The Freelancers' Show

Sponsors:

• Sentry– use the code “devchat” for $100 credit
• .TECH – Go.tech/Freelancer and use the coupon code “FREELANCER.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry!
• CacheFly

Panel:

• Jeremy Green
• Erik Dietrich
• Reuven Lerner

Special Guest: Steve Pomerantz Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks to Steve Pomerantz, Founder and CEO at Freelance Collection. Steve has worked on projects as a freelancer where he has not been paid and he noticed that there aren't that many resources to help guide freelancers that are in this position. He founded Freelance Collection to help others who are unable to collect payment from their clients. Steve gives guidelines on how to handle such situations and when to hire a professional vs. when to walk away. Steve also reminds that a lot of freelancers have had projects where they have not been paid and the golden rule is to be proactive and take the necessary actions within the first month following the project, as the longer the process drags out the less the probability to collect the total money owed. The panel shares some of their personal experiences where they have had difficulty with clients. Steve then lists some of the red flags that freelancers should watch out for in clients before they start projects. Links:

• Steve's LinkedIN
• Freelance Collection Twitter
• Freelance Collection
• 20 Types of Nonpaying Clients and Strategies for Getting Paid

Picks: Jeremy Green:

• How to Fight a Hydra
• Lawgood.io

Jeremy Green:

• Apply to be an Author
• Dev Community

Reuven Lerner:

• Mission to Zyxx

Steve Pomerantz:

• And Co
• HelloBonsai.com
• 20 Types of Nonpaying Clients and Strategies for Getting Paid
• TMZ Video

Sponsors:

• Sentry– use the code “devchat” for $100 credit
• .TECH - Go.tech/Freelancer and use the coupon code “FREELANCER.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry!
• CacheFly

Panelists:

• Erik Dietrich
• Jonathan Stark

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about how to put systems in place to thrive as a freelancer. Especially for recurring tasks, creating a procedure enables quality, consistency and sustainability. The panel advises taking the decision making part out of the process as much as possible so there is as little stress as possible when executing that particular task each time. Having set procedures in place also helps handing these tasks off to other employees easier and cuts down on the learning curve. The panel then discusses how to turn these procedures into intellectual property so that it adds value to the business. Listen to the show to find out the what steps to take to begin putting systems in place in your freelance business!   Picks: Erik Dietrich:

• Contain Yourself! Dev's Guide to CaaS
• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Jonathan Stark:

• Work The System by Sam Carpenter
• 10-Day Systems Challenge by Jonathan Stark

Sponsors:

• Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panelists:

• Jeremy Green
• Jonathan Stark
• Erik Dietrich
• Reuven Lerner

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about being nervous about pricing the services offered when freelancing. They mention that most of the time, freelancers tend to price their services on the low side due to lack of self confidence. The panel also shares possible scenarios of client feedback and the best responses that justify the price. They discuss setting hourly rates versus results oriented pricing and share tips on how to communicate with the client during the proposal stage to figure out how much the service offered is worth to them. They then advise using this information to help set the price. Listen to the show to find out how to price freelance services with a business mindset.   Picks: Jonathan:

• Learn Your Lines
• The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

Erik:

• Apply to be an author
• AirBNB Experiences

Jeremy:

• Increase Your Consulting Fees

Reuven:

• Asciidoc

Sponsors:

• Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panelists:

• Jeremy Green
• Reuven Lerner

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel shares client communication best practices when freelancing. They give tips on how to word binding proposals to help clarify expectations on both sides and how to make and track project schedules. Listen to the show to find out what to do when new road blocks appear in the project that were not foreseen in the proposal stage. The panel then shares their personal experiences of client communication problems and how they dealt with them. Picks: Jeremy Green:

• How to Fight a Hydra

Reuven Lerner:

• Thunderbird and its e-mail filters

Sponsors:

• Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panel:

• Jeremy Green
• Erik Dietrich
• Reuven Lerner
• Jonathan Stark

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about starting freelancing later in life. They share their own freelancing/consulting journeys as well as tips for a smooth transition. They give tips on what signs to look for to round out the services offered such as giving talks at conferences or doing case studies with clients. Listen to the show to find out more about how to correctly price freelancing/consulting services, the difference between price and rate and when/how to negotiate. Links:

