奈飞文化集:自由与责任

by Benek Lisefski

由Benek Lisefski

如何与自由客户合作：最好的合同就是您永远不必执行的合同 (How to work with freelance clients: the best contracts are the ones you never have to enforce)

I’m frequently asked about how I handle freelance contracts with my design clients. How I outline payment terms, timeframes, deliverables, and what happens of it all goes sideways?

经常有人问我如何与设计客户处理自由合同。 我如何概述付款条件，时间范围，可交付成果，以及所有发生的事情都是横向的？

I don’t spend much time thinking about it, because I can’t remember the last time I had a bad client, and I don’t recall ever having to enforce a contract in my life. That probably makes me lucky, but I think it’s also because I work smart, always meet or exceed expectations, and choose clients carefully.

我没有花太多时间在思考这个问题，因为我不记得上次遇到一个不好的客户了，而且我不记得曾经在我的生活中必须执行合同。 这也许让我很幸运，但是我认为这也是因为我工作聪明 ，总是达到或超过期望 ，并谨慎选择客户 。

But despite this, I use contracts. Most of my new freelance clients, over the past 17 years, have signed some kind of formal agreement before we began our project together. For as long as I can remember I’ve used a lightly customised, generic, digital design contract template I downloaded about 10 years ago, and barely gave a second thought as to what it says.

但是尽管如此，我还是使用合同。 在我们一起开始我们的项目之前，我的大多数新自由职业客户在过去的17年中已经签署了某种形式的正式协议。 只要我记得，我就使用了大约10年前下载的轻度定制的通用数字设计合同模板，几乎没有对它的内容再三考虑。

But lately I’ve been questioning the value of this type of contract, and have transitioned to using a much simpler, less formal, plain-language agreement with my clients.

但是最近，我一直在质疑这种合同的价值，并且已经过渡到与客户使用更简单 ，不太正式的简单语言协议。

They love it, as do I.

他们喜欢它，我也喜欢。

It’s made me realise how archaic my old contract was. Chances are your contract has many of the same flaws.

这让我意识到我的旧合同多么古老。 您的合同可能有很多相同的缺陷。

什么合同不应该 (What a contract shouldn’t be)

When I think of a contract a few things come to mind. It’s usually dense and difficult to read, stuffed full of legal jargon that makes little sense to a common business person. It’s got formal definitions of who is the provider and the customer. It usually outlines a list of if/then statements that define what happens if either party fails to meet their obligations.

当我想到合同时，会想到一些事情。 它通常是密集且难以阅读的，里面塞满了法律术语，对普通的商务人士来说毫无意义。 它有关于谁是提供者和客户的正式定义。 它通常概述了if / then语句的列表，这些语句定义了任何一方未能履行其义务时将发生的情况。

For example, if the customer fails to pay within 30 days, the provider may charge 5% interest. If the provider fails to deliver by so-and-so date, the customer may withhold payment, etc. And it talks about how and when a contract could be cancelled by either party.

例如，如果客户未在30天内付款，则提供商可能会收取5％的利息。 如果提供者未能在某某日期之前交付，则客户可以扣留款项等。它还讨论了双方可以如何以及何时取消合同。

It feels like most of the contract outlines what could go wrong, rather than what we want to go right.

好像大多数合同都概述了可能出错的地方，而不是我们想要正确的地方。

I think of my clients as partners, with a shared interest in reaching their business goals with the application of good design. A contract that starts off in that confrontational tone does not feel like the way I want to begin a relationship with a new client-partner.

我认为我的客户是合作伙伴 ，他们对通过应用良好的设计实现其业务目标有着共同的兴趣。 以这种对抗性口吻开始的合同并不像我想要与新的客户合作伙伴建立关系的方式。

So I’ve dropped all the penalties. Not a single mention of what happens if I don’t deliver, because I never fail to deliver. Not a word about what happens when they refuse to pay on time, because that thought doesn’t cross the minds of the type of clients I work with.

因此，我取消了所有处罚。 没有一个提及如果不交付会发生什么，因为我从不交付。 对于他们拒绝按时付款会发生什么，一言不发，因为这种想法并没有引起我与之合作的客户类型的注意 。

Partly, that’s because I only work with good clients. I’ve built up that privilege after 17 years of building a strong reputation and high demand. We trust and value each other, so it’s in both of our best interests not to muck up the relationship.

