1) Pay yourself first. I learned this from a good friend of mine David Stiller, and it works like a charm. When I get a cheque, I take off what I need to live, and bank the rest into an “income account.” During the lean weeks I pay myself from the account as if I’m getting paid for client work. The ups and downs of freelancing income level out, and I can concentrate on getting steady work not to afford rent this month, but to boost the median average of my “pay”.

2) Most of my work comes from clients emailing me, either through google, lists or word of mouth, fortunately. If I’m on a gig, I don’t tell prospective clients yes or no; I give them a “conditional yes.” Ideally this will result in a few potentials in the queue by the time one contract ends, so a few weeks before that contract is over, I contact the potentials I’ve been in conversation with and ask them to get serious: whichever one signs on the dotted line first wins. Using this strategy (and due to the prosperity of the market, no doubt) I find I actually have to schedule down time.

3) I don’t take on contracts less than one month, preferably not less than three months. So I don’t have to play the game “should I take longer or the shorter project?” It also means I don’t take on much creative agency or Flash work like I used to (higher pressure, shorter deadlines) — it pre-qualifies the more serious clients, and allows me to do more Flex app dev projects.

4) I never quote a flat rate. Been burned too many times, so I don’t do it. Flat rates can get you into bidding wars and crap like that, and I don’t need the hassle. But getting paid by the hour comes with a commitment to the client for regular communication, status reports, spec implementation timelines, and the like, so the client knows I won’t build their app like a highway construction crew ;) I also indicate a weekly range, like 30-40 hours per week, which gives their bean counters a chance to do the math.

5) If I have down time I write articles or tutorials for which I get paid, and I also use this as learning time. So it’s good filler and allows me to keep an income flow during lulls. (Books are another story ;)

So I guess the skill of saying no is just as important as the skill of finding work.

1) temp agencies almost 98% of the time fall through

2) stable work only came from people I knew or had worked with in the past on other gigs

3) if it sounds to good to be true . . .

4) get a company to market yourself and find you work for a fee (so worth it)

-erik