Freelancing means being a collection agency
- By Alicia Mae
- Published 12/27/2008
Alicia Mae
I have a PhD in the basic medical sciences and am a freelance writer. I also run my own websites, Maeflowers.com and AliciaMae.com, and enjoy art and crafts.
As the end of the tax year approaches, I am trying to ensure all my accounts are in order. It's my first round paying self-employment tax and, come April 15, I will have two sets of taxes due - 2008 income and 2009 1st quarter. Things are easier if spreadsheets add up and all accounts receivable are in. I use cash based accounting so if things carry over it's not a big deal, but I want everything nice and tidy.
So, I have been chasing after a payment for 3 weeks. This is the third time this year that I've had to be my own collection agency. I am a full-time freelance editor/independent contractor. I guess I'm lucky, or have the escrow system on a couple sites to thank, for only having had to deal with it three times.
Here's how it usually goes, they have a vague description (red flag #1) asking for proofreading/writing help. I bid for a lower than usual fee out of the goodness of my heart (mistake #1) and just to have something easy to work on. I complete the project quickly without discussing payment (mistake #2). I get no response or they add on details they "forgot to mention" (red flag #2).
I end up spending way too much time on the project for what I'm being paid and then chasing after them for the money.
The recent job was supposed to be proofing web content already online, a site they developed. It ended up being a lot more text than they had let on (I'm getting one-fifth my normal fee!). Now they won't pay me until I upload the files to the site, which I don't have access to (I've emailed and private messaged them the files, twice). Did I mention that they gave me no files, I had to copy and paste from the website to proof it as it is, but now I have to create the web files in order to get paid. I was hired for proofreading services, not web design or file transfers, which I don't have the software for anyway.
Yeah, I don't think so pal. Now I'm my own collection agency, again, and having to come up with lame threats to try to get the few bucks they owe me. I must not be very mean because I was never paid for the other two either.
No, I don't actually threaten, but I'm also not very persistent. I can't be...I'm too busy working, which is what I really want to do. I work, I get paid, I pay the bills - simple, right? Obviously not for some people.
So, I have been chasing after a payment for 3 weeks. This is the third time this year that I've had to be my own collection agency. I am a full-time freelance editor/independent contractor. I guess I'm lucky, or have the escrow system on a couple sites to thank, for only having had to deal with it three times.
Here's how it usually goes, they have a vague description (red flag #1) asking for proofreading/writing help. I bid for a lower than usual fee out of the goodness of my heart (mistake #1) and just to have something easy to work on. I complete the project quickly without discussing payment (mistake #2). I get no response or they add on details they "forgot to mention" (red flag #2).
The recent job was supposed to be proofing web content already online, a site they developed. It ended up being a lot more text than they had let on (I'm getting one-fifth my normal fee!). Now they won't pay me until I upload the files to the site, which I don't have access to (I've emailed and private messaged them the files, twice). Did I mention that they gave me no files, I had to copy and paste from the website to proof it as it is, but now I have to create the web files in order to get paid. I was hired for proofreading services, not web design or file transfers, which I don't have the software for anyway.
Yeah, I don't think so pal. Now I'm my own collection agency, again, and having to come up with lame threats to try to get the few bucks they owe me. I must not be very mean because I was never paid for the other two either.
No, I don't actually threaten, but I'm also not very persistent. I can't be...I'm too busy working, which is what I really want to do. I work, I get paid, I pay the bills - simple, right? Obviously not for some people.
