3 Boundaries Worth Setting in a Freelance Practice

Last week, one of my Instagram followers (from the pool of three) wrote me a note asking me for advice as she transitions from her in-house role to that of a freelancer, in search of balance. She wrote: “I just have my two weeks [notice] to my day job and I’m looking forward to chasing my dreams of freelancing. I am not sure where that will take me but I do know that I need to strategize as much as possible before hitting the streets. I’d love your feedback. What’re your thoughts on boundaries? How do you set them?”

My thoughts on boundaries? They’re muy importanté — and worth every butterfly notion at start-up with a client. I use the words “butterfly notion” because it’s exactly how it feels. Signing a new client is a such an exciting process and you’re bound to be overcome with excitement that you’ve got a check new focus and ideas to play with. It’s my favorite feeling, ever. But, you cannot allow those puffy pink clouds of excitement to skew your judgement.

Boundaries are daunting to say the very least. As humans, we inherently love to push them; defy them; and test them even when they’re broken. I am as guilty as anyone else. But, by failing to set expectation and implement “the B word” into your working relationships you’re really only setting yourself up for failure.

Here are my three top boundaries for the blossoming freelance pro — and how/why you should implement them:

Get as specific and pointed as possible when it comes to time management. Time is very sacred and yours is very (very!) precious. Remember, every minute you spend doing something is another minute you could be billing a client. (And, let that lead you. Along with gratitude.) Anyway – things like hours of operation and commitments to clients should be clearly documented and honored accordingly.

Client commitments – aka labor hours, design time, tasks, and deliverables – should be clearly outlined in your official contract agreement. (Every client should sign a contract!) These commitments and deadlines need to be met on your end and billed for immediately, regardless of whether the client’s deliverables have been received. This might look like aggression, to the both of you, but it’s the good kind of aggressive behavior — that keeps everyone in check. Trust me.

Outline your Terms & Conditions in a separate document or – even better – a web page, like this, and make sure every client receives a copy in their welcome kit. Digital copies can be bookmarked and consulted later (hah!). But, just because you say it, doesn’t mean they’ll listen; you’re going to need to stand firm on things — like rogue appointment times and 9PM texts and phone calls on a Saturday, “just to chat.” Shut it down.

Require a singular channel for communication. There are so many great tools out there, now more than ever, to help organizations streamline their communication. Choose one, or simply rely on email, and preface the importance of keeping the communication segmented. If things get lost or misplaced in the digisphere… it’s your head that will role. Plus, if everything is in one channel, you can easily turn on and off the notifications and your overall availability.

In the early stages, you’re going to have a lot of “do I really need all of this?” thoughts. But, listen to me, invest in the necessary softwares and make them an intricate part of daily life. Transitioning from the old school email-only approach to a more intuitive platform like Slack or the support threads in Freshbooks can be very difficult. Or impossible altogether.

Organizing your billing terms and outline them, clearly and honestly. Our achilles heel, as freelance creative professionals, is our passion. It’s the reason we’re hired and often times the reason why we’re not. Never, ever give anything away for free. (Oh, and a cup of coffee — or lunch on a park bench is not an appropriate form of payment to “pick your brain.”) Your thoughts, time, and efforts are all valuable — so valuable, in fact, that they’ve got a price tag. Each of them.

Consultation fees are a must — but it’s up to you on how you handle them. The research and proposal development process takes a tremendous amount of time and at the end of the day there’s nothing stopping the potential client from stealing the idea(s) and walking away. My rule of thumb is to enforce them for everyone, established clients or new relationships alike (remember, a new idea / product / business is a new “project”). Then, you can waive them if they choose you to execute on the project.

Protocol for The Studio is a $150-300 consultation fee, which only fluctuates based on our availability and the turnaround time in which the deliverables are needed, and that fee is waived / “applied to the account” if we are hired for the gig.

Labor hours need to be tracked and billed immediately – as used. If you’re anything like me and have an issue talking about money, you’re going to need to get over that right-the-f*ck-now. Time commitments to clients can go rogue at the drop of a hat, and trust me, they want you to get swept away in the tide of passion. It’s how you lose focus and ultimately forget to bill – and if you wait long enough or don’t speak up on past due invoices, a dispute and delay in production is imminent.

Remember, as you leave your role in [presumably] corporate America, the boundaries are no longer set for you and there’s really no freelancer handbook to govern your relationships. Your work hours, paydays, emails, and availability are all your responsibility. And, so are the consequences that come with mishandling any of them. It’s hard to lose focus of the importance of boundaries, especially as you establish this new name for yourself, but in the long run – they’re worth it.