5 Freelancing Mistakes You Will Regret

As freelancers we all end up making a couple of mistakes that we eventually learn from. Sometimes we learn the hard way but it's a lesson well learned.

Given below are the 5 mistakes most of us end up making in our freelancing careers:

1. Charging Low: Anyone who has ever freelanced knows exactly what I'm talking about. While many of us end up accepting slave wages for many projects initially, we must know exactly where to draw the line. Underpricing, up to a certain level is alright, especially when you are an amateur in the field. However charging low gradually will lead the client to believe that your work is of lower quality and that you are desperate. That is why you need to price well and ask for what your work is worth. While building up a clientele is also important, asking for lower charges after a couple of projects will only end up degrading you and your work.
2. Not Getting it in Writing: Don't ever underestimate the power of writing. And that goes for getting all your terms and condition written down clearly when starting a project with any client. Many a times Freelancers end up taking the client's word for something and end up regretting it when the client either point blankly refuses to have made such a claim or changes their mind after you have completed the project. Getting the need and requirements of your client as your own terms and conditions in writing as well will give you a clear cut idea about the project and will save you from a lot of hassle and disappointments.
3. Not Being Clear: Another mistake which most freelancers end up making is of not being very clear. When you make a clear agreement with the client you end up saving yourself major future trouble. Be clear about the requirements from both ends (yours and the clients). As client can sometime end up changing their requirements as they go along, make sure that you are very clear and understand everything before starting work on a project.
4. Being too Proactive: No need to be too proactive when it comes to starting a project after initial contact from a potential client. Serious clients will reach out to you actively and will not hesitate in drawing up a contract. Only the non-serious clients will back out before the project is complete. That can be deflating. That is why make sure that you pay special attention to point# 2 & 3.
5. Losing Client to a petty Demand: Sometimes it is worth giving a discount. If you have a huge project and your client is making an issue about your charges being too high, make sure that you give the client a good discount, instead of losing a client. Making a client feel special by giving them a good discount will not only be good for your business but will also make the client come back. I know that's what I did... With a couple of initial huge projects I offered my clients a small article or two free. This way they pay you what you ask and quit whining about the cost ;)

Sure it's good to learn from your own mistakes but it's even better to learn from the mistakes made by others and avoid it yourself.