6 Steps to Getting Started as an Autistic Freelancer

By: Vanessa Blanchard

This is the second post in the freelancing series, where we help autistic folks start and maintain a freelancing career. We were able to create it thanks to the support of Spectroomz hub members, and therefore it’s available only to members.

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You might be wondering why we aren’t starting this series out with an article about finding your first clients.  I think a lot of people assume you find a client first, then worry about the rest.  But in my experience it’s better to have the foundation of your business set up before you find a client.  This is especially true for autistics because having this foundation in place gives us some of the confidence, credibility, and professionalism needed to protect us from some of the stuff we face in social settings.  Also, I know from experience learning the basics of business was the first thing that shut me down when I was figuring out how to start freelancing.

A big goal for this article is to help you demystify the “running a business” aspect of freelancing.  I’ll show you the basic things you need to know and set you up with the tools you need to succeed as an autistic freelancer.  Use this article as a reference and a resource for templates, definitions, important documents and more.  There’s a lot in here, so feel free to work through things at your own pace.

There’s a huge range of ways to freelance, so this article won’t cover all of everyone’s needs.  Hopefully it will clarify things enough that you can find what you need.  J

Join our Discord members’ forum to learn from each other (members got an email invite when they joined).

How to Start Freelancing

There is a bit of setup involved in freelancing.  It doesn’t take a super long time -- especially if you’re not left to stumble upon the information alone -- but it’s important for your success.  So here are 6 steps to help autistic freelancers get started without the intense overwhelm.

Step 1 Learn the Legal Stuff

Learn relevant laws around freelancing in general and whatever laws apply to your industry.  Here are several things you’ll need to know about:

• Business structure: Are you a sole proprietor or will you form an LLC?  Most freelancers will operate sole proprietorships, meaning they are the business they’re running.  This is a simpler business structure in that it usually requires less set up (permits, tax forms, etc).  If you’re a writer, for example, you’ll probably operate a sole proprietorship.  An LLC, however, separates the business from the person, which changes how taxes are handled and can protect your personal assets.  LLCs may also come with city/state requirements for permits and/or permission to run a business from your home.  A person who sells prints and takes commissions might start an LLC so that they can invest in equipment or inventory without being personally responsible for the debt (the LLC would be instead).  Here is a handy article about the differences between an LLC and a sole proprietorship. 

• How will you handle your taxes? The answer to this will change based on the way your business is structured.  The central truth is that self-employed people must pay their own income taxes.  There isn’t an employer to do this for you throughout the year.  Here are a few forms you might need:

  • 1099-MISC - This is your basic income form as a freelancer.  It’s the equivalent of the W-2 form that companies use for employees.

  • 1040 - ES - If you make enough money, you may be required to file this form every quarter.  This determines how much income tax you’ll owe each year.  

  • Schedule C - This helps you record your profits and losses throughout the year.  When running your own business, there are many expenses that can be deducted from your taxes.  Speaking of that, you should know what expenses are tax deductible for your business.

  • Common tax programs that can help: Quickbooks, TurboTax

Here is an article specifically about taxes for freelancing that can help you navigate the process.

• What certifications, insurance, licensing, etc do you need?  Depending on what you do for freelancing, there could be a few extra things you need to perform your service.  For example, getting liability or bonding insurance can give your house cleaning service more credibility (and allow you to charge more for your services).  Know what is required for your industry and what will protect you from other laws (i.e. insurance).  You may also need to follow certification and/or inspection laws for daycares, food-based home businesses, etc.

• Who is going to own what you produce?  

  An early step for learning how to start freelancing as an artist, writer, designer, musician, etc is to learn copyright laws.  Rules for this vary depending on a number of factors, including the agreements you forge with your clients.  For example, ghostwriters don’t retain any rights or credit for their work, whereas bloggers have the option to negotiate at least partial ownership of their content.  You have a lot of choice in who can use your work for what purpose.  Check out this article, "A Freelancer's Quick Guide to Intellectual Property" for more information.

Remember to customize your research to the type of freelancing you’ll do.  A great way to sort through the information quickly is to reach out to other freelancers in your field.

Step 2: Define Your Policies

Once you know the legal ins and outs of freelancing, you can use that information to define your policies.  Having informed terms and conditions demonstrates to potential clients that you’re professional and organized.

Your policies will include things like:

• Pricing and costs (equipment, training, salary, etc)

• Contact information (websites, branded social media, sometimes address or phone number)

• The parameters of services offered: deliverables, timelines, types of communications, etc

• How and when payments are made

• Terms and fees for cancelation of contract

• Copyright or other ownership information

• Ways to handle disputes (like if work isn’t done or if client stops responding to communications)

• If applicable, returns and exchange policies

• Other legal terms and conditions

Set yourself up to know exactly what you’re offering.  You’re welcome to compromise in these (for example the parameters of the services you offer, or the ownership of a finished product) but defining stuff ahead of time makes you a better negotiator.  You can have your ideal situations as a reference and make informed decisions about your agreements with clients without feeling like you have to “catch up” to the moment.  Plus, it’s less likely that you go blank if someone asks you a question, and if you do, you can reference what you’ve written down.

