How to Make Sure You Get Paid on Time

As a freelance writer, I have two basic struggles—finding enough work to pay the bills, and actually getting paid so I can pay my bills. The actual work is never really much of a hassle for the most part. It all really comes down to money.



Here are some tips to help freelancers make sure they get paid on time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Invoice program
• Envelopes
• Stamps
• Email

1. 

   Put it in your contract. Make sure you have a clause in your written agreement which you should use for every job, that stipulates when you’ll get paid. Mine is within 30 days of the invoice submitted. Let your clients know that this is expected. I also include it in my invoices and give them the option to use PayPal if that’s easier. Anything to get the dough.

2. Speak clearly. Let your clients know that payment is expected, note it in the contract and use the invoice to reiterate everything. Make sure your invoice includes your address, email and phone number, a date, a total amount due and include any job codes. I have one client who has their own system, so I have to pay careful attention to make sure I use their codes. This way everything is processed more quickly.

3. 

   Bill regularly. It’s only fair to bill after the project is complete. Don’t wait a few weeks and then expect the payment to show up right after you bill. It’s common to give a client about a month. You never know how their systems work, and if it’s a corporation, there could be a lot of red tape.

4. Keep cool. If your money doesn’t show up on time, kindly let the client know. Ask if there’s anything else you need to do and when to expect payment. Some clients of mine don’t pay within 30 days, but they always pay, so I let that go. They have intricate billing processes and often can’t bill their clients until a few weeks after my part of the job is done. If you have to contact a client more than two or three times (use email and phone and in writing if need be), you can take more forceful steps to get your cash.

Tips & Warnings

• If emailing invoices, ask for a quick confirmation that the client received it.
• Don't be too pushy. Give the client a month to respond to your invoice before taking any action. If you need to take more action, be polite. Money could be held up for no malicious reason, and you always want to try to retain a client for future work!

[amandaford]

on 3/4/2008 As a freelancer I often find myself in the role of bill collector. It's not a fun position, but it is essential to keep my livelihood in tact. Your tips are certain to make the getting paid portion of my work easier.