very general freelance questions! - Freelance UK Forums

gs4492 · 03-20-2008, 01:06 PM

Hi everyone!

I have been building a few sites recently and have decided to go the freelance route. I would like to hear the thoughts and advice of others.

Firstly, at the moment i am charging penuts as i am fairly new to the scene. Can somone sugguest how much i should be looking to charge?
I understand this will vary accoring to experience, and the type/size of the site so i was really looking for some small case studies.
i.e. a link to a site, a few notes about the site (technologies used,features etc), and how much you charged.

Also, does anyone have any usefull tips for planning a site?
By "planning a site" i am refering to how they deal with getting the specification from the client. For example, do you use a questionaire etc?
Do you request all the content up front or set deadlines for individual sections?

Also, another concern is getting the money off the client. I built a site for a client before christmas and i am still having problems getting the money off them (even though they were very happy with the site).
So as soon as i start doing this officially i will need some get some kind of contract sorted out.

Is there any kind of template contract out there which i could use?
Is there any legal action i can take should the client decide they dont want to pay up?
Should i request an amount up front?

As you can tell i havent really looked into this in any detail as this has only been a recent consideration.

Any advice regardless of how small would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

playboy_bunnie · 03-22-2008, 04:26 PM

Firstly, at the moment i am charging penuts as i am fairly new to the scene. Can somone sugguest how much i should be looking to charge?
Best place to visit is FreelancerSwitch.com or check out the article at BlueFlavor - Pricing a Project

Also, does anyone have any usefull tips for planning a site?
By "planning a site" i am refering to how they deal with getting the specification from the client. For example, do you use a questionaire etc?
Do you request all the content up front or set deadlines for individual sections?
Again, FreelancerSwitch or BODO can provide templates of questionnaires you can use, to send to clients.

Is there any kind of template contract out there which i could use?
See above

Is there any legal action i can take should the client decide they dont want to pay up?
Yes you would most likely have to get a solicitor involved, but you will have to collate any emails/paperwork sent between you and the client to back-up what you had agreed (i.e. that you would build a website for £xx)

Should i request an amount up front?
Some designers chose to request a deposit as a sign of trust, alternatively, do not, under any circumstances, hand over anything until you recieve payment. Again, get a contract and keep records to back yourself up.

...If you have already started working for payment, (or the assumption of payment) and living in the UK, you MUST register as self-employed within 3 months of starting work/advertising for work/being available for work.

gs4492 · 03-22-2008, 05:10 PM

good answers! ill check those links out!

cheers

03-20-2008, 01:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
gs4492 New Poster Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2	very general freelance questions! Hi everyone! I have been building a few sites recently and have decided to go the freelance route. I would like to hear the thoughts and advice of others. Firstly, at the moment i am charging penuts as i am fairly new to the scene. Can somone sugguest how much i should be looking to charge? I understand this will vary accoring to experience, and the type/size of the site so i was really looking for some small case studies. i.e. a link to a site, a few notes about the site (technologies used,features etc), and how much you charged. Also, does anyone have any usefull tips for planning a site? By "planning a site" i am refering to how they deal with getting the specification from the client. For example, do you use a questionaire etc? Do you request all the content up front or set deadlines for individual sections? Also, another concern is getting the money off the client. I built a site for a client before christmas and i am still having problems getting the money off them (even though they were very happy with the site). So as soon as i start doing this officially i will need some get some kind of contract sorted out. Is there any kind of template contract out there which i could use? Is there any legal action i can take should the client decide they dont want to pay up? Should i request an amount up front? As you can tell i havent really looked into this in any detail as this has only been a recent consideration. Any advice regardless of how small would be greatly appreciated! Cheers!

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03-22-2008, 04:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
playboy_bunnie Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Posts: 67	Firstly, at the moment i am charging penuts as i am fairly new to the scene. Can somone sugguest how much i should be looking to charge? Best place to visit is FreelancerSwitch.com or check out the article at BlueFlavor - Pricing a Project Also, does anyone have any usefull tips for planning a site? By "planning a site" i am refering to how they deal with getting the specification from the client. For example, do you use a questionaire etc? Do you request all the content up front or set deadlines for individual sections? Again, FreelancerSwitch or BODO can provide templates of questionnaires you can use, to send to clients. Is there any kind of template contract out there which i could use? See above Is there any legal action i can take should the client decide they dont want to pay up? Yes you would most likely have to get a solicitor involved, but you will have to collate any emails/paperwork sent between you and the client to back-up what you had agreed (i.e. that you would build a website for £xx) Should i request an amount up front? Some designers chose to request a deposit as a sign of trust, alternatively, do not, under any circumstances, hand over anything until you recieve payment. Again, get a contract and keep records to back yourself up. ...If you have already started working for payment, (or the assumption of payment) and living in the UK, you MUST register as self-employed within 3 months of starting work/advertising for work/being available for work.

03-22-2008, 05:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
gs4492 New Poster Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2	good answers! ill check those links out! cheers