Freelancer brought in as 'company director' for meetings - ok/not ok?

[chummymummy7]

I was approached last yr to do some freelance work for a small company with some pretty big clients. The company is essentially a one-man show, with a handful of v. occasional freelancers.

So far, so good. The bit that troubles me is that the company founder refers to us/sets up email signatures etc saying we are company directors. I've also been asked to come to pitches/meetings with a company director hat on, essentially to position the company as a bigger operation than it it. The founder (my client) admits this is a bit 'smoke and mirrors' and did tell me about it before I started working - and I (perhaps wrongly) said I was ok with it. I needed the work and money!

Trouble is, since a solid patch of work last yr, there's not been much more coming through. I did request that I am not referred to as a company director to clients while I'm not doing actual paid work, unless he wants to put me on a retainer. It doesn't feel right to me that my name is being used in this way without any compensation.

What added insult to injury for me was that when I requested a recommendation on LinkedIn from this client - I was denied - on the basis that it would look weird for him to recommend me to others when I'm still working for them, as a director. Other current clients do this for me with no questions raised.

I've been asked again to come to a pitch and represent the company and have had battled to charge a day rate for this 9.15-1pm meeting involving travel (I posted here earlier this wk about that) - and it's certainly not a company director's day rate!

I have other regular clients who position me, correctly, as a freelance consultant/copywriter, which I feel much more comfortable with.

What do you think? Should I be glad of the (very occasional) work and take it? Is it really wrong to present myself as a company director both morally, and because I get none of the permanent attached benefits? (I should add that I got on friendly-ish terms with this client ie. invited to his private parties, emailed each other about non-work topics. But he has said a couple of things that rubbed me the wrong way eg. On why he doesn't have regular employees, he said : "Why would I want to be paying other people's mortgages?" - which I thought a bizarre way to perceive paying for people's services!)

I would really value some long-distance points of view on this, from both freelancers and/or company owners

Thanks Starfish. that really supports my gut instinct on this.

No, my husband runs his own business and regularly uses freelancers, he would never pretend to the customer that he wasn't using a 3rd party.

If he needs the freelancer in the meeting then they are introduced as the "preferred business partner", definitely not a member of the company.

I agree with your instinct...

I think he is probably getting more out of this than you, esp if you are on LinkedIn appearing to be part of his org but you are not really gaining much work from it. He is gaining credibility from your good name etc.

I am an associate of an org and have a formal profit sharing agreement. However, like you it hasn't actually brought me any opps and I wonder how good it looks on my LinkedIn that I am part of this and my with my own brand. I am concerned I could look a bit 'Jill of all trades', a potential client mentioned it questioning how much time I actually have to work on their stuff.

I have been approached by another org to enter into a similar org, it is clear that the orgs benefit from good people giving their name to the brand.

As a sole trader I think probably it makes more sense to spend your time and head space building up your business. He just doesn't sound like the right type of business partner longer term..

Good luck.

Errrm, you are NOT a director. A director is viewed as having certain legal obligations to the company or organisation they represent, says HMRC.

At best this is smoke and mirrors, at worst (particularly if anything goes wrong and its a limited company) you could be setting yourself up for a whole heap of trouble. I'm not normally one to be completely picky about titles and things (I have been referred to as an employee, preferred supplier, business partner and freelancer all in the space of the last few months), but the title of director means something. At the very least, if he pisses someone off, your reputation is attached to his business card, iyswim.

I know it's hard when you freelance (I'm in the same line as you) to feel like you're in a position when you're not giving clients what they want, but I would run a mile from this if I were you.

thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences. will be exiting stage right on this one, and will ensure my name isn't used in ways that don't sit right any more in future.

Just another one to agree that you don't want to be referred to as a director when you are not. If I remember correctly you could be accused of acting as a shadow director and end up with the same legal responsibilities as an actual director. Not a good idea.

As a freelancer you should focus on clients who can recommend your services to other people. This guy said he won't (for very strange reasons too). You just don't need clients like that - unless (maybe) if they are paying premium price for your services.

This is on top / in addition to everything else that's been said already. This guy is either dodgy or profoundly incompetent, or both.