How To Make Sure You Are Always Paid On Time As A Freelancer

One of the best things about being a freelancer is the freedom. You can work from anywhere and as much or as little as you want. And, usually there is no commute either!

The worst part is getting paid on time. And sometimes you may not even be paid at all!

Hunting down deadbeat clients is a total waste of time as it takes you away from doing the actual work you need to do to get paid from your other clients. And this is not to mention the cash flow problems.

When you are not paid on time it is very difficult to make a stable life for yourself as you will always be short on cash when you need it. This ebb and flow is the most difficult aspect of freelancing. There is a way out of the cycle, however.

In this article, I will go over several ways you can make sure that you are paid on time and spend less time chasing your clients for payments.

1 – Have clear communication

Communication with your client is essential in a number of ways as this article from Bloom demonstrates.

When it comes to making sure you get paid, you have to make sure that your terms are clearly communicated to your client. This includes putting it on paper. Whether you prefer to be paid by milestone or the entire project, make sure your client knows when they need to pay.

You should have a contract drawn up that outlines exactly what the work is going to be and how much and when you will be paid for it. This also is good to avoid scope creep which is when your client tries to ask for more work than what you agreed on.

2 – Get paid upfront or work on a retainer

Getting paid upfront as a new freelancer is usually not an option. You have to have a reputation and a decent stable of clients to pull it off. And a retainer is even more difficult to get unless you are established.

However, when you do get to the point that you have referrals coming in regularly and no real shortage of work, then you can ask to be paid upfront. You can offer refunds if certain milestones are not met, but communication and a contract is essential for this.

Retainers are a great way to go to keep your clients and to get paid on time. Once you have a history with them then this could be a mutually beneficial arrangement.

3 – Make it easy to get paid

Having many ways that are convenient for your client will remove a barrier to getting paid on time. If you can accept a variety of payments, then one will surely be the right fit for just about every client.

This includes accepting a variety of currencies with the addition of cryptocurrency, too. Give your client no reason to not pay you on time by making it as easy as possible for them to pay.