作爲一名自由職業者，如何能保證準時收到報酬？
One of the most stressful things about being self-employed is managing your cash flow. This is especially difficult when clients don’t pay you on time. What can you do to make sure your invoices are handled promptly? And if a client is late, how should you address it, especially if you want to work with this company again? Is there ever a point at which you need to involve a lawyer?
作爲一名自由職業者，最重要的事情之一就是資金流動管理。但是，如果客戶不按時支付報酬，維持現金流就會變得極其困難。如何才能讓客戶儘快支付報酬？客戶未按時付款、又想繼續與客戶合作時，如何提醒客戶及時付款？是否需要請律師介入？
What the Experts Say專家怎麼說
When freelancing is your primary source of income, you have to be meticulous and organized about keeping your books, according to Jon Younger, the founder of the Agile Talent Collaborative, a nonprofit research organization and the coauthor of Agile Talent. “If you’re not disciplined and rigorous about getting paid, you will not succeed。” And yet, even if you do everything right, clients can still be frustratingly late with their payments. Over 70% of freelancers have trouble getting paid at some point in their careers, according to research by the Freelancers Union, the nonprofit group that promotes the interests of independent workers. “When you’re on your own freelancing for a big company, there is a fundamental power imbalance,” says Caitlin Pearce, director of advocacy and member engagement there. So if your paycheck doesn’t arrive on time, “You think, ‘What did I do wrong?’” Here are some strategies to help you run the “billing department” of your freelance business.
非盈利研究機構Agile Talent Collaborative創始人、Agile Talent聯合作者Jon Younger表示：“如果自由職業收入是你的主要收入來源，那麼你必須好好記賬。只有記好每一筆賬、及時催款、收款，你才能成功。”致力於爲自由職業者爭取利益的非盈利組織Freelancers Union的一項研究顯示，即使自由工作者出色地完成了工作，客戶也會拖延付款。超過70％的自由職業者在其職業生涯中都遇到過這種問題。該組織宣傳部長及成員Caitlin Pearce表示：“當你的合作對象是一家大型公司時，你們之間有着明顯的力量差距。”所以如果你沒有按時收到報酬，“你就會想‘是我哪裏做的不好嗎？’”下面這些策略可以幫助你運行自由職業的“結算部門”。
Do your homework做好背景調查
The best way to ensure you get paid in a timely manner is to work only for reputable, well-funded companies that treat freelancers with dignity and respect. This requires due diligence, Younger says. “Before you respond to a request or knock on a door in a marketing capacity, you need to establish that the company can pay you and will pay you,” he says. Pearce recommends talking to other freelancers who’ve worked for the organization about their experiences. Inquire with the company’s full-time workers, too. “Ask about the corporate culture,” she says. “ How it treats employees is a good indicator of how it treats freelancers.” The bottom line: Don’t work with clients who have a bad reputation.
確保及時獲得報酬的最佳方式是隻與信譽良好、資金充足的公司合作，這些公司比較尊重自由職業者。Younger表示：“你需要充分了解你的客戶。在接受工作之前，你需要確保這家公司能夠支付相應的報酬，並且會及時付款。” Pearce建議，在接受工作前，先與其他與這家工資合作過的自由職業者們進行交流，也要與公司內的全職工作者們進行溝通。“瞭解一下這家公司的企業文化，公司如何對待全職員工，一般也會如何對待自由職業者。”底線：不要與聲譽不佳的客戶合作。
Get organized做好規劃，有條不紊
Next, you need to consider how you will bill your clients. There are many ways to go about it, and “there are pros and cons for each,” Younger says. Choosing to be a “truly independent worker” and handling all the invoices on your own requires more bookkeeping — and potentially more headaches — but all profits go to you. (Thankfully, there are numerous tools and apps that automate the process) On the other hand, being part of an “online talent platform that connects buyers and sellers” — means less legwork and less paperwork because “they collect the money for you”; however, these platforms also take a cut of your earnings. Regardless of what you choose, it’s smart to seek out the advice of an accountant from time to time, Pearce says. “Most freelancers do not use accountants for bookkeeping” but instead as “periodic consultants.” They “help you prepare taxes, make sure your costs are under control, and ensure your business is structured properly.”
