Download - Freelancing 101

Freelancing 101the joys and pitfalls of working on your own


Working for yourself is not for everyone, so before you decide to freelance there are a few things to consider.

• can you be your own task master?• can you multi-task or work on multiple projects?• can you sell yourself comfortably?• can you balance work and play?• can you differentiate between work space and living space?• are you capable of riding out the financial dry spells?• do you have a network of support people to get advice from or bounce ideas off of?• are you comfortable pushing yourself to creative/learn etc?• are you comfortable learning new skills on the fly?• do you live near a Tim Horton’s or coffee shop?


Pros of Freelancing

• you work for yourself• you are your own boss• you are making money for yourself• you can set your own hours• it is a lifestyle• you have the freedom to make choices regarding the work you do• your network allows to get or send/transfer work• it is an economic decision• you live and die by the decisions you make• you are only as good as the last project you worked on


Cons of Freelancing

• you are responsible for the end result• you are to blame if something goes wrong• you have to set aside money for taxes• your work hours can never stop• you may have to do work you won’t normally do• you have to make decisions without consulting anyone• you may not know when your next project will come• you are only as good as the last project you worked on• you have no benefits• banks do not like people you work for themselves.


Freelancing, Contracting and Consulting – where the lines blur

how you label yourself or employers label you will effect your income and your taxes• freelancing and consulting

• you have your own expenses• you can charge back expenses to the project• you can charge by the hour, the project, retaining fee, consulting fee• you can charge GST• you may be responsible for your own deductions

• contractor• you are paid generally by the hour• you do not get benefits• you may be responsible for your own deductions• your contract can be up at anytime• you are viewed as short term


Freelancing, Contracting and Consulting – where the lines blur

If you are a contractor, note what is expected of you. You may in actuality be an employee.

• if you do not set your own hours• are expected to put in a set number of hours• who is your real employer

• the person you are doing work for• the placement agency

• Aquent• Thinkpath• Workbrain


What you need as a Freelancer

The Basics• business card• creative brief• simple quote

Advanced Stuff• creative brief• detailed quote• how to read an RFP document• contract document• lawyer


Freelancing, Contracting and Consulting

• May be required to sign a NDA - Non-disclosure Agreement• limits what you can say about the work you are doing• limits or restricts what you can disclose after leaving the company• protect intellectual property• may only provide you a reference but nothing for your portfolio• may not have an expiry or time limit

• Make sure you understand what you are signing• you may not own or reuse anything that you have recreated• in the end you may not hold anything related to the project



What’s a Creative Brief?

A creative brief is a road map for your project. A good brief leads to imaginative and creative outcomes and it gets you there quickly.

Here are three sample briefs. • Basic Brief - This is the brief you prepare for a client you know well and have produced work for in the past.• Advanced or Detailed Brief - This is the brief you should prepare for new business pitches, new product launches, and new campaigns.• Brief Brief - This is a brief for small projects, tight deadlines, well known products.



Quote Breakdown

•Table of Contents•Introduction•Executive Summary•Definitions•Project management•Project timing•Subject matter expert support•Reporting requirements•Process•Technology Approach•Assumptions•Quality Assurance Commitments•Biographies and Qualifications: Company Profile•Biographies and Qualifications: Services•Acceptance



Quote Breakdown

•Table of Contents



Quote Breakdown

•Introduction• States the nature of the project and why it is being done• States the Objectives of the Proposed Solution• States what benefits the solution will deliver



Quote Breakdown

•Executive Summary• Summarized development costs• Timeline Requirements & Assumptions• Website Design and Development Quotation

•Cost of • Needs Assessment & Site Audit• Content Gap Analysis Report• Information Architecture• Conceptual/Graphic Design & Development• Programming• Project Management• Quality Assurance and Testing• Selectable Options• Quotes is valid of XX days• Payment Terms



Quote Breakdown

•Definitions• Define any concept, idea, process in layman terms for the client to understand



Quote Breakdown

•Project management• The project management role will include the following:

• Content specification and consolidation• Overseeing program development and programming• Overseeing testing, timelines and quality control• Delivering sample pages, designs and prototypes



Quote Breakdown

•Project Timing• Statement of deliverables with dates and approval process



Quote Breakdown

•Subject matter expert support• Who will provide expert support on content• Is it necessary to hire a SME from outside



Quote Breakdown

•Reporting requirements • Who reports what and to whom• Who is responsible for issues and resolution



Quote Breakdown

•Process• a step by step break down of how the project will proceed• notes when responsibility jumps from you to the client and vise versa• how delivery and launch of product will take place



Quote Breakdown

•Technology Approach• for what the platform is the project being build for• what technology is being used• what technology support is required to make the application work• what is being supported and what is not• statement about future technology



Quote Breakdown

• Quality Assurance Statement

• Biography of Company and Particulars

• Acceptance• Signature of Client to start work• signature bears witness to understanding content presented in quote



What’s an RFP?

An RFP is a “Request for Proposal”. An RFP is basically the opposite of a proposal.

More specifically, it’s a simple document that outlines what a prospective client "wants" in a website.

• Why do they Want a site• What features they want to see in their website• How much they are budgeting or willing to spend • When do they want the site done



“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.”

Charles Darwin


Resources

Contractor’s Handbook

How to win an RFP

http://www.cehandbook.com/cehandbook/htmlpages/ceh_main.html

http://www.bcentral.com/articles/workshop/152.asp

Download - Freelancing 101

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