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Hiring Freelancers: How Not To Get Ripped Off
By Joyce Dierschke | October 1, 2009
There is little value in placing blame after the fact, so avoid problems by educating yourself before you hire an independent contractor or freelancer to create your marketing materials.
Here are some scenarios of how business owners get themselves into trouble when hiring freelancers and independent contractors:
- “I think I’m getting ripped off, how much would YOU charge me for this service?” The right time to ask another opinion about how much time and money a particular project should take is BEFORE you’ve already hired someone to do the job.Believe me, if you THINK you’re getting ripped off by a contractor, you probably are.
- “I never got the materials I paid for…” When a new client approaches me to revise a logo, business collateral or a web site, I ask for their “native” or “original art work” files. Many cannot produce these files because the freelancer who created them, kept them…and then promptly fell off the face of the earth.In these cases, for the most part, the materials will likely have to be re-created. In effect, the client will now pay again to have the materials created – this is in addition to the new work they originally wanted.When you hire someone to create materials for you – those materials belong to you! Make sure you get them in digital format, including native files*. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to pay for things twice!
Before You Hire Anyone…
Get it in writing.
How do you solve these issues? Have a contract between you and the freelancer and always get everything in writing. I don’t do any work without a contract – a simple contract, but a contract just the same.
The contract tells the client exactly what the job is, what it is going to cost including revisions and re-directions, approximately how long it is going to take and how and when the final materials – including native files – will be delivered.
The time to negotiate costs, time, etc. is in the contract stage – not in the “holy cow I’m getting so ripped off!” stage.
Here are a few more tips to consider before, during and after you hire a freelancer, independent contractor or outside company:
Know what you want.
Develop a creative brief that includes everything you believe you need to get the job done – include time estimates of your own. Let the prospective contractor tell you if they can or cannot meet your proposed deadlines, and why.
Research costs by getting multiple quotes from several vendors (hint: this is the time to call me and ask what I charge). Make sure quotes include not just prices but time, revision costs, delivery materials for all native and original files (CDs, DVDs, courier charges, etc.), meeting times (in person, over the web or over the phone).
Get recommendations.
Talk to friends, relative and colleagues who frequently hire freelancers and ask who they have hired in the past and if they could recommend someone to you. Don’t think a recommendation is a replacement for the other items listed above however. You still need a contract, a creative brief and your own research.
Get everything you pay for.
This includes native files*, original artwork, user names and passwords and fonts. You paid for these files to be created…THEY ARE YOURS ONCE YOU PAY THE FINAL INVOICE! Get them, even if you can’t use them or even open them yourself. Anyone you hire in the future WILL be able to work with them.
Now Go Forward With No Fear and Hire That Freelancer or Independent Contractor You Need!
*native files: these are original artwork or anything the freelancer used to create your materials. This includes layered Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files, Encapsulated Post Script (.eps) files, Photoshop (.psd or .tiff) files, Adobe InDesign (.indd) files, QuarkXpress (.qxp) files, fonts, color schemes, etc.
Topics: Freelancing, Success in Business, Work Life, marketing | No Comments »
