A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and may not be committed to working for a particular employer for the long term.

Cybergamer's Graphic Moderator's is honoured to present - Freelancing on Cybergamer

YOU NEED TO READ ALL THE TEXT, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO READ ALL THE TEXT

As of late, there has been an incline in paid graphical based work here on Cybergamer. This attitude is welcomed and brings another level of professionalism to this web service. However for this to continue there needs to be a few guidelines put down, thats exactly what myself and the graphics team intend to do.

We don't expect a large number of users to take advantage of this service. Only those that are looking in a career in graphics to take use this. However we do expect clients to roll in and so that means we should ALL read this.

ALSO BE SURE TO READ THIS AS IT IS VITAL FOR FREELANCERS TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION

The benefits of freelancing include:

• Not restricted to a single line of work in the industry.
  
_{The industry is quite broad, so it helps to be flexible with your advertised skill and abilities. If you're working full time for a company it's often doing the same thing, such as just doing branding design, but when freelancing you could do web design and prints, coding and logotypes.}


• Most of your work can be added to a portfolio, which will help build a network of clients.
  
_{Most professional freelancers run websites where you can contact them, it is there where the portfolio with all their past work is shown.}


• No set income level
  
_{You charge what you want, you negotiate with the client however it could also mean you don't get very much.}


• Collaborations exist to form a 'virtual agency'.
  
_{Freelancers rarely work together, when they do it is called a virtual agency}


• No schedule, do when you have the time.
  
_{Only accept work if you have the time. Of course deadlines will exist for clients but day or night you choose when your work hours are.}


• Work where you want to work.
  
_{With the power of the internet and the flexibility of being a Freelancer, you're able to travel abroad and work in almost any location so long as you can make it there and live.}

However there are drawbacks of freelancing, they include:

• No company benefits (Pension, paid leave etc.)
  
_{As you are freelancing you are not part of a company hence know benefits}


• No set income level
  
_{You don't have a guaranteed income if you're solely freelancing, meaning banks more often than not won't give you a loan. The best thing a freelancer can do is get contracted to a business that will continue to supply them work.}


• Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreements
  
_{Freelancers at one point or another will be contracted or sub-contracted for a particular job. Given the circumstances part of this could be a mandatory Non-Disclosure Agreement. This NDA will almost always prevent the freelancer from being able to use any of his work in his portfolio or even speak of what they're working on. Mattering on the extent of the NDA you may be able to at least say who you were contracted to but some NDAs even prevent this.}

How to freelance
The traditional process of freelancing is below.

This example is of a Freelance Writer who emails an editor at a magazine with one of his ideas.
KEY:
Client
Freelancer

1. Freelancer writes an email or mails an article idea to a Editor of a magazine
   
2. Editor sifts through the slush pile of query letters, sighs, chooses one, reviews and makes an editorial decision on whether to contact freelance writer.
   
3. Discussion ensues between Editor and freelancer.
   
4. Editor sends freelancer contact for signature.
   
5. Freelancer writes the article.
   
6. Editor publishes the Freelancer's article, reader reads the article.
   
7. Editor sends Freelancer a payment (Check).
   
8. Editor moves on to a new Freelance writer. The freelancer writer begins editorial approval process all over again with a new Editor
   

This is to be taken seriously, for those that want to get in to designing and doing graphics as a career opportunity, this is with out a doubt a fantastic opportunity to get some experience.

With that said, we need to put harsh consequences to those that take advantage to new comers of freelance (and also experienced freelancers) by

1. Not paying the freelancer after they complete your request
   
2. Not finishing the work that the client requested
   

TIPS for CLIENTS
A few steps that you should take before paying a freelancer is to check their previous work, ask their previous clients on how the freelancer worked. Make sure you receive the product first - most likely watermarked.

TIPS for FREELANCERS
Put a watermark over your work - whenever you want to show your work to the client, put a watermark on so they cannot take your work. When you receive payment you take off the watermark and give them the work without the watermark on top.

To learn how to watermark please view this thread.

How to Freelance on CYBERGAMER
Here is the Shop Subsection, currently used as a place for free work to take place, requests to be posted in the shop thread. However now it also included the Freelance Marketplace if you will. You need to label your thread [SHOP] phntm studios etc.

An example of a posted freelance topic could be a graphic expressing your abilities already. In the topic you need to list your qualifications, past experience and other interesting facts.
Bench, a graphics moderator here on Cybergamer has created a great example of what could be used in a Freelance Topic. (Don't hate me for using this Bench, you did a great job .)

Bench created a well organised, visual experience that expresses his qualifications, experience, current employment, age and a form of contact. Although he has 3 businesses listed there the top one lists 'Business Owner' meaning he's Self-Employed. It also shows that he has the knowledge and skill to create an image for his thread that is will set out and organised. This will attract clients and ultimately generate more profit.

When you create a thread, it will go through an approval process. It will first need to get approved by one of the graphic moderators - it will then be posted. All of your requests need to be done through the Private Messaging system. It is your own store, your own private enterprise if you will. All payment discussion needs to go through the Private Messaging system. Only thing posted in threads is discussion on the Freelancer and his ability to work with his clients.

