How to Set Business Boundaries with Your Clients
Just as you have to do in life, setting boundaries comes into play with freelancing. Even though you may not have had to do this in the past at your 9-to-5 gig, you will once you’re in charge of your own business. You set the rules as a freelancer—but you’ve got to enforce them, too.
Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to do this because it’s all about what you feel comfortable as a self-employed individual. But we can definitely explore some areas of business where you may need to establish the rules, tighten the reigns or loosen up a little.
Meeting On Time
Some people don’t think 15 minutes makes a difference, but I can guarantee you that if you are not punctual, you can tick off a client in a snap—and even lose business. Even if you have to set your alarm clock a half hour early for a five-minute phone meeting, do it. This is an area of business where you don’t have much flexibility because you have to put on a professional front.
On the flip side, clients should be on time as well. Not only does it make them look like they don’t care about the project if they’re late to a meeting, but can also be construed as a sign of disrespect. If I’m waiting to meet a client and they haven’t shown, I usually give a call 15 minutes after our agreed-upon meet up time. I gently and politely ask the client if they are still planning on meeting me, or if they would like to reschedule. If they give me the “I got caught up” routine, that’s where my boundaries come in. I always offer a second meeting, but it may be more on my terms the second time around. (I usually don’t drive long distances to in-person meetings; it’s a pet peeve of mine.)
For example, if I’ve driven an hour to meet a client and they are a no-show, I may request a phone conference instead. I simply say, “Since I drove the hour there and back last time, I hope you can understand that I’d prefer to discuss your project over the phone.” You do not have to do this and I do not do this all of the time, but it’s an example of how you can set your boundaries. (In this case, you may ask the client to meet you halfway next time, or something similar.)
The goal isn’t to take back control when you’ve been wronged, though; if you want to drive the two hours again, that’s fine. The objective here is to stick up for what you’re comfortable with; and if a client fails to stick to his or her end of the bargain, you are in the right to professionally speak up for yourself. There are too many flakes out there and your time is so valuable.
Turning in Work and Completing Jobs
You better believe that when I work tirelessly to meet a deadline, I expect my clients to do the same… sorta. For example, I work well with deadlines and convey this to my clients (that’s why most of them hire me—simply because so many freelancers flake on timelines). In cases when they will not set a deadline for me, I let them know that I’m setting a deadline for the project. I generally request that they make revisions, if any, to the material within a week, but I never set a deadline back.
After all, if you’re working for this person, you want to accommodate their needs as well. So if a client will be on vacation for two weeks, I wouldn’t recommend sending them an email letting them know that the edits are due back to you on Day 3 of their vacation. Not the way to go!
But there’s only so much accommodating you can do in certain cases.
I had a client a while back that dragged his feet on a project. We’re talking, in months. In certain cases when I’m working through someone else that may give me steady work and be a pleasure to work with, I try not to push. But I have had clients I’ve worked with directly that have not responded with revisions and then lagged on paying the bill. I’ve had to remind them—kindly, even though it pains me sometimes to be nice—to pay the bill in adherence to our contract. I let him or her know again that I am willing to make any adjustments to the work if need be, but we need to wrap up the project. I also ask if they need additional time to mull it over and to let me know when I can contact them again. (This is when even if you get that half upfront, you want the other half ASAP!)
While I have never gotten to the point where I tell a client that they are working too slow and we are done working together, I do know people that have. In that case, it’s best to let the client know by email and phone that you’d appreciate revisions within the week or the month. Again, the soft deadlines are up to you, but it’s best—at least for accounting purposes—not to let projects drag on. Too often those clients forget about you, don’t pay the bill, or turn up a year later wanting their complimentary changes. (How can you be polite then? Ha.)
Setting Your Rates
Here is one that I know most of you have struggled with—what to charge customers. Projects all range widely in what they entail and so do clients, so it can be difficult to choose a project fee or hourly rate, whichever you use.
