In a fine peaceful day… we get a new idea of creating our own business. That doesn’t chain us in the boundaries and limits. We decide to become the owner of our own. Make a choice of creating our own rules. and resolve to fly free like a bird in the sky. To a place where no one will teach us our limitation… But do we have the fear of fraud? Yes. And that is why we need to understand this and then learn how to avoid fraud.

Freelancing – It’s Nature

Well, yes.

That’s where freelancing comes in. Don’t we all just love freelancing because of its free nature?

There is nothing stopping us. There is no holding back. You get what you deserve. All you need is your hard work. You shine on the basis of your true potential. You get to see within yourself & get to show people your true self that people fail to notice.

We get to create our own identity. We get to draw our own picture and we get no chalkboard of our own to draw ourselves any way we want.

The world of ideas just opens up. A brand new world of idea. We can find ideas everywhere. We can choose the direction we want & we can make the best decision to follow the path that fits our dreams.

A creation of creativity… that’s freelancing.

Freelancing – Business Potential

We enter the business world. A place where we find corporate rules and regulations. Freelancing gives us a chance to modify it a bit and make it work for us. There is no limit of potential.

But is this the only side of it?

Well, sadly, that’s not true. There is always some hint of wrong in the right side of the business. Part of the wrong tries to overpower the potential and creativity.

Today’s article is all about the wrong side of the freelance business and we tell you a way to make it right. At least for yourself. And maybe, for some others as well.

Avoid Fraud With These Tips

I have done some research on this topic and took a survey of the people I know to verify the facts of fraud in the internet market. Well, I am disappointed to see the results. But there is a very big coverage of frauds, scams and unethical deals in the business. Therefore, it is necessary to take a few precautions so that you can avoid fraud.

Check The Reputation Of Employer Before Taking The Project

It is better to check before you start than to regret in the end. This is the simple and effective method that will help you avoid fraud. So, make sure that you avail the advantage of being a person who works on the internet. You have internet access, so, check every bit and corner unless you are satisfied with it. If you can’t find anything, well, it is a risk. Make the decision carefully. If you find anything, evaluate that data and find out how much you can trust on that client. If you find any red flags, make sure you take necessary precautions while dealing with that client or avoid working at all.

Clear Project Details And Payment Terms Beforehand

It does not harm anyone to get the answers to all your questions in the beginning. Well, I think it is much better than being confused till the end. You should get all the details of the projects. You need to make sure that you understand the work and client expectation. And of course, never miss clearing all the terms and conditions of payments beforehand. This is the part where all the problem begins so make sure that you clear payment terms and duration so that you can be sure about the details.

Stick To The Deadline And Ensure That You Mention It

No matter whether it is work or payment, deadline should always be strict and you should stick to it. The first task here is to stick to the deadline of the project and then you can expect your client to do the same. And in this situation, you can question your client about payment deadline as well.

Don’t Offer Unnecessary Personal Information Unless It Is Legal Requirement

I strictly advise you to avoid sharing your personal information unless it is absolutely necessary. And of course, when your client demands any personal information, make sure you ask the reason for such requirement and share your information only if you find it reasonable.

Be Careful While Taking Future Profit Works

If your client offers you a deal with the promise of great future profits where you don’t get sufficient cost/or no income in the start then I advise you to avoid it unless it is for a good cause or charity. This is not always a scam but in most cases, it is straight-up fraud.

Best Way Out

Do your research about individual/company, if possible then sign a legal contract, leave a mark on your profile that you work with that specific individual/company so, in case that is fake, you can mark it as a Fake Employer and it might help many other freelancers to stay away from the scam and avoid fraud.

How to solve the problem of Free Samples?

This is a big question but the answer is actually very simple. Create your website/portfolio. You can share it freely with anyone who desires free samples of your work and you will never need to worry about working for free on samples or work being stolen by the third party.

For example, if you are a writer then you can make a blog and if you are a developer then you can make a website! If you are a construction person then you can just upload the picture of your work as a reference. There are always numerous ways to share and protect your time and hard work.

How to protect your sample work?

There are some cases where you have to share a customized sample of your service to the company and sometimes there is no way out of it. Well, it is not wrong if the employer is genuine. So, the best way to protect your sample work is to clearly mention your “Sample Use Term”. You should mention your term at the time when the client asks for a free sample and a sentence of Sample Use Term should be added in the sample work that you send.

For example, you can write in the mail or in the document of your work, “This sample is intended for review only, I, XYZ, reserve the rights to use it. Unauthorized utilization of sample work will be considered illegal and can result in fine or legal action.” This is not a standard sentence but just make sure that you mention your authority and right on the sample while distributing it.

So, my advice to everyone:

Be careful about what to decide to do and make a decision on the basis of facts and not assumptions.

Now, it is time to move forward to the story. It might be a kid’s story but it holds great moral.

Take a few minute to watch this presentation video on above explanation with a story.