Open Margin · free resources
Small, useful resources for freelance designers, writers, illustrators, and makers who want to hold client work, creative work, and the week ahead in one honest view.
Looking for a number? Try the freelance rate calculator — a free tool for finding the hourly rate your year actually requires.
The main client-work system
Price the project, shape the proposal, ask useful questions, and start with clear expectations. A fillable, undated PDF for the space between yes and kickoff.
Free PDF · 5 minutes
Name what is draining you, notice what is fueling you, and protect one thing that matters. Use it on paper or fill it on a tablet.
The desk companion
Once the client work is clear, use an undated daily planner, weekly review, and habit tracker to hold the week without making every hour look available.
From the journal
Write a freelance project handoff email that names every deliverable, shows where the files are, flags open items, and makes the next agreed step clear. Includes a reusable template.
Read the note →A concise guide to defining revision rounds, pricing extra work, and agreeing on changes before you begin.
Read the note →Calculate a freelance day rate from your annual revenue target and realistic billable hours. A clear formula, a worked example, and a boundary for what one day includes.
Read the note →How much deposit should a freelance designer ask for? Choose a clear payment schedule for short or long projects, put the terms in writing, and begin with shared expectations.
Read the note →A client says your freelance price is too high. Use calm questions, clear scope options, and a proposal that makes the next step easier to agree on.
Read the note →Neither hourly nor flat is the grown-up option — they're tools for different jobs. A calm way to choose per project, plus the hybrid that handles scope creep.
Read the note →Share a quieter start
Send them this page. It is a small starting point, not another system to maintain.
openmargin.net/free-resources