But one thing is for sure: when you do set those rates, how flexible should you be if the client asks you if you can “do better”? Again, different freelancers will respond different ways and that’s okay. You can choose to lower your rate or not and neither choice is the issue here; but when you’re pushed down to a cost so low that you’re not comfortable with it—and could wind up making peanuts in the end—that’s where you may have to draw the line. Generally, I find that I know deep down if someone’s trying to push me too much. I’m a negotiator, but I also pen in my head what number I’m drawing the line at. If they go too low, I am more than happy to offer a referral.
I try to stick to regular rates for various services, but I do have a repeat client that asked me recently to do a project at a discounted rate since they were doing it as a free “thank you” for a very loyal and profitable client of theirs. Because I had already worked for that client and been paid handsomely, I offered the discount. But I still kept the cost to where I was comfortable with the work.
You can strip down a price to include what it takes you to do a project, but keep in mind things like client meetings, interviews and revisions, which can all eat up extra time and make your rate actually go down if you don’t have enough coming in to cover yourself. Factor in those things even if you decide to go a little lower for someone. That will help you get down to your intuition as to what you are comfortable with.
And by all means, if you cannot work out a “deal,” try not to feel bad about it. Usually most of us can gauge when a client is worth it or not, so if the customer says they’ll strip you of all future projects for not giving a discount, chances are that’s not the type of client you will want to work with, anyway.
The most important thing I can advise you to do in any of these sticky situations is to go with your gut. If you feel like someone is low-balling you on pricing and you know that person will require extra attention, make sure you’re comfortable with what you’re charging. Likewise, if that client wants to dilly dally while you pray your house doesn’t get foreclosed on because you’re waiting for his or her check, set boundaries. It’s important to do this upfront and keep enforcing them. Always politely and professionally, of course, but still never hesitating to set a limit that you are comfortable with.
Kristen Fischer is a copywriter, editor, author, and journalist hailing from the Jersey Shore. She is the author of Creatively Self-Employed. Find out more at www.kristenfischer.com and www.creativelyselfemployed.com.
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Hi Kristin,
Great post – very sound advice offered.
I just wanted to add an idea to the Setting Rates discussion. Something I have done in the past with some success when clients have asked whether I can work on the rates some more is to go for a shared risk-shared reward approach. Simply, I can drop my rates to as low as my basic costs (so its important to have these calculated – how much does it cost you to function as a business and/or person for the duration of the project in question). To make up the shortfall (i.e. the profit margin), I provide a quotation for a Bonus amount at project delivery and delivery + 1 or 2 or 3 months, which can be anything between 10% and 100% of the initial fee.
The bonuses must be tied to S.M.A.R.T. goals agreed between you and the client at the outset.
Much of this will depend on your negotiation skills and degree of trust in the client, but it can offer a balanced and fair solution for everyone.
I write about small business issues at my blog, http://www.fourthirds.com, so feel free to check it out!
Really Great Read Article!
Actually I also faced the similar problem recently. The project was about the Website Design & the client was needing the job completed ASAP. As the deadline I started working on that project, after some days he requested me some more addition to the project. I told him that I will require more time for completion. Then I requested him some information to complete the project. But that day he didn’t reply so I told him about my deadline & asked him for the advance. Then he supplied me the information but he didn’t talk about advance. At the deadline I told him that the project is completed and let me know when should I submit it & when he is going to pay me. But he didn’t reply. Now what can I do in this situation?
I recently was offered less than half my rate for a contract. I don’t think the client understood the value in design work, and it became clear I wasn’t going to be able to work with them when I told them my rate (very fair based on my experience and skills) and he offered less than half right after. I declined the offer for work, and a friend pointed out “It’s a recession, and you still turned down the work. That’s gotta say something to him.”, and she’s right. Even though it’s a recession, your skills are worth what they’re worth, and clients that are going to treat you well are the same ones that recognize that they’re getting what they pay for, including all the professional aspects of running your business.
Very good article. I’m constantly trying to decide how far to bend for a client, and generally, so long as the request isn’t unreasonable, I’ll throw in little extras and put in a bit more time than agreed upon. If they are a bad client, however, or if they become unreasonably demanding, then I’ll draw the line and tell them what they ask will cost more.
Nice informative Article.
It is really good to set boundaries for a long term success. I have already implemented some of the things mentioned in this article and will soon implement things that i have not yet implemented .