接下來，你需要考慮如何向客戶收取費用。收費的方法有很多，Younger說：“每一種都各有利弊”。如果你選擇事事親爲，自己處理工作清單，那麼你需要花費更多時間在記賬上—這也意味着更多麻煩—但是你會獲得更多盈利（幸運的是，如今有很多工具和應用程序可以自動幫你處理賬簿）。另一方面，使用“連接買家和賣家的在線人才平臺”—可以減少外出工作和文書工作量，因爲這些平臺“代你收款”。不過這些平臺也是收費的，因此會減少你的收入。總的來說，無論選擇哪種方式，最好都要經常與會計師溝通，Pearce說：“大多數自由職業者不會僱傭會計師進行記賬”，而是選擇“定期諮詢會計師”。實際上，會計師“幫助你報稅，確保支出得到控制，並確保業務安排合理”。
Get it in writing書面協議打消後顧之憂
Before you start working on an assignment, you need a contract that lays out the scope of the project, the payment terms, and the expectations for both sides. “Don’t believe in a handshake,” Younger says. Informal agreements are the source of almost every payment problem, so be sure “to get everything in writing.” For small projects an email chain will often suffice, but for longer engagements “it is worth working with a lawyer,” Pearce says. Most freelancers have a standard template contract that they alter for different clients. “When you can, work with your own contract,” she says. “You know what’s in it, and it has terms you can live with and negotiate from.” The Freelancers Union has several templates on its website, as well as an app that connects freelancers with attorneys who represent independent workers.
在開始任務之前，你需要擬定一份合同，規定項目詳情、付款條件和雙方期望。Younger說：“不要相信握手就能代替合同。”非正式協議幾乎是所有拖延付款問題的根源，所以一定確保“以書面形式達成協議”。對於小型項目來說，通過電子郵件來達成協議通常就足夠了，但是對於週期較長的項目來說，Pearce認爲“需要與律師合作”。 大多數自由職業者都有一個標準的模板合同，根據不同的客戶和項目來調整合同。Pearce說：“儘量使用自己的合同模板，因爲你很清楚這份合同中包含什麼，這能幫助你更好地進行協商。” Freelancers Union的網站上有一些模板可供下載，還有將自由職業者與代表獨立工作者的律師聯繫起來的應用程序。
Understand your client’s payment cycle瞭解客戶的支付流程
It’s also important to talk with your client about its “payment schedules and policies in advance” of starting any work, Younger says. Find out how long it typically takes to process invoices, which days of the week it cuts checks, and how it pays its contract workers. This information helps you better manage your monthly cash flow. Pearce recommends you “try to get as much money up front” as possible. “A deposit of 30%–50% of your estimated fee is acceptable in many industries,” she says. Another tip: “Make sure you have the name and contact details of the person in finance with whom you’ll be dealing with,” Pearce says. This way, if there are delays, you have someone to call.
Younger表示，開始工作前，提前瞭解客戶的 “付款計劃和相關政策 ”也是非常重要的。比如客戶公司處理工作清單通常需要多長時間、什麼時候開支票、以及如何支付合同工酬勞等等。 這些信息可以幫助你更好地管理月度現金流。Pearce建議自由職業者“儘量多收取訂金”。 她表示：“將訂金設置爲預估費用的30％-50％，很多公司都是可以接受的。”還有一點：“確保你有與你對接的財務人員的姓名和聯繫方式，”皮爾斯說。如果對方拖延付款，你可以打電話催款。
Invoice early and often提早、定期開具工作清單
Regardless of your client’s payment terms, Younger recommends establishing your own billing cycle that’s frequent and predictable. “Bill on a weekly basis or every time you finish a bit of work,” he says. Billing often is “a signal that you consider your time valuable.” For longer-term projects, Pearce suggests invoicing at predetermined “milestones along the way” so that you are guaranteed “payment at certain points over time.” Milestone payments not only help you manage your cash flow, they are “also a tool for communication”. She says, “They make sure you and your client are both aligned and satisfied.” Whatever you do, don’t agree to terms that involve your getting paid only upon the full delivery of the work. “You don’t want to work for three months on a project only to have the client say, ‘I hate it. And I will only pay you for 50%.’”
