🚩x5 red flags to look out for... 🚩
...when applying for freelance work
I get it. You’re looking for work, worrying about cash, feeling bad because you’re not fully booked right now.
We’ve all been there.
When you think about it, it’s not a great state of mind to be in at the best of times, let alone when you’re having to make decisions about your business.
But please don’t get so desperate that you take on really s**t work for s**t pay. Otherwise this will mean you’re too busy to find decent work, and so it goes on. It’s a vicious cycle, and if you’re new to freelancing: avoid it!
In my paid newsletter I round up 30+ new freelancing jobs and opportunities per week. I work really hard to find genuine opportunities from reputable sources. I can tell you for free, there’s a lot of dodgy stuff out there!
Anyway, If you’re quite new to finding work etc., or are just in the fortunate position of only ever having had decent clients so far, there are some classic red flags.
🚩 1.They expect you to behave like an employee
You’re not an employee. You work for yourself.
The key to getting this right is to set boundaries from early on.
I want to share the other side of the coin, though. Many clients have never worked with a freelancer before. They don’t always understand that working with a contractor is not the same thing as an in-house team.
But expecting you to be available at all hours, attend meetings outside the scope of your project, working on site for no particular reason, or asking you to do additional work at no extra cost are red flags.
🚩 2. They contact you all hours
This is why many of us LEAVE employment!
If the project manager is texting you in the evening or calling on the weekend, it’s a huge red flag.
If you have hours or days when you are uncontactable it’s worth laying this out early on. Even simple clauses in your work agreement such as “I will respond within 2 business days” means you can set expectations around this.
🚩 3. The pay is awful
OK, the actual amount of £££ is going to vary here for everyone. The important thing is whether the pay is right for you.
If you feel underpaid, you’ll be feeling negative before you start and are unlikely to perform at your best.
Clients will often push hard on rates and claim they can “get cheaper elsewhere.” Agreeing to axe your prices is simply a race to the bottom, dear Reader, and I don’t recommend it.
You’ll end working all hours and still feel like you aren’t earning enough. A good client should recognise the value you will bring, and you’ll agree on a rate that suits you both.
🚩 4. They don’t pay on time (or set terrible payment terms)
Sadly this is very common.
Clients who are vague about when you will be paid or offer terms like 90 days can be serious red flags.
I would add that as a business owner you need to be able to feel confident about discussing topics like payment terms and set these up with your client.
🚩 5. They don’t respect your time
If a client shows up late to calls, sets up meetings at no notice, or just rings a lot with an “urgent” request it means they simply do not respect your time.
It’s worth watching closely in early interactions what their approach is. Do they cancel the intro call several times? Do they insist the meeting overruns, despite the allocated time being over? Do they ask you to urgently send something and then not reply for a week?
Your time matters! You have other clients, a business to run and a life outside of work. Any client that doesn’t understand that is not a good client for you.
It’s a learning process
Learning your boundaries, recognising these signs and having a gut feeling about clients is something that builds with practice. But be mindful!
P.S., if you need any help please check out my business coaching. I work with lots of freelancers and help turn their businesses around. I can help build a process to win (the right) clients and own a healthy, profitable business.
Helen x