Last month I started working with a new client who doesn’t use PayPal. They asked if I would be willing to sign up for Zelle, which is an alternative to PayPal that doesn’t charge fees for sending or receiving money. I was unfamiliar with Zelle at the time, but this client seemed nice and was offering steady work.
I signed up for Zelle, and I’m so glad I did (it’s really true that they don’t charge fees).
As a freelancer, I feel as though I have a hundred different accounts for a hundred different things. It can be hard to keep up with it all, and I’m to the point where I’m backing off on signing up for new platforms in favor of putting more effort into the ones that feel like they will become fruitful. When this client initially asked me about using Zelle, I of course wasn’t big on the idea. But I’ve learned that being flexible about certain things is important in this business. After all, the clients are the reason we are here.
This isn’t to say that we should allow clients to dictate how we run our businesses. For example, a line that I draw is talking with clients over the phone. I’ve been asked by two clients recently about having a phone call, and I’ve politely said no both times. One reason is because I’m not comfortable. Another is because I like to have a written record of correspondence with clients. And another is because it doesn’t make sense for my business.
This list can go on, but the point is that it’s important to find that line between being flexible and still running your business how you wish. If I wouldn’t have been flexible about trying Zelle, I wouldn’t have this wonderful client and I wouldn’t have found an alternative to PayPal that doesn’t charge fees.