無論客戶的付款方式如何，Younger建議你建立自己的穩定的計費週期：“可以每週結算，也可以每階段工作結束後結算。”開賬單通常是“認爲自己的時間有價值的信號”。對於長期項目，Pearce建議在預定的“項目階段”中開具工作清單，以保證“在固定時間獲得報酬”。按進度付款不僅有助於管理你的現金流，也是“溝通工具”。Pearc說：“按進度付款能確保你和客戶達成一致，使雙方都得到滿意的結果。”但是，一定不要答應只有在交付全部工作後纔得到報酬的條件。“你一定不想爲了一個項目辛苦工作了三個月，客戶卻說‘我不滿意，我只能付你一半的酬勞。’”
Establish your professionalism
培養職業素養
Earning your living as a freelancer requires that you “treat yourself like a business,” Pearce says. Don’t do slapdash work, don’t “forget” to invoice, and don’t be careless in your communications. “Getting paid is contingent on the quality of your work and the quality of your relationship with your client,” Younger says. On a related note, don’t work for free. “A lot of companies are fishing around these days for free work on the assumption that your working for them will help you more than it realistically will,” he says. Remember this any time you’re “invited” to give a free webinar or moderate a panel gratis. “Talk plainly and in businesslike terms” about your fee. “Establish the value of your work.”
作爲自由職業者，你必須“像打理企業一樣打理自己，”Pearce說。工作中不要粗心大意，不要“忘記”開工作清單，不要在溝通中粗心大意。“你獲得報酬取決於工作質量以及與客戶的關係，”Younger說。另外，不要做免費勞動力。他說：“現在很多公司都在到處尋找免費勞動力，認爲這樣的實踐對你有好處，但事實並非如此。”任何時候你被“邀請”參加在線會議或者主持小組會議時都要記住這一點。“清楚地以商業方式與客戶交流”。 “讓你的工作有價值”。
Follow up跟進付款進度
If your client is ever late with a payment, “you have to be vigilant about following up,” Pearce says. “If you’re vigilant on your end, it sets expectations on theirs.” If you’re following up and no one is responsive, “escalate to a phone call or go to the office in person,” she says. It’s much easier to ignore an email than it is to ignore a human. Be persistent about seeking payment, Younger advises. “Don’t give up,” he says. “Work your way up the food chain and take it to the top” of the executive leadership if you need to.
如果客戶未能準時付款，“你必須時刻跟進情況”，Pearce說。她說：“如果你自己一直跟進付款情況，客戶方面就會有壓力。”如果沒有人回覆你，“試試打電話或者親自到客戶辦公室。”忽略電子郵件很容易，但是客戶不能對一個人視而不見。Younger建議打擊堅持要求客戶付款。“不要放棄，”他說。 如果有需要的話，“要不斷努力掌握主動權”。
Hire a lawyer僱傭律師
If you’ve tried everything and the client is still not paying, it might make sense to engage an attorney. It’s not a straightforward decision, however. “Mostly it’s a cost-benefit analysis” that involves calculating the amount that’s owed you, your odds of success, and the hassle of hiring — and paying for — a lawyer, Pearce says. A new, first-of-its-kind law in New York City gives freelancers a ray of hope. The law stipulates that for jobs paying $800 or more, freelancers must be paid either by a specified date or within 30 days of completion. The other big component of the law provides recourse for instances in which clients fail to pay. “If it goes to court, the law mandates double damages and attorney fees be awarded if the judge rules in the freelancer’s favor,” Pearce says. She adds that the Freelancers Union is “working on getting the law passed nationally.” At the very least, report your former client to the Better Business Bureau.
