If you’re a freelancer, how do you find the best clients for your business? Clients where you enjoy the work, where you are recognized for your contribution and get paid fairly for it.

Of course, “best clients” is highly subjective, and every freelancer will have their own criteria.

Here are characteristics I think you should look for in potential clients:

They are professional clients with defined and appropriate budgets for the work you will do together
They are willing to share budget numbers so you can make the project fit the budget
They have many projects for you. As long as you meet or exceed expectations, they will give you the next project without competition. You became their “go-to” writer, designer, or filmmaker.
They understand the processes you need to go through to deliver the project. If there are numerous iterations, or if research is required, it will be included in the budget.
They respect deadlines and timelines. There may be rush projects, and you might have to work long hours to meet the deadline, but that isn’t the norm.

Let’s review.

The Best Clients for Freelancers Have Defined Budgets

Look for clients who have budgets set aside for the type of work you do. I call them professional clients. They have budgets and they know how to do their job.

The key is that the budgets are allocated. The client will decide how they want to spend that budget, but it’s never a question that the budget is there for marketing/communications.

On the other hand, less professional clients, amateurs, don’t have allocated budgets. They always have to “find the money” or borrow it from other departments.

That means the question of “how much will this cost” comes up far too early, often before you’ve fully defined the project.

It’s tough to work with a client who doesn’t have pre-approved budgets to spend.

Look for Clients Willing to Share Budget Numbers

Doing a project is easier when a client has a written brief and says they have a budget of $X to do the project. Together you can then figure out how to get the job done for the budget.

In other cases, you may come to them with an estimate and review it. The key is that you’re able to have an open discussion about money. It’s just business, not personal.

Clients who shy away from these discussions don’t help the working relationship. Trying to do projects with them means you’re constantly revising estimates (downward). It sucks away at your time and energy.

You’ll get a feel for how a potential client deals with money if you’re confident bringing it up and making it a point of discussion. This may be something you have to grow into if you’re not naturally at ease talking about money.

Ideal Communications Clients Give You Projects Without Competition

Of course, you have to earn your projects and meet or exceed expectations on the first few jobs. Ideally, after that, you don’t have to compete. You’ll get the next project and the next one. You want to become their first-call writer or designer.

This allows you to become an expert in their business and makes you more valuable to them. You understand their processes, timelines, and preferences.

I wrote Are You Working For Your Ideal Clients here. Have a look.

The Best Communications Clients Understand Processes

They’re also willing to pay for them. If you’re a copywriter, your estimate may include rounds of revisions (it should), and they’re part of the budget.

For longer writing projects, you may also want to get approval on an outline before proceeding.

Graphic designers will present rough concepts before creating a final design. Filmmakers will get approvals on storyboards.

All of this falls under processes that the best communications clients understand and will happily approve in a budget.

It’s only amateurs that expect you to jump from a briefing right to the finished piece.

Find Clients Who Respect Deadlines

Project deadlines are a two-way street. Generally, a client will have a deadline for a project which they should communicate at the outset.

But you also have deadlines for the client to meet. You’ll need information from them to start the project. You’ll need timely approvals to move on to the following stages. Both you and the client have to stick to the agreed-upon schedule. If they don’t meet their deadlines, and the due date is immovable, you’ll be crunched for time.

Ideally, for a larger project, you’ll create a schedule that includes various delivery and approval dates. It’s up to both of you to meet your deadlines.

You’ll get a feeling for how a client handles deadlines after your first project together.

How Do You Find These Ideal Freelance Clients?

To state the obvious, you have to look for them. You have to be aware of what you’re looking for when you meet prospective clients.

In your initial discussions about any projects, how do they talk about budgets? How do they react when you discuss processes and timelines?

Does this client have the potential for many projects that you would qualify for, or does it feel like a one-off job?

Does the person you’re meeting with seem knowledgeable about communications? Are they experienced?

These are questions that should be running through your head when you first meet.

Now, there are exceptions to everything. Suppose you’re doing work for friends opening a new business. In that case, you may know they’re not experienced communicators, don’t have dedicated budgets, and don’t understand processes… but you’ll help them anyway because they’re friends.

But for most of your business, you need to know what you’re looking for in a client.

See The Secret to Freelancer Success: Choosing the Right Clients.

You Need Confidence to Lead Discussions With Prospective Clients

You should be leading some of the conversations during the initial discussions. During the briefing, you’ll want to get answers to questions that are important to you.

Then you can decide how to proceed. It may influence whether or not you take on the project, how you structure your estimate (get paid 100% upfront?), and whether you think this will be a long-term working relationship.

This confidence level may not come easily as you’re beginning, but as you grow, you should definitely have your criteria for taking on new clients.

Good Clients Allow You to Turn Down Bad Clients

Once you’ve built a roster of good clients, you’ll be booked most of the time. That lets you say no to potentially bad clients, ones you don’t want to work for anyway.

There are only so many hours in a day, days in a week. Choose your clients wisely and make the most of your time.

There’s lots more about how to find the best clients for you in my book How to Start a Successful Creative Agency. It’s the essential business guide for graphic designers, copywriters, filmmakers, photographers, and programmers.

Buy Your Book Here

With over 300 pages and 23 chapters, it’s available at Amazon (Paper & Kindle), Kobo (ebook), Apple Books (ebook), and Gumroad (PDF).

The book is packed with useful information to help creatives start and grow their business.

Recommended to Some Other Creative Friends

“Hi Andy, just finished reading your book. Loved the sections on estimates, billable hours, and timesheets. Recommended to some other creative friends who are running their own biz. Thank you for writing the book :)”

Kasun Pathirage, Freelance B2B Writer, DM Twitter

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This chapter covers essential areas such as Clients vs. Projects, Corporate Clients vs. Small Business Clients, How to Create an Opportunity Document, Benefits of Finding a Niche… and much more.

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Best Clients for Freelancers (How to Find Them)