Money vs. security: a freelance dilemma

Jerry
August 19, 2009

When I first began freelancing, I cheated somewhat. I still had a full-time job. My goal was to phase out the job as I became more successful. Several obstacles had to be hurdled as you can imagine. In the beginning I offered a low rate that barely felt as if it covered the work I put into projects. I wrote cheaper than anybody I knew and consulted for half their price. I had clients, but I still needed the full-time job. After about a full year of burning the candle at both ends, I decided I was at a crossroads in my endeavors. I had to shed the job, period. It was time to adjust my rates to make that happen. I contacted my clients and let them know that future work would have to be at an increased rate and bid all new jobs at that rate. As expected, I lost about half of the clients I had and started having less success getting new ones. After a short time, though, things turned around. Many people who are outsourcing jobs get burned by paying for the less expensive team. Quality is often a lesser concern for these “experts” and they operate on the quantity theory. I began to see that my quality and customer service were triumphing. Sure, it took me another six months of the full-time job, but I was able to shed it and live the same lifestyle. It is a true freelance dilemma. Money vs. security. You can have both if you offer quality and service. What are your thoughts about this dilemma?

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About Jerry Brisinger

I am the Marketing Director of a small media development company. We deal with hardware,software, and hard goods. As part owner of that company, I am able to see many of the true inner workings of the decision making process. Over my years in the marketing field I have striven to show simplify people's way of thinking on the subject. Many executives and small business owners try to over complicate the entire idea. They are wrong. In my posts I hope to show you what it is that I mean.

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January 07, 2016 03:21 am #

[...] in the graphic design business can fluctuate simply because when you finish a project, there might not be another one from that [...]

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