If you’ve recently moved from a regular W2 job into the “1099 Economy,” you’ll appreciate this advice from an experienced independent contractor on freelancing best practices for managing clients. No matter what type of client they are or what type of personality, they will add to your success quotient.1. SCOPE THE CONTRACT IN DETAIL. Every milestone you are being paid for ought to be defined in writing. Even if you never execute a formal written agreement, discussions with a prospective client can serve as an enforceable legal contract that covers scope and price. For example, an email exchange concluding with both parties agreeing to proceed is an enforceable contract, so be carefully explicit with all your communications.2. GET TO KNOW YOUR CLIENT. Research or ask about their background. Understand what their ultimate goal is for the project you’re to work on.3. KNOW THEIR COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES. Email? Skype? Twitter? Google Hangouts? GoToMeeting? Cell or office line? Set up your favored channels and the best times for checking in. Slack is a good tool for rounding up messages from multiple sources, and is great for different clients with multiple communication preferences.4. BE PROACTIVE AND RELIABLE. In an ideal world, you’ll always deliver on-scope and on time, but if circumstances fail you, communication is just as important. If you need to push a deadline, provide an early heads-up. If your work is delayed because you were waiting on them, be sure they understand the turnaround time you will need to deliver the work product. If you’re proactive and solution-oriented, your clients will love you.5.DON’T CHARGE THEM FOR OTJ TRAINING. You are being hired for your polished expertise. A freelance contract isn’t your chance to learn a new skill or wrestle with things you haven’t tried before. Ensure that your client understands your capabilities and any limitations. 6.DON’T SPREAD YOURSELF TOO THIN. While it’s great to have as much work as you can handle, having more than you can handle is the road to ruin as a freelancer. Budget your available time wisely, and don’t commit for more time than you can reasonably handle. This applies whether you have one client who keeps piling on more work, or you’re trying to juggle several contracts at once.7. BILL AS MILESTONES ARE COMPLETED, NOT ALL AT ONCE. Unless it’s a short, one-off project, any freelance work that takes longer than 2-4 weeks to complete should have built-in milestones with payments due on submission. Besides improving your cash flow and avoiding client “sticker shock” with a single large invoice, the biggest benefit of interim billing is that it gives you and the client regular intervals to assess your mutual satisfaction with how the work is going.

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