The cycle of unpredictable income is one of the most common complaints in freelancing. You spend weeks finding clients, deliver great work, then suddenly have to start searching for work again. Retainers break that cycle.
A retainer is an ongoing agreement where a client pays you a fixed amount each month for a defined set of work or availability. When done right, they are better for you and often better for the client too.
Why Retainers Work for Both Sides
For you
- Predictable monthly income
- Less time spent on business development
- Deeper relationships with fewer clients
- Priority access to your best clients
- Less ramp-up time per project
For the client
- Guaranteed access to someone they trust
- No need to re-brief a new freelancer
- Faster turnaround on work
- Often cheaper than hiring individually
- Ongoing relationship means better results over time
Which Clients Are Good Retainer Candidates
Not every client is a good fit for a retainer. Before pitching one, look for these signals.
- Ongoing needs. They do not just need one thing once. They regularly need content, maintenance, design updates, consulting calls, or any other repeating work.
- They come back anyway. If a client has hired you more than twice, they are already in a quasi-retainer pattern. Making it formal just improves the terms for both of you.
- They value your work. A client who consistently tells you the work is good and pays without fuss is worth keeping on a retainer. Someone who haggles every invoice is not.
- They have budget. Retainers require a monthly commitment. The client needs to be financially stable enough to commit to that.
How to Structure a Retainer
Hours-based retainer
You commit a set number of hours per month. The client gets those hours, you bill the same amount regardless. Simple and easy to understand.
Deliverable-based retainer
You agree to deliver specific outputs each month - say, 4 blog posts, or 10 hours of consulting, or weekly design revisions. Cleaner scope, easier to value.
Availability retainer
The client pays for priority access to you. They know you will respond within X hours and can get your attention when needed. Common for consultants.
Project retainer
An ongoing series of small projects with a rolling monthly budget. More flexible, good for clients whose needs vary month to month.
How to Bring It Up With a Client
The best moment to pitch a retainer is right after a successful project when the client is happy. Do not pitch it mid-project when they are focused on delivery.
Sample Retainer Pitch
End of project conversation
"Really glad this went well. I have been thinking - based on what you are working on, it sounds like you will have ongoing needs around [describe their need]. I offer a monthly retainer for clients I work with regularly. It means you get [X hours / Y deliverables] per month, and I block that time specifically for you. It ends up being more cost-effective than one-off projects and you always know I am available. Want me to put together a proposal for what that could look like?"
- 1.Wait until a project is complete and the client has expressed satisfaction
- 2.Reference their specific ongoing needs - do not make it generic
- 3.Frame it as a benefit to them, not just a convenience for you
- 4.Ask if you should send a proposal rather than asking them to commit on the spot
Pro Tip
More clients mean more retainer candidates. Feedsen aggregates client opportunities from different sources, helping you build a diverse client base so you can identify and convert the best relationships into reliable retainer income.
Get started free →Retainer Contract Essentials
A retainer agreement should clearly state what is included, what is not, what happens to unused hours, how either party can exit, and payment terms.
Key clauses to include
Build Your Client Base First
You can only convert clients to retainers if you have great clients to work with. Feedsen helps you find high-quality opportunities to build those relationships.
Start finding clientsAbout the Author: The Feedsen Team helps freelancers turn their freelancing into full-time careers and build their own agencies.