Pointers to Why Freelance Contracts are Imperative

If you are working as a freelance website designer, especially a newbie just joined the band of professionals working on contract basis, there are a few legal points you should know when working with clients.

Drawing up a contract of service is important. If you don’t yet know how important a written agreement between you and the client regarding work and payment is, read on:

Why Draw up Contracts?
First, let’s get a couple of things straight:
 Business is a shady game; trust no one. Without written proof of your services and payments, there is little of any legal action you can take against the defaulter.
 Contracts are not just for the professionals. Even as a fresher, you are fully entitled to a contract. Do not hesitate to ask for one.
 Any client who refuses to draw up a contract of hire has questionable work ethics. Beware!

Agreed, a work relationship thrives on trust. However, trust is only good so far as it benefits you. Without money to show at the end of the day, nothing really matters. Without a contract to show the amount of work you are required to do and the payment you will receive therein, there is no proof that any transaction actually took place. Word of mouth was good centuries ago. Today they are just that – words.

Always insist on a written agreement from your client regarding the type of project, submission timeline and payment in advance or delivery, or both. If there is a possibility of re-work on submitted projects, make sure it is mentioned in the contract. There should normally be a separate payment for re-work, and needs to be mentioned too. Submit the signed contract after the client has duly signed it first.

Few additional points that contracts should include:
1. A Schedule Mutually Agreed Upon – A set calendar keeps you from drifting from your course of work. A deadline that has been agreed upon by both parties should give you reasonable motivation to finish work on time.

Having worked as a freelancer myself, I would suggest setting two deadlines simultaneously; one for yourself, and one for the client. Your personal deadline will keep you from procrastinating, and if by chance you should miss it, you still have a couple of days in hand to finish work before the actual deadline. Personal deadlines also help avoid instances where you rush to meet ends as the actual deadline draws near.

2. Follow-ups/Re-work Clauses – To include or not to include, that is the question?
I suggest you include a follow-up clause, because most certainly, your client will be back with a number of light bulb ideas for you to implement, after you have submitted your web design.
By including a follow-up clause, you will be able to charge extra for each modification/change in design. There is also a good possibility to limit the trial and error process because clients will cringe to pay every time they want you to implement their ideas. Consequently in the process, you may not be making extra money, but there will be less work and more time for you to concentrate on other client projects.

3. Final Delivery – Always draft what softwares, tools, etc will be used for designing, what code files will be submitted to the client for upfront display of design, at what stage will the website design be viewable and usable for review, and how much time following the review copy will it take to deliver the final design.

For a client who does not understand much of HTML/CCS codes/documents, drafting the aforesaid points will give him a clear idea of how the design will work. Furthermore, it helps build trust by showing you know exactly what you are doing.

If you are just getting started, there are several contract/invoice formats available on the net for you to follow. Better still, set forth your points and let the client take care of the legal jargon. Just make sure you know what you are signing up for, as these contracts will help you look for more freelance or offline jobs in future.