In terms of payment for the work done by the freelancer, it can be almost anything as long as you mutually agree on what it is with some sort of visual evidence.

Dates on when they payment needs to be made by need to be discussed and agreed on along with the work the client requested. Any issues will have to be sorted out by the freelancer and client.

If you cannot reach an agreement simply PM one of the graphics team for them to sort it out. Only the graphics team, nobody else wants to hear the problem as again it is not Cybergamer's responsibility.

Once an agreement is made, both parties MUST go through with the agreement. If you are unable to complete your side, sort it out with the other party. Punishments will be handed out to those responsible.

The Freelancer can decline anyone, it is their decision for who they want to do some work for. Any abuse given to any freelancer will be met with harsh consequences.

All comments posted about a freelancer or in a freelancing topic need to be constructive, truthful and detailed. Negative and Positive comments are accepted as long as they are constructive and honest.

Cybergamer is merely the portal in which you can connect client to freelancer - Cybergamer will not be held accountable for clients/freelancer's actions. The process is completely up to the client/freelancer. Cybergamer offers no guarantee of payment, and/or of a completed service.

Thank you,
_{~dalla. | ~Sno. | Skayze | Bench | Spaz. | phntm | Jinqz | ZSpider | kenji | oh my BrooKe | Nixon | guestywins | A.P | Beasty | Asura.}

Edited once, 1/12/11 - 9:23pm by Beasty.

When making this I was thinking about professional freelancers people, obviously the set income isn't really relevant to the younger crowd here on Cybergamer.

I can't stress how important reading this is, even for people who don't plan on being paid over Paypal and instead exchange MSP or the like for sigs.

o nice, sounds good

i srsly dont expect to pay for a sig.
i offer free advertising for the person who made it ( there website etc )

Nobody is asking you to pay for a sig I don't really expect sigs to really be bought, I expect top quality logo's for like $5 paypal or a web design for a team or something a bit bigger.

That's what I expect :S

So as I'm probably only of the only here on CG who actually has Freelancing as a permanent career, I figured I'd give you...

Bench's First-Hand Experience of the World of Freelancing

SO i started off back in mid-2006 as a Fixed-Term Employee for a business. Rather than owning my own business at the time, Fixed-Term meant I was brought on as an employee to work on a certain project and then my employment would be ended at the end of that job. When I finished I was handed a paycheck, so I didn't have to deal with all the paperwork myself.

In September 2008 I started Bench Studios, with the few months leading up spent doing all the paperwork. I've been Freelancing under the name ever since.

So I guess my experiences from Freelancing:

Benefits

• You can work from home and choose what time you work.
  
_{My health has always been an issue for me. Freelancing was a good way to reduce the amount of time I spent having to travel around and when I had to work, so it did reduce the amount of stress I had. If I were unwell it would usually mean I couldn't travel so being able to work from home meant I could still get work done even when under the weather.}


• You're flexible.
  
_{You can be working on one thing and easily switch to working on something else. You can work in a variety of industries without being bogged down by any one thing.}


• You can afford to be cheap.
  
_{When I started i charged $20/hr, which often meant I could quote a lot less than any competitors in the area, meaning I could get more work. At the moment I charge $50/hr and I'm pretty happy with that, and I'm still cheaper than a lot of other companies or businesses out there with a similar standard to mine.}

Drawbacks

• You're not your own boss.
  
_{Contrary to belief Freelancing won't make you your own boss. To get work a decent amount of work you contract or subcontract yourself out, which evidently means whoever your contracted to calls most of the shots. Of course things like when you work etc is still all up to you but you have to coordinate with each other if who your contracted to wishes to work alongside of you.}


• Contracting is the only way to earn any kind of living.
  
<sub>Of the jobs I've been paid for, only about 1/5th have been an individual client that I've done work for. The rest have been work I've done through contracting to another business. The benefits of this is that so long as the business you're contracted to continues to get work that requires your assistance, you'll continue to get work. I use the term 'contracted' very loosely as only a few jobs I've actually signed a contract on, the rest are more gentleman's agreements.

In light of that I'm currently contracted to 5 companies that will consistently provide me with work.</sub>


• It's all on you.
  
_{You are your own employer, meaning you supply your own superannuation, benefits etc. It also means that you have to do all your own paperwork.}

Points to remember when being a Freelancer

• You're reputation precedes you.
  
_{You're only as good as your last job, if you screw up it will take a lot to get another job. However as you consistently do good jobs your reputation becomes greater and greater.}


• It's who you know, not what you know.
  
_{There's probably a million other freelancers out there who can do the exact same thing as you. What makes you unique is who you know. Almost every single job I've gotten is because I've known someone who has known someone etc. this goes hand-in-hand with the above point. A good reputation easily spreads around social networks.}


• Get a website, and show off what you can.
  
_{If you're working in an industry like this, you need a website. At the very least it shows that you're serious, and at the most can get you more work or secure a potential job for you.}


• Don't underestimate Social Media.
  