部分原因是因为我只与好的客户一起工作 。 经过17年的良好声誉和高要求 ，我已经建立了这种特权。 我们彼此信任并珍视彼此，因此不破坏双方关系对我们双方都是最大的利益。

You learn to recognise the red flags and avoid working with clients who may be problematic later. And when you think about it, those problematic clients are the only ones you need contracts with. If you only work with good clients, do you need a contract at all?

您将学会识别危险信号，并避免与以后可能会遇到问题的客户合作。 当您考虑时，那些有问题的客户是您唯一需要与之签约的客户。 如果您只与好的客户一起工作，您是否根本需要一份合同？

我如何组织协议 (How I structure my agreements)

Firstly I don’t call them contracts. They’re “agreements”. Contracts are too stuffy and confrontational. Agreements are friendly and open.

首先，我不称它们为合同。 他们是“协议”。 合同太闷和对抗。 协议友好而开放。

I present my agreements as plain Google docs. I want my client to feel that it’s a fluid, collaborative document that they can help shape through their feedback. Not something too polished and official that they need to pay their lawyer to review.

我以纯Google文档的形式展示我的协议。 我希望我的客户觉得这是一份流畅的协作文档，他们可以通过反馈来帮助制定。 没有什么过于精致和正式的事情，他们不需要付钱给律师进行审查。

I don’t lead off with any dense definitions or general legal terms. I get straight to the important points: what I’ll do for them, when I’ll do it, and what it will cost.

我不会以任何密集的定义或一般法律术语作为开头。 我直言不讳：我会为他们做些什么，什么时候做，以及要花多少钱。

And most importantly, my agreements are in plain language. Just like the voice I’m speaking to you in now. Polite, professional, and straight up.

最重要的是，我的协议是通俗易懂的 。 就像我现在正在对您说话的声音一样。 有礼貌，专业，直率。

Here’s an outline of what I commonly include in my freelance design agreements:

这是我通常包括在自由设计协议中的概述：

1. Who it’s from and who it’s for.

   它来自谁，为谁。

   Who it’s from and who it’s for.Example: prepared by Benek Lisefski for Bob Widgetburger — 1 October 2018

   它来自谁，为谁。 示例：由Benek Lisefski为Bob Widgetburger准备的— 2018年10月1日

2. Contract length — how long is the project expected to take? This may be a fixed, pre-determined length with a specific deadline — or for longer projects, I may provide an estimated range.

   合同期限 -该项目预计需要多长时间？ 这可能是一个固定的，预定的长度，并带有特定的截止日期；对于更长的项目，我可能会提供一个估计的范围。

   Contract length — how long is the project expected to take? This may be a fixed, pre-determined length with a specific deadline — or for longer projects, I may provide an estimated range. Example: 1 Oct — 16 Nov (7 weeks).

   合同期限 -该项目预计需要多长时间？ 这可能是一个固定的，预定的长度，并带有特定的截止日期；对于更长的项目，我可能会提供一个估计的范围。 示例：10月1日至11月16日(7周)。

3. Responsibilities — what kinds of tasks will I be expected to do during this engagement?

   职责 -在参与过程中，我期望执行哪些任务？

   Responsibilities — what kinds of tasks will I be expected to do during this engagement?Example: web UX wireframes, UI design, and front-end coding.

   职责 -在参与过程中，我期望执行哪些任务？ 示例：Web UX线框，UI设计和前端编码。

4. Deliverables — what will the end product be? What kind of work and files will I hand off when the job is complete?

   可交付成果 -最终产品将是什么？ 完成工作后，我将交出什么样的工作和文件？

   Deliverables — what will the end product be? What kind of work and files will I hand off when the job is complete?Example: Designs presented for feedback as PNG previews in InVision. Final designs delivered as source Sketch files. Interaction styleguide and responsive design guide will also be provided.

