Clients not paying? Simple first step!
What to do when a client doesn’t pay on time? The most important thing to do as a freelance designer is to have terms and conditions and contracts in place. I learnt the hard way. Always, always, ALWAYS have project agreements in writing. The beauty of it is that you don’t have to be technical with it (i.e have a law degree), it’s just a simple document outlining the project details, delivery dates and costs. Once this is in written format and agreed it is LEGALLY binding. As long as you fulfil your end of the agreement you will have a case. Take it to a small claims court if you are finding it hard to retrieve funds from a client after job completion. If you need help with terms and conditions and what you should include then feel free to contact me by email at info@dmartinmanning.com
Satisfaction
There’s often times when you’re working and you are searching for inspiration and motivation. This feeling can be found in any walk of life, any situation, any job. It might be that you are having a bad day, week or even year but at some point during this time, something happens, usually out of the blue, that lifts your spirits and spurs you on.
Today I was at my desk, staring at my screen in somewhat of a daydream, feeling totally uninspired. It was as if i was in my own world, shut off from all the conversation and activity around me. Alone with my thoughts. And then it happened. The moment that makes your job worthwhile. That one thing that money can’t buy. A simple email from my other half that contained words that gave me unbelievable SATISFACTION. We had been conversing via email during the morning about my woes and out of the blue, she sent me a message from her cousin (who is a musician), in regards to some work I had done for her the night before…
“WORD OF THE DAY: CHRIS MARTIN’S THE MAN!” (Chris Martin is my nickname)
“Aaaaw bless yah! Absolutely positive! Anyway thanks to your boyfriend, I think we are gonna be alrite :)
His designing has made me look like I’m already established! He is the graphic designer for me man! He is gonna make the band look wicked an all….i know it….we jus gotta think of a name! Nothing….absolutely nothing is gonna get in our way now….!”
SATISFACTION!
As a designer I work on some amazing projects, where clients are more than happy with the outcome, which is fantastic as I know I achieved the desired results. But to receive a message like the one above just reminds me of exactly why I do what I do. Funnily enough, the project I’m working on for her isn’t even finished yet but I doubt that I will be able to achieve a more powerful impression with anything else I come up with.
To be a factor in instilling renewed optimism and positivity is an overwhelming feeling. In turn that gave me the inspiration I was looking for throughout that morning, the motivation to get through the difficult times and push myself to achieve everything I aspire to. You can’t put a price on that!
Change in Direction
I’ve decided that I will now use this blog as an actual blog rather than a portfolio type blog. Reason being is that I have a website, a behance portfolio and a facebook page which can showcase my work. It’s a bit pointless having the same work regurgitated over several different platforms with little or no differentiation. This blog is where I started to post my work online for the world to see and was a big step in terms of allowing my work to be subjected; discussed; critiqued; liked; disliked; ignored; etcetera etcetera. That can be a scary thing initially but it has helped me become a better designer and a stronger personality. Being among your peers pushes you and spurs you on to do more and break boundaries and other cliched phrases alike.
So I will now use this blog to post and write about work that has inspired me or had an affect on me in one way or another, whether it is in the form of editorials, art and design, fashion, sport and more as all these topics have some influence on how I go about my work in one way or another.
Hopefully I haven’t alienated any current followers or deterred any potential ones but you can always follow my work here as well:
http://www.dmartinmanning.com
http://www.behance.net/dmartinmanning
http://www.facebook.com/dmm.graphicandmedia.design
New logo below
