As a freelancer, you're not just selling your expertise or a particular service. You also need to manage everything that goes with it. That's to say, quotes, invoices, scheduling tasks, managing your time and budget, and communicating with the client.
Malt is here to accompany you in all your projects, from optimizing your profile to finding your first mission and billing, payments, and establishing a long-lasting relationship with your clients. By using a platform where transparency and communication are essential, you're putting all the chances on your side to manage your projects better and succeed in your freelance career.
Understanding your customer
Freelancers new to Malt are sometimes tempted to send a quote when they receive an assignment proposal to be the first to answer. However, you might miss out on what the client is genuinely searching for. It's better to take the time to communicate to understand their environment and their needs. It's also the opportunity to lay the foundations of a strong bond with your future client, present your skills and show your motivations. So, take the time to learn about the company and the client's needs, understand their issues, and think about the solutions you can offer.
Establish an accurate estimate
Once you clearly understand your client's expectations for the project, it's time to move on to the quote. Before you communicate your best daily rate, you'll need to set measurable goals for the assignment and carefully define the time required for each task. Remember to leave some wiggle room in your quote: allocating too much time is better than rushing and turning in shoddy work.
Regarding pricing, Malt encourages freelancers not to discount their services. It's sometimes tempting, especially for people just starting out as freelancers, to send the lowest possible quote to win the job. However, it's crucial for the success of your business that clients recognize the fair value of your work and expertise. Remember that you'll only receive a share of the amount indicated on the quote. You'll have to deduct Malt's commission. Then think about your taxes and certain expenses depending on the situation. Maybe a complementary pension or health insurance? It's common for clients to put several freelance profiles in competition and compare quotes. But if they call upon freelancers, it's also to work with real experts. So, follow our advice and set your rate as fair as possible.
Finally, consider preparing and sending your quotes via Malt to benefit from the Hiscox insurance that covers you in case of an accident or a mistake during the mission and develop your online reputation.
Update your availability on Malt
Once the client has approved your quote and prepaid for the assignment (if applicable), you can begin work. Remember to update your availability on Malt to stay focused on your tasks and prepare for what's next.
If you're working on a long, full-time assignment for a client, it's best to set yourself to "Unavailable" to avoid receiving solicitations you cannot accept. On the other hand, if you are working on a short assignment that leaves you time for other projects, you can choose the "Available part-time" option to receive new opportunities. Finally, once your assignment is complete, change your status to "Available."
Communicate with customers to build loyalty
Communication with clients plays a crucial role in the success of your freelancing projects. From the beginning of the assignment, you'll want to set up regular communication slots with your client. This will allow you to provide visibility on your progress, review initial deliverables and address any early issues.
Depending on the nature and duration of the project, you can send a daily email with the list of tasks you have completed, schedule a weekly update to discuss with the client, or plan a monthly exchange with different stakeholders. This is the perfect opportunity to build customer loyalty and demonstrate professionalism, motivation, and transparency.
Once the mission is over, take a moment to look back at the highlights: examine what went well and what you could have done better. This way, you'll gradually improve your project management skills, become more efficient, and gain your client's trust. This is also an excellent time to ask your client to validate the mission on Malt by leaving you a positive review and bettering your profile ranking on the platform. Finally, discuss your client's upcoming projects: they may need your services again!
Focus on project management tools
To gain productivity, experienced freelancers use different tools that help them save time on tasks that are not directly related to their expertise. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some tools that can be very useful for project management: