By Publisher
Being a self-employed person is a great way to make money. It allows you to work for different clients at different points in time. What’s more, you can choose how much money you want each client to pay you. If you’re confident in your skills and you’re truly valuable, this means that you can make a whole lot of money.
But if you’re working from home as a self-employed person, there are certain things you’ll have to deal with. More often than not, some customers will make certain decisions and numerous demands that just wouldn’t sit right with you. During those times, you have to be very firm about certain things. The list is extensive, and it is largely dependent on your field. But here are three major things you just have to be firm about if you want to add structure to your business:
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Be firm about your pay
Please don’t confuse firmness with being too rigid. Being too rigid can put you at a disadvantage in more ways than one. For starters, you’ll not be able to get any more than a specific set of clients. Along with that, you’ll limit the amount of money you can make. So, no, you shouldn’t be rigid. You should be as flexible as is reasonable and even try negotiating.
But, and this is where it gets serious, set a bar for yourself. If you normally charge a thousand and you decide you won’t go less than eight hundred, be firm. If you continue making compromises, you’ll continue putting yourself at an earning disadvantage. Eventually, it will become hard to even increase your price because the customer will think you’re just being unreasonable and trying to cheat them. So, set a payment standard for yourself and don’t go below that too easily.
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Ensure that you state your number of reviews beforehand
Freelancing comes in different shapes, forms and fields. As a creative self-employed person, you’ll probably have to do reviews every now and then. Your customer might tell you to rewrite a project, redesign a logo, or redraw a painting. Whatever it is, there’s nothing wrong in obliging them. They’ve paid you for it, and they should enjoy the value. But there’s a thin line between wanting things to be good and just trying to frustrate you. When a customer is constantly asking you to make modifications, the latter might be the case. So, set a specific number of reviews and stick to it. Tell them that after ___ times, they’ll have to pay again if they want corrections.
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Do not compromise your work hours unnecessarily
Don’t be surprised that some clients will call you at the oddest hours of the night. It’s fine if they want to work through their sleep time. But they shouldn’t have to involve you in that. So, set a specific work time for yourself. Anything outside of that, you should politely ask your customers to refrain from contacting you. If they do, ensure that you don’t bend over for them excessively. When you get the chance to converse again, you can then explain that you had mentioned your work hours before. Otherwise, you might start working too much.
Finally
One of the most important things you should know about being a self-employed person is that all the freedom and power you have to make your own rules come with responsibilities and consequences. So, as much as you want to set your own terms, consider what impact it will have on your business.