Thanks very much for the reminder, which I needed this weekend. In my case, it’s one particular e-commerce client who works on her shop on the weekends and sends me barrage after barrage of emails containing either multiple problems or multiple “what do you think I should do here?” marketing questions. There are generally between 20 and 50 of them over each weekend.
My “rule” is that I do not work on the weekends, that being family time, but for some time I have felt compelled to fix her her problems and answer her questions on her schedule, because I know this is the only time she has to get her work done. However, the constant screaming for attention is getting exasperating and creating some “Are you on that g-d computer *again*???? On Sunday?????” problems with the spouse.
Your article reminds me that I am not charging extra for weekend work and that the best thing to do is to firmly draw and maintain that boundary. Either wait until Monday for your questions to be answered, or be prepared to pay time and a half for weekend work.
Good for you, Kathryn! I’ve had to do the same, turning down things, because even in a recession, your work is worth a lot.
Thanks for all the positive feedback:)
Always when i do project, ill estimate approximate price and ask client (if i work for him for the first time) to pay half of it ahead. The best thing how to make your client definetely interested is when he invest his money to the project.
Ditto what 2Fish said. I do not work on weekends, as that’s the only time I get to spend with my partner. I have clients that will call many, many times over the weekend, trying to get me to talk to them about their non-urgent issue. I really can’t bend this rule, because I know that if I do, I’ll be working 24/7.
Good article. I’m curious how many people regularly negotiate rates? I find it a waste of time but realize there are some who feel like they’re getting a better deal if they can “talk you down.”
I recently had a client wanting a website but said he couldn’t afford more than $xxxx. We reworked his ideas a bit and planned for a smaller site. However, during the process he kept coming up with more and more ideas. I quoted the additional cost and he always agreed. In the end, he paid a lot more than our original quote. We both were happy and continue with a good working relationship.
On another note: 2Fish, glad to hear you’re setting weekend boundaries. I often work evenings or weekends and I read my email or listen to phone messages. But I never answer it. My clients don’t need to know I’m working odd hours and they certainly don’t need the idea I’m available 24/7. Monday comes soon enough.
When I first started out, I was a ‘Yes’ girl and soon found out that this caused many problems. Over the years, I have a few rules set in stone and they have definitely helped to draw boundaries and also help to ensure that clients to not take things for granted.
Interaction times
I make it a point to add in my email signature and on my website that office hours are 930am to 6pm, Mon to Fri. This means that all calls and interaction with the client about a project, will be confined to these hours, unless it is an absolute emergency, or if it is a rush project. If a client wants to send emails, they are welcome to, but I will reply in my own time. If I am making an exception, I will definitely let the client know.
It also helps if you are disciplined enough to refuse to engage the client in the work conversation if they ring you up at 10PM at night on a Saturday. I usually ask nicely if I can call them during the work week about the topic or if they can email me, as this is now my personal time. They’re usually understanding about it and will even apologise. I find that if you are unable to defend your time, chances are your plans will fail. By sticking to your guns, you ‘train’ clients to recognise the boundaries.
Special requests
If you’re going the extra mile for a client, always be sure that you bring their attention to it. For instance, if you were only meant to do X, and you did X +1 for the client, let them know that you have given them that extra bit verbally or in black and white. They will appreciate you all the more. Most clients may not notice the extra bits you’ve done for them until you mention it.
Thanks Kristen for the article. I am sooo frustrated right now with a client that I did a website for. I finished the project in December of last year and there were a few revisions needed. My contact person was changed at the end and the project has dragged on until now. This person keeps asking for revision after revision and I have still not gotten paid the other half of the finished product. Also, I was to maintain the website at a monthly rate, which hasn’t started because the contact keeps coming up with nit picky changes. I am ready to say forget it, but do not want to make an enemy.
Charge by the hour!!
When it comes to setting your rates, be very careful about that so you wont be regretting your decision. I came across this video that tells about how you should set your boundaries when it comes to dealing with your business. http://marieforleo.com/2012/03/how-to-set-boundaries/
really nice article ! Very informative for newbies