
Step 1: Reflect
- Financial reasons: New budgetary restrictions, diminishing returns, or higher freelance rates.
- Contractual reasons: Missed deadlines, incomplete work, or failure to fulfill tasks as laid out in the Service Agreement.
- Business reasons: Cancelled projects, different skills are required, or company downsizing.
- Contractual reasons: Missed and/or late payments or other contractual violations from the client.
- Business reasons: Moving into full-time employment or being overwhelmed with other clients/projects.
- Personal reasons: Taking some time to recover from personal, familial, or other circumstances that are beyond the control of the freelancer.
Step 2: Review
- Information about notice periods
- Compensation
- Return of property
- Any other legal details
But what if I don’t have an Independent Contractor Agreement?
Sep 3: Prepare
- Emails containing unprofessional communication
- Evidence of missed deadlines or incomplete work
- Project plans
- New budgets
Step 4: Communicate
Remember: don’t ghost them! Although the conversation might be a tough one, both parties will benefit from honest communication. Plus, this leaves the door open for a potential working relationship in the future.
Step 5: Finalize
- Finalizing any outstanding payments
- Deciding on a final date
- Removing access to shared materials, project management tools, or accounts like Google Drive, LastPass, or social media platforms.
Each Freelance Contract is different
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Read more in our comprehensive guide to freelancing.