How getting clients is like planting seeds

In my previous newsletter, I mentioned not being able to find YouTube’s built-in setting for viewing a video’s transcript. I found it! You have to click to expand the video’s description, and then scroll to the bottom to click the “Show transcript” button.

Now, on to this week’s email.

​Prospecting for clients is like planting seeds.

You plant your seeds and water them. Then, you wait.

Despite your best efforts, some seeds will never sprout. (The prospect ignores you.)

Meanwhile, some sprout quickly! (You got the project, woohoo!)

And some others take weeks to sprout. Even months. (The prospect is interested, but they have to ding-dong through a lot of things to work with you.)

And out of all those seeds that sprout:

• Some will die before bearing fruit (the prospect cancels the project at the last minute)
• Some will bear one fruit, and then die (the client gives you exactly one project. That’s it.)
• Some will grow into huge trees that continually bear you fruit (projects) for weeks, months and even years

Unless repeat projects aren’t common in your line of work, that last scenario is the goal.

But when you plant a seed, you don’t know how it will turn out.

So, here’s my advice if you want work:

Go out and plant seeds. Lots and lots of them.

Then, watch which ones start to sprout. 🌱

More freelancer news

The Singapore government will help foot platform workers’ CPF contributions from 2025

In my previous newsletter, I also talked about the Platform Workers Bill, which proposes laws to require (among other things) platform companies to make CPF contributions for platform workers below 30 years old and for those who opt in.

The Bill will be passed, with the CPF contributions starting from 1 January 2025. When that happens, the platform workers would have originally received lower take-home pay because the platform company would have deducted the CPF contribution from their earnings.

But the Singapore government has announced that for the whole of 2025, it will foot 100% of the CPF contributions for platform workers who earn up to $3,000 a month. So, they won’t see decreases in their take-home pay.

The subsidy won’t reduce the MediSave contribution amount platform workers have to pay as self-employed persons. It will also decrease by 25% every year until it reaches zero in 2029.

​More details in this news article.​

While suing for compensation, this food delivery rider admitted he doesn’t pay income tax

So, this food delivery rider was hit by a car last year and sued the driver for compensation for:

• His injuries
• The loss of income during the period he didn’t work
• His medical and transport expenses

During the trial, the driver’s lawyers questioned the rider about his income as it would affect the amount of compensation their client had to pay. This was when the rider admitted he has never declared his income to IRAS or paid income tax.

Which is, you know, against the law if you earn above a certain amount—which the rider claimed he did.

This revelation didn’t affect the case’s outcome. The driver still had to pay compensation, which came up to around $5.9k. But the judge noted that the authorities could still investigate the rider for not paying income tax if needed.

​Read more about the lawsuit here.​