• https://devchat.tv/

Picks: Erik Dietrich:

• The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz
• Hit Subscribe

Jeremy Green:

• Don't Call Yourself A Programmer, And Other Career Advice
• https://www.remarq.io/

Kai Davis:

• 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall
• https://www.remarq.io/

Reuven Lerner:

• Bag Man
• https://slate.com/slow-burn
• https://trainbetter.transistor.fm/
• The foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China by Reuven Lerner

Sponsors

• Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panel:

• Jeremy Green
• Erik Dietrich
• Reuven Lerner
• Kai Davis

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about how/when to raise prices when freelancing. The panel advises reviewing services offered quarterly and adjusting prices accordingly. They give tips on what signs to look for to round out the services offered such as giving talks at conferences or doing case studies with clients. Listen to the show to find out more about how to correctly price freelancing/consulting services and when to negotiate. Picks: Erik Dietrich:

• https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Plan-Strategy-Remarkable-Business
• Hit Subscribe

Jeremy Green:

• https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/
• https://www.remarq.io/

Kai Davis:

• https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Sales-Marketing-Definitive-ebook/dp/B00CGNRVHE/
• https://www.remarq.io/

Reuven Lerner:

• https://www.msnbc.com/bagman
• https://slate.com/slow-burn
• https://trainbetter.transistor.fm/
• http://blog.lerner.co.il/the-foreigners-guide-to-wechat-payments-in-china/

Sponsors

• Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panelists:

• Erik Dietrich
• Jeremy Green
• Reuven Lerner
• Kai Davis

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about their plans for 2019. They describe their processes for planning for the new year and reviewing the past year. They reveal what projects they want to do more of in 2019 and what projects they want to transition out of. The panel advises that in freelance work, declining projects that are not a good fit frees up time for projects that are a good fit.They also recommend quantifying measurements in goals set for the new year. Picks: Erik Dietrich:

• HubSpot Sales Chrome Plugin
• la Barbecue

Jeremy Green:

• Increase Your Consulting Fees
• Company Of One

Kai Davis:

• Kick procrastination's ass: Run a dash
• TextExpander

Reuven Lerner

• Nine Pints

Sponsors

• Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panelists:

• Erik Dietrich
• Jeremy Green
• Reuven Lerner
• Kai Davis

Special Guest: Liston Witherill Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks to  Liston Witherill, sales consultant and founder of Liston Witherill Consulting. Liston specializes in working with AMs, CSMs, and consultants to provide opportunities for client improvement. Liston shares tips on how to approach a sales process and a lists a set of questions that need to be answered about the service offered and its value proposition to the target audience in order for it to be successful. Links:

• Liston's Website
• Liston's LinkedIn
• Liston's Twitter
• https://devchat.tv

Picks: Erik Dietrich:

• Garmin vívoactive 3 Music | Smartwatch with GPS
• Apply to Be an Author - Hit Subscribe

Jeremy Green:

• Taking Time Off

Kai Davis:

• 30-Day Meditation Challenge • Kai Davis

Reuven Lerner:

• Announcing a new course: Intro Python - Reuven Lerner
• Weekly Python Exercise — Reuven Lerner

Liston Witherill:

• Notion
• SalesIn30 - The Complete Course
• Liston's Podcasts
• Consulting Sales Bootcamp
• fenix 3 | Garmin | Fitness GPS Watch

Sponsors

• Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan
• CacheFly

Panelists:

• Erik Dietrich
• Jeremy Green
• Kai Davis

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about good practices and habits to build in freelance business in the year 2019. The panel gives examples of what they focused on while building their own freelance business and share how they approached areas such as self-care, financial planning and client acquisition goals in their business. They discuss what strategies to follow during “feasting” cycle and “famine” cycle of business and share tips on how to save for retirement during each cycle. Listen to the show to find out more on which tools to use for bookkeeping and how to communicate with former clients for repeat business and much more! Links:

