We talk a lot about how to make sure your customers pay you fairly and on time. Sometimes, however, the people who hire you for your talent and services are not clients, companies, or corporations as we traditionally understand them; they are your fellow freelancers. Whether you’re hired by a photographer to style a photo shoot, write for a friend’s blog, or even perform in a comedy show, it’s important to set expectations, communicate clearly, and stick to them.
- Set clear expectations from the start
No matter who you work for, in whatever capacity (and yes, performance counts as work), it’s important to know from the start whether it is a paid optionand if so, how that payment will be delivered. For example, sometimes payment can take the form of a percentage of ticket sales to the public. Sometimes the payment consists of free food and drinks at the location and a small compensation. Whatever the payment may be – if there is any payment at all – It’s important to set clear expectations before work begins.You might be okay with not getting paid if you look at it as an opportunity help a fellow freelancer and build relationshipsbut it’s important to know that going in, to protect yourself and your time. - Consider what type of rate or barter you are comfortable with, or what is most appropriate
In situations where the pay may be low because it is related to box office sales, audience attendance or some type of royalty situation, it’s up to you do the calculation if it’s worth tackling. If there are other benefits to be had, it’s okay to tell yourself that you’ll do this for less than your current rate, or that you’ll set aside a number of hours or evenings per month that you’re willing to lend to help another freelancer. That said, if you know in advance that payment isn’t guaranteed, it’s hard to go back and ask for money after everything has happened. - If in doubt, ask questions
Remember: you can (and should) ask questions! It’s okay check-in with clarifying questions about when payment might arrive and in what form. It could also be that the freelancer is waiting for money, for example from Eventbrite, and plans to distribute it as soon as the payout hits his account. That said, asking about the timeline will help manage expectations; If it’s been a month and your money still hasn’t been transferred to you, then it’s reasonable to have some cause for concern. - Keep records as you would for any other client
Here’s where you’ll want to treat this as you would any other payment situation: Make sure you keep a clear record of everything that happens. This includes an overview of the payment due and in what form, when the payment should be delivered, and any subsequent follow-up actions. This is in case something needs to be escalated, or just as a reminder to yourself that you may not want to work with this person anymore. - Evaluate the relationship: is it worth your time and energy?If you sent a few follow-up messages about payment and they were dismissed or nothing happened again, now it’s time to decide how aggressively you want to handle the situation. If someone in your community owes $15, it may not be worth the time or energy tracking it down, but rather a reason not to work with them in the future.
- Proceed as you would with any other client who owes you money
If a significant amount of money is involved (which you can decide) and your follow-ups have been ignored or met with false promises, it may be time to take the situation to the next level. That’s possible start sending your own demand letter and see if that triggers a response, and from then on, be aware of your options if your city or state has it Freelance is not a free law. And this is where a record of the communications will come in handy.
Whether you’re owed money from a giant corporation or a fellow freelancer, if someone has promised to pay you for your work, you’re well within your rights to pursue that.
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