This might seem like an intimidating step, but once you’ve set it up, it’s done.  Any revising or updating will require far less effort.

Step 3 Set Your Prices

This is another intimidating step because it requires you to assert yourself in a way that many people push back on.  Autistic people are more likely to have their skills dismissed or devalued, and we can be vulnerable to bullying or manipulation.  But also, capitalism designates payroll as a loss or liability, making it common for people to want to underpay.  So, it’s inevitable that we’ll encounter clients who don’t want to pay fairly.  Also look out for clients who will break a contract to pay less than agreed upon.  

However, you can avoid this (or screen out low-paying clients faster) by knowing what’s fair for your industry.  So, let’s discuss how to set a fair price that you can justify.

Research Averages for Your Industry

Get a range of salaries common in your field that reflect different levels of experience and career development (education, certifications, etc).  Look at price ranges in general and price ranges for your area.  Knowing both allows you to be more competitive in your pricing.  

Informational interviews

A quick way to learn local pricing is to talk to other freelancers in your area.  They might not discuss their literal rates with you, but you can get an idea of what they charged to start, what enrichment/development they did to increase their rates, and what their schedule for regular rate increases looks like.  They’ll have experience in how to sort through clients who aren’t serious about paying freelancers and help you get to the high-paying jobs more quickly.

Note: Email is a perfectly valid way to conduct interviews with people.   

Factor in Your Needs

Freelancing gives autistic people a lot more control over their finances because we can decide our rates and ensure they meet our needs.  You can also be strategic with how you charge and how you compromise.  For example, if you need help with networking, you could offer a referral discount.  That way, clients are encouraged to do some of your networking for you.  

When factoring your costs, don’t forget things like equipment, healthcare, income taxes, training, and other expenses you might have to cover.  Operating costs are always part of the price of any service or goods.  

Remember - You are your best advocate.  Your client won’t advocate for fair prices for you.  Make sure your prices pay your bills.  Expect some pushback, but know that many people will pay you fairly.  

Step 4 Make a Contract

Everything that you define in Step 2 now needs to go into your contract.  This is a key piece of protection for you and your client.  Once a contract is signed, it’s a legal document that applies to court or mediation processes.  They can also give you an out when you find difficult clients.  For example, sometimes people will try to add work to your agreement.  This could be a breach of the contract if you define your deliverables in the document.  You are then free to ignore the breach, update the contract and re-sign, or enforce the already signed agreement.

I recommend building a template of your contract that has all the relevant information in place and then customize it based on the needs of the job.

Consider consulting a lawyer to build yourself a really good legal document.  However, there are many obstacles to that.  If you need it, Spectroomz has a Freelance Contract Template that you can use to get started.

Step 5 Gather Client Paperwork

Take the time to get templates for the different things you’ll need to find clients and perform your services.  Depending on what you do for freelancing, you might need some of the following:

• Project proposal template - This is a template you can customize to reach out to clients who are looking for help with a specific project.  There’s a template, an example of the template in use, and a form you can fill out to customize the template to your needs.  You can find more templates here.

• Resume template - Work experience for freelancers doesn’t look the same as experience for traditional employment.  It’s less common that you have the same client for years and years, for example.  Traditional resumes may be appropriate in many cases, but you can also use a functional resume that focuses on your skills rather than your time spent with one client.  These are great for people who are just starting their careers, switching careers, coming back to work after a gap, or for people who’ve been self-employed for a while.  Again, my advice here is to have a main document that you use to keep track of all relevant career information.  Then, use a resume template to customize your resume to the project/client.

• Other Contact Forms: find templates for things like cold emails, query letters, cover letters, and any other document you might need to reach out to clients in your industry.

You can find a lot more templates and information about resumes, cold emails, cover letters and more in the Spectroomz course, “How to Find a Job When You’re Autistic.”

Step 6 Set Up Your Payment System

This is one of the easiest steps in learning how to start freelancing.  It’s not overwhelming and there’s always motivation to follow through because it means you get paid.  Lol!

First, find yourself an invoice template that is easily customized.  Here’s a project invoice template from Google Drive to get you started.  This will help you charge by an agreed upon price rather than an hourly wage.  If you need an invoice for hourly wages, try this hourly invoice template instead. 

To edit the templates linked above: Make a copy of the document for your own Drive.  The copied template becomes your own document that you’ll be able to edit.

Once you’ve filled out the template, copy and paste the table into a document and you’ll have an invoice to send to someone.  Below is a small tutorial video I’ve made to help you navigate the process.

Another way that you can manage invoices is through PayPal.  You can create an invoice from your dashboard.  Here’s a screenshot to show you what to look for.

Now You’re Ready to Start Freelancing

Once you’ve taken these 6 steps, you’ll have a great foundation under you that will help you find clients.  Keep in mind that nothing you do here is written in stone.  You’ll find that you will have to compromise and adapt as you gain experience and clients.  But once you know how to start freelancing, it’ll be much easier to learn how to adapt along the way.

Now, are you ready to learn about finding your first clients?  Stay tuned!