Fool me twice...

 




So although I'm sure a lot of people have dealt with this in the past, this was a new experience for me... 

I'm pretty new to the Graphic Designer venture, and have only been working for about a year now.  I've only had the website for a few months, and only had my social media pages for a few days.  But within this time period I have encountered very different clients.  Mostly wonderful people to work with, and even the troublesome clients have had exceptionally redeeming qualities.  But there are things that you need to be wary about when getting into this business...  

Now I plan on writing another post about valuing your work and some best practices for charging.  But here I would like to talk about letting people take advantage of you.  And believe me, people are going to try!  If you're smart, you'll catch on and prevent it from happening in the first place.  If you're like me; you'll get burned a couple of times before you figure it out...  Not something that I like to admit, but truthful nonetheless...  

The first thing that I had to learn to be smarter about was talking about money.  Some people are naturally good about talking about money, and others are even better at asking for it when it's owed.  I am not.  I've never been very good at asking for what is owed, it's as if I don't want to come across as a money-hungry person demanding their take.  Most times I need the money, but don't want to chase people down.  I want them to pay on time gladly for a job well done, but when they don't pay on time it makes me wonder if I've not performed as well as I should have.  I don't think that I'm the only one that feels this way, but it is something that I have had to change within myself.  But with this situation I have realized two very important things when dealing with money from clients.   

Firstly, you HAVE to suck it up and TALK about payment!  Chances are good that it's more uncomfortable for you than it is your client, but you must speak up if you feel something is owed and not being paid for.  It's as simple as this; you did a job, you deserve payment.  At least that's what I had to realize.  No matter how you feel about the situation, it still boils down to the fact that you need to be paid for your work.  If the client is unhappy, they should have said something before the due date.  If you submitted something that they don't like on the due date, then renegotiate the terms.  Nobody wants to work for free, and nor should they.  But like the old saying goes, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” and sometimes you have to squeak a little, even if it makes you uncomfortable.  

Secondly, agree to the terms BEFORE YOU START!  Sometimes I get so excited to start a project that I forget to set up a pricing agreement at the beginning.  This is TERRIBLY dangerous ground to be on!  Essentially you're giving the pricing power away at the finish of your work.  If the person is fair, they'll offer a fair price for what you've done.  If they're the type of person who would take advantage if the opportunity presents itself; then you're screwed...  I've been on the receiving end of both situations unfortunately...  Understand that if you don't agree to a price up front, then it is YOUR FAULT if you don't get paid what you think is fair.  People will always take advantage of you IF you allow them to!  I know that sounds harsh, but really it is your responsibility to settle this stuff before you get started.  You should have a deadline and a price agreed upon (In some form of writing) for a clearly defined project.  It doesn't have to be a 100 page contract, but something that will protect you from those who will do anything to avoid paying...  Again, I have been on the receiving end of this and have yet to be paid from that customer...  Not their fault, mine because I allowed it to happen.  

Some of this stuff may come naturally to many of you.  Some of us really struggle with this aspect.  I personally am learning (Through many bumps and bruises) how to manage a business of this sort.  For all the books I've read on Art over the years, I should have read a few books on running a business...  But I am getting better, and smarter.  And with the help of good friends and family members, I get really smart insight on what I can do to avoid being taken advantage of. 

It really is a simple concept though, agree to a job and agree to a price; complete the job and complete the payment.  No matter what you think or feel about the situation at hand, the base facts about it are just that simple.  Trying not to over-complicate it does wonders for mustering up the courage to speak about a subject that you're not very comfortable with.  At least it has for me...  

Remember, you did a job; you deserve to be paid!