   可交付成果 -最终产品将是什么？ 完成工作后，我将交出什么样的工作和文件？ 示例：在InVision中以PNG预览形式呈现的设计用于反馈。 最终设计作为源Sketch文件交付。 还将提供交互样式指南和响应式设计指南。

5. Workload — How much of my time am I committing to this project? I usually define this as hour per week. Read more about how I balance my schedule and workloads to prevent the freelance rollercoaster.

   工作量 -我将多少时间投入到此项目中？ 我通常将其定义为每周的小时数。 阅读有关如何平衡日程安排和工作量以防止自由过山车的更多信息 。

   Workload — How much of my time am I committing to this project? I usually define this as hour per week. Read more about how I balance my schedule and workloads to prevent the freelance rollercoaster.Example: I can guarantee a minimum of 10 hours per week, and as much as 15 hours per week.

   工作量 -我将多少时间投入到此项目中？ 我通常将其定义为每周的小时数。 阅读有关如何平衡日程安排和工作量以防止自由过山车的更多信息 。 示例：我可以保证每周最少10​​个小时，每周最多15个小时。

6. Retainer (optional) — If I’m working on a retainer, this defines how many hours per week are included in the weekly retainer rate.

   固定器(可选) —如果我正在使用固定器，则这定义了每周固定费用中包含每周多少小时。

   Retainer (optional) — If I’m working on a retainer, this defines how many hours per week are included in the weekly retainer rate.Example: You’ll have 10–12 hours per week for my base weekly rate. Any hours above 12 per week will be billed as overage.

   固定器(可选) —如果我正在使用固定器，则这定义了每周固定费用中包含每周多少小时。 示例：您每周有10–12个小时的基本每周费用。 每周12小时以上的任何小时都将被计为超额费用。

7. Cost — if I’m working on a weekly retainer this is a weekly rate, plus an indication of the hourly rate for overage above retainer limits. If I’m charging by the hour, it is a simple hourly rate with an estimated total price range. For more on how I price, see Does value-based pricing live up to the hype.

   成本 -如果我每周工作一次，这是每周费用，外加超过保持器限额的超额每小时费用的指示。 如果我按小时收费，这是一个简单的按小时计费的价格，估算的总价格范围为。 有关我如何定价的更多信息，请参阅基于价值的定价是否符合炒作 。

   Cost — if I’m working on a weekly retainer this is a weekly rate, plus an indication of the hourly rate for overage above retainer limits. If I’m charging by the hour, it is a simple hourly rate with an estimated total price range. For more on how I price, see Does value-based pricing live up to the hype.Example: project rate $1,500 per week + GST. ($10,500 + GST for the 7 week duration of the project.) Overage above 12 hours per week will be billed at $130 per hour + GST. You’ll get a weekly retainer time updates so their are no nasty overage surprises.

   成本 -如果我每周工作一次，这是每周费用，外加超过保持器限额的超额每小时费用的指示。 如果我按小时收费，这是一个简单的按小时计费的价格，估算的总价格范围为。 有关我如何定价的更多信息，请参阅基于价值的定价是否符合炒作 。 例如：项目费率每周$ 1,500 + GST。 (项目7周的时间为$ 10,500 + GST。)每周超过12小时的超额费用为每小时$ 130 + GST。 您将获得每周一次的保留时间更新，因此它们不会给您带来不必要的麻烦。

8. Feedback expectations— I let my clients know that the speed of their feedback has a massive effect on the efficiency and momentum of the project.

   反馈期望 -我让我的客户知道他们的反馈速度对项目的效率和动力有很大的影响。

   Feedback expectations— I let my clients know that the speed of their feedback has a massive effect on the efficiency and momentum of the project.Example: To maintain project momentum and weekly target hours we must work together to make the workload as balanced and consistent as possible, and the feedback/revision cycle moves without delays. This requires design feedback within 24 hours or less, unless a different arrangement is previously agreed.

   反馈期望 -我让我的客户知道他们的反馈速度对项目的效率和动力有很大的影响。 示例：为了保持项目的动力和每周的目标小时，我们必须共同努力，使工作量尽可能平衡和一致，并且反馈/修订周期的运行必须没有延迟。 除非事先同意不同的安排，否则这需要在24小时或更短时间内提供设计反馈。

9. Deposit & billing terms — I always require a deposit payment for new client’s I haven’t worked with before. Nothing proves a clients is serious like a quick deposit payment. I bill monthly and require prompt payment.

   存款和结算条款 -我一直需要为以前从未使用过的新客户支付订金。 没有什么比快速存款支付更能证明客户是认真的了。 我每月结算，并要求及时付款。

   Deposit & billing terms — I always require a deposit payment for new client’s I haven’t worked with before. Nothing proves a clients is serious like a quick deposit payment. I bill monthly and require prompt payment.Example: A project deposit equal to 1 week’s rate ($1,500) is due before project commencement. I will bill monthly for the duration of the project with each payment due the 20th of the following month.

   存款和结算条款 -我一直需要为以前从未使用过的新客户支付订金。 没有什么比快速存款支付更能证明客户是认真的了。 我每月结算，并要求及时付款。 示例：在项目开始之前，应支付等于1周利率($ 1,500)的项目保证金。 我将在项目进行期间按月向您收取费用，并于下个月的20号付款。

10. Expenses — I let my client know what extra expenses may arise which are additional costs that may be passed on to them.

    费用 -我让客户知道可能会产生哪些额外费用，这些额外费用可能会转嫁给他们。

    Expenses — I let my client know what extra expenses may arise which are additional costs that may be passed on to them.Example: Any creative expenses that should arise, such as font licenses or stock imagery, will be at client’s expense, to be discussed and agreed upon before purchase.

    费用 -我让客户知道可能会产生哪些额外费用，这些额外费用可能会转嫁给他们。 示例：应产生的任何创意费用(例如字体许可或图片)将由客户承担，在购买前进行讨论并达成协议。

11. Meeting time — I make it clear that any meetings (beyond our free initial meet & greet, which probably already happened) are billed just like the rest of my time. Long phone/video calls count too.

    会议时间 -我明确表示，所有会议(除了我们可能已经发生的免费初次见面和问候之外)都像我其余时间一样被记帐。 长时间的电话/视频通话也算在内。

    Meeting time — I make it clear that any meetings (beyond our free initial meet & greet, which probably already happened) are billed just like the rest of my time. Long phone/video calls count too.Example: All time spent in meetings or other extended communication will count towards our weekly retained hours. For meetings outside Auckland, client will pay for all transportation and accommodation expenses required.

    会议时间 -我很清楚，所有会议(除了我们可能已经发生的免费初次见面和问候之外)都像我其余时间一样被记帐。 长时间的电话/视频通话也算在内。 示例：花在会议或其他长时间通讯上的所有时间都将计入我们每周的保留时间。 对于在奥克兰以外的会议，客户将支付所需的所有交通和住宿费用。

12. Credit & sharing — I’m always clear on where, when, and how I might share the creative work we produce during this project.

    信誉和分享 -我总是很清楚在哪里，什么时候以及如何分享我们在此项目中产生的创意作品 。

    Credit & sharing — I’m always clear on where, when, and how I might share the creative work we produce during this project.Example: I reserve the right to share any and all design work I produce for my own promotional purposes, including but not limited to publishing it on my own portfolio website, Dribbble, and Behance. I will not share design work until it’s live and publicly visible, unless I have your previous permission to do so.

    信誉和分享 -我总是很清楚在哪里，什么时候以及如何分享我们在此项目中产生的创意作品 。 示例：我保留分享我为自己的促销目的而制作的所有设计作品的权利，包括但不限于在我自己的投资组合网站Dribbble和Behance上发布。 除非获得您的事先许可，否则我不会分享设计作品，直到它公开并公开可见。

That’s it! No jargon, fluff, or terms. No numbered clauses, and no formal signature page. My client usually replies back with a quick “yes that all sounds good” and we’re ready to begin.

而已！ 没有术语，绒毛或术语。 没有编号的条款，也没有正式的签名页。 我的客户通常会快速回复“是的，听起来一切都很好”，我们已经准备好开始。

但是，但是，如果出现问题怎么办？ (But, but, what if something goes wrong?)

Maybe you have a sneaky client who doesn’t show any of the usual red flags, and they surprise you to become a pain in the ass later. Maybe they are unhappy with your work and refuse to pay. Now you’re stuck not knowing your legal recourse because you didn’t have contract terms that define what to do in this situation.