如果你已經嘗試過各種方法，但客戶仍然沒有支付報酬，那麼此時可以聘請律師。然而這個過程並不容易。Pearce說，“大多數情況下，這是一項成本效益分析”，要計算客戶拖欠金額、成功機率、律師聘用和支付的麻煩等。紐約市一項新的法規爲自由職業者帶來了一絲希望：自由職業者從事酬勞在800美元及以上的工作，客戶必須在指定日期或完成後的30天內支付酬勞。如果客戶未能按時付款，法律也保障了自由職業者的權益。Pearce說：“如果交由法院裁決，法官判定自由職業者一方勝訴，依照法律，自由職業者將得到雙倍補償，並免除聘請律師費用。”她補充說，Freelancers Union正在“努力將這項法律推廣到全國”。同時，自由職業者還可向商業改善局（Better Business Bureau）投訴延期付款的客戶。
Principles to Remember建議：
Do:
需要做些什麼？
Your research. Find out how well-funded your client is and, to the extent possible, check if there are any financial red flags.
做好背景調查。準確瞭解客戶的財務狀況，明確客戶是否陷入財務困境。
Bill on a regular basis, and for longer projects ask for milestone payments; they help you manage your cash flow and ensure you and the client are aligned.
定期收費，長期項目合作採用按進度付款的方式；這些措施可以改善您的現金流狀況，並與客戶達成一致。
Consider pursuing a settlement in court if your client fails to pay you.
若客戶遲遲不能支付報酬，必要時選擇交由法庭裁決。
Don’t:不能做什麼？
Work informally. You need a good contract that lays out the scope of the project and the payment terms and ensures that expectations are clear on both sides.
非正式協議：自由職業者需要與客戶簽訂合同，合同中應註明項目內容以及支付條款，明確雙方需求。[/cn
Be late or inconsistent with your invoices. Make use of tools and apps that automate the process.
[cn]不按時開具工作清單或使用方式不固定：充分利用工具和應用程序來簡化這個程序。Be lackadaisical about following up with your client about a late payment. If the client does not respond to emails, visit the office in person if possible.
未能按時跟蹤客戶付款進度：若客戶遲遲未回覆郵件，應主動到客戶辦公室進行協商。
Case Study #1: Be vigilant about following up and seek legal advice when needed案例一：隨時跟蹤客戶付款進度，必要時尋求法律幫助
Michael Lopez, a freelance copywriter specializing in the health and wellness sector, knows all too well what it’s like to get stiffed by a client.
自由職業者Michael Lopez從事健康領域的廣告文字撰稿工作，他非常瞭解客戶拖延付款的情況。
Last year he agreed to do web copy overhaul for a drug rehabilitation company that had a network of treatment centers. He had done small jobs for this client in the past, but the new assignment was much bigger. This project was slated to last two months, and it represented “a good chunk of change” for Michael.
去年，Michael答應幫一家藥物康復公司做網絡廣告修整。此前，他與這家公司合作過幾次週期較短的小型項目，這次的任務週期長達兩個月，並且這對他來說也是一個很好的“轉型”機會。
He finished the job and submitted an invoice. He didn’t hear back from the company, so a week later he followed up with an email. No response. After two weeks, he followed up by phone. Still no response. “After four weeks I followed up with another call and email and was told that they were working on payment and reviewing the work,” Michael says. “[They also told me] that they didn’t feel they would use the deliverables, so they were not sure if a full payment was fair.”
