Freelancing
Training 555 minutesfreelancing for beginners
You are 27, an illustrator at an agency earning $2,600. Friends say freelancing will pay more and let you work whenever you like.
Training goal: Go freelance without a money crash
▶ Play this trainingSituation
1. Your first client asks for your rate. At the agency you make about $16 an hour.
- Quote $16, same as the job
- Quote $10 to win the job
- Quote $30: salary, taxes and unpaid hours
2. The client wants 20 illustrations and asks you to start with no contract: "We pay on delivery."
- Agree, the client seems solid
- A short contract and a 50% deposit
- Turn the client down
3. Work is flowing and you want to quit the agency right away.
- Quit after 3 steady months and 6 months saved
- Quit tomorrow, there is a project
- Stay at the agency, freelance in the evenings
4. One month brings $5,000. The next might bring $800.
- Pay yourself a fixed $2,800 "salary" from a business account
- Celebrate: a new phone and a trip
- Take 3 more projects just in case
What you will learn
- A freelance rate covers taxes, downtime and holidays.
- A contract and a 30 to 50% deposit protect against non-payment.
- Pay yourself a fixed amount and save the surplus for slow months.
Your real-life step
Work out your minimum rate: target yearly income plus 30% for taxes and costs, divided by 1,000 billable hours.
Questions and answers
How do I start freelancing as a beginner?
Build a portfolio of 3 to 5 pieces, start alongside your job and find first clients through people you know.
How much should I charge as a freelancer?
Usually 1.5 to 2 times the employee hourly pay for the same work. Check what peers charge.
How do freelancers avoid not getting paid?
A contract, a deposit, milestone payments and final files only after payment.
More trainings in this module
- Types of income
- Pay stub explained
- How to ask for a raise
- Side hustle
- Invest in yourself
- Salary negotiation
Numbers are illustrative. A game, not financial advice.