• Company of One by Paul Jarvis
• Free CRM for Small Businesses - HubSpot
• The Positioning Manual for Technical Firms by Philip Morgan
• https://devchat.tv

Picks: Erik Dietrich:

• Free CRM for Small Businesses - HubSpot
• It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Jeremy Green:

• Bench
• Splice
• The Positioning Manual for Technical Firms by Philip Morgan
• Company of One by Paul Jarvis

Kai Davis:

• Calm - Meditation Techniques for Sleep and Stress Reduction

Panel:

• Reuven Lerner
• Jeremy Green
• Erik Dietrich

In this episode of the Freelancer’s Show Reuven, Erik, and Jeremy discuss “Dealing with Contracts.” The Freelancers cover a number of important topics that involve contracts, trust agreements, as well as how to read a Master Services Agreement (MSA). This is a great episode to learn more about ways to take control of your contract documents and MASs. In particular, we dive pretty deep on: 0:50 - Reuven opens the show talking about contracts.  Reuven said he did not have contracts when he first started his business. But over time he has gotten screwed over. Reuven prefaced that they are not lawyers, so take this as advice only. 3:00 -  Reuven talks about things to understand are, who owns the rights, payment, insurance, and statement of work, etc. Reuven going into Master Services Agreements. Reuven asks if his peer use contracts. Erik says he uses master services agreements, and rarely contracts. Erik tries to work based on trust, and there is no motivator for contracts. 5:20 - Jeremy talks about being similar to Erik and rarely using contracts, but only master services agreements and trust. Jeremy says he does sometimes like to get paid up front. Reuven says when he does project work, he then uses a contract. Reuven says when he is doing training he does not use a contract. Reuven says sometime PO or purchase orders do serve as a type of contract. Reuven goes into to project fees and hiring lawyers. 9:30 -  Jeremy talks about project fee and specifications of the scope of work and how that may or may not need a contract. Erik says it is important for him to avoid proposals but good for him to agree upon what can be delivered. Again, Erik is fond of the trust agreement. Reuven says for courses he does not need to implement contracts. 13:00 -  Jeremy continues with how he implements a flat payment fee, but only when he can agree upon the scope of work. Reuven says he has only once done the pay in advance method once, and it worked great for him. Jeremy says it may be good to work with people and companies who had experience with this. 15:00 -  Reuven ask if a client comes to you with their MSA or Statement of Work, how much do you want or can change it? Erik talks about his experience with marking up MSA and statements. Jeremy talks about his experience with marking up an MSA that was an employment document. 18:00 -  Erik talks about using a lawyer to look at the agreement to see if that agreement might be hard not to violate. Reuven talks about his experience marking up an agreement and how all of the markups were no approved. Reuven continues with how he was able to get the company to agree to alter their agreement document. Reuven talks about having to acquire insurance to get work. 24:00 -  Jeremy and Erik speak on payment terms. Reuven talks about insurance that was not available to him in Israel. Reuven speaks about need Commercial Liability insurance in order to engage in work for certain clients. 28:00 -  Reuven talks about how Jonathan Stark is able to get companies to change their terms to pay everything upfront. This discussion goes into payment terms and net 30 or net 60 payment plans. Erik continues negotiating payment.  31:00 - Erick brings up the scenario of hiring a lawyer if you are new to freelancing. Reuven talks about how some can get an agreement document written up for them. The freelancers agree that you only do this if you really need to hire a lawyer for an airtight document. 35:00 -  Reuven talks about adding a clause to open source software. Reuven says the client owns the IP but the changes are subject to other owners as they contribute. 36:00 - Reuven talks about a taxes in Israel and how being self-employed works in Israel. Erik asks about how the lawyer help is this situation. Jeremy mentions to pay attention to your very own customs and jurisdictions, in your place of business. 40:00 -  Reuven talks about having to change the legal business title in Israel. Reuven talks about how the law is interpreted according to their jurisdiction. Sponsors/affiliates

• Get a Coder Job
• Freshbooks

Picks: Reuven Bad Blood Jeremy Obi Fernandez's MSA Bundle Erik A Better Ad Blocker