19
Warning: A client in Portland told me to always work on a retainer and I think that's bad advice for new freelancers.
He said it's the only way to get steady cash, but when I was starting out, a $500 retainer would have scared off my first three small jobs. Those one-off projects built my portfolio and confidence. For someone just getting going, isn't taking any paid work, even small stuff, more important than holding out for a retainer deal?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
drew7061mo ago
That's a good point from @kellyallen about it being a game changer later on. But how do you even get to that "later on" stage if you scare off your first clients? Isn't the whole beginner phase about taking what you can get to prove you can do the work? I mean, a retainer feels like putting the cart before the horse when you have no portfolio. Maybe the real advice is to switch to retainers once you've got a few happy clients, not before.
7
kellyallen1mo ago
Yeah but that steady cash from a retainer is a game changer once you're past those first few jobs. It just depends on where you're at, I guess.
1