Writing Rituals - Banish Writer's Block & Procrastination.
Let me show you 5 ways to dramatically increase your productivity and income...
Increase your writing productivity with Writing Rituals...
Goal Setting Rituals for Freelance Writers & Copywriters.
People who set goals earn up to TEN TIMES as much as those who don't.
Set goals and make more money with Goal Setting Rituals...
What's NEW...
Writing Courses
- Online Copywriting
- Direct Mail Copywriting
Niche Writing Markets
- Fundraising
- Health & fitness
- Travel writing
- Resume writing
- Financial market
- Catalog writing
- White Paper writing
- Business to Business
- Write press releases
Income Streams
- Self-Publishing
- Write & sell eBooks
- Desktop Marketing
- Graphic design
- Photos for Profit
- Create a web site
Business Building
- Private coaching service
- Get writing assignments
- Become an Instant Guru
- Double your Profits
- Write and grow rich
- Marketing your freelance business
- Selling yourself as a copywriter
- Freelance writing success course
- Web publicity
- Set your Fees
Self Growth for Freelancers
- Eliminate procrastination
- Build self esteem
- Accelerated Income Goals
- Writing Rituals
- Goal Setting Rituals
Articles on Freelance Writing Success
- Bob Bly
- Peter Bowerman
- Nick Usborne
- Ed Gandia
- Pete Savage
- John Riddle
- Kendy Sproul
- Clayton Makepeace
- Steve Slaunwhite
- Michael Masterson
- Chris Marlow
- Roger C. Parker
- Marcia Yudkin
- Michael Stelzner
- Brian Tracy
"I’m not broke, I’m a cash flow fanatic."
by Nick Usborne
Yes, this is something I say to clients and prospective clients from time to time.
Specifically, I make this comment if they raise their eyebrows at my request for 50% payment in advance of starting on a project.
Why do I ask for part payment upfront? For a number of reasons.
1. It helps with my cash flow
In theory, if you have multiple clients, then jobs from different clients start and finish at different times, and your cash flow naturally evens out.
That’s the theory. But it doesn’t always work like that. Particularly if you have a couple of big projects in hand, lasting several weeks.
Suddenly you can find yourself going for weeks without a check coming in.
And, wouldn’t you know it, at the exact same time, a bunch of big bills arrive, and have to be paid.
So I always ask for some money in advance.
If it is a fairly quick job, I ask for half the money in advance, and half on completion.
If the job is going to extend over several weeks, then I usually split the total estimate into three parts: a third in advance, a third mid way and a third on completion.
This way, I always know checks are going to be coming in on a regular basis.
2. It protects me against not-so-nice clients
About once a year I’ll have a bad experience with a new client. A scope of work will be agreed, the job will be completed... and then suddenly there’s a problem with getting paid.
It happens to me very rarely. But it happens.
If I have billed and received half the fee in advance, at least I have something.
Even if I fail to collect the final payment.
3. It gives me peace of mind
I just feel better when checks drop through the mail slot on a regular basis.
I would rather receive one check a week for a thousand dollars than wait a whole month, wondering when that one check for four thousand dollars is going to arrive.
Maybe that makes me sound a little weird. But I’m probably not alone in finding some comfort and reassurance in receiving payment on a “regular” basis.
The freelance life is filled with potential pitfalls, with no guarantees. We’re on our own.
And, as with any small business, poor cash flow can be a real killer.
So if asking for partial payment in advance of starting a new project makes me feel better, that’s what I’ll do.
Related learning materials:
Profitable Freelancing: The Definitive Guide to Earning More Money as a Freelancer from Day One.
As a freelancer you can often feel like a hamster in a wheel...running as fast as you can, expending a huge amount of energy, but never really getting anywhere.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
In this new course I lay out a roadmap that shows you, step by step, how to get off the hamster wheel and make a lot more money without having to work any harder.
Learn more about Profitable Freelancing...
Get this 35-page Guide FREE when you sign up for the Excess Voice Newsletter.
Get your copy of Writing For the Web #1 - 7 Challenges every Writer and Copywriter faces when writing for the Web.
PLEASE NOTE: This is my new newsletter, for my site at nickusborne.com, and replaces the old Freelance Writing Success Newsletter. However, the focus is still on writing for the web and freelancing. So don’t be confused when you find links to my nickusborne.com site in each issue! : )
Sign up NOW and I'll send you the link where you can download this 35-page guide...
(Your email address will be used only for the purpose of sending you this newsletter, and you'll be free to unsubscribe at any time.)