Hi Thanks for the advice. That email about the literal interpretation of "freelance" is insane! I hope you didn't have to deal with that person for very long :)
Thankfully I cut my ties with that person very quickly and ensure all of my work was NEVER used by them. It was when I was much greener so it was a good thing to learn and enable me to set some very good boundaries
1) Never work with a friend of a friend.
2) Never work for free.
3) Never work for a start up business UNLESS it has a larger group behind it (Public/private equity group, blue chip client with a new business, etc.. is ok).
4) Never do work for a religious organisation (seriously not a good idea). Or for that matter a union...
5) If you lie with dogs you'll get flees. Never work on a project you wouldn't want other clients seeing as a client of yours on your Portfolio.
6) Never work with a company where they can't speak your native language... Cheque time comes and "miso soli me no undastandy".
7) Be choosy about who you want to work with. Talented designers will always find work while talentless designers wont.
P.S. - love the peanuts/greedy monkey analogy. I think I'm learning the hard way, that there are indeed a lot of them out there. Someone needs to make an "Attack of the Greedy Monkey's" iphone app :)
I found in experience if you price yourself a certain way you tend to loose the "bottom feeding clients" as I like to call them. It also means the people who take up the service generally understand the price positioning thus have an idea of intrinsic value assigned to it.
Here's a links I've found rather amusing/helpful:
10 Client Personalities (http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-client-personalities/)
Bad Clients and How to Avoid Them (http://freelancefolder.com/bad-clients-and-how-to-avoid-them/)
I also forgot about this gem of a client
Valentine-hearts
Valentine Heart Balloons
Lovely Valentine Hearts
Valentines Day Hearts
Valentine hearts coloring page
Valentine Hearts With Wings
Valentines Day Hearts Balloons
Valentine#39;s Day Hearts
Thankfully I cut my ties with that person very quickly and ensure all of my work was NEVER used by them. It was when I was much greener so it was a good thing to learn and enable me to set some very good boundaries
1) Never work with a friend of a friend.
2) Never work for free.
3) Never work for a start up business UNLESS it has a larger group behind it (Public/private equity group, blue chip client with a new business, etc.. is ok).
4) Never do work for a religious organisation (seriously not a good idea). Or for that matter a union...
5) If you lie with dogs you'll get flees. Never work on a project you wouldn't want other clients seeing as a client of yours on your Portfolio.
6) Never work with a company where they can't speak your native language... Cheque time comes and "miso soli me no undastandy".
7) Be choosy about who you want to work with. Talented designers will always find work while talentless designers wont.
P.S. - love the peanuts/greedy monkey analogy. I think I'm learning the hard way, that there are indeed a lot of them out there. Someone needs to make an "Attack of the Greedy Monkey's" iphone app :)
I found in experience if you price yourself a certain way you tend to loose the "bottom feeding clients" as I like to call them. It also means the people who take up the service generally understand the price positioning thus have an idea of intrinsic value assigned to it.
Here's a links I've found rather amusing/helpful:
10 Client Personalities (http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-client-personalities/)
Bad Clients and How to Avoid Them (http://freelancefolder.com/bad-clients-and-how-to-avoid-them/)
I also forgot about this gem of a client