managing clients (???)
polycounter lvl 18
I've been freelancing for the last 3 months and somehow scraping together enough to pay the rent and I was hoping to get some advice from some of you who are more experienced than me.
How do you know how many clients to take on at once. Sometimes they aren't handing out work at all, and other weeks, I get pounded with a bunch of different assignments and tight deadlines. On slow weeks, I feel like I can handle another client, but then on these busy ones, I know I'd never be able to handle any more work. I can easily see myself getting handed two tight deadlines on the same day and only having time to handle one of them. Luckily this hasn't happened yet, but it's not hard to imagine. I've tried before to get estimates for how many hours a week they need me to work, but most people really don't seem to know. They just know that they suddenly need something done, and that they want it soon.
How do you guys handle this sort of thing?
How do you know how many clients to take on at once. Sometimes they aren't handing out work at all, and other weeks, I get pounded with a bunch of different assignments and tight deadlines. On slow weeks, I feel like I can handle another client, but then on these busy ones, I know I'd never be able to handle any more work. I can easily see myself getting handed two tight deadlines on the same day and only having time to handle one of them. Luckily this hasn't happened yet, but it's not hard to imagine. I've tried before to get estimates for how many hours a week they need me to work, but most people really don't seem to know. They just know that they suddenly need something done, and that they want it soon.
How do you guys handle this sort of thing?
Replies
Edit... I've pimped this plenty before, but it really is an awesome book, especially for any kind of freelancing.
http://www.gag.org/pegs/index.php
- Manage expectations -- see if one client can expand their timeline. Do this at the beginning of the contract, not the day something is due.
- sub-contract or build a partnership with another freelancer you trust. He gets your overflow in busy times, you get his in lean times.
- Outsource everything not art-related. Make a habit of pushing time consuming tasks (like accounting and scrounging up new business) to someone else who is better at than you and concentrate on your billable art hours.
- Read freelance switch, here is a good article for example http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/how-to-identify-the-3-types-of-flaky-clients/
- Horde the best clients -- the ones that make it easiest for you are the ones you need to treat the best. Put them at the front of the priority line.
- Burn the midnight oil sometimes, but not all the time -- you just have to, there is no way around this.
- Find a few people artists you trust and recommend them to clients when you are way too busy.
- Take a mind-reading class.
Scott