A Few Lessons I Learned The Hard Way…
Always always have your client sign a contract.
I’ve been in a few precarious situations with this, with one example being from only a few weeks ago. I was rehired by a company for some work and because I’ve worked with them multiple times the last few months, I didn’t have them sign anything for this round. After completing the project, I learned that my contact at the company no longer works there and a new person was taking over the account. Luckily, they honored the agreed upon rate I had made with the last person BUT legally they were not bound to.
Do not give a quote during a discovery call or when you are first learning about a project.
I have sold myself short MULTIPLE times by feeling pressured on a phone call to tell a client what I would charge. Take time to evaluate the actual scope of work before committing to a number.
Back to the contract thing…know that a payment schedule is not legally valid unless it is included in a contract.
I have a client from 2014 who still owes me $400. After several months of trying to receive my final payment (and without sending my final deliverables), I just gave up. We had an agreed upon plan for when the final payment would be due (included with final delivery) but it wasn’t noted on the contract. Years later, they have never sent the money and I’ve never sent the deliverables.
On that note, make sure to have a payment due date on your invoices (typical would be 30 days from the date of the invoice).
Choose only a few key people to be voices in your business journey.
If you ask 15 different people for opinions on your upcoming project, you will receive 15 different opinions. This can PARALYZE you if you are someone who feels the need to people please. Have a few people be on your “board” that you can process with. Decide whose opinions you are going to choose to trust.
Would love to hear something you learned in your journey of entrepreneurship… feel free to email me back (yes it’s a real person and not ChatGPT who writes these ;)