_{Facebook, Twitter, etc. are often frowned upon in big corporations, but for Freelancing it can earn you so much work as you can expand your network easily and your network inadvertently can promote you.}


• Client vs Contract.
  
_{A client is someone you work with directly, a contract is with another business that wants to utilize your services to help with their clients. Clients you quote per job, contracts you quote per hour.}


• Do all the government forms so you don't lose everything.
  
<sub>Here in Australia for Freelancing (what in gov terms is being a sole trader) you just need an ABN to your own name. If you work off your own name that's all you need to do, however as soon as you change from your given name you will need to register that name as a Trading Name for your business. This is a state-thing so I can't point you in exactly the right direction. For Victoria it's Consumer Affairs Victoria and they issue you with a Certificate of Registration of Business Name which you pay around $70 for and have to renew every 3 years or something (can't remember exactly).

Make sure you do it all right, including tax returns etc. as you cannot just declare bankruptcy if things go bad because in the end it's your name at the end, meaning anything you personally own can potentially be seized to pay off debts etc.</sub>


• Do the job, Invoice, get Paid, hand over the job.
  
_{Invoices are very important, they are what you must give out when you do a job so you prove you've done the job. Don't give the work over until you're paid, otherwise (as I've experienced) people may pull out when the bill arrives then you've spent all this time working on it and for nothing. For big paying jobs that may be long get paid a certain amount either in advance or half way through the job. That way if it all falls apart then you have been covered for at least part of what you've done. Also chase up invoices (those of you reading this who haven't paid me, i haven't forgotten) as you're entitled to get compensation for your time and effort.}


• NDAs
  
_{Don't break them, read the fine print to see what you can and can't do. They're a fact of life if you work in this industry so get used to them.}


• You'll have to spend money to make money.
  
_{Most people have seen my office setup, most of it was paid by me and built over many years. I've spent a lot to get the equipment I need to do my job and do it well. It's just a given that the first year or so you'll probably look back and find that you lost money rather than earning anything.}

Is it worth it?

Sure, if you can manage yourself well enough to get things done when they need to be. There's incredible opportunities that it can bring around and if it's something you enjoy doing then working will be fun.

Professional Freelancing on CyberGamer

Probably should write about this since it's the thread topic.

Freelancing on CyberGamer takes one of two forms: Doing stuff for people for CyberGamer, or people from CyberGamer getting you to do stuff for their own stuff unrelated specifically to CyberGamer.

Example of the first:
I get paid a lot to make some of the professional team's forum sigs etc. They pretty cheap to do but regardless I still send an invoice to them as I am trying to run a business after all.

Example of the second:
I've done a lot of work for young business owners who are gamers and found my thread(s) here on CyberGamer. Same deal, invoice them.

Well that's it from me, if you have any questions regarding freelancing I guess you can ask them here, or else PM me and I'm happy to answer any.

Everyone needs to read this stuff, still getting messages about people not understanding any of it.

Good little read there still not sure on the whole money earning thing and if you have to declare it to the gov or whatever(I'm 14 leave me alone) so say I opened a shop and people were paying me to make signatures and what not, thats only earning a tiny little bit so what do I do there?

You can earn up to $30,000 before having to purchase an ABN (Get a business)

I believe, I'm sure Bench is more knowledgeable on the the whole legal system as he owns his own website.

Okie dokie here we go then.

You're not required to have an ABN however clients more often than not won't work with you if you don't. Considering how easy it is to get one (just fill in a form on the www.abr.gov.au site) there's no reason why you can't get one just as a sole trader. If the business has a turnover of $75,000 or more than it's required to register for GST, which does require an ABN.

If you're sole trading though (aka. freelancing) then things get a bit interesting. If you're working under your own personal name (First and Last Name) then you don't need to register, however if you're working under a trading name (i.e. "Bench Studios" then you'll need an ABN so that you can register that business name in the state you live in. You're required to register any trading name. The other thing is (as i always have to deal with) each tax return your sole trading ('business') tax return is the same as your personal one ('sorta') so you gotta work out if you've earnt enough to warrant putting one in. This financial year the threshold is $6,000, if you earnt more you need to put one in, if not than you need to put a form in saying you didn't meet the threshold.

It's a bit crazy so things I'd suggest -

• If you're going to work under a 'business name' then pick it.
  
• Get an ABN, it's free and it helps with so much.
  
• Register your business name with the appropriate authority in your state.
  
• Invoice for everything, your required to hold onto all business documents for 7 or so years even if you stop the business.
  

Yer I get most of it but the invoice thing? could you please explain that for me, I doubt I'll open anything unless I end up buying PS (only on a trial . ) so its more for genral knowledge.

Tax Invoice, basically a document issued to a client, with details on both yourself and your client, as a way to request payment for something. It describes the work provided (product or services generally) and how much is owed. Also lists ways for them to pay you i.e. BSB dets etc.

eg>

each invoice is numbered, generally a client quotes the number when doing bank transfers so you know which payment is for what. Each is dated as well.

at the end of each financial year you can go back and look at all the invoices you've issued in that given financial year and work out how much your business has earned.

you're required to hold onto your invoices for 7 years since it being issued.

Bench I love you..............Thanks =D