelAugust 1, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Providing portfolio examples is a sticky situation. Some stuff is copyrighted and you can’t display it anywhere. I have advertising material I can’t really display. I cared about my firm and learnt a lot, that’s my portfolio in that instance:)
Magic Pixel recently posted..Niko Kranjcar photos
KennyKSeptember 25, 2012 at 12:12 am
When deciding to be paid per completion of the project, it’s important that you’re able to see how many hours of work will be involved. In the beginning of your career, this might not be easy and you might work much longer on a project than you initially projected. Make sure you’re getting paid enough for your work.
While many people don’t like the word ‘deadline’ (because of all the negative connotations), it’s important to talk about it and to have it all on paper. Everything should be clear before you start working.