c/freelance-survival

Just realized my 'simple' client contract needed a full rewrite after a scope creep issue ate up 12 days of my time.

I thought a basic agreement was fine until a client kept adding 'tiny' revisions that weren't covered, and fixing that legal mess took almost two weeks when I budgeted an afternoon.

Saw a guy at the library in Boise working on a laptop with a sticky note that said 'PAID'

I was at the main library downtown last week, just looking for a quiet spot to plan some showings, and I saw this guy at a table with his laptop. He had a bright yellow sticky note stuck right on the screen that just said 'PAID' in big letters. At first I thought it was weird, but then I watched him for a minute... he'd finish a task, look at the note, and then open his banking app. It hit me that he was using it as a mental trigger to actually send his invoices right away, not just mark the work as done. I've been so bad about letting invoices sit for weeks, telling myself I'll do it later. His simple trick made me realize I'm leaving money on the table by not making getting paid the very next step. I tried it yesterday after finishing a client report and it felt good to close that loop instantly. Has anyone else found a dumb little trick like that to keep the cash flowing?

Showerthought: I found out most freelancers don't have a plan for sick days

I was reading a report from a freelance union last week, and it said nearly 60% of us have zero income set aside for when we get sick. I got the flu in February and had to cancel a week of work, which really hit my wallet. It made me realize I'm just hoping I stay healthy instead of planning for it. How do you guys handle it when you can't work for a week?

The $500 client who taught me to charge more

Last week, I landed a new client for a website copy project. They agreed to my rate of $500, which felt like a win. Just last month, I would have jumped at that without a second thought. But three years ago, when I started in Chicago, I was taking any job I could get for $100 or less. This new client ended up being the most demanding one I've ever had, sending over 15 rounds of revisions and calling me at all hours. I spent more time on them than on a $1200 project I did in January. It made me realize my low rate was attracting the worst kind of work. I'm raising my minimum project fee starting next month. Has anyone else found that a higher price tag actually filters out the nightmare clients?

Spent $400 on a fancy ergonomic chair after my back started hurting from the kitchen table setup, and it broke after two months when the armrest just fell off.

Has anyone else had a piece of 'essential' gear completely fail on them right after the warranty period?

Shoutout to my buddy who told me to charge a flat project rate instead of hourly for a website I did last month

I turned down a steady retainer for a one-off project last month

A regular client offered me $2,000 a month for ongoing support, but I chose a single $5,000 website build instead because I wanted to free up my schedule. In my view, chasing retainers can lock you into low-value work and stop you from finding better clients. Has anyone else passed on a retainer and been glad they did?

My client call success rate went from 20% to 60% after I stopped sending generic proposals.

I thought a client's 'quick fix' project was a waste of time

A client offered me $200 to update their website's contact form, which seemed too simple. I did it in an hour, but they were so happy they gave me three bigger projects over the next month. That small job in April showed me that building trust is more important than the project size. Has anyone else landed a long-term client from a tiny first job?

I thought I could handle a big client's rush job alone

Last month, a regular client in Denver asked me to turn around a full website audit in three days, which I agreed to. Halfway through, my laptop charger died, and the replacement took a full day to arrive, putting me way behind. I had to call a fellow freelancer I know from a local meetup and pay her $200 to take on the content review part so I could focus on the technical side. We got it done with two hours to spare, but my profit was basically gone. I used to think asking for help was a sign I couldn't handle my business. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail at the worst possible time and how did you fix it?

Vent: I thought cold emailing was a total waste of time for getting freelance work

For my first year freelancing in Chicago, I refused to send cold emails, thinking they were just spam. Last month, I got desperate and sent 20 personalized emails to local design agencies. I spent about an hour on each one, mentioning a specific project of theirs I liked. One agency owner actually replied, saying 'Your note was the only one that didn't feel like a copy-paste job.' That turned into a $2,500 project. So, is cold emailing a legit tool if you do it right, or is it still mostly just annoying people? What's your take?

Just read that 70% of freelance gigs come from past clients or referrals. That's wild.

Hot take: clients who ask for a 'quick call' always mean a 45 minute strategy session

I had a potential client last Tuesday book a '15 minute intro' that somehow turned into him walking me through his entire 5 year business plan and asking for free advice. I know it matters because that's an hour of unpaid work I could have spent on actual paid jobs. How do you guys politely cut those calls short without sounding rude?

