Running a Freelance Business Without an Account

There is no correct rate; there is only a rate that reflects what the work is worth to the buyer and the hours you actually spend. The common error is pricing on hours alone, which silently rewards you for being slow and punishes you for getting better at the job.

• Start higher than feels comfortable. You can lower a price; you cannot raise one mid-project.
• Price the outcome, then sanity-check the hours. If it takes three times the estimate, the scope is wrong, not your rate.
• Charge for the boring parts too — revisions, meetings, file organisation, and handover all take real time.
• Three tiers is a useful tool: most people pick the middle, which is the point.
• Raise rates every few projects until you start losing some. That is the signal you have found the edge.

• Scope, in writing, listing what is included — and, importantly, what is not.
• Number of revision rounds. Unlimited revisions is a real and common way to lose money.
• Payment terms: amount, currency, due date, and what happens if it is late. A late fee stated up front is not aggressive; it is professional.
• Kill fee, if the client cancels. Half the remaining fee is a common and fair position.
• Ownership of the work, and when it transfers — usually on final payment.

• Send an invoice for every project, and a deposit up front — 30–50% is normal and not an insult to ask for.
• Put everything on the invoice: a unique reference, both parties' details, the due date, and bank or payment details.
• Chase on the day after the due date, not three weeks later. A short, factual, unembarrassed reminder is the whole technique.
• Send the final handover and the final invoice together, so payment is attached to something already delivered.
• Keep a simple ledger of who owes what and when. Most freelance cash-flow problems are record-keeping problems.

• Write proposals that restate the client's problem in their words before proposing anything. It is the highest-converting opening there is.
• Say no to clients who are a poor fit, however much you need the work. One bad client can cost more than three good ones.
• Ask for a testimonial at the end of a project, while you are still their favourite person.
• Raise rates for new clients only. Existing clients are usually grandfathered and that is fine.