8 must‑haves in your freelance design contract

8 must‑haves in your freelance design contract

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The folks at Bonsai, an all-in-one freelancing solution, share their insight on crafting an effective freelance design contract. Use their tips to help take on new projects with clarity, structure, and security. A professional freelance contract makes a massive difference to your client relationships, your job satisfaction, and ultimately, your earnings. We at Bonsai recommend that all freelancers use a contract—whether you create your own or use a template as a starting point. But what should a freelance contract even include? Here are 8 must-haves you’ll want to outline in your contract. 1. Overview of the project Kick things off with a short statement that explains what you will do for your client. There’s no need to ramble on – just include the key details of your initial freelance proposal in the contract. Something like this will do: Joe McDribbble (known as “Contractor”) will provide AwesomeBrand123, (known as “Client”) with 1 new logo and 4 landing pages, as per the Terms and Conditions detailed below. In the overview, you could also include the start date, which should be mutually agreed upon by email or phone. 2. What, how, and when you get paid This is often the freelancer’s favorite part of the contract! Here you’ll explain what you want from the client. It’s important to include not just what you’ll get paid, but how, when, and what happens if your client doesn’t pay. For example: The project fee Allowed payment method(s) Payment deadline Any fees associated with late or non-payment Without a mutually accepted payment agreement, you risk playing the waiting game with clients who prefer to pay when it suits them, not when you need it. This can be devastating to a freelancer’s cash flow. Make your rate, details about deposits, milestones, retainer payments, and final deadlines crystal clear from the outset. 3. Deliverables What will you give the client in return? Include details on: Individual assets (e.g. logo, banner images, etc.) Target delivery dates for each asset Milestones for larger projects Delivery method and file types (e.g. PNG or JPEG? PDF or Dropbox file?) Ensure you include everything, which brings us to… 4. Project scope One of the biggest mistakes freelancers make with design contracts is failing to get specific with the deliverables. Suddenly, you’re dealing with “scope creep” as clients continue to add extra aspects, tasks, and revisions. Before you know it, you’re working countless hours for free. A solid freelance contract will prevent this from happening. Use it to draw a line so your client knows what’s included, and what’s not. 5. Revisions and additional work Good clients are often satisfied with a single round of revisions, but others can be picky or indecisive and may press for more. Do yourself a favor by inserting a clause that will protect you from any client who changes the project’s core details or direction halfway through. This will limit revisions and encourage clients to be very clear about what they want upfront. For example, if the project […]

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