Issue #49 - September 18th, 2015

Robert Williams wrote an article he’s described as controversial called Are big client projects actually losing you money?. As someone who works with large clients, I was ready to dig in and defend my reasons why he was wrong. But his points were spot on and I agreed with most of them. This one stood out to me as one of the most valuable that I see other consultants missing:

Have you ever considered hiring a freelancer like you for $30,000? Why not? …

That’s why it’s important to ask if the money you’re getting paid is a sound investment for the company who’s hiring you. By taking it are you really helping the company you’re being hired to help?

If you can’t put yourself into your clients shoes and say "Yes, this is worth the investment" then maybe you shouldn’t be working with them anymore. I know I’ve struggled on projects when the return started to shrink and it was much easier to wrap up the project early, than to slog it out and take their money.

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Two things make a service business work: people and processes. Everyone understands that a great consultant is valuable and worth high rates. Not as much thought is put into the processes that support that consultant and make them great. These processes don’t just appear magically, as Brian Casel explains you need to work on them and build them into your plan.

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If you’re just getting started or you need to restart your freelance business, having a day-by-day guide can get started on the right path. Don’t waste your time doing the things that don’t matter.

Quick Links

Paralyzed by Indecision? Get Unstuck With This One Weird Trick (ittybiz.com)

How to Master the Pragmatic Details of Running a One-Person Business with Paul Jarvis (devchat.tv)

How To Turn Down Freelance Work Gracefully (christopherhawkins.com)

Trust Marker #4: Authority Piece (theadmin.org)

How to Respond to Mean-Spirited Clients (freshbooks.com)

Freelance Freedom #381 – The Fax (envato.com)

The Underpants Myth (pjrvs.com)

Consulting Client Project Update (consultingsuccess.com)

The Business of Freelancing, Episode 36: Paul Jarvis on Finding a Match between Products and Audience (doubleyourfreelancing.com)

How to Leverage Your Network for High Paying Referrals (nusii.com)

Sharing Work Without Sharing a Space (creativeclass.io)