Andy Strote

These books have helped agency owners and freelancers around the world. Maybe they’ll help you too. Link is in the bio.

Freelancers: Every estimate should include payment terms. Figure out what works for you. Could be 50% deposit, 50% on completion. Maybe progress billing for bigger jobs: 33%, 33%, 33%. Old school, net 10 days or net 30. Also, you don’t have to give every client the same terms.

Freelancers, every estimate should include Terms & Conditions. At the very least it should address revisions. Eg: Includes up to two rounds of revisions. Further revisions will be quoted in advance. Don’t let a client try to reduce the estimate by taking out revisions. 🚩🚩🚩

@Jimmymediabrand Priorities, my friend…

@StroteBook This is really indeed very hard

Freelancers, when did you last update your portfolio? Make sure you have all your best work up there for potential clients to discover. Dedicate a few hours every week for updates to create the strongest possible portfolio.

The most important thing about this amazing Paris transformation is how fast it happened —how fast people on bikes “appeared” —once streets were transformed. You can’t write this off as “#Paris was always this way,” because it wasn’t. It took leadership.

Freelancers, there’s one important criteria when you’re looking for new clients: Simply, do they have the capacity to give me repeat business? If the first project goes well, will there be more? Too many freelancers get “one and done” clients. It’s a tough way to grow.

@cecile_followup It doesn’t have to be either/or. It can be both. BTW, if you get close to your clients and deliver consistently, you’re don’t have to “close deals”. They come to you with projects. They want a detailed estimate so they can say yes and you can get going. Makes life much easier

@StroteBook Being “friendly” doesn’t close deals, having a clear process does.

Freelancers: How close do you get to your clients? I always tried to be “business friends” where we got along well and saw ourselves working together to get projects done. Me on the creative side, them doing all the client jobs. Some freelancers want it strictly business. You?

@CaitlinKellyNYC And good wine…

Travel, art

Freelancers, let’s say you estimated a project at $3,000. The client comes back with a budget of $2,000. What do you do? Reduce the deliverables to fit the budget. You could have avoided this though. How? Ask for the budget at the beginning. Get comfortable with money talk.

Freelancers, all of your estimates should include a defined number of revisions. I always included two. Anything beyond that was estimated and billed. Don’t be tempted to reduce your estimate by cutting out revisions. There are ALWAYS revisions and you should get paid for them.

Freelancers, make sure you get written briefs from your clients. Some people think they can just “tell you” what they want. That leads to nothing but trouble. A written brief lets you think about it, ask questions, get clarity. Don’t start without one.

Freelancers: How do you handle estimates? Do you write your own quotes? Do you use contracts that have been written or vetted by a lawyer? Do you have kill fees, validity for limited times, etc? What works for you?

Freelancers: If you have a few money disagreements with clients, it’s normal. But if you often disagree on fees, terms, revisions, etc, there’s something wrong. Either: You need to tighten up your estimates to include more financial terms Or You need new clients Maybe both

Freelancers: How many clients do you typically work for at the same time? 1 – 3 4 or 5 More than 5 What works for you?

@ivandemigoal Johnny Bower, one of the all time greats.

Age yourself by naming an NHL goalie you grew up watching. I’ll start: Carey Price.

@DominiBouchard Hmmm, if that’s your experience, find other agencies 🤷‍♂️

@StroteBook Most agencies don't pay good anyways.

Freelancers, there are drawbacks working with agencies. - The clients aren’t yours, they’re the agencies - You’re often held at arm’s length - Relationships can be precarious - what if your contact leaves? - Some agencies pay slowly Tip: don’t get too much work from one agency.

Freelancers, do you work for agencies? There are many benefits if you have a good working relationship with one or more agencies. - Bigger clients for your portfolio - A potential steady stream of work - Meet new people, grow your network But there are drawbacks too…

What's it like being a freelancer, working with an agency? I know some #FreelanceFriends who plan to chat about this on Bluesky on Thursday this week! Stay tuned for updates!