Running your own freelance writing business can be both exciting and scary, but the most important thing to remember is that you are in business. Your business will not run itself; there is much you will have to attend to in addition to writing. On addition to knowing how to write well, you also have to know the basics of running a business.
One of the most important aspects of running your freelance writing business will be scheduling and completing the work. One of the first questions clients will ask you (after ¡§How much does this cost?¡¨) will probably be ¡§How long will this take?¡¨ This depends upon how fast you can write well. If you are good, you can do in two days what it might take another writer a week to do. When pondering how long a project will take, think about the other work you have to do within that same time period. If you have several projects with close deadlines, you need to give yourself plenty of time to do each of them well. And at first, each project may take more time than you would wish. Also think sabot how much research you have to do for a project. If you have all the information at hand, you can probably complete it much more quickly than if you have to do quite a bit of reading first. Maybe you have an interview to do; you have to schedule that into your time frame. Consider adding on two days when you tell a client when their work will be done to compensate for unforeseeable events. And never take on more work than you can handle. You'll lose more clients by missing a deadline than any other way.
Another important aspect of your freelance writing business is building the client-writer relationship. You should set out to win clients, not assignments. If you can build a nice stable of clients with returning assignments, your income will increase more than if you treat each job as just an assignment. Here are a few tips on building good relationships:
- Seek out clients who can provide you with steady assignments rather just occasional work.
- Go out of your way to please your clients, especially regular ones.
- Build a personal relationship. Drop them an occasional line or even have coffee if that's feasible.
- Participate in client activities. Go to events that you are invited to attend.
- Be especially considerate of secretaries and assistants. They have a great deal of control over who sees their bosses and who doesn't. And you never know¡Ksome day they might be promoted and become one of your clients.
- Never, ever be rude or lose your temper. Be very patient and courteous, no matter what your real feelings are. Vent somewhere else.
Good time management skills are essential for the freelancer, since you don't have someone hanging over your shoulder making sure you get things done on time. Make sure your office is efficiently organized so you can find everything quickly. Keep separate files for each project, and consider part-time secretarial help if you need it and can afford it. Remember, your time is money, so make each hour count be turning unproductive time into billable time. Try to do as much business as possible by email, phone or fax rather than in person or by mail. You will save so much time this way and remember time is money.
Another very important aspect of your freelance writing business is getting paid. To insure this, you have to know how to bill clients and how to follow up on clients who are slow to pay. You will need to send an invoice to each client for each project completed. You can buy preprinted invoices at most office supply stores or you can write a simple one yourself, detailing the date, who it's to, what work was done, the amount owed to you, and your payment terms. Most writers expect to be paid within thirty days. Send the invoice promptly, within a week of completing the work. If you have trouble collecting payment, send a polite letter to your client requesting payment. Do not threaten or sound angry; the client may simply have forgotten. If you don't hear back within two weeks, send another polite, but a bit firmer letter. Send this letter certified, return receipt requested. If you still don't get paid within two weeks, try a phone call. Keep track of everything said, and remain polite but firm. You may suggest partial payments if the client can't pay all at once. Any further communication should be by certified letter. Continue sending letters at two-week intervals until you receive payment. If you still are not paid, you can either turn collection over to an attorney or collections agency. Warn your client before you take such action.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar