Are you a freelancer who often finds yourself giving away your time and expertise for free? It’s time to take a stand! In our latest blog post, we dive into the common pitfalls of unpaid work and how to set healthy boundaries with clients. Discover practical tips to ensure you’re compensated for your skills and learn why saying “no” can be just as important as saying “yes.” Don’t let your generosity undermine your business—read on to reclaim your time and value!
Listen to the podcast episode below, watch it on Youtube, or scroll down for the summary!
Stop Donating Your Free Time to Freelancing
Timestamps: 0:00 Intro Tricky Clients Emergency Toolkit: https://freelancelifestyle.podia.com/the-tricky-client-emergency-toolkit Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmacossey Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/emmacossey.bsky.social Email: hello@emmacossey.com Come join us in the free Freelance Lifestylers Facebook group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/freelancelifestyle/ Want more support?
Prefer to read it? Here are the main points!
Freelancing can be incredibly rewarding, offering freedom, flexibility, and the ability to work with a variety of clients. However, one of the biggest challenges freelancers face is ensuring they are properly compensated for their time and expertise. In a recent episode of The Freelancers Tea Break, freelance coach Emma Cossey delivered a much-needed reality check: stop giving away your time for free!
If you’ve ever found yourself drowning in unpaid meetings, endless scope creep, or brain-picking conversations that never lead to paid work, this one’s for you. Let’s dive into the key points and how you can start valuing your time properly.
1. Unpaid Meetings: Your Time Has Value
Many freelancers are expected to attend meetings that stretch on endlessly, often without additional pay. If you’re on a contract or retainer, it’s perfectly reasonable to charge for meetings. If travel is required, include expenses in your fee—suddenly, clients may be more open to virtual meetings instead!
2. Discovery Calls: Tell Them What, Not How
It’s tempting to provide detailed solutions in discovery calls to showcase your expertise, but this often means clients walk away with everything they need—without hiring you. Instead, try the “tell them what, not how” rule. Give them an idea of what needs to be done, but make it clear that the how comes with booking your services.
3. Multiple Consultation Calls: Cut It Off Early
If a client keeps requesting “one more call” before committing, it’s a red flag. It’s a good idea to set a firm limit—one or two calls max—before requiring a commitment. Beyond that, they can email their questions or book a paid session.
4. Proposal Overload: Don’t Give It All Away
When creating proposals, avoid giving too much away for free. Common pitfalls include:
- Detailed project plans (which clients can steal and implement themselves)
- Custom mock-ups or samples
- Endless revision rounds
A well-scoped proposal should outline the what, but the details and execution should be paid for.
5. Scope Creep: “Can You Just…” is a Trap
Scope creep often starts with small requests: “Can you just tweak this?” or “This will only take five minutes.” But even a small task disrupts your workflow and takes more time than clients realise. Set clear boundaries by limiting revisions and clearly stating what’s included in your contract. Additional work? That’s billable.
6. Free Advice & Brain Pickers: Redirect to Paid Services
We’ve all had those “quick questions” that turn into full consultations. While offering help is great, know where to draw the line. If someone repeatedly picks your brain, try responding with:
“I’d love to help! Why not book a power hour?”
For friends and family, it’s up to you—but if they constantly ask for advice without reciprocating support, it might be time to start charging.
7. Unpaid Admin & Out-of-Hours Work: Set Boundaries
Freelancers often forget to charge for the extra work that comes with projects, such as:
- Meeting preparation
- Detailed post-project reports
- Coaching notes and follow-ups
If your clients expect communication outside of normal hours (e.g., late-night emails or weekend messages), charge a higher rate for those times. Watch how quickly they respect your working hours!
The Takeaway: Your Time is Your Business
The key message is clear: Stop volunteering your time for free!
Freelancers deserve to be paid fairly for their expertise. By setting boundaries and charging for extra work, we help normalise this expectation across the industry. The more freelancers enforce these standards, the less clients will expect free labour.
If you’re struggling with tricky clients or setting boundaries, check out Emma’s Tricky Client Conversations Bundle. It includes templates for handling scope creep, communication creep, and more—perfect for freelancers ready to take control of their time.
It’s time to stand firm, set boundaries, and get paid what you’re worth. Now, go make that cuppa and start charging for your time!
Tricky Clients Conversations Toolkit: https://freelancelifestyle.podia.com/the-tricky-client-emergency-toolkit
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