freelancing

Answers to all your questions about life as a freelancer — contracts, tricky clients, getting paid, and more.

if you’re self-employed or want to be, this post is for you

Are you self-employed or want to be self-employed? The comments section on this post is open for all talk related to self-employment — whether it’s  frustrations with clients, the pure ecstasy of working in your pajamas, the weirdness (and sometimes pure ecstasy) of not having coworkers, what the hell is up with your taxes, questions about […]

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how to break up with a client

A reader writes: Several years ago, I left a full-time job in order to freelance, and my most recent employer has remained one of my clients. I have been handling an ongoing series of projects for them, with the understanding that my contract will be renewed each year for the foreseeable future. However, the work […]

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I don’t want to keep helping my old boss for free

A reader writes: I recently left a research/assistant position with a consultant in the nonprofit sector after working there for about a year. My new position (which I started this week) is full-time but they have a four-day work week. I mentioned this to my boss when I told her that I would be leaving, […]

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my client constantly pesters me and micromanages my every move

A reader writes: I work as a contractor for a lice-removal company (I’m a recruiter). My tasks aren’t particularly time-sensitive — think mass mailings, follow-up texts, and phone calls. This is my second job; I work as a secretary for a local university as well. I have two questions about the company I contract with. […]

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how to respond to a rude firing as a freelancer

A reader writes: As a freelancer with many different clients, occasionally some of them don’t work out. However, I’ve found that some employers can be what I consider rude when letting me go after the work I turned in was not what they wanted. One was very cordial up until the point when she wrote, […]

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the 5 skills you need to work for yourself

Thinking about going into business for yourself? If you have a talent or skill or product idea that you think people would pay for, you might be tempted to strike out on your own and see if you can turn it into a business. After all, what’s better than working for yourself, having no boss, […]

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a client paid half my fee and then disappeared before giving me any work

A reader writes: I occasionally offer consulting/advisory per my highly specialized knowledge for nonprofits. One particular one ended—well, not sure “ended” is the right word, exactly—in a most unusual way that I was at a loss to understand. I was asked to do, let’s say, international research on teapots among (and only among) a specific […]

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my client is calling me 7 times a day

A reader writes: I work as a consultant for a few small nonprofits (that is, I’m not an employee and I work remotely). For a variety of reasons, I prefer to conduct most business via email. In the first place, for the work I do, I like having a written record of discussions, decisions, etc. […]

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