

Advice on entering the Freelance/Consulting World - bsbechtel

I'm strongly considering entering the freelance or consulting world for a period of time. Anyone who's done it have any tips or advice?
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joshwb84
Few things I've learned in just 3 weeks of freelance:

1\. It's easy to feel guilty charging a client high rates while you tackle an
unfamiliar project, which requires you spend more time learning than
producing. For me, consulting has been a constant tradeoff between taking jobs
at high prices where I don't learn new things vs. lower prices when entering
unfamiliar territory. I don't know if pricing services according to your
ability to execute is best though. At the end of the day, you don't want to
find your saying to your client: "I did not execute as promised for whatever
reason, but hey I didn't charge much!" This situation shouldn't arise often if
you are honest about your skills from the beginning.

2\. Under promise and Over delivery

3\. Spec out a project as well as possible beforehand. But agree upfront to a
mid-way spec because projects change so fast that you may find yourself
conducting tasks you should charge a lot more to do.

4\. Build camaraderie with your client but hold your ground if they take
advantage. Working with a variety of clients and building a network are
advantages of the freelance world. Do you best to build quality relationships
with your clients, so they tell your future clients that you are not only a
great (insert job function), but also a great person. But I wouldn't go as far
as to become so friendly that you feel bad charging them what you'd be making
on another project.

Hope this helps

