FREELANCING

WHAT TO CHECK

• Whether and when you need to register with the Chamber of Commerce.
• VAT: whether you are liable and whether a small business scheme applies.
• A rate that accounts for non-billable hours, holidays and sick days.
• Clear agreements up front: scope, deadline, number of revisions and payment terms.
• Invoices with the right details and a fixed routine for sending them on time.
• Setting part of every invoice aside for tax immediately.

STEP ONE: CHOOSE A CLEAR SERVICE

Beginners lose work by being too broad. A client is not looking for an allrounder, they are looking for someone who solves their problem.

• Write in one sentence what you deliver and for whom: I make X for Y.
• Pick an outcome, not a tool. Not I work with a word processor, but I write product copy for online shops.
• Start from what you can already do and have done before, paid or unpaid.
• Limit your offer to one or two packages. Choice overload costs you jobs.

STEP TWO: A SIMPLE PORTFOLIO

You do not need an expensive website. You need evidence that you can deliver the work.

• Three examples are enough to start. Quality over quantity.
• No paid work yet? Make two examples of your own or do a small job for someone in your network with clear agreements.
• For each example describe the question, what you did and what it produced. Do not show only the end result.
• A tidy page, a pdf or a complete platform profile is enough in the beginning.
• Make sure there is a way to contact you that you actually check.

STEP THREE: FINDING CLIENTS

There are three main routes and they are not mutually exclusive. Most beginners underestimate their own network and overestimate platforms.

STEP FOUR: PRICING RESPONSIBLY

A rate is not income. Of every invoiced hour, part disappears into non billable time, costs and tax.

• Work out how many hours a week you can genuinely spend on paid work. Sales, admin and learning are not in there.
• Include your costs: software, equipment, insurance, travel.
• Set aside part of every invoice for tax in a separate account straight away.
• Price per project when the scope is clear and per hour when it is not.
• Write down what the price includes: number of revisions, delivery date, what extra work costs.
• Raise your rate for new clients once your calendar fills up, not once you are exhausted.
• Starting too low is hard to undo with existing clients.

STEP FIVE: ADMIN AT A HIGH LEVEL

This is the part people postpone and where the stress comes from. Broadly it comes down to four things.

• Registration: find out whether and when you must register with the Chamber of Commerce.
• VAT: find out whether you are liable for VAT and whether a small business scheme applies to you.
• Invoices and receipts: keep everything in one place and use sequential invoice numbers with the required details.
• Reserving: put a fixed percentage of every invoice aside for tax so an assessment never becomes a debt.
• For the exact rules, the current information from the Dutch tax authority and the KvK always applies. We do not give tax advice.

SPOTTING SCAMS AND NON PAYERS

• Being asked to pay up front for access, materials or a test is a red flag.
• An overpayment with a request to refund the difference is a well known scam.
• No contract, no clear company and contact only through a chat app: be careful.
• Free trial work of real size is not normal practice. A small paid test job is.
• With new clients work with a deposit or in stages, and hand over final files after payment.
• Agree the payment term and what happens if it is late before you start.

WAYS TO FIND FREELANCE WORK

Three routes, each with a different price in time, money or dependence.

STEPS

1. 01Pick one serviceDescribe in one sentence what you deliver and for whom. Specific beats broad.
2. 02Set up your basicsA simple portfolio or profile, a rate and a standard agreement.
3. 03Reach out deliberatelyStart with your existing network before competing on price on platforms.

For tax and legal obligations, official information from the Belastingdienst and KvK always applies. We do not give tax advice.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I need experience to start?

You need evidence, and you can create that yourself. Two well made examples of your own plus a small first job are enough to begin.

What do I charge as a beginner?

There is no fixed amount. Look at what is common for your type of work, include your costs and non billable hours, and adjust as demand grows. Starting extremely low rarely works in your favour.

Platform or finding clients myself?

In the beginning often both. A platform gives visibility and payment protection in exchange for commission. Finding clients yourself costs more time but the clients are yours.

What if a client does not pay?

Send a reminder with the payment term, then a formal demand. Make sure your agreements are on paper. Better still, work with a deposit or in stages.

Do I need a company structure or insurance right away?

Usually not immediately. Start small, see whether the work holds up and then decide which steps fit. For the legal and tax choice, official KvK and tax authority information applies.

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