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To freelance or not to freelance? Ok, not the most original introduction, in this episode “Web Design Freelance Boot Camp” we will discuss the pros and cons of working as a web design freelancer or what to look for if you are in the market to hire a freelancer. The following is an overview of the episode and should be used as a rough guideline of questions and concerns you should have when freelancing or looking to hire a freelance design or developer.
Benefits of Freelance Work
- Your schedule the way you want it.
- Less overhead, competitive pricing.
- A great opportunity to grow your portfolio.
The Dark Side of Freelance Work
- It can be difficult to work from home.
- Building trust with clients from afar.
- Health Care//Retirement Benefits, not unless you pay dearly.
- No guarantee of income.
Freelance Best Practices
- Establish hours & methods of contact for your clients
- Your own website or online portfolio
- Provide contacts with references
- Set up a method of project benchmarks that keep your clients in the loop.
- Strive to meet goals ON TIME.
- Use a REAL invoicing tool like PayPal or Blinksale.com
- Contracts & Agreements– Be Flexible Not Bendable
Expand Your Team (Hiring a Freelancer) what should you look for?
- Do they have an online portfolio or case study?
- How relevant is their portfolio?
- Sometimes you do Get What You Pay For.
- Are you really saving?
- If your freelancer is abroad, beware of culture / social differences. Do they understand your projects vision?
- 3-2-1 contact
- Protect yourself and your wallet
Sources & Resources
The following resources are based on this episodes content and our listeners questions & feedback.
- ODP / DMOZ.org
- Getafreelancer.com
- Elance.com
- Sitepoint.com Freelance Lessons
- A List Apart
- Adobe Design Center
- Wikipedia Color Wiki
- Sitepoint.com Article on Design Principles
Can you provide more information on similar issues, or do you have some resources you can share where i can read more about such stuff?
@ graphictuning
At the bottom of the show notes there are links to resources that should point you in the right direction. Also we are working on our next boot camp episode so stay tuned and thanks for listening!