Let’s face it, freelancing can be a tough gig, so why do we as freelancers, seem to make it harder than it needs to be? From messy desks, to running late for meetings, to fiddling with other
developers code and working til 4am – at times it would seem easier to just pack up and go back to a regular nine to five.

After having freelanced myself since 2007, I can honestly say that I’ve made all of these mistakes and more. In fact, I’ve made more mistakes than I care to remember. Most noticeably was sitting through an hour long meeting calling my client by the wrong name. But I won’t get into that, lets take a quick look at the top 5 most common mistakes that freelance web designers make, and how you can avoid them.
Mistake #1 – Taking any job that comes your way

This is definitely one of the most common problems that almost every freelancer makes, and typically its due to the fact that they are dead broke and desperate for cash. In just about every case, it results in the developer working ridiculous hours for peanuts, all because they smiled, nodded and shook hands at the first mention of payment (for any amount) and accepted the job.

In my experience, having made this very regrettable mistake when I first started out, it was just a case of not wanting to argue the point over costs, in case I may have offended the client in any way. That, added to the fact that I was eating dry toast for dinner most nights, meant that I had to take virtually anything that came my way.

It became obvious pretty much right away, that if my business had any chance of surviving, and me not ending up in the nut house, that I needed to be much more vigilant about what jobs I agreed to and was a lot firmer about my pricing
Solution – Learn when to say “No”

Even if you’re down to your last dollar, don’t agree to a custom built, database driven website with video, audio, and a 45,000 member base that needs to integrate with PayPal for $600 – it’s just not worth it. Instead, learn when to decline a job.

Better still, price the job at what it should be, and if the client rejects your quote, then consider it no loss and a headache avoided. In any case, you should always have sufficient money (somewhere) to prevent desperation. Because when you’re desperate, you tend to say ‘yes’ to anything – and that can be dangerous.
Mistake #2 – Not using proper contracts and agreements

I remember how happy I was when I landed my first client. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my partner about it. Everything seemed peachy. That was until I hadn’t been paid a month after having finished the job. Needless to say, I was devastated, and I had visions of my old workmates gathered around me back at work saying, “We told you it wouldn’t work. We knew you’d be back”. Well I certainly didn’t want that to happen, so I chased them down and eventually got paid.

It turned out that the client decided to take a holiday to Bali for a month towards the end of the project, which left me hanging big time. I had quit my job and desperately needed the money – just in order to pay the rent and buy food. I knew when I shook his hand and accepted to take the project, that I should’ve used a contract, but stupidly, thought “It will be right, he’s a nice guy”. It’s funny, clients always seem nice and reassuring about paying on time during the initial meeting, but always seem to find excuses afterwards.
SOLUTION – Always use signed contracts

It doesn’t matter who the client is, even if it’s your mother – always use proper documentation and signed contracts when starting a new project. Regardless of the project size, whether you’re building a comprehensive e-commerce store, or a small 5 page brochure website, at the very least, use work orders, and have everything double checked, and signed off upon before proceeding. Its just not worth it otherwise. By using formal contracts, you’re protecting yourself legally in case any disputes or non payment issues arise. Read more here at www.dcmediaservices.com or www.dcmediaservices..com.