There are many advantages of being freelance, but there are also some disadvantages. One of the bad things is that if you are not ordered, you will most likely not get very far. It is important to follow a set of guidelines that allow us to have our work organized. Post some tips that I think helps a lot. Source: Graphic Design Blog.

1. Perform a Data Base: We all know the importance of a good database for marketing. As an example we can see how much we charge a client in particular (remember that each client has its own specifications), if we go back to work with him. So you should put as much data as possible, I would say that these are the most important include:

Company, Contact name, phone, address, work performed, Date, Price, Remarks.

2. Control of work: These data are important for the accounts receivable must know how to make ends meet, etc.. Here’s an example:

Control-of-work-done

3. E-mail expert: It’s good to have an email only for work and another for personal matters of organization, not more.

4. Design Brief: Have a plan and made brief to save time. Here are two examples:

brief-to-design

Design Brief (in English)

5. In addition you must have an invoice and contract models. Here I will not expand, because the rules change according to country and type of work. You can see a sample contract here and a sample invoice here (in English).

6. Organize your tasks. For this there is plenty of programs like that comes with the suite of Office 2007 and Remember the milk that is online, among others.

I hope you serve something, and if you have any other recommendations made in the comments.

I created this Decalogue of the 10 things that, from experience, not a freelancer to do if you want to be in the business. Some of these points I have committed myself some time and with great authority can talk about it. However, there are many others which, it seems unlikely parodies of design, I have found in stories and portfolios of colleagues and acquaintances who have terrified me to the bone. So that does not happen anymore (and I will not be the first to throw the stone).

The article has left me a little longer than I thought I was taking a little time choosing the right words to not offend sensibilities, so I have divided into two parts.

1. Offering half-products

If your client wants a website and you are the best in CSS, html, php, aspx and java, but you are unable or choose two colors harmonics, then do not pretend that the client will pass the design. Also pretend that you can design it because then there are problems, for example:

2. Use templates and designs to copy

I am a graphic of recycling and what can be said about the functional design, everything is created. But one thing is to look at references and a suit seeking harmony and identity and something else to pick a template, put text and change the logo. Really disgusting. The worst thing is that customers believe that as Template Monster designs are cute, your site is wonderful and also cost them less.

Since I do not want to cause controversy or to earn enemies among my colleagues, I put a web designer for a Spanish cave that was in the era of the counters with leds.

3. Having a portfolio outdated, broken links and projects with poor

Unfortunately this is a common factor of many colleagues. Also spends a lot of teachers who, for the dedication you bring to teaching and developing courses, sidelined his career and thus show their portfolios of work for ten years.

This, however, is justifiable, because in the end, his true vocation is teaching, and after 5 years of dictating, I learned that one thing is being a good professional and another is being a good teacher. You can achieve both, but it’s hard.

What makes no sense is to pretend to be in the market having a portfolio that is more than just digital garbage. Frankly I am ashamed when an inexperienced graduate portfolio as their places of work early cycles, or worse, when a company is sold as “innovative” and “shocking” has broken links or pages parking.

For example:

The column said that “final draft” of 11 links, 5 are broken. The 6 remaining sites have serious errors of development, aesthetics and functionality. MagiaVirtual’s friends should make an effort to provide its customers with a higher quality to match what they offer.

4. Without advance

Unfortunately I must say that this has been my downfall on more than one occasion. And always was over-confident. Whenever a listed project must clearly indicate that to start work must receive 50% in advance and the rest to finish. And this is not fancy but for several reasons:

- If the customer does not pay no pressure to finish the job, therefore, it may take months to complete the project and receive your money.

- You can not invest in another project. Your hours of work costs, outsourcing costs, the depreciation of your equipment and your talent will also cost money. To use this capital is needed, as well as to start a business sánguches chicken need to buy and pay, bread and chicken.

- Upon completion of the project, nothing ensures that the customer is going to be decent and do not want to go live. When you play this type of customer, you will most likely not pay 50% final, but at least cover your costs and a more pointed to your blacklist.

- Do not ask for advance shows that you’re desperate and have no experience. Also, if I am a customer and have not paid, I can not complain if I have no news of my work.

In conclusion, if you want to play well is the designer favors to make your brothers and uncles, but if you take this as a business and to pay accounts, then you think that you live only on your progress. Otherwise you go to know when it billed.

5. Make castings

When a player goes to a hearing in front of a camera and the head of casting gives a script to memorize lines and interpret the role of a better way, which the director then see if you like it or not and at the end hired him. The same number of customers wishing to disoriented when looking for a freelance designer. On more than one occasion I have to have to put a stupid smile when a customer calls you an idiot make a tests to see if you like what we do because, in his words, you can not burn pagándonos advance if at the end we can not fulfill.

Also very common is when the client intends to appear to be very friendly and he asks you to do one project at a super price, or to test, because he has many companies and “we’ll always have Chamba. He wants you to get cheap brass couplings with him, and later asks for other projects, logically the same price. This not only makes you waste time and money working for him but you devalues against their contacts. Then everyone will call to ask the same price.

