6 Don’ts of a Freelance Contract

If you want a lasting freelancing business career, you need to build an awesome and professional reputation through your skill set and by the way you deliver your work.

This freelance industry like any other industry, is full of people who want to benefit from you to get their work done.

You can’t go fighting with clients if they play fraudulent games with you. So, the smart move is to design a fair freelance contractwhich carries the points to secure profits for both parties. Both you and your client should be able to understand all clauses of the contract before signing it.

There are a few points you need to know before preparing or signing any freelance contract…

Don’ts of a Freelance Contract

1. Don’t sign any such contract which you don’t fully understand

The freelancing contract is supposed to be clear enough for both parties to understand. There shouldn’t be any vague points which could be taken as controversial. Your client may try to create a trap for you by keeping a complicated point in the contract so that once you sign the contract you have to do what they wish.

The approach of both parties should be professional so to gain each others trust. If the contract is prepared by you, try to make it as professional as possible so that it creates an impression on the client and the client feels secure working with you. This will help you to get more work and new referrals.

Try to make the role of both the parties clear enough in the project. Never try to cheat your clients because in this industry you’re awarded work for your talent and reputation and once you lose your reputation you’ll start losing work.

2. Don’t forget to limit the number of times an alteration request by the client is allowed

Mention in the freelancing contract the extra charges for such alteration requests that go beyond the described limit.

There must be a point in the contract describing the number of times the client can request revisions and alterations. This is important as the clients may harass you by requesting alterations every time they find something inappropriate.

So, there should be a time limit within which the client should review the submitted project and come up with everything he/she feels needs changed.

You also should mention it in the contract and charge them if they exceed that limit. But be sure not to cause trouble for your clients all because they request alterations. Try to help them if there is a genuine alteration required in the project.

This will add to your reputation in their eyes and they will consult you every time they have a project. Never show a negative attitude if they come up with shortcomings of your work because they pay for your talents and deserve your best.

3. Don’t sign a freelance contract without going through each of the clauses

Never sign any contract without knowing every point of the contract. Be vigilant to know the basics of the project which clarifies the role of both parties. The contract should clearly mention the responsibilities of each party involved.

It will also help you to get an outline of the project and its importance. Your work should be clearly described in the contract so that the client can’t take advantage of you.

4. Don’t sign a freelance contract without a deadline mentioned in it

You may have the feeling that having a deadline is harmful to you as it puts all the pressure to finish a project within a limited period of time… but actually some clients like it without a deadline because it gives them the opportunity to overuse you.

The client makes you work more and comes up with various improvements on a daily basis and you can’t refuse. Why? Because you didn’t sign an ending date of the project.

This traps you and you can’t move on to the next project. So, learn to handle pressure and finish your projects within deadlines so that you can keep moving allowing you to become more experienced and to make more money. This also makes you professional in your approach.

Take care of the fact that you get enough time to finish the project so fix the deadlines which are possible to meet. Fix the deadline of the review time in which clients can come up with the points he is not satisfied with. This is called true professionalism.

5. Don’t forget to mention your payment in the freelancing contract

In freelancing jobs, the payment is according to the project. Never forget to make your payment a part of your contract. Leave no room for the client to back off or negotiate your payment after the work has been performed.

Always get an initial deposit, depending on the project, done between both parties. Always try to make it a point that the client doesn’t use any clause as term of payment. This can be a trap. Include a Cancellation Clause in the contract so that neither party suffers a loss if one of them terminates the project.

6. Don’t forget to mention the type of file in which you will make the delivery

The client always wants the final project to be delivered in the type of file he can access. So, if you make the delivery a point in the contract it will save any conflicts between you and the client. This will also make your client happy to have the product in the way he wants so that he can make the best use of it.

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