I paid $1200 for a 'client magnet' website template that never brought in a single lead

Back in 2020, I was desperate for a professional look and bought this fancy template from a big name designer. It promised SEO built in and a 'proven' layout to convert visitors. I spent a whole weekend customizing it with my portfolio. After six months of crickets, I went back to my simple, ugly Squarespace site and got three calls in a week. Has anyone else fallen for a slick sales page for a tool that just didn't work for our actual freelance hustle?

A lot of new freelancers are setting their rates based on what they need to live, not what the work is worth

I see this all the time in online groups. Someone will say they charge $30 an hour because that's what they need to pay rent. I did the same thing when I started three years ago. The problem is clients don't care about your bills, they care about the value you bring. I raised my graphic design rates to $85 an hour after a client told me my work helped increase their sales. Now I get better projects. How did you figure out what to charge when you were starting out?

Just saw my total freelance income cross $75k this morning, which is wild because I started with a $200 logo.

Never thought I'd get here after that first tiny job, so has anyone else hit a number that made you stop and go 'huh'?

Am I the only one who had a client offer to pay in exposure?

A guy at a coffee shop in Denver said he'd pay me with 'great portfolio work' for a full website build. I said no, but part of me wonders if I should have taken it to fill a slow month. When do you all decide a free job is worth it?

Lost a $2,500 client project because my hard drive crashed in the middle of a deadline

I was finishing a big website redesign for a client in Austin when my main drive just died. I hadn't backed up my work for two days, so I lost all the final files. I had to call the client, explain the situation, and work 36 hours straight to rebuild everything from scratch. Has anyone else had to deal with a major tech failure right before a deadline, and what's your backup system now?

I used to think cold email was a total waste of time for finding freelance work

I mean, I was sending maybe 10 a week for a month with no replies and felt like an idiot. Then I spent a day in a coffee shop in Austin and rewrote my whole pitch to focus on one specific problem I saw on a company's site, and sent 5 that afternoon. I got two replies and one turned into a $1,800 project. What's a better way to find good leads without feeling spammy?

A client ghosted me after a $2,500 project and I had to get creative to get paid.

This was for a website redesign I finished in March. They stopped answering emails and calls. Instead of sending more invoices, I changed the site's admin password and put up a simple 'site under maintenance' page with my contact info. They called me within two hours to settle up. Has anyone else had to use a non-standard tactic to get a client to pay?

My payment system crashed right after I sent a big invoice

It happened last Tuesday around 3 PM, right after I emailed a $2,400 invoice for a project wrap-up. My usual payment portal just showed an error page for a full day. I had to scramble and send a direct PayPal link instead, which felt super unprofessional. The client was cool about it, but it made me realize I can't rely on just one method. Now I have a backup link ready in my invoice template. What's your go-to backup when your main payment tool fails?

I thought charging $75 an hour for my writing was a joke, but a client in Austin actually paid it.

I'd been stuck at $30 for years, thinking no one would pay more. Then a tech startup reached out and their budget was double my rate. I was so sure they'd ghost me after I sent the quote, but they signed the contract the same day. Anyone else have a moment where they realized they were seriously undercharging?

I finally had a client ghost me after delivering a finished website

I was working with a small brewery in Austin, and they just stopped replying after I sent the final files. I waited two weeks, then sent an invoice with a late fee. They paid up the next day, but it was a stressful $2,500 to have hanging out there. What's your go-to move when a client disappears on a big payment?

Overheard a client call their freelancer 'just a temp' at a cafe

It was a real gut punch, because it framed the whole relationship as disposable. Made me think we should push for contracts that call us 'partners' or 'vendors' to set a better tone. Do you think changing the language in proposals actually changes how clients treat you?

Showerthought: the new co-working space in Austin feels like a trap for freelancers

I checked out that big new co-working spot downtown last Thursday, the one with the free coffee and ping pong. The vibe was cool, but the day pass was $45 and the monthly rate started at $350. I talked to a guy there who said he signed up for a year and now he's stuck paying for a desk he never uses because his main client cut their budget. It seems like a nice idea but could really lock you into a big cost. How do you guys decide if a shared office is worth it?