The more diplomatic you can do in this case is not to argue or try to argue that they’re able to see your portfolio and not explain or give examples of other businesses simply because the customer does not value your job and deserves to spend your time. The only thing you can do is go out and remember where you entered your madrecita.6. Deliver your files editable

Especially if you are a developer / Flash animator. No need to be very smart to know that the only right thing to do modifications and adaptations to your finished projects you. Unless the contract specifically provides otherwise, your edited file, your original, just yours. Nobody else can put your hand and this is not by whim but the reasons are:

- If the project is published and you have no control over its entirety, just that someone change something to let der be an item in your portfolio. There is no guarantee that will not become the Frankenstein of the client / designer frustrated.

- If the customer requires changes in the project is probably a sign that your business is growing or you need to redirect your marketing campaign. Are you a professional who is able to steer this new course, and charge for it, is you.

- Delivery to the customer is to reveal your original files the way you work. And your knowhow is very valuable because it involves all the experience and skills learned and developed in your career. If you want to maintain your insurance never drop your modus operandi editable.

7. Mandar destroy your client problem

HM35 ~ YOU-GO-TO-HELL-Posters Ever, importantly, never let a customer becomes problematic. This is something that should nip in the bud. When you have a little more experience you will begin to detect from the start, the first session, if your client is for those who prefer to attend the competition. And there are so punk, atorrante, selfish and conceited that it is difficult to find the perfect client. Sometimes it happens, but the fact is that the majority always wants his finished product in the shortest time possible and paying as little as you can. As usually does not understand web design or think that, being an intangible, you are “stealing” and every change you request, and redesign the logo is 300 times, I expected to do because you are satisfied 100%.

If you had the misfortune of accepting a client’s project that fucks over Venezuelan President, are already boarded and the advancement bill, the only thing you can swallow your pride, reviewing and sending everything on time, to avoid complaints their side and hoped that the project will end soon. If the client is happy, you probably want to keep you as a supplier or get referrals like him, but if you do not meet and bitter, the results can be catastrophic and the only one to pay the consequences is your reputation.

8. Being late to a meeting, in shorts, sandals and

The image of the flamboyant designer pastrulo and is only popular among designers and quirky pastrulos. When a client seeks a supplier, hoping to find someone decent, at least in appearance. If you want to hit with a unique look different, you can choose to buy expensive clothes and quality that not everyone has to give a good first impression and your future customer begins to understand that he has some class and good taste.

Many times I ran into fellow so full of themselves, with winds of divos for having won a prize or to work in a top agency that they forget that the customer cares that common a pickle. Nor are interested if the traffic was hell or another client if you did take. If you arrive late, you lose valuable time to your client. And if your client is understandable Care, because we also need to lose your time with him many times.

You should also keep your private life away from your customers. If your religion requires you to drink wildly every weekend, do not schedule meetings on Mondays. Avoid smoking before the reunion, córtate wash teeth and nails.

Remember that there will always be someone more sympathetic to you and be more responsible. Your task is to make that number of people is as small as possible and that your client will never get to know.

9. Write to your client at midnight

You are not a pharmacy or fire station. You can not let your client wait to send material to 11pm. The schedule is a freelance a little more flexible than that of an employee but that does not mean you are going to be a slave. And this is not by pure whim of wanting sacred nights and weekends, when they will work harder, but you should not get used to your client to expect out of hours deliveries. Unless you’ve committed to a reasonable hour and not come close at 6pm or Skype please invisible until 8am on Monday.

Be available 24 / 7 is a big mistake that is often confused with effectiveness but that attacks precisely this point, it is humanly impossible to work 20 hours straight and keep your customers happy at all at this rate.

It is best to organize. Buy an acrylic board and divide into 6. Put there everything you need to do from Monday to Saturday and every time you commit to a deadline, watch and see if it somewhere.

10. Saying yes to everything

This rebuff yesman1_large of emotion may be the cause of item number 1 on the list, “a half products offer.” If you come across a client who needs a wide range of solutions and think you can deal with ATL, BTL, graphic design, multimedia, merchandising, public relations and post-production, you think you’ve found a gold mine.

It is very difficult for a freelancer is a one stop shop, especially if you are just entering the market. Outsourcing is a major lever to achieve this but you should have on hand lots of people very confident that you understand and be effective.

Zapatero your shoes saying goes and this applies almost perfect. If you do not know do not offer advertising campaigns. If designing for print media do not offer a web … when they start. Experience and hard work will teach you what your own limits. Then, gradually, you can learn new disciplines and your customers can count on you for other projects of the jump until you become big agency.

I really enjoyed putting together this list, I have come across these ten mistakes often last month, I have seen almost daily by my students, colleagues and myself one of them. Errors are very close to our careers, often committed by inexperienced or foolish. I as a teacher I feel compelled to something like trying to steer with my experience, those who want to succeed in this market.

And finally the truth is that learning is binary, you will learn when something goes wrong, but you learn better when they get up.