Beginning a new project without a contract in place can be a very risky move. Contracts will protect both the freelancer and the client and can avoid a lot of potential headaches. After securing a job with a client, your very next step should be drafting the contract to include all the pertinent points of the agreed upon task. Time frame, specific details of the job and compensation need to be clearly stated on the contract. With the beauty of the internet, face to face exchanging of these contracts is not necessary to fulfill their value. Everything can be done via e mail.

I have found a few sites that offer templates of various sorts of contracts. By visiting these sites, you are sure to find the right template to suit your needs. Microsoft office offers several templates to download, from basic to extremely detailed with a lot of legal speak. Hoover web design also has thousands to choose from that you can download. Legaldocs.com offers all sorts of free legal documents to use in both your personal and business matters. My personal favorite, however, is Onecle. At Onecle, you can browse hundreds of templates, and once you’ve selected the one that’s right for you, just cut and paste to a new word doc. Being the cut and paste queen that I am, naturally this mode of acquiring a contract template appealed to me the most. In my travels gathering information for this post, so far I have acquired several different templates for future use. Once you have your document in word, you simply fill in the blanks and zip it off to the client.

Protect yourself. Get it in writing. Nothing can be more discouraging and frustrating than having unaddressed issues slow up the works of a project. Well, nothing except having to chase down a client for payment. With a contract in place, you have some sort of recourse to alleviate those discouraging and frustrating moments. Present yourself and your freelancing business in the professional manor they deserve.

Take a few moments out of your day to browse through these sites and see which forms fit your needs. The only cost to you is a small amount of your time, and the peace of mind you will receive is more valuable than you realize.