First freelance client checklist

Free. What to write down before you say yes, before you start hours, and before you send the first invoice.

Most first freelance jobs go sideways for boring reasons: nobody wrote down what the job was, who approves it, or when the invoice is due. This page is the short version of the process. Copy it into a note for your next client.

1. Before you say yes

A “yes” without a named job, deliverable, deadline and budget is a chat thread, not an engagement. Write down:

• Who the client is, and who actually approves the work.
• The job in one sentence.
• The deliverable: file type, how many, and where it goes.
• The deadline, and whether it is real or hoped-for.
• The budget, and whether it is a cap or an hourly guess.
• What files, logins or assets you need before you can start.

If you can’t fill those lines, you don’t have enough to start. Ask, and don’t fill the silence with free work.

2. Before you start: scope in plain words

Write what is in, what is out, how many revision rounds are included, what you are waiting on from them, and what happens when a new request shows up (pause, price it, or treat it as a new job). Send it and ask them to confirm in writing.

This is a summary, not a contract. If the job needs a binding agreement, get one separately from someone qualified to draft or review it. A useful test: if they later say “I thought you said…”, you should be able to point at a line.

3. The first 48 hours after yes

• Book a kickoff, or send a written kickoff if they won’t meet.
• Collect the files, logins and brand assets you listed.
• Agree on one channel for requests (one email thread, one doc, or one chat — pick one).
• Confirm who approves, and how (comment, email, call).
• Put the next date on the calendar: draft due, check-in, or first invoice.

If onboarding stalls, that’s information about how the job will feel.

4. No billable hours without a due date

Before you start, write down the billing contact, whether a deposit is expected (and whether it arrived), the amount, what triggers the invoice (deposit, milestone, weekly, delivery), and the due date. Then keep a tiny log: sent, due, paid, last checked. “I’ll invoice when we’re done” is how first jobs turn into unpaid ones. Use whatever invoicing tool you already have.

5. A payment isn’t all spendable

When money lands, write the amount and date, then move whatever share you’ve decided to set aside and note where it went. This is money hygiene, not tax advice: confirm rules, percentages and deadlines with a qualified tax professional and official sources (U.S.: IRS.gov).

Want it as fill-in worksheets?