他完成工作並提交了工作清單。但之後遲遲沒有得到公司的回覆。一週後，他向客戶公司發郵件詢問付款進度，依舊沒有得到任何迴應。兩週後，他向客戶公司致電，這次還是沒有得到回覆。Michael說：“四周後，我又打了第二通電話、又發了一封郵件，他們卻告訴說他們已經在處理了，現在正在審覈工作。他們還告訴我說，以後可能不會使用我的工作成果，所以不保證能夠如約付全款。”
He was surprised, angry, and annoyed. “I went through all the stages of grief,” he says. “I eventually ended up feeling sad and disappointed in myself. Yes, they were in the wrong, but there were a lot of things I did wrong as well.” For one, he worked without a contract. “A contract was something that I knew I needed, but I hadn’t been able to put one together,” he says.
Michael覺得非常震驚，同時也很生氣。他說：“我一開始很難過，最後覺得悲哀，對自己很失望。他們是有錯，但我也有不正確的地方。”其中有一點就是他沒有事先與公司簽訂合同。他表示：“我知道可能需要一份正式合同，但最後我也沒有擬定一份。”
Fortunately for Michael, his roommate was an attorney. “I’ve always been aware that, in the absence of a contract, an email chain laying out when deliverables and payments are due is enough to prove in court — if you need to go that route.” His lawyer roommate sent a letter to his client that “essentially demanded they pay or suffer other legal action,” Michael recalls.
幸運的是，Michael的室友是一名律師。“我知道，在沒有合同的情況下，在可交付成果和付款截止時期到期時，電子郵件在法庭上可作爲證據使用—如果你需要訴諸法庭裁決的話。” Michael記得，當時他的律師室友向客戶公司發信稱，“如果公司未能付款，將採取法律手段。”
One week later, the client issued an apology to Michael and released funds for payment. Not long after that, Michael availed himself of the tools from the Freelancers Union and Legal Zoom to create a template contract for his future assignments. He describes what happened with the drug rehab company as a “harsh” learning experience.
一週後，客戶向Michael道歉，並開始支付報酬。不久之後，Michael利用Freelancers Union和Legal Zoom的相關工具制定了一份合同模板，用於今後的工作當中。他把這段經歷總結爲“殘酷”的一課。
Case Study #2: Understand your client’s accounts payable process and use it to your advantage案例二：瞭解客戶付款流程
Over the course of her 12-year career as an independent event planner, Vicky Choy says, she has always been paid for her services — but not always on time.
在Vicky Choy作爲自由職業者的12年裏，也碰到過很多客戶拖延付款的情況。
She recalls: “While working for one of my first corporate client, I learned that the accounting department only cut checks once every other week, and only on Thursdays. I would wonder why I wasn’t receiving payments on time. So finally, I asked. If I had sent an invoice on a Friday after accounting had just cut checks the day before, I would have to wait two weeks for them to cut checks again.”
她回憶到：“在與早期客戶打交道的過程中，我瞭解到客戶公司的會計部門每隔一週的週四開支票。我一開始總是覺得很奇怪，爲什麼我沒有準時收到款項。最後我詢問了相關工作人員，才明白如果我在開票日後的週五發送了工作清單，那麼我必須再等兩週才能到下一個開票日。”
It’s been an education, and over time she’s mastered the process. Vicky has a standard contract that she developed with the help of an attorney. She makes adjustments and alterations depending on the client and the event. The contract lists the project milestone schedule, the payment due dates, and the payment terms. In addition, the contract contains a “stop work” clause that gives her the right to stop performing work for a client until all payments are up to date.
這是一個逐漸學習的過程，後來Vicky對整個流程越來越熟悉。在律師的幫助下，她做了一份標準合同，根據客戶和工作的不同對合同中的細節進行調整。合同中列出了按進度付款時間表、付款截止日期等。此外，合同中還有一項 “停止工作”條款，客戶拖延付款時，她有權暫停工作，直到客戶付清所有賬款。
Her early experiences with late clients also prompted Vicky to start using QuickBooks, which enables her to receive payments through e-checks and credit cards and has resulted in on-time payments.
隨着經驗不斷積累，Vicky在後期與客戶進行合作時，開始使用QuickBooks軟件，通過這個軟件，她可以接收電子支票和信用卡付款，大大減少了客戶拖延付款的情況。
