Lessons

What a stranger can check in ten minutes

What it is

Three things: somewhere a buyer can look you up, one person who will confirm what you did, and one finished piece of work with a date on it.

Why it matters

A buyer who cannot verify you is taking a risk, and they price that risk into what they offer. That is most of the gap between what good work is worth and what it is paid. It is also the cheapest gap on this page to close — a fortnight, and it costs nothing but nerve.

The method

Answer each honestly. Something that exists but is private does not count. The test is whether a stranger could open it without asking your permission.

Example

Maryam had four years of client work and scored nothing here. Every photograph sat in a folder on her laptop, so every conversation about price started from zero and she argued from nothing.