How Due Helps Freelancers Grow Their Business

Social media and technology have made working remotely more convenient and cheaper than running a company out of an office.

This has given rise to a massive population of digital freelancers that are responsible for finding clients, completing projects, collecting payments, and paying taxes. All of this can be a hassle, especially when clients fail to pay on time.

John Rampton, the founder of Due, is working to make the freelancing economy more viable and painless for everyone involved. We recently sat down to talk, and this is what he had to say about the progression of the freelance economy.

1. What problem does Due solve and why is it important?

Freelancers and small business owners often struggle to have their clients pay their invoices on time plus do not have the same level of payment acceptance methods available to them like larger companies do. These are critical issues that can adversely impact the cash flow that is so necessary to keep a business moving forward.

Due provides an online invoicing system to get the invoices in client hands in a way that is convenient and encourages fast payment plus provides clients with a way to pay by credit or debit card, echeck, and other options that also speeds remittance. In return, freelancers get their money in as little as one day to maintain optimum cash flow.

2. It’s a bitter truth but most people don't take action on their ideas. How did you come across this idea and what motivated you to start?

I was that freelancer who was waiting to get paid for work that I had done for clients.

I knew the struggle so I was motivated to find a way to change that. In the course of my other enterprises, I discovered that there was existing invoicing technology from other companies that could be combined and improved upon plus viable Internet real estate (domain names) available to put it all together. Finding the start of a solution for the pain I experienced was definitely the impetus.

3. Before founding Due, you went from freelancer to startup founder and back to freelancer. What are some tips for freelancers looking to become startup founders or agencies?

Talk to other startup founders or agency owners before jumping into it. Find out what issues they had to see if you want to take that on. It definitely wasn’t easy, and there were many things I wished that others would have told me to save me time and money. It’s worth getting other advice so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Or, it may also help you decide if it’s something you really want to do or might be better served focusing on being a freelancer.

4. Sixty-five percent of freelancers have had issues with non-payment or late payment, according to Statista. Do you have tips for dealing with this?

The best tips I can provide include using online invoicing where clients can get the invoice in their email rather than snail mail where it gets lost or forgotten about. Use a professional template that builds your brand and clearly lays out all the information about the work completed.

List your terms for payment on the invoice and resort to positive reinforcements like discounts or take the negative reinforcement route and add on fees for late payments to retrain your clients. Automated reminders also help.

5. What are some hardships you had to overcome when you were freelancing and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest hardships was getting enough steady work where I could relax and enjoy what I was doing. When you are in constant panic mode about whether next month will bring you the same income, you tend to not actually relish what you are doing.

To overcome it, I spent three to four hours each week on marketing activities to generate more business, including networking and social media connections to find more clients. It definitely helped to remember to continue marketing myself and building a personal brand while providing existing clients with excellent service so they continued to offer me increasing amounts of work.

6. What are some great books and blogs that you recommend freelancers to read?

I would definitely encourage freelancers to read my new book co-authored with Joel Comm called “Self-Employed: 50 Signs that You Might Be an Entrepreneur.” It’s available on Amazon and offers personal advice based on our experiences as freelancers and startup founders.

We have a blog on Due that is also packed with great advice for freelancers on getting paid, efficiently managing a small business, and increasing financial knowledge for better decision-making about money. The Freelancers Union offers an insightful blog and numerous resources plus one of the best books out there is “The Freelancer’s Bible” written by Sarah Horowitz, the founder of the Freelancers Union, and Toni Sciarra Poynter.