Benefits of Freelance agreement
The following are some benefits of writing a freelance contract:
1. Avoids costly omission
If you do not state what you undertake in a contract, you might expose yourself to potential traps. You might, for example, define how your revisions will be handled, how your work will be delivered, or how your client will be paid.
Your interests and time may not be protected without a contract.
2. Eliminates misunderstanding
Having a contract can help clarify any dispute if a misunderstanding arises.
Ensure that the contract contains only the details agreed upon between you and the client. This ensures no discussions were had on the phone but were not incorporated into the contract.
3. Avoids being stiffed
It is likely that you will be cheated by a client if you don't sign a contract. Research shows that 44% of freelancers have been cheated by a client.
Freelancer contracts protect you from non-payments, since clients are aware that non-payments will result in lawsuits or public humiliation.
4. Sets the terms and conditions early
Over 60% of freelancers believe their community or clients don't take them seriously, leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment or abuse.
You should lay out your terms and conditions. The terms and conditions should include how work will be delivered. What happens if the client does not pay?
You should set expectations and boundaries up front and make sure everyone understands the importance of the project.
The 6 essentials of a freelance contract
Freelancers must know the benefits of a freelance contract and what makes a good contract before they can begin freelancing.
1. Scope of work
The freelancer who does not have a proper contract risks falling victim to scope creep, which occurs when the client adds additional work after the contract is signed.
It's important to make sure you understand what the project is about and what you'll need to do to complete it. Plan for what you may have to do if things go overboard is to renegotiate, reset deadlines, or refuse work.
It may be necessary for you to investigate:
To stop the client from returning with demands for the book or chapter to be longer, specify the length of each chapter when ghostwriting a book.
Create high-quality media for ebooks and white papers as part of freelance projects.
The client may be okay with free images or pictures when it comes to designing the book cover. You may be responsible for the images and pictures.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't assume that you will develop the accompanying media.
It is important to state upfront how many rounds of revisions a copy should go through during editing.
You usually need two to three rounds of revisions, but if you don't spell, you might get caught in a never-ending cycle of revisions and rewrites.
2. Sharing your process
You may have to provide the client with information on the project's process, milestones, or deliverables during certain freelance projects, especially in design or programming.
Avoid divulging your success secrets or proprietary tactics, else you risk the client's in-house team using your tactics or methods. Clearly state in your contract what you will share and what you won't.
3. Ownership rights
Basically, it means you do not own any rights to the work. If you are doing work for hire, you do not own any rights to the work. This needs to be stated in the contract before getting started.
You don't want your name in your portfolio for work that's out of scope or unusable for you. Determine whether the project is worthwhile before you place your name on it.
Make sure you know what rights you are selling to publications. Are they exclusive reprints or non-exclusive reprints rights? If the former, you are allowed to sell reprints, whereas the former doesn't.
4. Payment and late fees
In various sectors, compensation and fees differ. However, these are the types of payment you need to be aware of.
Payment in advance: the client pays before the work begins.
The payment due date after the invoice is sent is determined by the net 30, 45, etc. terms.
Payment on publication: the article is paid when it is published.
There are two payment portals: one for payments before a project begins and another after the project is complete. Split payments are most common for larger projects with multiple milestones.
The client is billed when the assignment is submitted or when the invoice is received by the client.
When the piece has been accepted by the client, usually after a couple of revisions, payment is made.
In the event that the client fails to pay on time or within the agreed period of time, late fees will be included in the contract compensation provision.
Whenever you begin work on a project and the client cancels it, a kill fee is charged to cover your time and resources spent on the project.
While you may have your own requirements or preferences regarding payment, your client may have their own guidelines; therefore, be open to negotiating or settling on a common ground that works for both of you.
5. Refund policy
Clients receive refunds when they cancel a project or aren't satisfied with the work after making payments in advance.
However, if the client refuses to accept the changes and has already paid, you may be required to refund. It must be clearly stated in the contract how the refund will be made and the fees associated with it.
6. Communication method
It has been said that freelancers are always available 24/7. Due to this, some clients feel that they can overstep their boundaries when working with freelancers.
Provide the client with a schedule for how often they will receive your support during the contract term to prevent surprise calls from clients demanding immediate attention.
Consider capping the number of meetings with the client and specify how you would like to be contacted. You may also want to specify how you would like to be contacted.
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