也许您有一个偷偷摸摸的客户，没有显示任何通常的危险信号，并且让您惊讶，以后您会为此感到痛苦。 也许他们对您的工作不满意并拒绝付款。 现在，您不知道自己的法律追索权，因为您没有合同条款来定义在这种情况下的处理方法。

That could happen.

那有可能发生。

But it won’t.

但是不会。

Because you’re not going to deliver less than satisfactory work, are you? If that’s a possibility, sort out your quality control process first before you worry about the wording of your contract.

因为您将无法完成令人满意的工作，是吗？ 如果可能的话， 请先对您的质量控制流程进行梳理，然后再担心合同的字眼。

And even if they did refuse to pay or otherwise decide to act inappropriately, your local consumer laws usually give you some recourse to recover those payments based on the casual agreement you did have, even if it didn’t explicitly define non-payment terms. (Please check with a local lawyer to confirm the extent of this, as it varies between countries and states).

即使他们确实拒绝付款或以其他方式决定不当行为，您的当地消费者法律通常仍会向您提供一些根据您已经达成的临时协议追回这些付款的资源，即使该合同未明确定义不付款的条件。 (由于国家和州的不同，请咨询当地律师以确认其范围)。

If using this more casual agreement is a risk, it’s one I’m gladly willing to take. (People like Kevin recommend not using a contract at all!)

如果使用这种比较随意的协议会带来风险，那么我很乐意接受这一协议。 (像凯文这样的人建议根本不使用合同！)

Every part of your client interaction adds or detracts from their overall experience. If starting off our relationship with an agreement that’s a lot less “contracty” makes their experience better, then it’s actually helping to turn that client into an easy and trusting partner.

客户互动的每个部分都会增加或削弱他们的整体经验。 如果通过少得多的“合同”协议开始我们的关系，从而使他们的体验更好，那么实际上将使该客户成为一个轻松而可信赖的合作伙伴 。

When you build that partnership, a contract becomes obsolete.

建立合作伙伴关系后，合同将过时。

Please ? clap if you found this valuable, and ? follow me for more writing like this, as I unfold 17 years of freelance business knowledge ?

拜托 c 圈，如果您觉得这很有价值，并且？ Ø˚F 我llow F以上写这样的，因为我展开17年的自由职业者的商业知识？

订阅即可在收件箱中获得我最好的文章。 (Subscribe to get my best articles in your inbox.)

This story can also be found on solowork.co

这个故事也可以在solowork.co上找到

My other writing on this topic:

我关于这个主题的其他文章：

I’m self-employed, but I don’t “freelance”Can independent consultants escape this medieval term for mercenaries?medium.comThe right way to start freelancingNo gigs sites, no free work, no drowning, no shit!medium.comThe best designers are business strategistsThe old days of “visual design” are long gone. We need to think much broader & deeper to solve today’s design…uxdesign.ccAre you working for cost-clients or value-clients?Knowing the difference will mean everything to your freelance business.medium.comSmoothing out the freelance rollercoasterHow to schedule projects, manage an even workload, and make consistent income from freelancing.medium.comHow I earned $15,000 last month from freelance designHint: there's no shortcut. I've been working at this for 17 years.medium.com

我是自雇人士，但我不是“自由职业者” 。独立顾问能否摆脱这个中世纪的雇佣军术语？ medium.com 开始自由职业的正确方法 没有演出现场，没有免费工作，没有溺水，没有狗屎！ medium.com 最好的设计师是商业策略师 “视觉设计”的时代早已过去。 我们需要更广泛，更深入地思考才能解决当今的设计问题…… uxdesign.cc 您是在为成本客户还是价值客户工作？ 知道差异将对您的自由职业者意义重大。 medium.com简化 自由职业者过山车 如何安排项目，管理均匀的工作量以及从自由职业者获得稳定的收入。 medium.com 我 上个月 如何从自由设计者 那里 赚到15,000美元。 提示：没有捷径可走。 我已经为此工作了17年。 medium.com

翻译自: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-work-with-freelance-clients-the-best-contracts-are-the-ones-you-never-have-to-enforce-fd1ccbfebec6/

奈飞文化集:自由与责任